BANFF – Council has stepped away from refereeing a dispute between Banff Hockey Academy and Town of Banff administration over use of space at the Fenlands recreation centre.
At a meeting Monday (Sept. 24), council postponed any decision until the commercial hockey school and administration get together to solve the issues, which could lead to possible policy changes or amendments to BHA’s current agreement.
Councillor Grant Canning said it’s not council’s job to determine or mediate day-to-day operational issues like access to dressing rooms or dry space, though possible policy changes or amendments to BHA’s current agreement could come back to council.
He said council is being asked whether there should be considerations outside BHA’s current agreement and exceptions made to fees – essentially using taxpayer dollars to subsidize a private operator.
“I have the utmost confidence in our administration that they are implementing the policy that has been set out to them by council. I am also confident that BHA has some logistical concerns that are legitimate and need attention,” he said.
“I’m certain there is a middle ground that works for both parties.”
A 10-year operating lease agreement with the Town of Banff, established in 2011, gives BHA exclusive use of a physio room, office, storage room, gym and three change rooms that have no showers or washrooms.
Historically, though, BHA was provided some free access to non-exclusive facilities, but the agreement indicates the hockey school may book and pay for use of the remaining facilities under the municipality’s listed rental rates.
BHA – the Fenlands’ largest ice user – is looking for access to public dressing rooms and washrooms outside of scheduled bookings and use of the dry floor and meeting rooms for no extra cost.
Billy Doherty, BHA president, said he’s keen to work with administration to solve issues that are hampering the hockey school and come back to council with a plan or policy to allow them to function collaboratively with existing ice users.
He said the hockey school can’t function as a high performance program under the current ice allocation policy, adding the current contract has inconsistencies and needs to be renegotiated.
“Current additional charges being levied for ‘extra dressing room time’ are causing burden to our budget and are not an anticipated cost,” said Doherty. “Long-term, these additional levies will not be manageable.”
Town administrators also say when the operating agreement was established in 2011, it was expected BHA would continue to use morning and afternoon non-prime weekday hours for practices.
However, due to core course scheduling challenges for players at the high school, they say the hockey school’s practices have been scheduled in the late afternoon and early evening.
“As BHA practices are typically after school hours, at times other local groups have had less ice time or have had to start later into the evening,” said Amanda Arbuckle, the Town’s recreation services manager.
Doherty said the hockey school, now in its 25th year, has been a big supporter of the Banff community, noting BHA reduces tuition fees for local families, representing about $5,000 per student per year.
“This support represents a $750,000 contribution to community members over the past five years,” he said.
Average annual revenue, inclusive of leasehold and ice rental from BHA for the past three years, is $146,350. Based on current ice bookings, estimated revenues for 2018 for exclusive and non-exclusive use is $117,500.
