New North Rustico arena set for completion in September after several delays

Work on a new North Rustico rink and wellness centre isset to wrap up later this year followingseveral delays.

The $10 million facility, which will replace the current North Star Arena, is now slated for completion this September. That's a full year after it was initially scheduled to open.

The project broke ground last spring, but COVID-19 and poor weather caused many delays.

North Star Arena chair George Noble said the facility is currently about 60 per cent completed.

He said the community is ready for a new facility to replace the old arena, which was built in the early '70s.

"The potential is awesome. It opens up a whole new spectrum for us because we can do international events, regional events we can do all sorts of things from sledge hockey, figure skating, speed skating, you name it," Noble said.

"Who would have thought in a town of between [400 and 600] people that we'd have a facility like this?It's just amazing."

The centre will include a walking track, an Olympic-sizeice surface andclassrooms for the Mount Academy. It will also serve as home for six of the school's hockey teams.

The facility will be used as one of the venues for the 2023 Canada Games.

Noble said the community has raised about $2 million for the project.