The Castlegar Rebels won’t get the three-to-five-year lease they were hoping for on the local arena — at least not right away.
Team representatives were told last week during the final meeting of the current recreation commission that it’s too late to make changes to the agreement, which is for one year with the option of two one-year renewals.
The team says a longer term would help it to secure grants for improvements it wants to make to the dressing room. Representatives appeared before the commission in early September to explain their move this year to the new Western International Junior Hockey League and promised a continued commitment to the community. They went away feeling optimistic that something could be worked out.
However, when they returned last week, they were told an extended lease isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Outgoing rec commission chair Brian Bogle said in an interview that the contract has already gone to the Regional District of Central Kootenay board for approval and is now going through a routine legal review. The commission, which is made up of elected representatives from the City of Castlegar and neighbouring rural areas, has effectively disbanded until after this weekend’s local government elections. The new commission’s first meeting will be in December.
“So unfortunately, what it looks like right now is that the agreement is going to be in place to the end of this season,” Bogle said. “And then the new commission will look at it and hopefully they can increase it from a one-year thing into a bit longer term. That would be my hope.”
Bogle said when the commission approved the one-year contract in August, they didn’t realize it could affect the team’s ability to seek money for capital improvements.
“The commission absolutely supports the Rebels and the future of the team,” he said. “I’m optimistic that the new commission would recommend, at the end of this contract, to continue to work with them.”
Castlegar mayor Maria McFaddin, who also sits on the commission, noted they only make recommendations to the RDCK board. She said it was unlikely the board would have approved a longer term contract, even if the commission had recommended it.
We haven’t yet heard back from the Rebels following last week’s meeting.
