Recently it’s reported in the Abbotsford News, that our city manager says we intend to honour our 10-year contract with the Abbotsford Heat.
This is a multi-million dollar loss, and I for one would like to know why.
Why do we intend to honour it? Why do I have to subsidize an AHL hockey team to ensure that the owners make five million dollars in revenue a year?
For crying in the sink, tell me why.
I for one don’t feel it’s necessary to honour a 10-year contract if a more popular team wanted to come here.
I would absolutely jump at the opportunity, not try to shush it up, (obviously somebody does like the Heat).
Hockey teams are traded all the time. I feel like I should repeat that, hockey teams are traded all the time.
It doesn’t matter if the Calgary owners like the sweet deal – if they aren’t working out, just say good-bye.
Should the opportunity arise to have the Manitoba Moose come here, as is heavily rumored, I don’t think it would be very prudent to honour that very sad contract with the Heat.
Let’s buy them all one last plane ticket and not miss the chance to have the arena possibly make money like it was promised before it was built.
Our city councillor MacGregor says, “you don’t go forward by looking backward,” (which to me sounds exactly like something Ricky Bobby would say.)
Actually, I think you don’t go forward by doing the same stupid things you have already done that didn’t work.
Maybe Coun. MacGregor has heard the expression, “don’t throw good money after bad.” I don’t think the Heat will work no matter how many more millions you throw at it, and I don’t want him to wait eight more years to figure that out.
I would also like to know where the cost of advertising is in these budgets that the city is putting out?
There is likely hundreds of thousands being spent on advertising for the Heat, with big ads in every newspaper, on at least a couple radio stations, on road signs all over town and what looks like one of every six bus benches in the Lower Mainland.
Let’s not hide that expense, oh, say in some obscure parks and rec budget.
Anne Graham