The Moose Jaw Soccer Association has signed a new five-year agreement with city hall to use the Yara Centre, allowing the organization to continue providing indoor soccer programming and training for the community.
The soccer association (MJSA) has been a prime tenant at the Yara Centre since the building opened in 2011. As part of its tenancy, the association has received priority booking privileges for annual turf use allocations, along with dedicated office and storage space, a city council report explained.
The current three-year agreement between MJSA and the City of Moose Jaw Expire was to expire on Sunday, Oct. 31. The new agreement starts on Monday, Nov. 1 and runs to Oct. 31, 2026.
During its Oct. 25 executive committee meeting, council voted 5-0 to approve the agreement and have the acting mayor and acting city clerk authorize the agreement.
Coun. Kim Robinson was absent.
The recommendation must be approved during a future council meeting to become official.
“The ability to provide indoor soccer programs at the Yara Centre is a tremendous benefit to the community. Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world and continues to grow in Canada,” said parks and rec director Derek Blais.
“That’s primarily due to its affordability, how it’s extremely popular with newcomers (and) low-income families because of limited equipment requirements, as well as lower registration fees than average sports.”
The soccer association experienced major changes during the past year as it worked with members to enhance programming and membership, he continued. The group no longer has a paid administrator, so the board is more involved in the organization’s daily activities, which has helped the relationship between the city and the association.
This improved relationship has also included the soccer association making timely monthly payments and staying current with its bills, Blais added. Also, signing an agreement for five years instead of three ensures consistency and allows the group to plan long-term.
Since 2018, the number of hours the soccer association has booked at the Yara Centre has fluctuated from 667.50 hours to 528.50 hours to a projected 600 next year, according to Blais’ report. Furthermore, revenues next year are expected to be $52,020; in 2018, revenues were $56,504.
Some other highlights of the new five-year agreement include:
- The MJSA will receive a 15-per-cent discount on all minor rental rates and fees subject to the group booking a minimum of 500 hours from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31. If that doesn’t happen, the regular rate will be applied. The discount also aligns with the percentage discount that minor organizations receive for arena rentals. This change will increase rentals of a quarter section of turf to $86.70 per hour from $84.65 per hour
- The discounted rental rate for MJSA is not expected to increase by more than 10 per cent from year to year
- The MJSA will pay its rental fees in 12 equal monthly instalments starting in November each year, which should assist with the cash flow and budgeting for both groups
- The soccer association has exclusive use of office space, equipment storage space, and a dedicated parking stall that only board members can access during regular building hours
- City hall will provide the organization with free meeting space at the Kinsmen Sportsplex or Pla-Mor Palace, with those rooms used exclusively for meetings by the board of directors
- The municipality will retain all the rights to sell or distribute food or beverages within the building, while it will also retain all advertising and marketing rights and revenues inside the venue
- Either party may terminate the agreement after giving one year’s written notice. Default termination clauses have also been incorporated into the agreement
The next executive committee meeting is Monday, Nov. 8.
