Southeast Event Centre opening delayed

The Southeast Event Centre will not open on Dec. 31 as planned according to a Thursday morning announcement.

The New Years Eve opening day was already a delayed opening, with Steinbach corporate services manager Adam Thiessen telling council in April, that they were on schedule to be complete by fall or early winter.

No specific date has been given with Michelle Sawatzky, director of communications, marketing and sales saying in a press release the opening date would be in March.

Sawatzky said little in the press release about the reasons behind the delay.

“While we understand the community’s eagerness to experience this exciting new facility, we want to ensure that every detail is in place to provide an exceptional experience for all visitors,” she wrote.

In an emailed response to a request for more detail, she added that this is a complex project with many pieces needed to be completed.

“It also comes to mind how the completion of a project of this scale has been a result of the collaboration and hard work of so many who have put their time and their resources behind it,” she said. “We are so thankful for that. It has brought us to this point, to an event centre that will bring us together in so many ways, and we, like everyone, can hardly wait to get in there.”

The Southeast Event Centre will be a hub for recreation, entertainment and dining.

“This multi-use venue has been designed to host concerts, trade shows, conferences, ice sports, and a wide variety of events, offering something for everyone,” the press release stated. “We remain dedicated to the vision of uniting southeast Manitoba through sport, culture, and commerce.”