ELORA – After extensive renovations and a new name, the township is inviting the community to the official re-opening of the Jefferson Elora Community Centre on Friday, January 5, 2024.
The event will take place from 12:30 -4:00 p.m. and will host free public skating, tours of the renovated space and speeches from local officials.
The project included the replacement of the concrete ice pad, arena boards, protective glass system, and ice-making refrigeration equipment.
Updates were also made to the refrigeration/mechanical room and modifications of the building to meet accessibility standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) were complete.
Those include providing accessible dressing rooms, an accessible area for viewing the ice surface, accessible washrooms, entrances, and doors.
The lobby also underwent some changes to help with traffic flow.
Mayor Shawn Watters says “I would like to recognize and thank the governments of Canada and Ontario for their foresight in creating this revenue stream. Recreation facilities are at the centre of sustainable, healthy, and inclusive communities. This project has removed barriers to the facility and will improve access to community and recreational activities for our residents and visitors to the Jefferson Elora Community Centre.”
The Township received funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) Community, Culture and Recreation stream to rehabilitate and renovate the facility. The federal share was $1,998,958.72, and the provincial share was $1,665,632.35.
