CANADA, December 13 - Released on December 13, 2024

Applications for the 2024-25 Community Rink Affordability Grant will open on January 6, 2025.  

Communities, First Nations, schools and non-profits are eligible and encouraged to register for the annual grant of $2,500 per indoor ice surface. The grant helps offset the costs of operating indoor skating and curling rinks in Saskatchewan.  

"These are important cultural hubs in our communities, providing a gathering place that encourages activity for many families and residents in Saskatchewan," Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Alana Ross said. "The government is proud to support this program, and we will continue to make this funding available to rinks throughout the province."

The Saskatchewan government will double the program funding to $3.2 million starting in 2025-26, increasing the grant to $5,000 per rink.  

Administered by the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association since 2020, a total of 380 organizations with more than 580 ice surfaces benefited from the program last year.

"Recreation spaces, like our rinks, are crucial to the health, wellbeing and vitality of communities both large and small across our province," Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association President Darcy McLeod said. "The continuation of the Community Rink Affordability Grant and a commitment to double the funding in 2025-26, is a promising step toward addressing rising operating costs and combatting the challenges of aging community infrastructure." 

The application period will run from January 6, 2025, until February 28, 2025, and the grant is set to be paid out by March 2025.

To learn more, visit:https://www.spra.sk.ca/funding/upcoming-grants-and-funding/.

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