White Rock council looks at Centennial Arena advertising opportunities

White Rock council looks at Centennial Arena advertising opportunities

Published 12:45 pm Thursday, June 18, 2026

White Rock council is taking a look at adding advertising opportunities at Centennial Arena.

At its last regular meeting June 8, council discussed a corporate report recommendation from staff that would approve the addition of new advertising inventory at the White Rock ice rink — specifically, the trophy case wall and outside rink boards — and to authorize the licensing of the new inventory to the Semiahmoo Minor Hockey Association to resell.

The city currently licenses advertising space at Centennial Arena to hockey organizations to generate revenue to both the city and the respective organizations, White Rock director of recreation and culture John Woolgar said.

While additional ad inventory would generate more revenue, “it also presents a risk of over-commercialization and visual clutter within the facility,” Woolgar noted, adding city staff recommended two of the four requests that “would support revenue generation while preserving the arena’s overall appearance, and limiting over-commercialization.”

Both Mayor Megan Knight and Coun. Chris Trevelyan questioned what other organizations use the arena, with Woolgar explaining the city was responding to a request from Semiahmoo Minor Hockey Association.

Council heard from staff that several groups use Centennial Arena regularly, including SMHA, the White Rock Whalers, White Rock Ball Hockey, Semiahmoo Lacrosse and the White Rock South Surrey Figure Skating Club.

“In terms of advertising, the White Rock Whalers and Semiahmoo Minor Hockey are the two groups that license advertising an re-sell it,” staff told council.

“If we approve these recommendations the funds from this ad revenue will go to the minor hockey association exclusively correct?” Trevelyan asked, and was told the majority of revenue would go to SMHA, and the minority, to the city.

Coun. David Chesney asked what the breakdown was of revenue received from arena advertising, and while staff told him they can’t answer how much the organizations take as revenue, the city receives just under $13,000 annually from Whalers ad revenue, and approximately $2,600 from SMHA advertising revenue.

Council was told decisions about who receives what in the way of advertising inventory has been a “historical process.”

“I want (all organizations) to make money and help them all out, but it always seems to me something like this should have some kind of policy in place … ‘historic’ is not ideal policy,” Trevelyan said, suggesting council perhaps, look at a policy regarding such advertising opportunities.

Knight made a motion for city staff to talk to the Whalers before council makes a decision, which carried unanimously.

A second motion by Trevelyan to look into creating a policy about arena advertising also carried unanimously, after Coun. Anthony Manning asked if the city moves forward with such a policy, “should it also include other city facilities like the baseball fields, the curling rink?”

‘I’d have to do a bit of research on that,” Woolgar responded.