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CORAL HARBOUR
The excitement is rising in Coral Harbour this month as the community is finally getting some substantial renovations to its old arena.

Abraham Aupaluk of Coral Harbour, left, helps an electrician from NDL Construction Ltd. renovate the arena in his home community earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Noel Kaludjak

Winnipegbased NDL Construction Ltd. had a crew of workers in Coral earlier this month getting the project underway.

When the work is complete, Coral will have almost a new arena housed inside the old structure.

John Eetuk has been Coral's recreation coordinator for the past three weeks.

Eetuk said a new system is being installed that could add up to three months to the amount of time the arena has ice every year.

He said when the project started, the workers demolished everything inside the arena, including the boards and bleachers.

"We had a concrete floor installed and they tell me this new system is supposed to work almost as good as real artificial ice," said Eetuk.

"The ice surface is now in the north end of the building and we've got all new boards and glass surrounding it.

"Our ice surface is a little wider now and the new bleachers have three sections in the south end where you first walk into the arena.

"It's taking shape and looking very, very nice."

Eetuk said the community has been waiting a long time for these renovations.

He said hockey's popularity has been on the rise in the community during the past few years and the new ice system should help get more people involved.

"With the old natural-icing system, we only had, at most, three or four months of skating each year.

"They say with this new system we should be able to skate for at least six months, so that's a big upgrade.

"We've been testing the concrete floor and it's showing a good change in temperature.

"Where the ice surface is going to be is lower than the rest of the arena and it's already registering a few degrees colder than the rest of the building."

Eetuk said everything won't be done this year.

He said further improvements will be made to the arena this coming summer.

"The bleacher area is a little smaller now, but it's a lot nicer and it should be able to hold about the same amount of fans as it used to.

"We still only have two dressing rooms, but we'll be moving them and adding two more during the summer.

"We'll also be painting the beams in the interior of the rink during the summer."

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