By DENIS LANGLOIS
Sun Times staff
City Coun. Bill Twaddle sees promise by reading between the lines.
A letter to the city from Rural Affairs Minister Carol Mitchell says deadline extensions for federal-provincial infrastructure funding “are not being accepted.”
Twaddle said Mitchell’s statement is much more promising than “will not be accepted.” It could be the province’s way of “leaving the door open,” he said, to changing its position on stopping cold any Building Canada funding after the March 31, 2011, completion deadline.
“I do believe that response was carefully crafted by the minister and her staff and that they would not say something they don’t mean,” Twaddle said during Monday’s city council meeting.
Owen Sound’s $38-million regional recreation centre is at least five months behind schedule.
The provincial and federal governments have promised to fund two-thirds of the project’s cost, but only for work completed before April 2011. Costs incurred after the deadline must be borne solely by the municipality, officials with both levels of government have said.
That could add $8 million to the city’s $8.6 million commitment to the project and force the city to raise property taxes to cover the added expense.
So far neither the province nor the feds have hinted at any flexibility to the deadline.
Still, the city plans to continue to seek a deadline extension by lobbying federal and provincial ministers.
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Conservative MP Larry Miller told The Sun Times last week that Owen Sound knew the deadline rule when it signed the Building Canada funding agreement. He said the city should be able to finish the project on time if it has “the mindset” to do it.
City officials say the recreation centre cannot be completed until autumn 2011. The project is behind schedule due, in part, to the discovery of poor soil conditions at Victoria Park.
Miller said it is “hogwash” for the city to say it will cost more money to operate 24-hour shifts to get the project completed on time.
City manager Jim Harrold told council Monday it would cost more money, but said project planners will determine whether to request contractors work longer shifts on a tender “package by package basis.”
Wow that is wishful thinking if I ever heard it. We should NOT be doing this right now. Aside from the people that I read about having supported this rec centre in spite of the doubtful funding, I haven’t talked to anyone in town who isn’t dead set against this going forward.
And there were folks who KNEW the soil was problematic BEFORE the project was given a green light. Why didn’t anyone listen to them?
If anyone thinks the government is going to give this money to Owen Sound in spite of a missed deadline they’re in for a huge let-down in the form of hugely increased taxes in an already overtaxed city. I recently discovered I pay the same property tax as a friend with a comparable property in Burlington! They don’t have bag tags either, and their services, especially the garbage pick-up are ten times what Owen Sound has.
I sympathize with the Aquatic Club people about the crappy pool at the Y, but seriously, two more ice rinks? Does Owen Sound ever spend money on anything that doesn’t have to do with Hockey? My god, first the Bayshore, then the rink at the park, now 2 more. And more stuff for seniors. Great. That’s all there is to do around here is wait until you’re a senior so the town will have something to offer you. In the meantime we can all play hockey.
Time for a new idea.
How about spending the money on expanding the Farmer’s Market? That would benefit just about everyone, especially the downtown stores.