Last week, we reported that Halifax’s top bureaucrat, Richard Butts, had awarded the contract on Phase 2 of the stadium study just one day before council was to vote on a motion that could have killed the awarding of the contract. Media folk rightly concentrated on the questionable optics of Butts’ decision, but left untold […]
Stadium
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax council delays stadium decision to next week
Talk of a new stadium in Halifax has been around for years, but council only took action when it decided earlier this year that a stadium could be used to chase a bid for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament, even though Trade Centre Limited had advised against pursuing the bid. In February council […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
City gets realistic about building a stadium
Checking what might be characterized as unbridled local enthusiasm for a bid to host the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup championship, city staff has put the possibility of building a stadium in more measured terms: make sure a stadium fits the city’s long-term recreation and facility needs, says staffer Doug Rafuse. “We need to have […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax council wants a stadium but won’t plan for it
[image-1] It’s cart before horse time again. It’s axiomatic that Halifax needs a new stadium, but a long-term recreation and business plan detailing exactly how such a facility would be managed and what continuing operational costs taxpayers would bear has never been produced. That didn’t stop city council Tuesday from chasing after after a stadium for a single event, long term issues be damned. Despite a recommendation from Trade Centre Limited that the city *not* proceed, council voted to bid on the 2015 Women’s Cup of soccer. The city will pay $25,000 to enter the hosting contest, then commit to