The Nova Centre now under construction downtown is by far the largest development project in Halifax history. Revised plans for the project submitted by developer Joe Ramia’s company, Rank, Inc., show two towers for the site–a 17-storey hotel facing Market and Prince Streets, and an office tower along Argyle Street, consisting of two connected bulbs, […]
Trade Centre Limited
Posted inNews + Opinion
No permits have been issued for new convention centre
An observer might look at the gigantic hole in the ground between Argyle and Market Streets, feel the blasting for excavation and see the bulldozers loading up dump trucks to haul away the rock and think, “that new convention centre is really moving along.” That observer would be wrong. In fact, the city has not […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
2010 audit of Trade Centre Limited called for straightening out Ticket Atlantic mess
A 2010 audit of Trade Centre Limited conducted by the provincial department of economic development zeroed in on the uncertain relationship between the city and TCL, and specifically with regard to ticket sales for the Metro Centre. “The relationship [of TCL] with HRM is governed by a 1981 operating agreement that does not reflect changes […]
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No amount of spin can hide ticket scandal facts
It’s now cover your ass time, as everyone connected to the ticket scandal attempts to shift blame off themselves and put it on someone else. Fred MacGillivray says its Scott Ferguson’s fault. Scott Ferguson says it’s Fred MacGillivray’s fault. Darrell Dexter says it’s the city’s fault. Peter Kelly says no way is it the city’s […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Should the city be responsible for Fred MacGillivray’s million dollar pension?
Thanks to auditor general Larry Munroe, we now know the details of how Fred MacGillivray, who was then the president of provincial crown corporation Trade Centre Limited, lifted the ticket operation away from the city-owned Metro Centre and made it part of TCL’s operation. As a result, the city has been shorted about a million […]
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Trade Centre Limited’s accounting irregularities
Trade Centre Limited has some serious financial irregularities, and inconsistencies in reporting from 2001 leaves over $168,000 mis-accounted, and nearly $20,000 simply gone, missing forever, not accounted for, not reported as missing or stolen, not acknowledged at all. That dollar amount isn’t much in the scheme of things, not even a single drop in the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Trade Centre Limited hires Scott Logan
Scott Logan, who was CEO of the Halifax 2014 Commonwealth Games Bid Committee, has been hired by Trade Centre Limited as the chief business development officer. Halifax’s aborted bid to win hosting rights to the Commonwealth Games was characterized by secrecy, out of control spending and busted budgets. As The Coast revealed in a two-part […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Deal with Harold MacKay makes city look bad, weakens bargaining position with TCL
I was wrong: contrary to my earlier supposition, the payment from Harold MacKay to the city just before the Metallica show was in fact related to the concert loan scandal, and not simply pre-payment for Metallica costs. Council Tuesday released this statement: 13.3 Contractual Matter – Concert Update That Halifax Regional Council approve the settlement […]
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Taxpayers bail out $5 million Trade Centre Limited operating deficits
The provincial Public Accounts for the 2010/11 fiscal year were released Thursday. Reporters and the public will be digging through the records over the next few days, but one thing jumps out immediately: the transfer of $5,003,641.60 from the Department of Economic and Rural Development to Trade Centre Limited (page 101). TCL spokesperson Neal Alderson […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Possible Metallica cancellation: City picks wrong target in attempt to recoup concert costs
Harold MacKay is right: He doesn’t owe the city of Halifax one cent. But city administrators are demanding $359,550 from his wife’s company, MacKay Entertainment, before agreeing to provide city services to the July 14 Metallica show on Citadel Hill. The city oversees and regulates police, fire, licensing and other aspects of the concert; without […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Percy Paris praises Scott Ferguson’s improper behaviour
How hard up is economic development minister Percy Paris for a new convention centre? So hard up that he’ll shove any impropriety on the part of Trade Centre Limited officials—financial, ethical, what have you—down the memory hole. Monday, I detailed how Scott Ferguson, president of TCL, had been warned by the TCL auditor to stop […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Both Peter Kelly and Scott Ferguson should resign
In March, almost as soon as the concerts funding scandal came to light, city hall’s head bureaucrat Wayne Anstey resigned. Now, with city auditor general Larry Munroe’s report revealing the backstory, the question of blame needs to be raised again. Should mayor Peter Kelly resign over his involvement in the funding scheme? Absolutely. Kelly was […]