Canteen Services

Question: I am just looking to gather some more information on what I am hearing about the town being unable to find a vendor to utilize the canteen space at the arena as the last one only made 12k and it was not feasible to stay. I’m hearing the town wants to instead waste 60k of tax payer dollars to permanently staff someone to work the canteen to lose 48k. Is that true?

Answer: The Town regularly receives comments and requests to open the arena canteen. The Town has been actively searching for someone to run the arena canteen, but unfortunately, the previous vendor withdrew their services. Council has instructed Town staff to continue the search for interested individuals or businesses that would commit to operating the canteen. If we are unable to find an operator, the staffing of canteen services will be considered a new service level to be provided by the Town at the 2024 budget for a one-year trial. If Council decides to staff the canteen, it will cost between $40,000 to $60,000 per year. Alternatively, the canteen can remain closed.

We are still optimistic that we can find an individual or business that is interested in operating the canteen at little or no cost. However, it's important to remember that municipalities often provide services that private businesses won't, because these services, while unprofitable, are important to the community. For example, the arena, libraries, parks, and roads and bridges, are not profitable services. These all cost money and the Town provides them at cost.

If the canteen staffing goes to budget deliberations, Council will need to assess the cost of providing this service internally and weigh it against its “community value”. Council also has to weigh the value of this service against the cost of other services.

We will continue our search for an operator. In the meantime, until an operator is found or Council decides to hire staff to run it, the canteen will remain closed.