macphail
11-21-2005, 12:39 AM
Printed from www.thewhig.com web site Sunday, November 20, 2005 - © 2005 The Kingston Whig-Standard
Goodale backs federal funds for arena
By Ann Lukits
Saturday, November 19, 2005 - 07:00
Local News - Liberal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale supports the idea of using federal money to help build the $37-million arena and entertainment centre planned for Kingston’s downtown.
It was the second such endorsement in just over a month by a federal cabinet minister.
In October, House Leader Tony Valeri said that civic centres and arenas are eligible for funding under a federal infrastructure program for small and rural municipalities that gives priority to “green” or environmentally friendly projects.
Yesterday, Goodale opened the door to the federal vault even wider.
During a conference call with reporters from the Osprey newspaper group, which owns The Whig-Standard, the finance minister said that if a municipality decides an arena or entertainment centre project is a priority with its ratepayers, and it meets the terms of the program, “it’s a sound investment for the federal government to make.”
Goodale said that most of the $12 billion spent to date on public infrastructure has gone towards streets, roads, bridges, highways, water and sewage systems and energy upgrades, but he didn’t exclude funding a multipurpose civic centre.
He stressed all levels of government – local, provincial and federal – must agree on the project for it to qualify.
After arguing for months, city councillors finally chose a location for the Large Venue Entertainment Centre two weeks ago. The facility – dubbed the LVEC – will be built in the block bounded by Place D’Armes and Wellington, Queen and Ontario streets.
The land, part of a larger tract called the North Block, lies just outside Kingston’s central shopping district.
The North Block was the No. 2 choice. A task force struck by Mayor Harvey Rosen shortly after the 2003 municipal election initially recommended the centre be built on Anglin Bay but the site proved to be highly unpopular with area residents and some politicians.
The success of the project depends on the city obtaining at least $8 million from both the federal and provincial governments.
The finance minister also hinted that the Liberals have other initiatives of interest to municipalities that may not be announced if the country goes to the polls in a federal election campaign in the New Year.
Goodale said there has been some misunderstanding about the lack of attention paid to cities in his economic and fiscal update unveiled earlier this week. That update was not a “full-blown budget” but an indication of the government’s fiscal flexibility.
The government’s intention, he said, was to give Canadians “a clear understanding of how we would broadly use that flexibility.”
He added that the Liberals “will have substantially more to say on a number of details, whether on cultural policy or on immigration policy or on cities and communities.”
In previous budget speeches, Goodale gave special attention to cities and communities under the Liberal’s “New Deal” program for municipalities.
Last year, the government exempted municipalities from the GST tax. Earlier this year, it began using a portion of the revenue from the federal gas tax to help fund environmentally sustainable infrastructure.
Goodale touched on a number of other issues during the 45-minute conference call, including the political damage caused by the sponsorship scandal.
The “extraordinary measures” taken by the government to expose the scandal have come at some political price and cost, Goodale admitted, but he praised Prime Minister Paul Martin for taking immediate steps to cancel the program and appoint the investigative commission led by Justice John Gomery.
Goodale backs federal funds for arena
By Ann Lukits
Saturday, November 19, 2005 - 07:00
Local News - Liberal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale supports the idea of using federal money to help build the $37-million arena and entertainment centre planned for Kingston’s downtown.
It was the second such endorsement in just over a month by a federal cabinet minister.
In October, House Leader Tony Valeri said that civic centres and arenas are eligible for funding under a federal infrastructure program for small and rural municipalities that gives priority to “green” or environmentally friendly projects.
Yesterday, Goodale opened the door to the federal vault even wider.
During a conference call with reporters from the Osprey newspaper group, which owns The Whig-Standard, the finance minister said that if a municipality decides an arena or entertainment centre project is a priority with its ratepayers, and it meets the terms of the program, “it’s a sound investment for the federal government to make.”
Goodale said that most of the $12 billion spent to date on public infrastructure has gone towards streets, roads, bridges, highways, water and sewage systems and energy upgrades, but he didn’t exclude funding a multipurpose civic centre.
He stressed all levels of government – local, provincial and federal – must agree on the project for it to qualify.
After arguing for months, city councillors finally chose a location for the Large Venue Entertainment Centre two weeks ago. The facility – dubbed the LVEC – will be built in the block bounded by Place D’Armes and Wellington, Queen and Ontario streets.
The land, part of a larger tract called the North Block, lies just outside Kingston’s central shopping district.
The North Block was the No. 2 choice. A task force struck by Mayor Harvey Rosen shortly after the 2003 municipal election initially recommended the centre be built on Anglin Bay but the site proved to be highly unpopular with area residents and some politicians.
The success of the project depends on the city obtaining at least $8 million from both the federal and provincial governments.
The finance minister also hinted that the Liberals have other initiatives of interest to municipalities that may not be announced if the country goes to the polls in a federal election campaign in the New Year.
Goodale said there has been some misunderstanding about the lack of attention paid to cities in his economic and fiscal update unveiled earlier this week. That update was not a “full-blown budget” but an indication of the government’s fiscal flexibility.
The government’s intention, he said, was to give Canadians “a clear understanding of how we would broadly use that flexibility.”
He added that the Liberals “will have substantially more to say on a number of details, whether on cultural policy or on immigration policy or on cities and communities.”
In previous budget speeches, Goodale gave special attention to cities and communities under the Liberal’s “New Deal” program for municipalities.
Last year, the government exempted municipalities from the GST tax. Earlier this year, it began using a portion of the revenue from the federal gas tax to help fund environmentally sustainable infrastructure.
Goodale touched on a number of other issues during the 45-minute conference call, including the political damage caused by the sponsorship scandal.
The “extraordinary measures” taken by the government to expose the scandal have come at some political price and cost, Goodale admitted, but he praised Prime Minister Paul Martin for taking immediate steps to cancel the program and appoint the investigative commission led by Justice John Gomery.