Nicole is the Ward 6 Councillor (not 8) and the vote passed 7-3 (Foster, Gabrek, Rapin against) to move forward with a new arena (not 6-2) The motion that was passed was a written motion by cllr Nicole Cox not the motion in the staff recommendation on the agenda - the last paragraph quotes the staff recommendation from the agenda. New Tecumseth council approved Option 3 – an Arena Model to replace the almost 80-year-old Beeton Memorial Arena. The motion written by Counc. Nicole Cox, Ward 6, was modified by council to include a community-size ice surface – not an NHL-sized rink, as noted in the original model. Council voted 7 to 3 to approve the approximately $45. million project, with instruction to source additional funding from grants, sponsorship opportunities, fundraising contributions, and any other external funding sources that may reduce the municipal share of project costs. Additionally, staff was directed to incorporate the Beeton Community Centre Redevelopment Project into the 2027 Capital Budget and Long-Term Financial Plan as a committed capital project. The current Beeton Memorial Arena (BMA) is nearing the end of life, with ongoing functional limitations. While recent repairs have extended its life in the short term, the facility does not meet modern standards. Further to that, the existing site has constraints related to size, configuration, parking, and integration with existing community assets. Advancing the new community centre project required council direction on the preferred facility approach.
