The Saskatchewan government is again offering the Community Rink Affordability Grant. The grant helps provide funding for community-owned indoor skating and curling rinks. There is $1.7 million dollars committed for use across the province in the program, which was reinstated in the 2020-21 fiscal year. 

One of the communities that has taken advantage of the grant in the past is the City of Weyburn. The grant has been used in the past for Crescent Point Place and the Tom Zandee Sports Arena. 

“The arenas do cost a substantial amount of money to operate, so all money that we can bring in in the form of revenue definitely helps us out,” explained Andrew Crowe, the Director of Leisure Services with the City of Weyburn.  

Crowe stated the City of Weyburn can apply for up to $2,500 per ice sheet, so that would be $5,000 provided through the grant for the arenas. 

“We’ll be doing that again this year, and the nice thing about the funding that they provide is that it can be utilized to offset any operational cost that we choose,” Crowe added. 

The arenas, along with all leisure facilities in the city, operate at a 50 percent mandate. This means that they aim to offset 50 percent of the user fees through other means, whether revenues, tax dollars or grants.