From the Zamboni to the players’ bench, every piece of this old Manitoba arena is up for auction

Manitobans who grew up skating at the former Minnedosa District Arena have a chance to own a piece of the old barn.

The arena, which has served the community for over 70 years, is in the process of being decommissioned after a brand new facility opened in the town in September.

Like so many rinks in Canadian rural communities, the arena was a bustling hub of activity for decades, hosting countless tournaments, skating lessons and town events.

When the arena closed its doors for good, Minnedosa Mayor Ken Cameron says council needed to figure out what to do with it.

“So we decided to why not try the auction route and get rid of the building and whatever's left, in case anybody wants memorabilia, or maybe there's some value in some of the stuff yet,” he told CTV News Winnipeg by phone on Tuesday.

(Source: McDougall Auctioneers Ltd.)

Everything from the Zamboni to steel beams to the visitors’ bench is up for grabs.

Cameron is hopeful some of the less nostalgic items, like the old deep fryer or a skate sharpener, might be picked up by other arenas.

According to the mayor, the town hasn’t ironed out how the funds from the auction will be used, but he says they will likely be put back into town reserves or will be used to operate the new facility.

He hopes those who spent so many days and nights at the arena will take advantage of a chance to own a piece of it forever.

“We've had a request from one young fellow that played hockey basically his whole life here in this town, and he wanted to just have a section of the players’ bench, right where he sat.”