Estevan voters narrowly rejected support for a new ice surface being built within the city. Despite the results, the Estevan Minor Hockey Association is hopeful that a new rink is still possible in the future.
"Obviously, Estevan Minor Hockey have some slight feelings of disappointment, but at the same time, 40% in favour is a significant amount. I think that gives us a lot of reasons to be hopeful that with some proper planning and some groundwork to be done [and] that this isn't dead in the water yet. We hope that we can put plans in place to keep working with the community and find a solution that works best for everybody," expressed Stephen Truman, president of the group.
During the municipal election this past Wednesday, 1,538 voters indicated that they wouldn't support a new rink to be built for the city. Truman shared that around the hockey community in the southeast, the plebiscite was top of mind for everyone wherever he went. He's heard both sides of the coin, but most of the time, he said he's heard from people in favour of the potential project. "We [couldn't] go to any rink without people mentioning how much it would mean to them to have additional ice in Estevan. Just to cut down on the dollars that they spend, travelling to out-of-town practices and home games and the time that is associated with that. Every time I'm at the rink, there's a conversation to be had."
1,046 people voted in support of a new rink in Estevan, which, he noted, means the idea is not dead in the water. Truman added that the association learned a lot, as they reflected on what they could have done to tip the scales in their favour.
"I think we need better planning. It's hard for people to make an informed decision on the plebiscite when they're not right in the midst of minor hockey, the skating club, or maybe they're not heavily involved in in any ice skating activities."
"The message needs to be is that we need to have a plan in place. Where the money is going to come from, how it's going to affect the tax base for the rest of the taxpayers. Our citizens aren't going to be able to make a completely informed decision until we can get more information and get a better plan in place going forward.," he expressed.
Truman recognized other sports groups in the city would benefit from new facilities that would better serve youth sports. "All these groups want and deserve what they need to develop their athletes. I think it's in our best interest just to try and get a handle on what the community needs and focus on how we can make that happen for everybody."
For the EMHA, this is not the end of the road in the pursuit of a new ice surface in Estevan. He revealed that they are in the early stages of researching grants and funding sources for the project. Truman hopes that in the future, the association can find a way to justify the cost for the betterment of the community.