Atlantic Schooners

[someone123]

It is fine to debate the merits of various taxes or spending initiatives but it's objectively wrong to suggest that HRM has ballooning debts or is teetering on the brink of some kind of fiscal crisis. Its debt-to-GDP ratio last year was 1.4%, i.e. you could levee a 1.4% tax on the city and pay off all of its debt in 1 year. That ratio is down by about 30% in the past couple decades.

Arguably it makes more sense to take on debt today as population growth is higher. Interest rates are up but to historically fairly moderate levels so far.

You can see the old reports here: https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/bud...d-budget-books

[MonctonRad]

You're alive! People on the Canada section were getting concerned. You've been incommunicado for a couple of weeks.........

[someone123]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

You're alive! People on the Canada section were getting concerned. You've been incommunicado for a couple of weeks.........

Yep, I am not dead yet. I have been travelling a lot lately.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by someone123

Yep, I am not dead yet. I have been travelling a lot lately.

Good news!

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Haliguy

Going to electric and hydrogen buses is a no brainer!

Since many on Council have no brains, that would explain their enthusiasm.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Since many on Council have no brains, that would explain their enthusiasm.

It's not just Halifax, Keith. The whole world is switching over to ZEVs.

I'm sure you're already aware that in Canada, 100% of new vehicles sold will have to be electric by 2035. Yep, that's not very far away... may as well start the switch-over now rather than be caught with all the problems involved with such a massive change at the last minute. There's no choice, really.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

It's not just Halifax, Keith. The whole world is switching over to ZEVs.

I'm sure you're already aware that in Canada, 100% of new vehicles sold will have to be electric by 2035. Yep, that's not very far away... may as well start the switch-over now rather than be caught with all the problems involved with such a massive change at the last minute. There's no choice, really.

Exactly (:

[quityourwhining]

Spend the money and get a (somewhat) suitable outdoor stadium. Its a disgrace that a city the size of Halifax doesnt have a suitable facility. Halifax had a perfect opportunity with the 2014 Commonwealth games, but chose to be small-minded.

[Dartguard]

Originally Posted by quityourwhining

Spend the money and get a (somewhat) suitable outdoor stadium. Its a disgrace that a city the size of Halifax doesnt have a suitable facility. Halifax had a perfect opportunity with the 2014 Commonwealth games, but chose to be small-minded.

Good old Peter pulling our Commonwealth bid was the smartest thing he ever did. The original bid was the brainchild of that everspending Fred McGilvery. Its was supposed to be at most 1 Billion but Liberals with other peoples money just can not hold back. It probably would have cost the newly amalgamated HRM close to 2.5-3 Billion in 1998 dollars.

If Halifax is going to have a permanent stadium it will happen organically just like the owner of the Wanderers is doing. Fun, baby, consistent steps. He is making the Wanderers and more importantly the grounds an integral part of the entertainment landscape in Halifax. Let the roots grow deeper.

Public funds will be a very touchy subject until the reality and perception of a better healthcare outcome delivers.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Dartguard

If Halifax is going to have a permanent stadium it will happen organically just like the owner of the Wanderers is doing. Fun, baby, consistent steps. He is making the Wanderers and more importantly the grounds an integral part of the entertainment landscape in Halifax. Let the roots grow deeper.

Value for dollar hosting the CWGs to get a CFL-ready stadium would have been very low. And I think the net benefit of having bells and whistles vs. a bare bones 15,000 or 20,000 person stadium is low. Furthermore I don't think the CFL will avoid Halifax if it has a 15-20k stadium just because it's not nice enough. even though of course they will ask for it to be as nice as possible. The stadium has to be large enough that they can offer ticket prices the local market will support while making enough money. Toronto's average attendance is about 11k and many of the teams are far below selling out their venues on average (40-70% attendance).

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

It's not just Halifax, Keith. The whole world is switching over to ZEVs.

I'm sure you're already aware that in Canada, 100% of new vehicles sold will have to be electric by 2035. Yep, that's not very far away... may as well start the switch-over now rather than be caught with all the problems involved with such a massive change at the last minute. There's no choice, really.

You illustrate the problem with govts passing mandates without any understanding or concept of how that can be met. You cannot legislate physics.

Imagine the size of battery pack required to power an 18-wheeler that needs to cover 800 miles in a day, and how long it would take to charge it. Don't forget the number of such super-capacity chargers it would take to service the fleet nationally. Think also about heavy equipment used for construction, farming, and anything else that uses diesel. And think about the generating capacity that would need to be added to the power grid for all that.

We would likely do more for the environment by giving China truckloads of money to take their coal-powered electrical plants offline and replace them with a cleaner source.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

You illustrate the problem with govts passing mandates without any understanding or concept of how that can be met. You cannot legislate physics.

Imagine the size of battery pack required to power an 18-wheeler that needs to cover 800 miles in a day, and how long it would take to charge it. Don't forget the number of such super-capacity chargers it would take to service the fleet nationally. Think also about heavy equipment used for construction, farming, and anything else that uses diesel. And think about the generating capacity that would need to be added to the power grid for all that.

We would likely do more for the environment by giving China truckloads of money to take their coal-powered electrical plants offline and replace them with a cleaner source.

Yup that's why hydrogen fuel cells are the way to go! We have to get off fossil fuels, we have no other choice!

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Haliguy

Yup that's why hydrogen fuel cells are the way to go! We have to get off fossil fuels, we have no other choice!

But Tim Bousquet says that green hydrogen is nothing but a pipe dream and a scam perpetuated by rich capitalists! Surely he couldn’t be wrong? 🤪

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

But Tim Bousquet says that green hydrogen is nothing but a pipe dream and a scam perpetuated by rich capitalists! Surely he couldn’t be wrong? 🤪

lol...yeah I wouldn't listen to what Tim Bousquet has to say!

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Haliguy

lol...yeah I wouldn't listen to what Tim Bousquet has to say!

Bousquet is a truly excellent investigative reporter. It's his op-ed side that I frequently disagree with.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

Bousquet is a truly excellent investigative reporter. It's his op-ed side that I frequently disagree with.

Bousquet is fantastic on the investigative side of things. Zane Woodford, writing in the Examiner, is also easily doing the best, most complete and valuable City Hall coverage in town right now. Bousquet himself is prone to let his own personal biases skew his work, but he's not pretending to be thoroughly objective--it's advocacy and oppositional journalism, and valuable for that.

But his understanding of housing issues is very incomplete and simplistic (developers bad, development suspect, etc.) I recall a few years ago he used to talk about how we were in an overbuilding bubble, and development was just a big shell game. He seems to have stopped with that, since it's pretty obvious to even the most casual observer that we're not, in fact, overbuilding. But I don't think you'd ever hear him acknowledge that we're actually under-building.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Bousquet is fantastic on the investigative side of things. Zane Woodford, writing in the Examiner, is also easily doing the best, most complete and valuable City Hall coverage in town right now. Bousquet himself is prone to let his own personal biases skew his work, but he's not pretending to be thoroughly objective--it's advocacy and oppositional journalism, and valuable for that.

But his understanding of housing issues is very incomplete and simplistic (developers bad, development suspect, etc.) I recall a few years ago he used to talk about how we were in an overbuilding bubble, and development was just a big shell game. He seems to have stopped with that, since it's pretty obvious to even the most casual observer that we're not, in fact, overbuilding. But I don't think you'd ever hear him acknowledge that we're actually under-building.

Agreed - on all points.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Bousquet himself is prone to let his own personal biases skew his work, but he's not pretending to be thoroughly objective--it's advocacy and oppositional journalism, and valuable for that.

In that case, he is not practicing journalism. He is practicing blogging.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

In that case, he is not practicing journalism. He is practicing blogging.

Of course it's journalism, and perfectly acceptable (and even, arguably, necessary and desirable in a free state). The fact that it's not simple fact reporting doesn't make it any less journalism. Are editorials not journalism?

Your need to disparage it (presumably because you don't agree with it) is baffling. I don't agree with a lot of what Bousquet says either, but that doesn't mean I don't recognize and accept it as journalism.

[q12]

We may have found a home for the Atlantic Schooners!

Long-term pop-up stadium being considered for Saint Mary's University

Paul Hollingsworth
CTV News Atlantic Reporter
Published March 8, 2023

TSN football Insider Dave Naylor says financing outdoor stadiums in Canada is extremely difficult, both economically and politically.

“But, could you come up with a temporary stadium that gets you into the market,” said Naylor

In January, Canadian Football League (CFL) commissioner Randy Ambrosie floated the idea of a longer term pop-up CFL stadium in Halifax.

Not unlike the stadium used by the Halifax Wanderers, a professional soccer franchise who play in Canadian Premier League.

“Could we do that and use that as a platform to build a future for football in a marketplace,” said Ambrosie.

The idea is gaining traction.

Saint Mary’s University Huskies Stadium will soon be converted into a temporary pop-up venue to host a regular season CFL game in July.

CTV has learned CFL executives met with representatives from Saint Mary’s University on Monday night. Both sides are exploring the concept of keeping the venue intact long-term as a possible future home for a full-time CFL team.

“There is a discussion going on right now to see what is the viability of having that stay there as a seven or eight year or even 10 year venue,” said Louie Velacci who attended last night’s meeting with the CFL and is trying to rally local businesses to support the idea of adding a 10th CFL franchise in Halifax.

Other sports would have access to the venue including Saint Mary’s University athletes.

“They are talking about eventually doming it in and having it available for 12 month of the year,” said Velacci.

According to Naylor, this would be a much lower risk approach than to building a football stadium.

“Without a $200 million albatross in the way,” said Naylor.

Construction of the planned pop-up stadium for Saint Mary's is scheduled to begin in May.

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/long-ter...sity-1.6304832