THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay's city council has voted to significantly increase spectator limits at city arenas, despite uncertainty over costs and implementation details.
The decision came after a contentious debate lasting nearly three hours Monday night, with some councillors concerned they lacked assurances the new limits could reasonably be implemented.
Top city staffers warned that remained unclear, and said it could take weeks to put the new rules into practice thanks to the complications of provincial public health rules.
The new limits approved by council will see spectator limits set at 50 per cent of each arena's indoor seating capacity, the maximum allowed under provincial regulations.
That will result in the following spectator limits:
- Port Arthur Arena – 308
- Current River Arena – 155
- Delaney Arena – 110
- Neebing Arena – 94
- Grandview – 102
The city had previously increased limits to 45 spectators per arena, after mounting pressure from the hockey community.
Several councillors echoed community frustrations Monday that the number seemed "arbitrary."
Lex MacArthur, a local minor hockey coach and parent, said no cases were connected to minor hockey locally last year. Now, with high vaccination rates, he said there was no rationale to restrict attendance beyond provincial requirements.
“The Thunder Bay hockey community has done everything that has been asked of them for 19 months, and now is the time to reward them for their diligence,” said
General manager of community services Kelly Robertson said the lower limits were necessary given limited staff resources to screen hockey spectators and participants, a process that now includes verification of vaccine certificates, managing traffic flow inside the building, and sanitizing equipment per Ontario's regulations.
That would make it challenging to allow the larger limits, agreed city manager Norm Gale.
“We are not at all confident we can adhere to the spirit and intent of [provincial regulations] with these numbers,” he told councillors.
That explanation still left many councillors unsatisfied, with Coun. Aldo Ruberto seeing no reason the city couldn't develop "simple solutions" to those challenges.
The city will consider options like opening additional entrances and exits and training volunteers from hockey leagues to assist with screening, though Robertson said that would be governed by detailed provincial requirements.
City staff will return to council on Oct. 4 with a report outlining any additional costs or operational issues with implementing the new rules.
Several councillors argued it made little sense to rush a decision on capacity limits before seeing that information, but others protested the hockey community had already waited weeks for a solution to their concerns.
Those involved with local hockey have advocated in large numbers, and sometimes aggressively, for the changes online.
“The Facebook comments are out of this world in terms of the volume and how people feel about this particular issue," said Coun. Shelby Ch'ng.
A motion to delay the vote until Oct. 4, from Coun. Andrew Foulds, failed on a tie.
The vote to increase capacity limits passed 10-2, with Couns. Shelby Ch'ng and Rebecca Johnson voting against.
