Air Ronge have increased their recreational contribution to La Ronge by $65,000. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

municipal relations

Air Ronge to pay La Ronge $85K per year for recreational services

May 24, 2024 | 5:00 PM

The Village of Air Ronge will pay $85,000 to the Town of La Ronge to cover recreation services and more specifically operational costs for the Mel Hegland Uniplex.

The funds will be for the period of June 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025.

The decision was made following a regular village council meeting on Wednesday, where La Ronge Mayor Joe Hordyski and town administration appeared as a delegation to discuss a recreation agreement. The village had been paying $20,000 per year for such services and town was looking to increase that amount to $139,000.

The village approved an increase to $85,000, but with conditions such as the town agreeing to meet with the village, the Northern Administrative District (NAD) and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band to pursue potential options for regional recreation services, and that the town agree not to charge Air Ronge residents any additional user fees for the use of the town’s facility or programs.

Moving forward, the village would also like to see the town break down the operational costs of the Mel Hegland Uniplex from within their total community services expenses to provide a more accurate picture of the expenses for the facility.

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“Right now, for us, to cut a cheque of essentially $140,000 with zero say is just not good business management,” Air Ronge Mayor Julie Baschuk told the delegation.

“I get some of this could be a political campaign because we have an election in the fall, but I am looking at it like this deserves a lot of care and attention.”

Baschuk explained it doesn’t seem acceptable for the village to pay the town for such services on a per capita basis. It was noted at the meeting the agreement does not include any capital expenses, but the village would not be equitable partners as they don’t own any of the infrastructure being utilized in the agreement.

Baschuk also mentioned there should be more dicussions with the band in regards to the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre and perhaps the two municipalities and NAD should focus more of their attention on supporting that facility.

“Why are we still getting caught up on putting Band-Aids on the Mel and not shifting our focus?” she asked.

Hordsyki replied that the tri-communities and NAD is too large for only one rink, adding there would not be enough ice time for all of the recreation currently being provided. He also noted residents of the town need a gathering place to call their own.

“We can’t abandon our rink because it wouldn’t be fair to our residents,” Hordyski said.

“We need to have a community centre and what we are looking at if we do replace the Mel, we’d have a multi-use facility that we can use because we really don’t have a gathering place and that’s quite important.”

There are currently seven employees working out of the Mel Hegland Uniplex. User fees only cover eight per cent of operational costs and the town wishes to keep user fees low and tax base dependent.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com