The kid stands before the oversized refrigerator for a moment in anticipation and a little bit of awe. Perhaps eight years old, maybe nine, he is still wearing most of his hockey equipment—skates have been replaced by boots and his helmet has been packed away. A toque bearing the Canadiens’ logo covers his head.

His gaze is fixed on the shiny new Coke machines installed in the lobby of the Picton arena. These massive machines now feature clear front panels allowing consumers young and old to marvel at the inner workings of the machine. He slips his toonie into the slot at eye level (nothing in this machine may be purchased for less than $2— even the bottled water—but we’ll come back to that).

The young hockey player makes his selection on a familiar keypad. This cue sets in motion the machine’s robotics. An arm rises from its dormant state—moves up, left, down, left again. Every swing and drop of the mechanical arm features a space-aged swoosh—reminiscent of the sound the doors make on the Star Trek Enterprise when Captain Kirk enters the main deck. Nearing the end of its dance the machine pulls a bottle of root beer off the shelf and delivers it to the chute at the bottom of the dispensing device. It is all very slick and impressive—particularly if you are eight years old. It’s the Coke machine the Jetsons would have had.

One of the better features of the machine is that it offers a seemingly greater variety of beverages—but no variety of size each is 20 fluid ounces. Whether you want it or not— whether you need it or not—the machine dispenses one size of bottle—the big one. Not all are sugar-filled soft drinks. Gatorade and juices are also on offer. Each $2 or more. There is also water. Coke’s brand, Dasani. $2.

The water contained in each bottle of Dasani comes from a tap in Brampton. Not from a spring or a rare and disappearing glacier—but from the municipal water service. It’s quite a good business. The municipality of Brampton gathers, cleans and delivers the water to Coke. Coke runs it through a reverse osmosis filter, puts a Dasani label on it and sell it for $2 in the County—and likely hundreds of other arenas and stores. The margins are fantastic.

So what’s the big deal? No one is forced to buy the water. If folks are compelled to spend $2 on water from a tap they should be allowed to do so.

Except that, in our two arenas in Prince Edward County, if you want a drink of water you must buy Coke’s $2 water. That, or fold yourself over the lavatory counter and suck the lukewarm water from the taps in the public washrooms (not recommended).

Last November, County council struck a 10-year deal with Coke to provide pop, juice and water in the municipality’s two arenas. Pepsi was out (their logo literally ripped out of the centre of the time clock). Coke was in.

At about the same time as the arrival of the slick new Coke machines, the water fountains in the Wellington and Picton arenas disappeared. In Wellington the water fountain was actually removed; in Picton it was framed in and enclosed behind panels. No notice. No explanation. One day the water fountains were there—the next they were gone.

Meanwhile, apple and orange juice—once offered for $1.25 in the canteen—were no longer available except in the Coke machine. $2 apiece.

Did Coke make County officials get rid of public water fountains to promote the sale of its $2 bottles of tap water? Recreation, Parks and Culture Commissioner Barry Braun says no. Although he wasn’t certain, he believed the Hasting and Prince Edward Public Health Unit may have ordered them removed.

But Public Health Unit officials David Dodgeson and Carol Snell say their department made no such order—suggesting politely that County officials may have misunderstood new rules and regulations regarding small drinking water systems—but never did their department instruct the County to remove public water fountains.

Back to the County recreation, parks and culture department. Parks and Arenas Manager Andrew Morton had more information. No, the public health unit didn’t, as it turns out, order them removed. He and his staff did this on their own.

In Wellington, according to Morton, the public water fountain suffered from chronically insufficient pressure, compelling those wishing to get a drink to press their lips against the spout—a health risk, according to Morton. After several attempts to fix the situation, Morton decided to remove the fountain altogether. With a new arena on its way Morton said there wasn’t merit in putting more resources into a proper fix in Wellington.

In Picton, the issue was H1N1.

“What preempted the removal in Picton was the day the boy died at a hockey tourney in London,” wrote Morton in response to questions. “We wanted to do our part too in stopping the spread of the virus. We couldn’t keep it clean enough (one person with a building that size multitasking other issues), and my staff convinced me that it should be removed.”

Morton says free water is available through the canteen, all one has to do is ask. But as those who frequent the arenas know well—the canteens are closed more often than they are open.

Your only choice, then, is the lavatory sink or Coke’s $2 tap water.

It couldn’t have worked out better for Coke if they had planned it this way.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca