Are You willing to pay Nine Million Dollars on the Hilltops?

Guest Blogger here;

So a civic committee has approved a 9 million dollar upgrade for Gordie Howe Bowl. Now before I get started on why I am opposed to this it has nothing to do with liking football or even what types of civic services we want in this city. I am a sports friendly blogger.

This upgrade is purely for the benefit of the one private user and that is the Hilltops. If anyone tells you differently they are delusional. Yes high school football play some games there, but that is truly to appease those whiners on the west side that want this facility improved and need to show it is being used. They also feel they have been left out when it comes to civic facilities. Well the East side doesn't have an Olympic sized swimming pool not to mention a CUC or TCU. I know as a fact that some years ago the school divisions spent hundreds of thousands to have football (north American version) played on the sports fields behind the east soccer, including bleachers and lighting for night games.

I heard some time ago track people wanted the place improved but I don't see that happening in this proposal. If this facility needs an upgrade then the city should be asking the group using it to pay for those upgrades. The fact the city spent thousands of dollars on an external review to tell them how to make the facility useable to more than just one entity tells the story. BTW that would cost $30 mil. If the city has gone to a cost recovery basis for all other leisure facilities, are the Hilltops willing to do the same at this venue? I don't think so. It will be left again to local tax payers.

As per my previous blogs on wasteful spending this is just another example of money that could go to better use.