Hockey team owner plans to move squad to Kamloops

By Julie TurnerrnOsoyoos Times

Local hockey fans must bid farewell to their beloved Junior B hockey team.
Osoyoos Storm owner Barry Dewar announced March 28 he has applied to the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) to move the team to Kamloops.
This news comes on the heels of a one-year contract offer approved by Town Council at its March 20 meeting, although Dewar had said in last week's Osoyoos Times he had not yet reviewed the lease agreement and had no comment on the terms.
Dewar then told the Times March 28 that for a thousand different reasons he had decided to move the team. He added he is excited about the opportunity to move his team to Kamloops.
We have the opportunity to move to a brand new facility in a progressive community that has expressed a strong desire to have a Junior B team in their city. Dewar added Kamloops was a natural fit for the Storm, as several players from Kamloops are on the team every year.
The Storm's contract with the Town of Osoyoos ended March 31, but Dewar felt unsure of Council's commitment to keep the team in Osoyoos and had earlier started exploring other options for the team in Lake Country, Chase, Armstrong, Kelowna, Westbank, Enderby and Kamloops.
Dewar has felt frustrated for some time over what he saw as the lack of support and poor communication from Council. Council's late-March contract offer may be a case of too little, too late. It did not approve an offer until March 20 but Dewar had said he needed to know in February what the town was willing to do. He thanked Councillor Ted Cronmiller, who also sits on the Recreation Commission Board, for his support.
Dewar said in its first contract offer, the town asked the Storm to pay a fee 25 per cent higher than the last contract. He countered with a lower proposal and the town came back with little, picky things, before it agreed on more favourable terms for the Storm. Dewar has said for some time he believed the team was at a crossroads in Osoyoos. However, he noted, the decision was a tough one to make.
It's pretty sad to say this to a lot of people. We have had some great loyal hockey fans in town but support definitely has dwindled. He added it was never about the money, but rather it was about having a good working relationship with the town.
Mayor John Slater said although Dewar has the right to move or sell his team, he was disappointed by his decision. He also said, as of late last week, he had not yet seen anything in writing from Dewar.
There's a lot of pride and a feeling of ownership by all the volunteers, fans, kids and parents. It's unfortunate that one individual can make the determination to move the team to Kamloops. How fair is that to the community? It's kind of a slap in the face for all those who supported it.rnHe says he believed the town had been dealing in good faith with Dewar and is upset now to discover Dewar may not have had any intention of fulfilling the contract.
Slater doesn't foresee having to lay off any staff at the Sun Bowl Arena, as the Storm contract represented only 2.8 per cent ($12,706) of the facility's $457,585 operating costs for 2005. Minor hockey and figure skating are also tenants at the arena.
Slater added the loss of revenue to the town is only part of the issue; the real loss is to the community. He said the town will actively seek another Junior B team to replace the Storm.
We'll solicit other existing teams and if they don't come then maybe there's an opportunity to start a new franchise with the KIJHL and form a new Osoyoos team.
Recreation Director Gerald Davis said he had been discussing the new contract with Dewar for a couple of months. The terms were settled and Dewar adressed both the Rec Commission and Town Council as a delegation.
Councillor Stu Wells believes Council did everything it could to make it worthwhile for the team to stay and offered Dewar everything he asked for.
Kamloops City Council recently approved a proposal to have the Junior B team, and now Dewar needs approval by the KIJHL and the B.C. Amateur Hockey Association. The process will be finalized in June.
Osoyoos has had a Junior B Hockey team for the past 10 years. Previously, under three different owners, the team was called the Heat and the Rebels. Dewar has owned the Storm for the past five years.