Melfort's Northern LIghts Palace needs significant repairs. (file photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Doug Lett

Northern Lights Palace repairs

Funding needed for Northern Lights Palace repairs

Oct 18, 2022 | 8:55 AM

The City of Melfort’s manager says it will take time to find funding to repair the Northern Lights Palace.

On Monday, council received a report saying the facility needs around $15 million in repairs over the next few years – the majority of that to the pool area.

The Northern Lights Palace is Melfort’s ice arena and swimming pool, all under one roof. Earlier this year the city commissioned a report into its condition.

“The electrical and mechanical systems that are tied not only to the building, but to the pool itself – all those need to be updated,” City Manager Adam Homes said after Monday’s meeting. “They’re 32 years old. It’s a harsh environment and those [repairs] need to get done.”

However, finding the money is not going to happen overnight.

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“There are quite a few federal and provincial funding programs,” Homes said.

However, he said many of the grant programs in the current funding cycle are wrapping up, so the city will have to wait until new ones are launched.

“We’re hoping there will be new ones rolled out in the near future,” he said.

Homes said the city hopes to get most of the work done within the next one to five years and most of it at the same time.

Coun. Tim Hoenmans said part of the reason for getting the report done was to better position the city to apply for grants.

“When we first commissioned this feasibility study it was more or less to get this opinion of probable cost, and more or less set us up for shovel ready projects, so we could apply for granting, to show that we had the groundwork laid” he said during Monday’s meeting.

The report said there are significant problems in various parts of the pool area.

“The aquatics area has suffered significant deterioration,” it said. “The aquatics equipment has surpassed its design life.”

Other problems highlights include rust in various parts of the pool, and water leaks into the basement mechanical room.

Councillors received the report as information, and asked the administration to start looking for funding.

Last spring, the city commissioned an architectural firm, aodbt architecture + interior design, to do the study. The finished report was received in August.