The city of Dawson Creek has made the Kin Arena sports floor a permanent facility at its latest council meeting.
In September 2024, the sports floor was introduced on a one-year trial. The ice surface was converted, and the Ovintiv Event Centre became the city’s secondary ice surface.
Different options were presented to council to determine the future of the sports floor, including making it permanent, moving it to the Ovintiv Centre, building a new facility or extending the trial.
Council unanimously agreed to make the sports floor permanent. Councillor Jerimy Earl said the city should commit to building on the facility’s success.
“It’s a great addition to the community, and a lot of people find value in it,” Earl said.
City staff gathered community feedback before presenting options to council. While most responses were positive, some residents said they would prefer two ice surfaces side by side.
However, returning the ice surface to Kin Arena would cost approximately $2.5 million, as major components of the facility need to be replaced or upgraded. Council also agreed that building a new facility would put too much financial pressure on the community.
Mayor Darcy Dober also highlighted the benefits of having the secondary ice surface at the Ovintiv Event Centre.
“We can maximize the use of the event centre while showcasing one of the city’s biggest assets,” Dober said.
The sports floor averaged approximately 1,551 users between October 2025 and February 2026.