Planning for the 2019-2020 Rink Season:
The trailers are an amazing addition to our rinks, and we know that the community is enjoying them very much! Gone are the days of sitting in the snow to put on our skates! We'd like to keep it that way.
As you know, thanks to the generosity of our neighbours and many businesses in the area, we were able to fundraise enough money to pay for two 8x14 trailers and pay trailer supervisors for the season. Since we did this in a very short time, we need to start planning now so that there is minimal risk to us not having trailers in future seasons (we will have to do this annually until we receive City funding).
BECA discussed the future of our rinks/trailers with the program coordinator for the City rinks and with Councillor Laura Dudas, as well as studied our own budget.
This is where we stand:
1. Bradley Ridge (BR) continues to receive funding for rink operation as it has for several years (which this year, the rink operators forfeited to put towards the trailer). BR is on a waitlist for trailer and trailer supervision funding. Unless other rinks forfeit their trailer funding (unknown variable) no funding will be available to BR for years to come for trailers/supervisors.
2. Patrick Dugas (PD) is on the waitlist for rink operation funding AND trailer/trailer supervision funding. Again, it's a long waitlist with potentially several years before we receive funding in for rink operation or for trailer/supervision (that's the side effect of a park being fast-tracked and built several years before planned).
Both rinks are being maintained and operated 100% by volunteers.
Both the councillor and the rink coordinator were very impressed with how our community came out and raised funds for the trailers. We hoped that would earn us brownie points and bump us up on the wait list but unfortunately that's not how it works..... However, the councillor has said that she will help us out, so we will continue to work with her to make this happen.
BECA looked at our finances for the year, and we've determined that we've raised (almost) enough to fund two small trailers (same size) next year. We do not have enough money for supervision (the kids who work at the trailer) for next season. This is not a deal-breaker, as we would still be able to offer kids high school volunteer hours in lieu of the $ + volunteer hours.
Please start talking to your teens now, and help them realize that without their help next year, we cannot run or have trailers!
However, BECA will be making cuts to our budget (i.e. family fun day...one bouncy castle instead of two, for example), to ensure that we have trailers at both rinks in future years. We will continue fundraising efforts.
As for fundraising, if you have connections with small businesses, start planting the seed now... we'll ensure that our sponsors are advertised on our social media, website, trailer, rink....
MOST IMPORTANTLY, we will need rink operators. As you may have seen in the news, without volunteers, rinks cannot open. We are extraordinarily grateful to Yves B., Lorne W., Chris M. and Misha P. for their hard work!