Oval looks for more from the City

“We’re trying to be responsible and start saving up for the time when we know our water truck is going to fail completely and we have to replace it. And at some point, we’re going to have to put a new roof on the building. So it’s those kinds of things that, right now we just make ends meet or some years we run a deficit. Other years we have a little bit of money left over. It’s more than long term planning that we want to start putting funding aside for.”

But Council opted to defer the decision until budget discussions in late January. It was a decision that confused one City Councillor given other things that come before Council. “We give the Northern Sports Centre $300,000 a year. It’s a 30-year agreement the City signed quite a while ago to help supplement the Sports Centre,” says City Councillor Brian Skakun. “And I said “Look we give the Sports Centre $300,000. I don’t know why we are arguing about giving the Ice Oval $30,000.’ I want to make sure that it happens.”

One of the more significant projects the Society has in mind is the refrigeration of the oval itself. The bill would be close to $5 million to $6 million. And Lewis says it may be time to start pushing that agenda.

“We have been running a subtle campaign as we go along. We have lots of stuff coming out on our Facebook and Instagram sites. And people are donating, so the fund is building. We just need to push it along a little bit more. That’s a goal of ours.”

She says climate change is going to mean shorter and shorter seasons for the oval. That was evidenced during the Canada Winter Games when the oval could only host one speedskating event before the ice melted and the events were moved to Fort St. John.

by Cheryl Jahn

Oval looks for more from the City

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