File photo.
Three Sylvan Lake organizations are looking to transform the current curling rink in the NexSource Centre into regulation hockey ice.
The Sylvan Lake Minor Hockey Association, Sylvan Lake Rec. Hockey Association and Sylvan Lake Lacrosse Association brought the idea to council during the Jan. 27 regular meeting.
“It was important for us to come together as a unified group, we all want to work together and make sure we all have room to grow in the future,” said Dallas Hand, Sylvan Lake Minor Hockey Association President.
Adding, “Our primary motivation is to safeguard the future of our programs in terms of growth and offer our current programs at the proper level.”
As a result of the growing programs, there is shared ice time, development programs were cancelled, and tournament opportunities are limited.
“When we see the growth rates that we currently have, and what we have at our disposal right now, it's just not sustainable,” Hand said. “The last thing we ever want to do is cap our registration because we don’t have enough ice. That's just not an option.”
The minor hockey association relies on surrounding arenas to supplement programs.
“If we had a third ice surface, we would have it filled the majority of the time, and be able to host tournaments, that would be a huge economic benefit to the town,” Hand said.
Members of the Sylvan Lake Curling Club (SLCC) attended the Jan. 27 council meeting when the proposal was presented.
In a written statement to Central Alberta Online, Wanda Moon, SLCC President said, “Unfortunately, the club was not consulted nor made aware of the association's intentions before the meeting, and we are disappointed in many of the inaccuracies presented.”
Club membership continues to grow, with approximately 250 local members.
Leagues are run throughout the week by volunteers, in addition to weekend bonspiels, corporate programs, school programming, and beginner lessons.
Moon said the SLCC was among the local organizations that contributed funding for the NexSource Centre, donating $100,000 and $125,000 through the CFIB grant towards the new building.
“Many of the single donations towards this project came from registered members of the club. The land owned by us was sold back to the town at a minimal cost to benefit the building capacity of the rec centre,” she said. “That's a total donation of more than $600,000 directly back to the centre which is certainly more than Minor Hockey and Lacrosse have contributed.”
Before determining the next steps, Sylvan Lake Town Council has requested usage reports of the curling rink and ice surfaces.
“We have a long-term vision in mind for this,” Hand said.
“We’re looking forward to getting the conversation rolling and seeing where it goes.”
Going forward, Moon is hopeful that the organizations can work together, as program demand continues to increase.
“It’s unfortunate that Minor Hockey and Lacrosse did not opt for a collaborative approach, instead of pitting one organization against another, which is no way to build a community,” she said. “Ultimately, we believe Sylvan Lake is best with diverse recreational opportunities, serving many demographics and interests, which includes Hockey, Lacrosse and Curling."
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