Planning for future use of downtown arena needs to start now: Sudbury city councillor
Although the Kingsway Entertainment District -- which will house Sudbury’s new arena has not been built yet -- some city councillors are planning ahead and thinking of ways the current arena in the downtown core could be used.
The 70-year-old Sudbury Community Arena on Elgin Street has been home to the Sudbury Wolves for more than 50 years now and has held various other events such as circuses, concerts, and figure skating events.
Ward 5 City Councillor Robert Kirwan said the election next year should include this facility as a topic and planning for what this building will be used as needs to start now.
"It’s going to take us till the spring of 2022 to start consultation, and there is an election in 2022. So, that consultation is going to have to be a topic for candidates," Kirwan said. "Then in 2023, we’re going to have to make a decision on what to do with this by the summertime because you have to have a business case for the budget that fall in order to have money in the budget to do the renovation when this becomes vacant in 2024. We can’t wait."
Ward 11 City Councillor Bill Leduc said even though it’s still two years away, it will take that amount of time to develop a plan.
"We’re going to have to bring a business case forward for the new council that gets elected, and get the community input as to what they envision with the Sudbury arena moving forward now," Leduc said.
Both Kirwan and Leduc said tearing the building down would cost approximately $5 million, and demolishing the landmark would be a shame.
Leduc said he’s already heard from some residents about what they would like to see in the facility once it is vacant.
"I’ve heard some comments regarding the Sudbury arena converting it to something along the lines of the St. Lawrence Market. I think that would be a great opportunity, that would fit perfectly downtown here and that would generate a lot of business and a lot of foot traffic down here," Leduc said. "The other idea is possibly a one-stop-shop for everything regarding the safe injection site, housing, and that sort of stuff."
Kirwan and Leduc will bring this motion forward at this week’s council meeting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.