Dear Editor:
The last time a major sports and recreation facility was built in New Westminster was back in 1972. Popular on TV in those days was All in the Family, and Sammy Davis Junior’s Candyman was a hit on the charts. Needless to say, it’s been a long time since anyone at city hall has prioritized the construction of major new infrastructure to support lacrosse, hockey and other amateur sports.
It’s perhaps for this reason the current debate regarding whether we need a new arena in the Royal City is a tad frustrating. A few weeks ago, I started an online petition to help kickstart the project, which quickly hit my target of 500 signatures. Yet since then, the people who signed on have been told by mayor and council to wait in line – as a new arena is in the city’s “long-term plan” for an unknown time in the future.
The mayor told the Record that his top priority remains the construction of a new Canada Games Pool. It’s hard to argue against this position when you look at what neighbouring cities like Burnaby and Coquitlam have delivered to their citizens over the last decade by way of top-notch swimming facilities.
If fact, a report delivered to city hall back in 2010 said it was imperative we do something with the Canada Games Pool as soon as possible. However, seven years later there are still no shovels in the ground. One can only imagine how long a major project would take to get built if it wasn’t a top political priority.
Supporting a new Canada Games Pool should not mean we have to wait another couple of decades before we see a new arena. In my opinion, the debate should not be about whether we need a pool versus an arena. Rather, it should be about how and when we are going to build and finance both – preferably in partnership with senior levels of government.
If city hall is going to continue to green-light large residential development projects, a direct benefit should be new and improved public amenities. This is imperative if we are to maintain our position as a great place to live while at the same time accommodating thousands of new residents who will call New Westminster home in the years to come.
Daniel Fontaine, New Westminster
