BARRHEAD - The Barrhead U18 Steelers players want a dressing room to call their own once again.
In a letter to the Town of Barrhead council, they asked councillors for the exclusive use of Agrena's Dressing Room 5.
"All of us remember when we were younger, looking up to all the Steelers and remember what it felt like when we would have a home tournament and were given that chance to get ready in the Steelers' room. It was amazing," they stated.
And while councillors, during their Oct. 24 meeting, did not feel they could grant the player's request, they did, on a suggestion by Coun. Dave Sawatzky offered a potential compromise in decking the room in the team's colours and allowing them to use it for their games and practices.
When the Steelers are not using the room for a game or practice, it would be assigned to whatever team or group needs a dressing room.
Later in the discussion, councillors instructed administration to determine the costs of painting Dressing Room 5 in Steelers colours. They also asked administration to confirm the details of the Bombers' agreement with the municipality to confirm that the franchise was paying for the use of their dressing room.
For years, it was a tradition as the Barrhead Minor Hockey Association's (BMHA) top U18 team they were assigned a dressing room.
However, that changed when junior hockey and the Barrhead Bombers came to town and, as part of their ice-rental agreement with the municipality, were given permanent use of what had been the Steelers' dressing room.
The Barrhead Bombers are a Tier II, Junior 'A' Team that initially came to town as part of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) in 2019-2020, when the Long Beach Bombers relocated to participate in the newly formed provincial division. The league folded about midway through the 2021-2022 season, with the existing teams rebranding themselves as part of the Canadian-American Junior Hockey League (CAJHL).
Coun. Don Smith said minor hockey finds it challenging to find dressing room space or time for teams without taking another one out of the mix.
In total, the Agrena has six dressing rooms.
He added that there are times, especially for the younger age groups, when the ice surface is split, two Barrhead teams have to share a dressing room, while the visiting, out-of-town teams have their own.
While sympathizing with players, Coun. Ty Assaf said that when his boys played minor hockey, they looked forward to seeing their names in the Steerlers' dressing room, but that times have changed.
"The Bombers are a business and are paying to use the room," he said.
Assaf and Smith noted that although the Bombers are a business, they should be considered the community's team.
"[Young players] should be envisioning walking into the Barrhead Bombers dressing room," Assaf said.
Regrettably, Smith said that he believes the Bombers have a tough row to overcome the stigma that it is a business and the players "have to pay to play."
"It can be tough to buy into," he said. "It is not our kids in the most senior league they can enter in Barrhead. These players can come from all over the world. I look at the Bombers as a business, and we must charge them accordingly."
Assaf added he also believes that the Bombers are not drawing more fans because there is still animosity that "they've taken" the Steelers dressing room.
"It's a shame that there is not more of a buy-in from the community," he said. "They are representing Barrhead. I've bought a season pass, and it is good hockey."
Coun. Anthony Oswald agreed that there are people connected with or are around minor hockey who do feel ill will towards the junior franchise because they are perceived to have stolen the Steelers' dressing room and that the town is giving them preferential treatment when it comes to ice fees.
"That perception is out there, and somehow it has to be changed," he said, adding that some in the minor hockey community believe the Bombers are getting up to a 50 per cent discount on their ice rental fees.
How the Bombers landed in Barrhead and user agreement
In June 2019, the town was approached by the Western Provinces Hockey Association (WPHA), asking if they would be interested in a junior hockey franchise. After starting initial discussions, the municipality opted not to pursue the matter after they learned that the WPHA franchise in Hinton lost its lease agreement with that municipality after it failed to meet its financial commitment.
Council opted against the offer after learning that its team in Hinton did not pay the municipality for its ice fees.
Shortly after, the municipality contacted the WSHL to bring in additional revenue, especially during 'dark times' when the ice surface wasn't being used to help offset the facility's operating costs.
The municipality negotiated an agreement with then-Bombers' owner Ron White for the exclusive use of a dressing room and an additional storage room, which the team converted into an office and a Monday to Friday non-prime time ice rate of $80 an hour, which previously did not exist, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., to accommodate the junior team's practice times.
Council would later amend the non-prime time or dark hour ice time Monday to Friday rate, increasing it to $84 an hour and changing the hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The rate for minor sports (hockey, figure skating, ringette, et cetera) to get ice time before 9 a.m. is $94.30 per hour, while the prime time after-school rental for minor sports increases to $107.10. Adult recreation ice time for Barrhead area groups runs $179.90 per hour, while summer ice for Barrhead area residents is pegged at $179.90.
The Bombers have held most of their practices for the last two years at 7 a.m. to help accommodate players' work and school schedules.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
