Local ice users are frustrated with the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) decision to delay installing ice in Sechelt arena – and they are hoping a solution can be found that will ensure ice is installed each fall, no matter what the drought conditions are.
Kate Turner, registrar for the Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association and the Sunshine Coast Skating Club, said the delay in ice installation at the Sunshine Coast Arena in Sechelt has affected the start of the skating season and has postponed the power skating program.
“Two years ago we were in the same situation, with no ice, but we were at Stage 4 restrictions. It didn’t affect us in any major way because the facility was opened a few days later. This year it’s having a huge impact on our youth and it’s also affecting the men’s league,” Turner said.
About 90 skaters and 250 minor hockey players are having to make do with one rink, in Gibsons. Turner said that schedules have had to be rearranged, hockey and figure skaters have lost practice time and some weekend hockey games have needed to be rescheduled for start times as early as 6 a.m.
Ice installation for Sechelt arena was slated for mid September but was delayed by the SCRD, which cited the need for conservation measures during the drought on the Coast.
Ian Hall, the SCRD’s general manager of planning and community development, said the SCRD met with ice users to discuss the situation.
“It was clear that we were not going to install iced based on the water situation, and a number of alternatives to using Chapman water were discussed,” Hall said.
One potential solution discussed at that meeting was recommissioning a well that is on the arena site. “That remains an idea that has promise,” Hall said, but added that it’s not going to be a quick solution because a groundwater licence would need to be obtained from the province and plumbing work would need to be done on the well.
“It’s not going to solve the problem that’s right in front of us now,” he said.
Another option explored by SCRD staff was making use of non-potable water. “There were concerns with what dirty water would do to the ice plant, so that has not proven to be a practical option.”
A third option discussed at the meeting with user groups was importing water, which Hall said would be costly. In addition to the large amount of water to install the ice sheet, water is also required to operate the ice plant and for ice cleaning.
For now the hours of operation at the Gibsons arena have been extended to accommodate the ice users; however, Hall acknowledged, “there is an unmet demand [for ice time] and pressure is growing as we move into tournament season.”
Turner said the situation has already caused the minor hockey association to cancel a goalie clinic that was set for October, and an upcoming tournament in November may also need to be cancelled.
“We have 12 teams coming to the Coast, approximately 120 families in total. If we do not have ice by then, we will have no choice but to cancel. This will be a major hit to our community in lost revenues between hotels and restaurants,” Turner said.
She said that rescheduling ice time for practices and games has been difficult for the volunteer who organizes the schedules – and the longer the delay for ice, the more complicated the scheduling will get, because hockey teams have now started league games and figure skaters are preparing for competitions.
Along with skaters having to deal with rearranged schedules, parents have also had their schedules adjusted, Turner said. “If you’re driving from Halfmoon Bay to Gibsons, you’re having to spend more on fuel and spend more time away from work,” she said.
There are about 90 skaters in the CanSkate program, including 15 competitive skaters who regularly skate about 10 hours a week. Turner said the ice time is pivotal to their training and that their ice time has been cut a few hours a week.
“We’re definitely worried about it and the skaters will be affected by it, but there is not much we can do,” she said.
The power skating program is usually popular and helps to offset costs for the minor hockey association. With the delayed opening of the Sechelt arena, the power skating program has been delayed. Turner said now the pricing for the program will need to be reworked because parents are not going to want to pay the same rate for a shortened program.
“In total this decision the SCRD has made is affecting 250 minor hockey players, 90 skate club members and an entire community of ice users,” Turner said.
She said many volunteer hours are spent organizing hockey and skating programs “that are affordable for our kids and keep them active … without leaving the Coast.”
Brenda Rowe, who organizes the men’s hockey league on the Sunshine Coast, was at the ice-users meeting with the SCRD and would like to see the option of a well used in the future.
“I’d like a plan going forward so this doesn’t happen again. It feels like this [water shortage] is an ongoing issue that isn’t being addressed” Rowe said.
She will be addressing the SCRD board about the situation on Oct. 12.
