If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again. That could be the new mantra of Lampman's Recreation Board as they didn't succeed at first but kept trying to get funding for their town arena in the form of grants from the federal and provincial government. Last week, that persistence paid off. 

The town will receive $205,882 from the federal government and $171,552 from the province in infrastructure funding. That money, along with $137,272 from the town itself will be put into upgrading their arena. 

"You keep applying for grants, applying for grants, and lots of times we don't qualify, we don't check all of those boxes," said recreation director Brittany Sutherland. "So, I made sure every time a new stream came out, I applied for it, and we'd get denied. This was the third time I'd applied, and I guess it's true: the third time is the charm."

Sutherland said she was still a little bit in shock that it had worked out for them this time around, but it's a pleasant sort of shock. After all, this money will allow them to renovate their compressor room and upgrade the electrical system. 

"That will include stripping it right down to the bare bones and making sure it's up to safety and code," she said. "We'll be replacing our current ice plant with an ammonia ice plant. That will include all of the electrical upgrade... It will allow us to have our rink open for years to come."

With the ice plant on its last legs as of about two years ago, and the economy and fundraising both slowing down due to the pandemic, the funding could hardly have come at a better time. The arena is very much at the heart of the community in Lampman, and keeping it running smoothly is a big priority for the town. 

"From all the user groups that use it to the wonderful volunteers that help out with everything," said Sutherland, "from getting it up and running every year to the kitchen committee, we have a beautiful new kitchen that we do hope we're able to show off. We hope we'll be able to host events again."

Sutherland added those events range from learn-to-skate and youth hockey in the winter to their annual sports day in the summer as well as weddings and family gatherings.