Would you rather see hundreds of roads and highways fixed in our province or the doubling of the size of the Winnipeg Convention Centre?
Public opinion polls suggest Manitobans prefer option one. So why are news reports indicating that our politicians are moving ahead with option two?
Perhaps your local politician is one of the ones ignoring public opinion; you know the polls that routinely show crime, road repair and health care as Manitobans’ top concerns? None of those polls ever cite an expanded convention centre as a top issue.
It would be one thing if the provincial NDP government or the federal Conservatives were funding the project to fulfill election promises. But search their last election platforms and you probably won’t find anything about spending money on the project.
The approximately $160 million government is considering for the project would also be more palatable if there was, say, a successful referendum or some kind of data to show the public was behind it. But there hasn’t been any process for public input on this issue – not even an open house. Everything has been done behind closed doors.
There is some good news, though. First, there’s an election this fall and it’s not too late to put the money towards road repair or another priority. Be sure to grill each candidate on where they stand.
The other good news is that according to the City of Winnipeg, redirecting the $160 million can actually go a long way when it comes to road repair.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation called up the city’s engineering department and asked about the condition of a typical residential street in Winnipeg. We were told Atwood Street in Transcona is a good representative. The 500m long street had just received an asphalt overlay for $350,000.
Divide $350,000 into $160 million and suddenly it looks like over 450 residential streets could receive some tender loving care with the money set aside for the convention centre. Obviously some streets will cost more than Atwood and others less, but you can see the money can go a long way.
And don’t forget the economic boost as fewer tourists would leave Manitoba talking about the decrepit state of our roads. Who knows, better roads might even help contribute to enticing former Manitobans to move home after they see how things have improved. Then of course is the savings from fewer pothole-related car repair bills.
As for the convention centre’s desire to grow, why couldn’t the facility scale down its expansion plans significantly and have a private sector partner pay for the expansion? In exchange, the private sector partner, likely a hotel, could be allowed to build on the government parking lot south of the convention centre and get access to the facility?
One thing is for certain, if you’re one of the Manitobans who believes road repair is a higher priority, you need to honk your horns and speak up. Too many politicians haven’t heard your concerns.
Colin Craig is the Prairie Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
