Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Napanee’s Disco Ball Events roller-rink was just starting to regain some momentum when, like a roller skate’s toe drag across concrete floor, all progress halted as the provincial government imposed new measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
These measures, introduced just after the new year, meant Disco Ball Events owner Jay Bradley had to once again close the doors to the York Street arena until at least Jan. 27 when Ontario’s current Modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen could potentially be revised. The latest unexpected closure has left Bradley scrambling to recover lost revenue and keep up with mounting bills. In an effort to keep the doors open he’s launched a Go Fund Me page and is asking the roller skating community for financial support.
“I didn’t expect another closure, I didn’t expect another shutdown,” said Bradley. “But here we are. So the go Fund Me is more of a hopefully this is enough to help me pay for the monthly bills that don’t go away because your door’s closed.”
A link to the fund can be found at https://www.discoballevents.com/.
Disco Ball Events officially opened in January 2020-just ahead of the pandemic-in arena space rented from the Lennox Agricultural Society. During the latest closure the Agricultural Society has paused his rent bill-for, which Bradley is grateful. But that doesn’t mean costs such as heat, insurance and employee salaries have gone away.
“The whole intention of the Go Fund Me was we know it works because we had an opportunity of opening before COVID,” said Bradley, noting the rink attracted visitors from far beyond Napanee when it was open. “If I would have opened during COVID, I probably would have thrown in the towel by now. But now it’s like COVID going to be over next month, or next month, or next month and that’s been going on for two years.”
Bradley says he first opened the rink as a ‘passion project’ to revive the roller-rink scene that once thrived in the 1970’s until the 90’s but has all but disappeared in Canada.
Skaters glide to the sounds of music from the 1980s and 90s during Friday’s grand opening of Disco Ball Events roller-rink in January of 2020. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
“I realize that this is more than just a passion project, it’s actually a destination location,” said Bradley. “Napanee is in the middle of three major markets, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal and close to the U.S. border so Napanee is the perfect location for what we’re doing as a destination location. When it came right down to it I crunched the numbers and realized there’s more opportunity here than just a passion project.”
Bradley thanked high school volunteers that helped him run events when his numbers were capped at 50 people inside the rink.
“To get kids active, especially in the winter time, is very tough,” added Bradley. “It’s very important to have something like this. Not just roller skating but something else because getting kids out and getting active is not just about mental health but physical health too.”
He’s hoping he can survive the latest roadblock and keep his dream alive.
“I would say that my vision is if COVID’s gone, we’re going to be fine,” said Bradley. “But it’s to get over that hump. That’s the biggest challenge.”