Minisapoy Café President Wayne Ray asked North Battleford council Monday for compensation for revenue losses related to the wave pool temporary closure. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Business matters

Café in aquatic centre facility seeking compensation for losses

May 14, 2019 | 12:45 PM

The Minisapoy Café is looking for financial compensation from the City of North Battleford for the revenue losses it incurred while the wave pool was closed, as well as for aquatic centre program changes that were said to have impacted its coffers.

At North Battleford City Hall’s meeting Monday, Wayne Ray, president of Minisapoy Café, a tenant in the Battlefords CO-OP Aquatic Centre building, said several closures this last month led to the financial loss. There was a partial pool closure which affected programming and the city’s discontinuation of the Toonie Tuesday swim night promotion. Ray said it led to less customers.

Ray also mentioned in his report that the café, a family business, doesn’t receive any grants or subsidies from the city that may serve as a buffer for these losses.

“We are proud of what we have in this city and the CUplex, and share it,” Ray said. “Why cannot the city be proud of our little café?”

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During his presentation to council, Ray asked for reimbursement for the cafe’s losses. He requested to have the cafe’s lease rent at $2,368 per month exempt for the time the pool was partially closed (four weeks) and one month after for the business recovery period, plus $2,500 per month for lost revenue also for the two-month period. The total value of the request amounts to about $9,700.

Administration announced at the meeting the aquatic centre was partially closed from mid April for repairs and would reopen fully on May 14.

Ray said he previously asked city administration for compensation but his request was denied.

Ray, who is also a former North Battleford mayor, said he took on the establishment to be supportive of the overall recreation facility as a boon to the Battlefords, but was not anticipating these types of significant shortfalls to the business for which he couldn’t plan.

Council accepted his report and deferred it to the city’s management to review.

Following council, Mayor Ryan Bater said the issue is a contract matter.

He said city management will need to determine whether Ray’s request for compensation is consistent with the city’s lease contract for the business.

“If we have a contract in place, if he is owed [compensation], then he is owed; if he is not, then he is not,” Bater said.

When reached by battlefordsNOW on Tuesday, Ray said he was disappointed council would not discuss the matter during the meeting.

He said the café has been in the aquatic centre building since 2012 when the facility was first opened, and wants to remain there, but finances are a significant concern in light of these instances beyond his control.

“We want to be able to have a chance to talk to the city manager or mayor,” Ray said.

“We really want to be part of the CUplex (complex), and promote the Battlefords,” he added. “That’s why we went there. It fit well with our objective, and it fit well with promoting the Battlefords.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW