Referees cry foul over facilities at new Port Coquitlam Community Centre

PORT COQUITLAM (NEWS 1130) – Referees say they won’t officiate any games until the makeshift changerooms at a new arena in Port Coquitlam are brought up to standard.

The first phase of the Port Coquitlam Community Centre opened Aug. 27.

But the new arena doesn’t have any referee change rooms that abide by Hockey Canada regulations.

“Their rule is: ‘A separate dressing room shall be provided for the use of referees and linesmen and it shall be equipped sanitary services, toilet and shower,'” says Kim Egli, president of the Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association (PCMHA).

Egli says she thought it was a joke when she first heard about the lack of proper change rooms in the $132 million facility’s state of the art hockey arena.

“They’ve put in dressing rooms that are essentially ones you would find in a shopping centre where you would go change your clothes,” she says. “They’re makeshift dressing rooms on the side of the rink where there is no heat either, so they’ll be very cold throughout the season especially in January and February.”

There are no showers, toilets, or running water in the current rooms.

Referees have already told Egli they won’t use them and will refuse to refuse to officiate. Without referees, the teams can’t have sanctioned games.

“I was devastated. How am I going to tell 500 kids and their parents that their hockey season in their brand new facility might not happen?” she says. “All you’ll be able to do is practice at the arena.”

Despite planning and meetings before the building went forward, the need for change rooms was overlooked.

“I’ve never known anyone to build an arena without referee rooms — it’s Canada! There’s an arena in every single town, pretty much anywhere you go and they all have referee rooms,” she says.

Even though Egli is expecting to hear back from the city this week, she isn’t sure what will happen with the upcoming season. This will also affect ringette and Tri-City female hockey games that are supposed to use the facilities.

While there is supposed to be proper change rooms in the second phase of the rebuild, that won’t be finished until 2021.

The community centre was closed Sunday so could not be reached for comment.

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