City staff: Put $5m into rinks

Report suggests three options to address shortage of ice surfaces in HRM

By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE Staff Reporter
MUNICIPAL STAFFERS are recommending Halifax regional council pour at least $5 million into new hockey rinks from an extra pool of money that could be added to this year’s capital budget, a city hall meeting heard Tuesday.

A staff document presented at council’s session of the committee of the whole suggests councillors consider three short-term options to address an immediate deficit: one new arena with four ice surfaces, one or two arenas with two rinks each, or add extra ice rinks to existing arenas.

It’s possible the private sector could be involved in new rink construction.

The proposed hockey rink contribution would come from $27.8 million worth of recommended additions to the city’s 2008-09 draft capital budget. The planned increase in spending, if approved, covers such things as public transit, libraries, recreation, an international sports event in Dartmouth and street repair.

Mayor Peter Kelly said new rinks are a priority for the city’s recreational necessities. The $5-million plan would be used to help fill a long-standing need to build more community arenas in Halifax Regional Municipality, but it’s far from the millions of dollars required to plug the gap.

Many rink users and hockey parents have complained about the lack of available ice time in the city, with some families travelling a considerable distance to get their children to practices and games.

"That’s probably the highest need for now — to secure more ice pads," Mr. Kelly said.

The municipal staff material, which was tabled but not debated at council’s committee meeting, says there are 21 ice surfaces in metro. Of those, 16 are owned by the city.

Eleven of the municipality’s rinks are at least 30 years old, the staff report says.

Aside from hockey, local arenas are used for such activities as public skating, ringette, figure skating, speedskating and broomball. Of the 21 ice surfaces in metro, the staff document says, only one was built in the last three years and three were done in the past 13 years.

Halifax city hall is testing the waters on the potential for private-sector involvement in the construction and operation of recreational centres. An advertisement that municipal staff placed in The Chronicle Herald in January says the city is inviting "qualified individuals or firms to express interest in entering a partnership to design, develop and operate an arena complex."

No decision has been made on the proposed $5-million contribution. The draft net capital budget is $88.2 million, a city budget document shows.

That figure doesn’t include the potential extra spending regional council discussed Tuesday.

Councillors heard a familiar refrain from municipal staff: the city’s infrastructure is in dire straits and in need of an immediate infusion of cash.

No decision’s been made on the $27.8 million.

"We hope to come back to committee of the whole next Tuesday and lay out a five-year program to show you where the different projects are (and) what their timing could be (and) get your feedback," said Cathie O’Toole, the city’s director of infrastructure and asset management.

Budget deliberations are to begin in earnest April 15; the politicians are scheduled to vote on the budget at the end of the month.

(mlightstone@herald.ca)