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Community centre heating issues coming to an end

For the last decade Rimbey's Community Centre, recently named the Peter Lougheed Community Centre, has struggled

For the last decade Rimbey's Community Centre, recently named the Peter Lougheed Community Centre, has struggled with heating and cooling problems.

The centre's HVAC air-handling units are now in the works to all be replaced during the next three years.

Peter Stenstrom, director of community services, says three are being replaced this year, and the first leg of the project is expected to be finished by late summer or early fall.

A tender package for the project has gone out. “We're lining up quotes presently,” said Stenstrom.

Replacing the three units will cost approximately $180,000; money that is coming out of the town's Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) finds. “It's pretty expensive,” said Stenstrom.

The three units being replaced are those that service the lower roof area, the main auditorium and the fitness centre. However, the whole building, including the arena portion houses eight air-handling units.

During Ponoka County's budget deliberations, March 21 and 25, council decided to allocate $100,000 for the units in the arena.

“The Rimbey arena, that's something that has to happen if it's going to continue to operate and there's an expectation that we contribute,” said CAO Charlie Cutforth.