Grey Highlands council has narrowly voted in favour of lower ice rental rates at Rocklyn Arena for the coming season.
Although it took multiple resolutions, an amendment and a rare challenge to one of Mayor Paul McQueen’s decisions, council ultimately voted in favour of lowering the prime-time ice rental rate in Rocklyn to $117 per hour from the recently set $132 per hour.
Coun. Nadia Dubyk initially brought the Rocklyn resolution to the table. She noted that council recently made a uniform prime-time ice rental rate of $132 at all four of the municipality’s arenas. She noted that prior to that decision, Rocklyn’s rate was $102 an hour. Dubyk said the increase represented close to a 30 per cent jump all at once.
“That jump is just too big and too fast,” said Dubyk.
In her resolution, Dubyk asked that the Rocklyn rate drop to $117 – meaning the increase for the 2024/25 ice season would be $15. Dubyk also noted that Rocklyn has a smaller ice surface than the other rinks in Feversham, Flesherton and Markdale.
She also pointed out that the new rate in Feversham was a $15 per hour increase and in Markdale and Flesherton the new rate was a $5 per hour increase. Dubyk’s resolution also asked that Rocklyn’s arena be identified on the municipal website as having a smaller ice surface to ensure renters were aware of that fact.
Dubyk’s resolution set off a procedural back and forth with a number of twists and turns.
Dubyk’s first resolution was defeated in a 4-3 vote with just herself, McQueen and Coun. Joel Loughead in favour.
A second resolution to clearly denote the size of each arena’s ice surface on the municipality’s website and rental page was quickly passed in a unanimous vote.
Dubyk then took another shot at lowering the ice rental rate. She proposed a resolution for a $15 increase to $117 for the 2024/25 season, with the rate rising to the full $132 in 2025/26.
This led to Deputy Mayor Dane Nielsen asking for a point of order and suggesting Dubyk’s new resolution should be a new notice of motion for a future meeting. However, McQueen – as chair of the meeting – ruled Dubyk’s new resolution in order and allowed it to come to the council table.
Nielsen then challenged the mayor’s ruling, which led to a 4-3 council vote to uphold the mayor’s decision to allow the resolution. Nielsen and Councillors Paul Allen and Tom Allwood were opposed.
Nielsen then pointed out that the municipality’s new policy is to review the ice rental rates on an annual basis. He said the second motion from Dubyk was “pre-determining” a rate for the Rocklyn arena before the review took place. He noted that the new resolution was essentially the same as the previous resolution defeated by council, but with different wording.
“Frankly, I think it’s inappropriate the way we’re trying to skirt around a decision we just discussed at the council table,” said Nielsen.
At that point, Coun. Dan Wickens moved an amendment to Dubyk’s resolution that called for the Rocklyn rate to be $117 in 2024/25 and then rise to the same rate as the other arenas for the 2025/26 season. The amendment passed in a 4-3 vote with Nielen, Allen and Allwood opposed.
Subsequently, the full motion passed in a 4-3 vote the same three members of council opposed.
