Dysart et al and Haliburton Hockey Haven have agreed to free up summer evening ice for 2019.
Dysart council unanimously voted Feb. 26 to authorize its agreement with Hockey Haven to be changed. The change will see summer camp relinquish the majority of its evening ice time at A.J. LaRue Arena.
Mayor Andrea Roberts said the change is a great compromise to benefit other organizations using the ice.
“For the summer of 2019, so the organizations that were doing some evening ice time in the summer can pursue that again for this year,” she said.
Hockey Haven will no longer have ice time from 6-9 p.m. Monday to Thursday in the summer, Roberts said. It will keep the daytime summer ice it has had for years.
The evening ice was originally provided to Hockey Haven Sept. 24, 2018. The move was later criticized by other programs which had used the ice time for years.
Hockey Haven could not be reached for comment.
M-Power Hockey’s Mandy Cronin ran a girls-only summer hockey camp through renting Hockey Haven facilities in 2017.
After cancelling due to a lack of available day ice in 2018, she said she’s happy evening ice is available again.
“It’s important that the whole community gets to use the rink,” Cronin said.
However, Cronin said her camp will not run again this year. She cited difficulties using evening ice, such as the squeeze on the camp schedule considering travel and change room time.
“It’s definitely not what we were hoping for,” Cronin said. “That’s the same reason Hockey Haven doesn’t want to give up the daytime ice.”
Roberts said the municipality has to make a decision on a business case.
“You have one entity guaranteeing you all this time and you have another entity that wants one week in the summer. Really, we have to take what is better value for the municipality,” she said.
Providing Hockey Haven summer evening ice was expected to generate an additional $25,000 in revenue for the municipality this year.
“I doubt we’ll get the full revenue in there,” Roberts said. “But for the sake of those people who have had programs for several years, it was seen as a goodwill gesture.”
The municipality’s current agreement with Hockey Haven expires Sept. 2, with the option to renew for two additional five-year terms after that. Treasurer Barbara Swannell said it is council’s intention to renew the deal.
The municipality’s current agreement with Hockey Haven expires Sept. 2, with the option to renew for two additional five-year terms after that. The municipality’s current agreement with Hockey Haven expires Sept. 2, with the option to renew for two additional five-year terms after that.
For summer 2020, Roberts said there is time for other groups to arrange to sublet summer ice time from Hockey Haven.
Roberts apologized for how the new agreement with Hockey Haven was initially done.
“We’re sorry for that confusion,” she said. “I really appreciate Hockey Haven released the ice time … they’re a really great community partner.”
