Sports in Ottawa (misc. articles/news)

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Yes which would be too bad. Too bad suburban councillors and staff consider everyone a driver and therefore there to be other rinks in the area. Sure St-Laurent is a short drive away but for many in the area it's inaccessible on foot or by transit.

Remember that uOttawa has two ice pads across the street from Sandy Hill Arena with a 550 car parking garage attached.There is already some community use of this facility and that has impacted on the Sandy Hill Arena.

The new facility may or may not have another parking garage. It will likely have a direct connection to the Lees LRT Station and the university parking lots on Lees Avenue. We do not know what will actually be built yet.
It is taking a long time for the university to put all this together.There are complicated negotiations with both public and private partners to get it done.
What ever is built will probably involve sharing the use of it with the community.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

Remember that uOttawa has two ice pads across the street from Sandy Hill Arena with a 550 car parking garage attached.There is already some community use of this facility and that has impacted on the Sandy Hill Arena.

The new facility may or may not have another parking garage. It will likely have a direct connection to the Lees LRT Station and the university parking lots on Lees Avenue. We do not know what will actually be built yet.
It is taking a long time for the university to put all this together.There are complicated negotiations with both public and private partners to get it done.
What ever is built will probably involve sharing the use of it with the community.

True, but the UOttawa rinks are not primarily a community facility, nor would the Rec complex be. They are nice complimentary facilities, but they tend to be more expensive to rent and the prime times are taken up by the university.

Sandy Hill is probably the nicest community rink in the urban core. It’s used by a couple of competitive programs and two local hockey associations. The university rinks are fine for a few men’s leagues, but they do nothing for those groups.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by phil235

Not everyone. I coach minor hockey in arenas like Brewer and McNabb, and I would guess that a good 20-25% of the kids walk at least some of the time. And there are other uses of the arenas as well. The number of walkers is probably higher for public skating, skateboarding, lacrosse etc.

Organized hockey would be the overwhelming revenue generator for these facilities. Public skating is certainly a money-losing venture (although a very fun time). I'm surprised your walking numbers are as high as you say they are.

Originally Posted by phil235

The problem with multiplexes (aside from diminishing the community connection) is that they require massive parking lots which don’t really work in urban areas, especially in established parks where most single pas arenas are located. Underground parking is too expensive.

I agree. It works for hockey because hockey is an inherently middle class sport, so locating multiplexes where these people live (see: Kanata/Gloucester) doesn't really bother too many people. People in heavy urban areas like Centretown simply aren't as likely to play hockey as a family in Orleans is, and this mostly just comes down to demographics. I don't think i've ever heard of any kind of push from the hockey community for more urban local arenas.

Originally Posted by phil235

To me the question is more than just the cost of staff and aa zamboni. You need to weigh that against the impact of forcing almost everyone to drive, or paving over big swaths of your central city for these complexes. This being Ottawa, I expect that the likely outcome is to shift these facilities to the suburbs and abandon the core altogether.

This isn't a specific Ottawa issue. I can't think of a single municipality in Canada that has successfully built urban hockey arenas in the 21st century. The sport, the demographics, and the cost push it towards suburbs.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by JHikka

This isn't a specific Ottawa issue. I can't think of a single municipality in Canada that has successfully built urban hockey arenas in the 21st century. The sport, the demographics, and the cost push it towards suburbs.

I can't remember the exact year it was built, but if it was before 2000, it wasn't that long before, but London has a 4 pad arena, one that's Olympic size with 1500 seats, at the Western Fair grounds just east of downtown. (and to the west of that a bit is one of the largest indoor soccer facilities in the country as well, and it was built this century).

[rocketphish]

Goodbye soccer... hello rugby!?

Professional rugby a good bet for TD Place in 2021

Tim Baines, Postmedia
Updated: November 8, 2019

Plans to launch a professional rugby club in Ottawa are moving ahead, with an official announcement and possibly the team’s first coach expected early in 2020.

