Reduced floor times in Burnaby are causing concern for all levels of the lacrosse community in the city.
A three-page letter to city council, drafted by the Burnaby minor lacrosse association, as well as the intermediate, junior and senior clubs, states that repeated extensions to the ice season are creating hardships for a sport already struggling to maintain its membership.
The letter will be read into the minutes of Monday's council meeting. A Dec. 7 meeting between recreation manager Wendy Appleton, the floor allocator and minor lacrosse was put off until Tuesday.
At the crux of the problem is the Canadian ringette national championships, which will keep dry-land users out of the Bill Copeland Sports Centre until April 23 next year.
Burnaby lacrosse estimates a total loss of more than 135 hours in tryout and practice times. The late April date is also seven days past the start of the Lower Mainland minor lacrosse season, the letter read.
As well, a preseason ball hockey tournament in the first week of April at Kensington and Burnaby Lake arenas will leave the lacrosse association with no floor time in any city facilities, the letter charged.
Intermediate A "Staff are trying to make a profit instead of supporting Burnaby-based sport," said Burnaby junior and intermediate A president Richard Appels.
One casualty already from the lack of floor this season is the minor lacrosse association's annual Deschner Days pre-season tournament, which has been cancelled.
Appels believes it's the start of a trend occurring that has seen lacrosse's April 1 starting date pushed ahead three of the last four years. Next year, the same thing could happen if Burnaby minor hockey wins its bid to host the 2013 Esso Cup, which traditionally runs into the final week of April.
At last month's meeting of dryland users on Nov. 23, Appels was also concerned that ball hockey could be allowed to test playing on the new wooden floor in the Copeland centre. Any damage to the floor would need repair further, adding to the reduced floor time to lacrosse, he said.
But Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director Dave Ellenwood said the Copeland facility is being used for what it was originally intended.
"What we have is a big demand for events in Copeland that it was designed for. It's a place with seating and was designed to attract events, which is what council wants and lacrosse does, too," Ellenwood said. "If the Mann Cup comes, we would have to accommodate it."
Ellenwood said he understands the group's frustrations and added the city has processes in place to help find floor space, either in the city or elsewhere, for displaced users.
"We're trying to accommodate everything they need," said Ellenwood. "It's a problem of success and we have to manage it and sometimes it's painful.
"But it's a valid concern and something we increasingly will have to deal with."
tberridge@burnabynow.com
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