City policy could keep some Cold Lake, Alta., minor hockey players off ice, league says
City policy amendments prioritize events that could generate revenue for local economy
Some minor hockey officials in Cold Lake, Alta., are worried players in non-profit leagues could lose ice time after the city changed how it parcels out rink time to try to generate more revenue for local businesses.
The northeastern Alberta city changed its arena and athletic field policy in March to give "special events" and tournaments priority over local youth sports organizations.
"It's very disheartening," Melissa Coggar, president of Cold Lake Minor Hockey, said while on CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.
Coggar is concerned her association — which is part of Hockey Alberta, doesn't cap registration and works with other organizations, like Kids Sports, to help families be able to afford to play — now falls below groups like the Premier Hockey League, a standalone for-profit association with minor teams peppered throughout the province.
"[The city is] focused more on for-profit than we are non-profit," Coggar said.
The decision was made to provide avenues that would push more resources into the local economy, said Mayor Craig Copeland, adding that, historically, council has overlooked such opportunities.
"If you're bringing in a tournament of a magnitude where people are going to be staying in our hotels, that is a big deal for our council, because a lot of our hotels are virtually empty," Copeland said.
He added that other businesses, like restaurants, would also get a boost from visitors.
"Here's an opportunity to give back to the business community, by having these big tournaments in our community," he said.
Coggar argued non-profit leagues do help the city's economy, except "we do not fill the hotels when we have our teams come."
Sharing the ice
Cold Lake, with a population around 17,500, has four ice-rinks, Copeland said, which is plenty for minor hockey leagues to work with.
"There are communities in Alberta that would give a lot for that kind of ratio," he said.
Council can designate a bigger arena, like Cold Lake Energy Centre, when bigger groups come for tournaments during weekends, leaving three other rinks for the minor hockey leagues, Copeland said.
"Council does not distinguish a 13-year-old hockey player between the Premier Hockey League and Cold Lake Minor Hockey," he said.
"We're not going to get into that sandbox. Everyone needs to just work together and move forward."
Coggar said one of the rinks is owned by the military base, and so the minor hockey league does not get priority in that facility.
But according to Brad Revell, a Cold Lake Minor Hockey coach and parent, it's not that simple.
"It's disappointing because it puts us on the road more," Revell said, adding that his team often had to travel outside the city before the city's amendments were approved.
The changes, he said, give the league three other weekends every month to fit in all its home games, and teams will either end up playing early in the morning, or later in the evenings.
Coggar said the league is willing to work with the city to share the ice rinks, based on the new priorities.
But with only seven weeks left to book ice times for all the regular season tournaments, she said time is running out to re-organize the schedules. The league may have to look to book outside of Cold Lake.
Coggar is also concerned that few kids may be able to participate in local hockey, if parents cannot make it work around their schedules, she said.
"Our minor hockey children are very important," she said.
"It's a great part of development for children and it would be unfortunate if we have to send away kids."
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With files from Ken Dawson