City taxpayers lose while UPEI gains FRED MACDONALD
The Guardian
Almost hidden under the furor of the recent provincial election and the Stanley Cup playoffs, the City of Charlottetown quietly announced recently that it had paid off the remaining $3-million capital debt of the CARI project at UPEI.
At the time the project was announced for the new rinks and swimming pools, I suggested building the complex on the UPEI campus might not be the best location because, in time, the university would control the complex and hence own it.
The spin doctors for the project, which included then-city finance chair Clifford Lee, indicated Cornwall and Stratford were on board for the CARI complex, making it one big happy family.
The business plan, as outlined by Cliff Campbell in his presentation to city council, suggested the project would be a revenue generator for the city and, at worst, a revenue-neutral project.
The fundraising effort, spear-headed by Eugene Rossiter, was expected to raise something like $3 million but came up short.
I guess the city missed a decimal point in the translation because last time I looked the goal stalled at $300,000.
Regardless of which way one flips the figures, UPEI president Wade MacLauchlan has a $24-million-plus rink/pool facility on campus which cost the university slightly more than $2 million, quite a coup for the university president.
Unfortunately for the city, neither Cornwall nor Stratford has come on board permanently with financial help which means the City of Charlottetown is stuck with the yearly operating costs.
A quick glance around the Maritimes at similar rink/pool operations would suggest city taxpayers will be digging into their pockets for quite some time.
This brings me to this week’s story where the city is moving forward on the proposed new East Royalty soccer fields project.
Last year, when the city Fathers and Mayor Lee floated the idea of a new turf soccer field being located at UPEI, I warned then that, in time, it would be UPEI’s field, not the city’s, just like CARI. The city has paid the vast majority of the costs for the turf field but it has very little say on who plays there. That decision rests with UPEI women’s soccer coach Mike Redmond, whose first cousin was the point man for the city on the move to the UPEI location.
Had the City of Charlottetown located the turf soccer field somewhere other than at UPEI, they wouldn’t be back scratching for money for the East Royalty soccer fields. I doubt at this stage whether the city will be able to provide soccer players with a turf field like UPEI, but they may have to play on a grass pitch until better financial days are ahead.
With Prince Edward Island slated to host the 2009 Canada Summer Games, I just hope the UPEI president doesn’t decide to make university baseball a priority at UPEI.
On the diamond
In major league baseball, Fredericton’s Matt Stairs has 10 homers with the Blue Jays and is proving to be a steal for the Toronto club, one of the few good moves made by J.P. Riccardi.
As for Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett, he’s 5-6 on the season and back on the disabled list.
Ontario’s Wally MacMillan, a standout catcher with the 1969 Ontario senior champion Orillia Majors and a San Francisco Giants farmhand, is in the province visiting for the first time.
Harness racing
Live harness racing continues tonight with another great card getting underway at 7 p.m.
The $21,000 Maritime Breeders final for three-year-olds is one of three Breeders events and the $7,500 Cecil Ladner Memorial goes in Race 12 with the likes of Rigio Hanover, Port Hill Alf, Dunachton Gale and five others.
Just prior to the opening race, the qualifiers are set to go at 5:30 and they are worth watching. Elwood Lawton’s highly touted two-year-old Riverboat King colt Southview Johnny is in to go as is stablemate Southview Summer, a Force of Life filly.
Also tonight, the $25,000 Ken Starratt Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies features the likes of Southview Sally.
The local harness racing game suffered another loss with the passing of longtime owner/breeder Eric Holroyd of Winsloe, who campaigned such popular pacers as Dots Risk and Dot’s Dandy. My condolences to all connected with this gentleman.
Local handicappers Darren Trainer and Campy Gallant are back in the province after a stay in Ontario, which included last Saturday’s North America Cup.
Serge Savard was also smiles last Thursday as two-year-old Shadow Play won his CDPEC debut in 2:02.3 for Dr. Ian Moore. This colt is owned by the Savards, father and son, R G McGroup and Moore.
I talked to Friday Dean, the trainer of Domitian Hanover last Wednesday and he told me that Domitian and Doonbeg have not fully recovered and will get some time off. There is a possibility Doonbeg may come here for the Gold Cup and Saucer but right now “he’s got get healthy,’’ says Dean.
CDPEC owner Jack Hynes suffered a little tough luck this past week as one of his two-year-old fillies was involved in an accident which means the sidelines for a couple of weeks.
Fred MacDonald’s column appears each Saturday in The Guardian. He welcomes comments at fiddlersfacts@hotmail.com
