Barish Ready To Go

Author: Scott Taylor

May 29, 2009

Earl Barish is the President and CEO of a Manitoba icon, Winnipeg-based Salisbury House Restaurants.

Earl, who made his fortune with Dickie Dee Ice Cream, bought Salisbury House when it was on its mis-managed death bed and not only brought it back to life, but made it one of the great Manitoba success stories of the early 21st Century.

A manager, a leader, a stickler for detail, Barish is a brilliant businessman and an outside-the-box thinker, who has turned a potential disaster into a stunning achievement.

And while he’s extremely good at what he does, it’s still not his passion. His passion is basketball, and to a lesser-degree sports management, and even though his independent professional league Winnipeg Cyclone failed, he still believes pro basketball can make it in the ‘Peg.

In fact, he’s spent a lot of time in conversation with a number of people at the NBA head office in New York and is sure he can bring an NBA Development League franchise to Winnipeg.

But he has two problems: (1) he needs three other investors at $250,000 each and one of them has to run the team and (2) he needs a place to play.

“Obviously, the Convention Centre wasn’t the place, because fans didn’t flock there to watch our games,” Barish said recently. “But I still believe basketball will work here.”

“The MTS Centre would be a great place to play but it’s probably too big and the rent is far too expensive for our needs. We need a 5,000-6,000-seat arena and if we had it, I’m certain we could bring in the NBA D League, indoor pro lacrosse and indoor pro football.”

There is another problem with the MTS Centre and it’s a simple one: If you don’t own the MTS Centre, it’s financially impossible to run a successful sports franchise inside the MTS Centre. The rent and scheduling opportunities become prohibitive.

In the meantime, Barish has talked to the NBA, to the National Lacrosse League and to Arena2 Football. He knows, he can do this. He just doesn’t have the requisite $40 million necessary to build a rink like Sault Ste. Marie’s Essar Centre or Sarnia’s Sports and Entertainment Centre (SSEC).

Because Winnipeg-based True North Sports and Entertainment has a deal whereby no civic or provincial money can be used to build a covered building that might compete with the MTS Centre within a 100-kilometre radius of downtown Winnipeg, it makes it virtually impossible to construct a building that the city of Winnipeg is absolutely desperate to have. With a building like the Essar Centre in the Soo, Winnipeg could play host to a Western Hockey League team, a professional indoor soccer team, international minor hockey tournaments, figure skating and curling events and even smaller concerts.

It would also serve as an outstanding place to play elite minor hockey, university hockey and even local junior hockey.

Sadly, this building won’t be constructed any time soon. And as a result, Earl Barish’s chances to acquire high-level, yet affordable family entertainment will remain very slim.
 

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