St. James Civic Centre’s phased reopening begins

After a long closure, the St. James Civic Centre is finally reopening.

The 56-year-old facility was closed to the public while extensive upgrades took place, including replacements to critical building systems and improved accessibility.

The city announced the opening of the centre’s south side on Tuesday, with its indoor rink — named after local hockey legend Ab McDonald — set to reopen Sept. 25.

“For over 50 years, the St. James Civic Centre has been an important place for the community to come together in this growing part of Winnipeg,” said Mayor Brian Bowman.

“The critical upgrades to this part of the building were needed to ensure the building could continue to run properly while updating accessibility to meet the needs of the residents of our growing city. Once fully complete with the opening of the Ab McDonald Arena later this month, this will be a busy space that contributes to community wellness for many years to come.”

Among the upgrades are two new roofs, a repaired concrete arena slab, and the repurposing of the second floor into a new mechanical and electrical room.

The project had a price tag of more than $10 million, with more than half of that coming from the Canada Community Building Fund, plus an additional $4.8 million kicked in by the city.

St. James Coun. Scott Gillingham called the reopening “very good news” for community members who have been waiting patiently for its completion.

“The investment in renewing the building will make it more efficient and help extend its life for several decades,” he said.

“And the upcoming expansion will make this an even more vital recreation hub for people of all ages.”

0:54 Winnipeg’s St. James Civic Centre to undergo multi-million dollar expansion