Sir: Recently, I received a copy of information from the Bothwell Area Recreation Advisory Committee concerning ways and ideas to utilize our facility and to participate in these programs as much as is feasibly possible.
This has been put together by a group of local residents, without any assistance from Chatham-Kent council, but by a group that cares about our community. We are a town at the extreme end of the municipality and are known as a bedroom community.
In my travels, I came in contact with an employee of a small arena, which is controlled and managed by a manager, part-time staff (non-union) who are local residents, and is quite successful. It also has summer events, meeting room and even a successful snack bar, which is handled by volunteers or non-union staff.
I inquired into the cost of ice time, which I was surprised to hear from $95-$120 per hour, depending on use, flooding etc. and has been there for several years.
Could the canteen not be leased out to a service club such as the Optimist, Lions, or Sertoma for a percentage of the profits? They would be responsible for all operations and staffing.
There is nothing more frustrating that to arrive at an arena and not even be able to get a coffee or hot chocolate, let alone food.
I do live in the town and I walk past that arena several times and am discouraged how often it is not in use even on weekends when it should be busy.
I cannot help but wonder how busy that facility would be if the maximum price was set at say $150 per hour. Do you think that would attract skaters from as far away as Chatham? My guess is that it would be full very regularly.
We all know how expensive that minor hockey as well as figure skating is and this town sits with an arena that is 75 per cent or more unused.
My question is why does a small bedroom town in the country need to ask city prices for activities that they cannot afford? Is it because we are fenced in by a group of city people and that areas, large or small, to be delegated to pay the same fees because we are nailed down by a union, and all employees need to be paid no matter what, so that it will eliminate volunteers?
In my younger years, my wife and I spent many days driving our five children to the local arena to games, practices for figure skating within five minutes or less while we were both working. Thank goodness for carpooling (they have those in small communities). We currently have players in the NHL who played/practiced in that same facility.
If the municipality should close outlying arenas, then that will give us the choice of traveling up to 45 minutes for many days or nights a week for our ice time, which has been set by the city and other councillors, which we voted for, or find another facility outside Chatham-Kent or have our children forget about their dreams of hockey or figure skating.
I will close by saying I firmly believe that amalgamation has been using every possible method in ways to close small arenas and force small communities to drive to the city. Maybe it should be the opposite.
I ask Chatham-Kent to please do not destroy our children’s dreams.
Mervin Jaques
Bothwell
