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Back to SearchFollowing last night’s Council meeting, the administration and Council members wish to thank residents who attended to show their support and to those involved in wanting the best possible recreation complex for our community. We listened to your concerns and were able to provide additional information to explain the reasons behind certain design decisions.
During the presentation, Township administration reassured residents that our architects have extensive experience, having developed over 90 similar projects involving pools, community halls and multi-ice surfaces.
Change Rooms
One of the main concerns raised was the size of the change rooms. Staff presented a comparison, available here, between the new complex change room and our existing facilities. The planned rooms are indeed an upgrade from our existing facilities. However, considerations about the number of rooms needed, especially with the increasing number of half-ice games and practices versus the need for a warmup room, were noted.
Seating Capacity
The seating capacities of the main rink was another significant concern that was brought forward. Our current rink capacities are as follows:
- Embrun arena: 350 seats + 75 standing room = 425
- Russell arena: 110 seats
The new recreation complex facilities will offer:
- Rink 1: 250 seats + 150 standing room = 400
- Rink 2: 125 seats + 30 standing room = 155
- Rink 3: 117 seats + 80 standing room = 197
Residents requested more seating at the main rink, asking Council to consider potential growth. The administration reviewed attendance data for the past three years for our junior team, showing that the proposed seating would generally meet and exceed current needs, with occasional exception during playoff and rival matches.
Outside of the fiscal concern that led to the decision to reduce the planned number of seats in the main rink, the Council’s decision in November was guided by analyzing attendance levels of the current Junior B team as presented below. Data for these tables is gathered from the reported crowd numbers on the EOJHL league website.
| 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average crowds | 93.3 | 115.2 | 131.5 |
| Average crowds in Embrun | 87 | 109 | 109 |
| Largest crowd in Embrun | 134 | 267 | 289 |
| Number of games in Embrun | 21 | 21 | 22 |
| 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average crowds | 401 | 413.9 | 257 |
| Average crowds in Embrun | 406 | 399 | 291 |
| Largest crowd in Embrun | 485 | 583 | 388 |
| Number of games in Embrun | 3 | 5 | 5 |
Next Steps
The tendering process for the recreation complex closes today, and bids will be public on the Bids & Tenders website as of 4:00 p.m. today.
A Special Council Meeting will be held in person on Monday, June 17th, 2024, at 5 p.m. in Council chambers to present the bids and financial plans for the recreation complex. Depending on the results of these tenders, staff will present options for moving forward. Council, informed with the feedback received last night, staff and architect feedback, and the tender results will provide direction to staff on the next steps at the June 24th 2024 Council Meeting.
We once again thank all residents involved for their commitment to our community. Your insights are invaluable as we continue with this exciting project for our Township. Visit www.russell.ca/recreationcomplex for more information. For questions or comments, please contact recreation.loisirs@russell.ca.