Edmonton Accused Of Hiding Facts In Arena Review
08/08/2008 06:43
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is accusing Edmonton city officials of hiding some important facts in its review of a $450 million NHL hockey arena proposed for the downtown.
A city-funded report released in March recommended that Edmonton build a new arena to replace its aging Rexall Place and that the project be funded through a mix of private and tax dollars, a formula that has been used in many U.S. cities.
The city would fund about 70 per cent of the project by borrowing against future downtown tax revenues.
But a draft copy of the report, obtained by CBC News and the CTF, says the NHL arenas in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto were built with private financing alone, a detail that was omitted in the final version of the study.
"I don't think most Edmontonians know that most other NHL arenas in Canada were built with 100 per cent private financing and I don't think the committee wanted them to know, either," said Scott Hennig, CTF's Alberta director.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I don’t know what this is all about, but Mayor Stephen Mandel is already on record as saying that using taxpayer dollars for funding all or any part of this arena is not an option.
The concern of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is valid, however. It's better they ask the questions, and find out the answers, now, rather than run the risk of a situation like we have here in St. Albert where not only were the capital costs of our Wreck Centre ($ervu$ Place) paid for with tax dollars, but annual operating deficits are also covered by the St. Albert taxpayer.