Grant Puts Rink Repair Closer to Goal
A failed ice plant put a chill on hockey in Goodsoil, Sask., at the end of last season, but the community quickly pulled together with one goal in mind.
“When the plant went down, the reality of not having artificial ice was something the recreation board just couldn’t be OK with,” says Josh Kope, treasurer of Goodsoil Parks and Recreation. “So, we really went to work trying to raise money to fix it.”
After an assessment of the situation, it was decided a new ice plant made more sense than trying to repair the failed one.
“We’re going from a plant that we kept running with band aids and just trying to get through to next year, to a future where we can focus on some other areas of our facility for improvement,” says Kope.
To fund the new plant, the Board got creative and hosted a number of events throughout the year including a comedy night, golf tournament, silent auction, and community baseball game.
“They were small events on their own, but together, we raised over fifty thousand dollars which, for a community of less than 400 people, is huge,” he says.
The fundraising efforts got a boost from outside of the community in early April when the Board was informed their application to ADAMA Canada’s Stomping Grounds community investment initiative was approved for a $5,000 grant.
“We are a farming and ranching community, and to have an investment like that from a company in the agricultural field is a huge relief and shows a real commitment to our communities,” he says.
Stomping Grounds
The Goodsoil rink is one of 23 community projects from across Canada that received funding from ADAMA this year. The company invested a total of $127,000 into the 23 projects and has contributed over half a million dollars since 2018 to strengthen the fabric of rural communities.
Haley Tetreault, Northwest and Southwest Central Saskatchewan Area Business Manager with ADAMA Canada, had the honour of personally delivering the cheque to Kope.
“It was pretty amazing to chat with Josh about all of the support the community of Goodsoil has put behind getting the new ice plant,” says Tetreault. “As he said, not having artificial ice wasn’t an option and so they were just going to find a way to get it done, and they have.”
Tetreault says the moment was also a little bittersweet as they discussed how the project was on a temporary hold as the ice plant area is being assessed for structural integrity following the collapse of the connected curling rink roof in mid-March.
“I was just thinking how they worked so hard to get the rink back up and running and then having to deal with that setback,” she says. “But it also felt so good knowing the cheque I was handing over was helping put one challenge behind them.”