Frequently Asked Questions

Key Features of the Facility

• The concept design incorporates feedback from tours of similar facilities, industry best practices, and consultations with user groups from skating, hockey, and swimming communities.
• This facility is designed to be a fun, family-oriented space for all ages, catering to participants and spectators alike.
• It will address the City's need for indoor leisure spaces and provide increased capacity for swimming, skating, and hockey programs.

Aquatics - Water Park and Pool

The Aquatics area will be 51,500 square feet. It will feature a dedicated space for lane swimming and a leisure area. With dedicated spaces, there will be more hours available for competitive swim groups as well as more public swim times and swimming lessons for families. The expanded indoor capacity also means Prince Albert will be able to host local and regional swim competitions and added spectator seating will give more room for guests to watch. Currently, Frank J. Dunn pool is unable to host these events as the pool is limited to 5 lanes and does not meet Swim Sask requirements.
Separate pools also means temperatures can be customized: cooler temperatures for the lane pool and warmer temperatures for the leisure pool.  
Key features include:

• 8 lane, 25 metre competitive pool
• 1 metre and 3 metre spring diving boards
• 200 seat capacity for viewing area
• Combined leisure, splash and wave pool
• Lazy River
• Two Water Slides
• Whirlpool
• Multi-purpose room 

North and South Arenas

The twin arenas will be 77,159 square feet with more seating, larger ice surfaces and more dressing rooms compared to our existing capacity at the Kinsmen and Steuart Arenas.

Player Dressing Rooms

8 dressing rooms 500 sq/ft + 2 end dressing rooms 550 sq/ft 

For reference, the current number and size of player dressing rooms at the Kinsmen and Steuart Arena are:

Kinsmen          4          660/455 sq/ft
Steuart            4          310 sq/ft

Administration worked with user groups to determine the final size and number of Player Dressing Rooms within the designated 6,720 square feet of space.

Officials Dressing Rooms

2 Officials Rooms 370 sq/ft. 

For reference, the current number and size of officials dressing rooms at the Kinsmen and Steaurt Arena are:

Kinsmen          1          162 sq/ft
Steuart            1          99 sq/ft

Administration worked with the Referee association to determine the location, size and number of dressing rooms within the designated 800 sq/ft of space.

Seating

• South Arena 264 seats and 7 spaces for wheelchairs = 271
• North Arena 510 seats and 12 spaces for wheelchairs = 522
• North and South Arena 90 standing room each

Rink Surface

• 2 NHL size 200 x 85ft rinks   

Roof Design

The roof of the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre features a high-quality PVC roofing system. While the system itself does not directly prevent ice formation, the roof is well-insulated to minimize heat loss. By preventing heat from escaping through the roof, the likelihood of ice forming due to melting and refreezing is significantly reduced.

In terms of load capacity, the roof has been engineered to exceed the standard snow load requirements for our region, ensuring it can safely handle the heaviest conditions typical to the area.

Specific load capacities are determined through detailed engineering assessments to meet all safety and building standards. 

Common Area and Commercial Space

The common area of the facility will be 14,700 square feet which includes a multipurpose room that can be booked for birthday parties and other events. This will allow for a large common area with seating and 2000 square feet of leasable space. 

Food Service and Retail Sales

The new facility will have a City-operated main concession service which will include a traditional menu, similar to what is offered at other City-operated facilities. An Expression of Interest has also been released to invite interested businesses to submit proposals for retail sales and/or additional food service to compliment the concession offerings. Opportunities will also be available to "pop-up" vendors to offer food services that compliment the main concession. Similar to other minor sports facilities in the province, liquor consumption and sales will be offered as part of the City-operated concession and permitted on the arenas side only. This will add to the facilities revenue while meeting public expectations.

What was included in the land purchase for the new aquatic/twin pad arena project?

In total, the City purchased 25 acres of land at an average of $362,500 per acre. Included in this land purchase, the City received land with the following services:

• Lot cleared, graded, and clean fill brought in, ready to build on.
• City water service, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, service tie-ins.
• Road construction, sidewalks, curbs, and lighting.
• Relocation of power line previously running through property.
• Widening of Highway 3 and Marquis Road, adjacent to site.
• 2 Traffic light controlled intersections leading into property.
• 2 additional right-in/right-out intersections leading into property.
• Sask Energy, Sask Power, SaskTel and Shaw Cable leading to site.
• Approximately $1,000,000 in development levy fees will be returned to the City over next 3 years.
• Additional $45,000 per additional acre developed in “the yard” district will be returned to the City.

What was included in the R.M. of Prince Albert purchase of land for their new building and commercial development?

The R.M. of Prince Albert Administration have confirmed that their land purchase was for raw agricultural land only. Any additional work or services such as grading, site prep, servicing, etc. comes at a significant cost to the RM, which is above and beyond the initial purchase price. This land was also zoned for agricultural use at the time of purchase.