Eric Perez, one of the founders of the highly successful Toronto Wolfpack, is leading a group that plans to have an Ottawa team on the field in 2021 — in the English-based Rugby Football League. The Wolfpack became a transatlantic team in 2017, joining the RFL, and have already leaped ahead to become a Super League team. Earlier this week, the Toronto team made a splash by signing All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams to a two-year contract worth a reported $10 million.

Perez’s Canadian group bought the third-tier Hemel Stags team with hopes of moving it to Ottawa.

“I can tell you we are getting professional rugby in Ottawa, 2021 is still the goal,” Perez said Friday. “We’ve already been approved for the move, we’re just crossing t’s and dotting i’s on our deal to move it — both with OSEG and the RFL. Actually, it’s more with the RFL over in England, we’ve pretty much got the deal done with OSEG.”

So, why Ottawa?

“I just think people in Ottawa would like gladiatorial sports, where people are putting their body on the line. It’s action-packed and every once in a while a fight breaks out. It’s perfectly suited for the psyche of the city, which is a no-BS kind of town.”

Then there’s the potential of matches against the Toronto team, whose popularity has skyrocketed.

“We’ll have a pretty strong rivalry (with Toronto), hopefully we’ll play a series every year even though we’re not in the same division,” Perez said. “It’s possible Sonny Bill Williams could be playing a match (in Ottawa) in 2021.

“We’re looking to get promoted very quickly. We definitely want to move up to the second division. We’ll be looking to bring in the type of talent to make that happen. We’ll also be looking at good local talent. At Carleton and U of O, there are some very talented football players we feel could move into the space of a rugby league. It’s a very similar sport, there are a lot of transferable skills. We’re looking to have a bit of a Canadian flavour to the team, being in the nation’s capital. We’re going to put together an exciting product and treat Ottawa to some cool international sports.”

There’s the potential of a local tryout camp, with elite prospects being taken to England to play for a season in the fourth division before Ottawa begins play in 2021.

https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/other-s...wcm/7ae8b3e1-8db1-48e9-8623-2790c31b3d88

[phil235]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Organized hockey would be the overwhelming revenue generator for these facilities. Public skating is certainly a money-losing venture (although a very fun time). I'm surprised your walking numbers are as high as you say they are.

Brewer is very walkable from the west side of Old Ottawa South, and McNabb is walkable from the west side of Centretown (areas with a lot of one-car or no-car families), so we likely have higher numbers than most associations. Minor hockey pays lower hourly rates, so I would guess that adult rec is probably the biggest money maker.

I agree. It works for hockey because hockey is an inherently middle class sport, so locating multiplexes where these people live (see: Kanata/Gloucester) doesn't really bother too many people. People in heavy urban areas like Centretown simply aren't as likely to play hockey as a family in Orleans is, and this mostly just comes down to demographics. I don't think i've ever heard of any kind of push from the hockey community for more urban local arenas.

Less likely for sure, but there are still lots of kids from those areas playing (a guess, but I’d say 15 or 20% of our registration comes from Centretown). Ottawa Centre Minor Hockey is pushing pretty hard to maintain Brewer. To me, it’s important to keep those facilities accessible to the urban dwellers, if not for hockey/ringette, then for skating programs.

This isn't a specific Ottawa issue. I can't think of a single municipality in Canada that has successfully built urban hockey arenas in the 21st century. The sport, the demographics, and the cost push it towards suburbs.

Very true - the economics of urban arenas make for a huge challenge. I’d say that’s all the more reason to fight to keep the ones we have.

[acottawa]

I know nothing about soccer, but just by reading this thread it would seem like CPL would have been a better fit for the fury as the lower costs would have better matched the fury's revenue. I think CPL also has national TV coverage on CBC, whereas USL does not.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Phil wrote

True, but the UOttawa rinks are not primarily a community facility, nor would the Rec complex be. They are nice complimentary facilities, but they tend to be more expensive to rent and the prime times are taken up by the university.

