As renovation plans for Strathcona Gardens take shape, regional directors are arguing over who gets the bill.
The Strathcona Regional District is working on a $73 million upgrade project for the hockey arenas and pool. Late last month the board awarded a $1.3 million contract to redesign the Rod Brind’Amour arena. The contractor will design plans to expand the arena to accommodate a Junior A hockey team and expand seating for up to 1,800 people.
However, when the board meeting discussion turned to possibly bringing other rural regions into the service to help cover costs, directors were irate, including Area A director Gerald Whalley.
He says there’s no point asking his constituents to contribute taxes towards the Gardens.
“[This] appears to be a direct attack on electoral areas A, B, and C,” he says. “It’s going to be defeated in a referendum anyway, it just seems to me to be to be a total waste of staff time and nothing but the cause for another big fight between electoral areas and municipalities that we really don’t need.”
Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl represents the city on the board and says no one is being asked to pay anything yet.
“This is just a request for information,” he says. “The city of Campbell River didn’t ask for the motion, but we support the motion.”
The motion was brought to the board by the Strathcona Gardens Commission.
Dahl urged caution, pointing out the city helps pay for projects and services in rural areas.
“Since we contribute 70 cents of every dollar that’s spent [on Strathcona Gardens], and there’s many communities here that get represented that don’t submit enough revenue to even cover their own expenses, I would be very careful about what kind of fights we want to pick,” he says.
