Fans at the Northstars' home opener Oct. 9 against the Southwest Cougars may have noticed another new addition to the refurbished C.A. Nesbitt Arena, installed just in time for the midget AAA hockey season: a new scoreboard.
The four-sided scoreboard hangs over centre ice and was provided by Arctic Beverages as part of a resolution passed by city council last Nov. 17 to enter into an agreement with the company that grants it the exclusive right to sell Pepsi products at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena and Norplex Pool for the next 10 years.
The city put out a call for proposals while the arena was still under construction, said Bruce Krentz, director of recreation, parks and culture. Part of that agreement was the requirement to provide a score clock.
"[The city] decided that the one from Arctic Beverages was the best and went with that," explained Krentz, noting that the city had previous exclusivity agreements in its recreation facilities. "There was one with Pepsi that expired a few years ago."
Initially, the city had proposed that Arctic Beverages provide two score clocks, one for either end of the rink.
"In the spring we had further discussion and decided that a facility of this quality really deserved a centre clock," said Krentz. "That necessitated us having studies done on the beams and the ceiling structure. We had an engineer do those studies and create a design for the supports that hold the clock."
The scoreboard, purchased from Eversan, a scoreboard manufacturer based in Whitesboro, New York, weighs approximately 1,100 pounds says Krentz, adding that the city was able to achieve its goal of having the clock in place in time for the Northstars' home opener thanks to Vale Inco and Settarc Welding.
"When it came time for installation, we had very generous support from Vale Inco, who made a rigging crew available on short notice to assist with hoisting and securing the clock," he said. "Without them and some long hours by Settarc Welding we would not have met our goal."
Next on the list of new equipment for the arena are shot clocks, which will be located at the ends of the rink off to the side of the nets.
"We expect to have them up in time for this weekend's game," Krentz said prior to the Kenora Thistles' visit to Thompson Oct. 16-17.
Arctic Beverages Limited is wholly owned by Tribal Councils Investment Group of Manitoba Ltd. and is the only First Nations-owned and operated Pepsi bottler in the world. Arctic Beverages brands include Pepsi products and it is also the distributor of Frito lay Canada products within its existing PepsiCo franchise areas.
