The North Cariboo Joint Advisory Committee was prepared to debate the pros and cons on the impact of having a team in this league at Tuesday night’s meeting but it was no longer necessary.
Jeff Norburn is the City’s Director of Community Services…
“With regard to the item about the GMHL. In communication with them today they have rescinded their offer for us to host a team for the 2021-2022 season. So the report that sort of accompanied that item is really moot I guess in that the decision was made by the GMHL to withdraw their offer.”
Some of the items that were going to be discussed included advantages of having a team such as generating revenue, boosting the local economy and providing spectator entertainment versus scheduling conflicts with other arena users such as the Quesnel Kangaroos and the ability to attract a “sanctioned” Junior A or Junior B team.
The Greater Metro Hockey League is based out of Ontario but does have four teams in Northern Alberta, and was looking to expand into BC.
It is independent of Hockey Canada.
City Councillor Martin Runge suggested that they still have a discussion on arena use.
“I do think sometime there should be some kind of discussion on facilities use and other teams. Some of those points that came up, possibly not for this league but into the future, this discussion I think we should sometime have.”
A presentation was made to the Committee back in January about a team not only going into Quesnel, but also potentially Williams Lake.
The future of a possible Lake City team wasn’t mentioned at last night’s meeting.
John Massier, the Cariboo Regional District Director for Area C, successfully presented a motion to send a letter to the league thanking them for their consideration, and inviting them back should they wish to make another proposal down the road.
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