We do not know that for sure concerning the new complex. It depends on what type of management agreement is reached by the university, the city, the NCC, and any private partners.

Local government currently holds all the cards because they control the land needed to build this. The NCC may continue to own the land and only lease it to the partners who build the complex, just as they lease the Sandy Hill Arena land to the City They should be able to drive a hard bargain on behalf of the community. uOttawa goes not have a lot of good options for building it elsewhere.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

Phil wrote



We do not know that for sure concerning the new complex. It depends on what type of management agreement is reached by the university, the city, the NCC, and any private partners.

Local government currently holds all the cards because they control the land needed to build this. The NCC may continue to own the land and only lease it to the partners who build the complex, just as they lease the Sandy Hill Arena land to the City They should be able to drive a hard bargain on behalf of the community. uOttawa goes not have a lot of good options for building it elsewhere.

Fair enough. I just assume that if the university is going to put money into this, they would want to ensure a pretty high level of access for students.

Could they not build it at Lees if this doesn’t go?

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by phil235

Fair enough. I just assume that if the university is going to put money into this, they would want to ensure a pretty high level of access for students.

Could they not build it at Lees if this doesn’t go?

Ensuring a high level of success for students is one of the reasons they want it on Mann. The bulk of students hang around the main campus and they would like the new complex to be as close to this mass as possible.

However, if something goes haywire on the Mann Project,IMHO, Lees could provide an alternative. The story has long been that a new Faculty of Health Sciences would be built at Lees, perhaps along with a student rez. But if they run into opposition for a sports facility on Mann, perhaps they could pull a switch and build the FHS/rez on Mann instead.The City does seem to want the area developed to provide an audience for LRT. It does seem like the Sandy Hill Arena is on the city's chopping block, so new development of some sort is going to happen in this area eventually.

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by phil235

True, but the UOttawa rinks are not primarily a community facility, nor would the Rec complex be. They are nice complimentary facilities, but they tend to be more expensive to rent and the prime times are taken up by the university.

Sandy Hill is probably the nicest community rink in the urban core. It’s used by a couple of competitive programs and two local hockey associations. The university rinks are fine for a few men’s leagues, but they do nothing for those groups.

I am not sure about availability but the U of O and City of Ottawa rink rental pricing is nearly identical, with one key exception: The university does not have a minor hockey discount.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

Ensuring a high level of success for students is one of the reasons they want it on Mann. The bulk of students hang around the main campus and they would like the new complex to be as close to this mass as possible.

However, if something goes haywire on the Mann Project,IMHO, Lees could provide an alternative. The story has long been that a new Faculty of Health Sciences would be built at Lees, perhaps along with a student rez. But if they run into opposition for a sports facility on Mann, perhaps they could pull a switch and build the FHS/rez on Mann instead.The City does seem to want the area developed to provide an audience for LRT. It does seem like the Sandy Hill Arena is on the city's chopping block, so new development of some sort is going to happen in this area eventually.

Makes sense. I would have thought that Sandy Hill would be lower on the list of endangered arenas than McNabb or Tom Brown or Brewer, based on location and condition. Surely they can't be planning to close them all.

Although perhaps this joint project with the university is making it more expendable. As Cspeed points out, the difference in cost between university rinks and the city rinks is the discount the city rinks give for kids' sports. That could conceivably be part of the deal with the university.

[Radster]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I know nothing about soccer, but just by reading this thread it would seem like CPL would have been a better fit for the fury as the lower costs would have better matched the fury's revenue. I think CPL also has national TV coverage on CBC, whereas USL does not.

Agreed, and also, I think CPL would also result in higher attendance than USL. People don't care about playing teams from American cities they have never heard of before, but they would totally jump on board when teams from other Canadian cities come to town, this would create rivalries and much more excitement than teams from Loudoun, Swope Park of Bethlehem.

Crossing my fingers Ottawa enters CPL in 2021!

