WHL makes promise to Nanaimo ahead of rink vote

n00bxQb

Registered User
Jul 26, 2010
3,178
524
The problem with this proposal was not the fact that it was being funded with public money, but that it was rushed, and was rushed primarily because of an artificial deadline set by the WHL.

Having followed politics in BC at the provincial and municipal level for two decades, I can't think of a single major project that went from conception to referendum in less than three months. That timeline is crazy for an $80 million project in a city of less than 100,000. I've talked to people who have sat as municipal councillors in communities around the province; they said the way to get something like this approved is to put it in front of the public for a year to 18 months, but to start talking about the actual benefits beyond a WHL team - which would fill the building 36 nights a year.

Nanaimo is pretty well suited to be an entertainment hub for about 300,000 people from Duncan (20 minutes south) to Campbell River (90 minutes north). A 5,000-seat arena brings in a lot of B-List acts. You don't get the major arena shows, but a lot of good Canadian bands would come to a facility like that, plus some of the aging rock shows and the up-coming acts. Shows that people would have otherwise had to go to Victoria to see would add a date in Nanaimo with a facility of that size, which is a net benefit to the community, beyond the addition of another ice facility. Then you have the possibility of attracting significant sports championships (World Women's tournament, perhaps or national or world curling championships) and you start to see an advantage to a new facility.

But the entire proposal was "vote to spend $80 million for a hastily planned arena and we'll bring the Kootenay Ice here." That was doomed to fail.
As someone who lives in Duncan and works in Nanaimo, I wish Duncan was only 20 minutes south of Nanaimo :laugh: More like 40-50 minutes depending on traffic.

I agree with you on everything else.

Recent census populations:
Nanaimo - 104,900
Parksville - 28,900
Duncan - 44,500
Port Alberni - 25,100
Courtenay - 54,200
Campbell River - 37,900

Roughly 300,000 population within a 90-minute drive of Nanaimo, about 200,000 within a 60-minute drive.

It's mind boggling how little Nanaimo takes advantage of it when it comes to drawing people in (and keeping their own people in) to town to spend money.
 

OSA

Registered User
Jun 11, 2011
1,120
432
I heard that rumor. I think blaming the Chynoweth's for the lack of support is a cop out. Even when the Ice were doing well and winning championships the fan support was subpar at best. I'm not one to wish for any city to lose their team but I think in this instance the writing has been on the wall for a very long time. Cranbrook isn't a viable WHL market and the team would be better off elsewhere, IMO.

As someone who has seen games in towns all over the CHL, I have to say that Western Financial Place, in its present state, is a facility that time has passed by.

While it would have been an acceptable facility even less than 10 years ago, it no longer is so.

First, a video scoreboard is virtually standard for any operating arena housing a WHL/CHL franchise. Is there any other WHL/CHL arena that doesn't have one? While the boards are not always used to the best of their ability, they do nevertheless improve the game day experience for fans.

Second, how can a WHL franchise share its arena entrance with the local indoor pool? In fact, you see the pool before anything WHL hockey-related. It's very amateurish and I was quite surprised.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, the ICE seem to lack an identity within the arena itself; I was not struck with the impression that the arena was the "ICE's" arena. While I appreciate the "community" aspect of the facility, there should not be more displays of a local wrestler from the 1970's gracing the walls of the concourse than there are of the ICE's history. In fact, most of the displays around the concourse are extemely amateurish and ought to removed and/or replaced. Every facility I've been to, community owned or otherwise, has had the distinct feel that it was the CHL team's arena. This feeling/perception is severely lacking Cranbrook.

Really, the WHL has grown beyond what exists in Cranbrook facility-wise. When you charge $23 for a ticket, I think people should expect a more substantial gameday presentation and atmosphere. The Rec Centre is sort of caught between being a WHL/CHL facility and a Tier II arena.

None of this ought to excuse the people of Cranbrook's abysmal support for the ICE, particularly in light of the on-ice success the community has enjoyed over the last 15 year....success that many other franchises could only dream of having. And perhaps because of this lack of support the ownership feels like the ICE are being taken for granted and thus they are unwilling to add to the modernization of the arena. All I'm saying is that the modern WHL/CHL demands a facility that offers a more robust game day experience. Perhaps if this existed in Cranbrook, more fans would be inclined to attend games at the current cost of a ticket and the team would be far more stable than it currently is.

Edit: I will also add that replacing the eggplant purple and teal colour-scheme of the arena is long overdue.
 

Hordichuk_24

Registered User
As someone who has seen games in towns all over the CHL, I have to say that Western Financial Place, in its present state, is a facility that time has passed by.

While it would have been an acceptable facility even less than 10 years ago, it no longer is so.

First, a video scoreboard is virtually standard for any operating arena housing a WHL/CHL franchise. Is there any other WHL/CHL arena that doesn't have one? While the boards are not always used to the best of their ability, they do nevertheless improve the game day experience for fans.

Second, how can a WHL franchise share its arena entrance with the local indoor pool? In fact, you see the pool before anything WHL hockey-related. It's very amateurish and I was quite surprised.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, the ICE seem to lack an identity within the arena itself; I was not struck with the impression that the arena was the "ICE's" arena. While I appreciate the "community" aspect of the facility, there should not be more displays of a local wrestler from the 1970's gracing the walls of the concourse than there are of the ICE's history. In fact, most of the displays around the concourse are extemely amateurish and ought to removed and/or replaced. Every facility I've been to, community owned or otherwise, has had the distinct feel that it was the CHL team's arena. This feeling/perception is severely lacking Cranbrook.

Really, the WHL has grown beyond what exists in Cranbrook facility-wise. When you charge $23 for a ticket, I think people should expect a more substantial gameday presentation and atmosphere. The Rec Centre is sort of caught between being a WHL/CHL facility and a Tier II arena.

None of this ought to excuse the people of Cranbrook's abysmal support for the ICE, particularly in light of the on-ice success the community has enjoyed over the last 15 year....success that many other franchises could only dream of having. And perhaps because of this lack of support the ownership feels like the ICE are being taken for granted and thus they are unwilling to add to the modernization of the arena. All I'm saying is that the modern WHL/CHL demands a facility that offers a more robust game day experience. Perhaps if this existed in Cranbrook, more fans would be inclined to attend games at the current cost of a ticket and the team would be far more stable than it currently is.

Edit: I will also add that replacing the eggplant purple and teal colour-scheme of the arena is long overdue.

Well said. Kootenay also has one of the worst webcasts in the league. When you really break it down there isn't a whole lot going well for the organization. And without consistent fan support and money the franchise really can't expect to grow. I don't think it's a matter of if they move it's when. And I'm a little surprised it hasn't already happened.
 

SNIPE

Wheaties #1
Mar 12, 2013
55
0
Nailed it OSA

I was in Cranbrook for the first time. I did not see anywhere in the city that showed they have a WHL team. If you didn't already know the team was there you would have no idea. Plus I heard the player facilities (dressing room, lounge area, work out area) appear to date back to Paul Newman and the Slap Shot movie. To turn this ship around some money and serious PR work is needed.
 

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