The BDO Centre for the Community marks a significant milestone this year, celebrating 15 years since dedicated residents rallied to save the vital recreational hub from closure.
Originally facing shutdown when the Stride Place facility opened, the centre thrives today thanks to ongoing community support, key upgrades, and tireless volunteer efforts. The building itself boasts a much longer history, tracing back over 50 years.
"Various parts have been added on to it, but it's 50 plus years old," explains Brent Tarr, President of Centennial Community Club Inc. (CCCI), which operates the centre.
"The building was moved in back during Manitoba's Centennial. That's how old the building is; then there have been various additions to it since then."
Sustained through upgrades and care
Over the past 15 years, CCCI has focused on maintaining and improving the facility to serve its user groups effectively. This involved both essential upkeep and noticeable enhancements.
"A lot of general upkeep and sprucing up the facility to make it look good, make it a better experience for the user groups," Tarr states.
Major projects undertaken include "new LED lighting for the arena, for the ice surface. Lots of maintenance work on the ice facility itself - on the ice plant - because it is quite old, so it takes a lot of care to keep it going."
Renovations to the dressing rooms and washrooms were also significant improvements: "Things like upgrading all the showers and the bathrooms and the facilities and the dressing rooms are probably the major things that most user groups would notice."
Community backing fuels operations
The centre's survival and improvements hinge entirely on community involvement and diverse funding streams.
"There would be 3 or 4 major ways we raise money," Tarr outlines. "First, just from community donations. There are still people who are donating money to the BDO Center every year for the 15 years that we've been there."
Fundraising events and successful grant applications, particularly from the Portage and District Community Foundation, are crucial. A unique and major revenue source is seasonal RV storage: "Our major fundraising effort is RV storage in the winter. We use the old East Arena to store RVs for the winter and bring in a nice amount of money from that."
While specific 15th-anniversary events aren't on the books yet, the focus remains on gratitude.
Tarr emphasizes the collective effort: "I'd just really like to thank the Portage District Foundation, BDO accounting firm for being the title sponsor of the facility for the past many years and the community members in particular for helping us out with donations over the years. Thanks also to the PRRA (Portage Regional Recreation Authority) and the city of Portage, who have been very supportive in keeping the facility operating."
Fifteen years after its rescue, the BDO Centre stands as a testament to Portage la Prairie's commitment to preserving and enhancing its recreational infrastructure for future generations.
