Taché Community Centre construction starts after delay

It took a few extra months, but construction has started on the $30.2-million Tache Community Centre in Lorette.

The new ice rink, library, and activity centre is now scheduled to open in December 2026.

“There had been a delay, and I call it a legal technicality,” said Tache Mayor Armand Poirier.

“The Highways (Department of Transportation and Infrastructure), when it came to put out the permits realized we were in their control zone and they took two months to come to conclusion.”

Poirier stressed that the project is still coming in at the latest budget.

“In spite of COVID, inflation and tariffs that have all been unforeseen curves that came at us during this process,” he said on site as machinery starting digging up the new site.

The mayor said materials had already been bought to avoid more tariff uncertainty from the United States.

Other cost saving measures have been to delay installing a walking track to a second, undated phase, and to make the library space smaller than originally planned.

The library is currently in Lorette Collegiate down the road. Seine River School Division plans to likely turn it into more classroom space.

“As far as cutting back, I think they’ve (Three Way Builders) done a really good job on removing everything they could to keep the price down where it was, but it’s going to be very difficult especially in the economic climate we’re in to see more cost savings,” said Poirier.

When federal and provincial grants were announced in January 2023, the cost estimate was $11 million.

Fundraising is still needed to keep borrowing at the approved $6 million.

Seniors centre

And while operation of the arena and library is set, it remains unclear how the activity room and kitchen will operate.

The original plan was to have the Club des Blés D’Or operate it as a seniors centre. The club, which is need of a new kitchen, was also going to donate $500,000 to move in.

Poirier said he spoke to the club earlier this spring.

“Initially when we started talking about this thing, it was about having basically a bistro in the front foyer of the arena. And that was a great idea.

“So then when we involved the senior group, well it seemed like a natural fit: they’re going to run the little bistro/café senior thing. But that was not their vision, that was our vision.

“And now the bistro thing is pretty well not part of the equation for the time being,” said Poirier.

He said the activity area would still be open to the seniors club and anyone else who wanted to use it.

Poirier said the idea is to still focus on providing a space for seniors to use. Ideas include exercise and education programs.

“Or meal programs, things like that. And we have in our municipality a senior resource coordinator, and we’re going to be consulting with her and she may be involved with some of the programs that may be coming there,” said Poirier.

Old arena future

The curling rink will be attached to the new ice plant in the community centre, but Poirier said there was not enough capacity to add the 61-year-old arena’s ice surface.

He also said there were other structural issues including the floor itself that did not make keeping a second indoor ice surface in Lorette feasible.

But it may not be the end of the old building – at least not all of it.

Poirier said grants may be available to repurpose the old glulam wooden beams holding it up so that part of the building comes down and what is left serves another purpose. That possibility still needs to be discussed by council.

“A garden market area or an indoor pickleball area, who knows. Lots of different possibilities,” said Poirier.

Parking solutions would need to be figured out if that were to happen, he added, as the plan had been to tear down the old building and use the space for vehicles.

As the machines digging up the soccer field to make way for the new complex do their work, the fill is being moved closer to the river to make room for another soccer pitch. For now, soccer is being played on the baseball diamond behind the arena.

The splash pad will be closed this summer and next during construction. The outdoor arena will stay open, said Poirier.