It looks like Chatham-Kent's hopes of one day having a Junior A hockey team have not died just yet.
Despite staff recommending Chatham-Kent Council no longer pursue an OHL-sized arena, council's vote tied 9-9, meaning a large-scale facility is still a possibility in the future.
The effort was spurred by Councillor Brock McGregor, who says they should wait on tangible proposals before making decisions. "We didn't have a concrete offer from an OHL team to vote on. I'd be more than happy to take a look at that idea and vote on it, but we weren't at that stage yet. To close the door was premature, and we need to demonstrate we're open to investment and opportunities."
Staff will also provide a recommendation on what to do with Chatham-Kent's Kraft Hockeyville winnings in their next arenas report. They'll look at what upgrades are required for arenas in outlying towns as well.