Prince Albert City Council has approved the operation of a fourth artificial ice surface in the community.

The city says to meet artificial ice surface demand, they will be keeping the Kinsmen Arena open and closing the Steuart Arena once the two new artificial ice surfaces at the new Recreation Centre open.

The decision will bring the total artificial ice surfaces in Prince Albert from three to four.

The City of Prince Albert says its three arenas are currently at 99.8% capacity for prime-time ice bookings, with another 1622 hours of additional ice time booked at surrounding communities.

The approval follows the recommendations of City Administration which forwarded a report outlining current use of Kinsmen and Steuart Arenas and cost recovery at each facility.

The addition of a fourth arena adds another 1498 hours of prime-time ice booking in Prince Albert to meet known demand. The Kinsmen Arena was chosen to remain in operation due to its condition, building capacity to meet user demand and its shared space with the Kinsmen Water Park.