The community of Carnduff is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Fast Centennial Arena in 2017/18...and kicked it off in classic small-town fashion on Saturday, September 23rd.

Hundreds gathered for the 50th Anniversary and Revitalization Celebration, doubling as an unveiling for the shiny, brand-new recreational facility after five years of fundraising and upgrades.

As soon as the final buzzer sounded to end the 2017 hockey season, volunteers began prepping the arena for its' most massive renovations in five decades. Community members, contractors and volunteers spent the majority of their summer completely gutting the interior ice surface area of the arena. 

READ MORE: Fast Centennial Arena Continues Makeover

Now, after more than five months of hard labour and precise measurements, the playing surface is ready in time for the 2017/18 hockey season.

"On behalf of the current arena board, we'd like to thank the community for their support for the last 50 years...especially the last five years," stated Dallas Bailey, Member-At-Large for the Carnduff Rink Board during the festivities on Saturday night.

"This support will ensure our facility will remain a cornerstone of the community for several years to come."

Those who have played or watched hockey in Carnduff will no doubt notice the significant changes to the playing surface.

Brand new boards were purchased and installed to replace the handmade boards that were in place when the arena first opened. New plexiglass was also installed, and the height raised all around the ice surface.

The dimensions of the ice surface have also changed with the new boards. Previously one of the widest ice surfaces in the area, the size has shrunk to more typical dimensions such as the width of Affinity Place in Estevan. However, the length remains around the same, making the total surface area smaller than it has been in the past.

For the upcoming season, there will also be no permanently installed bleachers or stands for the fans as those were also ripped out with the revitalization. Plans are to install a portion of the bleachers either early in 2018 or next summer.

A Look At The New Bench For The Home Team.

The night began with supper provided by 'A Little Taste of Heaven' catering, followed up by speeches from the community members.

The night's MC Danny Ewen introduced Carnduff Mayor Ross Apperley and Cam Baglole, Reeve for the RM of Mount Pleasant No. 2 to state their joint appreciation for the efforts of the local community in completing the massive upgrades. That was followed with words from Dallas Bailey, both on the 50 year history of the facility and the fundraising process started in 2012.

DALLAS BAILEY:

"Five crop fundraisers raised nearly $195,000, made possible by donated rent-free land, a 'Pitchfork Fondue' in 2014 raised $76,000, the 2015 'Hockey Day in Saskatchewan' raised $85,000," listed Bailey, among several other fundraisers.

"The total raised in the last five years is nearly $1.5 million.

That includes a grant from the Government of Canada, which provided $479,500 towards the project.

Following the speeches, the table of donated silent auction items was closed down for the live auction portion of the event. Six prizes were auctioned off in addition to the 'NHL Live Auction' where all 31 teams were 'bought' for the upcoming season.

The evening closed down with a cabaret featuring 'The Otherz Band'.

After cleanup on Saturday night and Sunday morning, the ice plant was turned on at the Fast Centennial Arena to make the playing surface for the 2017/18 season.