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LETTER: It's time to build the event centre

To the editor: Our city Thunder Bay has so much to offer with a high quality of volunteers, elected officials, employers and employees and a solid group of young professionals that care for our community.

To the editor: 

Our city Thunder Bay has so much to offer with a high quality of volunteers, elected officials, employers and employees and a solid group of young professionals that care for our community.

We have a strong business community, quality education, new medical facilities and research centers, education facilities, hard-working service and non-profit groups and huge volunteer population.

Efforts by many residents has resulted in attracting and building well-used venues, not just the waterfront, but venues like Fort William Historical Park, the Water Street provincial government building, a number of chain hotels and motels, the Community Auditorium, fresh water sources and treatment facility, an international modern busy airport hub, a diversified Port Authority, groundbreaking research facilities, a medical center, law school and of course new residential development and planning changes that have resulted in utilizing existing infrastructure.   A number of these venues were vehemently opposed.

These venues and projects were alsosubject to years and decades of immense opposition, debates and heated exchanges amongst all members of our community.  It worked out didn’t it? We all enjoy those past efforts in some capacity or another don’t we?

Our community is controversially diversified yet we mustn’t close our eyes and ears to the number of top talent that are new to our community who choose to live and work in our city because they like it here. 

A number of new residents evaluated other opportunities and they now call Thunder Bay their home.  They choose us for a reason and that reason is Thunder Bay residents are known to pioneer new inventive ways to create jobs, stimulate our economy and generate millions in economic activity in comparison to other struggling communities competing with neighbouring cities for new amenities and funding. 

Thunder Bay has proven we can do the impossible, time after time.

I truly believe, the three levels of government will find a mutual satisfactory means to finance a future event center.  It may not be the original finance plan, it may not be the original design model but it should and will go forward.

It should go forward for a number of reasons.  A conference center and new rink offers bigger and better opportunities for residents and newcomers and for those evaluating where to call home.

A new event center even if financed will benefit from lower overall financing costs with lower interest rates, unique funding partnerships and stimulating our economy with supply, services and employing our local construction labour force.

There is no doubt a new event center will improve the quality of life and stimulate economic return to the City of Thunder Bay and there is no doubt it is a significant and large investment placed upon the community and City Hall, however it can be done. How?

Put forth and adopt a resolution that states:

RESOLUTION TO BUILD AN EVENTS CENTER
Whether the City of Thunder Bay should build a multipurpose Events Center and associated site improvements (the “Project”) at a Project cost not to exceed one-hundred fourteen million dollars ($114 million).

Have Council adopt a resolution stating that it will not proceed with the Project if the proposed $114 million amount to be spent such as the cost of designing, constructing, equipping, and furnishing a multipurpose Events Center and associated site improvements (including architectural and engineering fees and expenses) cannot be adhered to.
This would not include additional costs such as financing and interest often incurred due to changes not under one’s control due to fluctuating interest rates. These costs are not included in the Project cost of designing, constructing, equipping, and furnishing a multipurpose Events Center and associated site improvements. Debt service reserves and other reserves should not be included in the Project costs. Project costs would not include additional capital improvements incurred in future years.

Added into the resolution would be “no new taxes, no increase in property taxes, and no increase in non-rate service fees; these will NOT BE authorized by the current City Council to pay for the event center project.”

A half century of debates and planning and studies has proven to me that now is the time to build.

If council adopts the above resolution, I am personally all in to support the event center and have it finally move forward.

I believe the funding will fall into place and will look different but it can be funded through inventive and unique methods.  Thunder Bay has succeeded in finding past ways and means and we can find those but once again.

Laury Alexander,
Thunder Bay





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