Left are President Rick Kindrachuk and CEO Tim Keller of the Lake Country Co-op and right are Mayor Greg Dionne and Ralph Boychuk, a volunteer with the fundraising group for what is now called the Lake Country Leisure Centre. (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

The Yard

City extends deal with philanthropic company following Co-op sponsorship

Oct 8, 2024 | 4:33 PM

An agreement between the City of Prince Albert and a company it hired to find donors for the now-named Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre will continue.

City council voted eight to one in favour of extending the deal on Monday, just a few days after the announcement that Lake Country would pay $10 million over the next 25 years for naming rights to the aquatic centre and ice arena in The Yard.

“To get $10 million and spend $333,000 is a pretty small pittance I must say,” said Coun. Don Cody. “We wouldn’t have gotten it without DCG.”

The city hired DCG last year to raise $20 million. Councillors hinted more donations are in the works.

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“There’s a lot more to come. This isn’t the end of it and that $333,000 – if it’s that much – will go towards other gifts that they will get,” Cody stated.

The amount is capped at $330,000 and the funding will come from the money already received. The agreement between DCG and the city was to expire on the last day of September but will now continue on a month by month basis.

Mayor Greg Dionne said that Lake County’s donation is the largest Co-op donation to date in Saskatchewan because the board liked what they saw at the new arena/aquatic centre.

“It was great day. They talked about how this is going to bring workers to our community and that we’re finally stepping up as a big city community,” he said.

At a special meeting on Oct. 15, council will discuss another rezoning amendment to allow for a six-storey hotel in The Yard. The re-zoning is needed because the current height allowed is four storeys.

A sign marks the location where a second hotel will be built in The Yard district, close to the city’s new Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre. (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com