(File photo/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

Ice resurfacer purchase

City of Humboldt purchasing new ice resurfacer, opt not to buy electric model

Nov 25, 2025 | 12:03 PM

The Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt is getting a new ice resurfacer.

The city issued a Request for Proposals for the supply and delivery of a new resurfacer for the EPA. They also wanted to research the wide variety of machines available, including whether to go with a propane-powered resurfacer or an electric model, or a front-dump or side-dump unit.

Four proponents came forward to submit 14 different models, and a detailed review using a scoring matrix was used to determine the winning candidate.

In the end, the contract was awarded to Big Hill for the purchase of an Olympia Millennium Model H Side Dump at a cost of $161,177, including PST.

Council approved awarding the contract at Monday’s meeting.

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City Manager Joe Day spoke about the report from Director of Community and Leisure Services Michael Ulriksen, who was not at the meeting Monday night.

Day said the City currently has two ice resurfacers, and they always want to have at least one that is under five years old for the sake of reliability.

“The department evaluated all the submissions and recognized that there [are] a lot of advantages to having electric ice resurfacers,” Day explained to council. “However, that being said, our facility is not well-suited yet to accommodate an electric ice resurfacer.”

The decision was then made to go with that model of Olympia resurfacer, and Day said it fits the current facility well.

“It is very similar to the model we currently utilize,” Day said, and there is also user familiarity with the system.

Mayor Rob Muench added they will look at selling one of the city’s two current units, depending on which is more economically feasible to part with.

Council also rejected a request from Humboldt Community Gathering Place Inc. for $50,000 in funding to help in their roof replacement project. The facility, which was the former Knights of Columbus Hall, is nearly 100 years old.

Day acknowledged the Community Gathering Place is a “vital community asset,” but the request falls outside the city’s current funding parameters. He said the city remains committed to helping the organization find external funding programs.

Councillor Dave Rowe said administration would be open to assisting the organization find potential grants for the project, and Muench added to his knowledge the Community Gathering Place hadn’t really pursued the grant options yet. Muench said there may be some heritage-type grants available as the facility was built back in 1928.

The mayor also said the Legion and Golf Course had similar roof replacement projects that were fully funded through fundraising efforts from those organizations.

In their letter to council, the Community Gathering Place said the building “has served to bring many diverse communities in Humboldt together for sports, arts, recreation, fellowship and community – all at a cost that is reasonable for small and mid-sized organizations.”

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com