Pictou County council reneges on junior A hockey team’s grant

Council giveth and council taketh away.

Just ask the Pictou County Weeks Crushers.

The Municipality of County of Pictou voted in favour during its last financial committee meeting to allot a $1,000 municipal grant to the local junior A hockey team toward its operating expenses.

The Weeks hockey organization recently approached all the municipal units asking for sponsorship to help offset operating costs that have risen steadily over the years.

After some debate during the Oct. 19 meeting, county councillors recommended to council that the county give the Weeks Junior A Crushers $1,000 in sponsorship money. The motion was accepted in a vote of 10 for and three against.

However, when it came to council for final approval Monday, Coun. Peter Boyles put a motion on the table that it be amended so that it didn’t include the $1,000 for the Crushers.

Instead, the municipal grants approved would include $15,000 operating grant for the Hector Arena, $75 for Hopewell 4-H, $75 for the Hopewell and Area park and footbridge committee as well as $400 for the PC Subway Selects travel expenses to the Wickenheiser tournament for a total of $15,550.

Boyles said he opposed the $1,000 at the committee level and has received phone calls from his constituents upset that a “private organization” is receiving the money from the county.

He said he spoke with someone who told him only about 500 people attend games and the hockey organization makes its attendance numbers seem larger by including season ticket holders who may or may not attend the games on a regular basis.

“The other travelling teams that are coming in there, they are not getting big crowds from other places to come in,” he said. “Maybe at the championship or the end of the year, but not for a regular game. We have people that can’t afford to turn around and go watch a hockey game in our districts but yet we are going to turn around and give $1,000. The coach makes $75,000 a year.”

Coun. Ron Baillie told council the Jr. A Crushers are not a private club and anyone who is good enough and in the age group can make the team.

“These guys are ambassadors for Pictou County. When they leave here that is what they are carrying on their shirts,” he said.

“We are funding all kinds of sports teams with grants. It is no different for these guys and they are travelling the whole Maritime provinces. To me, a thousand dollars for ambassadors for our county is not very much money.”

Coun. Andy Thompson, who originally put the $1,000 motion on the table in October, agreed with Baillie saying these aren’t professional hockey players but 18- and 19-year-old “kids” who are representing Pictou County.

In the end, council voted 7 to 5 in favour of passing the amended municipal grant funding without the $1,000 funding for the Crushers.

“I can’t believe we took $1,000 off the table here,” said Coun. Randy Palmer, asking councillors what changed their minds.

“They are a big part of the community.”