Ice Rentals

The Township of Wilmot will responsibly manage its ice resources to ensure optimum usage and programming and to reflect Municipal directives and goals.

Ice allocation in the Township of Wilmot will reflect municipal, provincial and federal directives and resolutions where applicable. Other considerations include population, group registration, utilization and participation patterns and trends.

On an annual basis, Township staff will organize a meeting with major ice user groups to review, define and/or confirm the upcoming ice season hours of operation, ice restrictions, facility closures and holidays, proposed upcoming rate changes and relevant facility announcements. This meeting will also be used as an opportunity for ice users to request ice times for tournaments or other special events, trade ice time with other groups, to share information, make inquiries and liaise with other members of the ice user community for the upcoming season.

Before booking the upcoming season, Township staff will review issues from the previous season, the expressed needs of the users, the ice time available and distribution from the previous year. Ice allocation for the winter season months of September to March will work towards the overall goal of a prime time allocation of approximately 80% youth and 20% adult related rentals and programs.

Every attempt will be made to serve the needs of the community within all age groups in the consideration of the allocation of ice time with an emphasis on youth.

Groups are asked to appoint no more than two representatives to liaise between the Township and the group itself. Only bookings requested through the designated booking representative for the group will be accepted.

Bookings must be for a minimum of one hour. Each hour-long booking includes 50 minutes of ice time and a mandatory 10 minute ice flood. Bookings that are longer than an hour may have more than one ice flood. All bookings will start on the hour and half-hour, dependent on operational requirements.

Customers must adhere to the start and end times of bookings as per the rental permit.

Ice bookings will be considered as per the previous years scheduled hours using the following order:

• New Hamburg Firebirds Junior C hockey
• Tournaments and special events (i.e. figure skating carnival)
• Township of Wilmot recreational skates, including Public Skating, Parent & Tot, and Adult Shinny
• Minor groups which include New Hamburg Minor Hockey Association, New Hamburg Skating Club, Wilmot Girls Hockey Association
• Seasonal and occasional rentals
• Board of Education programs
• New ice requests
• New tournaments/special events

Short term ice in prime-time hours that become available during the season will be offered to the groups as follows:

1. Email will be issued to all minor groups and will be booked on a “first come, first booked” system.
2. After 24 hours of notifying the minor groups that the time is available, the available ice times will be posted on the Township’s website for any interested renter.

The Township of Wilmot recognizes and supports tournaments and special events for the revenue generation they provide not only to the Township but also the economic benefits to the community at large.

Any new tournament or special event requests will be considered individually to determine the impact it will have on regularly scheduled users.

Tournament schedules will be required no later than 14 days prior to the beginning of the tournament. No changes to tournament schedules will be accepted after the 14 day deadline and the tournament will be responsible to pay for all time booked. Failure to use all time booked for tournament purposes may result in reduced ice time allocated for future events.

Groups in this category are defined as those that use ice on at least a weekly basis for an entire season or majority of it, and hold a contract in good standing with the Township of Wilmot. Examples of this are mens/ladies hockey leagues, pick-up hockey groups, etc.

The Township reserves the right to change the ice allocated to user groups if operational efficiencies or desired percentage allocations in prime time (approximately 80% youth, 20% adult) are not being met. In these circumstances every attempt will be made to find an equitable ice replacement.

If the current rental group disbands or fails to reapply for ice in subsequent seasons, they will lose their rental time slot. The time slot is not transferable and it is not permitted to sublet ice.

Ice contracts are for the current season only. Allocation will be reviewed annually.

If an affiliated community organization requests ice time for their core program in addition to what is calculated using the standards of play formulas, it will be considered an occasional use booking.

Affiliated community organizations interested in summer ice time will be required to submit an allocation request for the summer season by December 1.

Allocation will be based on accommodating historical bookings alongside new requests. We endeavor to have one ice pad available during the summer months.

Occasional customers will be accommodated based on availability, on a first come, first serve basis upon the completion of seasonal allocation permits.

Ice allocation will endeavor to meet an overall ratio of approximately 80% youth programming and 20% adult programming during the regular ice season of September to March.

In the summer season, the booking order listing will still be considered to determine order of bookings but the distribution ratio will play a lesser degree of importance due to the off-season status for minor groups.

Whenever possible, ice groups will share equally in the allocation of early and late prime time ice during the regular ice season, September to March.

Ice time conflicts may happen from time-to-time. These conflicts will first be discussed within the annual Ice User Group Meeting.

If no resolution is achieved in the initial discussion, the affected groups will be brought together for discussion and resolution with the Manager of Parks, Facilities & Operations and the Manager of Customer Service and Community Development.

Should no resolution be obtained, the decision of the Manager of Parks, Facilities & Operations and the Manager of Customer Service and Community Development will be final.

Ice conflict resolution will involve considering the following, listed in no particular order, when a decision must be made:

• Municipal directives and resolutions of Council
• Historical ice allocation
• Overall percentage split in prime time (80% youth, 20% adult)
• Operational efficiencies

The Township of Wilmot reserves the right to set appropriate flooding schedules to ensure proper ice management and safety for participants. Special flood requests and scheduled flood times for groups must be discussed with and approved by the appropriate Facility Supervisor, or their designate prior to the start of the season.

Each hour of rented ice is based on 50 minutes of playing time and 10 minutes of ice maintenance time. Hours of operation and ice scheduling are subject to change due to circumstances beyond the Township’s control.

Lost ice time fees and appropriate repair costs may be assigned to any group that causes ice damage which the facility operator deems to produce unsafe ice conditions for following groups. Ice time, in the above circumstance, may be curfewed before the regularly scheduled end time to start ice maintenance to prevent lost time to a following group.

The Township of Wilmot reserves the right to curfew any group, game or practice to maintain the assigned schedule between groups. It is the responsibility of each group to ensure enough time is booked to complete their desired activity.

The Township agrees to provide the user groups with as much advance notice as possible in the event of any regular maintenance or emergency shutdown of facilities that may interfere with the rental times.

In the event that facilities are not available to user groups by reason of construction, mechanical or structural failure, damage or destruction by fire, strikes, labour disputes, riots or other accident, act of God, action by government, or other circumstances beyond the control of the Township, then for so long as any such impediment exists, the Township shall be relieved of its obligations hereunder and the group shall not be entitled to compensation for any damage, inconvenience, nuisance, or discomfort thereby occasioned.

In the event that a user group wishes to cancel one or more scheduled times, written notice of cancellation shall be given to the Facilities Scheduling Clerk, not less than (7) days prior. No alterations to the schedule will be accepted after the 7-day deadline and the ice user will be responsible for all time booked. The Manager of Customer Service and Community Development at his/her sole discretion, may accept shorter notice for extenuating circumstances. Email is considered acceptable written notice. Cancellation fees may apply as approved in the annual Fees and Charges By-law.

The Ice Allocation Guidelines and Procedures will be reviewed annually. Concerns and questions related to the guidelines may be brought forward at the annual Ice User Group Meeting in order to identify any required changes to all concerned groups and organizations.