The Sarnia Sting hockey club is expressing frustration that the city doesn't seem to recognize the value of the franchise to the community.
Sting President Bill Abercrombie says owners Derian Hatcher and David Legwand are committed to providing OHL hockey in Sarnia, but it's also a business.
He says the club generates over $700,000 a year for the city, employs over 100 people on game nights, provides spin-off benefits to surrounding businesses, and significant revenue to local minor sports groups through its 50-50 draws which are run by volunteers.
Abercrombie says the OHL team has been frustrated trying to get the city to invest in upgrades at Progressive Auto Sales Arena. The owners invested over $500,000 themselves in a new score clock and power ring.
He says there's been no movement from the city on required changes to make dressing rooms female and transgender friendly.
"The last time I talked to parks and rec, I asked them that very question," says Abercrombie. "Five years ago we did a study and were told at that time that they needed to put a million dollars a year into the facilities in order to play catch-up because they had been neglected for quite awhile. The response was that they haven't ever put in the million dollars. It hasn't been there."
Abercrombie says the team is coming off a very successful season that saw attendance increase to an average of more than 3,000 a game with nine crowds of over 4,000.
He says they want to keep the momentum going but that involves working with the city as its partner.
The Sting's lease agreement with the city has a 20-year term with five-year renewals, the first of which comes up in June of 2019.