After over a decade since Piikani Nation has had an ice rink, construction for a new one is well on its way.
Community members are excited for the ways this arena will help to bring its residents together.
Lowell Yellow Horn, a Councillor member on the Piikani Nation says that community wellness has a huge impact on the reserve.
He said that due to an absence of hockey, especially minor hockey, the community hasn’t been coming together as much as it should.
“The children are not getting to know each other,” Yellow Horn says.
He adds that a lack of recreation is leading to a path of alcohol and drugs.
“Those are two areas that are heavily impacted,” he added.
Yellow Horn believes this new ice rink could bring amazing opportunities to First Nation youth.
Along with these new opportunities of exposing youth to sports, it helps with the development of children and it creates role models within the community.

Quinton Crow Shoe, a coach for the Piikani senior men’s hockey team agrees with Yellow Horn about community wellness.
“Its an essential meeting place that’s going to help create unity in our community,” said Crow Shoe.
With that he feels that a new arena is long over due especially with hockey being a popular sport among First Nation’s youth.
There are numerous parents and families that have committed to other sports organizations outside the reserve because of the absent of an local arena.
“I remember a time when Piikani was a strong force in hockey, down to the little guys up to the adults,” Said Crow Shoe.
Because there’s been a lack of a hockey arena for so long, he feels like the development of hockey players on the reserve is slowing down.
As Crow Shoe reflects back 10-15 years ago, the reserve hasn’t brought back banners or achievements the way the community did.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he adds.
Crow Shoe has been playing hockey all his life and is excited for a new arena to come to Piikani.
Having a passion for the sport and coaching all levels of minor hockey, he sees the benefits of children playing in sports.
“Hockey builds a community, as well as character and responsibility.”
With good coaching skills, its building strong players and respectable community members adds Crow Shoe.
Fabian North Peigan, a councillor for the Piikani Nation, says the old arena faced many challenges when it was up and running.
Part of the challenge was due to where it was built.
“When it was first built in the ‘70s, it was placed on a water table, kind of a slough area.”
He adds that the rink did not have a proper system to handle any water damages that may occur considering where the rink was placed.
“As a result of this, all of the infrastructure [was] deteriorating and breaking,” North Peigan says.
Due to the numerous ongoing problems and the great lengths it took to keep the old arena running, it was costing the reserve a lot of money.
North Peigan adds that improper construction of the old rink as well as it not meeting modern hockey standards was proving to costly to consider renovations.
One-way Piikani Nation is guaranteeing that the same problem is not repeated is placing the arena in a suitable area and learning the best practises from other reserves.
The hockey arena is expected to be complete in July of 2016, with a grand opening in the fall.