KENILWORTH – Video streaming services might soon be installed at the Arthur and Area Community Centre and the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex.
Local hockey organizations recently asked Wellington North staff about installing LiveBarn, a subscription-based streaming platform that provides live and on-demand video coverage of amateur and youth sports events.
The installation would come at no cost to the township, as LiveBarn covers all overhead costs, including internet service, hardware, software and maintenance.
The service is expected to generate some revenue for the township, as when residents subscribe using a municipal promotional code, the township will receive 20 per cent of the revenue generated.
According to a report from township staff presented during a July 28 council meeting, LiveBarn “is widely used across North America, with over 110 municipalities and more than 500 arenas in Ontario currently utilizing the service.”
Minto and Mapleton are among the local municipalities using the services.
While Wellington North staff recommended the township sign a three-year agreement with LiveBarn, council instead deferred the decision.
“LiveBarn installs autonomous, unmanned camera systems, typically positioned at centre ice … designed to stream and record sports activities with minimal maintenance required from municipalities,” the report stated.
“While the service is primarily used to broadcast hockey, it also supports other sports such as lacrosse, broomball and figure skating.”
Groups playing at the Wellington North arenas would be able to opt in or out of the streaming services.
LiveBarn will provide privacy notice materials as well as promotional signage and cards.
Councillor Sherry Burke expressed concerns about privacy. Community and economic development manager Mandy Jones said “the default will be to have the cameras off, unless a user group requests that they be turned on.”
She said township staff will be trained on how to turn the cameras on and off, and will work with interested user groups to promote the streaming service to families.
To subscribe to LiveBarn streaming, people can download an app, set up an account and pay a subscription fee of $25 to $35 per month.
There will be a Wellington North promotional code that provides subscribers with a 10% discount, and directs 20% of revenue back to the township.
“You have to sign up in order to access the streaming,” Jones noted, and user groups will have the option of setting a privacy pin so that only people with the pin can access the video footage.
“LiveBarn will supply us with … posters saying ‘you’re entering a facility that does have live streaming’ – we would have posters on the doors so that people are aware when they enter the facility that the streaming is taking place,” Jones said.
Councillor Steve McCabe said he thinks “it’s a great opportunity for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who can’t make a game.” He asked if parents would have to sign a consent form to have their children on the livestream.
“The consent for streaming would not be written, from my awareness,” Jones said, adding there would just be signs informing people of the cameras.
“Entering into the facility you are in a public space – you could be streamed,” she added, just as parents may stream games to social media from their cell phones.
However, if a user group contacted the township and said they have an athlete who does not want to be streamed, staff would work with them to blackout the cameras or put the privacy pin in place, Jones noted.
Council discussed the potential for human error, with councillor Lisa Hern referencing recent incidents in Waterloo Region where day camps were accidently filmed by LiveBarn.
Jones read a statement from LiveBarn’s chief operating officer describing this as human error due to a scheduling mix-up and noting no footage was downloaded.
“We take privacy very seriously and we intervened immediately once we were notified,” LiveBarn stated.
“In light of this situation we will be looking at implementing further safeguards to prevent future issues.”
Mayor Andy Lennox asked if the camera schedule could be linked to the township’s booking schedule, to help reduce the potential for human error.
“How can you assure me that we have a foolproof system in place?” he asked Jones.
She replied, “We are going to be undertaking training with LiveBarn … as to how to set up those schedules. At this point I’m not educated enough in how that works.”
Lennox asked where the legal liability would lie if someone’s privacy rights were breached due to a human error with the LiveBarn service, and Jones said she doesn’t know but could look into it with LiveBarn.
The township will not be held responsible for any damage or vandalism to the equipment.
Installation typically takes six to eight weeks, and does not require support from township staff, who initially anticipated the installation would be complete by mid-September, in time for the upcoming ice season.
However, staff was directed to return to council for approval on Aug. 11, so the timeline will be pushed back a couple of weeks.
