Even though it was decades ago, I vividly remember the excitement of being at the now demolished Centennial Arena in Steinbach watching the Steinbach Huskies compete in the Allan Cup playoffs. Games against foes like the Warroad Lakers felt like they were as important as the Stanley Cup. As a young boy I wasn’t very concerned about things like building capacities, but thinking back now, that arena both looked and sounded like it was well beyond whatever capacity limit there was.
Those were very special memories. These and many other stories were shared with friends as we gathered at the new Southeast Events Centre to watch the first Steinbach Pistons game to be held at the brand new facility. I have to admit, I spent as much time that evening looking around the facility and people’s reaction to it, as I did watching the action on the ice.
That is because this has been a long time coming. For decades there has been discussion about the need for an event centre in Steinbach, which has now become the third largest city in the province. But wanting a new facility isn’t enough, there are a lot of pieces that need to fall into place and sometimes just simply good timing. That was the case for the new event centre. I was pleased during my time as Deputy Premier to be able to announce that both the federal and provincial governments were putting funding toward this project. That itself takes fortunate timing as there are not always programs to fund recreation centres and when there are, both levels of government have to agree to participate.
As importantly, the City of Steinbach was also a partner to the project. Multiplexes are often very difficult projects for local councils to approve because they are expensive and can cause some division. But the Steinbach Council saw the importance of the project and had a vision to see it through.
Most importantly however, there were private investors, led by Hylife Foods and Grant Lazaruk who were willing to put private funds into the facility. The reality is, this project would not have happened without this vision and generosity. The amazing facility you see today is truly a testament to the giving nature of our community and region.
So a number of things had to come together for the Southeast Event Centre to happen. And while I was proud to play a small part in it, the years of planning and dreaming from others in the community played an important role. It is often not the first vision that comes to reality and often it takes many years for the right set of circumstances to allow for a project to come forward. But anyone who ever worked for a place the community could gather, should feel proud of the new complex.
At the first game I enjoyed talking to many people, and sharing memories. What we all agreed on was that while we feel nostalgic for those days at the old Centennial Arena, it is wonderful that a new generation of residents will be able to form their own memories at this new facility. Congratulations to everyone who played a part over the years in making the dream of the Southeast Events Centre become a reality. And good luck to the Steinbach Pistons in the MJHL playoffs!
