Beaches Lacrosse club facing uncertain future after long-time home opts for year-round ice

A local lacrosse club is looking for a new home after the long-time arena they used decided to keep ice in year-round. Sean Leathong has more.

A well-known lacrosse club in Toronto’s east end could be facing an uncertain future, after the board of its long-time home at Ted Reeve Community Arena recently decided to make that site a year-round ice facility.

This decision, Toronto Beaches Lacrosse Club (TBLC) says, will put an end to its three-plus decade tenure at the Upper Beach-area arena.

“It displaces Toronto Beaches Lacrosse,” Dave Lambke, TBLC’s vice-president, told CTV News Toronto.

Lembke says they were blindsided when the board of the arena voted in December to keep the ice there throughout the year.

This vote was reached after the board told stakeholders that this issue would not be discussed at the meeting, he says.

“(It) was not done with any consultation. It wasn’t done with any flags or a kind of awareness of our board, our group, as well as city Coun. Brad Bradford,” said Lembke.

Bradford says the way things were handled “doesn’t seem like a consistent and transparent process.”

“That’s my observation,” he told CTV News Toronto.

The Beaches-East York councillor is on the Ted Reeve Arena Board and says he was surprised by the vote.

Just this past week, Bradford tabled a motion to allow for a re-vote after consultation with the community. That motion was voted down.

“I don’t think that’s the correct way to do it. And I tried to go back and fix that but ultimately the arena board decided against that,” he said.

Ted Reeve Arena Board Chair Iain McLeod declined an interview with CTV News Toronto but sent a statement that calls the new model a “hybrid” where ice is kept year-round in the main rink, while also allowing for dry-surface sports, like lacrosse, to be played inside the “bubble” next door in the summer.

“The Hybrid Model is a strategic investment in Lacrosse growth. By designating the Ted Reeve Bubble as a dedicated dry-floor facility for the 12-week summer season, the Toronto Beaches Lacrosse Club gains stability and priority,” the statement read.

It goes on to say that minor lacrosse games will move to Scarborough Arena Gardens at 75 Birchmount Rd., just north of Kingston Road. This facility in southwest Scarborough recently reopened following a major renovation and now features a brand-new NHL-sized ice pad, a modern lobby with heritage displays, and seating for more than 300 fans along with other upgrades.

Lembke, however, says that site is outside of their catchment area and no floor time has been secured.

“The players don’t know where they’re going to be playing. We’re not able to schedule games,” he said, noting hockey schools have already stated advertising for their summer programs at Ted Reeve Arena.

”It really kind of impacts us as a whole. It may have a detrimental effect on the registration numbers and then our league.”