A fond farewell: Minnedosa says goodbye to District Arena

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

Over the years, watching a hockey game inside the Minnedosa District Arena just always had a different feel to it. Whether it was the high wooden ceiling with the beams showing through; The patches of frost that would just randomly fall off the roof onto the ice, or sometimes, onto the fans sitting in the bleachers; or simply just that ‘old time hockey’ energy that radiated from the rafters.

After one last hockey game on Saturday Apr. 1, the District Arena is permanently melting its ice, as the community’s new recreation complex is still slated to open before next winter. This is a bittersweet moment for many residents whose children, and in some cases grandchildren/greatgrandchildren, grew up in and around the rink.

According to Minnedosa Valley Views: Minnedosa’s 100th Anniversary; which was published in 1982 for the Minnedosa Centennial Committee, a major project in 1947 was building a new skating and hockey rink.

According to the book, some $21,000 [$334,484 in modern currency] had to be raised for this project prior to and immediately after the war. A little later, a further $13,000 [$207,061] for the construction of the Arena was raised through a referendum.

Once the funding to cover costs was acquired, a recycled military building/ airplane hanger was moved to Minnedosa from CFB Portage. Over the course of five months that year, it was then converted into the Minnedosa District Arena. Originally a natural ice surface, and later converted to artificial ice, this Arena has served faithfully as home to local skaters over the course of the last 76 years, despite a growing need for repairs.

With the passage of time, however, the need for a brand new regional recreation facility grew stronger, and in 2021 the decision was made to move forward with the design and construction of a new arena. The facility is located on the Agricultural Grounds on the northwest end of the town.

But while the new and improved arena will soon be the heart of winter activity for many Minnedosa residents, the memories of the old District Arena will not be forgotten.

The interior and exterior of the as it appeared just a few hours before its final hockey game on Saturday, Apr. 1. Picture on left: Like many old style ice rinks, the District Arena had a few notable and unique quarks. One of which was the snow and frost that, at certain times during the winter/spring would fall from the ceiling onto the ice, and as pictured, the first few rows of seating. (Additional pictures of the arena’s final hockey game can be seen on page 19)