Lakers would be fools not to take Louis St. offer

All the controversy and trepidation caused by the city’s decision to shut down the Memorial Centre and evict lacrosse next summer may be solved as early as later today. We have learned that the Peterborough Lakers have been exploring the possibility of renting the portable hockey rink the NHL uses for their Winter Classic outdoor games. Apparently, a deal is in the works allowing the Lakers to use the boards and glass of the portable setup, obviously not requiring the ice plant. The city’s part of this deal is to move ahead this coming fall with levelling the Louis Street parking lot that will eventually become a parkette. The NHL rink will be set up in the levelled parking lot. Sand will be laid and the carpet from the Memorial Centre will be placed on top. The NHL boards and surrounding glass have an elaborate system to keep it all in place and stable during games. The advantage of the NHL boards is that they can be adjusted to replicate the unique configuration of the Memorial Centre floor. This will allow the use of the current carpet to fit that floor. The city has agreed to rent enough portable bleachers to accommodate 4,000 fans. Louis Street will be closed to hold these bleachers. All the current season ticket holders of the Lakers will be given first choice for seats in the relative area of their present ones in the Centre. The former Shoppers Drug Mart, bordering on the area, will have temporary dressing rooms, washrooms and consession areas built at the city’s expense. The roof of the building which overlooks the floor area will be converted into a temporary press box and television camera area. The city will also provide a portable lighting system and the temporary scoreboard. The city is working with the Lakers to create the best possible setup for the team. With the expectations the new Memorial Centre and entertainment centre will be built in the downtown area, the DBIA will carefully monitor any parking issues and any uptick in business for downtown bars and restaurants on Lakers game nights. The Junior Lakers have not decided if they will use the temporary bowl or play their home games in the Evinrude Centre. Nobody from the Lakers or the city was available to comment on the plan as of this writing. The downside of the setup, something only those who regularly attended games in the outdoor Miller Bowl in the late 1940s and early 1950s will remember; the weather can very often intervene. But unlike the dirt floor in Miller Bowl, the carpet with sand underneath will be able to absorb a moderate amount of precipitation so umbrellas will be a must for fans along with bug spray. The city is checking on how the area can be licensed to sell alcohol; if not fans may very well revert back to the 1950s in Miller Bowl when they found alternative ways. The King Street parking garage will be part of the temporary complex, have free parking and allow direct access from the garage to the temporary bowl. Sitting on the planks with no backs in the portable bleachers will also rekindle memories of those Miller Bowl attendees. The Lakers though are working with a company to make available, at a reasonable cost, padded seats with arms and backs that will hook onto the aluminum planking. Many college football stadiums use these devices for their season ticket holders. An official announcement of this plan is scheduled for later today, Saturday, April 1, at the Louis Street lot. Have a great April Fools Day!