'So many good memories': Ituna begins teardown of iconic arena

ITUNA, SASK. -

Ituna’s iconic arena is getting a new look after more than six decades.

The old rink has stood in the community of around 600 since 1961. Numerous teams, players, provincial wins, league wins, have all happened within the walls of the old Ituna barn — but that's all about to change.

"Everybody's kind of snooping around and thinking, ‘okay, so this is actually really going to happen,’” said David Renkas, vice-chair of the Ituna Rink Cooperative.

The building's roof and walls will be coming down in late April, making way for the new steel shell.

“The existing shell is coming down and a new insulated, its 240’ by 134’ wide, Olympia steel building is going completely over top of everything right now, and we are going to be changing up the surface to make it a little bit bigger,” he said.

Ituna's iconic rink has stood in the community since 1961. (Brady Lang/CTV News)

Ituna resident Jack Shymko said he was there for the original construction of the Ituna Arena, which cost around $30,000 to build.

“It's going to be hard to let go to this facility. I have so many good memories. I can almost call it a second home during the winter. However, we just have to move on,” said Shymko, who held a seat on the rink board for many years and is the Chair of the Ituna Arena Building Committee.

But not all the aging items will be destroyed, especially a few of the treasures unearthed.

“Some old hats, some old jerseys. You know, some of the memorabilia stuff is kind of starting to come around, [we’re finding] notepads, different financial statements," Renkas said.

"It’s all pretty interesting stuff. We're all going to keep an archive and all that to go into the new facility."

Many in the community know it's time to say goodbye — that doesn't mean it will be easy.

Come next winter, a new home away from home will be built, which is promised to be better and warmer.

“If a wooden structure lasted us for this long are you one is going to be steel and concrete. It's going to last us for 100 years,” said Shymko.

For those looking to have their own piece of Ituna history, the rink is selling some of its items in an online auction.