Moose Jaw has a total of four city-owned ice rinks, with two of those capable of running during the summer. So why don't they?

That was a question raised by Councilor Doug Blanc at City Council last night. Blanc pointed out that smaller towns in the area such as Caronport and Wilcox are busy with hockey and skating camps all summer.

City Manager Jim Puffalt says they don't have enough camps or teams who want to use the facilities to justify the cost.

"If we could fill up the arena, we'd be more than happy to do so and put summer ice in at least one of our arenas. It's not that we can't do it, but there needs to be a business case for us to spend that money."

Puffalt says the city is always open to sports camps or other clients who might be willing to use the facilities, but that right now, the demand just isn't high enough to outweigh the high utility costs.

"As soon as we turn on the power to the ice plant, that's the amount that we get charged for the whole month, regardless of whether we have customers in the building or not."

The ice plants at both Mosiac Place and the Kinsmen Sportsplex have been shut down since April of this year.