Yellowhead Centre to stay frosty a while longer

Arena ice will remain for an extended period, Ice Cycles available for use

By Casper Wehrhahn Neepawa Banner & Press

There were a couple items of note regarding Neepawa’s Yellowhead Community Rec Centre at the most recent council meeting. The first was the period of time the ice will remain in the arena. In general, the ice plant is turned off after the last weekend in March. However, the ice will remain until midApril. Lindsay Dayholos, director of operations for the Yellowhead Centre, explained in an interview on Mar. 20 that this change is due, in part, to a shift in scheduling.

“We have the Big Valley Bulls Tournament Mar. 30 to Apr. 2, the plant usually is turned off after this weekend, which is usually Titans Spring Camps,” said Dayholos. “The Titans Spring Camp got pushed back to the Apr. 14 to 15 weekend.”

Another factor in the decision to extend the in-ice period was the potential for extra revenue as the winter sport season winds down.

“The board wanted to see if keeping our ice in a few weeks longer would generate more ice rentals as other rinks are closing for the season,” Dayholos elaborated.

The second item discussed was the acquisition of insurance for their three Ice Cycles– bikes which have been modified for onice usage. The Yellowhead Centre board originally unveiled the recreational devices, which had been purchased from Spark Rental Inc. in Winnipeg, on Feb. 24 of 2022.

With the finalization of this insurance, the Ice Cycles have been cleared for usage by the public.

“We’ve had a group come down and use them last week,” said Dayholos.

“During spring break, they will be available Monday through Friday, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for anyone 10 years of age and up.”

Ice Cycle times and days can also be found on the Yellowhead Centre’s social media. Ice rental information can also be found on the centre’s website.