First phase of arena upgrades complete

Lace up your skates. The ice is back in at the Honeywood arena.

This year, arena users will see some improvements including new resilient flooring in the dressing rooms and main lobby areas and the addition of fully accessible washrooms on the main level. Chris Wolnik, infrastructure director for the Township of Mulmur,says this is the first phase of a multi- stage project to give the facility a badly needed facelift.

“This latest work, completed over the summer, cost about $100,000,” said Wolnik. That is in addition to the $1.6 million spent last year on the arena floor, including a new refrigeration system, new pipes and a new concrete foundation. Roof repairs were also completed last year.

Wolnik says the next phase of the project will see a new addition on the south side of the building to house improved dressing rooms and viewing areas.

“We currently have four small dressing rooms and a women’s dressing room, which is housed in a converted storage space,” he said.

In 2024, community leaders unveiled an ambitious multi-year fundraising campaign with an overall $10-million goal. Major upgrades are

needed to preserve the North Dufferin Community Centre, which has been a hub of the community since 1912. (The current building was erected in 1965, after fire destroyed the original arena.)

A fundraising committee has set a goal of $4 million to be raised by 2027 to fund the addition.

Future phases of the project will see additional accessibility upgrades, improvements to the façade, parking and landscaping, as well as a new ice making machine, slated for purchase in 2030.

The arena opened for the 2025-26 season on Oct. 4, a week earlier than last year’s opening.

Wolnik says there are many regular user groups at the arena, with 12 minor hockey teams, a sticks and pucks pickup league, and public skating.

“We’ve also entered into a relationship with the Pine River Institute, which will see them using the facility a couple of times per month,” he said.