Hockey players and their families can finally enjoy the new Hockeyville improvements at the Chatham Memorial Arena.
In 2015, Chatham-Kent finished second in the nationwide Kraft Hockeyville contest and won $100,000 towards improvements to the Memorial Arena.
New door at Memorial Arena in Chatham. December 12, 2017. (Photo by Sarah Cowan Blackburn News Chatham-Kent).
The municipality's Recreation Facilities Supervisor, Brian Bennett, says the $100,000 went towards some much-needed improvements, including heated areas to watch the games.
"We did the new front doors, we did the new double-sided LED sign out front, and in the south end of the spectator's area in the west side I added four more heaters. That means the whole spectator's area is heated," says Bennett.
Rebecca Reimer, who is on the committee for arena improvements, says she is excited about the new changes to the arena and hopes the improvements will inspire more residents to come and support it.
"When we as a committee got together and wanted to do this, we hoped that this would be something that would get the ball rolling and get people excited about this arena again. The improvements are a sign of hope and a future. There's tonnes of history here, but there is also a future here. We were just really excited to be a part of that," says Reimer.
A new LED sign at the Memorial Arena. December 12, 2017. (Photo by Sarah Cowan Blackburn News Chatham-Kent).
Dennis Parker, who helped with the Kraft Hockeyville campaign as the "Cheesehead" mascot wearing the KD hat, says he feels the money went in the right spots. However, he says there is always more to improve at the arena.
"We could definitely still use some plumbing and we could definitely use some paint... just to give the community something to be proud of. We've got some dressing room issues, as far as genders, so we could still use that stuff as well," says Parker.
According to Parker, the Memorial Arena was built in 1949. He says buildings at that time were built to last and he can see the arena standing for another 100 years.
