The ribbon has now been cut to open the new and improved Paul J. Yakabuski Community Centre in Barry’s Bay.
Dignitaries and representatives of Barry’s Bay & Area Figure Skating Club and Barry’s Bay Minor Hockey Association came out to the Sunday afternoon grand re-opening.
Madawaska Valley Mayor Mark Willmer says he’s thrilled to see the rink open, after it was shut down in the spring to complete a roughly $1.8 million renovation. The work was to replace aging infrastructure, including the cooling system underneath the ice pad.
“I feel so happy,” he says. “It was a lot of work to get this done and it looks beautiful. The ice looks fantastic, the glass, the boards. Everything looks top notch.”
Willmer says the rink provides a Township with a “sense of community” and the renovations should allow it to function for another 40 years.
After the ribbon was cut, members of the Barry’s Bay & Area Skating Club took to the ice to perform a demonstration, in front of dozens of fans. That was followed by a Timbits-level Barry’s Bay Minor Hockey Association game.
Both groups had to start their seasons later than normal, as work to build a new ice pad continued deep into the fall.
But, as figure skating coach Carolyn Cannon says, they’re happy to be back.
“We’ve only been on the ice one time since today,” she says. “Everyone is getting used to getting on skates again. Kids have been missing out, doing their activity, their extra-curricular. So it was really good to get back into it.”
