Special Series: "When Pigs Fly" This is a collection of articles on the facts, problems and issues other communities are having with their current or planned Conference/Convention Centers.

Proposal would see deficit-ridden facility become university athletic complex only

Lisa Gregoire-Staff Writer - 1998 The Daily Gleaner

Professional hockey, rock concerts and other large venue events may become a thing of the past for New Brunswick's capital.

The University of New Brunswick announced Monday it will conduct a ''usage review'' for the 25-year-old Aitken Centre, home to the American Hockey League's Fredericton Canadiens and CIAU national hockey champions UNB Varsity Reds and host to a slew of big name musical acts.

''Our foremost responsibility now, in light of the city's decision, is to serve the UNB community and to respond to the institution's primary mission,'' said Jim O'Sullivan, UNB's vice-president, finance and administration, in a news release.

''At this point, it is likely that a different future will emerge for the Aitken Centre.''

Mike Ryan, another vice-president at UNB in charge of campus services and planning, spoke to city councillors behind closed doors last week proposing a partnership for running the deficit-ridden facility.

The city, ruled by a no-deficit policy and having just completed its 1999 budget process, delivered a swift ''no thanks.''

The university is now leaning toward turning the Aitken Centre into a comprehensive athletics complex complete with indoor track, weight room, and indoor golf. It's possible the department of kinesiology would also be located there.

Peter Adams, president of the Fredericton Canadiens, said the community as a whole can't afford to lose the Aitken Centre as a public facility. He added if the centre was closed to the public that would mean the end of the Fredericton Canadiens.

''The university said if they can't find solutions they have no alternative but to close the centre down (to the public),'' Adams said. ''That means the Fredericton Canadiens would be out of business. That's why it's important for all parties to sit down and talk about this.''

He added it seems things are moving in a more positive direction with Mayor Brad Woodside saying he would be willing to sit on a task force to look into the Aitken Centre situation.

That's all the University of New Brunswick was asking city council for, Adams noted.

Adams has called an emergency meeting of the board of directors of the Fredericton Canadiens for today to discuss the issue.

Bill MacDonald, secretary-treasurer of the volunteer-based Events Fredericton, said he's not surprised UNB is considering revamping the Aitken Centre.

Atlantic Canada is an expensive place to do business, he said, and it's difficult to compete with Saint John's Harbour Station, the Trade and Convention Centre and the Moncton Coliseum.

Those cities have staff whose only job is to secure large events, MacDonald said. It's community and corporate driven. Fredericton doesn't seem to have that kind of co-ordination or drive, he said.

''Whenever it comes down to dollars and cents, they won't do it,'' MacDonald said of city councilors.

''I think we have to either throw our hat in the ring or let the Aitken Centre go back to UNB and make it a sports facility. We're not going to use it anyway.''

Best to put money and effort into attracting the smaller events which Fredericton can easily accommodate, he said.

Jane Blakely, the city's general manager of operations for corporate services, said there was some talk last year of turning the Fredericton Exhibition area into a modern community centre.

It wouldn't be a full-scale civic centre, she said, but it would be able to host some of the medium-sized tournaments and events MacDonald mentioned. But city hall has put the feasibility study on hold while the exhibition board of directors figures out its future plans.

''Everybody wants to do everything but the experience around the province has not been very positive for these big civic centres,'' she said.

''At some point, we have to stop seeing each other as competition. Maybe our niche is somewhere else. Is Saint John too far to go to see a concert? Not for me.''

The $25-million Harbour Station opened five years ago and was paid for jointly by the city, the province and the federal government.

Mike Caddell, general manager, said Harbour Station is owned by the city but operated by an arm's length commission with representatives from Saint John and the three surrounding municipalities -- Rothesay, Quispamsis and Grand Bay-Westfield.

As of January 1998, all four communities shoulder any deficits incurred by Harbour Station as well as the Canada Games Aquatic Centre, the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre, the Aitken Bicentennial Exhibition Centre and the Imperial Theatre.

''The entire region which benefits from these facilities is paying for it,'' Caddell said. ''So far it's working great.''

Harbour Station, which hosts about 100 event days per year, will have a projected deficit of $97,000 this year and $84,000 next year.

Margaret Hackett, convention and event officer for Saint John, said the city has been successful securing big events because the community has made it a priority.

Though the city doesn't have a lot of money to throw around, it offers staff time, expertise, co-ordination and other services in-kind to help get events rolling.

''It's important for the city to be the cheerleader, the one who pulls everything together,'' she said. ''The community wants it. It's the local people, they pushed for events.''

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