In 1983, a group of St. Paul men banded together for a common purpose – to build a second indoor ice arena. It was no small undertaking as is evidenced by newspaper clippings from the St. Paul Journal at that time.
The Community Arena Project (CAP) was initiated to address the sheer lack of available ice time in St. Paul’s Polaris Arena (now Clancy Richard), with user groups having to schedule time late at night or in the early morning hours. While the community was onside, getting the funding in place to take the project from blueprint to reality was indeed a community-wide endeavour.
Provincial funding, local municipal and business support and donations from businesses and community members was received towards the $511,000 price tag of the second arena.
The nine founding members of the CAP Committee were so dedicated to seeing a second arena in St. Paul that they personally guaranteed a loan of about $130,000, putting their homes up as collateral. Those nine men were: Dave Austin, Ron Boisvert, Bernie Genereux, Steve Krim, Denis Leroux, Bruce Lloy, Frank Robinson, Rick Robinson and Don Zarowny.
In short order, the CAP Committee grew to include the following: Brian Berezanski, Bob Chretien, Wayne Dary, Brian Delongchamp, Denis Duchesneau, Ron Foerster, Guy Germain, Mitch Germain, Ray Germain, Billy Hall, Roger Hall, Conrad Jean, Maurice Joly, Leo Labrie, Real Labrie, Hector Lafreniere, Curt Luyckfassel, Ernie Mercier, Wayne Nickiforuk, Darryl Poirier, Danny Smyl, Vic Williams, Jerry Wirsta and Jim Wirsta.
Ron Boisvert, who has served in the role of CAP Committee chairperson for its 35-year history, said the committee has had great support from a wide variety of residents who have stepped up to serve on the committee through the years. He estimates that number to be well in excess of 120 people.
Boisvert looks back at the early beginnings of the CAP Arena with a lot of pride for what the committee was able to accomplish for the community.
“It was a godsend for minor hockey because some of them had to get up at 5:30 a.m. for ice time at the Polaris,” Boisvert said. “The benefit of having a second area were huge. We were now able to host major tournaments with 16 teams with those two facilities.”
Built as a multipurpose facility, the CAP Arena has not only been home to hockey and figure skating, but has also hosted auction sales, agricultural events, minor ball events, lacrosse, roller skating and trade shows over the years.
With about 90 per cent occupancy through the winter, today the CAP Arena continues to play a significant role in providing recreational opportunities in the community, Boisvert said.
“It’s been used for a variety of things and at no cost to the Town at the beginning, until about five years ago,” Boisvert said. “I was getting calls from BC and Saskatchewan and other towns in Alberta to see how we did it. There’s been great cooperation from the Town, from the people in the town and the business community through the years.”
The CAP Arena was built on land secured at $1 price tag from Alberta Transportation with a helping hand from then MLA John Drobot. Title of the land was in the Town of St. Paul’s name. For many years, the CAP committee operated it as a non-profit facility. About five years ago, the Town began contributing an annual operating grant. Late last year, the town took over operating the arena, while the CAP Committee will continue to be responsible for capital costs.
The CAP Committee is celebrating the facility’s 35-year history with an fund-raising anniversary Dine and Dance on April 14 featuring a live band, silent auction and door prizes. Tickets to the event, which will be held at the Recreation Centre, are available at Richardson’s Jewellery. Proceeds from the evening will be used for renovations to the front of the arena.
For Boisvert, one of the greatest rewards is now being able to see his grandchildren skate at the CAP Arena. “And I didn’t have to get up at 5:30 in the morning to see them.”
