2023 Budget - Arenas

The Arenas Division provides a wide range of programming and events that appeal to all members of the community and encourages tourist visits. The Division strives to efficiently manage all facilities and maximize use by providing affordable and attractive facilities that staff and the community can be proud of, resulting in an increase of event organizers choosing Peterborough for their events.

Highlights

The Division continues to reflect an increase in programming and activities in the 2023 budget following the return of community programming and ticketed events in 2022.

The requirement to exchange the summer floor and ice schedules between Kinsmen Arena and Healthy Planet Arena (HPA) continues in 2023 to accommodate the replacement of refrigeration plant and arena floor/boards. The HPA operating budget includes the cost for replacement tables and chairs of $20,000.

The 2023 Operating Budget for Urban Park includes a full year of operations following the fall 2022 opening.

Morrow Park 2023 Operating Budget reflects a $30,000 reduction in lease revenue from Kawartha Gymnastics Club moving from the Bicentennial Building. The current condition of this building allows it to be utilized as a warehouse facility for PMC operating equipment. Alternate uses would require extensive renovations of existing electrical, plumbing and HVAC services. Future planning for this facility is incorporated under the Morrow Park Redevelopment Project that includes the review of the centre portion of Morrow Park as guided by the Morrow Park Master Plan Design Study.

Performance Data

The 2021/22 Fall/Winter ice/event season continued to be impacted by facility closures and pandemic-related restrictions. Capacity limits were reintroduced in Dec 2021 switching to full closures in Jan 2022, gradually increasing capacities over the next few months allowing more programming to resume. Peterborough Public Health occupied the Banquet Hall at HPA as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic until June 2022. A review of the HPA Banquet Hall is underway and recommendations for renovations will be proposed in a future request for Council's consideration allowing for multi-purpose programming.

The Lakers successfully returned in 2022 to the PMC following two years of pandemic-related cancellation. Scheduling of concerts and events at the PMC during the pandemic continued as staff kept the entertainment industry active by creating a series of successful outdoor events and one indoor event while continuing to secure future artist booking dates inside the PMC. This strategy proved successful as Concerts and Events returned to the PMC immediately upon the lessening of restrictions, with staff quickly activating the facility for these events having had contracts in place and ticket sales underway, garnering positive industry attention and future event bookings.

Recommendation

That any surplus funds at the end of 2023 for Arenas be transferred to the Arena Equipment Reserve for future equipment purchases.

2023 budget overview