Pownal and area residents will soon benefit from the addition of a second ice surface at the Pownal Sports Centre, thanks to a $3 million project funded under the Canada-Prince Edward Island Infrastructure Program.

This important investment in community infrastructure was announced today by the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Member of Parliament for Cardigan, on behalf of the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA); the Honourable Pat Binns, Premier of Prince Edward Island; and the Board of Directors of the Pownal Sports Centre.

"Pownal and area residents have enjoyed a long and active relationship with the Pownal Sports Centre since the original rink was built in 1965," said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Member of Parliament for Cardigan. "Through the Government of Canada's support for this expansion project under the Canada-Prince Edward Island Infrastructure Program, we are ensuring that the Pownal facility will continue to meet the recreational needs of our children - and area residents of all ages."

"Arenas have become an important part of Island communities, providing entertainment, recreation and social activities for people of all ages," said Premier Binns. "The Government of Prince Edward Island is pleased to partner in the development of a new ice surface and arena facility in the community of Pownal. I am confident that this new facility will play an active role in community development and assist the community in meeting the needs of its residents."

The project will see a new ice surface constructed parallel to and east of the existing Pownal Sports Centre, with both rinks to share one roof. The new rink will feature seating for 400, four dressing rooms, a first aid and referees' room and public washrooms. The existing rink will also receive new glass and boards, as well as an updated refrigeration system. Construction is expected to begin at the end of March, with a grand opening in the fall of 2003.

The Pownal Sports Centre currently provides a venue for a variety of ice-based sports, including figure skating, recreation/old-time hockey and minor hockey. The Pownal Minor Hockey Association will be a major user of the expanded facility, representing teams from more than 30 communities in a broad service area that begins at the Hillsborough River and continues to Pisquid, down to the Orwell area, and back to the river.

Over the past few years, the association's demand for ice time has exceeded the capacity of the Pownal Sports Centre, with a 37 per cent increase in minor hockey registrants from 1998 to 2002. Over the same time period, the number of first and second year minor hockey players increased dramatically by 108 per cent, indicating a strong long-term requirement for ice time.

"The Pownal Sports Centre has a proven track record for excellent rink management and services for our users, and will continue to benefit from a strong commitment by our minor and recreational hockey leagues," said Mr. James Dunn on behalf of the Pownal Sports Centre. "It makes good financial sense for us to expand our existing facility to better serve Pownal and area residents, and we are pleased to have the support of the federal and provincial governments under the Infrastructure Program."

Under the Canada-Prince Edward Island Infrastructure Program, the project will receive $990,000 from the Government of Canada and $1 million from the Province of Prince Edward Island. The Pownal Sports Centre will contribute the remaining project costs, in part through its own financing plan and a fundraising campaign.

The Canada-Prince Edward Island Infrastructure Program provides up to two-thirds of the eligible costs of community infrastructure projects. Communities provide the remaining one-third of project costs, making the program a unique partnership among all three levels of government, with infrastructure investments of more than $38 million in PEI over five years.

The program is administered by ACOA and the P.E.I. Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.

Corey Hobbs						
Office of the Minister of State for ACOA		
(613) 941-7241
							
Danielle Gauthier					
ACOA PEI and Tourism		
(902) 566-7569				
 
Jennifer Cormier
Community and Cultural Affairs
(902) 368-5829

James Dunn
Pownal Sports Centre
(902) 676-2182