By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The provincial government has changed an Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) policy surrounding the age of sports players and it is welcome news for one local junior hockey team.
AGCO is amending a policy to require that 100 per cent of players must be 21 years of age and under at the start of the sporting season to apply for a lottery license. Previously, teams in youth amateur-sports organizations were required to have a majority of players under the age of 18 years to apply.
Several area elected officials were on hand for an announcement at the Wilmot Recreation Centre Oct. 7, including Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris.
"Our government is committed to supporting youth sports organizations by cutting unnecessary red tape and providing more flexibility for charitable lottery licensing. By revising the age requirement to include players who are 21 and under, we are ensuring that more teams can benefit from these opportunities,” said Harris.
“This change not only strengthens the market but also helps youth teams across Ontario continue their incredible work in fostering development, teamwork and community spirit.”
Harris said he first received a call from New Hamburg Firebirds president Gord Mills nearly two years ago when the team was having difficulty obtaining a license at Moparfest to raffle off a car.
“I called the attorney general right away to see how we can make these changes. I was bugging him every week to get it done, so here we are. This is exciting,” said Harris.
Mills said fundraising from their lottery licenses accounts for about $40,000 or 25 per cent of the team’s budget. He added it is a give and take for the team in the Wilmot area. The team was able to receive a temporary reprieve until a final decision was made, meaning the bottom line was not affected.
“This is a big event for us. The Firebirds being a community team, we try and build our players around community support. When our players join the team, they are asked to be a part of the community. They participate in a Thanksgiving food drive, teddy bear toss, warm clothing drives, events at public schools and many others. They put a lot of time in and love being a part of this community.”
Mills added the 25 per-cent figure doesn’t seem like a lot but added it may be the difference between the team playing hockey and not playing hockey.
Attorney General Doug Downey said the rule change will help many teams.
“We are thrilled to announce a further expansion of youth-sport charity opportunities here in Ontario. We thank Minister Harris for his advocacy at a local level that makes a difference across the province.”
It took two years for the province to make the necessary changes to get to this point. The Gazette asked Downey why it took so long.
“I have had different experiences with the speed of government. Certainly during the pandemic, some things happened in two weeks. In this case, what we want to do when we develop policy and we are working with (AGCO).”
He added AGCO is independent and has many priorities but, in this instance, the fix had to be done right.
“We understood there was an issue here so there was a temporary fix put in place that allowed (the Firebirds) to continue. But then to test that across the province to see if it was a localized issue or something that is happening everywhere, that took a bit of time.”
The announcement does not allow privately owned amateur sports teams to apply for a license. That privilege remains with non-profit organizations only, such as the Firebirds.
Downey said supporting community-based teams doesn’t only help the municipalities they are located in but also provides the participants with life lessons.
“It invests skills and character in kids that carry on for the rest of their lives. Sometimes in government, you don’t know these concrete differences you can make where you can say, ‘I made this happen.’ My friend, Mike (Harris), said we have a challenge, something that doesn’t make sense.”
He added the government wants to make sure the community has the ability to support organizations at the grassroots level.
“I’m thrilled about the realignment. I am thrilled Mike (Harris) brought it forward and that he was a real passionate advocate about it. This change will happen across Ontario. It started here with the Firebirds and I am thrilled to announce it is effective today.”
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