Making the Chesterville Arena dressing rooms more comfortable for players, are from left to right: Kent and Coby Young, Kevin Byers, Tad Elliot and Al Armstrong. Morin photo

CHESTERVILLE – Communities that work together, do well together.

Looking after municipal infrastructure can be a never-ending challenge to small municipalities.

Being able to work together and raise an effective volunteer force is a hallmark of a healthy community.

North Dundas seems to have that going for it.

The Chesterville Arena is getting new dressing rooms thanks to the generosity of community minded residents and leadership from the council.

Deputy mayor Al Armstrong was busy last Saturday morning, helping out a work crew of volunteers as they laboured to build new dressing rooms for all of the players who use the arena.

The existing four dressing rooms are being expanded roughly eight feet out toward the rink. This will make the lobby of the arena a bit narrower but giving each dressing room an extra ten spots for players to change in.

“There is a budget for $31,000,” said Armstrong.

The project was recognized as something that needed to be done prior to this year’s budget process.

When COVID-19 arrived all of the municipality’s plans were put back on the shelf. When the opportunity to go ahead with the dressing room upgrade as well as a new roof for the Morewood Community Centre came, the municipality was quick to take advantage of it.

The construction is coming along nicely and the entire project should be completed in a few weeks.

Armstrong said, “We are looking at a completed roughly $15,000 of the work now.”

He added, “All of the labour that you see here today is for free. There is no charge to the township. The volunteers are providing the work and we are providing the materials.”

Local businessmen and the rockets owners Kent Young and Kevin Byers were at the arena, along with volunteers putting up the new walls surrounding the expanded rooms.

“Local business people have volunteered to help out. Community minded people are all pitching in to help,” said Armstrong.

“These guys here come from families that have contributed to the community. That sentiment still exists out here,” he said.

“The players have outgrown their dressing rooms. By the time they get to midget they are pretty big boys,” he said.

Just a few of the people giving up their time to work on the arena were: Neal Bartholomew, Coun. John Thompson, Kevin Byers, Kent Young, Glen Robinson and Al Armstrong.

Armstrong was helping to lift the metal panels used as wall studs into place.

“They are keeping me away from the electric power tools,” he said.