Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
UpdatedFortSmitharenasettoopenfortheseasonTuesdaySeptember9201413SPORTSRECREATIONFACILITIESWELCOMEBACKWELCOMEBACKFORANOTHERSCHOOLYEARFORANOTHERSCHOOLYEAREducatorsandfamiliesarepartofateamthathelpsstudentslearngrowandsucceed.Welookforwardtoworkingtogetheroverthenext10monthssothatourstudentswillbehappyhealthyandachievetotheirpotential.Achievementisbuiltonpartnerships.Achievementisbuiltonpartnerships.ChiefSunriseEducationCentre.DiamondJennessSecondarySchool.PrincessAlexandraSchool.HarryCamsellSchoolDeninuSchool.LutselKeDeneSchool.PaulWilliamKaeserHighSchool.JosephBurrTyrrellElementarySchoolByDALICARMICHAELAstheairbeginstochillforanotherwinterseasonarenausersinFortSmitharetitter-ingwithexcitementtonallyseetheupdatesmadetotheirfacilityafterwhatstartedoutasa1.5-millionretrotonaburned-outandagingrecreationresourceturnedintoa6.8-millionupgrade.WhenthearenaopensitsdoorsfortheseasoninmidtolateOctoberusersmightnotgetaashyshowingbutareasofthebuildingaffectedbyapastrewillhavebeencleanedup.Skatersandhockeyplayerswillbeabletohittheiceandheadofftotheportablespur-chasedlastyearmakeshiftchangeroomsuntilsixnewlockerroomswithextrastor-agespaceforgeararecompleted.Fortheupcomingseasonspectatorswillhavestandingroomonlyinasmallspacenearthecentreofthearenaasthenewbleachersarestillunderconstruction.Tooffsetanydiscomfortsidelinerscantakesolaceinknowingtheywilleventu-allygettoenjoyanewsecond-floormez-zaninewithanelevatormakingtheroomaccessibleforallarequirementofnewpublicbuildings.RightnowwereworkingonanewstorageareaatthebackofthearenaanewzambonistorageroomsaidCraigBrowneownerofCABConstructionthecompanydoingtherenovations.Itwasallfallingapartsoweverippeditdownandbuiltitproperlyuptocodesoitsstructurallysound.Thenewstorageroomwasbuiltbigenoughtoholdthetownsportablestagemakingiteasytohostconcertsandotherlarge-scaleeventsinthearena.Newsprinklershavebeenaddedthrough-outthebuildingbringingituptorecodeandhopefullystavingofffutureincidentsliketherethatcausedtherenovationintherstplace.Thearenawillalsobeoneofthemosten-ergyefcientstructuresinthecommunity.LEDlightshavebeeninstalledthroughoutthefacilityalongwithaddedinsulationtohelpcaptureheatwithinitsshell.Anewiceplantwhichwillbeinusenextyearwillalsohelpgenerateheatwithinthebuildingcreatingacozieratmosphereforspectatorswhilecuttingbackonoperatingcosts.Beforereguttedpartsofthearenaitwasexpectedtolastalmostanotherthreedecades.Withtherecentupgradesitisex-pectedtolastanotherhalf-century.Constructiononthearenaisntexpectedtoconcludeuntilatleast2018.IssuesintheinterimWhilemanyareexcitedforthenewbuild-ingtherearesomeinthecommunitywhobelievedecisionsregardingthearenawerestreamlinedthroughtowncouncilandstillhaveconcernsabouttheproject.SomelikeFortSmithConstructionownerAldenVogtareunhappythearenawassole-sourcedtooneconstructioncompany.Heandotherlocalcontractorssaidtheburgeoningprojectcouldhavemadelotsofworkformul-tiplecompaniesintown.OthersraisedtheissuethatthecurrentarenaissituatedtooclosetothetownsslidezonewhichbanksontotheSlaveRiverandbelieveanewarenashouldhavebeenbuiltnexttoexistingrecreationalfacilities.4milliondebenturebeingprocessedThetowniscurrentlyintheprocessofap-plyingfora4-milliondebenturetopayforthemajorityofthearenasrepairsandup-gradessettocomeintoeffectasthetownwrapsupanexistingdebentureofthesameamounttakenonwhenthetownbuiltapoolattherecreationcentre.Theremaining2.85millionwillcomefromtownreservesinsurancemoneyandenergyefciencyfundingavailablebecauseofthebuildingsintrepiddesign.AccordingtothecommunitysmunicipaldirectorKeithMorrisonthedebenturewontresultinanewtaxincreaseforratepayersbutasixpercentincreaseontaxesfromthepreviousdebenturewillhold.ThedebenturesubmittedbythetownofFortSmithhasbeenapprovedbythedepartmentofMunicipalandCommu-nityAffairsMACAandhaspassedthefirstoftworeadingsbycouncil.Uponasecondapprovalatown-widevoteonthedebenturewillbeheld.Adatehasyettobescheduled.PhotoDaliCarmichaelCABConstructionworkstorefurbishFortSmithsarenawhichsufferedareinMay2013.Theprojecthasincreasedinscopefroma1.5-millionrepairjobtoa6.8-millionupgrade.