Local political hopefuls are in favour of federal support for a multiplex in Thunder Bay, but only if certain criteria are met.
However, the Conservative candidate in Thunder Bay-Rainy River says the prime minister has spoken loud and clear against Ottawa chipping in dollars for sports complexes and said there are other priorities that Canadians have higher on their spending wish list.
"Right now the government has made it very clear that there will be no funding for sports facilities across Canada. So it’s a pretty standard message," said Moe Comuzzi-Stehmann on Monday.
It’s not like the Stephen Harper-led government is trying to ignore the region, she added.
"I think we need to look at the economic action plan Phase 2 and consider the millions of dollars that were left on the table that didn’t even get voted for, for our region … I think that’s where we have to put our focus to and create jobs. Right now there’s no funding for professional arenas."
NDP candidate John Rafferty, seeking re-election in Thunder Bay-Rainy River, said the first question he wants answered before he takes anything to Ottawa is ownership. Will it be publicly owned or privately owned, he asked.
"I think that really determines who helps to pay for this," Rafferty said. "Knocking door-to-door last week, people talked about affordability and putting food on the table. They talked about property taxes in Thunder Bay.
"I think, from what I hear on the doorstep, is the majority of people in Thunder Bay would not be happy if their property taxes went up considerably to pay for a multiplex."
The city is entering Phase 2 of its feasibility study to determine whether or not a new facility is needed to replace the aging Fort William Gardens, which earlier this year marked its 60th birthday. The municipality has already set aside more than $15 million to help pay for its share of the estimated $60-million cost, using a special dividend from city-owned TBayTel to seed the Renew Thunder Bay fund.
Rafferty said if a new facility is approved and is to be publicly owned, there’s certainly an argument to be made for federal contributions, despite the Conservatives decision not to fund a new arena in Quebec City, designed to draw an NHL team back to the provincial capital.
"There’s a place at the table for municipal government. There’s a place at the table for the provincial government and there’s a place for the federal government," Rafferty said, "And possibly along with private interests, depending on what the make-up is of the multiplex."
Former Liberal MP Ken Boshcoff, looking to unseat Rafferty, said there are 5,600 municipalities in Canada, and only so much money to go around.
"If they all want support for their rink or arena, it’s going to create a lot of pressure on the federal government. If there is federal money, then we should go after it. The second thing is, for Thunder Bay, the people still haven’t decided if they want to go for this project or not."
Boschoff, who was a city councillor 20 years ago when the city contributed $1.5 million to a $12 million Fort William Gardens refurbishment that was expected to extend the life of the facility for another decade, said there has been plenty of talk about helping smaller communities with their recreational facilities.
"I know that in various smaller and rural communities it comes up a lot, so it would be something there is a need for."
Green Party candidate Ed Shields could not be reached for comment on Monday, despite several attempts.
