Large donation given to keep oval in Halifax

HALIFAX – Dawn Sloane couldn’t contain her smile Tuesday as the longtime Halifax councillor was handed stacks of paper bearing thousands of signatures in support of keeping the city’s Canada Games skating oval.

"I’m overwhelmed with this," Sloane said during a news conference at the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, where a $100,000 donation to maintain the oval was also announced.

More than 8,500 people – some from as far away as Qatar and Australia – signed one of two petitions compiled by a group fighting to keep the ice surface. The Save the Oval association also presented Sloane with a second petition signed by elementary school students.

"What gets me is this: 400 kids got together and signed a petition because they want to keep the oval," Sloane said as she flipped through the pages of handwritten messages.

"I’m pleased to be taking this to council today and making sure my peers know about it, and hopefully we’ll come back with good news in the future."

The 400-metre speed skating oval, located on the Halifax Common, a large recreational space in the heart of the city, has attracted huge crowds since it opened for recreational use last month.

The oval was supposed to be dismantled at the close of the Canada Winter Games next month, but its popularity could put those plans on ice.

John Gillis, a member of Save the Oval, said his group has collected more than $3,000 from individuals who want the oval to become a permanent fixture after the Games, which run Feb. 11-27.

By collecting petitions and money, the group wants to make it "very difficult for the city to say no," he said.

An official from the World Figure Skating Legacy Fund also announced Tuesday it would donate $100,000 toward the cost of keeping the oval. The fund was created in the wake of the 1990 world figure skating championships in Halifax and has benefited coaches, judges and skaters in the province.

"We have waited for 21 years for the right community project to support," said Jane MacLellan, a fund administrator.

"We are confident that supporting the operation of a sustainable, outdoor recreation ice surface – the oval on the Common – is the perfect way to wind up the world legacy fund."

Still, questions remain about the feasibility of such a surface and whether it should remain in its current location. The annual cost to operate the facility has been estimated at $250,000 – a price some opponents say is too hefty.

Sloane said those questions will be addressed in a report that’s being compiled by city staff. It’s expected in about a month.

"They’re not blind. They see what’s going on. They see the fact that there’s a tremendous outpouring of support for this oval and that people are enjoying themselves," she said in an interview.

"With that being said, we need to – and we always need – a report from staff before we can go forward to committing any kind of moneys to anything."

The temporary ice surface could be kept for several years, she said. It’s hoped a permanent oval would be used in both the winter and the summer for various activities.

John-Paul Cody-Cox, CEO of Speed Skating Canada, said community ovals do more than benefit high-performance athletes.

"From the point of view of getting people out, active and spending time with their community, this is a jewel for this community, this is an opportunity," he told the news conference.

"I can’t see how the city could not keep this oval."