The Port Alberni Junior Hockey Society will host a community information session on Thursday, May 24 at 7 p.m. to address the public’s questions about the non-profit society’s intent to purchase the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
The public session will take place at Echo Centre at 7 p.m.
The society has raised more than $150,000 to purchase majority ownership in the team, but they need a commitment of $500,000 by June 1 in order to make a solid offer, society president Darren Deluca said in a press release.
The society wants to have a commitment in place before the B.C. Hockey League’s board of governors’ annual general meeting on June 6.
One of the key questions PAJHS members have fielded is over membership in the society and whether donors or others will have the opportunity to participate directly. The answer is yes, a society spokesperson noted, but the first hurdle is to securing the team before creating an inclusive community model.
Four BCHL teams already operate under a similar non-profit model: Powell River, Merritt, Trail and Prince George.
“These communities have been our inspiration and will be there to help us succeed as we move forward,” Deluca said.
Minority owner pledges shares
The info session follows on the heels of minority owner David Ness pledging to sell his shares in the team if the PAJHS is successful in buying the 51 per cent majority from Okanagan Hockey Schools.
Ness, a Port Alberni doctor who owns 20 per cent of the team, is one of five local owners who bought the team in 2004 and relocated it to Port Alberni. He has remained loyal to the team and community throughout ownership changes and supports the move toward community non-profit ownership.
“My wish is for the community to obtain control of the Bulldogs, and to make the team a perennial part of the social fabric of the Valley,” Ness said in a press release. “My offer is, however, contingent upon the community stepping up to affirm my belief in it. If the PAJHS do not get enough support in their bid to buy the team, then I have no doubt the Bulldogs will eventually be sold to some other buyer.”
Ness said he believes the Bulldogs have made a positive contribution during their 10-year tenure in Port Alberni, especially in the growth and development of minor hockey “which has benefited many of the youth—both male and female—of the community.”
Ness said he would not protest the relocation of the Bulldogs if the PAJHS is unsuccessful.
Society president Darren Deluca was appreciative of Ness’ pledge, but said there is a complacency in the community “because we haven’t been playing the negative card and stressing enough that this team could be lost to the Alberni Valley.”
Director Bob Cole said it’s time for the public to step up. “We will not make a bad deal to buy this team but we need to show that the community is behind us and that we have the financial clout to make any deal at all. David Ness’s contribution puts us in an even stronger position and we thank him sincerely.”
editor@albernivalleynews.com
