Love it or hate it, the Bold Center is nearly complete, and Lac La Biche County is offering the public a glimpse inside the giant brown box on the edge of town on Dec. 23.
While it may not be much to look at from the outside, inside is an entirely different story. It really does have to be seen to be believed. From the wood entrance to the stone fountain of the donation wall to the padded theatre-style arena seats and the hardwood floor of one of the fieldhouses, the entire building oozes quality while offering up an aesthetic challenge to future buildings in town.
Forget for a moment the cost ($60 million by some estimates, $48 million by others) and forget, if you can, that there still isn’t anyone willing to lease the rather large space overlooking the curling rink, or the fact that some clubs in town won’t have a dedicated space to practice their sport. This isn’t about the politics or the perceived problems surrounding the Bold Center. This is about the building.
And the building is awesome.
Last Friday county staff were busy painting lines on the ice surface of the twin arenas, while construction workers painted walls, installed flooring and kept working on their to-do lists. And there are still a few things to do. The sneak peak this Thursday will show a building with a huge amount of potential, but also a building that still isn’t quite finished.
But what will be finished will be open for use, said Jean Claude [LAST NAME], the recently-hired Bold Center manager, adding there will be public skating, and tours of the facility will be offered as well.
After the one-day sneak peak the building will again be closed to the public, as work crews and county staff work to prepare the new recreation facility for a Jan. 4 opening date.
For those who miss the opportunity to get a look inside, they will have another chance on Jan. 8, when the Portage Voyageurs play their first game in the new arena.
There still isn’t a concession for the arenas, but for the first few months food for Voyageurs hockey fans will likely be offered out of the community hall kitchen on the lower level, according to administration reports to county council.
The Bold Center has been the topic of heated debate, a political hot potato, the source of hope for local sports clubs, and a source of conversation for local naysayers. Now, it can be what it was always meant to be. A state-of-the-art recreation facility for a growing community that will meet many of the area’s recreation needs for years to come. It’s finally – almost – finished, and it’s a sight to behold.
