Arena Upgrades

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As the board and staff of Central Corydon Community Centers we would like to thank those who have generously donated to the ongoing fundraising campaign for the upgraded River Heights Arena. The arena floor and boards were replaced and the results are fantastic and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our donors. We have raised over $400,000 to date.

However there is still work to be done. We had hoped to replace the stands, heat, score clock, zamboni and the laundry list of items just continues to grow, but our funds have been fully used for the ice surface and area upgrade.

So we are once again asking you to consider a donation to the arena fund.

We have a generous offer from the Carolyn Sifton Foundation for matching funds up to $50,000. We are hoping to meet or exceed that goal this year.

Please feel free to drop in, call or email, and ask questions, see the improvements and discuss the ongoing needs.

Again we are grateful for the generosity of our community and continue to work towards making the River Heights Arena a safe and fun space for future generations.

Thank you.

WHY DID WE DECIDE TO DO THIS PROJECT: The River Heights Arena boards have long been an issue at this facility. These boards have become a safety hazard. Over the years they have moved and continue to move which creates gaps and edges to get caught on and gates that do not close properly. This facility is in need of a large repair

Corydon plans to rip out all of the old boards, dig down and put a screw pile system with a stable grade beam on top. This grade beam is where a new set of boards will sit. This project will include removing and reinstalling the brine lines – the engineered drawings do show where the lines will come in through the grade beam.

This project has been long discussed by the board of directors and we feel that this is something that needs to be done immediately to ensure the safety of our users. This is a treasured facility, it has a lot of programming and is relied upon in the community for hockey, ringette, learn to skate and other programming. Corydon will be able to offer more users the ability to use this facility and be safe doing so. This project will give a refresh to a well-used facility giving it a new life.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR GENEROUS DONORS!

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SOME BACKGROUND ON CORYDON COMMUNITY CENTRE AND THE RIVER HEIGHTS ARENA:

On April 1st, 2011 Crescentwood, River Heights and Sir John Franklin Community Centre’s amalgamated to become the Central Corydon Community Centre. There is a long history at these Centre’s of providing high quality programming and recreational opportunities for local families. The intention of the amalgamation is to work together to become a leader in community based provision of recreation, leisure and wellness programs. The Corydon Community Centre serves a population of approximately 35,000 people and is committed to providing accessible recreational opportunities to promote well being and a sense of community in the neighbourhood. One of the treasures of this community is the old River Height Arena (barn as it is called by so many). Each Centre within Corydon has a rich history of community coming together to create a place that could be used by all area residents. The River Heights Arena is no different.

In 1961 when the River Heights Community Centre was being constructed an interested group of River Heights citizens, had an idea that it would be nice if the Community Centre constructed an indoor arena. They knew that funds to pay for such a project would not come from the City of Winnipeg, but believed that sufficient funds could be obtained through a volunteer drive, form the citizens of the area.

A sample campaign convinced them that they were right and in the fall of 1962, they hired a professional fund raiser to organize and direct a fund drive. Using this man and countless volunteers, the Centre raised case and pledge donations sufficient to start construction of an indoor arena costing $97,229. The contract was let in December of 1963.

Unfortunately, the banks would not loan the Community Centre any money to finance the construction until all the pledges were paid off, as the building was to be constructed on City owned funds. So a group of concerned volunteers came forth and signed personal notes at the bank, ranging from $1,000 to $16, 000 each for a total of $41,000.

Following the construction of the new arena in 1964, an artificial ice plant was installed in 1965 at a cost of $40,000, a floor in the arena in 1967 at a cost of $12,000 and an up-dated artificial ice plant, Zamboni ice machine, and associated buildings, in 1975 at a cost of $90,000. All of the improvements were paid for by the citizens of River Heights.

The hockey rink has a greater role in the community than just providing a space for hockey – it is a connection to our community to the people who worked so hard to ensure they had a rink and who volunteered countless hours to make it happen.

This Arena is community.

The community is proud of this facility, it has been the home of Stanley Cup champions, Olympic speed skaters, the former practice facility of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose. It has hosted programs such as Hockey, Ringette, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Power Skating, Learn to Skate, Family Skating, our ice surface has seen it all.

The arena parking lot is jammed every weeknight and weekend with people of all ages participating or spectating. Most long-time residents of the neighborhood can tell you stories about their first time skating in the beautiful old barn. The air is filled with squeals of children and the aroma of sweat that seems to have permeated the building over decades. For those raised in this area, it’s the smell of home, these are the buildings of shared memories, where little boys and girls take their first strides.
The community could not imagine this neighborhood without a hockey rink, especially one as beautiful as River Heights, there are so many memories throughout the years and it has always been the heart of the community.

Corydon is host to over 25 hockey teams per year, running practices, games and outdoor practices. Corydon has ringette, learn to skate, hockey development and public skating options. Corydon is home to the rec hockey program – Corydon Heritage Ice Federation giving people opportunities to participate in Hockey without the commitment and cost – running one day per week at the River Heights Arena. Corydon has kept the Heritage of its three centres boasting all uniforms with a heritage patch remembering the volunteers who worked so hard to ensure programs for their communities.

Corydon hosts a Winterfest event every year consisting of a hockey tournament for 5/6 & 7/8 players. This is a sold out event every year where people can experience the special space we call the River Heights Arena.

Our facility is booked solid from Mid September until the End of April every year. We host Kelvin High school hockey as well as playoffs for our area association APHA. We are home to a lot of spring teams as well. The River Heights Arena runs at about 80% capacity and always has a waiting list.

We are open to participants for all ages and abilities and try to offer programs for everyone. We have a wide range of people who use our facility but are proud to say that the majority of our users live directly in our area.

This is not only a place for people to participate in ice sports and activities but a place where people can meet their neighbors, where they can create long lasting friendships and relationships. Where they come to give back to the community that has served them most of their lives. This is not just an Arena but it is community.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are looking to the community to help us raise funds to complete this project. This is a large capital project that will help the arena stay in our community for years to come. This will create a safe place for people to participate in all ice sports and a place for our community to call its own. We hope you will consider a donation to the River Heights Arena Board Enhancement project to help us continue to operate for years to come

Thank you in advance for your support!