Elections
Should we spend the Future Fund to build a Pan Am / Ticat stadium on the CP Rail Yard lands? Why or why not?
Responses to the question: "Should we spend the Future Fund to build a Pan Am / Ticat stadium on the CP Rail Yard lands? Why or why not?"
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5 Candidate Responses (top)
| Ward 03 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Black, Bob | Yes | No, how does a new stadium gain greater importance than the issues we have already in Hamilton, we have poverty, we have too many children who go to school and even to bed hungry, serious infrastructure problems and I could go on.. I have always enjoyed the Tiger Cats and I realize the Tiger Cat players do a lot for Hamilton. If there was no talk of building a new stadium or they leave, then the real question should be, Should we spend the Future Fund to build a Pan Am Stadium or not, why or why not? and again I say no, the Pan Am games will only be here a for a short period and I don't see a lot of business being generated from them since they will be in Toronto for the most part. |
| DiMillo, Mark | Maybe | I have promised my constituents that I will consult and engage them in the discussion of the same. It would be unfair of me to answer without knowing what the voters want. The current proposal I don't think will fly, it is seriously underfunded and too many variables and unknowns. As a businessman, I make all decisions with as much calculated risk as possible, and after extensive due diligence is achieved. To date I do not feel the City has had sufficient time to do either. However, if we can get the deal done with $50 million from the future fund, and build a good business case for the project, which reflects the political and social will of Hamiltonians - then YES! |
| Gibson, Sean | No | The future fund is for just that "The Future" not for today, they should have called it the "The Today Fund" then. Put together a strategic plan for the future of our community/city and work towards those ends. Tap into the future fund if it's necessary ...in the future. |
| McGrimmond, Wilamina | No | Pan Am Stadium should have just stayed where it was. Now if it really goes to CP Rail, the taxpayers will be paying a lot more money for this stadium because Bob Young won't be paying a lot more than whatever he offers and All Levels of Government isn't going to pay anymore then they have offered already.
They can tear down the old one and rebuild and make parkades on either side. Teachers can use parkade on Cannon side and the churches can use on Barton street side. |
| Tetley, Paul | No | Future Fund Money should not be used to build a PanAm/Ticat stadium on the CP Rail Yard lands.
The Future Fund was established from the 2002 sale of Hamilton Hydro. Its mission states; "To preserve and manage a permanent, self-sustaining fund as a lasting legacy for current and future generations of Hamiltonians to enjoy economic prosperity, enhanced social fabric and enhanced community life." Current Council has already motioned for the $60 million to be a grant, instead of a loan as recommend by the Future Fund Board of Governors, for what has become a stadium for the benefit of a private interest, Bob Young. This is in direct contravention of the fund's mission, and its Board of Governors recommendation. This contravention will result in a significant depletion of the fund while we, our children, and potentially our grandchildren continue to pay for the initial principal through increasing Hydro Debt Retirement Charges. The residents of Hamilton deserve better than following in the footsteps of Montreal's Olympic Stadium and Toronto's SkyDome, which consumed hundreds of millions of taxpayer's dollars. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 1 | 20.0% |
| No | 3 | 60.0% |
| Maybe | 1 | 20.0% |
1 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Ward 03 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Morelli, Bernie | ||
