The Township of Langley now controls every aspect of day-to-day operations at the Langley Events Centre (LEC), with a municipally-owned company taking over ice maintenance at the multi-purpose sports facility.
Ten Feet Sports and Entertainment replaces Recreation Excellence, the private company that had the contract for the services.
The president of Ten Feet is the Langley Township general manager of administration and community services, Jason Winslade, who describes the Township-owned company as an arm’s-length public firm.
Winslade said the takeover completes a switch from private to a more “cost-effective” public administration that was ordered by council three years ago.
He praised Recreation Excellence for operating services during the transition.
“They did an excellent job under difficult circumstances,” Winslade said.
Employees of Recreation Excellence who work at the LEC are being invited to apply for jobs with Ten Feet, he said, adding the two other Township contracts with the private company, to manage the George Preston and Aldergrove facilities, have been extended another two years.
In 2010, Langley Township council hired Recreation Excellence after it voted to take control of the management of LEC and buy out Langley Development Group, the company that built and operated the facility.
The $8.83 million deal was approved in December of that year by a 7-2 council vote over the heated objections of then-mayor Rick Green.