Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors have said they’re willing to keep ice installed in one of the two arenas on the Sunshine Coast for the month of May this year.
Sechelt director Darnelda Siegers made the motion to keep ice installed at a Feb. 13 planning and community development committee. The decision still needs to be adopted at an upcoming board meeting.
Last February, directors had affirmed that ice only be offered when variable costs are covered through revenue from bookings, and that “for May 2020 and beyond, ice be offered” at the Sunshine Coast Arena in Sechelt.
Prior to Siegers’ motion, directors heard from representatives from ice user groups, who said they were struggling to cover those variable costs – largely because they continue to increase. They told directors that over the past six years, weekly variable operating costs have almost doubled to $9,000 per week in 2020 from approximately $5,000 in 2014.
At the committee Siegers said guaranteeing the ice this May could make it easier for the groups to get bookings, which in turn would make it easier to cover those costs. “I see what these people do – they’re out working the community to pull every dollar they can to cover off what needs to be covered off. I’d like to give them the opportunity to do that.”
In response to Siegers’ motion for the extended ice, SCRD chair Lori Pratt said doing so “is changing the game, not just for our ice users but for dry floor users as well,” and that it wasn’t clear to her that demand for the ice was there.
In response, Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association president Stu Frizzell said, “I’m confident, if we knew we had ice, we could sell that ice.”
Elphinstone director Donna McMahon and West Howe Sound director Mark Hiltz voted against the motion, because of a lack of information. Pratt also voted against the motion.
The delegation, which included Frizzell, also asked that scheduling be more consistent and that ice allocation be confirmed at least 10 months in advance.
Directors voted unanimously on a second motion for staff to come back with a report on variable costs and how the issues raised by the delegation could be addressed.
