File Photo / William Hall
The current ice arena at North Yarmouth Academy was dedicated in 1998 to honor Travis Roy, a former hockey star at the school and philanthropist.
November 11, 2021
North Yarmouth Academy ice arena will modernize with $5M makeover
Courtesy / Scott Simons Architects
A rendering shows NYA's Travis Roy Ice Arena after a planned $5 million renovation and expansion.
By William Hall
With a $4 million gift — the largest in its history — North Yarmouth Academy will expand and modernize its Travis Roy Ice Arena, the school announced Wednesday.
The donation from Frederique and Jarrod Daniel, parents of four NYA students, will be supplemented by $1 million the private, college preparatory school hopes to raise, according to a news release.
The expansion will break ground in the spring, led by Portland-based Hebert Construction. Plans call for:
- New 2,500-square-foot NYA locker and training rooms
- Upgraded guest and community locker rooms
- Improved spectator seating
- A new upper-deck arena seating with 90 premium seats
- A new, 4,000-square-foot fitness and wellness center
- A new, multipurpose meeting room
- Upgrades to the lobby area and exterior.
“We are incredibly grateful to Frederique and Jarrod Daniel,” said NYA Head of School Ben Jackson in the news release. “This is a historic moment for the Academy. This tremendous investment will not only support a legacy of excellence for our girls and boys hockey programs, it will also enhance the athletic experience and wellness opportunities for all students.”
Jarrod Daniel is a former professional hockey player from Alberta, Canada, and now works as a plastic surgeon at Maine Plastic Surgery in Portland. He commented in the release: "An institution with this storied tradition and pride deserves a facility dedicated to the students and their health and wellness."
Frederique Daniel said, “With our gift, we hope students will continue to pursue healthy, active lifestyles, individually and with their teammates, with all the resources they need right at their fingertips. This new facility will be the epicenter for athletics, recreation, health, and wellness on campus.”
Tim Hebert, co-owner of Hebert Construction, added, “In partnership with the Daniel family and NYA, we plan to transform the current Travis Roy Ice Arena into a modern performance sports facility celebrating NYA’s rich hockey history with an eye to the future of overall sports performance.”
Hebert is also a parent of two NYA students, chairman of Brunswick-based STARC Systems and a 2020 Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year.
Legacy continues
The modernized arena will retain its name, honoring the late Travis Roy, according to NYA.
The current facility, built in 1975, serves NYA students as well as athletes from other schools and the community. In a typical season, 85,000 people visit the arena, the school estimates.
In 1998, the arena was dedicated to Roy, an Augusta native, 1994 graduate of NYA and a star on the school’s hockey team. Roy damaged his spinal cord in 1995, after a fall during the opening seconds of his first game as a freshman hockey player at Boston University. He was left paralyzed from the neck down.
While he used a wheelchair for the rest of his life, Roy became a leading advocate, author and fundraiser for spinal cord injury treatment and research. He established the Travis Roy Foundation in 1996.
Roy died Oct. 29, 2020, at age 45, after complications from a previous surgery. The foundation, which has raised over $20 million for research and assistance related to spinal cord paralysis, plans to permanently close next year in accordance with Roy's wishes.
North Yarmouth Academy, in Yarmouth, was founded in 1814 and has an enrollment of over 375 students.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments