Without A New Facility, OHL Is Idle Chatter For CK

It seems we hear it every year, rumours about the Ontario Hockey League moving a franchise or expanding to Chatham-Kent. In reality, we should be talking about it. We are a Municipality of over 100,000 people, we have strong hockey roots, and the economic boosts to our community of having an OHL franchise would be incredible.

There is one problem however; we have no OHL worthy facility. Worse, the discussion for a new arena in Chatham-Kent seems to have gone cold.

I only bring this up, because within the last two months, I’ve heard multiple members of Chatham-Kent council openly discuss the imminent possibility of an OHL franchise relocating to Chatham-Kent. Then, today, I read a story about the Brampton Battalion planning to relocate to North Bay.

Missed opportunity? Likely.

People might argue that Chatham-Kent is not an OHL worthy centre. I agree, but not for the reasons you might think. In my mind, we are not an OHL destination for one reason and one reason alone – our lack of an adequate arena.

Let’s look at North Bay as a comparable. North Bay is a city of 53,651 people, ranked 92nd in the 100 largest cities/municipalities in Canada. Chatham-Kent is ranked 50th. Chatham-Kent ranks higher in terms of population, than a dozen CHL cities, including places like Sarnia, Belleville, Peterborough, and Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario.

North Bay also has a very old arena. The North Bay Memorial Gardens was built in 1955, making it only 6 years younger than Chatham’s Memorial Arena. North Bay’s arena however, holds just over 4,000 spectators, compared to the 2,500 Chatham’s largest arena can hold, and the City of North Bay just pledged $12 million to upgrade the Gardens as a part of the deal to bring the OHL back to town.

The fact the OHL has already failed in North Bay, as their long time team, the Centennials, who spent 20 years in the city from 1982 to 2002, moved to Saginaw, is another interesting point to this story. North Bay lost the Centennials in 2002 due to sinking attendance, and an ageing facility. The same facility Brampton’s franchise will again move into following the $12 million face lift.

You could also argue that Chatham-Kent’s current top draw, the Chatham Maroons, can’t fill Memorial Arena, so how would you expect an OHL franchise to? Good question. Chatham’s most recent game, a 3-0 win over Sarnia this Sunday, drew 692 fans to Memorial Arena. The most North Bay’s current top franchise, the Junior A Trappers have brought to town this season, is 635. Seems like we have them there too.

So what is the missing piece to this puzzle? Why are we being passed over? Quite simply, Memorial Arena is not large enough, and not a candidate for a renovation like North Bay’s Memorial Gardens were. This means our Municipality will need to build a brand new complex, likely costing in excess of $25 million, before we will ever be a true front runner for an OHL team. I think it’s a good investment, but with other new facilities in Chatham-Kent, including the Convention Centre and Capitol Theatre still on the books, funding another new project becomes precarious.

Sooner or later however, we’ll need to realize that our arenas are old, out of date, and down right embarrassing. Take a drive through Essex, Elgin, or Middlesex County’s, and you’ll see shiny new facilities in places like LaSalle, Essex, Komoka, St. Thomas, Strathroy, and Tecumseh. Then visit Chatham, Bothwell, Ridgetown, or Wallaceburg. The character of an old arena can only go so far.

As for the location of a new arena, sorry rural CK, don’t fool yourselves, this new arena will be in or immediately outside of Chatham. I vote for the North side near the new theatre. At least that way the people in Wallaceburg, CK’s second largest community, have easy access down 40 Highway.

I would love to see an OHL franchise in Chatham-Kent, as would many on Chatham-Kent’s council, but until we find a way to construct a new arena, with more than 4,000 seats, it’s simply idle chatter.

Luckily, it’s only a matter of time before another OHL franchise is searching for a new home. When that time comes, the question will be, are we ready?

Let the games begin.

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    Bradley Zimmer 12 years

    is chatham kent open for business …checking it once twice three times maybe four five six lets spend money for a feasibility study ……seven eight ..nine ten ….