A red-carpet mortgage burning ceremony was held at the LeRoy Arena. (Facebook/Terri Ann Hamilton)

By Angie Rolheiser

LeRoy Arena

LeRoy Memorial Rink commemorates fundraising goal with mortgage burning ceremony

Dec 19, 2019 | 11:11 AM

Six years after the devastating fire that completely destroyed the LeRoy rink, the current facility is officially paid for in full.

The community gathered over the weekend for a mortgage burning ceremony in the LeRoy Memorial Rink after the final cheque for the $5.9 million building was signed in November.

Kirt Holowachuk, operations manager for the LeRoy Community Centre said a lot of work from a large number of people went into getting the funds in place.

“We are so proud that this was paid off in such a short time,” Holowachuk said. “We wanted to kind of shout it to the masses if we could that it is done.”

A red-carpet ceremony was held that included minor youth members from skating and hockey as well as committee members who were instrumental in making the build and fundraisers happen over the years leading up to this point.

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“We burned the mortgage out on center ice and just celebrated,” Holowachuk said. “The day just turned out really well.”

On May 13, 2013, the hockey arena went up in flames but not long after a committee was formed and efforts began to bring a new rink to life.

“We took two years to design and build, and then kick start fundraisers,” Holowachuk said. “We have been in operation now for four years but during that time the fundraising initiatives continued.”

Not only did the community of LeRoy itself come together but the area surrounding as well. Many corporate sponsors got on board, personal donations, and auctions.

The fundraising goal for the LeRoy Community Centre has been reached. (Facebook/Terri Ann Hamilton)

Over the last couple of years now, a big fundraiser has been with Farming with Friends which is a joint operation with corporate backing through land availability with BHP and then a lot of local farmers provide equipment donation and time donation.

“The fact that a community of our size had such huge support and people from all over that supported us in many different ways to get a project this big in such a short time and paid for in such a short time, is such a feather in the cap of everyone involved,” he said.

The multi-use facility is utilized year-round for LeRoy School of Dance, a provincial taekwondo competition was held there over the summer, and is also a great venue for weddings according to Holowachuk.

“It is the community center and we are using it for so many events,” Holowachuk said. “It is going to be here for future generations which is what we are most excited about. It’s not just for today but for down the road as well.”

There is the CanSkate program, senior hockey team, a couple of recreational teams, three Fillies regional girls’ teams, as well as minor initiation hockey teams that all call the LeRoy rink their home ice.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser