North Commons (Canada Games) Skating Oval

[Dmajackson]

Oval attracts corporate, community sponsors
By IAN FAIRCLOUGH Staff Reporter
Thu, Jan 20 - 3:56 PM

People are lining up to put money into keeping the Canada Games Oval on the Halifax Commons as fast as they are lining up to take to the ice.

GoodLife Fitness Clubs has offered Halifax regional council $200,000 for the naming rights to the popular facility.

Mayor Peter Kelly and some councillors have said they want the oval to become permanent after the games are over next month.

And a community group is set to announce on Tuesday a $100,000 investment in the oval. John Gillis of the group Save the Oval said Thursday it has raised more than $3,000 online, and will announce a five-year, $100,000 commitment Tuesday.

GoodLife founder and CEO David Patchell-Evans said Thursday that he was in Halifax earlier this month and saw the hype around the facility.

He said he called the mayor and offered the money for the naming rights.

“Everything in the paper was all about the oval," he said in an interview.

"I thought, what a neat thing … and here’s a way for us to be part of the community."

He said Kelly was receptive to the idea.

“He was really positive. I called him on a Sunday, and he was super positive. He said he had to get the approval of council, and he really loved the idea that people in the community would step up and help out.”

GoodLife or Patchell-Evans has been the named sponsor of the Toronto and Victoria marathons and of various medical and other fitness programs across the country.

“I have to admit this one was a bit more spontaneous,” he said.

“There’s a huge community spirit around the rink. What I like about naming it is that we become part of that community spirit … So many people felt strongly about this, that’s why we wanted to be involved.”

And while potential corporate sponsors are coming forward, citizens are anteing up as well.

Gillis's group will reveal on Tuesday who's behind the five-year, $100,000 commitment. Save the Oval will also present an 8,000-name petition to regional council asking that it keep the oval on the Commons once the games are done.

Gillis said he can’t reveal who is committing the $100,000, “but we wanted to let people know it was coming, on the heels of a big offer from GoodLife.”

He said there are no strings attached to that amount, other than that the project goes forward.

He said the funding deals with what the city says will be a need for ongoing operational funding.

“It shows a commitment to keep this thing going,” he said.

“I don’t want to see neon signs and massive billboards either at the rink or on the Common,” he said. "I think there’s a way to do it in a balanced fashion.”

Meanwhile, work has started on the installation of a warming hut at the oval. The five-metre, tent-like hut has been designed by an architectural textiles research laboratory made up of professionals, and faculty and staff from both NSCAD and Dalhousie.

The 12-person hut, which will open this weekend, has arching wall panels made of custom-designed woven fabric and translucent shingles.

( ifairclough@herald.ca )

Since this topic is really becoming a hot topic here in Halifax I thought it's time for a well-thought out and voiced debate on the subject.