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Men's hockey program axed at Keyano College

PHOTO: Keyano Huskies logo PROVIDED

Keyano’s Board of Governors is cutting the Men’s Hockey Team for 2016-2017 as part of ongoing efforts to reduce costs at the college. The move will amount to a savings of about $220,000 in the 2016-2017 budget.

The college said expense reductions implemented across several different areas of the College would include ceasing operations of the Keyano College Men’s Hockey Team.

“This was a very difficult decision and speaks to the seriousness of regaining our financial footing,” added Dr. Edwards. “I want to thank the coaches and players for all they have done as ambassadors for Keyano College. We will be sure to work with students who would have been returning to the team in the next academic year, to ensure their needs are met.”

A player’s perspective

Player Levi George said that’s not at all what he and his teammates felt when they attended the board meeting and voiced their concerns on hearing the program was being cut.

“That was never even appointed,” he said.

George and his teammates only found out the team was on the chopping block Thursday when they learned a board meeting was taking place Friday to discuss the budget. Other than that they had no warning.

“They proposed that they cut the Men’s Hockey Team from the budget and all we could do was voice our opinion today but basically there was nothing we could say or do that would change their minds or opinions,” he said.

He said he and his teammates made some strong arguments in favour of keeping the team but felt the decision had already been made.

“They had nothing to say,” George said of the board members.

His teammates even suggested looking into another funding strategy for the team, which had been part of the school’s budget.

“We would like the opportunity to go try to fund ourselves and go through the community and maybe be given the opportunity to try to make it ourselves. And we were looking to get some sponsors to try to help us with that,” he said. That wasn’t an idea the board was willing to entertain, however, according to George.

“Another argument was made that, we obviously know that being a student comes first before being an athlete but, they’re kind of taking something away from us: a sport that teaches us more than you can learn in a classroom. It’s not quite fair,” he said.

Many of the players came to Keyano because it was the only school where hockey was an option for them alongside the programs they were looking for. George said he and his teammates felt nothing they could have said would have resulted in a different outcome for the team. It’s a huge blow for the player who would have entered his third year with the team this fall.

He said he won’t be looking to play elsewhere.

“As a team, we take pride in coming to Keyano and being a part of the community of Fort McMurray because a lot of us didn’t have the opportunity to go anywhere else and wearing their name on our jersey we took a lot of pride and we’re proud of where we are and we want to stay here. No one wants to go anywhere,” George said.

Members of the team will continue reaching out to the community and local businesses to see if there’s enough support for the team to allow them to function without funding from the school and then would come back to the college to see if an arrangement could be made.

A balanced budget

The college announced Friday the budget for next year is balanced, with Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tracy Edwards saying in a statement, “The budget was developed considering the realization of operational and administrative efficiencies while minimizing the impact on existing CIP goals, core educational programs, students and student activities, faculty and regional delivery.”

The budget was approved by the Board of Governors Friday and covers the academic year of 2016-2017.

“Given the ongoing difficult economic climate, the Board recognizes the careful thought that has gone into the 2016-2017 budget,” said Keyano College Board of Governors Chair Kara Flynn. “The Board also appreciates that this budget accounts for the goals and priorities outlined in the College’s guiding Comprehensive Institutional Plan (CIP), while considering recent fiscal challenges that have come as a result of the downturned economy.”

“This balanced budget puts us in a much more stable position to move forward and meet the needs of our stakeholders and the community. I appreciate the work of our Finance team and would like to thank our Faculty and Staff for their ongoing commitment to the College during these last few months,” said Dr. Edwards.

The financial year for the College is July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017.

Axing the hockey program is just the latest in a series of moves to cut costs at the college in light of the downturn. Keyano isn’t the first post-secondary institute in Canada to cut its hockey program in favour of academics. St. Thomas University in Fredericton cut its program at the beginning of April to save about $245,000 annually.