[Lakeofthewood]

https://www.theblackjacks.ca/

We're getting a basketball team!! I've been wondering when or if we would ever get a team after the Skyhawks folded and it's finally happening. Playing out of TD Place is the right move, really a big fan of the variety of sports offered there now.

This certainly helps soften the blow of losing the Fury, at least for me personally.

[kwoldtimer]

"Blackjacks" as in the clubs?

[Lakeofthewood]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

"Blackjacks" as in the clubs?

After a type of jackrabbit I guess? The teams in the CEBL aren't very creatively named, and Blackjacks can keep the Ottawa franchises in the red and black theme I suppose.

"Named after the most elusive jackrabbit on the planet, the Ottawa BlackJacks are not your typical bunny. BlackJacks are incredibly fast, capable of reaching speeds in excess of 70 kilometres per hour and can outrun many of its opponents. Tremendous leapers, the BlackJacks have very strong legs and can jump more than 10 feet, which is the same height as a basketball net. "

[rocketphish]

Blackjacks? Maybe they're angling for sponsorship from the casino :-)

[rocketphish]

New professional basketball franchise unveilled in Ottawa
The Canadian Elite Basketball League is adding a team in the nation's capital.

42 minutes ago By: Mike Vlasveld, Ottawa Matters



The Ottawa BlackJacks are the newest franchise in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).

The league, which considers itself Canada's only first division basketball league, announced a multi-year agreement with TD Place to host the team, Wednesday.

The BlackJacks are the first expansion franchise for the CEBL, which saw its inaugural season played this year. The league's other teams are based in Edmonton, Guelph, Fraser Valley, Hamilton, Niagara and Saskatchewan.

"Ottawa/Gatineau and the surrounding area has a history of basketball excellence. The game was invented in Almonte," said CEBL CEO and Commissioner Mike Morreale. "We look forward to bringing a family-oriented, basketball and entertainment experience to the Arena at TD Place. This relationship ensures the sustainability of the team and delivers another club for the legion of sports fans in the Ottawa area to rally behind."

The BlackJacks inaugural 2020 season schedule will be released on November 26.

This announcement comes five years after the Ottawa SkyHawks of the National Basketball League of Canada folded after one season.

The CEBL plans to begin the process of hiring senior administration for the BlackJacks immediately. Coaching staff and training camp information will be released in the near future.

Basketball fans in the Ottawa/Gatineau region can get a jump start on the action through the BlackJacks first season ticket deposit drive, which launched Wednesday.

A $50 non-refundable deposit guarantees fans front of the line access to tickets in the Arena at TD Place, as well as a limited-edition Ottawa BlackJacks official New Era team T-shirt. More information can be found at www.theBlackJacks.ca. Flex and Voucher Packs, Group Tickets and Single-Game Tickets will go on sale in early 2020.

The Ottawa team is named after the most elusive jackrabbit on the planet. BlackJacks are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 70 kilometres per hour and are tremendous leapers. The rabbits have very strong legs and can jump more than 10 feet -- the same height as a basketball net.

https://www.ottawamatters.com/local-spor...ll-franchise-unveilled-in-ottawa-1859573

[J.OT13]

I wonder how they came up with the name. Is it a play on RedBlacks? Because we're certainly not a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 meca and the logo itself doe not seem to suggest that. And who owns the BlackJacks? OSEG? That would explain, at least in part, why they were willing to drop the Fury, and the similarity to the RedBlacks branding.

EDIT: didn't realize they were a few posts regarding this just before the article.

[SkeggsEggs]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I wonder how they came up with the name. Is it a play on RedBlacks? Because we're certainly not a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 meca and the logo itself doe not seem to suggest that. And who owns the BlackJacks? OSEG? That would explain, at least in part, why they were willing to drop the Fury, and the similarity to the RedBlacks branding.

EDIT: didn't realize they were a few posts regarding this just before the article.

All the teams are owned by the league at the moment