MARTENSVILLE — Exactly two months after the grand opening of the Martensville Recreation Centre (MRC), the City of Martensville has unveiled a permanent tribute to the individuals, groups and businesses that contributed financially to the $58.3 million facility’s construction.
The “Lace ‘Em Up” campaign wall, which is located to the left of the centre’s main entrance, depicts the Northern Lights in the form of glass shards shining above a Prairie landscape.
City of Martensville councillor Darren Macdonald, who hosted the unveiling ceremony on April 25, said the display is meant to “mirror the wonder of what Saskatchewan people can accomplish when we dare to dream together.”
He added, “A sky, bold, radiant and full of possibility, reflects the spirit of this project from inception to creation.”
The landscape at the bottom of the display contains silhouettes of common Saskatchewan trees like elm, white spruce and poplars, Macdonald said.
“These details remind us that the MRC isn’t just about bricks and beams. It’s about connection, culture and community,” he said.
As well, each of the glass shards representing the Northern Lights is embossed with the name of a major donor.
“These luminous pieces represent you. You are the pillars of this community. Each of your names etched in light is a testament to the way you shape this mural,” he said. “Your generosity has quite literally helped bring our shared vision to life.”
During the ceremony, Martensville Community Recreation Project (MCRP) chair Jesse Reis talked about the 10-year journey to bring the vision of the recreation centre to fruition.
Reis recalled how their first donation to the project was a few hundred dollars contributed by a local hockey team.
“To us, that meant the world,” he said.
Small donations paved the way to larger fundraisers like the Buster Days Street Hockey Tournament and Party on the Pond, and with time, the MCRP was able to raise $4 million for the project.
Reis indicated that community involvement was the most important part of the facility’s eventual construction.
“That’s what it’s always been about, the Martensville Community Recreation Project: that word ‘community,’” he said. “It wasn’t just about the building; it was about the people who came to the building.”
Reis invoked a common saying about how creating the world that best resembles the one you want to live in requires people giving of their time, their money and themselves to a cause.
“The goal was to build a rink, but the dream was a community, and you guys helped with making this a great community,” he said.
Incidentally, Macdonald said the efforts of the MCRP will be showcased in a different permanent installation. Unfortunately, it wasn’t ready as of April 25, but will be unveiled later.
The 145,000 square-foot facility includes a skating surface, a 62,000 square-foot indoor turf area, an indoor playground, climbing walls, meeting rooms, batting and pitching cages, and over 7,700 square feet of commercial and retail space.
