How a St. John's minor hockey association faced down a pandemic, and bought a rink
With city backing, Avalon Celtics have found a new home at Feildian Gardens
In what might just be a first in Newfoundland and Labrador, a St. John's-based minor hockey association has purchased its own stadium, and not only that, did so at the height of a global pandemic.
But despite the challenges of operating a busy rink during the COVID-19 public health crisis, things appear to be running quite smoothly at Feildian Gardens, a venerable rink in the centre of the city.
"Right now we're very very happy that we have a very nice rink, and we absolutely love being here," Mark Sexton, president of Avalon Celtics minor hockey, told CBC News.
Player numbers have increased to nearly 350, there's big demand for ice time, corporate sponsors are signing on, and Sexton is confident the Celtics will achieve their goals.
"Over time we will, with any good luck, be successful. We'll pay down our debt, and our operating costs will be lower and we'll be able to charge less for hockey, therefore growing the game," said Sexton.
Celtics gain full control
Feildian Gardens is located in the centre of the city, and has been a fixture on the local hockey scene since the 1960s.
Until this past spring, it was privately owned, and run as a for-profit business.
But that changed after the Celtics scored a unique business deal in May, at the same time the province was being squeezed by strict public health restrictions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
"We did question ourselves numerous times and we could have bailed out," said Sexton.
Confident hockey would return, and with widespread support for the gamble, Sexton and his fellow parent volunteers —many with an impressive background of professional accomplishments — accepted the keys to the rink in a $3-million transaction.
The financing was backstopped by a loan guarantee and other support from the City of St. John's, meaning taxpayers will be on the hook if the experiment fails.
We did question ourselves numerous times and we could have bailed out.- Mark Sexton
But Sexton won't hear talk of that.
"We will be paying it off before that," he said of the 25-year financing arrangement.
To manage the rink, they created the Celtics Centre Hockey Corporation, which is run by the same volunteer board that oversees hockey operations for the Celtics.
Different models at different rinks
Other minor hockey associations in the province use rinks owned by a municipality, or an arm's-length not-for-profit association like the one operating Twin Rinks in St. John's.
But at Feildian Gardens, the Celtics run the show, which is a giant leap for a community group that for many years played out of another privately owned rink — Yetman's Arena, formerly known as Brother O'Hehir Arena, on Bonaventure Avenue — paying above-average ice rates.
The Celtics continue to pay the same rates, but that revenue is helping pay down its debt instead of going to a private business.
Sexton said the strategy is to pay off the debt in less than a decade, and then lower rates to levels more comparable with other rinks.
Part of that strategy includes corporate sponsorships. Even the arena name is available at the right price, said Sexton.
Though it's still early in the season, and hockey during a pandemic is a little different, it's clear the Celtics have settled nicely into their new surroundings.
"Generations to come will see this as the Celtics' home, not a rented space anymore," Neil Ollerhead, a hockey parent, said while watching his son Nathan practise recently.
"This is our space. This is the Celtics' time now," he added.
Celtics executive member Brent Meade said a recent comment from a visiting hockey parent summed up the situation.
"The parent said, 'You could feel you were into someone else's home. You could feel the warmth and the welcoming environment that we had created here.' I thought that spoke volumes to me about what we've done here," said Meade, who has two sons playing minor hockey.
Big responsibility, and stress
But it's far from normal on the ice, or for those wanting to spectate.
There are sharp restrictions on those who enter, with sign-in sheets, hand sanitizer, physical distancing rules and doors that are locked after players hit the ice
Players have to complete a health checklist before being permitted into the rink, and teams are limited to two-line hockey to restrict the number of players on the bench.
"As a volunteer organization trying to manage your way through this and trying to run a facility and trying to ensure that hundreds of players and parents have a safe and enjoyable experience does bring a level of responsibility and stress," said Meade.
While there may be stress, one word you won't hear is "regret," with parents like Neil Ollerhead saying a dedicated home for the Celtics "makes a huge difference to us as a parent group, as a kid group."
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