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Originally Posted by Whaler
Keep in mind that ice arenas (rinks) don't make money.
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Fourplex facilities generally make money if they're properly run. The fourplex in Moncton makes money because they have a good management team.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whaler
Ice rental people all want the good times as the rink sits there empty all day with no or very little use.
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This depends. Sometimes senior players use the rinks through the day, sometimes it's learn to skate, sometimes it's free skate. Having singular arenas like Saint John has this is a money-losing process as you need individual ice machines, zambonis, and employees for
each location. Doubling or quadrupling ice surfaces in a single facility cuts many, many costs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whaler
The new generation doesn't want to get up at 5 in the morning for a practice.
They want it at 7:30!
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This would fall more on the parents than the kids, truthfully.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whaler
We don't need more ice surfaces, we need better management. We need to charge more for these peak times and have good rates for off peak times.
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I agree with your better management statement but the ice times as they currently are are pretty expensive. The issue with the Q-Plex is that it created a market in the Valley where the Q-Plex was asking
so much for ice-time that it inflated the rates for the Quispamsis Memorial. People weren't willing to pay so much at the Q-Plex, they went to the Mem, and suddenly the Mem could charge more because there was more demand. The difficulty is that Quispamsis tried to build and operate their own little Harbour Station and are utterly failing to do so on a financial level because, IIRC, Harbour Station breaks even or makes a slight profit. The Q-Plex is absolutely bleeding money.
The current issue is that Rothesay seems to want to turn a blind eye to this fact and continue full-steam ahead. There's clearly been pressure put on Rothesay after balking on the original Q-Plex and instead have paid the price not only by not investing in the Q-Plex but now by planning their own. I have no doubt a facility in Rothesay will have the exact same financial burden as the Q-Plex in Quispamsis but in a municipality that doesn't quite have pockets as deep as the other.