The Co-op Centre is almost complete, which means Meadow Lake and area residents will soon be able to access the numerous services and features the new arena and recreation facility has to offer. During the regular meeting of Meadow Lake city council held Monday, March 24, approval was given to a policies and rates policy for the new facility, a document that outlines the costs involved with renting the Co-op Centre, the adjacent InnovationPlex field house and Legacy Hall located within. “With the near completion of the Co-op Centre, we need to set rate levels that are respective of the beautiful new facility and reasonably priced to encourage maximum participation from those within and outside of our community,” explained city clerk Kaila Lefort in her official recommendation to council. “Before we can accept bookings, we must establish rental rates.”
Lefort went on to note, since the city has not yet had the opportunity to fully experience the operations of the facility, it’s understandable the policy may need to be adjusted periodically as new concerns or challenges arise. “Administration recognizes flexibility will be key to ensuring the success of the facility,” she stated. “After the first year of operation, we will conduct a thorough review of the policy. This will allow us to assess how effectively the facility is being managed, identify areas for improvement, and better understand the needs and expectations of the public. Through this process, we aim to improve and update the policy in a way that reflects both operational realities and community feedback.” Lefort also reiterated the new rates are aimed to bring a balance of being affordable while ensuring operational costs are covered.
“Once the policy has been approved, city staff will be notified,” Lefort added. “The policy will be uploaded onto the website, replacing the current policy. Bookings will then be permitted.” A sampling of the new rates for the Co-op Centre include – during the winter (ice season) – $160 per hour for adults during prime time (Monday to Friday 4-10 p.m., 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends) and $120 per hour for youth organizations. The non-prime time rate for adults is $120 per hour, while the non-prime time rate for youth is $80 per hour. A full day event rental of four-plus hours is $1,000 per day. During the summer (non-ice season), the prime time rate for adults is $40 per hour and, for youth it is $30 per hour. This drops to $30 per hour for adults and $20 per hour for youth during the non-prime time hours. A full-day rental of four-plus hours costs $800 per day, while $200 per event is added if the setup of tables and chairs is required.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the InnovationPlex field house, individual court rentals are $40 per hour or $100 per hour if renting all three individual courts combined. The indoor track can be rented for $40 per hour.
As for Legacy Hall, a full day rental is $800 per day, while it will be $150 per hour for three hours or less. An additional $100 will apply if the stage needs to be removed, and $200 for the setup of tables and chairs A booking fee of 50 per cent of the full rental cost will also apply for the Co-op Centre, the field house and for Legacy Hall, as will a $400 per event damage deposit. Other fees are listed in the policy, which is available from the City of Meadow Lake. When discussing the policy at the March 24 meeting, councillor Conrad Read asked if the booking fee comes off the rental fee. Lefort replied by stating the booking fee secures the space for the individual or group interested in renting it.
“It’s essentially a security deposit, but, sometimes that term gets confused with damage deposit,” explained parks and recreation manager Regan Beck who was also in attendance for the meeting. The rate policy was ultimately moved by Read, seconded by councillor Marty Bishop and subsequently carried. “Kaila and I, as well as other staff, went over this many times, and have really tried to streamline it while, at the same time, recognizing we have have streamlined it too much in some cases and different questions could come forward as we go along,” Beck said. “As all of our policies are, this is a living document.” This is something Bishop agreed with. “I believe we can all appreciate this document is a work in progress,” he said. “We’ve set something up we think is fair, but we can adjust things up and down as needed to be even more fair and to help us break as close to even as we can.”