By Spencer Sterritt

Nanaimo spent more than 20x the average on Hometown Hockey

May 8, 2017 | 3:26 PM

NANAIMO — The majority of the other 23 stops on this year’s annual Rogers Hometown Hockey tour came nowhere near spending the kind of money Nanaimo did to host the event.

The bill to Nanaimo taxpayers, at more than $320,000, was more than 23 times the average spent by the 14 communities which responded to NanaimoNewsNOW’s request for budget details.

The average for the 14 other cities was a little over $13,000. Ottawa and Edmonton spent nothing, while Hamilton and Milton were on the high end at over $35,000.

During a November council meeting, coun. Bill Bestwick, who chaired the local Hometown Hockey organizing committee, said Nanaimo needed to “prove to a lot of people” they could do something big with the event.

He said going above and beyond was seen as a way to create a “legacy.”

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“The fact is, we had a glorious opportunity to showcase our city across the country. They’ll remember where they were on (Feb. 25 and 26). They’ll remember the Hometown Hockey event,” Bestwick told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Among the items in Nanaimo’s budget was an invite-only salmon feast on Newcastle Island attended by dignitaries, Rogers TV host Tara Slone and other crew members.

Bestwick said it was more than just a dinner.

“There was far more things involved, of which some was transportation, some was upgrades to the Newcastle Island pavilion, a complete overhaul of the pavilion if you will, from a cleanliness perspective.”

Working with Snuneymuxw was a priority for organizers, according to Bestwick.

“I think our relationship we forged and established through the collaboration with putting this event on with them on Newcastle Island, engaging the First Nation was a significant portion of the event.”

When pressed for further details about the high cost of a dinner which was not open to the public, Bestwick insisted he was “happy” to sit down with NanaimoNewsNOW, as well as City staff, to go over the details of the Hometown Hockey budget line by line.

A meeting was scheduled for Friday, May 5, however Bestwick did not show up and did not reply to a follow-up email asking for clarification.

The most expensive feature for Nanaimo’s Hometown Hockey stop was a $200,000 outdoor rink in Maffeo Sutton Park. The temporary ice sheet, which was enclosed by three walls and a roof, was open for nine days. $55,000 was for the rink mat, which the City now owns.

After the event was over, the City spent several thousand dollars fixing a miscommunication about free parking, which resulted in roughly 100 people receiving unexpected parking tickets.

During discussions on the budget, staff and council made it clear Rogers would bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of activities and publicity for the event and the City had the option of not spending anything.

The Hometown Hockey tour makes 24 stops at cities around Canada and broadcasts live during an NHL game. Live and taped stories, including a Hometown Must, are shared from every city. Rogers provides activities, interactive tents, as well as free food and merchandise handouts.

A City staff report estimated 12,000 people attended the festivities in Maffeo Sutton Park over the weekend. Councillors had previously claimed Nanaimo would receive about $750,000 worth of broadcast time.

spencer.sterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit