Wheatland Kings negotiate lower ice rates

Times Reporter     

 

After a season away, the Wheatland Kings are back and on July 2 Strathmore Minor Hockey (SMH) President Blair Wilson and Wheatland Kings President Mike Langen were at council with a funding request. 

“We’re actually here to ask for a minor hockey rate for ice for the 2014/15 season of the Wheatland Kings,” said Wilson.

The team is made up of a mix of adult and minor players and the hope was to get the youth rate to help lower the costs to the players. 

The team is made up of 18-20-year-old kids that are going to school, and/or working and SMH still trying to keep them engaged in hockey and even get them to come back later in life as coaches.

The 2014 youth prime time per hour including GST rate is $122.53, compared to the adult prime time per hour rate of $196.29. The blended rate would be approximately $159.41.

If there were 25 players on the team with the savings it would work out to approximately a $203 savings for each of those players. 

“We’ll be able to take our fee from $900 down to $700 for them to play,” said Langen.

The men provided a copy of the budget they are hoping to stick to this coming season, operating on a blended rate, and noted that there is a slight shortfall at the end of the season. The men would like to make ends meet and hopefully balance the budget at the end of the season and having a reduced rate will help with that.

Tracy Simpson, community services coordinator, said in the past the team has always been charged the adult rate and in their last season, two years ago, they charged adults the adult rate and the youth the youth rate. 

“The Wheatland Kings is the only team where this is a situation where they have both minors and adults playing on the same team,” said Community Services Coordinator Tracy Simpson. 

“My personal view is this is certainly not helping our operating deficit, it will only get larger … instead of shorter,” said Councillor Rocky Blokland. 

The town operates the Family Centre, Civic Centre and Aquatic Centre at approximately a $2 Million deficit each run. 

“One of the things I was wondering … is if your hockey organization would consider some kind of work in kind?” asked Councillor Denise Peterson. 

She also mentioned there is a large deficit to look at, but said she would be more than willing to look at what was being requested if the Kings would be willing to donate hours in kind and help out with some of the many events that take place around town. 

Both men agreed, with Langen stating he has been in talks with Simpson and it is the hockey team’s intent to be involved in JumpStart, be really involved with minor hockey and give back any way they can, even if it’s picking up litter at Kinsmen Park as part of a team-building exercise. 

Peterson made a motion that council offer the Wheatland Kings 2014 ice cost rates at the youth rate of $122.53 for a term of one year with the understanding they will work with Simpson to make up the waiver of the $5,000. The motion passed unanimously.