Deputy Mayor Charles Flintoff and Councillor Rick Bull representing City council, and Economic Development Manager, Steve Antunes, were on hand at two separate events this morning to receive $50,000 each from the Beamish Construction group and the Wendell Farquhar Trucking group.
Other managers and other staff from the firms also attended the separate presentations at their respective yards.
Speaking before and after the presentations, the firms’ general managers and senior staff spoke about why their companies are making the donations.
Steve Duchesneau of Wendel Farquhar Trucking said, “I think the importance of having an arena is you realize the networking that you meet - the friends that you make. I moved here, I hardly knew anybody.”
“A lot of the friends I have today are people I met through hockey - that I met in business and personal life … and through the arena, through the hockey.”
“The next you know it, you don't want that legacy or that lifestyle to end, you know?” Duschesneau said.
‘It's not small, it's pretty substantial’ – Deputy Mayor
Lindsay Tallon, General Manager at Beamish Construction commented, “I think that Farquhar and Beamish have been here a long time, and the hope is that [while] this is something small, but hopefully the name sticks around, both businesses are here for another 50 years, right?”
“So, I think that's kind of the whole point here, making sure that we're giving back to the community in the right way,” Tallon said.
At that point, smiling, Flintoff interjected, “It’s not small, it’s pretty substantial.”
Antunes commented, “We've seen that with other firms, and what's $1,000 to one company is $10,000 to another, is $100,000 to another, it's $3 million to the Rogers.”
“One donation doesn't outshine the other, and the other donation doesn't diminish the other,” he said.
‘Families are the big key here’ – Farquhar Trucking, G.M.
The general managers of both firms spoke about the importance of the arena in the future of Elliot Lake.
Farquhar Trucking, general manager, Scott Holmes said, “We got everything there is. We’ve got a ski hill. We’ve got a pool. We got great outdoors activities in the summertime.”
“Wintertime - we have a lot in that. With the addition of the arena, Junior-A hockey can come back. Everything like that.”
“It just attracts a lot. It makes an interest for families. Families are the big key here,” Holmes said.
Arena - a big asset to the community – Beamish Construction, G.M.
Beamish Construction, general manager, Lindsay Tallon, agreed with Holmes's comments.
“I agree that longevity - with the history that the town has had, between the sporting and the hockey, and then the Junior-A team that's back here. And we want it to be here long term.”
“We want our kids to have somewhere to go long term and not just the kids, but adults - and get everybody out for physical activity.”
“I think [the arena] is a big thing - for a community like this, to have as an asset.”