City to continue managing Sudbury Arena, in wake of talks with Wolves

The reins of the Sudbury Arena will remain in public hands, for now.

The city and the Sudbury Wolves have decided not to transfer day-to-day operations over the hockey club.

Greater Sudbury city council endorsed the plan in June, citing the annual losses of $541,482 in running the 66-year-old rink.

Handing over the keys to the arena's largest tenant was expected to immediately shave $115,289 off the city budget.

But Wolves vice-president of marketing Andrew Dale says both sides decided over the summer that the status quo was a better way to bring more events to the arena and bring in more money.

"And that absolutely remains the plan," he told CBC News.

"That as we go to grow and take on additional activities in the form of events, shows and uses that we would work collaboratively with the management in the arena."

Collaboration will remain key

Dale says the city and Wolves realized that they could work within the existing arrangement to still achieve their goals.

"Work together in a new way to increase revenue, increase events, increase attendance, while at the same time offering the opportunity to save on expenses through efficiencies, finding those, decreasing costs and just thinking different," says Dale.

He says this decision has no bearing on who will operate the replacement for the Sudbury Arena, expected to be built on the Kingsway in the coming years.

This issue comes back before Sudbury council on Nov. 1, when it is noted in a staff report.

"The City will continue to be the operator of the Sudbury Community Arena as before, with no impact on City personnel," the report reads.

"The City will collaborate with the Sudbury Wolves Hockey Club as described in the report and within the current use and occupation agreement to increase the number of concerts, shows and sporting events held at the Sudbury Community Arena, which will increase revenue and contribute to reducing the cost of the facility."