SUNDRE – Although funds had been allocated, the municipal council considered alternate avenues to scoring new nets for the Sundre Arena that did not involve drawing a dime from the town’s budget.
“We got to get in touch with the Calgary Flames Alumni, and they will either come up with a really good set of used nets, or new nets, for us,” said Coun. Connie Anderson, who had requested the matter be included on the agenda for discussion during the regular Feb. 21 meeting, adding the process simply involved directing administration to draft a letter.
The Sundre Minor Hockey Association had previously applied for funding to purchase new nets through a municipal grant program available to community organizations and businesses.
In the event the bid with the Calgary Flames Alumni was successful, Coun. Owen Petersen asked whether the recipient of the donated nets would be the municipality or the minor hockey association.
“Who, at the end of the day, would actually own the nets?” asked Petersen.
“I don’t think it matters, does it?” replied Anderson.
Petersen, who expressed full support for the proposal, asserted that ownership matters in the sense of understanding the logistics and who would be responsible for the nets.
“I think the request would have more weight if it came from Sundre Minor Hockey to the Calgary Flames rather than the Town of Sundre,” added Coun. Paul Isaac.
“The Flames association works with minor (hockey) associations all over Alberta, and I think they would be a little more inclined to support kids, so to speak, than a municipality,” Isaac said.
Coun. Jaime Marr asked if it was “common for a municipality to request nets from a famous organization, (or) is it more common for a non-profit youth group to request nets from a famous organization?”
Marr also sought clarification as to whether Sundre Minor Hockey was perhaps in the spirit of partnership hoping for a letter of support from the municipality.
“They did approach me,” said Coun. Chris Vardas, who chaired the meeting in the excused absence of mayor Richard Warnock.
“I’m a season ticket holder with the Flames and I’ve asked for stuff like this before,” Vardas said.
Vardas, who alongside wife Nicky runs a non-profit they founded called Play 4 Sundre Kidz, told his council colleagues their organization could also submit the application to the Calgary Flames Alumni.
“What we would do if they accepted us…is take the nets and then we would donate them to the Town of Sundre,” he said. “So that way, every organization can use them, not just Sundre minor hockey.”
Furthermore, Vardas said the Flames organization does not donate directly to municipalities.
“They help non-profit organizations for kids,” he said, offering the opinion that the town would likely be rejected were council to direct administration to submit a request to the Flames Alumni.
Alternatively, Vardas said that provided council approved, he could apply through Play 4 Sundre Kidz.
Coun. Todd Dalke also sought further clarification as to why a donation would be requested from the Flames Alumni when council had been told the funds were available.
“We do have it in the budget,” said Vardas. “But if we can get it donated through my foundation, why wouldn’t we take advantage of that?”
Seeking further clarification, Marr asked if council would be directing a non-profit organization to apply for the donation, or whether a foundation within the community that was willing to apply of its own initiative simply needed a letter of support from the municipality.
“I’m asking council to allow me to allow my foundation – you guys don’t have to give me the permission,” said Vardas.
“I’m just saying there’s an avenue where we can go through my Play 4 Sundre Kidz – which is non-profit, it’s all about kids – where we have a better chance,” he said.
“If we get approved, then I will donate them to the town.”
Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, suggested as a point of order that should council choose to proceed in that direction, a motion to accept the discussion for information would suffice.
Marr asked if the process involved in going through Play 4 Sundre Kidz would still allow a large enough window of opportunity to secure nets in time for the next season.
“We can go and buy the nets right now; we have it in the budget,” she said. “Doing it this way, would it be taking longer, and then would we need to notify our users?”
Anderson asserted that the Calgary Flames Alumni “will find the nets faster than we will, if they don’t have them already.”
If it comes to it and his foundation’s bid falls through, Vardas added the municipality could simply go back to the original plan to order new nets.
Council carried a motion accepting the discussion as information.
