Canovas Energy Hub is located at 1-3905 – 39 Avenue, Lloydminster, Sask. (photo courtesy/ City of Lloydminster)
CENOVUS ENERGY HUB

Puck drops on lease deals ahead of Lloyminster’s over $96M arena opening

Jun 19, 2025 | 1:23 PM

Four of Lloydminster’s top hockey programs have officially secured space at the city’s new arena — along with rental bills to help cover its more than $96-million cost.

City council has approved five-year lease agreements with the Lloydminster Junior A Bobcats, Junior B Bandits, Lakeland College Rustlers and the Lloydminster Minor Hockey Association, granting them dressing room space at the Cenovus Energy Hub, which is expected to open in September.

For the first time, the user groups will pay annual rent for private rooms, as part of the city’s cost-recovery strategy for the multi-purpose facility.

“Currently, the user groups do not pay rent for private dressing rooms in the city,” said Joel Turcotte, the city’s director of recreation and cultural services.

“To recover some of the cost of the new facility, user groups will now be required to pay a rental fee for lease space within the facility.”

The lease terms range from nine to 12 months. Most teams signed on for full-year access, while the Bandits opted for a shorter agreement to reflect their seasonal use.

“They definitely don’t use that space in the summer and currently they move in and out of their dressing room, and of course, I think the cost is there as well for the city,” Turcotte said.

He added the nine-month lease creates some scheduling flexibility.

“It is a little bit of a benefit if there’s a lacrosse team that comes that wants a dressing room — it provides us with a space that we can now rent them,” he said.

Turcotte explained that the lease rates were based on comparisons with a range of other municipalities, from junior and college towns to WHL and NHL cities.

“Some municipalities provided free or close to free and there are some municipalities that were really, really high. So, It was a really hard comparison because it really varied from municipality to municipality, what they provide to their teams.”

He believes the rate the city set is an average of what was seen ‘around the countryside.’

Each agreement includes a basic fit-out — flooring, hooks and stick racks — provided by the city. Wireless internet and access to a shared laundry room are also included.

The proposed annual rates for the five-year agreements. (photo/ City of Lloydminster)

Teams are also permitted to design their own layouts and propose additional upgrades, though those plans must be approved by the city and paid for by the teams.

“They’re working on design and concept and getting it quoted out, but none have started to actually do work on the project yet,” Turcotte said.

Each lease also includes a clause allowing the city to temporarily repurpose leased dressing rooms for special events, such as concerts.

The Cenovus Energy Hub is planned to replace the 58-year-old Centennial Civic Centre. Designed to host hockey, concerts and community events, the new facility will feature two indoor rinks, a convertible outdoor surface, and seating for up to 4,500 people.

Construction of the facility began in late 2023. The federal and Saskatchewan governments jointly committed $33 million in funding earlier that year. Cenovus Energy contributed $5 million toward naming rights, construction and programming.

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

View Comments