The two-year-long process of finding a new name for the Town of Kensington’s rink came to an end Monday night.
What has been Community Gardens Complex, or some variation of that, for many years, will now be known as Credit Union Centre.
Council voted unanimously to accept a proposed naming rights agreement between itself and Malpeque Bay Credit Union, which is located in the community.
The town originally issued a request for proposals, looking for businesses interested in acquiring the naming rights to the facility, back in 2015. Malpeque Bay Credit Union was the only interested party.
Mayor Rowan Caseley said it was a long road to reach a final agreement, but he believes the deal brings good value to the town.
“I look at it as being the continuation of a positive relationship, which we’ve had with the (Malpeque Bay) Credit Union since day one,” said Caseley.
According to the terms of the deal, the credit union will provide the community with $10,000 annually for 10 years to help offset the cost of operating the facility.
In exchange for the funds, the credit union retains the right, subject to town approval, to name the facility and create a logo for it.
A rebranding of the facility’s interior and exterior signage will be undertaken in the coming months
Caseley acknowledged that some in the community won’t be happy with the name change but stressed that securing operational revenue is an ongoing challenge for community rinks and naming agreements are good sources of long-term funding.
“Nobody likes change. Unfortunately, if we want to maintain the services we provide there, we need to look at these things. Every arena around the province seems to be dealing with these issues,” said Caseley.
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