Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
With the ongoing renovations at the Jasper Arena and Activity Centre, a creative solution was required so minor hockey teams could still have access to dressing rooms.
Tourism Jasper thus partnered with the Municipality of Jasper and a number of local businesses to provide two modular trailers that are now acting as temporary dressing rooms for the 2023/24 hockey season.
The trailers have been fully operational since mid-November.
“They've been using them to make sure that minor hockey can get back on track and so that league play can get fired up again,” said Tyler Riopel, director of Destination Development with Tourism Jasper.
This weekend will mark the season’s first tournament. Riopel noted the local benefits and positive feedback over the first couple of weeks.
“Everybody's happy because there’s a little more room, and parents aren’t having to drive to Hinton just so their kids can practice. The community is feeling the effect of this project .”
When Tourism Jasper first pitched the idea of temporary trailers, local businesses quickly got on board, and not just for the economic benefits.
Many owners live in the community and have children who use the arena, so it didn’t take much convincing for them to contribute.
BOXX Modular stepped up to donate the trailers for the winter season.
Other businesses that offered their generous support include Pursuit Banff Jasper Collection, Ridgeline Contracting, Wild Mountain Construction, Jasper Pizza Place, Jasper Brewing Co., Earls Kitchen + Bar, JMAA Architecture, Jasper Source for Sports, The Raven Bistro, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, Totem Ski Shop and Greg Key Consulting Ltd.
Most of these businesses offered financial support and some in-kind, and Greg Key Consulting offered in-kind help with the logistics and permitting.
Of note, Michal Wasuita individually donated money, the only “non-business” to do so.
“You can see the benefit that some of these businesses would get by having a whole bunch of hockey teams in town, but Michal Wasuita is just doing it to support the community that he lives in and has grown up in,” Riopel said.
While Tourism Jasper spearheaded the project and businesses provided the resources to set up the trailers, the Municipality of Jasper is responsible for operating and maintaining them.
Riopel highlighted how the Municipality had been open to a creative solution and is able to provide ongoing operational support to ensure these trailers are safe and functioning for the entire season.
Thanks to these trailers, the dressing room capacity of Jasper’s recreation center is now up to the same levels as previous years, allowing all ice user groups the opportunity to enjoy a full season of hockey in Jasper.
In addition, local minor hockey teams are now able to host a full schedule of hockey tournaments in Jasper.
So far, nine tournaments have been confirmed this season, with most of these being organized by local teams as major fundraisers.
Tournaments help boost visitation during the winter months, driving an estimated $4 million of annual economic impact, which includes direct spending on hotels and restaurants as well as indirect spending.
“Being able to give people more reasons to come to Jasper in the winter isn't a bad thing,” Riopel said.
“That ripple effect of restaurants being busier means that all the employees at that restaurant have more hours, and hotels being fuller any given winter weekend means that all those employees have more hours.”
This community-wide effort made these temporary dressing rooms a reality, and Tourism Jasper would like to thank all donors for their generosity.
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