Hockey tournament host bid to be unveiled at council

A bid to host a notable international hockey tournament will be unveiled at Tuesday’s meeting of Medicine Hat city council

The world Under-17 Hockey Challenge brings together six national program rosters featuring those about to enter professional drafts ranks in the following two years.

Local organizers want to stage the autumn tournament in Southeast Alberta, and the local bid committee is preparing to outline its plan at tonight’s city council meeting.

The 2018 edition of the Hockey Canada hosted international event would take place in November that year, bringing three Canada contingents along with five other national squads for round-robin plan and playoff rounds.

In the past, city hasn’t been asked to contribute cash towards hosting such events, but dedicate facility use as inkind gifts.

The city hosted the 2016 Alberta Winter Games in February of that year and used the then-brand new Canalta Centre as a site of boisterous opening ceremonies.

The event likely would not mean a reprieve for the Medicine Hat Arena, which was slated for closure last winter.

Council members agreed with administrators that a $700,000 annual operating loss at the facility was too large to continue as they sought budget cuts.

The rink is currently closed as the city’s land and properties office decides how to subdivide the Arena out of a large plot of city-owned land, and how to best market the 4,000-seat rink on river-front land for sale.

Along with the 6,000-seat Canalta Centre, the tournament’s second site would be the 1,000-seat Kinplex, or if needed, the 2,300-seat Centennial Arena in Brooks would be approached.

Exhibition games would be held at the local rinks, as well as in Ralston, at CFB Suffield, according to a preliminary outline.

The 2017 tournament will be held jointly in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, in northeast B.C. during November.

Taxi Rates

Council will debate adjusting local regulated taxi fares for the first time in nine years on Monday night.

The rates, which are maximums, would also include a new van rate for more than five passengers or cargo trips.

According to an administrative staff recommendation the ceiling rate would rise from 15-cents per 100 metres to 17 cents, and wait time would also rise seven-cents per minute.

The drop metre rate would stay the same and local non-van rates would be less than a majority of rates set by other mid-sized cities in Alberta.