There are only two ice sheets open at McArthur Island and the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association is desperate for more (Image Credit: CFJC Today)
ICE, ICE, BABY!

Kamloops minor hockey feeling the pinch with limited ice times in the city

Sep 4, 2020 | 1:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — The start of minor hockey is in the air. Rep tryouts are going this week at McArthur Island.

It’s the beginning of what players hope is a full season amid the pandemic, but the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association (KMHA) is facing a challenge maybe greater than COVID-19 — and that is limited ice time.

“It’s the million dollar question,” noted KMHA operations coordinator Riley Woodland on whether more rinks will open in the city. “We’re doing what we can. Hopefully we can put a little pressure on the city to hopefully open things up, but at the end of the day the membership’s got to come together and push for it.”

There are currently two sheets of ice open — both at McArthur Island. Valleyview Arena is being flooded now and will open Sept. 14, but it’s mainly for figure skating. Minor hockey has only been allocated 14 hours of ice time a week to ease the burden.

While the association has been waiting for ice, players have been playing out of town in Chase and Logan Lake.

“Where we truly need those ice times right now is at the Brock Arena. That’s the lion’s share of our ice during the season,” said chair of the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association board Cam Rubel. “In addition to that, the existing facilities we do have open — being NHL and Olympic — we don’t have those early-morning slots, so that would probably bump us up to 70 per cent allocations, so we’re looking on the pressure of those ones to come through.”

The City of Kamloops, both staff and council, have received hundreds of emails from the association and hockey parents. Staff are in the process of reaching out different users groups like minor hockey to gauge overall demand and whether it’s enough to cover the expense to open the arenas.

“If we are able to open up another arena, and cover those costs, then that will work out really well,” said the city’s recreation, health and wellness supervisor Linda Stride. “If we can’t, if the revenue does not cover the expense to run the arena, then we need to look at where would we get the money.”

Any decision would have to be approved by council, which last week voted to keep taxes as close to zero as possible.

“We’re still going to be in this predicament for another year and a half, maybe longer, so I think in the long-term we need to tighten our belts,” noted councillor Bill Sarai during the Aug. 25 meeting.

Sarai says if the city can make it work, he wants to see five of the six ice sheets open, including the Sandman Centre before the start of the WHL season.

“It’s on us that if it’s feasible, fiscally feasible, that we can open it up without incurring a huge cost, then I think we should be doing it,” he said. “Kids needs, adults need ice time, they need recreation, and this includes any facility the city operates.”

Kamloops minor hockey says members don’t want fees to increase, so paying more for ice time to cover operating costs is out of the question. It hopes the city can find a solution that works for all parties, so there are no interruptions, aside from COVID, during the upcoming season.