There will be ice in the Bayfield Arena this fall.
Bluewater council approved a motion this week to rescind a motion passed last August to permanently remove the ice from the Bayfield Arena. That cleared the way for a second motion, which also passed, to put the ice back in for the 2018-2019 season.
Two community groups have joined forces in an attempt to assume the operation of the arena with private funding, but have said they need time to get their proposal together.
Councillor Marnie Hill stated that it's essential the ice go back in the arena for next season. She points out people are booking ice now for next year, and if they cannot be sure there will be ice in Bayfield, they'll go somewhere else, and if they do that, they won't be back.
Hill said the extra year will allow time for a consultant's feasibility study to be completed and for the community groups to work out a memorandum of understanding with the municipality.
"The group has a very valid point that how can you move forward and say yes we're gonna have an arena with ice, we're gonna run it as this private group, but oh no we're not gonna have it in 2018 and 2019 but we will have it in future years. That doesn't work," said Hill. "They wanna be able to keep the users that they have now."