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Corridor communities await Whistler’s decision

Preliminary talks begin with VANOC as potential backup sites

Squamish Mayor Ian Sutherland confirmed this week that he has been talking to VANOC about the Paralympic ice arena coming to his town.

He stressed however that the discussions have been very preliminary and that ultimately the decision on where this facility will go lies in Whistler’s hands.

"We have had conversations with VANOC and with Whistler just to find out what the parameters would be, and the requirements of the facility, but just very general discussions," said Sutherland this week. "Again, right now the arena is in Whistler, it belongs to Whistler. If that changes, it changes. I think VANOC is just doing good homework, and good preparation."

Vancouver Organizing Committee spokesperson Renée Smith-Valade confirmed those discussions have taken place in the last month. And in recent weeks Pemberton representatives have also indicated an interest in building the facility in their town.

"They have (both) communicated with us that they are interested and, it’s only prudent, given that right now Whistler is determining whether or not it will remain the host, that we would have some preliminary exploratory discussions with those two communities," said Smith-Valade. "But very clearly this is a facility that in our minds, remains in Whistler until such time as Whistler indicates otherwise."

She reiterated that the ball is in Whistler’s court to decide.

The time for Whistler to make that decision is drawing near as the late July/early August deadline fast approaches.

Phone calls to several Whistler councillors this week indicate that the discussions on a proposed $40 million ice arena/multiplex centre have been ongoing. They could not, however, comment on the situation because the discussions to date have been in camera, or private.

Councillor Gord McKeever did say that council is not being indecisive as the decision comes down to the wire, rather they are weighing all the possibilities.

"Of all the planning this has been the one that’s the slowest to come out and the reason it is is because we want to do what’s viable," said McKeever. "It’s not indecision. It’s genuine concern.

"The core challenge is two-fold. It’s delivering an amenity that’s not costing… more than it’s funded for. And there’s also the concern of the white elephant type legacy.

The Olympic bid book details the facility. It is to be a 3,500 to 5,000-seat Entertainment Complex/Multipurpose facility which will host the Paralympic sledge hockey events.

VANOC will put up $20 million in seed money for the $40 million facility. Since those numbers were published more than two years ago, Olympic construction costs have risen in the realm of 40 per cent. But that doesn’t mean the seed funding will increase by 40 per cent.

"We have a finite amount of funds available to us as an organization committee…" said Smith-Valade. "The partner is responsible for the remaining venue funding to bring the building to whatever standard they believe ultimately will not only deliver what we need for the Games but be a legacy to the community."

Though they are pitching Squamish as a backup site should Whistler defer on the arena, Sutherland said the long-term operating costs are still a concern. It was one of the reasons why he asked Squamish voters in a referendum earlier this year if they could borrow $20 million to build community amenities, which would have included an ice rink.

"It certainly would have given us a strong case with going forward for a venue, sure," said Sutherland. "And we couldn’t say it at the time but it certainly would have been something that would have been part of the mix."

But one way to help ease the burden of long-term operating costs he said is for Squamish to acquire a Junior A hockey franchise.

"The operational side is a big concern to us. And that’s why we want to make sure… that we understand that what we do is a viable operation for the future because it costs money to build it, that’s one aspect of it, but you also have to be very aware of the costs of maintaining it over 20 or 30 years," he said. "For this to work for us we’d probably have to attract a Junior A hockey team to make it viable from an operational point of view."

While having a Junior A team may work in Squamish, it may not be as successful in Whistler, according to Chuck Blaylock, one of the founders of the Whistler Hockey Association. He worries that a Junior A team would compete against Whistler’s main industry, skiing, and wouldn’t draw the same crowds that a Squamish team could draw.

"Somebody’s got to fund (a hockey franchise)," he said. "Then, how many locals are going to go and watch the hockey game? Very, very few. The cost to maintain people (players) up here and get them accommodation is really expensive."

Blaylock is concerned about the long-term operating costs a facility of that size would mean to the Whistler taxpayers.

"If it’s a $40 million complex, just imagine how much it’s going to cost to turn the light bulbs on in there, let alone keep the ice going," he said.

Don Coggins, chair of the Pemberton Spirit of B.C. Committee, said if the facility is built in Pemberton it may not be as expensive as $40 million. Those numbers are based on Whistler land costs, Whistler construction costs, he said.

"Part of the cost in doing the $40 million is a Whistler cost," he said. "We may not have that same cost. To make that assumption would be erroneous at this point."

And as for long term operating costs in Pemberton, Coggins said they may be able to lower them by taking advantage of geothermal heat, among other things.

"(It) depends on how it’s built," he said.

Whatever Whistler’s decision, one thing is clear to Anna Fraser-Sproule, a parent involved in the Whistler Gymnastics Club: Whistler needs more space for all the user groups in town, from gymnastics, to martial arts, to freestyle clubs, to seniors keep fit classes. The Paralympic facility could be the permanent facility the gymnastics club has long been waiting for, as well as a home for all these other groups.

"My big concern is that we need to recognize within the community that we don’t even have enough facilities to accommodate our locals," she said. "Meadow Park does not have enough facilities for the locals."

"We want a full time facility. If the decision is best for the community that it’s not a sledge hockey arena… we want to find one somewhere else. We have a lot of user groups who would use it and we feel we could make it work."