Citizens and taxpayers of the RDCK and the City of Castlegar.  There is a gross injustice currently underway with a plan to demolish the Pioneer Arena, which is a well-used and important recreational facility and replace it with fancy offices and apartments.  The only communication on why this is being done is two news briefs with zero justification, zero public process, and zero consideration for how this will affect ice users (children and their parents), local businesses, the Castlegar Curling Club, and Castlegar Alcoholics Anonymous.

The last architectural and structural building condition assessment of the Castlegar Community Complex and the Pioneer Arena was completed in 2009.  All life and safety items identified in this report have already been corrected and the Pioneer building meets current snow and wind loading requirements.  The only urgent repair remaining is to replace the roof cladding which was estimated to cost $240,000 in 2009.  So obviously the Pioneer Arena is not ‘end-of-life’, it just needs to be maintained.

The RDCK has stated it wants the “community to voice what they would like to see as far as reimagining recreation in the Castlegar and District Complex.”  Now is the time for this community to raise it voices and ask the RDCK to answer the following questions:

• What is the urgency or justification to demolish the Pioneer now without a replacement plan?
• Why has the roof repair not been completed as part of normal building maintenance?
• Why was an offer from a local business owner to donate money and materials to repair and/or upgrade the Pioneer turned down by the RDCK?

The City of Castlegar also needs to answer the following questions:

• What, if any, other land parcels or options were evaluated for the new office/apartment building location and why were they rejected?
• Where will Castlegar Curling Club members park?
• Why was an offer from BC Housing to purchase the old Rona property to build affordable housing units turned down by the city?

Citizens and taxpayers of the RDCK and the City of Castlegar please raise your voices, stand, and be counted by signing the ‘Save The Pioneer Arena’ petition.  Your signature will tell the RDCK to stop wasting your tax dollars on surveys and referendums and to properly maintain existing recreation facilities.  Your signature will tell the City of Castlegar to stop selling park and recreation facility lands donated by the public to developers for profit.

The Pioneer Arena is a long-standing asset to the RDCK.  It was built by the public with donated land, materials, and volunteer labour. It is a testament to the generosity and cooperation of the community working together.  If the RDCK and the City of Castlegar do not want the Pioneer Arena, then the right thing to do is to return it to the public who built it and let us operate and maintain it, don’t bulldoze it.  Save The Pioneer!