The Blue Mountains council has agreed to a 30 per cent arena rental discount over the next two years for the new Georgian Bay Applekings franchise.
Council approved the discounted arena rental rate at its committee of the whole meeting on Oct. 16. The Applekings are Thornbury’s new Senior AA team playing in the Ontario Elite Hockey League (formerly the OHA Senior AA League). The team made its home debut on Oct. 14 in front of a packed audience at the Beaver Valley Community Centre.
The discount will give the team a $2,304 break on the cost of ice time rentals for the team’s 48 games/practices for the next two years. The team will pay the town $6,074 for ice time each year, rather than the full price of $8,678. The 30 per cent discount is the same rate the town has offered other organizations in their start-up years.
“Giving these guys a leg up to try and get this off the ground is fabulous,” said Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon. “Overall, it’s a win-win.”
Applekings player and co-president Mackenzie Fleming approached council about a potential ice time discount at a previous meeting.
CAO Shawn Everitt said the team’s first home game on Oct.14 attracted 600 people to the stands and the Events For Life volunteers running the arena’s concession stand were doing brisk business.
Coun. Shawn McKinlay attended the contest and said it was a great experience.
“It was awesome. It was exactly what we hoped it would be,” said McKinlay. “The stands were full, I got the last parking spot. It was an excellent evening.”
McKinlay said he had been told that one downtown restaurant did pre-pandemic levels of business on Saturday night after the game concluded around 8 p.m.
Coun. Paula Hope said she is excited about attending Applekings games in the future.
“I’m certainly looking forward to the games. I expect it to be a real community builder,” said Hope.
