MOOSE JAW — City council had nothing but high praise for the announcement that city hall had secured a new naming rights partner for the Events Centre and a new name for the building.
“This is great news,” Coun. Chris Warren said during the March 10 regular meeting, after it was announced that the city and Peepeekisis Developments Ltd. (PDL) had signed a five-year naming rights agreement that will see the former Mosaic Place be known as Temple Gardens Centre (TGC).
PDL — the economic arm of Peepeekisis First Nation, a reserve about 180 kilometres east of Moose Jaw — purchased the Temple Gardens Spa and Hotel in 2022 and performed major renovations in 2023.
Coun. Dawn Luhning commended city administration for negotiating this contract and also thought it was great news for everyone. She noted that this council met with the reserve’s band council in January to thank the latter for contributing to the community and establishing partnerships.
“And this just further proves how they want to be involved in the city,” she added.
Coun. Patrick Boyle also agreed that this is a great partnership, one that began with PDL acquiring the spa and hotel, which has a “rich history” in Moose Jaw. He pointed out that the band leadership understood the history of the area and how important culturally it was for them and is for Moose Javians.
“It’ll be great to go check out a game at the Garden … ,” Boyle chuckled. “(This is) so exciting and (I’m) very happy to see this.”
Boyle later wondered humorously whether Madison Square Garden in New York City might sue him for referring to Temple Gardens Centre as “The Garden,” while he also joked that maybe the Multiplex could also be referred to as “TG Centre” — a riff on the NBA Boston Celtics’ TD Garden arena.
Coun. Heather Eby said she was “very pleased” to have been part of the meeting with Peepeekisis band council and to have experienced the positive energy and fun in the room, with both sides floating good ideas during the get-together.
“This is a really great outcome from that,” she continued. “This is (also) such a great opportunity for a rebrand and refresh for the Events Centre. And we’ve had many great things there, but the best is yet to come.”
Mayor James Murdock also thanked administration for its hard work in bringing this agreement together. He noted that the situation “has been a bit of a whirlwind” since that Jan. 13 meeting, considering both sides wanted this to happen.
“I think what pleases me the most is Peepeekisis Cree Nation … told us that Moose Jaw is home,” he continued. “And we know that this will lead to other partnerships, and this is just solidifying the friendship we have with the Peepeekisis Cree Nation.”
Murdock added that the reserve “are such strong supporters” of the WHL Moose Jaw Warriors that this agreement only cements the First Nation’s presence in the community.
Coun. Jamey Logan said this was “a wonderful deal,” while he was also excited for the rebranding and re-energizing of the Events Centre.
Coun. Carla Delaurier said she appreciated the relationships with the First Nation and PDL, while she was excited to see what developed for the Multiplex, the city, and its residents from this agreement. She also thought the municipality’s hard work had paid off and “the future looks bright.”
The next regular council meeting is Monday, March 24.
