Taber residents now have a clearer picture of where things stand on three big community projects after the Town of Taber posted a public question-and-answer update on June 29, 2026. The Town of Taber addressed recurring questions about the Kraft Hockeyville win, the ongoing arena rebuild after the December 2025 explosion, and the money raised by the PlayOn! Street Hockey Tournament. The post is the most detailed official update in months on efforts to bring hockey back home.
The update confirms that asbestos removal throughout the Community Centre is finished, and crews are now fixing the wall between the Large Ice and Small Ice arenas. The town is aiming to reopen the Large Ice surface by August 1, 2026, as long as work continues on schedule. That rink has been closed since a propane leak from a Zamboni sparked an explosion on December 17, 2025, heavily damaging both ice arenas and the curling rink.
Taber captured the national Kraft Hockeyville title on April 4, 2026, beating out Tumbler Ridge, B.C. The win brought $250,000 for arena upgrades, an NHL pre-season game coming in fall 2027, and $10,000 in new youth hockey equipment. It was the first time an Alberta community won the competition since Sylvan Lake in 2014. The total cost to repair both rinks is pegged at roughly $11 million, and council has already approved about $6.2 million for the large rink alone.
On the fundraising side, the PlayOn! Street Hockey Tournament held March 27-28, 2026 brought in around $143,000. After covering about $125,000 in expenses, the event netted roughly $18,000 for the Community Centre. The town noted no decisions have been made yet on the future of the Small Ice Arena or the broader facility. A Recreation Feasibility Study is underway and expected to go before council in fall 2026 to help shape those choices.
For now, the Q&A gives Taber families and hockey players a tangible sense of progress as the community continues recovering from a disaster that forced young athletes to travel to neighbouring towns for ice time. More details are expected once the feasibility study wraps up later this year.
