Hollingsworth Arena to be sold

The signs that the Hollingsworth Arena's days are coming to an end are all over the October 20, 2015 Committee of the Whole agenda.  You don't need tea leaves or tarot cards to know the arena's ultimate fate.

During the October 20th Committee of the Whole meeting, the developer San Michael will speak to Council again.

Then there is a vote requiring staff to work out the capital costs for replacing Hollingsworth with either a 3P arena sharing the costs and ownership with Pickering College, or by adding a third rink at the Ray Twinney Complex.

Further on in the agenda, there is a motion to be tabled by John Taylor for an outdoor rink.  It is not known whether Taylor intends this rink as an alternative to the Pickering College/ Ray Twinney proposals or in addition to them.

What is known is that the Town of Newmarket has no need for two additional ice pads at this time.  Youth involvement in hockey has been dropping steadily even though the town's population has been increasing.  With plans for new development over the next 15 years coming from high rise condos, such as the 15 storey San Michael proposal for the Hollingsworth land, we know that there won't be many children in those buildings.  Families generally don't live in those types of residences.

So, if we are building just one new ice pad, my support would be to decline the P3 Pickering College proposal and an indoor rink at Ray Twinney but go with an outdoor rink located at the Ray Twinney Complex where parking and land are both readily available.

If it is a standard sized rink, with proper refrigeration and care, there is no reason why Newmarket Minor Hockey and the various men's leagues couldn't use an outdoor rink.  In fact, the novelty might even appeal to users.  We have seen the popularity of the Toronto Maple Leafs outdoor practices and the NHL heavily promotes its Winter Classic games.

An outdoor rink should be the most cost effective way to replace Hollingsworth.

But if Taylor wants this outdoor pad in addition to building another ice pad elsewhere, then that is just a dumb idea.  There is no justification for two new pads.  It would be wasting money that frankly the Town doesn't have.  When the Magna Centre was opened, the plan at that time was to shut down Hollingsworth.  At that time we had a surplus of ice pads.  The only reason a new ice pad is even being considered is because the Town's "Play Book" policy anticipates that one could be needed in the future as the Town continues to grow.

As an end note, how are residents to know if residents are getting a good deal for selling Hollingsworth? The fact that the selling price has been kept a secret casts suspicions of the Town.  The developer has been meeting with Town staff for five-plus years.  This deal has been in the works for a long time but has been kept secret from the public.

Like many residents, I am getting sick of a Council that doesn't trust and/or like the people they supposedly represent.  Mayor Van Bynen is so concerned about public backlash that he keeps everything about this deal a secret.

But I have to ask, if selling this arena was a good deal for the public, then why would he anticipate backlash?   Or is there more to these secret meetings with the developer than meets the eye?