By Sarah Klein
Two Winnipeg community centres received millions in city and provincial funding on Thursday for upgrades.
Both levels of government are spending a combined $9 million to expand the East End Community Centre in Transcona.
The arena will receive a 48,000-square-foot expansion for a new ice surface and modern facilities to turn it into a tri-plex. Upgrades include new seating, modernized canteen, and improvements to locker rooms and showers. It’s scheduled to open in the fall of 2014.
The city will then close the nearby Roland Michener Arena.
Funding was also announced for the Garden City Community Centre to build two new indoor ice surfaces as part of a 100,000-square-foot expansion. The $17 million will also fund a multi-use, fitness and retail space, and 3,000 square feet of new programming space on the second floor.
As a result, the Vimy and Old Exhibition arenas will be closed after the 2013-14 hockey season.
