The BDO Centre for the Community checked out its assets and liabilities this week in Portage la Prairie. Members gathered for its annual general meeting, and board president Brent Tarr outlines their previous year.

Brent Tarr"It was a very good year financially," says Tarr. "We always try to work on an operation budget that's about break-even. So, to show a $9,000 profit this year was very good for us. We don't make a lot of money operationally. We don't depend on that money to fund our capital expenditures. So, we were able to get through and fund our capital expenditures this year, and also come up with, what I believe it was, about $7,000 capital raise as opposed to capital spending. Overall, it was a very good year financially."

He notes the organization's in good shape, and nothing is too much of a concern.

"We could put ice in tomorrow, and run the arena successfully," he adds. "That being said, one of the biggest concerns we have is about the boards in the ice arena. It's a bunch of small things. For instance, the screws in the puck board in that arena may be 50-years-old in some cases, and they're starting to pull out. That is a safety concern. Players could get caught or catch their sweaters -- that sort of thing. So, we're concerned about that. We're going to take out all the loose screws this year, and put in brand new screws all the way around. We're going to have the boards professionally cleaned. We're going to fix some of the mouldings on the glass that have also become a bit of a danger where there might be some sharp edges or broken pieces. There are a couple of issues with the doors on the arena -- the Zamboni door and the big exit door here. It's not just a cosmetic issue. The ice isn't going in properly, and we're not getting good ring and bounces around the board. That's one of the biggest issues that we have."

Tarr explains they're looking to put in a new ceiling liner over the ice surface, which will really brighten up the area for spectators.

"We're looking forward to the fact that the arena is in very good shape," Tarr continues, "and looking forward to the coming year. We've also entered into a new agreement with the Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) which will help us with the scheduling. That's going to make it much more efficient for all our user groups. We're in business because of our user groups. We want to make it as easy as possible for them. That's going to be a nice benefit to them. We don't have the expertise on our board as PRRA does for the operational aspect, so PRRA is a great help. They not only give us the manpower but give us backup expertise that we can lean on when we need it."

 

(L-R) Travis Foster - director, Mark Essay - VP, Doug Lawrence - director, Patti Lawrence - treasurer, Carol Stewart - Central Plains Hockey, Brent Tarr - president, Pam Tarr - director, Lynne Parker -- ROK

"I think what's going on here at the BDO is a really good example of community and government involvement and cooperation where we work with the city and with the PRRA," adds Tarr. "And they help us out a lot. We also do fundraising from the community and businesses and various grants. I think it's a nice mix of government and citizens getting together and supporting a facility that everybody knows we need."

Meeting taking place

He says they look forward to the remainder of the year, maintaining the good state of the building, and plan on plenty of activity next year.

 Centennial Community Club, Inc Financial Statement