City seeks assurances from Hockey Canada, Katz Group
City council has given staff until May 30 to secure written support from the Katz Group and Hockey Canada for a new hockey centre of excellence at the Northlands Coliseum. With those endorsements in hand, they’ll debate the next step — funding a $2.8-million business case and functional design.
Katz Group has a veto on any sport or entertainment use through the downtown arena deal.
The Hockey Canada idea had widespread support at council Tuesday, but some worried other sports are getting shut out and questioned the need to shutter four aging single-sheet arenas in north-central neighbourhoods to help fund it.
“If we’re going to close local ice pads, parents won’t have a local facility to take their children to for a skate,” said Coun. Bev Esslinger. “They’ll be forced to go on a lot longer drive or transit to use those services. Will that be a barrier to get involved? That’s my concern.”
Coun. Bryan Anderson pushed city officials to ensure the new hockey centre of excellence has space for as many other sports to get involved as possible, and for people to use the centre for recreational purposes.
He made a second motion to get staff to re-examine what happens to each neighbourhood location when a single-sheet location closes, suggesting they could be repurposed for ball-hockey and other local uses.
City officials say the long-term plan has always been to close single-sheet arenas as equipment wears out. Twin arenas and larger facilities are much more cost-effective to run.
Hockey Canada’s vision includes four ice sheets, an indoor track, a high-performance dryland training centre and classroom space.
Chief executive Tom Renney told council his primary goal is to get more people involved in the sport, countering a growing “sedentary” lifestyle.
“I believe this concept has legs ... (and) will help build a nation,” said Renney, describing a facility that would bring children and recreational players in during the evenings and weekends, sharing a facility with the best in the world.
When Coun. Mike Nickel questioned if this vision was too hockey-centric, Renney said every facility “needs a drive train,” but there will be opportunity for other sports to partner.
City officials said they would reach out to the other sport organizations again during the planning phase to see who could be involved under the Hockey Canada plan. That includes using rinks for ball hockey and other sports during part of the year.
The hockey tournament centre idea originated in a Northlands public re-visioning exercise, but it would not necessarily be involved in developing this vision.
Northlands is due back at council in June to share an agricultural vision for the not-for-profit organization.
City officials estimated the renovations for the hockey tournament centre would cost $102 million, about one-third of which could be covered by shutting down four aging single-sheet ice rinks in northcentral neighbourhoods.
Infrastructure head Adam Laughlin said officials are still studying what this would mean for redeveloping the rest of the Northlands site, including how much parking this would need. The parking requirement could take away from hotel and highdensity residential development.