Skip to content

Editorial - Community must step up for sports

Residents of Yorkton and Area have some decisions to make in regards to just what they want in the city in terms of entertainment in the years ahead.
Cardinals

Residents of Yorkton and Area have some decisions to make in regards to just what they want in the city in terms of entertainment in the years ahead.

In the last few months we have seen two sport franchises, and one major sporting event face some serious issues which, in the short term, brings into question the future for two, and, in the longer term, how to right the ship before the third is also in serious trouble.

Conditions surrounding the area of the Yorkton Municipal Airport deteriorated to the point the drag races, which were scheduled to be held this past Sunday, were cancelled.

To see the popular races return in 2019 and beyond will require money and cooperation between the City of Yorkton, who operate the airport, and the Kambusters Drag Racing Association, the volunteer-based organization who have run the annual races.

The public can play a role in the future of the races by letting Yorkton Council know whether you are in favour of an expenditure by the City to make the site race worthy. Kambusters can always use more volunteers to make the races a success.

The Yorkton Cardinals find themselves carrying a significant debt load which the organization will need to address in the coming months to be viable for 2019.

The situation is not unique to Yorkton, with the rival Melville Millionaires facing a similar situation.

Locally, if we are to have the highest quality baseball available in Saskatchewan and Alberta as part of Yorkton’s summer entertainment mix, then the Cardinals will require more sponsorship, more fan support, and more help to make it all happen. That means people who love baseball, or simply recognize the WMBL brings both economic activity and support for baseball in our community, have to step up to the plate and frankly save the franchise. Without such support in the coming months, there is a very real possibility the team could move to another community or simply fold.

And then there are our Yorkton Terriers. While not in dire financial shape, they have seen a number of years were the team lost money or have made only the most modest of profits.

Costs to operate any sports franchise, the Terriers and Cardinals among them, climb, as fuel, hotels, equipment, and the like go up as the price of such items continue to rise.

So the Terriers too need to see community support strengthen to help the team reduce debt and operate in the black.

It truly is up to Yorkton as a community whether these teams and events are part of our community long term. Do we want to enjoy the WMBL in the summer? The drag race weekend? The SJHL Terriers?

In the coming months we will find out just what the broader community has decided in response to such questions as the fate of the three becomes clearer moving forward.