ESTEVAN - Estevan city council received additional information on the amount of activity for Estevan Minor Hockey Association (EMHA) teams in Bienfait and Midale during the Jan. 13 council meeting.
Lois Feaver, the recreation director in Midale, wrote that over the past three years, Midale has tracked the hours of facility usage by EMHA teams at Midale's Harry O Memorial Arena, and the data indicates that reducing rates has significantly increased usage, making it beneficial for the EMHA and Midale's rink. The current rate is $130/hour on weekdays and $120 per hour on weekends, down from $160 per hour in 2022-23 and $165/hour in 2023-24.
The EMHA used the Midale rink for 42 hours in 2022-23 and 53 hours the following year. In the first two months of the 2024-25 season, they used it for a total of 31 hours.
The numbers do not include any collaborations between Weyburn and Estevan teams within several female hockey divisions or for minor hockey provincial tryouts.
As for Bienfait, recreation director Sarah Yoner said EMHA teams had 353 hours at the rink for the 2023-24 season, while men's and women's recreation hockey, the Estevan Figure Skating Club and the Estevan Strippers' tournament accounted for 67.76 hours.
In October and November 2024, the EMHA had used the Bienfait rink for 104.5 hours, while recreation hockey and the Estevan Figure Skating Club have used it for 12.5 hours.
This does not include private ice rentals that are from Estevan, Yoner said.
She noted the arena's calendar is fully booked.
Coun. Brian Johnson had asked for the information late last year. He pointed out the Bienfait Memorial Arena had approached the previous council late in its term about supporting a collaborative renovation project, and Johnson said the reports show there is an "outstanding number" of young and adult hockey players using these facilities.
"If there's anything that comes back to us from a request from these groups, we can also look at this information and hopefully help us with that decision," Johnson said.
