MLA boosts hockey

By Dan Hilborn
Published Feb. 14, 2004


Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy is optimistic that Burnaby will play host to at least some of the 2006 world junior hockey championship games that are coming to British Columbia.

"There is the possibility, OK," Bloy said after the idea was floated in the provincial speech from the throne on Tuesday afternoon. "We have to have Olympic-sized rinks, and it appears that the Bill Copeland arena would be the easiest to expand."

Iona Campagnolo, lieutenant-governor for British Columbia, raised the possibility of the games coming to town in her speech, which outlined the provincial government's plan for the upcoming year and beyond.

"Just two weeks ago, for the first time ever, British Columbia won the right to host the world junior hockey championship," Campagnolo said. "Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops will join in hosting the world in 2006. With the approval of the International Ice Hockey Federation, exhibition games will be played in Victoria, Nanaimo, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Salmon Arm and Vernon."

In a press release issued just 90 minutes after the throne speech, Bloy was obviously elated with the possibility that his hometown could play host to at least a small part of the world championships.

"This is outstanding news for Burnaby and for sports fans across the country," said Bloy in the press release. "There's already the possibility that Burnaby's ice rinks may play a supporting role in the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics. The throne speech suggests Burnaby hockey fans might catch a glimpse of the world's elite players even sooner.

"This is something we can all get excited about," he said.

But while officials at the Burnaby parks department believe the plan is doable, they admit it will be expensive, and they had not received an official request for space or other assistance by Thursday afternoon.

Dave Ellenwood, assistant director of strategic and business planning in the Burnaby parks department, said refitting the Copeland arena to an world championship or Olympic standard could cost more than a million dollars.

Currently, the ice surface in the arena measures 200 by 85 feet, but to accommodate the games, that width would have to be expanded to 100 feet, as would the size of the refrigeration apparatus underneath the ice surface, Ellenwood said.

"It's not an insignificant expansion," Ellenwood said. "I would say it could cost $1 million to $1.5 million, but that would be a very, very rough estimate."

Ellenwood noted that the city will become home to two international-sized ice arenas when the new speed skating oval is built on Burnaby Mountain prior to the 2010 Olympics, however, that facility is not expected to be ready for use until April 2007, at the earliest, according to the original Olympic bid documents.

Ellenwood also said that Burnaby would have a better chance of hosting some of the world junior games if the tournament organizers agree to use smaller, NHL-sized arenas, as they did when the games were played in Halifax, Nova Scotia this year.

Both the Copeland area, and the Vancouver Canuck's official practice space at the 8-Rinks facility are NHL-sized surfaces.