ATHABASCA – The Town of Athabasca denied a request from the Athabasca Regional Multiplex Society (ARMS) to reconsider its 2025 capital funding cut, telling the recreation centres leadership team they were in the same boat when it comes to aging infrastructure.
Multiplex manager Rhonda Alix and maintenance director Tim Wolfenberg presented their side of the case to Athabasca’s seven councillors during the Feb. 19 regular council meeting, asking the group to reconsider budget cuts that left the Multiplex with $90,000 instead of the requested $255,000.
“We would love to give you everything you want,” said Mayor Rob Balay.
“We also have a 10-year infrastructure plan, and it’s going to cost us $29 million, of which we only have $10 million of funding over the next 10 years. You can sort of see, that leaves us with a $19 million infrastructure deficit and that’s not money we have.”
Historically, the town and Athabasca County have split the capital funding for the Multiplex 50/50, in an informal arrangement town councillor Jon LeMessurier called, “The biggest handshake deal I’ve ever seen in my life.”
An agreement, signed by the two municipalities in 2020, lays out the responsibilities for any operating costs the multiplex may occur; in 2025, the number is expected to be roughly $1.9 million, which will be split between the town and county.
Every year, municipalities get money from the province through a program called the Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF), which redistributes part of the tax money collected by the province back to communities to help deal with infrastructure costs.
The town received $518,000 in 2024, is receiving $575,000 in 2025, and will receive $538,000 in 2026.
Balay said the town wanted to tie the funding to the Multiplex to a more predictable source, so both town and rec centre staff know what they’re working with each year.
“Our thinking was if we can give you guys something that’s predictable going forward, you guys can find a way to maybe go and readjust your 10-year plan,” said Balay.
Balay asked Alix and Wolfenberg to bring their presentation to the county as well, adding the requested $255,000 accounts for 44 per cent of the town’s LGFF funding, but only 13 per cent of the county’s.
Following the town’s decision to cut funding, the county made a similar decision, voting to limit its funds to whatever the town contributes, and to additionally stipulate county funds only go towards the Multiplex and not the Nancy Appleby Theatre, which ARMS oversees.
County Reeve Tracy Holland declined to comment on the decision, citing Section 21(1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP), which covers intergovernmental relations.
Aging infrastructure
Wolfenberg brought some handy visual aids to show councillors where the Multiplex was it in the lifespan of its infrastructure. According to a graphic included in the presentation, the Multiplex is in the beginning of its adolescent years, where capital renewal projects are needed to help prepare for a surge in costs after the 25-year mark is surpassed.
“We’re getting to the point where if we continue to push things down the road, it becomes more costly. We’ll be doing reactive replacements, which we may not be able to control the costs on as much as if we were planning the replacements,” said Wolfenberg.
As an example, Wolfenberg pointed to the curling rinks brine headers — pieces of machinery that provide coolant throughout the surface — which recently broke. The repairs cost the Multiplex about $20,000 in total, and the replacement, which will take place later in 2025, costs $80,000, so the one repair cost 25 per cent of the total replacement project.
Alix concluded the presentation with a warning about the risks of deferring required maintenance.
“We risk impacting the services we provide to our users without adequate funding; necessary maintenance and repairs may be delayed, increasing the likelihood of facility breakdowns,” she said.
“We may be forced to close portions of our facility. If this occurs during the user group season, it could significantly disrupt their activities and have major impacts on their overall experience.”
