The City of Clarence-Rockland announced the start of demolition work to the Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena.

The demolition of the long-standing arena is part of the new vision for Parc Simon that was approved by Clarence-Rockland City Council at its June 11 meeting.

The City has received secured fencing which will be placed around the arena, signaling the beginning of the work.

Although demolition has officially begun, residents may not see major changes to the exterior immediately, as work inside the building must first be carried out.

                                                                                              Parc Simon’s new vision

The groundbreaking Parc Simon revitalization project will see the area become a destination for festivals, events and community gatherings.

Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena shut its doors in January 2021 initially for a period of six months due to limited usage. As pandemic lockdowns closed access to public spaces, the arena only reopened a few times to allow local health units to carry out vaccination programs given the public health emergency.

Built in 1973, the arena was in disrepair for some time with subsequent administrations neglecting to make important updates to the building. Now the arena roof needs replacing and rust is present on its steel frame. There are also concerns surrounding asbestos, lead paint and the presence of rats.

According to reports carried out by the city back in 2018, the cost of renovating the arena to suit the needs of the community is more than $4.5 million. This figure does not allow for inflation and the increased construction costs since 2018.

In September 2021, a third-party review of the city’s core services presented to council found the arena was only used at 20 per cent of its capacity from 2017 to 2019 and suggested permanent closure of the arena. The report further suggested that other facilities, such as the YMCA, the CIH Clarence-Rockland arena, and the Clarence-Creek arena could more than handle increased usage.