Nothing is set in stone and for the Bold Center’s opening date, the same rings true.
Lac La Biche County officials were supposed to get the keys to the building this week, with plans underway for a big New Year’s Eve family party to welcome the community, but construction delays and cold weather have slowed down and any party plans.
With the New Year’s Eve celebration cancelled, county officials are now looking at a “soft opening” of the Bold Center for the first week of January, with plans for a big Family Day celebration scheduled on February 21, said Kristin Walsh, Manager of Recreation, Culture and Facilities for the County.
“We are finding at this point in the preparation stages that we are experiencing delays with regard to installations, deliveries, as the weather is certainly a factor effecting deadlines for Bold Center supplies,” said Walsh. “Anyone who has ever built a house would know that even when the building construction itself seems nearly complete, there are hundreds of things that will need to be done.”
Walsh says they don’t want to commit to any specific opening date yet, until they have a clear “idea of our ‘move in’ progress,” which may not be known for three more weeks.
Despite not knowing the opening date for sure, county staff have already started to take bookings for some of the rooms in the multiplex for the second week in January. Only a handful of people making requests are using the county’s new online booking option.
“Most have called. It seems as though the online reservation request may take a while for residents to get used to,” said Walsh.
According to county officials, most sports teams have reserved ice time in the Bold Center for the 2011 season already. Other groups and sports teams looking to book facilities can do so on a first come, first serve basis.
Residents have also started to buy memberships for the multiplex gym and Portage Pool.
“We have sold a few memberships. One online and a few were sold at the pool,” said Walsh, adding that as the only municipality in Alberta to include a pool membership for a facility that isn’t connected, memberships can be purchased and range in price. For a yearly membership, a family of four can get an annual Bold Center and Portage Pool membership for $950.
For more information on Bold Center memberships, visit www.boldcenter.ca.
Rock by rock, the donor wall at the Bold Center is slowly beginning to take shape and the vision of artist Rachel Curry is coming alive.
“This will be a destination inside the Bold Center. Too many times I have seen donor walls put into a corner of the building away from everything else, but this wall will be a place where brides can take their wedding photos or grandparents can sit and wait for their grandkids,” said Curry.
The rocks, which were signed by more than 2,000 kids across the municipality, will greet people as they walk into the multiplex. Made to look like the rocks are underwater, a few rocks are being placed in the floor, surrounded by sand-coloured mortar and covered by a high shine gloss to give the “underwater appeal,” said Curry. Single plaques thanking other Bold Center donors will also line the pillars of the structure.
Donations are still coming in for the multiplex, and Bold Center Fundraising Coordinator Jane Palmer has reached a corporate fundraising amount of $3.9 million, doubling the original target that was budgeted for $2 million.
“We are excited to reach that amount,” said Palmer, who hopes to reach the $4 million mark before the multiplex opens its doors to the public in January.
Several residents have been ordering seats in the arenas and curling rink area as Christmas gifts, with the fieldhouse seats already sold out.
“Sponsorship is still strong in the community,” said Palmer, who has been encouraged by the local and regional sponsorships from businesses and individuals since the project began.