Avening Hall almost ready for re-entry

The construction fencing around the Avening Community Centre (ACC) has come down and the community mailboxes have been moved to their permanent home at the southwest corner of the building.

Terry Vachon, Clearview director of parks and recreation, says everything is on track to have the hall ready in advance of events scheduled for September. “The parking lot will be paved in the next week or two. There are still some outstanding issues with plumbing and HVAC (heating/ventilation/air conditioning), and we still need a Wi-Fi hookup for elevator monitoring, but everything is moving along.”

The hall closed for renovations in April 2023 and was originally scheduled to reopen in November 2023. However, problems with the original contractor pushed that date back.

When the hall reopens, it will feature an elevator, ramps, accessible washrooms and a commercial-grade kitchen. The auditorium and stage area, and five-pin bowling lanes in the basement will maintain their heritage look. Members of council and the ACC board toured the facility last week and agreed that the project has taken a long time, but the results are worthwhile.

A grand reopening celebration is planned for Saturday, Sept. 13, with a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. followed by an open house.