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Gordon/Barrie Island offer falls short of Gore Bay arena support ask

GORE BAY—The Town of Gore Bay has expressed some disappointment in the amount of funding one of the three Western Manitoulin municipalities (which had been requested to increase their share of funding provided and contribute on an annual basis) has agreed to provide under the proposed shared service contribution plans for the Gore Bay Memorial Arena.

As was reported in last week’s edition of The Expositor, on November 27 a Western Manitoulin shared services meeting was held with officials from Billings, Gordon/Barrie Island and Burpee and Mills in which Gore Bay requested that each council consider a contribution change from an annual donation to an annual contribution based on participation rates of residents in the three, in support of the arena. The townships were informed that currently Gore Bay provides $89,000 or 89 percent of the costs in operating the arena on a yearly basis and are looking to have this, based on participation rates from each of the four communities, decreased to $50,000 or 50 percent, Gordon Barrie Island currently provides $7,000 or seven percent and the proposal was to see this increased to 23 percent or $23,000, Billings from 2.5 percent or $2,500, to $11,000 (11 percent), and Burpee and Mills from 1.5 percent or $1,500, to eight percent or $8,000.

“We have received a response from one of the townships (Gordon/Barrie Island), which decided to increase the annual donation to $8,000 (for 2025) which is not as much as we had hoped,” said town manager/clerk Harry Schlange. “This is a great facility that is used and enjoyed by all residents on Western Manitoulin. The cost to operate the arena is $100,000 per year and currently we (Gore Bay) are paying 89 percent of the costs, with the other municipalities paying a share of 11 percent.”

Mr. Schlange said he had originally been asked to do research as to who uses the arena (from each community) and he talked to the Western Manitoulin Minor Hockey Association (WMHA), adult hockey, Charles C. McLean Public School and others.

“And beyond the town paying the majority of the operating costs, it’s also paying all capital costs on the arena,” Mr. Schlange told council at last week’s meeting. “We are just looking for fairness,” he said, noting that the town has been informed that Burpee and Mills council will consider the request in its budget deliberations for this year, while Billings will be considering it at their budget meeting at the end of this month.

“I want to be clear to council and local residents that we are just looking at a fair deal for the town and our residents,” said Mr. Schlange. 

When council looked at the motion passed by Gordon/Barrie Island council at a council meeting held earlier this month for the $8,000 donation, Mr. Schlange said, “you can see the township’s participation rate is 23 percent and they have decided to make a donation of $8,000. Anything is appreciated, but this does not meet the rate of participation (members of the township who use the arena).”

“It is what it is,” stated Mayor Ron Lane, who asked if any member of council had any comments or input.

“I have to bite my tongue,” stated Councillor Dan Osborne.

Mayor Lane said, “we haven’t given up on the conversation, and other areas of discussion as well as to the long-term future of working together on an arena on this part of the Island.”

Mayor Lane asked if council should send a note to Gordon/Barrie Island thanking them for the contribution they have made. 

“You can,” said Mr. Schlange, noting his ‘disappointment’ with the township not providing more financial support.

Lee Hayden, reeve of Gordon/Barrie Island told The Expositor, “The town had provided statistics of usage by residents in each community. Our council doesn’t agree with the numbers that were provided. Not a lot of people in our township would use the arena, maybe 50. Our council felt that our annual contribution that has been increased to $8,000 would be an adequate amount for the number of residents that use the arena.”

“Council’s position is that if it comes to the town having to charge user fees, maybe that is the way it has to be,” said Reeve Hayden. “We still feel the arena is a valuable asset for all the communities.”

Article written by

Tom Sasvari
Tom Sasvarihttps://www.manitoulin.com
Tom Sasvari serves as the West Manitoulin news editor for The Expositor. Mr. Sasvari is a graduate of North Bay’s Canadore College School of Journalism and has been employed on Manitoulin Island, at the Manitoulin West Recorder, and now the Manitoulin Expositor, for more than a quarter-century. Mr. Sasvari is also an active community volunteer. His office is in Gore Bay.