OLDS — Groups wanting to use the Sportsplex for non-ice-related activities such as lacrosse will most likely have to wait until at least early April to do so, according to community services director Doug Wagstaff.
Wagstaff made that point during council’s March 1 policies and priorities meeting.
He was responding to a query from Coun. Mary Jane Harper who wondered if it would be possible to take out of at least the auxiliary surface before the end of the month.
Wagstaff essentially said ‘no.’
He said both the main and auxiliary ice surfaces are booked right up “100 per cent” during prime time (from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.) throughout March.
“We have bookings that are tentative that take us right through when the ice comes out in both sheets – to the point even that our weekends are going to be a bit of a challenge for us,” Wagstaff said.
On top of that, he said it’s uncertain what the schedule will look like for all of the Olds Grizzlys Junior A hockey team’s home games.
As a result, he predicted the auxiliary portion won’t be available as a dry surface until April 6 or so and the main facility won’t be available as a dry surface until after May 20.
Harper said that the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s (AJHL) Canmore Eagles aren’t playing this year due to the fact the ice was taken out of their facility.
However, Wagstaff said he spoke to a colleague in Canmore and it’s his understanding that “there were a number of challenges the AJHL team had there to overcome. It wasn’t just the ice available.”
Earlier this year, the Olds Curling Club took the ice out of their portion of the Sportsplex because they just couldn’t afford to keep it in.
Coun. Mitch Thomson wondered if other recreational groups could therefore make use of that facility.
Wagstaff said the local gymnastics club could – and did – do that last year because their activities don’t create any issues for the curling club’s walls, ceilings or lights.
However, he said other groups could pose a problem.
“It would take a fairly significant investment into the curling rink and the curling club to protect the lights, ceiling and walls, because it’s not currently set up to withstand balls to be rocketed around or thrown," Wagstaff said.
Thomson said he recognized that lacrosse could thus pose a problem if it was relocated to the curling club. He wondered if other groups currently using the auxiliary ice surface could be relocated there.
"You’re talking ice activities," Wagstaff asked.
“Whatever’s happening in the auxiliary surface right now,” Thomson said.
"No, so what’s going on on the auxiliary surface right now is ice activity, so it’s using, you know, pucks, sticks,” Wagstaff replied.
