Millions raised for Sask. village of Dodsland after devastating rink fire
CBC
Insurance and fundraising efforts have combined to collect $11 million for a tiny Saskatchewan village after a fire gutted its rink last summer.
The Dodsland Sports Centre, known for its distinctive yellow colour, suffered major interior damage in a fire on July 18, 2025. The structure of the building remained intact, but the damage was costly.
"It was a huge heartbreak," said Mayor Ryan Neumeier, who attributed the cause to a juvenile mistake.
Dodsland is located in west-central Saskatchewan, about 180 kilometres from Saskatoon.
Despite its small population of just over 200 people, its rink has been influential.
The Dodsland Community Centre is home to multiple youth hockey teams and one senior team. They've relocated to neighbouring communities for now. The senior team, the Dodsland Stars, is currently playing in the town of Kerrobert while the youth teams have moved to Probert and Eston.
"Once you start off to driving to other communities, it just gets harder on the families," said Neumeier.
The village is the birthplace of Ed Chynoweth, who was influential as a president of the Western Hockey League and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
It's also home to a few former NHL players and personnel, including the late Brad McCrimmon, who played in more than 1,200 NHL games. His brother Kelly is general manager of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The second incarnation of the rink was built in 1979, which means the new one will be the village's third.
The building is used for a variety of activities and events, including a charity game between alumni of the Calgary Flames and the Dodsland Stars that drew more than 400 spectators last May.
"We kind of use [the rink] as a bit of a community hall for larger events … we would have a little bit of a wing night and cook wings and serve some beverages; we don't have a local tavern in this area," Neumeier said.
Efforts to raise money for repairs didn't start until December because it took a while to find a budget and get quotes.
Neumeier said volunteers have raised around $8 million, and insurance will add another $3 million.
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