The chair of Manitoba's federal Conservative caucus says Winnipeggers don't have to choose between good roads and clean water or a new football stadium.
Joy Smith, MP for Kildonan-St. Paul, told the Free Press Monday she thinks there are other sources of money available to fund the new stadium that would not take away from investments in highways and sewers.
Smith said she has already spoken to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty about possible sources of federal cash for the project and plans to fight hard to get that cash to Winnipeg to help build a new stadium.
"It would make Winnipeg a destination," Smith said. "I see other sports complexes going up in other provinces. I want to fight for our city."
CanWest Global executive vice-president David Asper is lobbying the three levels of government to help fund a new $122-million stadium at the current St. James Street location. He wants free land from the city, plus $40 million each from the province and from Ottawa. In return, he would own the Winnipeg Blue Bombers football team, and he promised Saturday to build a $2-million bubble dome over the field so the stadium can be used by amateur sports teams in the off-season.
The city is on-board, contributing about $35 million of prime real estate. Premier Gary Doer says the province is prepared to provide some money, although Asper's $40-million request is too much.
To this point, the federal government and Manitoba senior minister Vic Toews have been lukewarm to the idea at best. Toews has repeatedly said he'll look at the proposal, but that the only source of money available is the Building Canada Fund, new federal infrastructure cash that earmarks $278 million for Manitoba over the next seven years.
Toews has previously said Manitobans have to decide whether they want to spend that money to repair sewers, clean up drinking water and fix roads, or whether they want a new stadium.
He was unavailable for comment Monday, but his spokesman said the minister's stance has not changed.
Smith is adamant the money should not come from the Building Canada Fund, which she says should be earmarked for roads and bridges. She said there are other sources of funding.
"There are other places we could look for the funds," Smith said. "I know they exist."
She would not give more specifics, noting she is still working with Flaherty's office to determine what funds might best fit.
Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz says he won't support the stadium project if it means siphoning off federal cash meant for roads and sewers. But he agreed that Ottawa must have other funding accounts earmarked for recreation-related projects.
"I've been told there's other pots of money available," said Katz, who also says the Building Canada Fund should only be spent on roads and sewers.
Katz and Smith agreed Asper's new plan to add an inflatable bubble over the field in winter improves the proposal.
Premier Gary Doer called the bubble dome "a very big step in the right direction."
He said building a stadium that doubles as a community recreation facility is key to persuading the public the project makes sense.
"I can't take anything back to taxpayers that I can't justify," Doer said. "We always discussed how community use would have to be a very important part of the project and would have to be perceived that way."
Doer said both Asper and the province twigged simultaneously onto the success of the dome at Toronto's BMO Field -- the outdoor soccer stadium that opened in November complete with a wintertime bubble dome.
Manitoba NDP MP Pat Martin said he can't defend using Building Canada money for a new stadium, but he said Toews is being a "scrooge" if that is the only place he wants to look for possible cash.
Martin said Ottawa seems to have an unbelievable amount of money to give Quebec City to help celebrate its 400th birthday.
"They're shelling out $120 million for a birthday party in Quebec City and claim the cupboard is bare for poor old Winnipeg," Martin said. "Sort of puts things in perspective doesn't it?"
Liberal MP Ray Simard said a fully covered stadium would have been ideal, but the winter inflatable bubble is a good second-best option.
Simard said Ottawa should find cash to help, although not as much as the $40 million Asper is requesting.
"It would be a good deal for Winnipeg like the MTS Centre has been," Simard said. "We'd get our funding back through taxes in 10 or 15 years."
miar.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca
PREVIOUS
