Sudbury council to face off over arena changes

Sudbury city councillors will debate the future of the city's 14 arenas Monday night after a new report thatsuggests three rinks in the outlying areas should be closed and replaced with a new, two-pad arena.

City staff members suggest closing the arenas in Levack, Chelmsford and Azilda. The new arena would be in Chelmsford.

For hockey parents like Shane Brouse who regularly watches his five-year-old son skate on the same ice he learned to skate on the idea the city would even think of closing the arena in Levack to save money is hard to understand.

"I know I pay a lot of taxdollars, I haven't seen roads repaired or my arena fixed up in years," Brouse said. "I don't know where it's going."

Dowling resident and ringette organizer Lucie Poulin said she thinks the city could go further and build a big complex with six ice sheets as long as it's in the right location.

"Find that one spot, that site that's going to get everyone together instead of against each other," she said.

Councillor Claude Berthiaume said he thinks hard feelings will be hard to avoid on this issue.

"Closing arenas is like closing a church," he noted.

Berthiaume, who represents both Chelsmford and Levack, said hes hoping to find some way of keeping the Levack rink open something thats "good news for one part of my ward, but bad news for another part of my ward."

Berthiaume stressed that no final decisions have been made and any decision could be many hockey seasons away.