In 2013, the Town of Pelham retained LeisurePlan International Inc. to determine the demand for indoor ice time and indoor ice facilities in the Town for the next ten years, and dependent upon the future facility requirement, to prepare a business plan for future municipal indoor ice service provision. Research was conducted to guide and support Council’s discussions and decisions concerning the future provision of arena facilities in the Town, as well as their design, the financial implications of construction and operation, and opportunities for integration with other potential future municipal facility developments—such as a multi-purpose community centre.
LeisurePlan International Inc. conducted the study in two phases. Phase 1 included a review of the current provision of indoor ice services in Pelham, an analysis of indoor ice time demand and associated facility requirements for three time periods (current 2012/13 and 2013/14, short-term future 2014/15 to 2018/19, and long-term future 2019/20 to 2023/24), and a recommended strategy for the provision of municipal indoor ice facilities to the long-term future.
The Phase 1 Report findings and conclusions were presented to Council during their regular meeting on January 13, 2014. The report documents the analysis, conclusions and recommendations associated with the findings of Phase 1 of the study including the analysis and projection of ice time demand in Pelham for the next ten years, indoor ice pad facility requirements for the next ten years, and the identification of arena associated support space and service requirements.
LeisurePlan International Inc. undertook a number of research activities to establish current and future demand for indoor ice services in Pelham. These included an examination of the current and projected future size, age and gender composition of the population of Pelham, an assessment of national, provincial and local trends in indoor ice pad related program and activity participation, an inventory of the provision of indoor ice facilities in Niagara Region, and an assessment of the operation, use and utilization of the existing municipal indoor ice pad.
The research activities also included a Survey of Arena User Groups and Associations in Pelham. The survey was conducted in August and September of 2013. The purpose of the survey was to determine:
Past, current and projected future indoor ice related programs and activities
Past, current and projected future enrolment in programs and activities
Current and potential future indoor ice time and facility requirements
Opinions concerning the provision of selected support spaces and equipment within indoor ice pads
The analysis identified additional demand for a total of between 45.5-49.5 hours of prime-time ice use/week by 2019/20 to 2023/24, which cannot be accommodated on the existing single ice pad. This additional demand for prime-time ice use represents between 59% to 64% utilization of prime-time ice/week of a second ice pad. This is below the consultant’s recommended benchmark of a 75% utilization of prime-time ice/week to justify the development of a second ice pad.
However, LeisurePlan International noted that population growth trends will have a significant impact on potential demand for ice time use and assuming that the population of Pelham continues to increase in the time period beyond 2023/24 there may be sufficient demand to meet the objective of 75% utilization of prime-time ice/week on a second ice pad just beyond 2023/24.
LeisurePlan International recommended that the preferred strategy to guide the planning and provision of municipal indoor ice facilities should be:
Plan for the replacement of the existing single ice pad with a new twin ice pad facility.
Design the new twin ice pad to allow for phased facility development.
Phase development such that one new ice pad is provided as a replacement to the existing facility during the next five years, contingent upon capital financing, and stage the development of the second ice pad for the time period immediately beyond 2023/24.
Phase 2 of the research will examine the various options associated with new facility construction and operation including both a stand-alone, separate, multi-pad indoor arena facility, as well as, an option that combines the proposed indoor arena facility with a proposed community centre to create a multi-purpose arena/community centre complex.
For more information, please contact:
Dave Augustyn, Mayor
(905) 892-2607 ext. 317
Darren Ottaway, Chief Administrative Officer
(905) 892-2607 ext. 318
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