Tearing it Down

This is the Williamsford Arena:

Built about 60 years ago (my grandfather helped).
Skating, baseball, hockey, curling, dances, weddings, buck & does, garden parties, garage sales, farmers markets.... It's had its fair share of activity.

I've been on the roof (in the wintertime the snow piles up just right for climbing on).
I've climbed to the top of the baseball fence and jumped off the peak (again, in the winter).
I've snuck up to the storage area above the skating rink.
(I know 'snuck' isn't a real word)
I've protested about learning to curl there (and eventually did learn).
I used to buy 24 cents worth of penny candy at the snack bar (because if you buy 25 cents worth, you had to pay GST)
I've had refreshingly cool drinks out of the outdoor water tap after a long ball game in the scorching sun.
I've eaten potluck meals and too much pie; I've shaken the vending machine, quietly asked for my skates to be sharpened, and misplaced my boots in the change rooms.
I even knew where the light switches were.

I say 'knew' because yesterday, it was torn down.

Old and condemned, unsafe for snow load on the roof, it's being torn down to make way for a new building.

The new building won't have change rooms or a skating rink.  The new building will only have 2 curling rinks and only room for about 100 people.  There won't be room for big dances; the new building won't even have outdoor access to the bathrooms.

But people will still meet there, people will have a good time, and community will happen.  Not only that, but everyone directly involved with it seem to be happy with the decision.  This change isn't a bad thing, it's just part of life.