Warman denied funding for Legends Centre expansion for final time

The City of Warman had a funding application to the province for an arena expansion denied for a fourth and final time. (Courtesy/Google Street View)

The City of Warman has a big decision to make when the council meets next month after a funding application to the province for an arena expansion was denied for a fourth and final time.

For the past four years, Warman has been applying for Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) funding to expand the Legends Centre with an extra ice sheet and other accommodations.

Thursday’s denied application threatens to put the expansion in peril.

“Very frustrating,” Warman mayor Gary Philipchuk said. “It's been a long process and a lot of political talk to try and get to a point where we could know that we had a dream of adding another ice surface to our recreational complex, so it was it was frustrating that we were not chosen for the funding.”

ICIP is a federal program created during the COVID-19 pandemic with over $33 billion earmarked for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Communities need to apply to their province to be eligible for the cost-sharing program.

Philipchuk says the application was denied because there was simply more demand than money available. The city also recently received funding for a lagoon project.

“We are growing and with growth comes those demands,” Philipchuk said.

While Philipchuk understands recreation isn’t as high on the priority list as other infrastructure applications, the city is left with a tough decision when the council meets at its next regular meeting on Sept. 26.

The project cost has increased with each application as inflation and other costs soared. Initially, the cost was estimated at $7.8-million in 2019. That’s since jumped to $13.5-million in 2022. According to a news release from the City of Warman, $3.5million was to come from Warman.

If council approves the existing proposal, a municipal arena levy of roughly $194 would be applied to each residential property.

“Some people will be very opposed to that, some people will be very strongly for it. So it's going to be a little bit of a divider of our community instead of something that really was going to bring our community together,” Philipchuk said.

Philipchuk wouldn’t rule out any possibility for the upcoming meeting. He said the city has already spent $400,000 on detailed drawings and plans for the arena expansion.

In addition to an added ice sheet, the expansion includes seating for 205 spectators, six changing rooms and a second-floor lounge space with seating for 150 people.

According to the most recent census data from Statistics Canada, Warman’s population grew to 12,419 people from 11,020 — an increase of 12.7 per cent from 2016 to 2021. In the previous census period, Warman grew 55.1 per cent, after the population rose to 11,020 from 7,104.

The Legends Centre opened in 2011, and Philipchuk said the expansion is needed to meet current and future demand.

“We're at a fork in the road. So it is time to either make a decision,” Philipchuk said. “How much do you invest in ideas compared to actions and so I think that's really our challenge right now.”

If the project gets council approval, construction is expected to take one year to complete.