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Agriculture Section inside!
Your LOCAL Media since 1918! VOLUME 107: ISSUE 31
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Tofield Minor Hockey Association dissolves Kelsey Witham Staff Reporter
The Tofield Minor Hockey Association (TMHA) held their annual general meeting (AGM) on Sunday, Mar. 30 in the Tofield Arena meeting room to review the past season and come to a consensus on the future of the Association. At last year’s AGM, held Monday, May 13, 2024, TMHA decided to join all levels of play with Strathcona Minor Hockey Association (SMHA) in a one-year pilot project, with parent and team feedback to be discussed following the trial season. There were 71 members in attendance at the 2025 AGM, and only voting members were permitted to attend the meeting. The membership chose to fully dissolve the Association based on the challenges that TMHA has had and will face in the future. “Almost our entire 2024-2025 executive board was up for renewal,” the Association’s official statement that was released the following day said, signed by
executive member Michael Murphy. “President, Vice President (VP) on Ice, and Secretary positions were up for renewal on odd years and our VP off Ice had previously resigned. There was little appetite from the current executive to remain. When looking for a show of hands from the members present at the AGM to see who would step forward to become the new executive, four people raised their hands. A new executive would require six people to resume operations. In the event six people would not come forward, TMHA would not be able to operate in any capacity going forward and any assets that TMHA may have could be frozen,” the statement reads. Other challenges that were discussed and taken into consideration during the AGM were that the Edmonton Federation Hockey League (EFHL) and Central Alberta Hockey League (CAHL) would not accept TMHA. EFHL has a multi-year freeze on taking any new associations and CAHL was not interested in
adding TMHA, as that would push their association further north. “The Tofield Minor Hockey Association has had a lot of fun over the years. We honour our past, the history, and all the individuals who have helped us get to where we are today. We as a membership are leaving proud to be Titans. At our AGM we decided to keep all trophies in the hands of the Tofield Agricultural Society. We truly hope that they will be honoured proudly on display at the Tofield Arena for many years to come,” the statement says. All remaining monetary assets will be donated to the Ag Society. “This will happen after all remaining payments and liabilities are distributed; the previous TMHA executive will work with our legal counsel to progress,” the statement says. “In the event any AGLC (Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis) funds are not permitted to be donated to the Ag Society, the members voted to donate evenly, if eligible, to the Tofield Soccer Association,
Tofield & District Minor Ball Association, Tofield Figure Skating Club, and Tofield Curling Club.” Team jerseys sets will be donated to C.W. Sears Elementary School and Tofield School to share. “We have a long-standing history of lending the schools our jerseys for taking children to ‘Hockey Hooky’ field trips for Oil Kings and Kodiak games. It allows the schools the ability to keep track of the children in a crowded arena,” the statement says. As well, all hockey equipment will be donated to SMHA, including goalie equipment, hockey pucks, and hockey skills training equipment. “We are proud that ‘we’ as a membership were able to come together to discuss and listen to each other’s concerns about what the future has in store for us. We are also proud of the decisions that we were able to make at our AGM for the betterment of our community and we are looking forward to seeing all the improvements come to fruition that the Tofield Agricultural Society has been planning for
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our home arena. “We look forward to the future successes of all our Tofield athletes and to following them on their journeys to whichever minor hockey team, pond hockey, or any other sporting avenue they may decide to take. We will be there to cheer each other on; we were Titans together,” the statement says.