The Dunmore Community Association is working to revitalize the town's outdoor rink. (Photo Courtesy Bob Schneider)

By Chris Brown

Raise the roof

Funding goal reached for Dunmore rink roof project

Mar 22, 2022 | 2:56 PM

DUNMORE, AB – The on-ice activity is done for the season at the Dunmore outdoor rink and work on an off-ice project is taking shape.

The Dunmore Community Association wants to upgrade the facility and the area to create a year-round multi-use space.

To top it all off, they’ll put a roof over the rink. DCA director Olivia Whenham says they want that up before the snow flies next winter.

“I think that will bring a bigger, stronger sense of community to the residents of Dunmore which will be so great,” she says. “We have a fairly large community here and really we can only do things in the wintertime just to play sports and we can do one thing at the park in the summertime. We don’t have any refuge from the sun so the roof will really create a refuge from the sun the wind and the snow.”

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The finished structure will be 66-feet by 110-feet and 18-feet high at the peak.

EDF Renewables’ Cypress Wind Project has contributed $150,000 toward the project. Whenham says Renewable Energy Systems has also made a substantial contribution and Cypress County has been unwavering in their support financially and guiding the DCA through the process.

DCA members see the rink becoming a site for community fundraisers, dances, outdoor movies, kids’ programs and as the central hub for Dunmore Days. The roof will also protect the ice and make ongoing maintenance easier.

Whenham says the current rink has served the community well over the years but says it’s dilapidated and rundown. The boards are starting to sag and the asphalt pad is cracked and uneven.

Phase two will include a new concrete pad and replacing the rink boards, with other future upgrades also being discussed. The roof and other work will be done with future potential additions of walls, parking and bleachers in mind.

The next fundraiser for the project is Banger Bingo at Rusty’s Roadhouse on March 26. A limited number of tickets are still available through the DCA website and Facebook page. Whenham says people can also donate when ordering a pizza from Rusty’s that day.

She adds the website and Facebook are the best ways to keep up with DCA projects and events.