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By Caden Fanshaw

CITY ARENAS

Ice usage remains consistent despite health restrictions

Jan 12, 2021 | 6:52 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It may seem like ages ago, but many residents of the city fought tooth and nail to have the arenas re-opened in time for the hockey season with high hopes.

Now at the mid-way point of the typical hockey season, the health restrictions have scrapped most plans for Prince George Minor Hockey this year, but they are adapting.

“We are actually using more ice than we were in the past due to the make-up of our teams, and the way we’re operating with skill development,” says President of the Prince George Minor Hockey Association Glynis Vennberg.

And that has been the case for many user groups as they try and adjust to the ever-changing and ever adjusting public health orders.

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“Our prime-time ice has been fully maximized as it usually is,” says Operations Manager of the City of Prince George Events Group Wade Loukes.

Loukes says the city has also adapted the way it staffs arenas compared to years past, meaning expenses won’t be as high as what has become normal in the years gone by.

Although there aren’t big flashy tournaments as Prince George has gotten used to seeing over the years, the ice is getting filled and that is good news for taxpayers.

Arenas are costly facilities to run, operations costs for the city’s 6 arenas exceed $2 million annually, some of that offset by user groups but a large portion still publicly funded.

Typically the biggest subsidizer is the PG Men’s Rec Hockey League which has been benched by BC’s public health order, meaning they can’t help out to pay the bills.

This current health order against team sports and the way they operate is set to expire February 5th after being extended last week by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.