Newmarket
July 17, 2008 10:31 PM
By: John Cudmore
The Magna Centre’s role as a central base for community
sports organizations in Newmarket
seemed like a great idea at the time.
Now, it’s more like ... hmmm.
That said, the sports community is still awaiting the chance
to set up shop at the facility, which opened last August with the promise of
office space for several non-profit organizations under one roof.
When the facility opened to much fanfare, sports
organizations in Newmarket
were under the impression they would soon be bumping into each other in the
halls and sharing coffee runs.
Today, there is no indication a common playground will be in
place any time soon in the basement of the facility.
The longer the wait, the more likely sports groups are apt
to seek alternative accommodations, thereby scuttling the notion of group
picnics on the front lawn on sunny summer afternoons.
Credit the Town of Newmarket
for recognizing the trend in which sports groups no longer operate from kitchen
tables, favouring, instead, the more business-like atmosphere of an office
setting.
It’s the execution of the plan that has become the issue.
According to the town’s assistant director of parks,
recreation and culture Ian MacDougall, the process is currently stuck on the
planning end as contractors’ issues are sorted out.
Next will come the tendering process.
In short, delays are inevitable.
“We’ve been in regular communication and are aware of
specific lease arrangements and are working on getting this (solved) as soon as
possible,” said MacDougall, sensitive to the pressures faced by the sport
groups.
“We have a good sense of what we need. Six groups expressed
interest. So far, no one has changed their plans.
“With the ball in the court of various contractors, the
town’s hands are bound. It’s difficult to pinpoint a date.”
Groups initially interested in leasing office space included
the Newmarket Minor Hockey Association, Newmarket Soccer Club, Newmarket
Baseball Association, Newmarket Stingrays Swim Club, Newmarket & District
Ringette Association and Newmarket Skating Club.
However, there are indications to suggest interest in a
storefront presence in the community is not the hot idea it once seemed now
that the novelty factor has worn off.
For instance, NMHA and the Stingrays already have attractive
deals in offices located in facilities belonging to the municipality and are
content. The skating club needs office space and a coaches room to replace its
former office at the Ray Twinney Complex as its operation gradually moves
across town. “We didn’t get the office space we were hoping for last year,”
said Cathy Dombroski, a former president and longtime NSC executive member.
“We’re hoping for this year. It has been really, really
difficult for us. If we could get office space, we’d think we died and went to
heaven.”
The Newmarket Baseball Association intended to reduce its
overhead drastically by leasing office space at the Magna Centre sooner rather
than later.
The organization will be without office space when the lease
at its current mid-town location expires at the end of July.
“I believe we need some sort of physical presence,” said NBA
president Tim Brown.
Newmarket Soccer Club president Lucille Abate is growing
weary of the on-again, off-again status of the organization’s lease with its
current landlord.
Abate said the soccer club, which requires office space for
up to 11 full- and part-time staff, was anticipating moving to the Magna Centre
at the end of last September.
Then it became the end of the year, the end of March, and
now, by the end of this year.
Maybe.
Cross your fingers.
In the meantime, the club has been compelled again to extend
its lease at its current office across town.
“I have no clue,” said Abate, asked to guess at a moving
date.
“We’re still waiting and it’s getting annoying asking over
and over. They have committed the space.”
The extent of worry expended, of course, depends on the
present rent status of your organization. Each organization is on its own and
fending the best it can.
“It has been a frustrating process but we’re lucky we don’t
have those issues,” said NMHA president Stephen Paine, whose organization
has for several years operated an office at Hollingsworth Arena, rent-free.
We are content to wait it out. But it’s tough being kept in
the dark. We haven’t been told a date.”
‘Interest in a storefront presence in the community is not the hot idea it once seemed now that
the novelty factor has worn off.’
How the traffic flow at the Magna Centre plays into this
issue is tricky, too, although not nearly as much as it must be for the current
business tenants. Promised more than one million visitors in yearly traffic at
the time the MC opened, it’s possible that was a slight overestimate.
But back to the sports organizations — the issue’s
impact depends on perspective.
The ringette group, for instance, currently does not rent
office space. It will consider the cost before it makes a committment at the
Magna Centre, said president Chuck Middleton in an e-mail response.
Meanwhile, Stingrays’ president Steve Kingston understands
setting up offices was secondary to the municipality’s desire to get the
facility up and running in other areas.
With a viable main floor setup at the Ray Twinney Complex,
where the Stingrays have been headquartered for years, he is in no great rush
to move his program across town.
“It would have been nice to get everyone in,” said Kingston. “But what if
you don’t get the rinks or pools done? It’s a Catch-22 for the town.”
Jr. A appeal denied
The Ontario Hockey Federation has denied an appeal by core
members of the Ontario Provincial Jr. A Hockey League to overturn a pilot
project involving at least eight member teams starting with the 2008-09 season.
The OHF ruled Monday night the Ontario Hockey Association
did not contravene its rules and regulations in endorsing the pilot project, to
be known as the Central Division, which is to include the Newmarket Hurricanes,
Stouffville Spirit and Markham Waxers.
The goal of the one-year project is to focus on player
development for the Ontario Hockey League and university level hockey in Canada and the United States.
The next step for the core group is an appeal to Hockey Canada
•••
Just Jawin’ ... Aurora cyclist Lee Stevens raised nearly
$16,000 in pledges in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride cross-country ride in
which she recently participated ... Stephanie MacLeod of the East Gwillimbury
Talons has been named one of three recipients of the Carolyn Jones Memorial
Scholarship Award presented to Grade 12 players in the Central Girls Soccer
League exemplifying fair play, leadership and athletic and academic abilities
... Newmarket United’s under-16 girls surrendered just one goal in sweeping
three games in tournament play to claim a quarter-final berth in the Ontario
Cup.
Newmarket will host the Mississauga Falcons Aug. 9 at the
Ray Twinney Complex ... The Aurora Jays host their second fan appreciation
night when the Orillia Majors visit Lambert Wilson Park Monday night in North
Dufferin senior baseball action. Game time is 7:30 p.m. ... Newmarket United
captured the recent Golden Goal soccer tournament in Fort Ann, New York
with a 2-1 victory over St. Leonard Football Club in the boys under-15 division
final.