The Davidson Communiplex is applying for two $2,500 community rink affordability grants for their skating and curling ice surfaces, but that’s still a couple goals short of a win in trying to keep their utility costs down.

Trevor Ouellette, town recreation director, said the money would help because “$2,500 is $2,500,” but when you factor in the actual power costs for running the Communiplex during the busy winter months it doesn’t come out to much.

“SaskPower, for 2011, we spent $32,000 on just power alone on the skating side and on the rink side it’s another $10,000,” said Oullette. “Just power for the Communiplex is $42,000. So $2,500 sure goes to help it, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a pebble in a lake type of effect.”

Ouellette said they should qualify for two ice surface grants for the skating rink and the curling rink, but he’s “not banking on it until we see it.” He said they should be eligible because both ice plants are running on separate meters.

The Government of Saskatchewan is doling out $1.9 million to ice surfaces across the province fulfilling a promise by the Sask Party in the 2011 provincial election. The grants will be administered and delivered by the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association.

Ouellette said since they started a program of sending in reports on utility usage and capital projects to the government in 2009, SaskPower has “actually been a leader” in helping the Communiplex reduce power costs, even though the program is run by the provincial government.

“The provincial government is committing $1.9 million, which does seem like a lot of money in the big budget, but when you have 700 eligible participants in that program to divide it up evenly, that’s where you get the $2,500 from,” he said. “If (utility bills) go down, every little bit helps I guess.”