Work being done to have a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) team in Williams Lake was laid out to the Central Cariboo Joint Committee last night.
Before more work and discussions can be done, The KIJHL needs to give the green light to the City, once an agreement is sent.
Director of Community Services, Stacey Miranda says they currently have a first draft of an agreement in play.
“That includes thing like, where in the arena they would locate their office or their dressing room, looking at different kinds of revenue sharing, looking at some of the effects that would have on a longer ice season.” says Miranda.
“We was to have as minimal interruption to the other ice users, however people are going to have to move one way or the other.”
Miranda says everything is sent over to the KIJHL, along with a 5 year contract currently being negotiated, the league will have 15 days to make a decision.
Depending on how the negotiations go, they’re expecting to hear back from the league before the end of March.
As to whether or not this would affect the Williams Lake Stampeders, Miranda said they take care of their own tournaments, games and game sponsorships, and playoff sponsors, which won’t change.
What the City is looking at is board advertising and backlit signs that are sitting empty due to a lack of capacity from Covid.
She says this will add another option for increasing advertising because of the live streamed games, similar to the Stampeder games.
The plan still remains to have a team playing by next season.
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