It was a historic moment in time for the Border City as the Cenovus Energy Hub officially hosted its grand opening.
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The event capped off 25-months of construction and even more planning and advocacy to secure funding.
Funding was obtained through grants from the provincial and federal governments, city funds and fundraising efforts, bringing the $101.3 million facility to life.
“Today marks an important milestone for Lloydminster,” said Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers. “Not only will Cenovus Energy Hub serve as a place for sport, entertainment and community gatherings, it will also attract more visitors to our city, generate new tourism opportunities, and create lasting benefits for local businesses.”
Rising costs of construction and worries of securing funding led to some difficult decisions being made regarding what stays in the Hub design and what goes.
“One of the most heartbreaking ones for me is the roof over the outdoor rink,” said Tracy Simpson, executive manager, community development services, City of Lloydminster. “While it may not have been something they put in during initial construction, it is something they could add as additional work to the building in the future.”
Accessibility in the new arena was a big focus early on.
“As a project team, I would say early on, we were super interested in being an inclusive building and that just grew exponentially when the U13 girls (Lloydminster Blazers) approached us and wanted to advocate for more accessibility,” said Simpson.
There are still lots for sale in the proposed commercial district near the Hub. The new arena anchors the proposed entertainment district, which is planned to include retail units, a hotel, slo-pitch diamonds, a powered campground, a pavilion and walking trails.
In the main arena, there is still space to add more seating, up to a potential 300 additional seats. While parking at the new arena has a little over 700 parking stalls, the Lloydminster Bobcats’ home opener packed the arena and the parking lot.
“They (Bobcats) had around 1,900 people and I would say the parking lot was almost full, not quite full and it worked really well,” said Simpson. “The parking lot definitely has some one-ways in and one-ways out, once people learn it, it’ll flow a lot better.”
The outdoor arena has its boards in place and has a name with the Kings Energy Group committing $200,000 over 10 years.
The grand opening featured facility tours, public skating, skills competitions and a free barbecue and kicked off with speeches from dignitaries and funding partners.
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