Beer and hockey?

Hockey fans may soon be able to enjoy a beer while they watch the Osoyoos Storm at the Sun Bowl Arena.
But while the Town of Osoyoos council granted permission for the Storm to move forward on a liquor licence for the upcoming season they did so at a cost of $50 per game.
And that has team president Barry Dewar scratching his head.
After almost three years, I think it's very short-sighted on the Town of Osoyoos to increase the cost by any amount.
It has been proven by the other teams in the KIJHL that there are no additional costs. It's just another example of the Town fathers trying to make it difficult for the Storm to stay in Osoyoos, Dewar said.
Council made the decision at its most recent public meeting on Tuesday night, however the issue has been on the books since 2003.
The Storm were originally granted permission to apply for a liquor licence back in October of 2003 but needed clarification on the terms of the modified agreement with the Town of Osoyoos (who leases the Sun Bowl Arena to the Storm), according to a staff report to council.
The report also stated that the Storm and the Town of Osoyoos had not yet had the opportunity to negotiate the new terms, but at the September 6 council meeting, the new terms were finally outlined.
As for why there needed to an increase in charges to the team, the report to council said increased expenses could include increased cleaning staff, extra garbage collection, extra administration costs and increased risk.
In the report, from Recreation Director Gerald Davis to the Town of Osoyoos, Davis noted a couple of options in relation to the possible rate increase the Storm would have to pay.
An increase of $100 per game was an alternative in offsetting some of these possible expenditures. The board also discussed an alternative of monitoring the facility for a period of time and then evaluating what the extra expenditures would be, the report stated.
Council considered two options at Tuesday night's meeting.
Option one was to increase the rate by $100/game to help offset the extra expenses incurred by the Town of Osoyoos.
Option two was to keep the current rate where it is with no increase, and to monitor the expenditures incurred for a season where beer is sold and determine a new rate the following year.
Councillor Ken Davreux made a motion to consider a third option: increase the fee by $50/game for one year with an option to examine that cost at the end of the year.
The motion was seconded by councillor Bud Fraser and then carried.
Barry Dewar said he was disappointed to learn of council's decision.
He said the main purpose of getting the program operational is to help the Osoyoos Storm become more financially viable.
According to Dewar, other communities in the KIJHL who use this service have realized financial gains and have seen an increase in attendance.
Another positive, Dewar believes, is the opportunity for non-profit groups and service clubs to get involved and assist the Storm with the licenced area. In turn, the Storm would give a portion of the profits to them.