KAMSACK, Sask. — As repairs continue at the Broda Sportsplex and local hockey teams and skaters travel to neighbouring communities for ice time, a group of Kamsack-area residents is asking whether now is the time to consider a long-term replacement for the aging facility.
The community-led proposal, known as the Duck Mountain Athletic and Recreation Centre (DMARC), outlines a vision for a regional recreation hub connected to Kamsack Comprehensive Institute. The concept includes a new hockey arena, a four-sheet curling facility, an indoor walking track, upgraded support spaces for the town's outdoor pool and multipurpose community gathering areas.
The proposal was developed by a group of local volunteers and was recently submitted to the Town of Kamsack for consideration.
According to town administrator Barry Hvidston, council discussed the proposal during its Nov. 9 meeting. Although the town had invited the group to give a presentation and hold a discussion, no representatives attended. The group had only submitted a physical copy of the document.
"While council thought this was an interesting proposal, there needs to be a discussion about it and see what the expectations are," Hvidston said in a statement. "Therefore, there were no decisions made, nor any commitments outside that they are willing to talk with the group."
Hvidston added that the town has invited DMARC representatives to attend an upcoming meeting.
Supporters stress the idea remains in its early stages and would require extensive consultation, feasibility studies and funding commitments before any decisions could be made.
"We are simply community members who were not asked or commissioned by the town, school division, or any other organization to undertake this work," said Jordan ven der Buhs, who prepared the proposal with input from roughly a dozen community members.
The concept gained momentum after news emerged that the Broda Sportsplex would not be ready to begin the winter season.
"The news that Broda was not in shape to begin the winter season made me think, 'What if?'" ven der Buhs said. "What if we explored that longstanding idea in more detail and put something concrete together for the community to consider?"
The closure has forced local users to seek ice time elsewhere, creating additional travel for players, families and recreation groups.
While some residents have begun discussing whether repairs to Broda should be accompanied by planning for a future replacement, ven der Buhs said the proposal is not intended to undermine efforts to keep the existing facility operating.
"We still need Broda operating for at least the next five years, and potentially much longer," he said. "Planning for the future and maintaining what we rely on today can happen together."
The vision outlined in the proposal centres on creating a single recreation complex connected directly to the local high school. Supporters argue the arrangement could benefit existing programs, including Kamsack's hockey academy, while creating closer links between education, recreation and community activities.
According to the proposal, students would be able to access recreation facilities directly from the school, while community users would gain access to year-round amenities, including hockey, curling, walking and running spaces, event facilities and improved pool support infrastructure.
The proposal estimates the project could cost between $40 million and $50 million, though organizers emphasize those figures are preliminary planning estimates rather than construction budgets. No funding has been secured, and ven der Buhs acknowledged financing would be among the largest challenges facing any future project.
The concept has generated considerable discussion within the community.
"There has been a tremendous amount of community support and interest in the idea," ven der Buhs said. "There have also been concerns and some pushback, which is expected with a proposal of this scale."
He said any serious examination of the concept would require municipal leaders, First Nations, recreation organizations, the school division and residents to participate in a formal planning process. For now, supporters say the proposal is intended to begin a conversation rather than serve as a final blueprint.
"My hope is that it can lead to a more formal process involving municipal and regional partners, First Nations, the school division, recreation groups and residents," ven der Buhs said.
If advanced, the project would require professional engineering, architectural and financial evaluations before proceeding beyond the concept stage.
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