Alberta village fights to keep ice rink open despite drop in minor hockey enrolment, increased costs

People in the village of Holden, in central Alberta,are not giving up on ice time in their community without a fight.

The Holden Agricultural Society, which looks after the local arena,was set to cancel its ice season this year but only as a last resort. It cited higher electricity costs and less ice usage as the causes.

"We all need this," Gail Alger, the society's treasurer, toldCBC Radio Activeco-hostMin Dhariwal. "We still need things for children to do outside of school and [if] you take that away from them, eventually, your town will not have things for people to do when they move there."

Demand to use the arena has been falling in recent years for several reasons, including the demise of its minor hockey league.

The village had three teams 25 years ago, but that slowly dwindled until, last season, for the first time, there was no minor hockey team in Holden because there are too few children, saidMike Suchy, president of Holden Minor Hockey.

"It's pretty evident, there areonly four or five kids in kindergarten every year," Suchysaid.

Some of the older players, including his own children, have joined Alberta's Super Hockey League and rep teams in larger centres, he added.

On Wednesday, about 50 people attended an open houseto discuss the future of the Holden Complex.

The society was unable to afford its operating costs last season, but managed to keep its ice rink open after the village and county agreed to foot the power bill for the final three months.

Even with help, Alger said, it's possible the rink won't re-open next season.

But attendees at the open house, which included adult and minor hockey groups and potential sponsors, voiced their support for keeping the ice rink in Holdenlocated 90 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

"They reckon they'll be able to get more sponsorships, more businesses supporting the arena," Alger said.

Suchy was one of the attendees Wednesday who called for the rink to stay open.

"Everybody uses the rink as a hub," he said. "When there is beer league games or anything else, it brings those people together. It's a gathering point."

Affordability challenges

The Town of Tofield, which neighbours Holden, has also seen a decline in children's sports enrolment, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jeff Edwards, assistant chief administrative officer.

"It could be tied to the downturn in [the] economy, where families are just not able to afford being able to have one, two, three children in sports because of equipment costs, registration fees, travelling fees," Edwards said.

Tofield's rink is not at risk of closing, though, he said, adding that hehopes Holden's won't shut down either.

"Ideally, we would like to see every one of our neighbours and their complexes flourish," Edwards said.

Theatre set for demolition

The ice rink wouldn't be the first facility in Holden to shut down in recent years. Its 70-year old Paragon Theatre, which hosted movies and live performances, is scheduled for demolition after the building sustained extensive flood damage last summer.

Potentially losing another place for recreation and culture in the community is sad, Alger said.

LISTEN |Small village east of Edmonton at risk of losing arena:

Radio Active7:09Small village east of Edmonton at risk of losing arena

Hear why this might have been the last winter for indoor skating in Holden, Alta..

"If we don't have the arena, I think that will affect population growth," shesaid.

Some alternative usesfor the arena were raised during Wednesday's open house. Among the suggestions was toreplace the soon-to-be demolished theatre.

The society will look at the budget for the upcoming season, and whether they are able to get written commitments from community groups to rent the ice, Alger said.

Meanwhile,they are also continuing with fundraising events such as steak nights.

Suchy said it could be mid-summer before they know for sure whether the rink will openagain.

"I guess we're in a holding pattern until they make a decision," he said.