Grand Reopening of Lacombe Rink Excites Many

It was time to celebrate at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex Friday evening for the grand reopening of the newly-upgraded facility.

It wasn’t always well received by the public, as many asked why not build an entirely new rink, but with a major facelift including new dressing rooms, widened hallways and extensive upgrades to the main and upper floor lobbies, it almost feels brand new.

Included in the long list of festivities that were hosted throughout the day was a tail gate BBQ fundraiser with Lacombe Minor Hockey, which is fitting because they probably use the facility more than anyone.

President of the Lacombe Minor Hockey Association Paul Pearson spent a lot of time in the rink before the upgrades and said it’s like night and day.

“I think they’re great. Everybody loves the dressing rooms, the hallways are way better, the lobby is fantastic. It’s definitely a lot better for all the kids and their parents.”

“It’s good for the City, it’s good for user groups and the community. We have a lot of kids who play hockey, ringette, figure skating, lacrosse. It gives kids something to do and stay out of trouble.”

Lacombe Generals, who moved from Bentley last season, have experienced the benefits of the rink first hand as they head into their second season playing in the fully-renovated building.

GM of the Generals Jeff McInnis said they couldn’t have asked for a better home, and are grateful to the City.

“When we moved here, we weren’t looking for a renovation, or when we were talking about moving here. It was probably already in the works, but we were happy with what was already there and to see what they’ve done to this place is amazing.”

“We see a lot of rinks and there’s none better, for our brand, than this. It’s a mix of history and new and boy are we lucky to be a part of it.”

During renovations, the Kinsmen Aquatic Centre’s filter system was also replaced along with the ice plant for the Canpak Ice Complex and Freightliner Curling Complex.