Treaty One wants to score 6,000-seat arena in Winnipeg to draw pro or junior team

A First Nations group is eyeing a 6,000-seat arena in south Winnipeg to attract a new sports team. CTV’s Jeff Keele has the latest.

A First Nations group is eyeing a large arena for south Winnipeg to attract a new sports team.

The Treaty One Development Corporation is exploring the possibility of building a 6,000-seat arena at Taylor and Kenaston on the southeast section of Naawi-Oodena, the former Kapyong Barracks site.

“We really looked at what we could do to attract sports teams in any venture,” Cody Mercer, Treaty One’s chief development officer, told CTV News.

Plans could also see one or two community practice rinks where the city could rent ice, plus parking.

Mercer said the hope is to attract a professional or junior sports team to play here like the return of a Western Hockey League franchise or a National Lacrosse League expansion club.

“Lacrosse is a huge game to First Nations and that’s something we might look at, of course for the WHL you need to find a partner and see if that’s possible,” Mercer said.

Treaty One wants to partner with the city on a feasibility study which would include traffic impacts.

A city committee approved $95,000 towards a $128,000 study, but not for a 6,000-seat arena.

River Heights councillor John Orlikow said the city can’t put any money into this type of project because of a non-compete clause with the big players in town – True North Sports and Entertainment.

Orlikow said the study will only look at twin community rinks.

“You can’t build like a 6,000-seat arena with city money, so even a feasibility [study], which I thought was ridiculous, but that’s the way it is,” Orlikow said.

Orlikow said there will be an effort to get the non-compete clause waived.

CTV News reached out to True North for comment and is waiting for a response.

Mercer said if the large arena is not doable, they would still move ahead with a community arena plan. He said new sheets of ice would benefit Winnipeg as ice time is always in demand for hockey games, practices and skating.

“If it doesn’t work, we are still going to pursue two pleasure rinks at minimum, it might then translate to three pleasure rinks,” Mercer added.