03-06-2025
Riverside hockey head backs plans for move to Capri Complex
Curlers might be booted of their ice rink to make room for hockey teams. CTV's Robert Lothian reports.
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The head of a local minor hockey league is backing a controversial plan to remove curling from the Capri Recreational Sports Complex (CPRC) temporarily.
Anne Marie Schofield told CTV News while the move would be unfortunate, it makes the most sense to prioritize the majority of ice users.
'It is a common-sense response to a catastrophic event,' said the president of the Riverside Minor Hockey Association.
The proposal follows a fire at the WFCU Centre in April , which could displace users of the AM800 rink for a year.
In response, the City of Windsor is proposing rink users move to Rink A at the CPRC and displace the curling community, which has been there for about a year.
060225 - Capri Complex
Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex, June 1, 2025. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)
According to a city report, the association uses 56 hours per week on the AM800 rink as well as 22.5 hours per week on the Green Shield rink at the WFCU for a total of 78.5 hours per week.
'This is not just about RMHA or the Riverside Figure Skating Club, this is about every major user group having to sacrifice something,' Schofield said.
Due to ice-sharing policies, Schofield said if they remain at the WFCU, all 11 major ice user groups will have to evenly split the time at the two community rinks.
'Every user group will have to sacrifice a percentage of their ice so that we can fairly and equitably redistribute that loss and mitigate some of that loss,' she said.
Per the report, the AM800 Rink generated $441,000 in revenue for the 2024/2025 season, compared to $155,000 at the CPRC.
'So, a one-year pause is not going to be as catastrophic for them as it would be for every other major ice user in the city, not to mention the loss of revenue,' Schofield said.
Schofield also warned without the move, they would have to decrease roster sports and additional programming. She adds a move to defer the matter could risk impacting planning for the upcoming season.
Windsor City Council is expected to debate the matter at its next meeting on June 9.
