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Brampton Beast hockey club to receive $1.5 million in public funds to stay afloat

City council has approved a request from the Brampton Beast hockey team for funding, after $4 million in losses during their first three seasons in operation.

In a vote 8-2, council approved $1.5 million in public funds to go to the Beast over the next three years.

In January, the team originally came to council with a request for $750,000 to cover their operating costs in the upcoming year as well as a commitment to cover the team’s losses up to $1.5 million.

Council eventually agreed upon $500,000 plus tax over the next three years in exchange for sponsorship and advertising opportunities. It is not yet clear precisely what the sponsorship and advertising opportunities will entail.

The Beast’s other request that the city buy back the Powerade Centre from current owners is being researched by staff to assess feasibility.

Mayor Linda Jeffrey, one of the votes against the Beast bailout expressed that  funding the team means some city-funded programs would likely lose their piece of the pie. One in particular may be Perpetual Bazaar. A non-profit consignment shop that sells handmade creations made by senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Couuncillor Gurpreet Dhillon, the other vote to not support the Beast made it clear that he didn’t think taxpayers should be the ones to foot the bill for a privately owned endeavor that’s failing.

City councillors who support the Beast say they like what the team adds to the city culturally. But some are skeptical that bailing out the Beast will do anything to instill a love for Canada’s favourte pastime, which appears to be lacking in Brampton

If you want to instill a love of hockey you don’t do it by bailing out a millionaire. All over the country hockey is in decline…..its because children aren’t allowed to play hockey on the street any more and communities don’t build outdoor ice rinks where kids can play for hours on end,” said Brampton resident Lisa Stokes.

Stokes has spent this past winter maintaining a small outdoor rink in the community park near her house, which she says is heavily used by neighbourhood children on a regular basis. But finding small community rinks in Brampton is a challenge, and may be part of the reason why residents, especially the large population of newcomers, haven’t taken an interest in the sport.

In any event, the Beast have been granted the funds they need to stay afloat for the next three years, in which time they may be able to grow their game attendance and become self-sufficient.

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