Hundreds of visitors came out Saturday to celebrate the opening of Heavy Metal Place, Spruce Grove’s new $85-million arena and community centre.
Funded by the Alberta government, Parkland County and municipal resources, the facility features two NHL-sized ice surfaces with space for up to 1,700 spectators.
One of the rinks is a community arena dedicated to Spruce Grove’s Const. Brett Ryan. The Edmonton police officer was killed in the line of duty two years ago alongside Const. Travis Jordan. The arena now carries Brett’s name.
The second rink will be home barn for the BCHL Spruce Grove Saints. There’s also a black-box theatre venue, a public art gallery and a new branch of the Spruce Grove Public Library.
The annual operating cost for the facility is estimated at $3.5 million.
Click on the video above for more details.