Campbellton hockey survey asks: Should city keep funding Tigers?

The City of Campbellton sent out a survey with the water bills this month to gauge support for reining in the city's financial contributions to the Tigers Junior A hockey team, the major tenant of the Civic Centre.   

"Our goal is not to eliminate the Tigers," said Mayor Stephanie Anglehart-Paulin. "Our goal is to eliminate the blank cheque the Tigers get yearly."

For years, the city made contributions of at least $50,000 a year to the team's budget, which is now about $350,000.  

The contribution has grown in recent years, however, and even grows during the year, the mayor suggested.

"The last eight or 10 years, it's always surpassed $70,000," Anglehart-Paulin said. "Our issue is to try to get a budget and not arrive at the end of the year and have to look for $30,000."

It might have taken this bit of shaking the hornet's nest for them to realize the blank cheque days are over.- Mayor Stephanie Anglehart-Paulin

The team has been playing in Campbellton for more than 60 years, in one incarnation or another.

Initially, the Tigers were a senior team, but in the 1990s, a junior team moved in, under the name the River Rats.

"From the River Rats they became the Tigers again," said Anglehart-Paulin. "We didn't like the name River Rats, obviously."

Survey explains Tigers funding

The one-page survey for property owners, distributed in both official languages, explains how much the city spends on the hockey team, and how much the Campbellton economy could lose if the team were dissolved.

Savings in the city budget could come to $100,000, according to the survey, but the "Tigers inject approximately $175,000 directly into the local economy."

There is also an option on the survey for residents to explain what they believe would be an appropriate financial commitment to the Tigers from the city.

Timing is 'certainly bad'

Social media has erupted with push-back to the survey, including testimonials from former players.

"The timing of the survey is certainly bad," said Ian Comeau, president of the team. "The Tigers hockey team had been guaranteed by the city that 2017/2018 season would be a go. We made that commitment to the Maritime Junior League."

The Tigers raise the rest of their financing through ticket sales, on-ice advertising, sales of programs and major sponsorships. 

The team's organizing committee is restructuring and has plans for fundraisers, he said.

Part of budget process

"Maybe if it would have been into the season itself it would have been better, or if they had explained on the survey that it's a budget process they're doing," said Comeau.

The organization is encouraging citizens to fill out the survey and express their opinions.

"A lot of people say it is an institution," Comeau said of the team. The survey "could put the team in jeopardy, or it could prepare us more strongly financially."

Anglehart-Paulin believes the process will help the team to be financially stable. 

"It might have taken this bit of shaking the hornet's nest for them to realize the blank cheque days are over," the mayor said. "I know what it brings to the community and without the Tigers, we'd lose a staple of the community."