Council breaks ground for new twin arena in Fort McMurray

Mayor and Councillors celebrated alongside community members at the official groundbreaking ceremony for the Northside Twin Arena that took place earlier today at 117 Abraham Place. The twin arena will provide 6,420 square metres (m²) of space for various sports activities and will become the fourth arena complex in the urban service area alongside MacDonald Island Park, Frank LaCroix and Centrefire Place.

“The addition of two new ice surfaces in Fort McMurray is something that’s been championed and discussed in the community for many years, and we’re excited to make it a reality,” said Mayor Sandy Bowman. “Thank you to Councillor Ball for making the motion to re-establish this needed project and to my Council colleagues for supporting the idea. This is a great example of how we can take action alongside community members to make our home a better place to live.”

“We are thrilled to celebrate the groundbreaking for our new Northside Twin arena, a testament to our community’s dedication and passion for the sport. This state-of-the-art facility represents countless hours of hard work, vision, and commitment from everyone involved,” says Steve Schreyer, President of the Fort McMurray Minor Hockey Association. “These two new ice surfaces will mean that we will be able to grow our program and get all kids on the ice. Here's to the exciting future of hockey in Fort McMurray!”

Scheduled to open in the Fall of 2026, the facility will consist of two ice surfaces for year-round multi-use activities such as figure skating, hockey and dry land sports including lacrosse, soccer and ball hockey. The contract for the twin arena has been awarded to Marshall-Lee Construction Corporation with an estimated project budget of $50M.The operator of the facility will be announced closer to the completion of construction.

 Twin Arena Amenities:

• Total arena footprint including parking: 8,000 m²—with 6,420 m² dedicated to the arena
• Spectator seating for 300 people per ice sheet
• 250 parking spots for the public and employees
• Concession space
• Ten change rooms and two referee rooms

To learn about other construction projects in the region, visit rmwb.ca/construction and sign up for construction updates. Community members can also check out the construction map for additional project details. For questions, please contact Pulse at 780-743-7000 or rmwb.ca/pulse

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