Halifax man comes up with price tag for hockey rink inside Emera Oval
Posted Mar 27, 2018 05:54:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Halifax man is hammering out a solid business plan for his idea to put a hockey rink inside of the Emera Oval.
Ryan O'Quinn said this has been successfully done in other places, including the University of Calgary and in Roseville, Minnesota.
He figures it would cost an initial $2-million to get the rink built, which he thinks a philanthropist would be willing to cover.
“I do think there is someone out there who shares this vision and passion for the game, and wants to make the game more accessible,” O'Quinn told NEWS 95.7's The Rick Howe Show. “Should that not happen, I think there are avenues with the federal and provincial governments, and even the municipal as well.”
He figures there would also be an annual operating cost of around $250,000, which he believes could mostly be covered by sponsorships.
“It can generate revenue. If we just put a flat concrete pad, that would be great for the community and you could still play shinny and pass the puck,” he explained. “But if we make it NHL-sized with boards, nets and glass, you can rent it out for tournaments, you can have a Mooseheads game there, and you can use it for ball hockey and roller derby.”
O'Quinn wants to build on the success of the oval and have the rink be used year round, not just in the winter.
“It's just a minimal project inside of an already successful project, so this is a slight upgrade to an amazing community effort.”
O'Quinn said he's working out the final details of his business plan before he approaches anyone for funding for the upfront capital costs.
He also hopes the idea will end up in the master plan for the Halifax Common.
