TRURO - Colchester County residents will have to wait at least another five weeks before hearing if the federal government will provide funds for the region's largest proposed infrastructure project.
Sunday's byelection call all but ruled out a long-awaited announcement for the civic centre project.
"There's no doubt it, it is unnerving," Colchester County Mayor Bob Taylor told the Truro Daily News yesterday. "For the last month or so we've been kind of sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for the announcement."
The civic centre project has been talked about for a few years and gained steam a year ago when the town and county signed an agreement and the province announced $10 million for the project.
The $35.5-million civic centre project, including $2.4 million for upgrades to Colchester Legion Stadium, would see an NHL-sized ice surface with seating for more than 2,500 people, a pool and a walking track built in central Colchester.
But the federal government still has not publicly committed the funds.
"We've got all the promises, just no money in the bank," Taylor said. "We're going to come to a point pretty soon that we're going to have to stop until we have better confirmation of the funding."
Taylor said he was expecting the funding to be announced as part of a package of projects that included money for a similar project in Bridgewater. But when that project was announced on Friday, and Colchester's wasn't, Taylor was left disappointed.
"Now we'll be in a holding mode," he said. "We don't dare put a shovel in the ground yet."
Traditionally, governments do not make funding announcements during an election.
"The civic centre is not something people are going to play politics with," said Conservative candidate Scott Armstrong.
"After this election is over I will be in minister (John) Baird's office pounding my hand on the desk for that civic centre money as soon as I can get to Ottawa. It's definitely the No.1 priority for Colchester County."
jmalloy@trurodaily.com
Vote will delay news on federal funds for civic centre
- Published on October 5th, 2009
- Published on January 1st, 2010
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Jason Malloy
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Comments
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- norm
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:13:04
As indicated only the CONs knew ,when the writ would be dropped hence the signs out all over Truro Sunday morning,well all the more reason to not purposely delay the onset of construction of the civic center
for another odd 40 days.
What's not political about not announcing the funding of a sure thing before dropping the writ;making it appear the center's future could be jeopardized by electing the wrong party?
The message from the CON candidate is he will deliver the #1 priority for Colchester county,sounds like political games to me, pounding on Baird's desk ---and the unwritten and he(Baird) will listen to a fellow CON . -
- Glamourgirl
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:59:14
There's always Harper's friend Brooke a baby. Don't worry be happy.
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- Skeptic
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:58:09
Good luck getting into Baird's office, Scott.
You won't even have your phonecalls returned for the first two years if we were dumb enough to send you.
Your calculated stand with Bill Casey means you may as well be from the Communist Party in Harper's eyes.
In a minority gov't. we would be better sending someone with leverage. -
- Skeptic
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:52:35
Ridiculous!
There is only one reason why we don't have delivery of OUR money that has already been PROMISED; we are being punished for voting against Harper.
Should we say thanks by sending him another seat? After Armstrong did his calculations and stood with Casey he also became an enemey of Harper. It won't help having him 'at the table' if he is an outcast. -
- flogger
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:43:54
Hey all you leftist whiners on this DB: if you want to read some anti-Harper rant, pro-Liberal commentary, and no comments printed from the Conservative candidate, check out the Chronicle Herald's on-line article today about the by-election in our riding. Let's see you squawk after seeing real press bias from one of Canada's most pro-left newspapers.
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- Anderson
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:41:59
If the money's there why wouldn't they announce it. The typical Tory practice is to show up and buy some votes. Electing Scott Armstrong will not guarantee arena funding. I doubt it's coming at all.
Stephen Harper doesn't like us. He's only accepting Scott Armstrong as a candidate because it would make national news if he didn't.
Scott's not going to be in cabinet, he's not going to have anyone's ear, I'm sure John Baird won't even give him an appointment and we're not going to get those funds as long as Harper's in charge.
Let's get the ball rolling to replace the Alberta party. -
- Micki
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:41:32
Anderson raises a really good couple of points an I consider myself PC.
