Miranda Lightstone
The 1510 West

The closure of McGill’s Glenfinnan Arena this fall, a once busy sports facility nestled within the university’s Macdonald Campus in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, has left hockey players of all ages – from beer leagues to community sports programs – scrambling to find ice time. But the hope that it will reopen has faded.

“It’s a real tragedy,” said Marc Bibeau, vice-president of the Lakeshore Sports Association, one of about 20 adult leagues that played at the rink. “We were gearing up for our season, schedules were made and then suddenly, it was all gone. We were told at the end of August, just weeks before our games were supposed to start in September.”

The arena, built in the late 1950s, a cornerstone for generations of local hockey players, figure skaters and ringette enthusiasts, is in need of upgrades and repairs, an investment that McGill officials have opted not to make, according to Bibeau.

Officials with the Macdonald Campus Recreation department refused to comment on the fate of the arena.

The university does not host any activities at the arena. In the past years it has simply been rented out to John Abbott College, which shares the Ste. Anne campus with McGill; neighbouring municipalities for youth hockey and ringuette leagues, and figure skating clubs; and an assortment of adult recreational hockey leagues.

“This isn’t about a lack of will,” said Ste. Anne de Bellevue Mayor Paola Hawa. “It’s a stark reflection of the underfunding of our educational institutions.

“Both McGill and John Abbott, renowned institutions, have acknowledged they simply cannot afford to maintain the arena,” Hawa explained. “It’s a purely financial decision, no matter how much we value this community asset.”

Hawa said the City of Ste. Anne, while sympathetic to the community’s plight, is also facing its own financial constraints.

“Taking on the responsibility of maintaining and operating the arena is simply not feasible for the city at this time,” she added.

The closure of the Macdonald arena leaves a void that will be difficult to fill.

Bibeau said many sports associations have attempted to find ice time at other arenas in the West Island, but open slots are rare.

An official knowledgeable of the situation who is not being named because he is not authorized to comment said the arena is for sale. McGill, however, would not confirmed what it plans to do with the facility.

Meanwhile, Bibeau says his association, which has had to cut back on the number of games it has scheduled this season is already making plans for next fall, and wondering if he will be able to find ice time to offer a full roster of games.

Cutline:

Built in the late 1950s, McGill’s Glenfinnan Arena in Ste. Anne de Bellevue closed in the fall, and there is no plan for it to reopen.