What are the subdivided parcels of land in “The Yard District” currently being sold for?

The “Yard District” is a private commercial development with lands for sale with asking prices in excess of $500,000 per acre.

When was this land purchase approved by City Council?

The purchase of the original 18 acres was approved at a public meeting of City Council on June 29, 2020. A subsequent purchase of an additional 7 acres of land was approved at a public meeting of City Council on May 20, 2021. 

Did the City have this location in mind all along?

Yes, the location was identified in the funding application through the Canada Infrastructure Program. The vision for the facility was to make it an anchor for future complimentary developments such as hotels and restaurants to support residents and visitors using the facility for tournaments and family activities. 

Saskatchewan Tourism estimates that on average a provincial sports event can result in approximately $115 spent per visitor, per day. This spending supports new and existing local businesses including restaurants, entertainment facilities, gas stations and hotels. These businesses in turn contribute property taxes which the City uses to support city amenities and services for residents. 

No other location in Prince Albert provided the future development envisioned for this facility.  

What is the construction cost of this facility and how much is the City planning to borrow for this facility?

Bid prices received for the construction were 35% above the pre-tender estimate for the facility with the total project budget coming in at total cost of $113.8 million. A revised funding plan for the facility has been approved which accounts for the rising costs due to inflationary pressures.

Total borrowing for the new facility is $46 million.

Did City Council consider not proceeding with the project given the rise in costs?

Yes, consideration was given to postponing the construction of the facility, however, City Council ultimately decided to proceed with the project given the following:

• the costs of construction only continues to rise which means any future construction will be even more;
• it would have put the $44 million in grant funding at risk,
• without the facility, further development would have been put at risk delaying future property taxation for the City and additional revenue for local businesses that will benefit from visitors that spend while attending the facility for tournaments and family activities; and
• residents would have to continue to rely on aging facilities for swimming and hockey programming (current facilities are 40-50 years old).

What is the repayment timeline for the borrowing? 

The repayment schedule for the $46 million is 35 years. The taxation revenue generated from the Yard Development and the Civic Facilities Reserve will provide the necessary revenues for the annual interest and principle payments

How much additional revenue is expected from the Yard District?

The Yard District has a number of lots sold and development is underway. The taxation revenue generated from a property varies depending on the characteristics of the property. The following are examples of the municipal share of taxation revenue that could be generated each year from the types of business that are expected to be located in the area:

• Hotel: $230,000
• Car Dealership: $180,000
• Fast Food Restaurant: $50,000
• Strip Mall: $90,000

The City has said taxes will not go up to fund this facility, how can that be?

The revised funding plan continues to include no increase in property taxes to fund the land purchase, capital construction or debt servicing of the new facility.  This is achieved through the following measures:

• Reducing the build costs by $7 million by modifying non-functional elements;
• Increasing borrowing by $30 million for a total borrowing of $46 million;
• Securing $24 million in external dollars through provincial and federal funding and fundraising initiatives; and
• Annual financing payments through the Civic Facilities Reserve and targeting property tax revenues from the Yard Development.

The taxation revenue generated from the Yard Development will provide the necessary revenues to cover the increase in annual interest and principle payments for borrowing the additional $30 million.

What led to the decision to close the Steuart Arena?

The decision to close the Steuart Arena was based on the need to meet Prince Albert's growing demand for artificial ice surfaces more efficiently. With existing arenas operating at 99.8% capacity and additional demand spilling into surrounding communities, City Council approved the construction of two new ice surfaces at the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre , bringing the city’s total to four artificial ice surfaces.

The Kinsmen Arena was chosen to remain open due to its better condition, larger capacity, and shared amenities with the Kinsmen Water Park.

Maintaining the Steuart Arena without evidence of increasing demand would require unsustainable subsidies of up to $387,000 annually. 

Will there be enough ice surfaces to meet demand in Prince Albert?

Yes, with the addition of two new artificial ice surfaces at the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre , Prince Albert will increase its total artificial ice surfaces from three to four. This expansion will add 1,498 prime-time booking hours annually, which is expected to meet the current high demand. Currently, the city’s arenas operate at 99.8% capacity, with additional ice time booked in surrounding communities. The new facility, combined with the continued operation of the Kinsmen Arena and the four volunteer-driven natural ice arenas, will provide sufficient ice surface availability for users in Prince Albert.

Will the Frank J Dunn pool be closed?

Built in 1973-74, the Frank J. Dunn Pool is owned by the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division but has been jointly operated by the SRSD and the City of Prince Albert. Over the years, it has provided countless opportunities for students and residents, from swimming lessons to recreational programs.

However, as the new Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre nears completion, the Frank J. Dunn Pool will begin phasing out community use and moving towards closure.

This transition will enable a broader range of programs to be available, catering to a more diverse audience and providing increased opportunities for participation.