Elliot Lake Minor Hockey presented at council Monday evening, regarding the impact of the arena closure. Supporters filled the gallery at city hall. That story is here.
"Find solutions, just like you asked of us. Come together, work together to get us back on home ice." - Elliot Lake Minor Hockey presenter.
Part Two - Council responds to Elliot Lake Minor Hockey presentation
'We're all in the same boat. We all care.'
And whether the boat is in political sunshine or a storm, the first opportunity to respond comes to the mayor.
"Most of us up here share your frustrations - the difficulties that we all share with this situation," Mayor Andrew Wannan began his comments. Most of the councillors played hockey in the arena as youth themselves.
Wannan described the difficult months since the arena closed as "a learning process, for sure ... our number one problem for all of our tenure."
"At no point can I say we wavered in trying to get this arena open," he said, and he reminded the assembly, of successes shared such as winning Kraft Hockeyville and attracting millions in other donations.
Wannan explained the arena "was closed for safety reasons. It's not going to open until it's safe. And however long that takes, yes, that's out of our hands."
Concerns for the safety of the wood structure building closed the arena suddenly in September 2023. Work began almost immediately, to shore and plan remediation - the shoring work planned with the potential to be part of the permanent repairs. Approximately six months later, movement detected by structural health sensors sparked investigation of the foundation which was determined in need of extensive remediation. Testing related to foundation remediation is currently underway.
The mayor assured, "Just know that at no point, have we wavered in trying to push this arena forward," he said, also acknowledging that recently it "put us at odds with our own staff because we wanted them to push and open it up."
"And it doesn't work that way, honestly. You have to be a team," he said, adding about the foundation investigation, "It's slow. It's frustratingly slow."
The mantle of responsibility on the mayor's shoulders was at moments audibly heavy however his response was empathetic and committed to a reopening: "When you're down, you've got to find a way to keep going."
"I have faith. I have faith that we'll get open."
"I don't want you to give up hope," the mayor told the gallery, filled with arena users and supporters, young and adults.
'We are fixing this arena for forty years'
Deputy Mayor Charles Flintoff responded next. He assured the residents, "We feel your frustration. All the councillors up here do. We make our decisions based on behalf of the community."
"We have competent staff," he said as he briefly described how reports come to council and the council makes decisions on those reports.
Flintoff wondered aloud, "Are we being too careful with the arena?" It was rhetorical. He reminded everyone about the importance of structural safety. It is a matter especially poignant for Elliot Lakers.
And he referred to a statement made at a special council meeting, December 18, by Couns. Merrill Seidel as he said, "We are fixing this arena for forty years."
Commenting about setting hard dates Flintoff said, "We would love to say, 'It is going to be open. One hundred percent. But we have done timelines. Look where it has got us - everybody frustrated."
"I don't think they are blaming council," adding thoughtfully, "We can pick up the vibes."
"I can't wait for it to be open. Please, don't call your bluff. We don't want nobody calling bluffs," he said, acknowledging comments made during the minor hockey club's presentation.
"We don't want to lose minor hockey, figure skating, [or] anything," the deputy mayor appealed.
'You guys are living this - day in and day out ... we all need to stand as a community'
Councillor Helen Lefebvre thanked the citizens for attending. "It's one thing to hear it and it is [another] thing to see the emotion. You guys are living this - day in and day out. You are frustrated."
Lefebvre reiterated the mayor and deputy mayor's comments about the process for decision-making. And she expressed that the council too, is frustrated with the situation.
"We are pushing hard. The delay is not something we wanted either," she said, also reminding attendees of how large the project is and the difficulties that come with large projects.
"I can tell you, we will get out of it. This is a point in time where we all need to stand as a community rather than pointing fingers at each other. We need to stand strong as a community."
'The mandate is to reopen the Rogers Arena, period'
Veteran councillor Norman Mann: "Council has a mandate to reopen that building. That has not wavered at all," he said also describing earlier comments by the mayor as "appropriate and reasonable."
He reminded attendees of the councillor's own history with the arena. "We've all sat in it either as a participant or a viewer, all through high school, all [through] growing up."
"There has not been one dissenting vote on this rebuild, [not] once."
And he repeated, "The mandate is to reopen the Rogers Arena, period."
Mayor's closing comments
The mayor responded to a citizen's invitation to attend a hockey practice at Massey and "spend a Monday night with us. That would mean a lot."
Wannan: "Thank you. I appreciate that. We are together." And he acknowledged the hurt expressed in the presentation, adding, "We get hurt too."
"This has been a very valuable talk. Again, thank you for coming forward with your concerns."
"This is how it is kind of supposed to work," he said.