Craig Gilbert | [email protected]
Jasper councillors will hear from a couple of studly proposals for cold weather exercise Tuesday.
On the Jan. 22 agenda is a 12-page proposal from Rob Olson for an NHL regulation outdoor rink with its own ice plant in Robson Park (no relation) that he estimates would cost about a quarter of a million dollars to build.
He provided a detailed schedule that according to his figures would generate nearly that much in user fees during the six or even eight months it could operate with an ice plant.
Olson said a group of local stakeholders as a private non-profit that would maintain the rink with “backing from the municipality so it could maintain its own insurance and expenses.”
His report later clarifies the group would shoulder the cost of insurance.
Olson said visits to SunPeaks Resort near Kamloops form his inspiration. There, a similar sized rink was built four years ago with its own ice machine and Zamboni.
“They use the swimming pool lobby for administration, skate rentals, and a place to warm up/ tie skates,” he wrote, adding the pool is closed in winter. “They charge $7 per day or $75 per season to skate on the rink whether it is for public skating or for hockey.”
Olson said a pinch at the resort is that the lone surface has to alternate daily between public skating and hockey. He proposed leaving enough space near the rink for a boardless skating area that could be flooded if there was enough demand.
There would also have to be space allocated for a shack where skates could be changed, and maybe a concession. Also a chain link fence, or at least a temporary fence at first, to catch errant pucks, because as everyone knows, it doesn’t count unless you go bardownski.
“I would think a cost of $8-10 per person or $80-100 per season for skating/hockey would be a good starting point for cost to the public,” he wrote. “Other revenues would come from ice rentals, board advertising, skate rentals, and convenience items (laces, tape, pucks, coffee, hot chocolate, etc).”
He roughed out that about $214,000 in revenue could be brought in each year, including $30,000 from a concession ($100 per day), $96,000 from public skating fees of about $400 per day and $40,000 in registration fees from 400 local hockey players.
The rink would be good for locals for a host of reasons councillors will hear more about from Olson, who owns Earls in the Rockies, when he presents the plan Tuesday.
His proposal argues it would be good for tourism, too, saying hockey hordes account for a fifth of his restaurant’s take on winter weekends.
“We have four to eight groups of 40–60 hockey players, parents, and coaches come in every weekend,” he said.
There are tournaments booked in all 32 weekends of the arena’s active season.
“Generally due to ice time restrictions and lack of dressing rooms, those tournaments are limited to 8–10 teams,” Olson said. “By adding an outdoor component to those tournaments, some could invite 12–16 teams, (drawing) an estimated 240+ more tourists to Jasper” staying and spending in town each weekend.
He said the space could be used for ball hockey, lacrosse and other sports during the summer, but with an ice plant, the rink could be running six or eight months of the year, a renovation on the typical three-month outdoor skating season.
“Hockey is one of Canada’s national sports and it should be represented in one of Canada’s premiere destinations,” Olson wrote. “Playing hockey outside is something that has had a huge impact on the history and culture of Canada.
What a stud
Also before council Tuesday will be a proposal from environmental stewardship coordinator Janet Cooper that would rebate studded bicycle tires bought locally by locals by $100 a pair to a maximum of $5,100.
The cash would come from the environmental stewardship reserve fund, which sits at $153,000. Parks Canada management has to greenlight spending from that account and did so for this project in December.
Under the plan Jasper bike shops The Bench, Source for Sports and Vicious Cycle would each be given 17 $100 coupons. Proof of residency would be required to qualify.
Cooper said the idea was modelled after a successful program in Banff, where councillors agreed to make $5,000 available for 100 studded tire rebates at the end of November. A Fortis franchise fee contribution of $212,000 goes into that town’s environment reserve annually; Banff councillors have around $400,000 at their disposal right now.
The Rocky Mountain Outlook’s Cathy Ellis reported that just one of the seven councillors in Banff opposed idea in a vote Nov. 26.
“I’m concerned about the reach of this,” Councillor Ted Christensen said. “I can support increasing winter cycling, but to look at buying studded bicycle tires leaves me wondering for whom and why?”
Cooper’s report said studded tires for "conventional" bicycles - likely meaning to exclude the more costly tires fat bikes require - tend to run $70 to $200 a pair.
“Promotion of the rebate would include a communication campaign with tips for safe winter cycling including high visibility with lights and reflectors, helmets and proper clothing, lower tire pressure and reduced speed,” she wrote, adding the municipality’s official position supports active and green modes of transportation.
