WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 2016
LOSS OF RUGBY LEGEND Teammates remember Abbotsford Sports Hall of Famer John Cannon A3
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Abby Centre deficit drops; hunt for tenant continues Facility subsidized by $1.24 million last year
LEADERSHIP RECOGNIZED A10 Annual awards honour
Tyler OLSEN
organizations and businesses for environmental stewardship
Abbotsford News
Nearly two years after the Abbotsford Heat played their last game in the Fraser Valley, the arena the American Hockey League team once called home is consuming fewer tax dollars than ever, council heard Monday. The Abbotsford Centre recorded an operating deficit of $1.24 million in 2015, and is on pace for a better year in 2016, council was told. The 2015 figure is nearly $500,000 better than 2014 and about half of the subsidy the facility received between 2010 and 2013, when the city was also paying millions of dollars to guarantee the now-departed Heat broke even. If a new major tenant is found, city manager George Murray told council that he is confident the arena’s deficit will drop to below $1 million. But finding a hockey team for the facility is proving elusive. Although rumours suggested the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants may be considering moving, possibly to the Langley Events Centre, the team’s owner has ruled out playing further east in Abbotsford. And while a Giants’ move to Langley could affect that city’s British Columbia Hockey League team, the Rivermen, there has been no indication that club would consider the Abbotsford Centre as a possible home. And while it was announced earlier this month that two American Hockey League teams will relocate for next year, neither is coming to B.C. Mayor Henry Braun told The News that he was less hopeful a tenant would be found than he was three months ago. He confirmed the city had spoken to the Giants, but those discussions hadn’t Continued on A3
PARENTAL CONCERNS A7 Mental health program patients living next to school prompt debate about safety
GAS STATION ROBBERY A4 Knife-wielding man at large after morning holdup of convenience store
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85¢ Joan Jett recently played the Abbotsford Centre, which continues to draw major musical acts to its JOHN MORROW Abbotsford News stage as the search continues for a sporting tenant.
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