– Kim Smythe is CEO of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at ceo@nanaimochamber.bc.ca.
NANAIMO – Our community has been chosen as a stop on the third season of Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour from Friday, February 17 to Sunday, February 26. On the last weekend, Maffeo Sutton Park will be transformed into the heart of Hockey Hometown’s community festival and Ron MacLean and Tara Slone will broadcast live from the park.
An all-weather ice rink, ball hockey tournaments and other events will be part of the week-long lead up to the big weekend. It’s a great event to showcase Nanaimo, our dedication to sports and recreation (hockey, specifically) and our community spirit.
• • •
Speaking of hockey, our national sport is currently at the heart of another subject that’s risen high on our horizon rapidly – the Nanaimo Events Centre. Need a ‘catch up’? … the Centre will be primarily built for concerts and hockey (talks with the WHL are apparently in progress), but designed for everything from figure skating and curling events to rodeos and religious rallies.
It will, likely, be similar in size and layout to Victoria’s Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre seating around – 5 – 7000. It would be located on the South Downtown Waterfront lands, across the street from Port Place’s southern side.
Preliminary project costs are pegged at around $80 million. These costs are to be assumed exclusively by the City with a referendum being held on March 11 to seek residents’ approval to borrow $80 million to be paid pack over 20 years.
The question that Nanaimo taxpayers are being asked is how many would support the development and construction as well as infrastructure management costs over its lifetime. An answer that taxpayers need to know before March 11 is – what will that price tag be?
The City’s online information page provides links to feasibility studies with cost projections, funding and financing options, and who any participants and partners in the project might be. The public will be kept informed on the Centre through mail-outs, the city website and public open houses held in various locations throughout Nanaimo.
There are also multiple groups on social media sharing their sides of the debate and helping to inspire discussion. Become informed on the subject and get ready to vote on what will be our community’s largest infrastructure commitment ever. One way or another, we’ll all be part of history on this one so get out and vote – you’ll have a story to tell later!