[Halifax] Nova Centre | 65-58-58 m | 16-15-14 fl | Completed

[someone123]

That guy seems to think that the convention centre would be a federal election issue if it were going to be funded. What are the odds of that?

Also, funding info has been released. Anybody still going on about costs without mentioning those numbers is either uninformed or trying to mislead people. In either case they are not worth listening to.

[q12]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

PS: regarding the other story posted by q12 - http://www.news957.com/news/article/214741 , I am a bit confused by CAO Richard Butts' comment - "This includes money for the skating oval and year one funding for the convention centre." . I thought that no payment would be due on the convention centre until early 2015?

Now that you mention it fenwick, that is strange that they would mention year one funding for the convention centre.

[worldlyhaligonian]

The comments following the CH article made me laugh out loud.

Its clear that people are either on one side or the other in this divisive debate.

The problem is that those who are so against this use the poor arguments and are clearly not well read on this topic. I honestly believe they just don't want the towers and this has nothing to do with the real business case.

I mean, I'm for this and could come up with better material for why it shouldn't be built. Simply being anti-public spending or anti-business isn't a reason! I can't believe somebody wrote that the CH is championing the CC... I mean the writing has been clearly biased AGAINST it depending on the article.

My points wouldn't bring up unfounded and extraneous comments about the cost or "executives at Emera" (?) because this information isn't correct and the CC isn't even a major development when compared to public projects in Canada.

I feel as though everybody on SSP Halifax (aka naysayers or whatever they call us) does bring a better quality of debate to this topic than anybody on the CBC, CH, etc comment sections.

Congrats to everybody on this board , we're not

[fenwick16]

It certainly is funny to read their mind spinning comments.

What is comical is that some of them know that they are being referred to as naysayers by "web bloggers" (I think the people on SSP would be considered to be web bloggers ).

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

It certainly is funny to read their mind spinning comments.

What is comical is that some of them know that they are being referred to as naysayers by "web bloggers" (would that include some people posting comments on this forum ?).

Yeah, but this is our right fenwick, and I appreciate your comments!

I don't hear anything but the same nonsense from these people, who claim not to be STV. So if they are taking the height point off the table, and the budget can be balanced, I can't see the logic in the arguments.

One major thing I don't think is understood, is that the majority of the funding for this is allocated for these types of project... it will either be spent on this or something else (likely to be even more of a boondoggle). In fact, NS won't see any of the federal money if this project doesn't go ahead.

Don't we just love other provinces to do better than us. Regina will have no problem accepting federal funds for a large piece of infrastructure.

The argument that conventions/conferences are not happening in the current facility is hilarious... this is exactly why it needs to be replaced... nobody wants to book a trade show in that run down facility.

Additionally, saying that the volume of conventions/conferences is declining is simply false. The past 2 years don't represent the history of growth in trade shows.

Lastly, if these folks are so worried about the cost of the Nova Centre, they should total all of the largely city/provincially funded projects that have been approved recently. I mean, nobody is complaining about 4-pads in the sticks and libraries downtown, neither of which add ANY tax revenue.

I don't trust that the people against this have the acumen to back up any of their statements. But this is a democracy, so anybody can believe whatever the hell they want to.

[q12]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Yeah, but this is our right fenwick, and I appreciate your comments!

I don't hear anything but the same nonsense from these people, who claim not to be STV. So if they are taking the height point off the table, and the budget can be balanced, I can't see the logic in the arguments.

One major thing I don't think is understood, is that the majority of the funding for this is allocated for these types of project... it will either be spent on this or something else (likely to be even more of a boondoggle). In fact, NS won't see any of the federal money if this project doesn't go ahead.

Don't we just love other provinces to do better than us. Regina will have no problem accepting federal funds for a large piece of infrastructure.

The argument that conventions/conferences are not happening in the current facility is hilarious... this is exactly why it needs to be replaced... nobody wants to book a trade show in that run down facility.

Additionally, saying that the volume of conventions/conferences is declining is simply false. The past 2 years don't represent the history of growth in trade shows.

Lastly, if these folks are so worried about the cost of the Nova Centre, they should total all of the largely city/provincially funded projects that have been approved recently. I mean, nobody is complaining about 4-pads in the sticks and libraries downtown, neither of which add ANY tax revenue.

I don't trust that the people against this have the acumen to back up any of their statements. But this is a democracy, so anybody can believe whatever the hell they want to.

The spectacle Save the View put on during the height of this debate was unbelievable. Bringing in so called experts on conventions, which in itself was a convention was quite ironic.

I do not doubt for one minute they they are working hard still to prevent the convention centre from proceeding. They probably will go online posting comments using different aliases saying that they are not concerned about the height to make it look as if there is some large opposition to this project based on taxes.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by q12

The spectacle Save the View put on during the height of this debate was unbelievable. Bringing in so called experts on conventions, which in itself was a convention was quite ironic.

I do not doubt for one minute they they are working hard still to prevent the convention centre from proceeding. They probably will go online posting comments using different aliases saying that they are not concerned about the height to make it look as if there is some large opposition to this project based on taxes.

I totally agree that different aliases may be used. Aside from that, I also think that there are alot of people with mixed up opinions about this.

I love the irony in hosting a convention that says conventions aren't viable anymore.

Everybody who thinks there are no industry/trade events in Canada is simply trying to cash in on the opposition towards such poor investments in places like recessionville USA. Why not have a convention and charge people money to make them be against trade centres in their local area!

Look at this one website with only future Canadian events selected as the search:
http://www.tsnn.com/search/events?title=&country=Canada

I stopped after about 4-5 pages because there were so many events I figure Halifax can get a bigger piece of this pie with a better facility. We are only an hour away from Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and represent the whole atlantic region.

Even if the convention centre part wasn't uber successful, its still the type of public infrastructure like libraries, etc that our city needs. I would prefer anything above the current volume of people we have coming here... and its not for our libraries or skating oval.

[resetcbu1]

hopefully now the process can move on and funding can be secured?

[q12]

Originally Posted by resetcbu1

hopefully now the process can move on and funding can be secured?

I hope so, we will have 4 years of conservative government guaranteed and Peter Mackay is still here. Conservatives have nothing to lose now in funding the convention centre since it could be built by the time we have another federal election in 2015. Hopefully this is also good news for the Stadium too.

[fenwick16]

I hope that the Nova Centre funding will be announced in the near future by the majority Conservatives. This seems to have been what MP Peter MacKay indicated:

Originally Posted by Haliguy View Post
Federal election to freeze Atlantic projects: MacKay
Election would delay financing of Lower Churchill project
The Canadian Press Posted: Mar 23, 2011 10:18 AM AT Last Updated: Mar 23, 2011 10:18 AM AT

Defence Minister Peter MacKay is warning a federal election will put key decisions on Atlantic Canadian megaprojects "on pause."

MacKay told a business audience in Halifax Wednesday morning that in particular a request for federal funding to assist with construction of a $159-million convention centre in Halifax won't take place if the government falls this week.

MacKay said a very strong case has been made to Ottawa to assist with $47 million for the convention centre.

Last week, the province said it was hoping for a decision prior to an election, and Nova Scotia's minister of transportation predicted a federal decision was imminent.

MacKay says the convention centre and other projects that are key to the region's economy are going to be affected by the timing of a federal election.

He says any commitment to assist with the financing of a subsea cable to carry electricity from Labrador's Lower Churchill Falls hydroelectricity project to Nova Scotia would also be further delayed.

Both of the statements in bold font (above) would help Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Provinces. If the Halifax shipyard also gets the multi-billion dollar naval ship-building contract then Halifax will be booming (I don't think this is an exaggeration).

It would have been good to see more Conservative seats in Nova Scotia, to have more representation in the ruling party.

I am glad that there won't another election for another 4 years.

[CorbeauNoir]

Originally Posted by resetcbu1

hopefully now the process can move on and funding can be secured?

Why? The Tories don't need to answer to ridings of other parties anymore. The only reason they've been dangling the carrot about funding this or the stadium is because they weren't sure if they were going to need NDP/Liberal favour after the election, now they're free to give us the giant middle finger for the next four years.

[TheNovaScotian]

Thank you CorbeauNoir, i may not agree with everything you post put your bang on with this one. With a massive 52 billion dollar deficit do you really think any money is going to come from Ottawa/Calgary now? O and this just in as his first act of business, Stephen Harper not satisfied with only changing the name of The Government of Canada he has now renamed parliament "Harper's House"
More to come in the years ahead........The Red Chamber will now be The Blue Chamber (even tho it already kind of is)
Why do you think they dragged it on this long? So that now the election is over they don't have to listen to anyone east of Ottawa even Quebec is going to have a rough ride for any projects they have on the go because the decided to vote NDP. So any dreams of a stadium or convention center are now slowly slipping from our grasp, poor Joe Ramia should just move on to option B or C otherwise we're just going to have two massive holes in our downtown for a long time

[q12]

Originally Posted by TheNovaScotian

Thank you CorbeauNoir, i may not agree with everything you post put your bang on with this one. With a massive 52 billion dollar deficit do you really think any money is going to come from Ottawa/Calgary now? O and this just in as his first act of business, Stephen Harper not satisfied with only changing the name of The Government of Canada he has now renamed parliament "Harper's House"
More to come in the years ahead........The Red Chamber will now be The Blue Chamber (even tho it already kind of is)
Why do you think they dragged it on this long? So that now the election is over they don't have to listen to anyone east of Ottawa even Quebec is going to have a rough ride for any projects they have on the go because the decided to vote NDP. So any dreams of a stadium or convention center are now slowly slipping from our grasp, poor Joe Ramia should just move on to option B or C otherwise we're just going to have two massive holes in our downtown for a long time

Newsflash!

Conservatives have the most seats in Atlantic Canada.

The money is already there for the convention centre.

Peter Mackay's riding is in part of HRM.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by TheNovaScotian

Thank you CorbeauNoir, i may not agree with everything you post put your bang on with this one. With a massive 52 billion dollar deficit do you really think any money is going to come from Ottawa/Calgary now? O and this just in as his first act of business, Stephen Harper not satisfied with only changing the name of The Government of Canada he has now renamed parliament "Harper's House"
More to come in the years ahead........The Red Chamber will now be The Blue Chamber (even tho it already kind of is)
Why do you think they dragged it on this long? So that now the election is over they don't have to listen to anyone east of Ottawa even Quebec is going to have a rough ride for any projects they have on the go because the decided to vote NDP. So any dreams of a stadium or convention center are now slowly slipping from our grasp, poor Joe Ramia should just move on to option B or C otherwise we're just going to have two massive holes in our downtown for a long time

With pretty much all of Halifax being NDP, and may i add with a gain of a seat for the NDP there maybe difficulty in money being available for the convention centre. Conservatives hold the most seats in the province, of which they are in rural areas. Those areas have been against the use of federal money for the project. I can see the government listening to the people who actually voted for them, before the ones that didn't. If the conservatives won more local seats i believe there could have been a stronger case. In the end no one here knows for a fact what the decision will be; we just sit an wait.

That said, i can still see merits in money for a stadium because of a number of reasons; DND ownership, environmental issues, aboriginal rights, better recieved by the rural areas.

[CorbeauNoir]

Originally Posted by sdm

With pretty much all of Halifax being NDP, and may i add with a gain of a seat for the NDP i doubt very much the money will be flowing now for the convention centre.

That said, i can still see merits in money for a stadium because of a number of reasons; DND ownership, environmental issues, aboriginal rights.

Because the Tories are such champions of environmentalism and aboriginal issues...
I'm not really sure how a stadium responds to those issues to begin with, honestly.

Oh, and happy 120 000 views, thread!

[Empire]

Peter MacKay has a lot of pull in Ottawa. He should be rewarded for pulling off yet another soild victory. This is a guaranteed seat for Harper so it shouldn't be ignored. Fortunately we have MacKay to assist HRM because the lame duck NDPers won't be of much use. Dexter should pour provincial money into Halifax to support the 3 federal NDP seats here.

Funding:

• MacKay

• Dexter

[Waye Mason]

Andrew Coyne was on CBC last night and he talked about the new governing coalition being an Ontario/Western coalition. Obviously it is too early for anyone to know anything, but I think for Harper Canada is going to effectively stretch from Vancouver to Montreal.

Also, HRM is the provincial NDPs core of support. I'm not sure Harper will want to poor money in here. Moncton, and all of urban NB voted Conservative. Expect to see money what little money comes east spent there.

Convention Centre and Stadium? I think pick one at most. Maybe. MacKay has been enthusiastic about a stadium, less so about a CC.

[someone123]

Lots of speculation, not much new information. We will have to wait and see.

[FuzzyWuz]

darn, didn't work.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by CorbeauNoir

Why? The Tories don't need to answer to ridings of other parties anymore. The only reason they've been dangling the carrot about funding this or the stadium is because they weren't sure if they were going to need NDP/Liberal favour after the election, now they're free to give us the giant middle finger for the next four years.

I think you're correct. Why would Harper give one thin dime to HRM now? We went orange/red (how foolish that was!!) and none of his candidates came close to winning. I have every expectation he will pay us back for our actions by spending those dollars in areas that helped him gain a majority, not in an area that pokes him in the eye every chance it gets.