‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you’: Leamington Flyer fan upset with town bid to host gymnastics

The Leamington Flyers could be without home ice if they progress into next season’s playoffs. CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske has the details.

The municipality has agreed to support Windsor-based non-profit Rose City Gymnastics’ bid to host the 2027 Provincial Championships in Leamington.

That support means the ice in the Highbury Canco Arena at Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre needs to be thawed to clear the space for a gym floor between March 24 and April 5, 2027.

“This is right through the playoffs for the (Leamington) Flyers. And it could affect South Point Minor (Hockey) as well as Talbot Trail (Hockey),” Neil Klassen told CTV News Tuesday.

“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” he urged council.

Klassen – a life-long diehard Flyers fan – feels the decision made at the March 10 meeting “highlight’s an ongoing and deeply concerning conflict between the municipality and the Leamington Flyers organization.”

He created an online petition calling on both sides to “engage in constructive dialogue”.

“This is not about taking sides,” Klassen said.

“We just want a resolution. We want both of them to sit down, get this done so that we can ensure the stability of this hockey team for our future generations.”

In recent years, the Flyers ownership and the town have had disagreements about their partnership agreement.

As of today, a memorandum of understanding still has yet to be signed between the parties, but Flyers co-owner Jason Melo believes they are close to an agreement.

Regardless, Melo told CTV News the ice time issue in March 2027 would not be included in any agreements. The town’s lawyer also confirmed during the March 10 meeting guaranteed ice time would not form any part of their agreements with the Flyers.

Melo said Tuesday they learned “second hand” about the gymnastics bid forcing the loss of their home ice at playoff time.

“To pick up and relocate a game day that’s traditionally seen anywhere from 700 to almost 2,000 fans at this time of year would be very difficult,” Melo said.

He told CTV News hosting a home game in a junior hockey league “is a big production” that would be impossible to relocate to any rink anywhere in Windsor-Essex.

“It’s just not that simple. And perhaps that fact isn’t as well understood as it should be,” Melo said.

He added the team and coaching staff shouldn’t have to worry about where they’re going to play home games at the most pivotal part of the season.

“All we want is to have a trusted partner in the municipality and to work together to continue to put a championship product on the ice,” Melo concluded.

‘Nothing is finalized’

Mayor Hilda MacDonald told CTV News Tuesday the idea is still a work in progress.

“Nothing is finalized other than saying to Rose City (Gymnastics), yes, we’re interested in holding this gymnastics competition in the Municipality of Leamington,” MacDonald said.

“We recognize the popularity of the Flyers hockey team. But again, this is an opportunity that comes not often, so we want to take advantage of that.”

Rose City officials say the event would attract 1,200 athletes alone. Once they add in parents, coaches, judges, and volunteers, they estimate anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 could be in Leamington for the event.

The event organizers are proposing to use local restaurants to feed the athletes and coaches as well as encouraging participants to explore Leamington while they are in town.

At their March 10 meeting, councillors wrestled with those numbers and economic opportunity against their commitments to local ice users.

In the end, a majority of council voted in favour of supporting the bid.

According to town officials, Gymnastics Ontario is accepting bids in late March for the host of the 2027 championships.