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Ag Society to look at building new indoor arena

The possibilities are endless for the Athabasca and District Agricultural Society’s proposed new indoor riding arena.
After 20 years of talk, the Athabasca and District Agricultural Society is taking steps toward constructing a bigger and better indoor riding arena.
After 20 years of talk, the Athabasca and District Agricultural Society is taking steps toward constructing a bigger and better indoor riding arena.

The possibilities are endless for the Athabasca and District Agricultural Society’s proposed new indoor riding arena.

Discussion of building a new indoor arena have been in the works for well over 20 years, according to Athabasca and District Agricultural Society president Lesia Rys-Popowich, and should the project be approved by members, construction would commence in September this year.

“Feasibility and financial stability has been the biggest hurdle. The other thing is the interest groups, the support to actually have it go forward,” she said.

In a presentation to Town of Athabasca council May 2, Ag Society treasurer Dee Lambert spoke about the society’s plans and requested approval for building permits.

“With your approval, we can start looking at plans, tenders…we’ve done some work on project costs, and we think we can actually put this together and make it a facility, which, looking relative to the town, would bring in a lot of people to use the facility,” she said.

After the presentation, Coun. Shelly Gurba responded by saying the project is of great benefit to the community.

“I know there’s a lot of kids that have to go out of the community to ride in an indoor facility, so if we can bring this to our community I think it’s a great benefit and I would back it,” she said.

Mayor Roger Morrill said Athabasca is a community of choice, and to have an indoor riding facility so close to the community would be of extreme value.

Coun. Tim Verhaeghe made the motion to approve the society’s request to build, which was passed unanimously.

In a later interview, Rys-Popowich said the next step is getting permission from the society’s members at their June 6 special meeting to go ahead with the project.

“We’ve got approval in the sense of permits, that yes we got permission from the town to go ahead and build, but we have to get permission from our members first. If the members kibosh it, then I think it’s a done deal,” she said. “I think we’re about 90 per cent in the favour.”

Currently, the Fairhaven Big Coulee Complex does have capability for some indoor riding, but Rys-Popowich said it is tight for specific maneuvers.

Some of the opportunities a bigger indoor arena could open up include space for heavy horse breeds, moving events that are rained-out indoors, and shelter in times of emergency, such as the Fort McMurray or Slave Lake fires.

Rys-Popowich added the society could partner with Blue Heron to offer animal training courses for those with disabilities.

“It allows them a different scope of bringing in someone to work one-on-one, because they’re finding, anyone with disabilities, working with animals changed their whole perspective,” she said.

Rys-Popowich added it is nice to see this project taking steps forward, and that change is good to see.

“No matter how you look at it, change is always growth. This change is big growth. It’s uncertainty and maybe question marks, but we will do the best to our ability,” she said.

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