City council is onboard with providing financial support to bring next year's BCHL All-Star Weekend to Salmon Arm.
At its July 8 meeting, council received a letter and presentation from Salmon Arm Silverbacks general manager Brooks Christensen, who said the city had been conditionally awarded the opportunity to host the BCHL event in 2025, expected to take place the Jan. 17-19 weekend at Rogers Rink (Shaw Centre).
Referring to the Silverbacks' playoff rivalry with the Vees, Christensen explained Penticton is also angling to once again host the event, having done it this year and last.
"Our goal here today is鈥� to make that happen in Salmon Arm," he said, having included in the letter a number of economic benefits hosting the event would bring to the community, adding that for Penticton it generated $250,000.
The 2024 All-Star weekend in Penticton included a top prospects game, an alumni and friends game, a skills competition and an all-star tournament. Christensen said he's spoken with "several of the first generation Silverbacks alumni, and a lot of them are kind of committed to coming back to Salmon Arm鈥� and participating in the alumni weekend if possible so there will be some fairly big names鈥� that a lot of us would remember playing."
Christensen's presence at council had to do with a condition of hosting the event: matching the $50,000 commitment the City of Penticton is ponying up. His request was for support from the city and through Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), administered by Salmon Arm Economic Development Society (SAEDS) and its MRDT committee. Christensen said he'd already met with SAEDS and that the committee would meet to consider the request on July 11.
Christensen said the requested funding goes directly to the BCHL, and is used for such things as accommodations and meals for visiting players. He also said about 95 per cent of the people who attend an All-Star Weekend are from out of town.
"I think you guys need to be complemented for what was virtually a full arena all winter," commented Coun. Kevin Flynn. "To add this and bring people from out of town in January鈥� would be huge so I鈥檇 like to find a way to make this work."
Flynn asked if an in-kind contribution such as ice time could be considered part of the $50,000, and was told it would.
Asked when a response from the city would be required, Christensen said July 15, though he thought it was flexible, and a that the BCHL would be able to give a "little bit more time" if needed.
Responding to a query about the provision if ice time, city chief financial officer Chelsea Van de Cappelle said its impact on the 2025 budget would be a reduction in revenue received by the Shuswap Recreation Society, which over oversees operation of the rink.
"Likely what we would see is an increase in their operating deficit because they鈥檒l still have operating expenses鈥�," said Van de Cappelle. "However, there may be revenues generated from that event that could offset that."
Flynn tabled a motion for council to support in principle a contribution of $5,000 from 2024 council initiatives, and an in-kind contribution of $10,000 for ice time from the 2025 budget, subject to the MRDT and their board supporting the balance.
Speaking to the motion, Coun. Sylvia Lindgren said she was on the fence. Although she saw the economic benefits of it, Lindgren said the felt she was being rushed in making a decision.
"I would prefer to have a meeting with just council, and not the applicant standing in front of us, to have an open discussion about it, to discuss options with the director of finance," said Lindgren. "I just feel like we鈥檙e being pressured here. That the applicant is coming in separate from the budget process which is how everybody else has to come if they want to ask us for things."
Mayor Alan Harrison agreed council doesn't like to be rushed when "we're dealing with public funds." However, he said the event fits the criteria for the MRDT, and that it would be good for the city 鈥� not just for the economic impact, but for being able to say "we held the BCHL All-Star game in Salmon Arm."
"We鈥檙e holding the BC 55+ Games 鈥� Each one of those that we put in our pocket attracts the next one," said Harrison. "These things are very important and they don鈥檛 just come along now and again. You have to be nimble and we have to be nimble at this table, I think, in this regard.
"If the ask was a large ask in money I wouldn't be able to support it. But I think with the partnership of MRDT, hopefully, with the crafting of that motion, I am comfortable with the $5,000 from council initiatives and I believe we will regain the revenues through holding the event through Shuswap Recreation because I bet you they鈥檙e going to make more than $10,000 in beverage and concession sales there."
Council voted unanimously in support of the motion, with Couns. David Gonella and Louise Wallace Richond having stepped out due to conflicts of interest.
