After six months of extensive renovations, the Municipality of Clarington celebrated the reopening of the Newcastle Memorial Arena on November 25.
Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster and members of council were joined by Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham; members of the Newcastle Memorial Arena Board; municipal staff; and members of the public. Following the ceremony, attendees and members of the community were invited to participate in a free skate.
“It’s exciting to think that our next hometown Olympic athlete may learn to skate right here on this new ice surface. I’m happy to be here today to celebrate the reopening of this beautifully renovated community rink that will serve our residents for decades to come,” said Mayor Foster.
The project included replacing the rink floor and refrigerated ice pad; a new refrigeration system; all new rink boards, penalty boxes and benches; new tempered glass at the six-foot height for added safety; new safety netting on the perimeter of ice surface; a fully accessible washroom in the lobby; and two new fully accessible change rooms. The renovation added 1,500 square feet to the facility, which was originally built in 1951. The ice pad floor features about 50,000 linear feet of pipe and 30 truckloads of cement. The renovations are anticipated to extend the service life of the rink and dressing rooms by 20 to 30 years.