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5 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,N ovem ber 21,2019 theifp.ca Our 20th An nual 45 Mountainview Road North, Georgetown, Ontario 905.877.7958 e-mail: hassellsauto@bellnet.ca • www.hassellautomotive.comSALES & SERVICE Super FALL Special HASSELL AUTOMOTIVE - Oil & Filter (Includes up to 6 litres regular oil.) - Complete top to bottom check over. - Installation of winter tires (already on rims) included. - $5.00 Tim's Card - Windshield Washer Fluid - 12 Pack of Pop EXTRAS $9495*Call for an Appointment Prices are +HST $7495*7495* Only Synthetic oil (up to 6 litres) Gold 2018 Halton Hills Silver 2018 Halton Hills NOWON! *Most Vehicles. Hockey in Halton Hills comes at a price. Though Halton Hills staff recently recom- mended the elimination of a $25 surcharge for prime- time ice rentals, some resi- dents would like to see the fee reduced further. "There is a $300 hidden tax on hockey players in Halton Hills," Grant Kelly, vice president of Halton Hills Minor Hockey, said, "because the user fee is higher than everywhere else." At the Nov. 11 Halton Hills town council meet- ing, Kelly pushed for coun- cillors to review rates for prime-time ice rental fees. "We knew the rate was high," Kelly said. "We had no idea that everyone else was so much cheaper." In Halton Hills, rental of ice for one hour costs $269.34, the highest fee compared to rates paid by 17 other minor hockey as- sociations in the tri-county area. Of the 17 other associa- tions, when buying ice time from 14 different mu- nicipalities, 10 cost 40 per cent less per hour than in Halton Hills. The lowest rate charged was more than $100 lower, with rates at $154.87 per hour. "We buy between 4,700 and 4,900 hours of ice each year," Kelly said, time, he added, that accounts for $1.3 million in fees. Com- pared to the average of fees in other communities, Hal- ton Hills players pay $400,000 more per season to play. "By far, our No. 1 cost, 70 to 75 cents per dollar we collect from parents goes to the Town of Halton Hills," Kelly said, adding that other large expenses go to hiring referees and membership into the Onta- rio Minor Hockey Associa- tion. The cost to register to play in the Halton Hills as- sociation, Kelly said, is $600, with $400 going to- ward ice time. Halton Hills Minor Hockey has only two part- time employees and oper- ates with over 100 volun- teers. With more than 1,300 players registered for the 2019/2020 season, Kelly said the number has dropped by 22 per cent compared to the previous season. "Minor hockey is one of the first places where kids make a connection to their community," Kelly said, "And being a Thunder or a Twister player matters. Being a part of their home- town hockey association is important." While the fees were high, Brent Marshall, chief administrative officer for the town, reminded coun- cil and residents that the high fees were part of a deal made by user groups in previous years. "There's a cost to oper- ate these facilities," Mar- shall said. "If the funding isn't coming from the us- ers, it's coming from the entire community." In 2011, at a four-and-a- half hour meeting, council and 16 delegations made the decision to construct three additional ice surfac- es in Halton Hills. The costs of which would, in part, be funded by a three- year arena levy, paid be- tween 2013, 2014, and 2015, as well as $5.86 million to be paid by user fees. A $2 million fundraising cam- paign combined with user fee surcharges and one- time registration charges made up the remainder over the coming decade. "We've achieved the tar- get, that's what tells us it's the right thing to do to re- move the service charge, but we're not there yet," Marshall said about reduc- ing the fees. "We're talking about a loss of revenue well be- yond a quarter of a million dollars." COUNCIL HIGH ICE FEES HARD ON HALTON HILLS HOCKEY PLAYERS BRYAN MYERS bmyers@metroland.com Though Halton Hills staff recently recommended the elimination of a $25 surcharge for prime-time ice rentals, some residents would like to see the fee reduced further. Graeme Frisque