Build the new skating rink in College heights.

Not! It should be central for all to use. If you want a new one in College Heights, get the community centre to build it.

We need another ice sheet. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to aquire kin 4. As far as recreational ice goes, there's nothing wrong with kin 1. The facility is pretty run down, but for rec hockey, it's just fine. College Heights? ya right!

We need another ice sheet. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to aquire kin 4. As far as recreational ice goes, there's nothing wrong with kin 1. The facility is pretty run down, but for rec hockey, it's just fine. I also agree that College Heights is NOT the place to build a new facility. Keep it central, where it belongs.

PG does NOT need another ice rink. Anyone that says so is sadly misinformed.
Sure, everyone would love to play during prime time but that's not going to happen. There is plenty of ice but folks are going to have to get used to playing later and earlier. It happens in every other community of our size.
I'm not prepared to pay for another new rink (and operation of it) because the rec hockey folks don't like playing past midnight. Rec hockey here has it so good it's ridiculous. I've played Rec hockey in other large centres so I know exactly what I'm talking about!

I like how the City "consults" with user groups when making these plans.

It doesn't make sense to spend money to tear down Kin 1 and then reduce available ice time in the city for 2 years while this "renovation" is completed. Less available ice time means less revenue.

Leave Kin 1 and fix it up, and build a new arena with extra dressing rooms to accommodate Kin 1 and Kin 2 deficiencies outlined by Canada Games.

The City has stated in their report that it will cost 16.5 million to "renovate" Kin 1. They've allowed $ 185,000.00 to demolish Kin 1 - yet it will cost the City over a million to demolish and clean up the PG Hotel site? It will end up costing more than that - probably some asbestos in Kin 1.

The City has also stated that it would take almost a year to re-develop the plans for the Exhibition Grounds and design a new arena, so Administration is advising Council to not move forward with exploring a "stand-alone" facility.

This will probably be our only chance at a new ice rink in Prince George in the next 40 years.

Build it downtown - the city owns enough land to do this. All we have heard about from the Halifax games is how the skating oval was put downtown and it has revitalized the area. Build it on the property with the idea that another rink could be built beside in the future.

Also, once the new rink is built, the Colesium could be demolished. The Spruce Kings would have a new facility to play in. How much life is left in the Colesium?

Or, put it up at UNBC - University Hockey Team?

Let's be honest here, whatever time frame the City lays out for the demo/re-construction of Kin 1 will be extended by at least a year.

"Less available ice time means less revenue."

Exactly how do you figure that? The net cash flow is not exactly positive from the users of the facility. It is negative.

In other words, it costs more to run the facility than the gross income, as is the case. I believe, with ALL city facilities.

The real question I have is whether the money going to special interest groups, of which all cities have many, is equitably distributed.

"All we have heard about from the Halifax games is how the skating oval was put downtown and it has revitalized the area"

That is what you have heard. Have you actually gone to a map to see where it was? Based on Google Earth with their Street View, which gives quite a lot more information than a simple map, we could build our arena at Carrie Jane Grey Park and it would be considered in downtown PG if we base it on the same distance criteria. In fact, it was built in a park that is very similar to our recreation park.

All I said was less available ice time = less revenue. We all know the City doesn't make money off of the recreation facilities.

I'd love to know of the people oposed to the new area....how many of them are in favor of the PAC for downtown?

At least the new arena would be used and enjoyed for years to come. And you can bet your balls that the whiny snoots that want a PAC so bad would be bitching up a storm if they had to catch one of their precious perfomances at 11pm due to lack of availability.

Less available ice time = less tax payer $$ required.
Ice time in PG is officially subsidized at least 70% for Minor Hockey (likely more like 85% if you factor in all true costs) and at least 50% for Rec hockey (likely more like 65%).
Any way you spin it closing arenas is a positive cash flow situation for the City.
That being said I am a huge supporter of ice rinks, however I could never support another rink until our population grows and the current ice is actually being used to it's full capacity, which is not anywhere close to it now.

11pm is prime time for Rec Hockey in most communities our size. Add in the fact you get 40+ games for $400-$500 a season and it's rec hockey heaven in PG and you just don't know it.
And yes...I do play rec hockey. I've also played in many other large centres and know how good we have it here.

11pm is prime time for Rec Hockey in most communities our size?

So off the marker. wow. I've lived in 5 different cities with populations from 50,000 to 100,000 and I've never heard of playing at 11pm. Old buddies of mine laugh at our game times as they lace up for their 8:15 and 7:45 games. Guess you're buddies with a certain league admin Realitycheck. Must be nice.

Doesn't bother me the slightest though anymore. I don't bother with rec hockey these days. I like my teeth. Cheers.

11pm is prime time for Rec Hockey in most communities our size?

So off the marker. wow. I've lived in 5 different cities with populations from 50,000 to 100,000 and I've never heard of playing at 11pm. Old buddies of mine laugh at our game times as they lace up for their 8:15 and 7:45 games. Guess you're buddies with a certain league admin Realitycheck. Must be nice.

Doesn't bother me the slightest though anymore. I don't bother with rec hockey these days. I like my teeth. Cheers.

By definition, the people who would use a new ice rink are a special interest group. If they want it, make them come up with the money to pay for it. I'm sick of my tax dollars going towards all these special interest groups. Fix the roads!

"Closing arena is a positive cash flow situation..."

So would cutting back on a lot of services subsidized by the City.

No matter which way you look at it, the City WILL be spending at least 16 million, I just think they should re-evaluate how they spend that money. In the long run, adding another sheet of ice may be beneficial.

What happens in 5 to 10 years when the Coliseum is facing a multi-million dollar upgrade?

We dont need anymore ice rinks. I beleive that we already have at least six.

1. Hart Hiway, Kin 1,2,3, Coliseum, CN Centre, thats six. How many more do we need????

Keep in mind that the City IS NOT GROWING, and the long range forcast is that it WILL NOT GROW. Then factor in the decline in school attendence, the large number of people who are retiring, and you can see that in the future we will probably need less not more facilities.

Unless someone can show me how they expect this City to grow, then I say forget about building more.

You would be far better off to kiss the Cougers goodbye, move the Spruce Kings to the CN Centre, and use the Coliseum for rec hockey. The Cougers cost this City about $70,000.00 per year and the money saved could go toward upgrading the Coliseum.

Have a nice day.

How about tearing down city hall, the coliseum, the fire dept. building and build one BIG building housing the PAC, skating rinks, and a new police and fire dept. all in one. If ya get mugged to and from the PAC, just go next door to the cop shop. Move city hall elsewhere. Maybe downsize them to three trailers. One on the Hart. One downtown and one in College Heights. Make city hall be virtual just like the ING bank.