Mayoral candidate Will Boissoin stood outside Memorial Gardens wearing his North Bay Battalion jersey and talking about how valuable North Bay Memorial Gardens is to the city despite any questions about a cost overrun for the building's renovations.
“It’s the best money the city has ever spent,” stated Boissoin in a media release.
Boissoin was reacting to comments made by his mayoral opponent Gary Gardiner who questioned the Memorial Gardens renovations and complained the building is not used properly.
See related: Mayoral candidate talks transparency and Gardens overrun
“After the recent embarrassing comment from Gary about Memorial Gardens, the Gardens is now a world-class arena, able to host the World Women’s Curling Championship, a world-class OHL team, we should thank Dave Mendicino for making this world-class arena we have now,” stated Boissoin in his release.
“I would have spent another $20 Million on it! When you look at the brand new arena in Oshawa cost $190Mil+, we lucked out with $16 million but we should have invested more.”
Boissoin also asked Gardiner if he has bought this Battalion season tickets yet and suggested a management company should be put in place to bring more to the gardens.
“We need to keep Memorial Gardens as a world-class venue,” he said.
“In my plan, I propose we bring in a Event Management Company to bring in world-class talent to our world-class arena! Spectra will be the company we will hire to bring in top talent (www.spectraexperiences.com). They manage many OHL rinks and will be able to add us to their concert tours. This will bring new revenue and Jobs to North Bay. This will be paid for through the sale of the Capitol Centre and using their budget to pay for it.
“The left over will go to winter road maintenance. This will create new revenue, North Bay and the North Bay Battalion, it’s a win-win.”
Boissoin also attacked the North Bay Taxpayers Association, which Gardiner was a part of before it was dissolved earlier this summer.
Boissoin feels they have been part of the problem with municipal political trust within the city.
“As to the Baylor survey, I was a respondent to that and I did say I didn’t trust the Government, your so-called taxpayers association is included in that,” Boissoin fired off.
“With all the bickering you do with the city prevents real progress happening in North Bay. We need new Ideas and a new direction Gary and his taxpayer association buddies have not come out with one idea to improve the city and bring new jobs and revenue to the city Lets not get stuck in the same rut we are in now.”
Boissoin is up against Gardiner, Sheldon Forgette and Al McDonald in the political battle for the Mayor’s chair. The municipal election takes place on October 22nd.
