THUNDER BAY -- The city is checking its major capital projects list, including the proposed event centre, for the next ten years in the wake of new provincial funding.
Building Ontario Up was announced in the province's budget, which includes a potential $15 billion outside of Toronto and Hamilton for transportation and infrastructure projects. With the funding expected to be based per capita, the city thinks it could land up to $25 million a year over the next decade. The city wants to use the money for major projects, including the possibility of the event centre. Administration is going to put a list of priority projects the city wants to see over the next decade.
"This is the early stage discussion paper on this," city manger Tim Commisso said of a document sent out to cities recently.
Because of the announcement, council deferred a report highlighting options for the proposed event centre, which was expected at the June 22 meeting. Commisso said the city doesn't know yet whether the project is eligible but have been told on a political level from government officials to try. The province is looking for cities to highlight their own projects for funding, including a round table discussion in Thunder Bay June 23 Commisso said.
"It kind of gives you the sense that the fall is when they want to put everything in place," he said.
While critical infrastructure is mentioned, projects that create jobs and economic development are also included. Coun. Joe Virdiramo said the city needs to take full advantage of the program.
"We should not miss an opportunity," he said.
But other councillors were skeptical. Coun. Linda Rydholm wanted to know how the province was going to pay for the fund while Coun. Frank Pullia said he wouldn't even support deferring the event centre options because there are still holes in the project's business plan and his questions remain unanswered.
"It’s the glaring pieces missing in the business plan,” he said. “I see no movement from administration.”
Coun. Rebecca Johnson said she didn't want the community to think this means the city is moving ahead with the event centre but rather the project is being put on hold until the new provincial funding is clarified.
"I think that what we're doing here is identifying that were not doing anything with the event centre at this point in time,” she said.
"It's not coming up in the next six months."
