The Prince Albert Northern Bears may have a path toward dedicated dressing room space before the start of the next season.
Executive Committee voted unanimously Monday to send the female U18 AAA hockey club’s request to the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department. Administration is expected to report back by the July 20 council meeting with a solution for a temporary home.
The request came from Northern Bears financial advisor representative Al Dyer, who attended the meeting along with players, coaches, and volunteers.
Dyer said the Bears have been trying to secure a dedicated dressing room for several years. He told councillors the club had previously been involved in discussions around the proposed new event centre. where the team expected to eventually have permanent space, but the club now believes that project remains uncertain.
“Here we are five years later,” Dyer told committee. “We honestly feel that we’re probably farther away from the phase two event centre than we were four years ago.”
The request comes as the city takes early steps toward a future Convention and Cultural Event Centre in the Yard District, a project that could eventually shape long-term facility planning for local sports groups, including the Bears. City officials announced a $15 million federal commitment toward the project in February, but said more funding is still needed before construction can begin. For the Bears, that means the immediate dressing room issue still needs a temporary answer.
In the meantime, Dyer said the Bears continue to operate with dressing room, storage, and scheduling arrangements that do not compare well with other teams in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League.
He said the Bears are the only team in their league without a dedicated dressing room. Players are regularly moving equipment between dressing rooms, homes, and billet homes, while the team also competes with the Mintos, Raiders, and Speed Skating Club for a limited number of time slots at the Art Hauser Centre. Dyer said the Bears have been double-booked for games during the past two years, which he said caused frustration for those involved.
“To continue this for an indeterminate time does not make sense when there is a manageable solution available,” Dyer said.
Dyer said the club has been patient, but the current setup is no longer acceptable.
“We believe that the Bears have been more than patient, and it is definitely time to assess our future needs with what we know and not with what we hope,” he said.
The team’s preferred option is to move to the Lake Country Leisure Centre and use one of the facility’s current dressing rooms, with additional office and storage space.
Dyer said that would give the team a workable temporary solution, reduce scheduling conflicts at the Art Hauser Centre, and free up ice time for other users. He said the Bears are willing to discuss paying reasonable rent for dressing room and storage space, in addition to regular ice rental rates.
Dyer told committee the club spent more than $31,000 on ice time this past year.
The other option would be to build a new dressing room at the Art Hauser Centre, similar to the Mintos room. Dyer said that is a less attractive option because of the cost, timing, and the age of the building.
He said the club does not believe it makes sense to spend several hundred thousand dollars on a dressing room at the Art Hauser Centre when a cheaper temporary solution may already exist at the leisure centre.
Coun. Dawn Kilmer moved to refer the request to administration and asked for a report by the July 20 council meeting. She thanked the Bears organization for its long commitment to female hockey in Prince Albert and said the team remains part of the city’s long-term vision for a future event centre.
Dyer said July may be too late for some of the team’s planning. He said the ice allocation begins in May, while league scheduling has to be completed in June.
Jody Boulet, the city’s director of Parks, Recreation, and Culture, said administration understands the timing issue and will not wait until July to begin working with the team.
Boulet said the Lake Country Leisure Centre has now completed its first full season, giving the city a better idea of ice allocation, capacity, and possible partnerships at the new facility.
“We believe it creates an opportunity for a partnership at the leisure centre with the Northern Bears,” Boulet said.
He said the July 20 date would likely be used for a formal agreement, but staff can work with the Bears in the next few weeks so the club has what it needs for scheduling.
Mayor Bill Powalinsky asked whether the city could move ahead with conditional arrangements before the formal agreement returns to council. Boulet said the ice rental process would follow the city’s normal spring scheduling system, with the main change being the location.
Coun. Darren Solomon said the proposed move made sense, especially now that the leisure centre has been open long enough for the city to better understand how the space can be used.
Coun. Tony Head said the Bears have helped build one of the strongest female hockey programs in the country. He said he was excited by the possibility of the team using the city’s new facility for the 2026-27 season.
Deputy Mayor Bryce Laewetz also spoke in support before the vote. He said his nine-year-old daughter talks about wanting to play for the Bears whenever they pass the team’s current space at the Art Hauser Centre.
The motion passed unanimously.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
