The Estevan Bears AAA U18 hockey team came to council last night in the hopes of waiving some rental fees from Affinity Place as they hope to host a regional tournament this upcoming hockey season. The team is preparing to send in their bid for the 2026 Telus Cup Western Region, with the official bid having a deadline of the end of the month.
Robert Godfrey, one of the representatives for the Estevan Bears' committee, talks about some of the background for their bid.
"We're working on this bid right now, and it is due at the end of the month here. The place that we're at right now is working on the logistics of putting it together. One of the pieces of that is the financial side and that's why we're here today is to talk to you guys about donating or covering that $11,541 cost to rent Affinity Place, the multi-purpose room, use the PowerDodge Curling Centre as a banquet facility and a few other supplies like Pipe and Drate, the Jumbotron, things like that."
Godfrey went on to say that by getting the fees waived, they would need to raise less money from the surrounding community for the tournament, with any extra money raised going towards the community through the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation's MRI project, United Way Estevan's 2026 Telethon, and the dressing rooms at Affinity Place.
The event itself would also be important in helping out the local economy, thanks to all the visitors it would bring, according to Godfrey.
"This event is going to bring people into our community from teams, their families, fans and officials. It's going to bring a number of people to our community for that weekend and really boost the business at local hotels, restaurants and stores, but on top of that, it is another great thing in our city's resume for how amazing we are at putting on these first-class events."
In return for waiving the fees, the Estevan Bears would give the city a full sponsorship package, which would include name acknowledgments during the game and on social media, and a custom sponsor banner to be displayed during home games. The package would stretch through both the regular season and the tournament, with Godfrey mentioning that the package would still apply for the regular season even if Estevan was not chosen to host the tournament.
Councillor Shelley Veroba voiced her support for the measure,
"In the past, we have supported organizations like the AAA team with the Bears. I think it's a good ask because it's not a cash donation where we're having to actually move it to the next budget, because it's not in our budget this year. So I would make the motion that we proceed and give you your ask of a sponsorship package, and I hope you get the tournament, but if you don't, we're still going to get the sponsorship package, so it's a win-win for the city."
Councillor David Elliot was against the proposal, stating that a lot of money already goes into the sports programs of the city.
"In my mind we're already heavily subsidizing the hockey community and I don't anticipate us ever wanting to charge them more for the services that they get but this is very labor intensive for the city with any set up or tear down that's required, cleaning afterwards and so I would say maybe discount but I wouldn't say a full on rebate. That would be my mindset."
The council then voted on waiving the fees, with the motion passing with only Councillor Elliot opposed.