an am not yet been built. It was completed thefiillawing year.

time for annual maintenance. In 1975 the ar- tificial ice plant was updated and a Zamboni and associated equipment purchased. Oper- ating costs of the arena facility are paid for by the River Heights Community Centre. Occasionally plans surfaced at the club to build a swimming pool or to co-operate in building a curling club as additions to the fa- cilities, but nothing came of these ideas. Un- fortunately costs kept escalating through the seventies and into the 19805. Rather than turn the arena over to the city to run, the club decided to institute user—fees for its arena in order to provide operating revenue. The city did provide money for dressing rooms, offices, and a viewing area adjacent

WCWWEBW‘I

. Photo courtesy Ran O'Donoum.

to the ice surface at a cost of $90,000 in its 1978 budget. Then the club provided plexi— glass around the hockey rink and heat- ing for the spectator area in 1980 at a cost of $30,000. Since 1978 the club has employed a a full-time general man- : ager, office secretary 3: and an ice maker. It now levies both regis- tration fees and partici- pation fees for its pro- grams. The participation fees go into a sink- ing fund which is used to finance the long- term maintenance of the facilities.

As a result of members’ efforts to secure superior facilities, River Heights Community Centre was able to offer year round pro- grams not only in sports but in a number of craft and leisure interest areas for partici- pants of all ages. This club was the first to hire its own program director during the 19505 and its ability to maintain paid staff has allowed it to continue offering a wide range of programg even during hard times. The club's hockey, figure skating and speed skating programs have been particularly strong. During the late sixties and early sev-

enties, River Heights, with its large modern auditorium, was one of the most popular venues on the community club youth dance circuit. Organized by the club’s Youth Coun- cil, these dances drew crowds of teenagers from all over the city who would pay their one dollar entrance fee and dance to the mu- sic of bands like the Guess Who, The Mon- grels or the Gettysburg Address. As well as providing an excellent training ground for local bands, the dances made a tidy profit for the centre.

River Heights has experienced the same pattern ofsneighbourhood change as other Winnipegzcommunity centres, with volun- teer help peaking in the sixties and falling off during the 19705. In common with other community clubs, River Heights began to of- fer more programs of interest to seniors dur- ing the late 19805. A resurgence of young families in the neighbourhood in the 19805 has meant that the club is now sufficiently confident that it is again planning a major expansion for the nineties.

filflemnflmflesfi According to the Parks Board's 1946 Recreation Commission report, the present site of Kelvin Community club was then re- served for use as a recreation field and that season was used for box lacrosse. Box lacrosse or "boxla” as it was sometimes

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