THUNDER BAY – A city MPP isn’t optimistic the province will help fund a new event centre unless the federal government is also at the table.
MPP Michael Gravelle (Lib., Thunder Bay-Superior North) has long been a supporter of a new event centre but on Saturday told tbnewswatch he does not believe his government should be asked to chip in more than Ottawa.
“This was a project that was always predicated on one third, one third and one third or certainly equal funding expectations from the federal and provincial governments and I think that hasn’t changed,” Gravelle said on Saturday.
“I wouldn’t feel strongly positioned to go down to Queen’s Park, and I’m only speaking for myself as MPP, to be asking for any significant dollars unless the federal government dollars were there as well.”
While he cautioned it wasn’t an official declaration, Gravelle said he does not envision a scenario where Ontario would pick up a portion of the tab if the federal government remains on the sidelines. He also said federal participation would not be a guarantee that the province would be involved.
With the Liberals looking to balance the budget by 2017-2018 he acknowledged it would be a tough sell.
Council on March 26 voted with an 8-5 margin to proceed to Phase 5 of the project, but Mayor Keith Hobbs and other city officials announced last Monday they had been informed by federal Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel an integrated convention centre and arena would not be eligible for federal gas tax revenue.
Following that announcement FedNor Minister Greg Rickford publicly said city officials should have been aware the project would not qualify, despite the federal government providing money during earlier stages.
MP John Rafferty (NDP, Thunder Bay-Rainy River) questioned the federal Conservative government on Thursday in the House of Commons asking why they kept contributing if the city should have known all along the process would end in rejection.
Gravelle said he is waiting to see what council decides at their April 13 meeting during the ratification vote on whether to proceed further.
