It took some hammering, with both sides doing their darnedest to protect their best interests.
In the end, the Victoria Grizzlies and the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society came to an agreement that lays the groundwork for keeping the team in Colwood for at least the next five years.
On Tuesday the B.C. Hockey League club signed a lease deal for The Q Centre that gives them cost certainty and allows the team to focus on finding ways to boost attendance.
While terms of the five-year agreement were not disclosed, both team and society spokespeople indicated the deal was a compromise for each party.
B次元官网网址淭he agreement is not precisely what we wanted, but itB次元官网网址檚 done now and itB次元官网网址檚 time to play hockey,B次元官网网址� said Grizzlies team president John Wilson.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e glad to be able to have our focus on the ice and not at the boardroom table. We never had any doubt that we were going to have a team here in the fall. Moving forward, we have a great group of kids coming in this season and weB次元官网网址檙e expecting a strong squad.B次元官网网址�
Rob Martin, Colwood councillor and board chair for the society, admitted some tough negotiations went on in the past couple of months.
B次元官网网址淚 think we were on the same page, but obviously itB次元官网网址檚 never a profitable business to be in junior hockey,B次元官网网址� he said. With the team trying to control costs as much as possible and West Shore Parks and Recreation conscious of the public purse, he said, it took some give and take to reach an agreement.
B次元官网网址淚 think we found a very happy medium which allows the Grizzlies to continue to operate and hopefully have a path to financial viability and not put the taxpayers of the West Shore at risk.B次元官网网址�
During the past couple of months, Wilson said, the Grizzlies club has received community encouragement from a variety of businesses and individuals. Not only did that support give them the will to keep coming back to the table with West Shore Parks and Recreation, he said, it has created positive connections to help put more fans in the seats.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e very humbled and appreciative of the community for showing their support for the Grizzlies during this trying time,B次元官网网址� he said.
Wilson acknowledged that the South Island is a tough sports market to compete in, but he remains optimistic that with new marketing personnel on board and new partnerships being made in the community, the West Shore will continue to support the team.
B次元官网网址淗ockey is CanadaB次元官网网址檚 sport and people are drawn to it in droves,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think we had five or six local players on our team last year and weB次元官网网址檒l probably have the same this year.B次元官网网址�
He added that nine players from last yearB次元官网网址檚 team have secured college scholarships, a number he believes is a high for Junior A teams in Canada.
The Grizzlies are one of 17 teams in the BCHL B次元官网网址� Wenatchee Wild will begin play next season B次元官网网址� and have been in existence as a franchise since 1994, when they were the Victoria Salsa. They were renamed the Grizzlies in 2006 when Len Barrie was part of the ownership group and the team was playing out of what was then Bear Mountain Arena. Barrie sold majority interest in the team in 2012 to Ron Walchuk and Vancouver Island Sports and Entertainment Ltd., who later brought in more community owners, including Wilson.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
