FORT FRANCES—Representatives from the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres hockey team made several request to the town at Monday night’s council meeting, including a change in ice rental fees.
Jr. Sabres president Carolyn Kellaway and vice-president Nancy Gardiman appeared before council to ask if the team could be eligible for residential, as opposed to non-residential, ice rental fees.
“Initially when we arrived in Fort Frances at the beginning of May to secure some ice time at the Memorial Sports Centre, we were quoted a fee,” noted Gardiman.
“At that time, we did not realize there was a residential and non-residential fee,” she added. “So the fees that we were quoted was a prime time fee at $84/hour and then we were quoted a non-prime time fee, which was $64.
“When we received the contract in the mail . . . we were told that we would be charged a non-residential ice fee,” she continued. “We were a little bit confused because we weren’t told this in the beginning.”
Gardiman pointed out there’s a significant difference between resident and non-resident ice rental fees. Residential prime time is $84/hour while non-residential prime time is $101/hour.
Residential non-prime time is $66/hour while non-residential non-prime time is $79.
“Remember that most of our ice time will be prime time due to our 27 home games here in Fort Frances,” she remarked. “We’re hoping the town would look at this and maybe reconsider.
“Hopefully, we would be able to be charged a residential fee.”
Gardiman said when she and Kellaway arrived in Fort Frances to announce the team several months ago, they didn’t know how they’d be received—and were thrilled to be as enthusiastically embraced by the community as they’ve been.
“From then on, we’ve always felt a part of Fort Frances. Our team is based here, our jerseys and logo were designed here. We’ve dealt with many businesses locally to prepare for the upcoming season,” she explained.
“Only one thing that is not about Fort Frances is the fact owner Carolyn Kellaway does reside in Thunder Bay.”
The Jr. Sabres also asked council on Monday night to place signage at both ends of town welcoming the Sabres to their new home.
“While we recognize the town is not a ‘Welcome Wagon,’ we do absolutely see the need for such a goodwill gesture on the part of the town,” Kellaway and Gardiman had noted in a letter submitted to council in advance of Monday night’s meeting.
“Fort Frances is clearly a hockey town, and such an embracing move will go a long way in helping the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres extend and consolidate their feelings of ambassadorship in and towards the community and district at large,” they wrote.
The pair also suggested that since the Jr. Sabres will boost sales at Carol’s Canteen, perhaps a portion of those profits could come back to the team to help offset operating costs like equipment, travel, and advertising.
Gardiman said she believes Carol’s Canteen gives 10 percent of its gross annual sales to the town, with that percentage increasing to 12 percent when the Borderland Thunder were playing here.
She noted the Jr. Sabres will increase revenues for both the town and the canteen, adding she’s hoping the town will consider giving a percentage of these profits back to the Jr. Sabres to cover expenses.
The percentage of profits would come from those revenues made during the Jr. Sabres’ 27 home games here during the upcoming season.
Mayor Roy Avis noted the team’s requests would be referred to the Community Services executive committee for its recommendation, with input from the Administration and Finance committee.
Council then would receive a recommendation from Community Services in two weeks—just in time for its Sept. 10 meeting—and deliver a decision.
Mayor Avis said it’s good to have a Junior ‘A’ hockey team back in Fort Frances, and asked Kellaway and Gardiman how the community response to the new team has been, to which Gardiman replied the “people have been wonderful.”
“Everybody we’ve talked to is excited to have Junior ‘A’ hockey back,” she added, noting the team has local volunteers behind it, the recent tryout camps have been “amazing,” and the people in the stands have been “overwhelming.”
“We’re looking forward to a great season,” said Gardiman.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
