10 years since Abbotsford Centre opened; arena continues to lose money
Posted May 10, 2019 10:31 am.
Last Updated May 10, 2019 1:41 pm.
ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – The biggest arena in the Fraser Valley is turning 10 years old today. But the Abbotsford Centre is still losing money every year.
You may know it as the former home of the Abbotsford Heat. During that time, the city ended up paying a lot in subsidies.
“There was a total of $7.2 million, I think, over the five years that the Heat played,” Mayor Henry Braun said.
Braun says people in his city were promised the venue would break even every year, which hasn’t happened. “There’s still some people in our city that refuse to enter the building because they said they didn’t vote for it.”
According to Braun, last year’s subsidy was about $750,000.
He says things are better now, but it’ll never be perfect. “When I became the mayor, I didn’t think we’d get below a million dollars. Our staff have done a great job, bringing it under a million.”
Braun believes the Abbotsford Centre is still a great asset which generates an economic spin off. It hosted 57 entertainment acts last year and is the new home of the Fraser Valley Bandits — a pro-basketball team.
