Arena dressing rooms addition awarded to Venture Holdings

By Trevor Busch
Taber Times
tbusch@tabertimes.com

The Town of Taber has awarded a revised arena dressing rooms addition contract to Venture Holdings for just under $440,000.

At their May 25 meeting, town council voted unanimously (5-0) to award the Arena Dressing Room Addition to Venture Holdings Ltd. for the stipulated price of $439,700. Mayor Henk De Vlieger declared a pecuniary interest and left council chambers for the duration of the discussion and vote. Coun. Laura Ross-Giroux was absent from the meeting.

The town’s 2015 capital budget includes development of new dressing rooms at Taber’s Community Centre ice arena. The project includes two player dressing rooms, a referee dressing room, and washrooms and showers to service the new player and referee dressing rooms.

The town had issued a Request for Proposals earlier in 2015 that closed on April 1, 2015, but due to excessive costs council rejected all of the proposals reviewed at their April 13 council meeting.

Coun. Jack Brewin inquired about any changes that had been made to the design for the project from what had been originally proposed.

“What did change from the first time it went out is the room sizes got smaller,” said recreation manager Aline Holmen. “To make it fit within budget, we had to make the room sizes slightly smaller, and took out a few extras, like the stick racks, water bottle dispenser/fillers. But other than that, we’re still looking at one referee room, two dressing rooms, and a shower room.”

Coun. Randy Sparks expressed concern that Taber Minor Hockey might not have been consulted as to changes that were determined to help keep the project within the scope of the town’s approved budget of $450,000.

“Just the design, dressing room sizes. They’re the major user, and I would have hoped that someone would have at least contacted them and said this is what we’re planning on doing, what do you think? Just because.”

Holmen was unable to confirm if a representative of the organization had been contacted. Sparks went on to criticize a design element which would see a partition utilized between female and male referees.

“I have a bit of an issue with a partition in the referee’s room,” said Sparks. “That doesn’t cut it. That’s not how it should be. If that’s what is decided here that’s fine, but I just don’t really care for that, as far as a partition when males and females are changing and showering within the same room.”

Holmen indicated various contingencies were being considered to address potential situations that might arise. Proposals for the project were received from three companies, including Midwest Design, Nitro Construction Ltd., and Venture Holdings Ltd, with bids ranging from $439,700 to $685,536.40.

Construction is proposed to begin in June and be completed by mid-December.