Opinion: Why are the Councillors defending this new arena?

More than a year ago, the City wanted to build an arena.

Now, it has been promoted to a community centre but the design is still the same and the costs have gone up.

Yes, the City needs more ice pads but at what costs? Senior levels of government did not support the project and denied all applications. Most taxpayers do not support spending that much money on this centre.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation also called on Ontario municipalities to reduce spending.

So far, we do not know the annual maintenance costs for this new building. We also do not know how much annual revenue the arena will actually generate, not the impossible inflated version based on the arena being booked every day. Will the revenue even pay for the maintenance costs or the bank fees?

North Bay taxpayers are still paying for the renovation at Memorial Gardens.

STOP SPENDING TIME AND MONEY on this. Let the taxpayers decide. Put this $50 million vanity project on the ballot for our next municipal election.

So why are the North Bay Councillors publicly defending the building of this new arena? What is the rush?

Is there something we, the citizens and taxpayers of North Bay, do not know? Is Council hiding something?

Anne Taylor

North Bay