PRESS RELEASES

Ottawa committed to civic centre funding - Posted on 2008-03-14

By NEVILLE CRABBE
sports@stcroixcourier.ca

OTTAWA – Member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest and Minister of Veterans Affairs Greg Thompson says Ottawa is ready to enter serious negotiations on funding for the Charlotte County Civic Centre once he sees a detailed proposal of the project including the building’s location and all known costs.
“We’ve got money available for this project, and if (the Charlotte County Civic Centre Committee) had all their i’s dotted and t’s crossed we would begin serious discussions today with the town and the province to get this project proceeding,” said Thompson late last week.
According to the Charlotte County Civic Centre’s website, the recreation facility, including a 1,400-seat stadium arena, 25-metre pool, indoor walking track and community space, will cost an estimated $15 million. Project volunteers hope that $4.7 million comes from Ottawa and the same amount from the provincial government.
The project committee has not yet selected a site for the building, nor have they released a detailed financial analysis including operational and maintenance expenses.
Through the Canada-New Brunswick Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (CNBMRIF), the federal and provincial governments have a history of supporting big-ticket community projects.
In March, 2006, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) which handles the CNBMRIF for Ottawa, announced $4 million dollars would be awarded to the City of Fredericton to build the now completed Willie O’Ree place and another similar facility.
In November 2005, the CNBMRIF contributed $3.3 million to the expansion and conversion of the Kay Arena in Moncton. The fund, which was agreed upon by the federal and provincial governments in late 2004, has a five-year life span during which it will spend $66 million on infrastructure development in New Brunswick.
In order for that program or others, such as Ottawa’s recently announced $33 billion Building Canada infrastructure fund, to kick in, Thompson said applicants must prove the project has widespread community support, from the municipal government, local businesses and individuals.
Currently, the town of St. Stephen has pledged $2.1 to the project based on its ability to borrow that money from the New Brunswick Capital Borrowing Board. That’s not good enough said Thompson, stating that the council needs to have that money in hand before the other levels of government get behind the civic centre.
The Charlotte County Civic Centre committee, charged with raising $3.5 million from businesses and individuals, plans to go public with their campaign on April 16. Ahead of the public launch, the committee has been quietly seeking its largest donations. Last week, committee chair Richard Fulton said he is hopeful his group will have approximately half of their $3.5 million in place when the campaign goes public.


As the senior parliamentarian for New Brunswick, Thompson said that the civic centre project is a way for St. Stephen to grow.
“Towns don’t advance by accepting the status quo,” said Thomspon. “We have to have the necessary infrastructure and facilities that will help attract new families and skilled workers. These types of facilities improve our quality of life.”
In the early 1990s, when Thompson’s riding included Woodstock, that town was in the planning stages of its own modern recreation centre. Eventually the Carleton Civic Centre, completed in 1995 at a cost of $7.2 million, received $3 million from the federal government.
“I supported (the Carleton Civic Centre) and the council of the day made the deliberate decision to proceed. All these years later, we see it was the right decision,” said Thompson.
Two years from owning the building free and clear, the town of Woodstock has struck a committee to explore possible expansion of their facility. That growth might include a second ice surface, a community theatre and an expanded fitness centre.