Kin Arena Sports Floor

The Kin Arena sport flooring project involves the installation of sports flooring to transform the arena into a versatile indoor space for various activities. The flooring was purchased with the goal of expanding sports opportunities and improving the use of community facilities. This transformation will provide more options for team sports, youth programs, and community events while better utilizing the arena throughout the year.

This project was identified as a need in the 2022 Parks, Recreation & Culture Master Plan and aims to expand indoor sports opportunities for residents while making better use of community facilities.

History Behind the Flooring

For the past couple of years, there has been discussion about installing sport flooring in the Kin Arena. Sport Flooring was purchased through the 2022 Capital Budget with the intent of installing it during the summer months in the Kin Arena when the ice season is over. In 2024, the flooring was installed for the first time to test the process and determine what steps were needed to ensure the plan could be successful. At the September 9, 2024 meeting, Report No. 24-109 Year-round Fieldhouse Trial Period was brought forward at a meeting and Council approved a one-year trial period for transforming the Kin Arena into a fieldhouse and using the Ovintiv Events Centre (OEC) as the replacement ice surface for the 2025-2026 ice season.

Key Benefits of the New Sports Flooring

Expands drop-in & registered programs for team sports
Provides more indoor activity options during the smoky summers & cold winters
Creates new opportunities for youth & community tournaments
Encourages better utilization of dark days at the Ovintiv Events Center (days with no events) and more community use
Provides a “home facility” for City programs after the sale of O’Brien School

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this trial period going to run?

Council has approved a trial period of one year, from April 2025 to April 2026.

What factors will determine if the trial period is successful?

Consistent use throughout the whole day and evening, the number of people/groups that are booking, the comments/feedback received, the variety of sport activities and programs that are booked, the community partnerships that are made and the operational budgets associated.

Why is the flooring going in the Kin Arena and not the OEC?

Some reasons why the sports floor will be used in the Kin arena and not the Ovintiv Events Centre:

Kin arena is a small facility and more easily managed from a staffing level and with the Memorial Arena beside the Kin Arena there are economies of scale.
The events centre has other events and activities that generate revenues that offset the expenses and reduces the subsidy. The sports floor, although portable, takes a significant amount of time to remove and reinstall, as well as requires a large amount of space to store.
The Kin Arena has existing safety netting all the way around the perimeter of the arena field of play and the events centre only does on the ends. The cost to do the sides at the events centre would be very cost prohibitive.

The sports floor and the other events/activities within the events centre do not mix well as timing of events and activities would be fettered. We cannot place other material or floor systems on top of the sports floor, as it would ruin the finish of the floor system. Also the sports floor cannot sit directly on an ice surface as the sports floor is wood. This limits the ability at the events centre to move equipment around the facility.

What Sports & Activities Will Be Available?

Basketball
Futsal (Indoor Soccer)
Volleyball
Pickleball
Badminton
And more!

Will ice rentals cost more at OEC?

No, it will be the same price to rent ice at the Kin and Memorial Arena, as set in the Fees & Charges Bylaw.

Will events at OEC impact ice availability?

Yes, OEC events will be determined as far in advance as possible, as well as Ice User events. Blackout dates will be implemented into the schedule to guarantee dates for tournaments etc. Preplanning by all parties involved is critical. If there are events booked by OEC, ice will move to the Memorial Arena.