BY KEITH LACEY
It appears more than 500 house league hockey players registered with the Valley East Minor Hockey Association (VEMHA) will see the 2002-2003 hockey season end prematurely.
The executive board of the VEMHA have unanimously agreed to resign effective Dec. 30 following a decision by the City of Greater Sudbury to allow a father banned from both arenas in the former City of Valley East to again have access to both rinks.
During the 2000-2001 season, the VEMHA executive approached town council in the former City of Valley East with concerns about a hockey father who was threatening and intimidating officials, players and other parents.
At that time, Valley East city council felt the situation was so serious the hockey father was barred from attending Raymond Plourde Arena (formerly Confederation Arena) and Centennial Arena for five years.
The executive at that time was demanding a lifetime ban, but decided by a vote to accept the five-year ban, said current VEMHA president Bob Bellerose.
The current executive, however, was shocked when they received notice last week that the City of Greater Sudbury has decided to lift the ban. The hockey father will have access to both arenas effective Dec. 30, said Bellerose.
Several parents who contacted Northern Life have said the man in question threatened legal action against the city if the ban wasn?t lifted.
In a letter written to all the parents with children in Valley East house league hockey, the executive inform the parents the board has unanimously decided to resign if the hockey father is allowed back inside both arenas.
?As an executive, we continue to have grave concerns about the behaviour of this man and have decided that we are not willing to assume liability for this man?s actions,? states the letter.
?...We have all been a part of this association for many years, but we feel very strongly that we must take a stand against what we feel is a real safety concern.?
The VEMHA is holding an emergency meeting tonight at 7 at the Valley East library to discuss the issue. Parents are urged to attend and voice their opinions and concerns.
City officials have been invited to attend the meeting, but Bellerose said he was told the city will not be sending any representative on the advice of the city solicitor.
The entire situation has caused so much stress in his life he?s become physically ill, said Bellerose.
?I hope the city can see our reasoning behind this and realize we, as a board, can?t allow this father back inside our arenas, and we will have no choice but to resign our positions unless the ban continues.?
The father who has been banned was harassing officials and players over several seasons. He then started threatening parents on opposing teams and his son?s teams, said Bellerose.
?The board is adamant the ban put in place by the former city council in Valley East was appropriate,? said Bellerose.
None of the board members want to see children have no place to finish their hockey season, but this matter is serious enough to warrant the executive?s decision, said Bellerose.
Ron Dupuis, city councillor for Valley East in the City of Greater Sudbury, said he?s been told by city solicitors not to comment on the issue.
However, he did say it?s tragic that so many children might have their hockey season compromised because of this unfortunate situation.
?It?s really unfortunate it?s gotten to this point,? he said. ?I?m going to do everything possible to ensure the hockey season continues for all these children after Dec. 30.
?I?ve received numerous calls from different parents and they are all really concerned. It is hoped we can work things out.?
Caroline Hallsworth, general manager of Citizen and Leisure Services for the City of Greater Sudbury, told Northern Life she won?t comment either.
?I won?t speak about this incident because there are legal issues involved,? she said.
The city has no jurisdiction over how minor sports organizations operate and the decisions they make, said Hallsworth.
The city provides the facilities for minor sports organizations to use and has an ice time allocation committee, but does not get involved in the daily operations of minor sports organizations.
Because of this incident and other incidents involving minor hockey parents, the city is looking into adopting a ?fair play policy? and code of conduct for parents whenever they visit local arenas, said Hallsworth.
Edmond Paquette, a lawyer hired by the VEMHA executive, said he can?t understand why the city has become involved in this mess and lifted the ban against the hockey father.
?Considering what appears to be the increasing amounts of abusive parents in minor sports, for the city to take the position they have just seems very odd to me,? said Paquette.
?I?ve been told by the city to gather some more information and there is a possibility the city will review the matter before the board resigns, but at this point the executive is stepping down effective next Monday,? said Paquette.
Paquette said he suggested to city officials that the ban remain in place for at least another 18 months until the current term for the VEMHA executive expires, but his request was met with deaf ears.
Paquette will spend much of his time over the next few days continuing to exchange information with city officials to try and reach some sort of solution where the VEMHA executive will remain in place and the hockey season can continue.
?I have three kids myself in Valley East minor hockey and I don?t want to see their season end,? he said.