Vernon to invest in new video scoreboard for Kal Tire Place

Feb 25, 2025 | 12:22 PM

The local hockey arena will be getting a new amenity to enhance the experience for both hockey fans and people attending events at the facility.

Vernon City Council received a report at the regular meeting Monday, Feb 24, asking that money be allocated to purchase a new video scoreboard for Kal Tire Place at a cost of between $350,000 and $825,000 to be funded through the Kin Race Track Park Reserve Fund.

“The (recommended) $600,000 proposed is based on an estimate using a Canadian-based company that has provided quotes or actual installation of product to most of the arenas that have BCHL teams, such as ours,” Jason Blood, Vernon’s Director of Recreation Services, told council Monday.

“The $600,000 would include the complete removal and installation of a four-sided video screen scoreboard at centre ice at Kal Tire Place.”

Blood added the new scoreboard would be available for showing scores, shot tallies and other game details by other area users aside from the Vernon Vipers.

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His report noted the city could also invest an additional $225,000 to add on an internal broadcast feature to display live video feeds for other groups and events, such as Remembrance Day Ceremonies, graduations, and concerts.

The city also had an option of purchasing a digital scoreboard without video capabilities at a cost of $350,000.

City staff noted the Kin Race Track Park Lands Reserve was built up using the legacy fund, and that some of the money previously intended for landscaping purposes would be redirected for the purchase of the scoreboard. The fund had a reserve of approximately $4.6-million as of Monday, and was not a public taxation collection fund.

Coun. Akbal Mund put forward a motion to allocate the $825,000 toward the project to get the new scoreboard with video broadcast capabilities.

“Let’s do this right,” Mund said Monday.

“It’s a one-time cost that’s not going to cost the taxpayers anything, and it’s going to give us 25 to 30 years of good use.”

Coun. Kari Gares noted an upgraded scoreboard would be needed at Kal Tire Place in the future, and, with the risk of further cost escalation, she was in favour of investing the $825,000. Gares also noted the intention of the legacy fund was to invest in the community, and the scoreboard purchase would align with that goal.

However, Coun. Brian Guy expressed concern with taking funds out of the Kin Race Track Park Reserve Fund, stating that money was intended to be used for the park and not the arena, and that the plan for a passive park at the Kin Race Track Lands did not have a cost estimate as of Monday. He also stated this was not an urgent matter and the city should be more fiscally prudent and go with the digital scoreboard option at the cost of $350,000.

Coun. Kelly Fehr also agreed that the money was intended to be used for the Kin Race Track Lands, and that, in the face of tariff threats from the U.S., the city should limit its spending.

The matter was put to a vote, and the motion to allocate $825,000 towards the purchase and installation of a new video scoreboard passed. Councillors Guy and Fehr voted in opposition.

Council then authorized staff to spend up to $825,000 on the project, which the report said should be done between August 30 and September 13, 2025.

by Liam Verster

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