Canalta Centre’s GM departs without detail
The company that operates the city-owned Canalta Centre is without a general manager, as Peter Jelinski is no longer at the SMG-Canada-operated facility.
Reports Thursday stated the Edmonton-native, who had managed the 6,100-seat hockey arena and concert venue for its first two years, was no longer with the organization.
He did not return messages left by the News on Friday and the company didn’t release any details about the departure.
Les Crooks is a manager with the company’s U.S. parent company.
He said that he himself didn’t know the circumstances of Jelinksi’s departure.
He arrived in Medicine Hat on Monday to become the interim general manager and will stay until a permanent general manager is hired.
Crooks said there is no timeline on that process.
“There’s no time frame on that but obviously it’s about getting the right person for the job,” he said. “We’re excited about the future here, we’ve got some exciting announcements coming up, and working with the city of Medicine Hat to make it a great venue.” Jelinski joined SMG Canada in 2015 from Northlands in Edmonton, which operated NHL and major concert venue Rexall Place, as the global facility management firm expanded into Western Canada.
The company has a five-year agreement to operate, book acts and oversee tenant relationships at the $75million rink.
Todd Sharpe is the general manager of the city parks and recreation department, which oversees the arena.
Sharpe said Jelinski had “made valuable contributions to the successful opening” of the centre and “accomplishments to date.”
“The City of Medicine Hat has complete confidence in SMGCanada as the operator,” he told the News.
Jelinski is a member of the Medicine Hat Public Library Board and sat on a local committee that is putting together a bid to host the 2018 under-18 World Hockey Challenge.
The Canalta Centre is the proposed main venue for the international prospect tournament. SMG’s involvement is likely to continue, sources say.