As the local junior hockey season nears its end, playoffs are around the corner, and one municipality has committed to keeping ice in for as long as their team may need.
West Perth will keep ice in for as long as the Mitchell Hawks may require, following the team clinching second place in the PJHL's Pollock Division. CAO Jeff Brick says ordinarily they aren't able to do this.
"We normally do not extend the ice season into April. A lot of that has to do with our staffing, essentially we spend the first couple weeks in April getting the ice plant shut down and getting the ice out, and then we change over to summer mode with that same group of staff moving into parks and pool operations."
Brick says the community has rallied behind the Hawks, and everyone is hoping for a long playoff run. He adds the community could use something to celebrate following a couple years of the pandemic.
"If we have to do some creative management with staff hours, we're just going to have to do it, because I think we need something to celebrate with everything that's been going on, and being able to cheer on the Hawks in April would be a great thing."
The Mitchell and District Arena, located inside the West Perth Community Centre, was built in 1974 and initially had issues with insulation that affected ice conditions in warmer months. But Brick says those issues have all been solved and it'll be all hands on deck to ensure the Hawks have great ice for a potentially long postseason.