One of the most popular, busiest sports spots in the city is winding down what appears to be its final season.
The Barrie Ball Hockey Club (BBHC) is usually packed at their 125 Ferndale St. N. location with four rinks bustling with people of all ages and gender playing the outdoor sport.
The organization that runs the BBHC has three locations: Barrie, St. Catharines and Orillia, but the Barrie site has been sold, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over its future.
Mike Browning is the facility's current manager. He has been overseeing aspects of the business since the passing of owner Brian Broley.
At the end of October, 2021, the property in Barrie was sold and then-owner Broley was in the midst of moving Ball Hockey Barrie to another site.
“Unfortunately during that time as he was negotiating a lease agreement and looking for another place to move the rinks, Brian passed away,” said Browning. “That's why Barrie’s location is in the situation that it is. Orillia has a lease agreement until 2023 and the St. Catharines sale just closed at the end of February.”
Orillia has one rink to play on while St. Catharines currently has two, but is adding another.
Barrie is the biggest of the three and home to the largest number of players.
Browning said there was a contingency plan for the other sites, but since Barrie’s deal wasn’t finalized, the large membership that uses it have nowhere to play once the current season ends.
“I cleared the building out as of Dec. 31, but I am leasing the rinks from the current owner until May 31 so that we can have one last season,” said Browning. “Usually we have 800 kids in a spring season, upwards of 200 teams and around 3,000 people in just the spring that play there.”
Browning said the ball hockey business has been good for a lot of years, but COVID hurt it significantly.
“We lost spring 2020 and 2021 and this is the first spring season since 2019 where we can play. Spring is by far our biggest season; it won’t be this year but we’re doing what we can to make it great,” said Browning.
The rinks have to start coming down by May 31, and Browning admits it won’t be an easy job moving rinks that have been there for nearly three decades.
“The tiled floor is the most valuable thing there. The boards are not great but the scoreboards could be used elsewhere,” said Browning. “I’d love to be able to see these rinks go up somewhere else and get many more years out of them.”
Devan Craft has been playing at the rinks for 15 years and says he and his family (wife and two kids) love playing ball hockey.
“It's my exercise and keeps me in shape, and is also our social time with friends. To be honest though, as much as me and my wife love playing, it's more for the kids,” said Craft. “They have friends that play and it lets them run off a bunch of energy. It's also more affordable than ice hockey.”
Jim Lowe is considered the BBHC iron man, having not missed a single season since spring 1995 and only one season ever (winter 1994).
Lowe says there are only four or five originals left from that inaugural 1994 season and says it would be a shame to see the facility shut down, telling BarrieToday he’s made many enduring friendships through ball hockey; his first coaching experiences also came at the club.
“I was able to win championships with my son and his friends, first as their coach, and later as their teammate. When we won our most recent men's championship, five of our players, including my son, weren't even born when I won my first championship down there,” said Lowe.
"I'm old and broken down now, but I wouldn't have missed this final season for anything in the world," said Lowe. "Playing there has been the one constant in my life for almost three decades. I really don't know how I'll handle things when my last game there occurs a couple of months from now.
"The Barrie Ball Hockey Club is and will always be a part of me," he said.
Browning hopes someone will and help out.
“I know property is expensive nowadays, but I really hope someone sees this and wants to help this little community,” said Browning. “That's what we are, a community of people wanting to continue our fun, our exercise and continue the game that has meant so much to so many over so many years.”
The new owner has not disclosed plans for the facility.
