For months it was the city of Estevan's great tease.
Hidden behind a tarp, away from the public to see, work on Spectra Place was ongoing while many residents were keeping a close eye on the calendar, waiting for their first chance to see Estevan's new $22 million events centre.
Although it was excruciating at times, there is no disputing that Spectra Place was worth the wait.
The facility, which took over two years to complete, has drawn rave reviews and made Estevan the envy of communities throughout Western Canada. A beautiful building that achieved the harder than one might think task of making a hockey rink look appealing to people other than hockey fans, Spectra Place has already become a source of pride for the community.
After the lengthy wait, the arena had its first unveiling to the public March 25 when the final fundraising dinner was held on the floor of Spectra Place.
While the dinner was a success as Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke made his third, and most memorable appearance in Estevan, the star of the evening was indeed Spectra Place. The praise for the facility from those in attendance, particularly Burke, was effusive.
"Look at what you've done here," Burke said to the sold out crowd.
Roughly two weeks later Spectra Place held its first major concert when Canadian rockers Tom Cochrane and Kim Mitchell made their way to Estevan for what proved to be a terrific show. Although the concert showed there were still some wrinkles to work out, it was obvious the arena was an excellent venue for concerts as the sound was fantastic.
Although it had already been open to the public for months, the grand opening ceremony was held in September and featured a number of provincial and civic politicians as well as members of the arena construction committee. With a lobby full of Estevan school children looking on, Spectra Place was officially declared open to the public.
Since that opening, the facility has been used to its fullest, hosting the Estevan Bruins, minor hockey and special events such as the Hard Knocks MMA fight card, which featured a number of local residents, and country music band Doc Walker.
As further proof that promoters throughout the country are taking notice of the facility, a pair of top acts have been booked for 2012 with more expected on the way. Hedley will stop in Estevan as part of its cross-Canada tour Feb. 18 while Paul Brandt is scheduled for March 9. As well, Hard Knocks MMA will make its return to the city March 3.
While bringing in top acts and giving the residents of southeast Saskatchewan a new source of entertainment is one reason to be proud, the true success story of Spectra Place is the community effort it took to make it a reality.
From families to individuals to areas businesses, hundreds of people stepped up with their time and money, raising over $8 million in the fundraising campaign, an incredible figure when one considers how larger communities have had trouble raising half that amount. It took the southeast community to make Spectra Place happen and now that community has a building that will not only be a source of pride but will also provide entertainment for decades to come.
