BRUNO — Bruno’s artificial ice project has raised around $350,000, and should be able to provide town’s rink with artificial ice for the start of this year’s hockey season in November.
The most recent donations made to the town’s artificial ice committee came from Richardson Pioneer and Mosaic Colonsay, who gave a total of $50,000 and $35,000 to the project, respectively.
The artificial ice committee has been fundraising for Bruno’s rink for 11 months, said committee member Andria Lepage. Their aim is to lengthen the rinks use throughout the year, and “keep our local teams local,” she said.
During their hockey leagues big, final games of the season such as league finals or provincial finals, “we were renting ice in other locations,” Lepage said. “Bruno's got about 600 people, and a very young population with a lot of young kids coming up. We have a great rink, we just don't have artificial ice.”
Once their ice is artificial, the 16 sports teams and 250 players who utilize the rink annually will be able to begin as early as November, said committee member Amber Hoppe.
“During winter, if we have a warm spell, broomball cannot be played on wet ice. It has to be perfectly dry. We weren't being able to provide things because the ice is unpredictable,” she said. “So this will allow a safe, and reliable ice surface all of the time.”
The committee’s next steps involve tendering the work to install the ice, rallying volunteers to help with labour, and forming subcommittees to deal with rink power upgrades, cement work, leveling and so on. They will also be announcing a second Trip of the Month raffle in the near future to cover leftover expenses.
Lepage said “it’s been unbelievable how the town and surrounding communities have stepped up and rallied around the idea and embraced it, to make this a reality.”
Other donations of note included $15,000 from ADAMA Agriculture Solutions, $10,000 from Bruno’s Horizon Fertilizers, and $100,000 from Bruno’s Credit Union, which resulted from a bonus paid to the credit union from SaskCentral.
