Free skating will be available on the first Thursday evening of every month at Red Deer's new Servus Arena this winter.

The first one takes place on Feb. 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., thanks to a sponsorship from Servus Credit Union.

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, the company’s president and CEO Garth Warner was pleased open the rink to all.

“Being able to invest in the community where our members live and work is very, very important. And where our employees live and work. Investing in the community is part of DNA, it’s part of being a credit union and what we do,” Warner said.

“This is such a great opportunity because so many people will be able to come here and use the facility.”

A first look at the new Servus Arena.

Servus Credit Union is the name sponsor for the facility, worth $1 million over 15 years.

The new rink opens in January and replaces the old Red Deer Arena, which stood in the city for 64 years.

It will be a venue for the 2019 Canada Winter Games and next summer’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

Several relics from the old arena have survived the demolition. The sign is displayed on the second floor, at the top of the stairs. Old players benches have been repurposed. Score clocks have been preserved as well.

The old Red Deer Arena sign, displayed in the Servus Arena.