CENTRAL MANITOULIN—A request from Mindemoya Minor Hockey to keep the Mindemoya arena open for an additional nine days this season was met with considerable debate at the council table, leading to a recorded vote on an amendment and the motion itself.
The motion came from a recommendation from the Water, Waste and Education Committee, moved by Councillor Linda Farquhar and seconded by Councillor Rose Diebolt that reads, “That we recommend to council that the Mindemoya arena season be extended by nine days to March 9, 2025 per the request from Mindemoya Minor Hockey.”
Councillor Brian Bisaillon voiced his concerns and proposed an amendment that would have sent the request back to staff for further research. “(There are) so many unknowns and I don’t think council should be making this kind of a decision,” he said. “Staff and the operators of the arena should be making this decision. I think minor hockey, staff and the operators of the arena should get together and try to iron this thing out—come up to some kind of agreement everybody is happy with.”
“My amendment would be that we turn this back to staff to come up with an agreement that’s acceptable to all parties,” he said. “We just don’t know what’s going on. That’s going to happen in the future. We don’t know if we’re going to get mild weather. I don’t know what the plant will take for cooling. I don’t have those numbers.”
Councillor Brian Mitchell raised concerns about the lack of a thermal barrier under the rink. “Because in the event we got a week of wild weather.”
Councillors Derek Stephens, Dale Scott, Linda Farquhar and Rose Diebolt spoke against the amendment.
In a recorded vote, only Councillors Bisaillon and Mitchell voted in favour of the amendment.
Moving onto the main motion, it was suggested that if staff were not available to assist with cleaning the arena that volunteers could step up and assist. A number of councillors suggested they would be willing to “roll up” their sleeves to lend a hand, including Mayor Richard Stephens.
Staff concerns were raised about the timing of the nine days, noting that the arena is normally closed on Sundays.
It was indicated by a Mindemoya Minor Hockey representative that it was not the intention of the organization to have the arena open on Sunday—that the extension request did not require the arena be open on Sunday.
“I’m just concerned because we have a five-man maintenance team that could be down to two,” said CAO Denise Deforge. “All the buildings in the operation—I understand the importance of the hockey—but if we absolutely do not even have individuals to work. There needs to be understanding that we actually may not have, physically have, people that can come into work on those days.”
Councillor Derek Stephens noted that placing unrealistic burdens on staff could well lead to them unionizing. “That’s something we don’t want,” he said, before going on to suggest that he would “recommend staff unionize to protect themselves.”
“The alternative is that staff get pissed off and either quit or unionize, you guys, and we don’t really want that to happen,” he said. “Well, if these recommendations keep coming through that council keeps overriding staff, as our council in labour issues—I think they should unionize. Because staff needs to be protected here.” Councillor Stephens went on to suggest that forcing staff to make unrealistic scheduling decisions was unfair.
In the end, Mayor Stephens broke the tie to pass the motion. “This is where I earn my money folks,” he quipped. “I’m going to be in favor.”
