A little over five years from decision making to completion. Not a bad timeline for a $23.5 million project that has to involve three levels of government and a huge community fund-raising effort.
That's what happened between February of 2006 - when Estevan's city council decided that the Civic Auditorium needed replacing - and September of 2011 with Spectra Place officially launched into the community one day before the Estevan Bruins' season home opener against the Melville Millionaires.
Spectra Place is much more than an arena however, it is a true event centre that features event-level seating for over 3,650, a full-service lounge overlooking the ice surface, eight large dressing rooms including a dressing/conference/office complex dedicated entirely to the Bruins, a rubberized walking track and a sportswear retail outlet, other office and administrative features, plus a huge scoreboard/information centre at centre ice and a large concession stand in a welcoming foyer.
Spectra Place now takes its rightful stance as a major facility in the Souris Valley Aquatic and Leisure Centre, joining the other activity focused services including a busy weight room among other things.
On Friday afternoon, when the ribbon was cut to officially acknowledge the completion of a huge dream for many members of an active building committee, there were cheers and even a few tears spotted among the many participants, fund-raisers and general public who had gathered in the huge lobby area that leads to the Spectra Place bowl and recessed ice surface.
City manager and emcee for the event, Jim Puffalt, noted that just like in March of 2006, when the sun shone just in time for the ground-breaking ceremony, it broke through again that afternoon for the ribbon-cutting.
The Estevan Exhibition Association, having provided the space to allow for the construction of Spectra Place, much as they had done for the building of the Civic Auditorium, the former home of the Bruins back in 1957, were once again thanked for their largesse and community spirit. In 1957 they were known as the Estevan Agricultural Society.
With $8 million coming from the provincial government, $5.1 million from the federal government and nearly $8 million in local fund-raising dollars, Estevan's newest big thing will require less than $3 million in local taxpayer money to pay the final bill, said Mayor Gary St. Onge just before he had the pleasure of cutting the ribbon. He was accompanied by a host of representatives who had made major contributions to the project.
"It's a beautiful facility. Thanks to anyone and everyone who has had anything to do with it and I appreciate the fact that two different councils gave unanimous support to the project with the RM of Estevan being right by our side emotionally and financially throughout," said St. Onge who thanked RM administrator Greg Hoffort, current Reeve Kelly Lafrentz and former reeve Marie Dukart for their unwavering support. He pointed out that when it came to doing the homework on the shared-use projects, it was Hoffort and Puffalt who did the heavy lifting to provide the background work before the issues reached the council tables.
St. Onge also thanked the building committee, chaired by city Councillor Roy Ludwig who carried out a huge fund-raising drive, and he thanked those who had organized five huge annual fund-raising dinners that featured sports celebrities that raised over $1 million.
Spectra Credit Union was also acknowledged for their $1 million contribution in exchange for the naming rights to the facility.
Bill Hutchinson, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony in 2006 as Saskatchewan's minister of Municipal Affairs, was back again, this time as the minister of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sports to help cut the ribbon along with Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles and MP Ed Komarnicki.
"Ed and Doreen were up front for us and did a huge job for us," said St. Onge. "Through the entire effort, I have had only one person come up to me to say they were opposed to the idea," St. Onge said.
Hutchinson said he was totally impressed with the quickness in which the community reacted to the call. He said that once the decision was made to move forward, it took only three weeks before the sod-turning ceremony was held and the contractors were on site ready to start excavating.
"This is a tribute to your business community and to your city. Our $8 million was a wise investment," said Hutchinson.
Komarnicki said he was pleased to be a part of helping the facility come to a reality, noting that the federal money wasn't a certainty until time and circumstance allowed for the grant through the Building Canada Program that provided funds and assisted with economic growth then and for the future. "Companies saw this as an opportunity to invest and be part of the fabric of the community. This facility is regional, provincial and national in scope. I thank the committee members for their persistence and trust you will carry on with that attitude so that this facility will live up to its expectations."
Eagles said "Today is the day we've been waiting for and it hasn't been that long since the sod-turning. Those who visit this centre are amazed at its magnitude and I'm proud to have been a part of the government that continued to show that there is life outside of Regina and Saskatoon. Thanks for having the dream. I know I'm proud of the intergovernmental relationships that came together to help make this happen."
Ludwig issued thanks to the committee he chaired and the City crews who worked long and frantic hours behind the scenes for years to make the new complex become a reality and then worked twice as hard during the transition period as the services started to move into the new centre.
"Also, no one volunteers like Estevan. So to the community, this is your building, use it."
Ludwig also introduced Chad Gerrard and Colin Olfert of Graham Construction who were the general contractors for Spectra Place.
Lafrentz said he thanked everyone, especially the business community that showed what can be done through co-operation. He added that he trusted the complex would be there for the youngsters to enjoy today, hoping that they will be ready and willing to "help build the next one."
"Now we have a new nursing home to build in this community," said Ludwig, pointing out the next big community drive and need.
When approached by The Mercury later, Gerrard, who is southern Saskatchewan operations manager for Graham Construction, said he has been involved in six major community projects around the province in recent years and "nobody else compares to this group. The administration here cared, they attended all the meetings, they participated and understood what the challenges were all along the way.
They understood that time was money and there were times we took their tongue lashings, but that was for the sake of accountability and I say this honestly, it was a pleasure to have worked on this project because we were dealing with a group, a committee, that cared. Our company has deep roots here and now I know why. This community knows how to plan and how to do things."
Ludwig said the building committee probably met in excess of 75 times for formal meetings and exchanged countless phone calls and e-mails among themselves and the contractors over the years.
"No one ever gave up. There were some very frustrating moments including this spring's water (flood) that caused delays, but everyone kept moving forward," said Ludwig.
He said he credited the fact that there was a good cross section of knowledge and talent on the building committee and there was "no limit to what you can do as long as nobody cares who takes the credit and nobody on that committee was tied into that game. Everyone took on jobs and got them done and didn't care if they got credit for it or not, they just kept focused on the big picture."
The picture is now finished and framed. Spectra Place is in full operational mode.
