Repairs to turf Lakers
Report says Memorial Centre needs to close in spring and summer of 2018 for roof repairs
The Lakers may have to find someplace else to play, instead of the Memorial Centre, for an entire season in 2018 – and that alternate arena might well be outside of Peterborough.
A city staff report released Friday says the Mem Centre’s roof is leaking and must be repaired.
The report recommends that the repair job take place in the spring and summer of 2018 – even though it will displace the lacrosse team for an entire season.
The report says the roof started leaking in several locations in January. There are leaks in five of the private box suites, in one seating section and in the Petes’ Alumni Room.
The repair job will involve removing the roof membrane so workers can replace wet and damaged roof insulation.
Repairs are expected to cost $1.4 million and take more than three months to complete.
Between the Peterborough Petes hockey team and the Lakers, the Memorial Centre hosts sports year-round. City staff recommends the repair job begin in the middle of May 2018 and be done by late August.
“This will require the relocation of the Peterborough Lakers for the 2018 season, however the Mann Cup could be held there in September,” the report states.
The Mann Cup is the national men’s lacrosse championship; it is hosted alternately between Ontario and B.C. every year.
This year it’s Ontario’s turn to host, which means the Mann Cup championship could potentially be held in Peterborough.
The repair job is also going to disrupt the Petes to some degree, the report states – there are training camps and exhibition games in the summer, for instance.
“City staff will work with the Petes and the Lakers to find alternative facilities to accommodate their needs,” the report states, although it doesn’t specify where those “alternate locations” could potentially be.
Brian Cowie, the communications director for the Lakers, says it could be outside Peterborough.
That’s bad news for the team, he stated in a written release.
“The possibility of having our season run out of another venue – Oshawa, Pickering or maybe even Belleville – will have a significant effect on our fan base and travel expenses,” Cowie wrote.
The team can’t play at any arena, he explained.
Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) is the team’s governing body; it has certain standards and Cowie states that MSL officials will have to be consulted about an alternate venue.
He also states that an out-oftown location would make it hard for the Lakers to retain their fans and sponsors for the season.
“A significant loss to either of these supports could make the team unsustainable,” Cowie writes.
Meanwhile, the city staff report states that the leaky roof has to be fixed. Staff is recommending that the construction be carried out 24/7, in order to speed up the job (otherwise it would take a lot longer than three months).
To pay for it, staff proposes using money budgeted for several small construction projects that have been deferred or cancelled.
The Memorial Centre is 55 years old, and was last renovated in 2003.
City staff is expected to write a report this year to examine when and where a new Ontario Hockey League arena should be built in Peterborough.
That study is intended to consider how to re-use or decommission the Memorial Centre.
But it’s expected to take a year to write, and city staff says it could be five years before a new OHL arena is built and open.
In the meantime, the Memorial Centre will have to do – and the staff report points out that it’s the city’s duty to maintain the arena.
City councillors will discuss the Memorial Centre roof repair at a committee meeting at City Hall on Monday.
Don’t forget to check The Examiner’s website for livestreaming and tweets from the meeting. It all begins on Monday at 6:30 p.m.