By Matt Charbonneau
Ottawa minor hockey officials say new arenas are needed to ease pressure on teams scrambling for ice time.
But city council is sticking by its stance that the issue is not so serious.
“There is no ice available in the city,” says Tony Clark, president of the Ottawa Centre Hockey Association. “Available ice is shrinking while ice demand has been growing — that makes for a difficult time.”
Due to increased popularity in sports like women’s hockey, more facilities are needed, says Rob Alexander, executive director of the Ottawa District Women’s Hockey Association.
“We could easily take two (rinks) immediately and four down the road,” he says.
During his 27-year involvement with local women’s hockey, Alexander says the association has grown from six to 121 teams, with over 20 clubs based in Ottawa. He adds that, due to U.S. scholarship offers and the sport’s inclusion in the Winter Olympics, the association will likely double in size within the next four to six years.
Local women’s teams, which play at McNabb and Brewer arenas, are currently given one hour of ice time per week for either games or practices, which are sometimes shared with other teams.
“(Rinks) are things communities need,” he says. “Speed skating, sledge hockey, men’s hockey — everybody’s in the same boat.”
To compensate for the shortage of rinks in Ottawa, some organizers have expanded arena hours and programming.
Bruce Muise, president of the Sandy Hill Minor Hockey Association, added two hours to the arena’s weekly schedule this year to meet the needs of 18 teams.
“I can’t expand any further,” he says. “I’ve hit the limit.”
While the shortage of ice time has made it difficult for existing teams, hockey enrolment has not slowed down.
Clark says his association’s registration has risen 20 per cent, to 290 players, over the last two years, adding players must take priority over ice time.
“Teams are larger and ice time is less,” he says. “So be it — we’re not going to turn kids away.”
While each team in the association gets an hour of ice time per week — a half-hour drop from last year — Clark says adding four hours to arenas’ weekly schedules is “affordable and really necessary.”
Alexander contends hockey organizers must present city council with concrete statistics, like enrolment totals and ice time availability, in order to convince it new arenas are needed.
“Someone needs to take the bull by the horns,” he says. “If you present facts, it’s easier to get people on your side.”
But so far, not enough people have lobbied council for more ice time.
“There isn’t a lineup at the door asking for more hours,” says Dave Lahey, the city‘s sports co-ordinator.
“There hasn’t been enough demand for us to go forward and look for alternative services to be built,” Lahey says, adding the region’s current total of about 40 arenas is “pretty good.”
Lahey says a freeze on taxes and capital spending won’t allow more rinks to be built anytime soon.
“We aren’t even bothering putting that (idea) forward,” he says, adding the city will be calling for public solutions to the ice time issue.
Last January, city planners began a lengthy “high-level planning study” analysing Ottawa’s public facilities, like pools and arenas. The study will now survey public opinion and begin comparing demand and need for new, renovated or expanded sports facilities.
“I see taking care of what we have,” says recreation planner Dave Dixon. “I don’t see anything new, not in the immediate future (of) at least five years.”
If the city won’t build new arenas or expand current ones, hockey officials say private businesses need to get involved.
Muise says adult leagues would be able to pay commercial rates for ice rental at privately operated rinks, allowing children to play more often in public arenas.
“Once we move the men’s hockey, we can expand the (minor) hockey,” he says.
But others say private rinks should only be permitted if they compliment minor hockey.
“If I see private rinks closing municipal rinks, I don’t think it’s a good idea at all,” says Clark, adding outdoor rinks can also be used to allow more ice time.
Private enterprise arenas are not a promising option though, Lahey says.
Although city council has been approached by businesses over the past few years, Lahey says issues like food and beverage canteens, ice rental hours and prices have clouded negotiations.
“I don’t think it’s gone anywhere,” he says. “It’s not really in the city’s best interest.”
Ottawa’s planning committee will present results of its study to city council in April.