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President's Notes
Canlan Ice Sports Aquire IIC
* Please read the following press release by Canlan Ice Sports.
CANLAN EXPANDS U.S. OPERATIONS
- Acquires Three-Pad Ice Rink Facility in Illinois -
Burnaby, B.C., May 26, 2011 – Canlan Ice Sports Corp. (TSX: ICE), industry-leading providers of recreational and leisure multi sport facilities across North America, today announced that pending court approval, it is expanding its U.S. ice operations with the acquisition of the International Ice Centre ("IIC"), a three-ice sheet, 106,000 square-foot facility, situated on 8 acres of land, currently in operation in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Romeoville. "Today’s announcement is consistent with our strategy to continue to expand our U.S. operations by acquiring ice and turf sport facilities with significant upside potential at a favourable valuation," said Joey St-Aubin, President and CEO of Canlan Ice Sports. "As a state-of-the-art ice sports complex with ideal demographics and location, we believe the IIC represents an excellent opportunity to apply our proven abilities with programming and customer experience to maximize the potential." The three-sheet ice sports complex was opened in the fall of 2006 and originally built at a cost of approximately $13.8 million. The facility was developed to service the needs of its main customer; The Huskies Hockey Club, a leading youth and developmental hockey program in the US, as well as provide for youth skating programs and the recreational needs of a rapidly growing Will County. The IIC has recently undergone approximately $450,000 of upgrades and renovations. As owners and operators of the International Ice Centre, Canlan plans to offer multiple hockey and skating programs, including the Canlan Skating Academy, Hockey Academy and the Adult Safe Hockey League, the world’s largest and most successful adult recreational hockey program. Canlan does not plan any business interruption for the existing IIC customers and expects to begin offering its branded programs to complement existing IIC products as early as July. To learn more about Canlan programming, leagues or tournaments please visit www.icesports.com or contact Shari Lichterman (VP Eastern Operations) at 416 661-4423 x128 or email at slichterman@icesports.com. In addition to three NHL-sized rinks with spectator seating, amenities include training facilities, a 1,500 square foot synthetic goalie and shooting training surface, weight training and cardio equipment, high-end locker rooms, a pro shop, equipment rental, offices, a meeting space, and a food and beverage concession area. The IIC is also home to the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League Chicago Hitmen and the Rampage Women’s Hockey Club. With this acquisition, Canlan now owns or operates 22 facilities across North America with a combined total of 64 ice surfaces as well as indoor soccer fields, ball diamonds, curling rinks and volleyball courts. About Canlan Canlan Ice Sports Corp is the North American leader in the development, operations and ownership of multi-purpose recreation and entertainment facilities. We are the largest private sector owner and operator of recreational ice sports facilities in North America and currently own and/or manage 22 facilities in Canada and the United States with 64 ice surfaces, as well as indoor soccer fields, ball diamonds, curling rinks and volleyball courts. Canlan Ice Sports Corp. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ICE Caution concerning forward-looking statements This document contains forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words like "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "indicates" or similar expressions. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors set forth in reports and other documents filed by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time.
The Huskies Board of Directors released the following letter January 27th in response to the pending foreclosure proceeding. Should you have any questions about the letter or the sale of the facility, please feel free to contact a board member. Thank you for your continued commitment to the Huskies Hockey Club.
A Letter From the Huskies President - Please Read
To the HHC membership:
As President of the HHC and the IIC, I have been working on many things over the last two years that are necessary to move our club forward.
First and foremost has been establishing a stable hockey club which is wrapped in a stable home. As many of you know, this has not always been the case. Calculations by previous HHC board members, financiers and facility managers (who believed wholeheartedly that a community-based Tier II hockey club could "move" its community) were sorely mistaken. The financing, unfortunately for the HHC and the IIC, followed the same erroneous model; to which end the debt could never be serviced. The economic climate of the last few years made it abundantly clear that to succeed; the HHC and IIC require revised thinking and reconstitution in their new community of Romeoville.
The IIC has focused its efforts on introducing ice skating and hockey to Romeoville and neighboring communities. Its efforts to "grow the sport" have resulted in a current enrollment of approximately 225 mites in the IIC house program and another 200 skaters in its "learn to skate" programs. The HHC seeks to build on that success by positioning itself as one of the premier clubs in the southwest suburbs. The HHC has retained quality coaches for its teams and clinics, provides on- and off-ice training for its players and supplies its players and families with a facility and environment that fosters the love of the sport.
Now, an excellent rink management company with great programs in place coupled with removing the yoke of the debt assures the HHC will continue its growth in a positive forward motion. The HHC and its programs are here to stay, not as rink owners and guarantors of exorbitant debt, but as much-wanted successful anchor tenants of the IIC, a beautiful facility that we will continue to call the "Home of the Huskies Hockey Club".
Bob Graham
President
Huskies Hockey Club and International Ice Centr
A Note From Our President About Spring Hockey
With the conclusion of another great season, we are readying for a progressive, flexible Spring Program. I would like to explain to the membership that this new direction fits the ADM and it's development goals. With the structure of practices, skills and drills, and goalie clinics, as well as the tournaments we have lined up, it still falls into the traditional spring hockey mindset. But more importantly with the ADM in mind, teams can now schedule games with other clubs that more of the kids can be at by limiting conflicts. And remember, the conflicts are good. Baseball, soccer, basketball, track, swimming, etc, are all part of developing the coordination used in hockey. This is what we, and USA Hockey are trying to achieve. Everyone knows all the kids want to play, and at this time of the year, this compliments the ADM very well.
President HHC
Letter from the President
