Quispamsis mayor proposes community centre expansion for surrounding area

They may not want to hear it, but Quispamsis is offering neighbours Rothesay and Hampton a potential solution to their rink problem: an expanded qplex that would serve all three communities.

Quispamsis Mayor Gary Clark says his town's eye-catching community centre at Randy Jones Way, with its NHL-quality ice surface, an indoor walking track and swimming pool could easily accommodate an expansion.

And, he said, it could save a huge amount of money.

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"All we have to do is punch a wall," he said. "We literally have to punch a wall through. The change rooms and everything are already there."

The qplex, which opened in 2011 at a cost of $24 million, was designed to accommodate a second ice surface if required.

Last week, Clark estimated that cost to be between $2 million and $3 million, but a town official later said these figures were low. The real estimate is $8 million to $10 million.

"We don't need the same thing in every municipality," Clark said.

"Perhaps one of our other municipality neighbours don't need to have another ice surface. Perhaps they could join us and have it all under one umbrella."

Rothesay and Hampton are reviewing their options.

Rinks in both communities are 40 to 50 years old and need to be replaced or completely refurbished — but the qplex proposal isn't in the cards for either town.

Rothesay deserves its own rink

Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant said her town has not been asked to participate in a project involving the qplex and has not been involved in any discussions about it.

"Rothesay councillors are all in agreement that Rothesay, a community of 12,000, needs and deserves a community rink," Grant said.

"We don't want a stadium, just a 350-seat arena for minor and high school hockey, figure skating and recreational skating.

She said council also believes that if the town can get financing from other levels of government, its choice will be to build a new arena, with a walking track for seniors.  

Meanwhile, residents in Hampton are a lot closer to realizing a new multi-purpose facility after starting the process about nine years ago. The arena would include a rink and seating for 800 people.

The tentative cost with seats, computers and Zamboni is about $23 million.

The town has enlisted operational funding support from all but one of its surrounding local service districts and is awaiting word on applications for funding support from federal and provincial governments.

Mayor Ken Chorley said its current arena is one of only two in Regional Service Commission 8 that covers the area from Hampton to beyond Sussex Corner.

"We're serving the people that come to school in Hampton, go to church in Hampton, shop in Hampton, have always played in Hampton," said Chorley.

He said the town determined earlier there was no advantage to participating in the qplex project when that facility was in its planning stages.

'Heart of the community'

Anthony Walker, president of the Hampton Minor Hockey Association, said the arena in Hampton is the "hub" of the community.

"You take that away, you take away the heart of the community," he said.

"If we have 300 people in minor hockey right now and we all had to go to the qplex for their second ice surface, we probably wouldn't have 300 people in our association anymore."

Quispamsis and Rothesay lie in the territory of the Fundy Regional Service Commission, which doesn't include Hampton.

The commission is trying to bring its member communities together to come up with a regional strategy and funding formula for building, maintaining and operating all the rinks throughout the region.

The Fundy Commission includes  Saint John, Grand Bay-Westfield, St. Martins and several other local service districts.