Written by Peter McIntyre
107.5 KISSFM Monday, 09 January 2012 01:31
The
local bid to bring the 2014 Royal Bank Cup hockey tournament to Vernon
has the backing of Greater Vernon politicians, but not much else at this
point. The bid committee is seeking free ice rental for Wesbild Centre for
the event, plus a cut of the concession fees, to help offset costs. Greater Vernon Advisory Committee chair Mike Macnabb says they need more information before agreeing to that. "And until we get those numbers we really can't say very much other
than it sounds like a good idea, and we support it in principal. Now we
have to go back to staff and find out what does this really mean? What
is it that we would give up?" Macnabb says they have to make sure taxpayers will get something for
their money, noting there's still a cost if the ice fees are waived for
the ten day tournament in May 2014. Mike Lane from the bid group told the board if the bid is successful,
the event will leave a legacy for Wesbild Centre, with one
suggestion a big video screen for highlights and replays. Lane also says any losses would be covered by the BC HOckey League, while any profits would be put back into the community. Meantime, Macnabb thinks the Royal Bank's commitment to the event shouldn't just be as the title sponsor. "They had a 6.7 billion dollar profit in 2011, and they're asking the
local folks to waive the fees for ice rental. You have to wonder what
are we dealing with here?" RDNO staff said time was an issue. The bid group needed GVAC's support quickly as it had to submit its application to Hockey Canada within days.
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