Stepping up to the challenge
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- Published on Monday, October 29, 2018
Submitted photo. Brian McCannell, newly appointed president of the Neepawa Yellowhead Centre.
By Cassandra Wehrhahn
Neepawa Banner & Press
The Neepawa Yellowhead Centre (YHC) has a new president, elected by acclamation at their 7:00 p.m. AGM meeting on Monday, Oct. 15. After four years, Darian Major is stepping down from the president鈥檚 seat after the end of his term to welcome a fresh face, Brian McCannell, to the position. Typically presidency ends after three years, but Major stayed on, with the board鈥檚 approval, for an additional year to smooth out a transitional period.
鈥淚 think it will be exciting to have a new viewpoint and a fresh set of eyes on the business,鈥� said Major. 鈥淗e [McCannell] has a financial background in banking, so I think those attributes lend themselves well to overseeing the role as president in the Yellowhead Centre.鈥�
Major will now take on a new role on the YHC board, focussing on fundraising to improve the facility and investments towards the possibility of a new building, as the current one is 47 years old.
鈥淲e need to begin looking at raising money for a new facility, and we need to have money in the bank if we鈥檙e going to build one. We have to develop fundraising initiatives because a new arena and community centre just doesn鈥檛 happen overnight.,鈥� Major explained. 鈥淲e鈥檝e made some significant renovations over the last three years, however there are major structural issues that will be need to dealt with within the next 30 to 40 years, and that will require us to build an entirely new facility.鈥�
顿补谤颈补苍鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;tenure highlights
Highlights during Major鈥檚 tenure include items from the YHC鈥檚 Capital Projects Improvement Plan, such as:
鈥ew arena boards and glass.
鈥ew benches.
鈥ew centre-ice score clock.
鈥wo dehumidifiers to reduce dampness in the arena to improving both the spectator鈥檚 experience and ice quality.
鈥orked to utilize the arena during the summer months.
鈥nitiatives to improve ice utilization. (Up over 25% in the last 5 years.)
鈥ew LED lights throughout the entire facility.
In short, the arena is now being used 鈥渕ore than ever before鈥�. Major also stressed that all capital projects have been fully paid for through government grants and/or sponsors, preventing direct cost to the YHC or the user groups (the folks using the facility).
The new president
Brian McCannell, newly appointed president of the YHC board, has been a member for two years, with his third coming up. He worked at the hockey rink previously in his life during high school for a period of three summers, sponsored by Harris Pharmacy. McCannell shared his motivations in seeking presidency with the Banner & Press on Tuesday.
鈥淚鈥檝e spent a long time in the hockey rink growing up. Growing up around Neepawa, I played minor hockey in Neepawa and went off to highschool and senior hockey,鈥� McCannell enthused. 鈥淚 figured a lot of people on the board have already served as president and done a lot of volunteer work, so I felt it was my time to pop up and take on the role.鈥�
Having worked with Major over the last few years on the board, and being a hockey coach throughout his life, McCannell says he has learned a few things and is ready to go. McCannell is set to keep moving forward with the capital improvement plans so the facility viable for years to come.
In a closing comment, McCannell stated 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to the challenge. We鈥檝e got a great board and a great staff which we鈥檙e lucky to have. I think in the next three years I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing what we can do to keep on improving the rink and the hall so all the user groups in the community can enjoy it.鈥�
