Discovery Animal Hospital and Panthera Athletic Club have teamed up to create a brand new rink centre in Petrolia.
The collaboration between the local animal hospital and the club aims to expand community sports and health access in the region.
Panthera Athletic Club Founder Tirth Barot said the centre will open in phases, and he is excited for the first phase to open in 2027.
"The Discovery Animal Hospital Rink Center is a project that I have been working on for the last 10 years. This is a continuation of the current sports and recreation programming," said Barot. "Our first phase is coming in January. It's gonna have a 37-foot-wide, 204-foot-long (ball) hockey rink. It's gonna be a multi-sport floor that can kind of go from ball hockey to pickleball, to TYPTI, or yoga and movement or even baseball as well. So it's gonna transform into what the community needs."
Dozens of community members gathered for the announcement of the rink centre on Tuesday, November 3. The centre will be located at 4497 Progress Drive in Petrolia.
"We have worked on this for a while. But I'm really pleased. Before I'm done on the 16th, to be able to kind of finish things off. I'm really proud of the council and the team, and where we've got to this point to make this announcement," said Mayor Brad Loosley. "I think it's great because many of the youth in this community go out of town for indoor sports through the winter; they can't do the ball hockey and all these other sports, and it's really nice that they'll be able to do it right here."
Loosley added the facility will be a major boost not just for Petrolia, but for the surrounding areas as well, giving local residents a dedicated space to play their favourite sports all year round.
The project is completely funded through private equity, with all the funds coming from sponsors.
"The town has actually put no financial dollars into this whatsoever, " said Loosley. "This is strictly being run by private enterprise."
The rink centre is set to open in just a few months, in January 2027.
