Good Mornng

I am still pecking on a laptop. My Goodness it's a real pain in the neck. I can learn new things if I have to but I really don't want to. I did get all my comments published. I didn't give a second thought to any of them. It seems the slightest touch on this thing makes some things vanish and other things appear and since I don't know what I did to cause it  I don't know what to  do to correct it.

I feel  I am marooned on a desert island. Cut off from everybody.

There's a lively debate going on about the Culture Centre and that's great.I got a sense of it from the laptop.

Mat Maddocks's letter is particularly to the point I think.

There's something everybody needs to know.

When we sold our hydro , we raised about twenty four million dollars from the sale. The balance is now thirty-three million dollars.

That means since 2006 the money has grown by that amount. We were taking money from the interest  every year.

When the Province decided Hydro had to be privatized, a board had to be created. We were receiving $900,000 in revenue from the board. It went into the general revenue fund.

When we sold hydro  to Powerstream we decided to wean ourselves from the money gradually.

I think last year it was $750,000. I didn't hear it mentioned this year. I got tired one night of listening to the foolishness. It's not a criticism it's just the reality, when you know so much and working with people who know so little,  are totally earnest,but totally under the influence of people who have no concern about the folks we are supposed to be caring about , I just up and left after a couple of hours .I try my friends, I try. But I can't force people to listen and it gets wearisome. 

The consensus of the 2006 Council was that we should tie the  hydro money up tight so that it would not be frittered away. Selling hydro was not an easy decision.We had to make it the right one by using the money wisely.

Doing something significant  was a shared imperative.

I'm not much into putting money into the bank so that it will make money. I think  money should be used to make a difference in our lives for the next hundred years.

Dividends will not be in figures. It will be in elan.

We should replace a significant asset with a significant asset. Something we could never justify adding to the tax burden.The Magna Centre cost about twenty-one million dollars with two ice rinks and a competition swim pool.

An Arts Centre would mostly be about space

We heard from people but we were close to the end of the term.The idea had to take root and flourish. Last term wasn't conducive to doing anything so dramatic and scary.Sometimes people making decisions have to give each other strength.

My inclination is to get it started. New and different councils don't always share the same vision. But we really do need to know we can work together.

Even now,I sense there are forces desperate to get their hands on the money.

So, there is urgency.

I visualise a building several storeys high. People of all ages coming and going from morning until night. Lights blazing on every floor.

Studios for every known art. People of all inclinations eager to grow.

The T.V. series FAME suggested  that to me. For some reason I saw  the building  on  Wells Street school site,overlooking the park.

We have another pressing decision to make. We own two thirds of the library square block.

Victoria Street is chock-a- block with useless buildings. They need to go. In twelve years,no council has had the courage to do what needs to be done. 

John Westsays the mistake was made when the new library was built and the old buildings were not demolished  at the same time.

Parking for the library and Church Street school is desperately needed.

The only feasible way to provide it is with couple of levels of underground parking. We could do that under a new building on the Victoria Street side of the square.

It would likely be problematic but not necessarily impossible.

Having done it, I know nothing brings a community together better than embarking on an ambitious building project. Planning it. Fighting about what should be in it and what shouldn't and persuading people who are not thrilled to becoming  excited despite themselves.

Figuring ways and means. Coming to life,feeling the energy.Making sure it is everything it should be.

A facility people will enjoy for decades. Something that will allow us to say to each other; "We dun good mate"

It often happens,at some point courage fails,compromises are made resources are wasted.Like the auditorium in the Community Centre that was supposed to satisfy the board-strutting players which was used from day one as a traffic court. The magistrate sat on the stage and used a dressing room for an office. The cops used the other one.

The stage was removed eventually. Imagine watching a play with the raucous row of a hard fought hockey game on the other side of the wall.

I think we should make a start. Make the decision to use the money for a dramatic worthwhile and fantastic project. Because if we don't, the money will disappear without you ever knowing it was there.

Just got a phone call. The computer will be in the shop again until tomorrow. I must publish this post before it disappears on me.

Made a phone call. Got my baby home again. All is well with the world.