Arenas are booked solid, forcing people to travel far for ice time

Ice time is at a premium in Edmonton between hockey, figure skating, ringette and other ice sports and the shortage is causing problems.

Edmonton has 21 city-operated arenas and 31 rinks, but even with those numbers, there isn't enough space for all the groups that want to use them.

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"We put in our request for the ice, just like every other user group, and we're even cautious on what we request, because we know we're not going to get that full request," said Jeremy Haluschak, the executive director of Hockey Edmonton.

The program currently has more than 8,000 participants and are competing with other hockey organizations, on top of other sports.

"How the city operates is they provide ice to a number of user groups," Haluschak said. "Hockey as a whole is going to get an allotment of ice, speed skating as a whole is going to get their allotment of ice … and then it gets divied up.'

There are privately-run arenas that are helping alleviate the pressure on the public ones, including the Silent Ice Centre in Nisku.

"It's been jam packed, and the best part about it is it's jam packed with users from all over the city and surrounding areas," said J.J. Hebert, with Silent Ice Sports Entertainment.

"(Hockey) is growing, and I think that's a great problem to have, but with that comes issues like ice availability, and is there enough ice for all the users?" Hebert said.

The problem with non-city run arenas is the added cost, according to Haluschak.

"You're paying now $100, $200 more an hour to utilize those private facilities," said Haluschak.

A similar problem can arise when travelling outside of the city to use rural arenas, which has been happening more. The increased costs of travelling, sometimes as far as Bon Accord, Thorsby or Gibbons, is put on the participants.

"By forcing us and our participants to go out to non-traditional areas, we're adding those barriers to that sport," Haluschak said.

Hockey Edmonton and Silent Ice Sports agree that more arenas are needed, especially as some existing facilities near or reach the end of their lifespan.

"The one at Coronation was taken offline and it's supposed to be replaced by the Lewis Farms one just up the road here, but that has still not happened," Haluschak said.

"The city has said some of these (other arenas) are already past their expiry date, and what happens when those go down?"

It's not just the youth leagues that are having trouble getting ice time, with adult user groups being "sometimes neglected," according to Haluschak.

"Edmonton had been a leader in sport and amateur sport for a long time and what we'd like to see is that commitment to investing in our facilities, to encourage people to be active, healthy people," Haluschak said.

Outside ice sports, pickleball and basketball facilities in the Nisku area are also having trouble facilitating space for all the groups that want to use them, added Hebert.

"I think it's outstanding that people are getting out and being active and continuing to participate in sport," Hebert said.

"We just need to find a way to continue to keep up with the facilities, whether it's new facilities or maintaining old facilities, hopefully we're able to do that as a community."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenny