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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-05-27, Page 76 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, May 27, 2015 Huron East council mulls Brussels arena renovation Marco Vigliotti Huron Expositor The committee managing the Brussels Morris Grey (BMG) Community Centre is considering tapping into a new federal infrastructure grant program to cover as much as 50 per cent of the costs of a proposed $1.5 million expansion to the facility. The funding application for the Canada 150 Com- munity Infrastructure Pro- gram helmed by FedDev Ontario, however, may hinge on whether Huron East council will extend an offer of financial support to make up some of the differ- ence - as it did for the Sea - forth arena in 2010. Council voted on May 19 to have administrative staff prepare an application for its next meeting to allow further discussion on a possible contribution to the renovation plans. Mayor Bernie MacLellan says council needs to make a decision quickly on whether to push the pro- cess forward, with the grant program's June 9 submis- sion deadline less than three weeks away. "The first question is if we can get the grant money, is council willing to step up and put the portion that they put towards the Sea - forth community centre into this one? If so, then the village of Brussels or the community groups...need to decide if they're willing to raise the rest," he told his council counterparts. "But there's no sense in them doing a whole bunch of work if council doesn't really (support it)." The municipality pro- vided $400,000 to the Sea - forth facility in 2010 after it successfully applied for RinC funding and received about $350,000 each from the province and Ottawa to finance needed mechanical upgrades, according to a report from Huron East's administrative staff. Fundraising contributed another $400,000 for the repairs. It is expected that fund- raising will cover a signifi- cant share of the costs for the BMG arena renovations. Despite a lengthy debate at the May 19 meeting about the project, ques- tions persist about the size of a possible contribution from the municipality, as well as the scope of the pro- posed arena expansion. Mayor MacLellan said council should consider matching its contribution for the Seaforth arena if it opts to provide financial support for the Brussels renovation. "If the municipality gave � r JOJRC'H D I EC oD You are invited to attend these area churches ST. THOMAS ANGLICAN 21 Jarvis St., Seaforth Rector The Rev. Karine Snowdon Rectory 519-482-9071 Church Office 519-527-1522 Sunday May 31 • Trinity Sunday Worship at 9:30 am Guest Presider: The Venerable Perry Chuipka of Wingham Everyone Welcome • ACW meets Tues. June 2 May 30th is the last day to reserve tickets to beef supper ($30 per person) following the 160th Anniversary Service on June 7. Call 519-263-5683. EGMONDVILLE UNITED CHURCH Pastor Steve Hildebrand Youth Coordinator - Laura Nakamura An Affirming Congregation Worship May 31st 10:30 am Youth Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. Adult Sunday School 9:45 a.m. For more information view our web site www.egmondvilleunitedchurch.com & Like us on Facebook TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE PLEASE CALL THE HURON EXPOSITOR 519-527-0240 TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE PLEASE CALL THE HURON EXPOSITOR 519-527-0240 BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 519-527-0982 Rev. Mark Kennedy Sunday Worship Service 11 a.m. Sunday School for all ages 9:45 a.m. Tuesday Evenings Youth Groups - Junior & Senior High 6:30 to 9 p.m. Boys & Girls Club 7 p.m. Wednesdays 7 p.m. Men's & Women's Bible Study (S. EVERYONE WELCOME FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 59 Goderich St. W. Seaforth 519-527-0170 Rev. Rob Congram Lorrie Mann - Organist Sunday Worship May 31st,11:00 a.m. Sunday School ALL WELCOME (5 Nursery Provided as Needed ea ort uronex 1 ositor.co a certain dollar value to the Seaforth one, then we should consider giving that dollar value to doing an expansion or upgrade of the Brussels one," he said. Coun. Joe Steffler also expressed support for pro- viding a contribution to the Brussels project similar to the allocation received by the Seaforth arena, arguing that it would be unfair to deny an equitable level of support. "If we gave that to Sea - forth, how can you say no to Brussels?" he said. Coun. Larry McGrath, though, raised concerns about the absence of a clear plan to generate the funds for the Brussels project, saying council should "know where the rest of the money is going to come from." "(Are we) going to start cutting stuff to help pay for this or do we use that won- derful word debenture?" he asked. "We're making the commitment even though the public money isn't raised at this point." The federal grant initia- tive, announced on May 18, earmarks $44.4 million over the next two years for pro- jects in southern Ontario. There is no provincial tie-in. The grant program offers to fund between 33 and 50 per cent of a successful applicant project's cost, with priority given to those TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE PLEASE CALL THE HURON EXPOSITOR 519-527-0240 WEST COAST KITCHENS Linda Reaume Designer And Much More • Kitchens • CustomVanities • Entertainment Units • Home Offices PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATIONS CUSTOM DESIGNS & COUNTERTOPS Visit Our Showroom 50 West St. Goderich 519-440-0352 www.westcoastkitchens.net Email: westcoastkit@hurontel.on.ca requesting less than the maximum and those scheduled to be completed before Canada's 150th anniversary on July 1, 2017, said Brad Knight, chief administrative officer for Huron East. He claims the criteria for the grant scheme leans towards projects such as the BMG Community Cen- tre renovation. "When you read through the criteria and the grant application, it is really geared towards recrea- tional type of facilities, refurbishment of facilities," Knight told council. The arena's managing committee, he said, has been "actively investigating renovations to address the limited number and under- sized dressing rooms in the facility," with funding allocated in their past two budgets to develop line drawings for the renova- tions and prepare project estimates. According to Knight, the committee is weighing already ordered plans for an L-shaped addition to the east and south sides of the facility that would push the dressing rooms behind the benches and expand the congested main lobby area. Its initiative has made applying that much easier for the municipality, he said. "By having the foresight to have line drawings and estimates prepared, the BMG committee has put the municipality in a posi- tion to make a grant appli- cation for a significant pro- ject," Knight wrote in a report to council.