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<\/p>\nCity lawmakers are pushing to seek nearly $1 billion from Ottawa to fund what they call a badly-need sports field house and extension to the northeast Blue Line LRT.<\/p>\n
City council\u2019s governmental affairs committee will debate a recommendation to request the federal money that would also earmark $190 million for critical infrastructure that would largely fund water projects.<\/p>\n
Another $320 million would go towards the city\u2019s GamePLAN recreational facilities strategy that would include a multisport field house that would likely be constructed at Foothills Athletic Park just to the north of McMahon Stadium.<\/p>\n
RouteAhead roadmap<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s 30-year RouteAhead transportation and transit plan, in part, involves extending the LRT Blue Line\u2019s northeast leg from Saddletowne Station to 88th Avenue, Country Hills Boulevard and ultimately Redstone, said Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal, who sits on the committee.<\/p>\n
The province, he said, has only committed to funding to push the line to 88th Avenue N.E. while Ottawa has made no such vow.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf (the federal government) is serious about helping communities, we have an avid need and there\u2019s lots of money there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The money would come from Ottawa\u2019s 10-year, $51-billion Building Communities Strong Fund.<\/p>\n
As for recreational facilities, Calgary is the only major Canadian city without a multi-sport field house, while Edmonton has several that attracts athletes and families from afar, providing an economic boost, said Dhaliwal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are catching up to what we needed 15 years ago,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
City officials say 70 per cent of Calgary recreation infrastructure is more than 75 years old with much of it needing replacement or upgrades.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Foothills Athletic Park is part of Calgary\u2019s GamePLAN recreational roadmap for the future.<\/p>\n
Wave 1 of the GamePLAN includes 17 sites throughout the city for either renewal or new builds, such as the Rocky Ridge Fieldhouse now under construction.<\/p>\n
A committee focusing on the multisport field house will meet June 26 to discuss a project that Dhaliwal said could cost between $400 million and $500 million.<\/p>\n
Also recommended by city administrators is funding for public safety and the Prairie Economic Gateway, the latter a planned logistical hub on the city\u2019s east side in partnership with Rocky View County.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s believed it would create 30,000 jobs and generate $7 billion in economic activity.<\/p>\n
Dhaliwal noted recent provincial legislation makes it mandatory for federal funding to municipalities to first go through the Alberta government.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are just asks, we will still respect our jurisdiction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The city could use the funding as leverage for more provincial contributions, said Ward 8 Coun. Nathan Schmidt, particularly for transportation or transit-related needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should continue to approach (Ottawa) \u2026 we need to upgrade our bus maintenance and bus barns \u2014 we need more buses because we have more people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Due to their limited ability to raise funds, municipalities, he said \u201care in a more precarious financial situation than any governments.\u201d<\/p>\n
With recent increases in the province\u2019s share of city property taxes, Calgary now only retains 53 per cent of those funds collected, said Ward 9 Coun. Harrison Clark.<\/p>\n
That puts added pressure on the city\u2019s ability to close its growing infrastructure gap, particularly as Calgary rapidly grows, said Clark, who\u2019s also a member of the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis (request) is a signal there are other partners who should be at the table,\u201d said Clark.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very surprised at how little engagement and collaboration there is with either other levels of government.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city, he said, must also work with immediate neighbours like Chestermere to prevent building redundant recreational facilities.<\/p>\n
Needed funding<\/p>\n
Clark said two weeks ago he met with Calgary Confederation MP Corey Hogan \u2014 the city\u2019s only Liberal MP \u2014 where he expressed the need for federal support.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him that for all the recreational facilities that exist in our city, we\u2019ve never been able to do that without you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dhaliwal said it\u2019s vital the federal government reverse its decision to reduce funding to municipalities by 15 per cent.<\/p>\n
For the city\u2019s part, he said, \u201call we need to do is put a game plan together,\u201d adding there\u2019s no reason why council would reject the funding request recommendations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should be aggressively pursuing money from any levels of government \u2026 I would love to have put more money into the ask,\u201d said Dhaliwal.<\/p>\n
Clark said the potential federal funding is needed to address more localized needs in the wake of major funding outlays for what he called \u201celite\u201d major projects like Arts Commons, the BMO Centre expansion and the Scotia Place events centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cFundamentally, Calgarians want to see investments in their own neighbourhoods, that they have access to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
BKaufmann@postmedia.com<\/p>\n
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