Ice Oval Nitty Gritty: One Man's Opinion

By Ben Meisner

 
The move to have an outdoor ice oval in the city continues to grace the web page of "Traininpg"

This comes after Prince George City Council referred a request from the Ice Oval supporters for the gravel from a proposed site.  The gravel is worth about $90,000 dollars.

The Web site continues to suggest that the “proposed facility” would begin construction in 2006. The facility would cost about $10 million to build. There is no provision in the City's budget for such expenditure.

The advertisement invites people to train in Prince George:

"PG. Speed Skating Facilities
Outdoor Ice Oval

For generations, Canadians have taken advantage of our long winter months by participating in great outdoor pursuits such as skiing, snow-shoeing, and skating. While many of us spend hours flying around local ponds and rinks, there are a growing number taking this favored activity well beyond recreation, and pursuing the great sports of long and short track speed skating.

A sport that is fast gaining popularity in a city of sporting enthusiasts is also a sport that will prompt initiatives and creativity in new sporting facilities. The present out door oval is one that serves this city well, and has been host to numerous regional and provincial events in the past. However this City and its speed-skating community has its sights set much higher and so the demand for a new facility has never been greater.

Planned for construction in 2006, Prince George is developing plans to replace its existing 400 metre natural ice outdoor speed skating oval, with a permanent outdoor oval with artificial ice. The proposed oval will be 400 m of smooth concrete, used for speed skating in the winter, and in-line skating during the summer months. Refrigeration plant and piping will allow for a skating season from October to March, and solidify Prince George's already great reputation for creating some of Canada's finest, and fastest ice.

Alongside this outdoor rink in a pristine setting will be a 4000 sq ft building, comprised of 2 stories and providing space for equipment storage, team meeting rooms, washrooms, concession and viewing area. The building will also contain speed skating specific training equipment, such as stationary bikes, mirrors, slidingboards, and tension cables.
The proposed facility will bring Prince George to the forefront for speed skating training, providing first-class facilities in a beautiful environment with the support of 80'000 people behind it."

$90,000 dollars worth of gravel is still $90,000 dollars whether it comes to the ice oval committee by way of cash or through the City having to buy back the gravel from the Ice oval group.

More over however is the question, is the city prepared to spend another $10 to 12 million dollars on yet another recreation facility that will, contrary to what you might have been told, cost the city taxpayers money to operate every year?  

Not one facility that exists in Canada does so without huge taxpayer support.

Even Richmond, which is building an ice oval for the Olympics, will have it removed and replaced with a regular ice surface after the games.

But has anyone from City Council raised the issue that maybe we are telling people just a tad ahead of time ,that a proposed facility is underway? Ft. St. John recently apoproved a $30 million dollar indoor ice oval facility.  Has anyone at City Council raised the issue of just how much other facilities are costing the taxpayers in other centers? Or do we simply dip into our borrowing power to finance a project that will receive limited support from the public?  

 
In the end it will require a money by law.  It will be more difficult for the taxpayers to have their say as they did in the Terasen gas deal, as the government has increased the percentage of the people of the community who must sign a petition against the deal in order to have the by law scrapped.

I’m Meisner and that is one man’s opinion. 

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