Arena Use On The Decline In Chatham-Kent

Wallaceburg Memorial Arena is one of many Chatham-Kent arenas struggling to fill the ice with rentals -  Google Street View

Wallaceburg Memorial Arena is one of many Chatham-Kent arenas struggling to fill the ice with rentals – Google Street View

Chatham-Kent’s arenas are sitting unused for a large portion of the day. That was a point brought up Monday at Chatham-Kent’s council meeting.

In response to this issue, Chatham-Kent’s council and administration are taking steps to reduce costs at Chatham-Kent arenas.

Bothwell tops the charts for Chatham-Kent’s unused arenas, with 56.7% of ice time remaining open, while Chatham’s Thames Campus is CK’s most used arena, being open only 22.5% of the time, followed by Blenheim at 25.8%.

Tilbury is the only arena in Chatham-Kent to experience an increase in usage, while many are on the decline, a fact the report, delivered to council by Evelyn Bish, Chatham-Kent’s director of Community Services – Recreation Facilities, states is due to several reasons.

“There has been an increase in full rate minor rentals at the Tilbury Arena and a decrease at Thames Campus due to the merger between Chatham and Tilbury minor hockey organizations,” the report reads. “A decrease in full rate minor rentals in Bothwell has been experienced due to the merger between Bothwell and Glencoe minor hockey organizations. Wallaceburg Arena has a slight reduction in the number of full rate rentals as a result of users taking advantage of lower ice rates at the Walpole Island Arena.”

Lower ice rental costs outside Chatham-Kent in neibouring communities is a concern as Chatham-Kent’s prime ice time costs close to $210 per hour, while most surrounding communities prime time ice rentals cost between $150-$190 per hour.

Not only are rates higher, but Chatham-Kent’s facilities are older than almost every surrounding community. While some argue the decreased demand for ice is cause to not pursue a new arena, others would argue a new arena would allow Chatham-Kent to decommission two or more older buildings that are currently under-utilized.

In response to this decrease in ice time usage, Chatham-Kent council will be taking several cost reduction steps including a reduction of staff, modification of daytime hours, and a possible outsourcing of canteen operation.

Moving forward, the report commented on the continued need to assess challenges facing local arenas and sports organizations.

“Recreation Facilities has been proactive in communicating with other communities to obtain information regarding ongoing challenges such as a reduced demand for ice time, tiered ice rates, allocation to merging hockey groups, new arena construction in surrounding communities, managing ice usage agreements and energy efficiencies. Lifecycle projects for each arena would continue to be scrutinized and prioritized annually. Where a major repair, replacement or legislated improvement is required, a
business case would be completed on that arena to determine all options, then recommendations presented to Council.”

While the report was not positive about the state of Chatham-Kent’s arenas, it did pose a number of important points for Council and the Chatham-Kent community as a whole moving forward in terms of arenas, and recreational facilities.

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  • comment-avatar
    Don 10 years

    Would be interesting to see the reports on ice time used as 90% of the programs can only utilize ice after 4:00 pm due to work schedules and availability of people. You would be surprised what a new arena would do to Chatham, even if it means shutting down 1 or 2 existing arenas. Chatham-Kent needs it. We would be proud to handle more events in Chatham and bring people here. Chatham memorial change rooms are a disgrace and not even safe.

  • comment-avatar
    Cliff 10 years

    While other cities are busy building new multi pad climate controlled community athletic facilities, CK, promoted as a blue collar, hard working farming community, is busy wasting millions on getting caught up with “the arts” and other miserable failures. (There could be 3 multi pad facilities with the money that went into the theater alone.)

    An arena can and should be the focal point of a small community. Keep in mind they were originally built to house hockey approx 24 hours a week, they are not there to turn a profit. Outside of Chatham, it’s a collection of patched up old barns. Council hasn’t prioritized these facilities anywhere near what they should and it’s turning into a glaring issue that gets more daunting to face as the years pass. We are the laughing stock east of London.

    Of course facilities outside CK are drawing from us, they are less expensive, larger, with better change rooms and in some cases much better ice surfaces.

    It’s ironic the arena you depicted in Wallaceburg is the only one in CK turning a profit. This is obviously due to lacrosse, perhaps arenas with indoor turf in the summer and proper promotion would be an alternate place to look for income. Many sports could use a facility in the summer, if only for training. Turf is relatively cheap over the long term and adaptable to nearly anything.