Ice Arena Upgrade Inspires Perth

By Tyneal Palmer   The newly-built Cockburn Ice Arena is inspiring local residents to take up a range of sports at the icy-cold stadium. Now next door neighbours with Adventure World in Bibra Lake, the $10-million project comprises public and sport ice rinks, restaurant-bar Cabin 401 and a ballet studio for both on and off ice practice. Ice Arena general manager Calandra Barrett said after outgrowing the old arena in the Cockburn industrial area, it was time for a definite change. “We were really tucked away behind the train line and it wasn’t very nice,” said Calandra. “We’d outgrown that building, so would have been about 10 years ago, and I’d done as much as I could do with it. “So if I was to grow the business any further we needed to become bigger.” The new arena has created plenty of new opportunities for tournaments and international competitions, as well as public programs for all ages. Angelina Ryan, of South Lake, decided to take up ice skating as a way to embarrass her daughter and hasn’t had any regrets on making the decision yet. “What inspired me to do ice skating is actually my daughter has been doing it for one and a half years, two years almost, and one day there was an open day at this new arena, so I went and tried out,” said Mrs Ryan. “My daughter said ‘mum I don’t want you to skate in front of public because if you fall, I will just quickly walk away’.” Calandra Barrett says WA’s National Ice Hockey Team, Perth Thunder, are still under contract with Perth Ice Arena no matter how hard she is trying to convince them. “They’re playing an exhibition game in July, and I’ve worked on them so we will see. The interstate teams want them to move so we’ll see if the pressure comes through,” she said.