Artificial ice in Chip didn't make sense
Editorial appeared in Fort McMurray Today Dec. 19, 2006
Regional council was split on the issue of artificial ice for the replacement of the Archie Simpson Arena in Fort Chipewyan last week.
In stark contrast to many of the issues our local politicians deal with regularly, emotion seemed to play a big part in the call to build the arena without a concrete pad, tubes and an ice plant.
When the former Improvement District and the City of Fort McMurray amalgamated in 1995, there was creeping suspicion by rural folk that the city would come to dominate them, that spending -- with money generated by the oilsands plants -- would gravitate to the big city and away from the hamlets scattered throughout the municipality.
The Improvement District even came to the table with millions of dollars in accounts set up for future infrastructure improvements. They were careful to ensure the money was spent on the needs of rural people.
Considering the high spending today, a few million seems like chump change when compared with the 2007 budget.
No accounting has even been done, but if the spending on everything from pavement to fire halls and other buildings is compared with the small population (more people live in Abasand Heights than the entire rural portion of the municipality), it's likely the dollar/citizen ratio would shift to those former I.D. residents.
The amalgamation was put together on more than money: it was a joining-together of people with the same goals, rural and urban.
It was obvious the decision on the Archie Simpson Arena was not about the money. It was about a community with a recreation board that didn't want to be saddled with ongoing user fees to pay the power bill for the ice plant. It was about a small community without enough young people to keep an expensive operation a going concern.
In Fort McMurray, ice time costs more than $100 per hour. In Chip, residents are not willing to pay anything, regional council was told.
Many other issues were brought to bear by one side in the issue or the other:
Global warming. The argument went that as the winters get shorter, the need for artificial ice becomes greater.
This argument is without scientific merit. While it's generally accepted that global warming is a fact and we'd better get ready to cope with it, scientists talk about a difference of a degree or two Celsius over many decades. While it's enough to affect worldwide weather patterns, it's not significant enough to make the call for artificial ice or natural ice at this time.
Drugs: giving the youth of Fort Chipewyan another outlet for their energy in a hockey arena is certainly a healthy -- and preferred -- alternative to getting caught up in a culture of addictions. While the extent of the problem in Fort Chipewyan is unknown, it's probably not better or worse than in Fort McMurray. That means it's bad.
Will artificial ice that extends the season by a couple of months make a difference? Unlikely.
Regional council didn't go ahead with the Archie Simpson Arena artificial ice because it didn't make sense. The local recreation society was opposed, along with one of the two councillors (John Chadi) who represent the hamlet. The other councillor (Sonny Flett) argued passionately in favour of the project -- his objections may have even delayed it for a year -- but in the end, there was no concrete proof that spending more money would benefit anyone.
Repeated mentions linking the ultra-expensive MacDonald Island project to the Chip arena didn't make sense. While some councillors said Chip residents were welcome at MacIsland, they forgot to add that the access was 250 kilometres away and only good for a few months each year when the winter road is open.
On the other side of the coin, building a project in one part of the region doesn't mean a tit-for-tat automatic entitlement everywhere.
If a case could be made, the Chip artificial ice would be a go.
Amalgamations, like marriages are tough. There must be give and take. respect for other viewpoints. And each partner must put up with the other's foibles.
So far, the urban-rural mix in Wood Buffalo has worked well. This latest case is another example that the amalgamation was a good idea almost a dozen years ago.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today.
Regional council was split on the issue of artificial ice for the replacement of the Archie Simpson Arena in Fort Chipewyan last week.
In stark contrast to many of the issues our local politicians deal with regularly, emotion seemed to play a big part in the call to build the arena without a concrete pad, tubes and an ice plant.
When the former Improvement District and the City of Fort McMurray amalgamated in 1995, there was creeping suspicion by rural folk that the city would come to dominate them, that spending -- with money generated by the oilsands plants -- would gravitate to the big city and away from the hamlets scattered throughout the municipality.
The Improvement District even came to the table with millions of dollars in accounts set up for future infrastructure improvements. They were careful to ensure the money was spent on the needs of rural people.
Considering the high spending today, a few million seems like chump change when compared with the 2007 budget.
No accounting has even been done, but if the spending on everything from pavement to fire halls and other buildings is compared with the small population (more people live in Abasand Heights than the entire rural portion of the municipality), it's likely the dollar/citizen ratio would shift to those former I.D. residents.
The amalgamation was put together on more than money: it was a joining-together of people with the same goals, rural and urban.
It was obvious the decision on the Archie Simpson Arena was not about the money. It was about a community with a recreation board that didn't want to be saddled with ongoing user fees to pay the power bill for the ice plant. It was about a small community without enough young people to keep an expensive operation a going concern.
In Fort McMurray, ice time costs more than $100 per hour. In Chip, residents are not willing to pay anything, regional council was told.
Many other issues were brought to bear by one side in the issue or the other:
Global warming. The argument went that as the winters get shorter, the need for artificial ice becomes greater.
This argument is without scientific merit. While it's generally accepted that global warming is a fact and we'd better get ready to cope with it, scientists talk about a difference of a degree or two Celsius over many decades. While it's enough to affect worldwide weather patterns, it's not significant enough to make the call for artificial ice or natural ice at this time.
Drugs: giving the youth of Fort Chipewyan another outlet for their energy in a hockey arena is certainly a healthy -- and preferred -- alternative to getting caught up in a culture of addictions. While the extent of the problem in Fort Chipewyan is unknown, it's probably not better or worse than in Fort McMurray. That means it's bad.
Will artificial ice that extends the season by a couple of months make a difference? Unlikely.
Regional council didn't go ahead with the Archie Simpson Arena artificial ice because it didn't make sense. The local recreation society was opposed, along with one of the two councillors (John Chadi) who represent the hamlet. The other councillor (Sonny Flett) argued passionately in favour of the project -- his objections may have even delayed it for a year -- but in the end, there was no concrete proof that spending more money would benefit anyone.
Repeated mentions linking the ultra-expensive MacDonald Island project to the Chip arena didn't make sense. While some councillors said Chip residents were welcome at MacIsland, they forgot to add that the access was 250 kilometres away and only good for a few months each year when the winter road is open.
On the other side of the coin, building a project in one part of the region doesn't mean a tit-for-tat automatic entitlement everywhere.
If a case could be made, the Chip artificial ice would be a go.
Amalgamations, like marriages are tough. There must be give and take. respect for other viewpoints. And each partner must put up with the other's foibles.
So far, the urban-rural mix in Wood Buffalo has worked well. This latest case is another example that the amalgamation was a good idea almost a dozen years ago.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today.
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