CLARINGTON -- The $225,000 paid for the Total Hockey collection included three years of service from Peter Puck creator Brian McFarlane, including use of his time and contacts to help publicize the now-defunct hockey museum.
A number of questions were raised after an appraisal was completed, showing the museum's artifacts to be worth about $60,000. The items were purchased from Brian McFarlane in 2003. He was paid $225,000.
But that total included "soft services" from Mr. McFarlane.
When put out for bids, the highest offer was just over $16,000.
A report to be considered by Clarington's General Purpose and Administration Committee Monday, in response to questions from politicians, contains a number of documents including a much earlier appraisal done in 1998, valuing Mr. McFarlane's collection at about $112,000. It also contains the 2003 agreement of purchase and sale between the Municipality and Mr. McFarlane, which delineates what Clarington got for its money.
Included was an agreement for Mr. McFarlane to "provide assistance in setting up displays in the Clarington hockey museum and in publicizing the existence of" Total Hockey. As well he was to "provide assistance in attracting appearances by well-known current and retired hockey players that would assist in establishing the Clarington hockey museum as a significant tourist attraction." Both were to continue for a period of three years "without further consideration."
"We didn't just purchase the artifacts for" $225,000, said Joe Caruana, Clarington's director of community services.
"It was $225,000 for Brian's services, the rights to Peter Puck (in association with the museum) and the artifacts," he said.
Even if the artifacts were valued at $60,175 in the more recent appraisal, done in June at the Municipality's behest by an Etobicoke organization, when that amount is subtracted from the $225,000 paid and divided by three, it doesn't come out to a huge amount for the services of Mr. McFarlane, Mr. Caruana said.
"Is it reasonable to suggest you might have paid $60,000 a year for Brian McFarlane's services?" he said.
Pending decisions by council, staff will continue to look at the best future for the collection, Mr. Caruana said.
"It's not my intention to just shove it into storage and let it sit there," he said.
According to the report, there have been two expressions of interest about the collection since bidding ended.
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