The South Porcupine Arena Association has picked up $630,000 in grants for new ice making equipment and dressing room renovations at the Carlo Cattarello Arena.
Presenting $330,000 from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, Timmins MPP George Pirie reminisced about growing up on the Dome mine property and at Dome Ex. When the association was set up and the arena built in 1938 his grandfather was one of the first shareholders.
“When I come here on Saturday mornings and I watch my grandson play hockey,” says Pirie, “that’s all I can think about, when I was a kid, on that ice. as a grandson of an individual that founded this rink.”
Also presented were $75,000 contributions from each of Newmont, Agnico-Eagle, Lakeshore Gold and Coté Gold mining companies.
Pirie calls the arena – affectionately known as The Barn — the centre of the community, and notes it’s one of only two privately-funded arenas in Northern Ontario.
“You need the community support and we have it in spades. We’re very lucky that we’ve got the Ministry of Northern Development to make this happen.”