Schematics and designs for the new YCE multiplex have been accepted, marking a major milestone in a joint initiative between the Town of Edson and Yellowhead County to provide updated leisure facilities to residents.
While other sites were considered for the new multiplex, Edson Mayor Kevin Zahara says the Edson and District Leisure Centre is already in the ideal location, which may lead to some teething issues during the construction phase.
“At the end of the day, the location of the current Edson and District Leisure Centre is the best location, so as construction is going to be ongoing parking is going to be at a premium in that location,” says Zahara.
“It’s going to be very challenging to find a place to park so we are going to be asking for patience from our residents and visitors who might be visiting for tournaments.”
Despite any problems that may arise during construction, Zahara says an updated facility has been needed for a while.
“This is a critical component of growing our region, attracting professionals and retaining our current residents as well,” says Zahara. “In our community, we’ve been talking about a new facility for 20 or 30 years. Our councils, Yellowhead count, the town of Edson, along with our administration, have worked extremely hard in bringing forward this project and getting it actually done with construction beginning in the spring.”
A four-phase construction plan has been approved and the entire project is expected to be complete by 2027.
Phase one, set to begin in spring 2025, focuses on accommodating the ongoing use of the Edson and District Leisure Centre throughout construction to ensure there is no gap in access to recreational facilities for residents.
Mayor Zahara says ensuring residents continue to have access to recreation facilities was a major part of the planning process.
“One of the key priorities for both councils and the steering committee has been to keep the facility operating as construction is ongoing,” Zahara explains. “The pool will continue to operate while the new pool is being constructed, and same thing for the ice arenas.”
Phase two, scheduled for completion in the spring of 2026, includes the construction of a new ice area and an aquatics centre with lane and leisure swimming.
Phase three incorporates the construction of a new lobby, gymnasium and elevated walking track.
Phase four will see the project through to completion, with final site servicing, renovations to the current Centennial Arena and the conversion of the Memorial Arena into a new curling facility.
The mayor is excited to see this project take off.
“This is a very exciting time for our community,” says Zahara. “A very exciting project, with it being probably the most historic regional project that we’ve had in our community working together with Yellowhead County, and we’re excited to see construction get started.”
Progress updates can be found on the YCE Multiplex website.
