Courtesy: Canadian Press

By Ethan Ready

BCHL Funding

Horgan commits to finding support for not-for-profit BCHL teams such as Prince George Spruce Kings

Mar 23, 2021 | 4:56 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It’s been a few weeks now since the BC Hockey League was given the green light to return to action with a condensed regular season after months of discussions with the Provincial Health Office.

While the league is celebrating the opportunity to have 15 of its 17 teams return to the ice, there remains some stress surround the topic of money. Fans will not be allowed in either of the five pod locations, which will mean that teams continue to lose money. Junior Hockey teams require gate revenue to survive, and the BC Liberals have been pushing the government to step up with funding to support the teams.

“For weeks now we have been asking the Premier to respond for a request for funding to support hockey teams in BC. In fact, we know that they will not survive,” began Shirley Bond, Leader of the Opposition. “The Premier had this to say, and I quote ‘We need to make sure we provide the resources to keep these organizations going until they can get back on their feet.”

Bond directed the question at Premier John Horgan during question period Wednesday (Mar. 17) in the Legislature.

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“We’re working through the processes of government. First order of business was to get the kids back on the ice, second order of business is to make sure the franchises, that are not all for-profit businesses, we need to make sure we find a program that will meet the need of all the franchises, not just those who are businesses,” responded Horgan.

Teams like the Merritt Centennials, Powell River Kings and the Prince George Spruce Kings are non-profit organizations and are ineligible for a newly created grant program.

However, in the case of the Spruce Kings, while they are just one of three not-for-profit teams in the Junior-A ranks here in BC, General Manager Mike Hawes says they have been able to survive thus far with a large part to do with their Spruce Kings Show Home lottery.

“The Show Home provides a portion of our operating budget. It certainly doesn’t provide all of it. We are missing the funding we would get from our ticket sales for games and we’re missing the advertising dollars,” explained Hawes. “We’re hoping the funding would go towards making up for some of that stuff. The funding, our ask throughout the league I think it’s pretty modest, to be honest with you. It’s not going to make up for all of the losses all of the teams in our league have, and it’s certainly not going to make up for the losses we have, but it’s going to help us move forward so it’s vital that we get this funding.”

The Premier did commit, while those three not-for-profit teams can’t currently apply for the new grant program, to ensure that each of the league’s BCHL teams will get funding in some way or another.

“We want to make sure that all the franchises have access to the resources they will need. Those who are for-profit businesses have programs that they should have already applied to and those who are not, will see what the balance is at the end of the day and make sure that they are kept whole as well,” said Horgan. “We understand the challenges, not everyone is the same. That’s why we need to do this in an equitable way that ensures the franchise in Merritt gets the same access to dollars as the franchise in Penticton.”

With files from Michael Reeve / Q-101 Merritt