Cloverdale Minor Hockey refuses to give up on Surrey arena plan
Members of Surrey ’s minor hockey community rallied Monday evening in support of a new Cloverdale ice arena that the city recently put on the back burner.
The #saveourrinks event was organized by the Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association in an attempt to show the new city council that the $44.5-million Cloverdale Sport and Ice Complex project is important to hockey families and the broader community.
“Cloverdale is a force to be reckoned with. We’re not going to give up,” said Mike Bola, president of the Cloverdale Community Association, who was there with his children.
Last week, Mayor Doug McCallum announced that the city ’s draft budget would cut planned community infrastructure projects valued at nearly $136 million. In addition to the new Cloverdale Sport and Ice Complex, community centre and library expansions, a child care project, policing infrastructure, and parks and cultural amenities have been postponed indefinitely.
Originally budgeted at $35 million, the new complex was already delayed after contractor bids came in much higher than expected. It was supposed to be finished by spring 2019, but that completion date was pushed back to summer 2020.
The complex was to be located on cleared land in the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, south of 64th Avenue and east of 177B Street, and feature two sheets of ice, community meeting spaces, food services and outdoor activity areas.
To date, the city has spent $2.975 million on site clearing and levelling and road construction that was halted last month.
Surrey Coun. Linda Annis, who is the lone Surrey First member on council, said she supports the new sport complex because children need to stay engaged.
“I think it’s absolutely critical that we don’t postpone these types of facilities,” Annis said. “If we don’t have those available to kids, oftentimes they get caught up in other activities that aren’t quite so good. It makes them a bit more vulnerable to get into the gang lifestyle.”
During the municipal election, Surrey First and Proudly Surrey campaigned on the promise to make admission to city recreation facilities free for kids and teens under 18, in order to prevent gang involvement.
Annis hoped to make it to Monday’s rally.
Bola said the current rink is old and not serving the growing community. Children are having to practice and play hockey games early in the morning and late at night, or go to other arenas, and other programs have waiting lists.
“It’s all about the children. And at the end of the day, we’re trying to keep them out of trouble — we’re trying to keep them out of gangs — and the city isn’t helping,” he said.
The city’s finance committee, which includes all members of council, will meet on Tuesday to discuss the financial plan. The public will be able to make presentations at that meeting. The budget will be considered for approval at a Dec. 17 council meeting.
McCallum was unavailable for comment on Monday, as was a representative from Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association.