CENTRAL MANITOULIN—There was no mistaking the displeasure of a number of ratepayers who attended the December 18 meeting of Central Manitoulin council—some of whom attempted to interject comments and questions into the debate. The Property Committee recommendations before council were decisions to not fund the ice surface in the Providence Bay Arena for the 2026 season and to close the Spring Bay Hall at the end of 2026.
Adding to the consternation among the attendees was the last-minute addition to the motion by its sponsor Ward 2 Councillor John Bisaillon to include the decommissioning of the ice plant in the arena—effectively ensuring a manufactured ice surface in facility would not easily be reintroduced.
Councillor Derek Stephens went on the offensive against the motions from the start of debate, alleging the motions were out of order given that the “Property committee never even made that motion, but out of the blue, on a subject that wasn’t even on the agenda, the chair introduces the next two motions,” he said. “I question the validity of motions when something’s not on the agenda.”
Councillor Stephens noted that it was extremely difficult for the public to have any awareness of the issues being discussed if there was to be no forewarning that something was on the agenda.
“You cannot just go, ‘we’re going to make this motion,’ so I question the validity of these motions the next two motions, without public consultation or anything else,” he said. “These motions should never be made.” Councillor Stephens went on to point out that the motion now went even further to “rip the equipment out and everything. No other counsel could even say, no, this counsels is on its way out and should not be making motions that are going to affect this municipality in the future.”
Councillor Stephens pointed out the recreation committee report does not “even speak to a need to start decommissioning buildings now. It says that we may look at it in the future, but we need to be working on the plan and accept the plan first. Let me tell you this municipality is going to be hard-pressed to find $68 million and or the partners to do this (build a new multi-use complex) within the next 10 years. The citizens of this municipality don’t have $68 million for a new complex. We’re going to be working with the buildings that we have now—for a while yet. And without public consultation, none of these motions should be made, nor should we be decommissioning a building that is used, operated and run by the public and with public funds. I will not support this motion, and there’s no way that this motion should even be in this council, maybe right now because it was illegal when it was made.”
A short discussion with the CAO/clerk ensued where it was determined that the motions were in “a grey area” but precedence would indicate they could go forward.
Councillor Rose Diebolt noted that the Recreation Report said that the municipality did not need two standalone arenas. “And on top of that, the extra money we don’t use on the arena, we can put it towards other things in Providence Bay,” she said. “And you’re the one that said before we need to make progress, but we’re not making any progress if we keep putting money into old buildings.”
“We knew this game was coming,” said Councillor Brian Mitchell, noting a number of reports on the situation have been commissioned in the past but the situation is clear in each. “It doesn’t matter how you look at it, we cannot support two arenas.”
“Do I like the fact that we have to close a building or shut down a building or repurpose it? No,” he said. “That arena has been around 75 or 80 years and it has a lot of history. I spoke to the gentleman that helped build those arenas. A couple of them are still alive. You can see pretty well that there are tears in their eyes, because at that time, it was a lot of volunteer labour that went into it. But we’ve come to that the municipality. It’s getting older and we can’t support funding of two arenas anymore. We have to move ahead. We’re going to have to build something that’s a lot newer, and hopefully it’ll last another 70 or 80 years.”
Mr. Mitchell pointed out that Statistics Canada reports the median age in the community was “51 or younger to now we’re around 58. So, our population is getting older.”
“The public has no idea what’s going on,” said Councillor Stephens. “How are they supposed to come to us and say anything? We have public here tonight, who want to speak but can’t. You cannot be making motions like this without public consultation in a public meeting. And I’m totally, just totally against these motions because the public has not been consulted.”
Mayor Richard Stephens then said he would now weigh in. “I’ve been around this scene 20 years,” he said. “My feeling has always been that we’re here representing you, the public. If we have decisions that are tough decisions, and this is a tough decision, I certainly agree that we need to go back and talk to the people that are involved. There should have been a public meeting in my opinion, and it was bypassed for a decision that did not involve input or representation of the public, so I will not support this motion on that basis. I don’t think you as a public were given the opportunity to look at what we were dealing with and what options may have been available.”
“I just don’t, never have, operated that way,” continued the mayor. “I don’t support, in any way, with without an opportunity for the public to come forward to provide some options, ideas, plans and thoughts so that we make the decision based on the facts and the feelings of the community. I do not think all the facts have been released here because we just got the report—and very little of it has been scrutinized by council.”
The mayor encouraged the council to step back and enter into a more inclusive process.
“In my opinion, there is a better and more inclusive process,” he said. “Let’s follow it, and, if the end result is the same, so be it. You’ve all had a chance, and everybody can feel better about it. But there’s not going to be a whole lot of good feelings with this quick way of making decisions.”
Councillor Stephens called for a recorded vote.
Mayor Stephens called the vote, “That the ice surface and Providence Bay Arena no longer be funded, effective November 2026, and that the equipment in the arena be decommissioned.”
Voting yes were Councillors Linda Farquhar, Brian Mitchell, John Bisaillon and Diebolt, against the motion were Councillor Stephens and Mayor Stephens. Councillor Dale Scott was absent as he was attending the Manitoulin Secondary School Awards Night.
A motion to close the Spring Bay Hall was also met with an impassioned speech by Councillor Stephens, who noted that no public building in the municipality brings in enough revenue to meet the cost—that being the cost of providing services the community wants and needs.
In the end, the recorded vote broke upon the same lines at that of the Providence Bay Arena motion: voting yes were Councillors Linda Farquhar, Brian Mitchell, John Bisaillon and Diebolt, while against the motion were Councillor Stephens and Mayor Stephens.
Following the council meeting adjournment, an impromptu public meeting took place as attendees challenged the council on its decisions.
