User groups protest potential EECC changes

Hockey players and skaters lined up Wednesday night, Sept. 3, to call for summer ice to be retained and the community hall kept open at East Elgin Community Complex.

While they insisted the proposed elimination of summer ice next year and the possible permanent leasing of the community hall for another use would hurt their organizations, none offered any concrete means to reduce the Complex’s half-million dollar a year operating deficit.

Malahide Mayor David Mennill and Aylmer Mayor Jack Couckuyt, who make up an ad hoc management committee for the Complex, listened and in some cases asked questions. But in the end, they promised only that the concerns of the user groups would be addressed as a consultant prepared a new business plan for the future of EECC.