I read with interest MLA Steve Nordick’s recent open letter to the public expressing his ‘personal’ view that Dawson should receive a brand new recreation complex.
I think almost everyone would agree that a shiny new recreation centre is something we all deserve. Especially when taxpayers in the rest of Canada are obliged to pay for it, as they do for all other infrastructure in the Territory.
Let’s step back and get a reality check on the Art & Margie Fry Centre in the context of recent Dawson history.
It wasn’t that long ago that our municipality was under the control of an appointed trustee. Eventually a new mayor and council was elected, bolstered by a promise from our Territorial Government – that has since been fulfilled, to pay off Dawson’s crippling debt, inject some stimulus cash into the system and help improve the ailing AMF recreation centre, not to mention other outstanding issues like the pending waste water treatment court order, for example.
In other words, in 2006 our new council inherited a ‘rat’s nest’ of unresolved problems and issues, not the least of which was the recreation centre. For those of us who stepped up to the municipal plate, it was a challenge to successfully thread our way through this maze of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
With the help of Community Services Minister of the day, Glenn Hart, we undertook engineering studies to obtain a clear picture of the building. It was revealed that the superstructure was ‘sound as a pound’ and apart from a few relatively minor seismic issues, this recreation centre wasn’t going to fall over any time soon, the foundations were not moving one iota.
Of course there’s more to it than just a stable superstructure. The skating rink had problems which we improved upon from year to year, allowing us to improve the facility to a level that was satisfactory to most hockey players and other users.
Mr. Nordick refers to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and the Territorial Government. It set the terms and conditions based on an offer that was made by Minister Hart to address seismic deficiencies as well as open up the vast unused space upstairs.
The last point is important because during the trusteeship period, Dawson’s Youth Centre was shut down and the building liquidated, forcing many directionless teenagers onto the street. Therefore it was always my hope that we could use that dormant area on the second floor for youth activities as well as other community purposes. As far as I know, that work is still being pursued by the oversight committee.
Mr. Nordick’s suggestion that the past council rejected any possibility of artificial ice is not entirely accurate. Even though there was no provision for it in the MOU, the potential for an ice plant was not completely off the radar. Last year, the Territorial Government was increasingly receptive to the idea of providing funding for this enhancement, especially with the knowledge that newer and less costly technologies were being developed.
Ultimately, all parties recognized that making improvements to the partially finished Recreation Centre was not simply a case of ‘throwing good money after bad.’
Even if a new facility was built elsewhere in Dawson, the existing structure could be transformed into badly needed office space, a convention centre or even an addition to Diamond Tooth Gertie’s. It certainly would not be abandoned or condemned.
All of this was in keeping with my view as mayor, that prudence and common sense should prevail when prioritizing costly projects for the citizens of Dawson. A virtually new recreation facility just didn’t make sense within the context of other pressing issues facing us at the time. We needed to show fiscal responsibility and restraint rather than whine about not having the ‘perfect’ recreation complex.
The obvious purpose of Mr. Nordick’s public appeal, trumpeting his ‘personal’ wish for a sparkling new facility is to garner some support in that direction from the electorate.
Like I said, who wouldn’t want a beautiful recreational complex with all the bells and whistles? Mayor Jenkins is rattling the bars, agitating for a new one.
Is it realistic?
Dawson serves approximately 1,800 citizens in and around the town. We are in the process of spending $25 million for a wastewater treatment plant, a new health facility for another $25 million, and the Dawson Yukon College Campus for $5 million plus, and another cool $6 million or so for a new Yukon Housing apartment building. Further, what will a new and improved recreation complex cost, $40 million perhaps?
The golden rule that almost every elected politician understands is; to win the hearts of the electorate, pave their roads. So we can add another $6 million to the tab for the Front Street resurfacing that was done last summer.
If we tally the total, including the estimate for a new rec centre we are contemplating over $100 million or, roughly $55,000 per citizen. Not bad!
So, next time you are in Toronto, be sure to thank passersby for keeping us in the style to which we have become accustomed.
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I have a variant to your closing sentence. Never mind Toronto, next time you are in any town of 1,800 people in any province, make sure you go to the village office (that’s what towns of 1,800 people are called in the provinces) and offer your $55,000 toward that village’s municipal infrastructure. For communities of 1,800 in any province, from coast to coast, the variety and quality of facilities commonly found in North of 60 communities are beyond hoping and wishing for.
You are quite right. I emphasize Toronto only because Ontario is likely the wealthiest province.
What will we do when daddy takes the T-Bird away?
Ontario is now a have-not province.
It’s your friends in the Albertan oil industry that are paying for everything.
And Yukon is way cheaper than NWT or Nunavut. In the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the Yukon received $564 million ($18,166 per capita), the North West Territories $805 million ($18,704 per capita) and Nunavut $944 million ($30,265 per capita) for a total of $2.313 billion.
1800 people of which I estimate 600 are working. If their average income is say 30 000 per year at 30 percent tax rate is 9 000×600 =5400000. Which is I believe is about the current city budget. That is just to maintain the city, so we cant really afford any capital projects of any size, that money has to come from elsewhere. the city cant afford its own social housing units, sewage treatment plant, arts schools, colleges, medical clinics, highway and airport maintenance etc. This money has to come from outside. Are you proposing we should do without any of these things so we can live within our own means? Our federal politicians waste more than they send to the yukon in a heartbeat. Quite frankly if they didnt send us this money most of us probably wouldnt be here right now.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that we don’t create our own value. We all work and contribute to the economy, our culture and to our quality of life in our own individual ways. The undeniable fact is that our gross domestic product is far outweighed by the subsidy we receive from other Canadians.
It’s clear that it is prudent to maintain a population in remote areas in order to establish sovereignty, that’s what’s happening here and other far flung places in Canada and there is a cost attached to that.
I think my underlying argument is that we give up too much of our self reliance and self determination with the instilled fear that funds will be withdrawn if we don’t behave like good boys and girls. A recent example was the threat made by Yukon Hospital Chair Craig Tuton and Steve Nordick that if we kick up too much of a fuss regarding the location of the new health facility they will take their ball and go home, leaving us in the dust with no hospital. They displayed a complete disrespect to their fellow citizens by taking this paternalistic position just because they hold the purse strings. In my opinion they behaved like complete a-holes.
My question is; how wide do we spread our legs for the cash?
By the way, the town could earn much more of its own revenue with a sales tax or hotel tax. Guess who won’t allow us to do that?
You are right, John, on the subject of self reliance. You don’t have to live North of 60 in Canada to be remote, there are examples of that in every province (When next in B.C., visit Dease Lake, or Stewart, or any community on Haida Gwaii to get a taste).
But to stick with Dawson City, imagine if YTG were to say to Dawson Council that the community’s allocation is X dollars per capita. You, as a community, set the priorities for the allocation of the cash. Education, health care, transportation, recreation, social services, etc., you pick and you rank. It would not cost Canadian taxpayers an extra penny, but it would surely add substance and vigor to townhall meetings, and it would put the idea of democratic governance and accountability in a whole new light.
Thank you Andre! This is exactly what I am driving at.
Nothing involves people more when they are given active control of their destiny as a community.