The City of Belleville is also unique among municipalities in the centralized provision of a number of these services within the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre (QSWC). As both a large capital asset, but one that generates additional non-service revenue as the home of the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators (CAA Arena), Belleville has a uniquely complicated cost and revenue structure for its recreation services for which there are few direct local comparators. The presence of a professional hockey team also has unique influence on the broader QSWC operations, such as operational support requirements, parking challenges, and reduced rental/event opportunities due to team use (e.g., on gamedays, practices, and other designated dates for the Senators).
To account for these unique challenges as a component of this study, StrategyCorp engaged City staff in an iterative process to gather and assess the appropriateness of available data, and to develop assumptions and estimates where data was limited or unavailable. In evaluating the results, however, accounting for the lack of like-for-like comparisons remained critical.
2024 User Fees Study
Spotlight on the CAA Arena and Belleville Senators
In addition to the above noted limitations/discrepancies, features unique to Belleville for which there are few direct local comparators also complicate the municipal comparison exercise. For one, Belleville is home to the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators, which play out of the CAA Arena within the QSWC. The Senators are one of only six Canadian franchises that currently operate in the American Hockey League. The partnership with and presence of the Senators is an asset and point of pride for the community and a unique draw in the region, which provides both positive economic and social benefits for residents and the City.
However, as noted in section 1, the presence of a professional hockey team also has a unique influence on the operations and finances of the Community Services Department and specifically the QSWC. The initial capital investment to upgrade and modernize the arena, regular operational and maintenance support for the functioning of the team (including the need for two ice resurfacers), and reduced rental and revenue opportunities due to team operations ultimately lower the cost recovery rate for the QSWC facility. This represents a unique factor that should be considered when comparing municipalities without a similar professional hockey team.
2024 User Fees Study
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