Fans of the Port Coquitlam Saints cheered the BC Junior A Lacrosse League team to its best record in 11 years last season.
But if they want to see whether the team can continue its improvement next season, they’ll have to cross the Pitt River Bridge if Saints’ owner Reg Thompson gets his way.
Thompson, who started the Saints 23 years ago, wants to move the team to Cam Neely Arena in Maple Ridge.
A pitch to the league to do just that was rejected by its board of governors in the spring.
Karl Christiansen, the president of the BCJALL, said Thompson didn’t present a strong enough business case for a move to convince 75% of the governors to endorse it.
But Thompson said he’s determined to head east.
“They’re not going to shut me down,” Thompson said. “If I have to shut down the league and drag the whole thing through court, I will.”
Thompson said he’s frustrated by the ongoing construction of the new PoCo Rec Complex that is making it difficult for fans to get to games. Construction on the $132 million complex, which will include three new ice rinks, a leisure pool and a refurbished Terry Fox Library, started in March and is expected to take until 2021.
Thompson said excavation and demolition work created challenges for people trying to access the current rec centre during the final weeks of the BCJALL season and for the Saints’ playoff games in May.
As a result, Thompson said, the team didn’t earn enough revenues to cover its bills and he had to cough up the difference from his own pocket.
“We usually gauge our success financially on our gate,” Thompson said. “Our gate usually pays our rent but this year we came up $4,700 short. That has to come from me.”
Lori Bowie, the director of recreation for the city of Port Coquitlam, concedes there have been challenges with things like parking and way finding. But those are being addressed and will be further improved with more signage and better communication.
On Aug. 17 the city even hosted a community barbecue at the rec centre to reinforce the message it’s still open and to orient visitors through the facility and to parking.
“I think everybody is well aware that there are some things that aren’t going to be perfect, but we’re focused on the end game,” Bowie said.
Thompson is also worried how his team and its spectators will be accommodated as the phased project moves forward. The existing Blue arena has a seating capacity of 350, while the Green arena holds 250.
Bowie said seating configurations for the three new arenas are still being fine-tuned, but the first arena will have a capacity of 150 to 250 spectators and the second rink will be “very visible” from the concourse area.
She said the city is exploring options for additional temporary seating until the 800-seat “spectator arena” is opened in 2020.
Glen Pollock, the representative for Port Coquitlam city council on the stakeholder group for the rec complex project, said there’s been plenty of consultation with user groups to accommodate their needs.
“I think we’ve been very forthright,” Pollock said, adding when the facility is finished “it will be a tremendous upgrade” for the Saints.
But Thompson isn’t sure his bank account can wait.
The retired auto-body man said it costs $35,000 to 40,000 a year to run the team. Most of that money comes from sponsorship, player’s fees and ticket sales.
If people don’t come to the games because they can’t find their way around the construction, there will be no reason for sponsors to support the team, said Thompson, who estimates the venture he calls his “hobby” has already cost him $240,000 of his own money over the years.
Thompson remains steadfast in his determination to pull up stakes from Port Coquitlam. In fact, personally he already has; he bought a condo in Maple Ridge last year and now he wants to bring his team with him.
He said he’ll make another pitch to the league’s board of governors this fall.
“I don’t want the governors telling me where to spend my money,” he said.
What would losing the Saints mean to minor lacrosse in Port Coquitlam?
