SPORTS FLASHBACK 2001: Natural ice a thing of the past at Vita Arena

The $250,000 Vita Arena project that included renovations to the 20-year-old facility and the installation of a geothermal ice making system are now complete, after a tireless three-year effort by countless volunteers, who made the project possible.

The first artificial ice was used by the public on November 19 and the Vita Arena has been a beehive of activity since that time.

Jim Wiebe, president of the Vita Arena Board of Directors, pointed out last week that without the new ice plant, with the recent mild weather, there would not yet be ice.

A special banquet was held December 1 in the community, attended by about 250 people, to mark the completion of the project.

Not included in that $250,000 price tag was all the volunteer labourers who worked on the project. Wiebe estimates that 95 percent of the work was done by volunteers.

The used Zamboni purchased in Hallock, North Dakota is performing admirably and will get a new paint job as soon as a sponsor can be found to foot the bill, Wiebe said.

The list of users of the Vita Arena is growing. In addition to Atom and Novice hockey teams in Vita, there is an eight-team Vita “liniment league”, as well as another 30 players, who used to play in the “liniment league”, forming a new league. In addition, there are about 45 members of the skating club, as well as co-ed hockey and, of course, public skating.

Funding came from a variety of sources, including government, business and private donations. Vita also received a $40,000 donation from the National Hockey League Players’ Association.

As part of that donation, NHL Hall of Famer Mike Gartner will be in Vita later this month to see firsthand the improvements to the Vita Arena and the benefits of NHLA program, which helps refurbish community arenas.