The Mel Hegland Uniplex is the home of the La Ronge Ice Wolves. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

multi-year

Town signs operating agreement with Ice Wolves, team seeks to open lounge in Uniplex

Jul 26, 2023 | 5:00 PM

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Ice Wolves would like to clarify they plan on opening a players’ lounge, not a bar, in the Uniplex. They are also working on obtaining up-to-date data on the team’s annual economic impact.”

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The Town of La Ronge has inked a multi-year operating agreement with the La Ronge Ice Wolves.

The new agreement, which will be in place from July 1 to June 30, 2026, calls for a base rate of $15,567 plus GST (2023/2024 season) in addition to $650 per game after March 31 during the playoff season. Subsequent years in the agreement call for an annual increase of 2.5 per cent.

“Administration is working toward multi-year agreements where possible, to ease the time and administration associated with annual negotiations and approvals,” a report prepared for council stated. “Therefore, this is the first time a multi-year agreement has been prepared.”

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The approximate annual subsidy to the Ice Wolves from the town is $30,000 or 66 per cent of total estimated costs under regular billing. That does not include any utility costs associated with early ice installation (three weeks) to host camps in late August.

Administration noted contracts between other municipalities and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League teams tend to be more costly for the hockey teams. For instance, Yorkton charges $56,000 per year and Melville charges $31,000.

All members of council who were in attendance for the discussion at a regular meeting Tuesday voted in favour of the new contract, with the exception of Coun. Abby Besharah. She questioned administration if they know if the town was on par with subsidies given to other teams.

“We don’t have any firm number from the Ice Wolves about what the economic impact is or what the perceived economic impact is. We know there is an economic impact in terms of community pride and having ongoing gathering events and having a team here for the community to go and watch on a regular basis, but passed that, we don’t have firm data to back up having the Ice Wolves here,” said community services manager Connor Tessier.

“We don’t know what their team’s revenue is compared to the Ice Wolves, so it is challenging to say what the percentage of the subsidy would be.”

In addition, administration is also working with the Ice Wolves on a request to utilize storage space within the Mel Hegland Uniplex (beneath the bleachers) as a lounge. Administration would be agreeable to the use of this space if conditions are met such as the team complies with all regulations and legislation pertaining to the proposed use, as well as the Ice Wolves incur any costs required to bring the space to code or compliance, if required.

Also at Tuesday’s regular meeting, council voted to spend $8,600 to install 31 handrails in the Mel Hegland Uniplex.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno