City Council To Explore Uses for Little Bear Room
Hockey Team, Fitness Group Want the Space
By Karen Gould

The future use of one room at Little Bear East Arena has two local groups at odds. St. Ignace City Council members considered the issue for the first time Monday night, April 21, seeking a solution, and now say more time is needed before they will weigh in on the fate of the cardiovascular room.

The St. Ignace Recreation Advisory Committee has recommended Council lease the space to the Firehawks Midget AA hockey team from October 1 to March 1 for $500. Local hockey organizers, who would convert the area to a locker room, say they need more space to meet their growing needs and eliminate delays between hockey games. The cardiovascular room, which at one time served as a locker room, offers the needed space and already has shower facilities. When the Northern Michigan Black Bears hockey team left St. Ignace in 2005, the locker room was converted to a cardiovascular room.

The Firehawks are an independent travel hockey team affiliated with the St. Ignace Hockey Association.

The city charter requires the council approve any contracts.

Aerobics and fitness club members argue that temporarily moving equipment and classes creates problems and could cause some aerobic exercise classes to be canceled when other events are booked at the facility. They also say they were left out of the decision process.

No solution was found Monday night, and no lease contract was brought before city leaders. They did, however, listen for more than 30 minutes as each side voiced opinions on the cardiovascular room issue and agreed more time is needed before any decision is made on the matter.

"My personal opinion is that, before we enter into a contract, I'd like to see if there's any possible way that we can live together," said Mayor Paul Grondin. "If we can't, then we can't."

Economically, said Mark Mercer of the association, the hockey teams contribute more money to Little Bear East and suggested Council consider another venue for aerobics, like McCann School.

Economics was the only point of agreement Monday night by those attending the meeting. All agreed that hockey brings more money into Little Bear East than aerobic classes and fitness memberships combined.

City Manager Eric Dodson, who attends Recreation Advisory Committee meetings, said the group had discussed building an addition onto Little Bear East, although the facility has been losing money and the cost for an addition was estimated to be $135,000.

"We're trying to build the hockey club up," said Paula Goudreau, Firehawks team manager. "We're trying to bring more people and things to St. Ignace."

In the last two years, she said, the St. Ignace Hockey Association has grown from 52 to 101 members, more ice time is being rented, and more competitive games are played at the local facility. The group, she said, has been discussing with the Recreation Advisory Committee the need for more locker room space for the last year.

"We didn't want to displace anyone. That wasn't our purpose," she said. "Hey, we're open to anything anyone can come up with. Just get us the space to help house this hockey team."

Clayton Graham wanted to clear up the issue of who was making the request for the locker room. He noted that both the Firehawks and the hockey association would benefit, although it was the Firehawks hockey team making the request for the locker room and not the Hockey Association.

Mr. Graham, who is a fitness member, also said he had concerns with supervision of the hockey players and their behavior when they use the fitness area. He raised similar concerns in December when the use of the room was discussed during a Recreation Advisory Committee meeting. He suggested the team only use the cardiovascular room as a team and under the supervision of the coach.

Mrs. Goudreau said they addressed those concerns and had discontinued giving Firehawks team members fitness memberships, although some may have purchased their own.

Nancy Brown, a fitness member, asked council to explore the issue and come up with a solution that would accommodate everyone. She said aerobics equipment is stored in the cardiovascular room and moving equipment to another room is inconvenient. Also, as bookings increase at Little Bear East, use of another room could cause aerobic classes to be canceled.

Aerobics instructor Renee Vonderwerth said she hopes a compromise can be worked out that will allow aerobics classes to continue.

Councilman Tom Della- Moretta said he is unfamiliar with the room or size of the space needed and wondered if alternative locations for aerobics could be considered.

Councilman Don Gustafson suggested those interested could walk through the fitness and locker rooms with the city manager to get a better understanding of the area before the issue comes up for a vote.

City Council next meets Monday, May 5, at 8 p.m. in Council Chambers in City Hall on State Street.