ELMSDALE: The Municipality of East Hants (MEH) will be taking on full operational responsibilities of the East Hants Sportsplex in Lantz.
News of the transition from the Sportsplex being operated by the East Hants Arena Association (EHAA), a voluntee board, was announced in a release late Thursday afternoon March 21.
The EHAA has been operating the Sportsplex for the past 31 years, and has been instrumental in delivering a world class facility to the people of East Hants.
MEH purchased the facility in 2021 and contracted the operational and management duties to the EHAA.
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The volunteer board of directors with the EHAA will begin to transition the day-to-day operational responsibilities for the Sportsplex to the Municipality over the coming months, dissolving the management agreement that is in place, said spokeswoman for MEH Juliann Cashen in a release.
Warden Elanor Roulston commented on the decision.
“The decision to purchase the Sportsplex in 2021 and forge a partnership with EHAA was made with the promise of securing the future of the facility as a community asset and ensuring its financial security,” said Roulston.
“Transitioning operational responsibility of the facility to the municipality is our best path forward in keeping that promise.”
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Roulston wanted to thank the EHAA for their years of hard work and for their commitment to the community.
She said MEH will work closely with Sportsplex staff, volunteers and user groups throughout the transition period to ensure the facility is still able to deliver high quality services and programs to the community.
“Operations at the Sportsplex will remain the same during this time,” said Cashen.
Cashen answered some further questions from The Laker News on the news. She said they couldn’t provide any information on what the change in ownership would mean to employees.
“There shouldn’t be any impact to users at the Sportsplex because we will work with Sportsplex staff to ensure a smooth transition,” she said.
“All recreational programming will continue to be booked/scheduled via the normal channels,” added Cashen.
She said the MEH will also provide updates about booking information etc as the transition moves forward.
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East Hants Council thanked the current and former board members of the EHAA for their tireless work and dedication to the facility and the community they have built.
A thanks was also given to the community for their patience throughout the transition period.
“We look forward to continuing to provide recreational activities at the site for many years to come,” said Cashen.
