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No time for games

Many St. Albertans have reached the general conclusion that our city council is intent on spending us out of house and home. Less clear is what in heaven’s name they are trying to achieve with their plan to declare St.

Many St. Albertans have reached the general conclusion that our city council is intent on spending us out of house and home.

Less clear is what in heaven’s name they are trying to achieve with their plan to declare St. Albert Place an historic resource.

I think I have an explanation based on the only two facts that have been clearly revealed to us — that first, council is in the process of enacting a bylaw to give our city hall this designation and second, that they have commissioned a consultant’s report that is little more than a list of ideas for rebuilding the old downtown, with an emphasis on what to do with the parking lot across the street from city hall.

The bylaw is made possible by the Provincial Historic Resources Act (R.S.A.2000), which is available to download on the web. Both municipal and provincial designations are permitted by this act.

I believe that our mayor and council intend to follow up their municipal bylaw by petitioning the provincial minister to designate our city hall a provincial historic resource.

Why? Because while the municipal designation alone achieves little other than allowing council to apply for $50,000 a year in improvement grants and could be rescinded by any council at any time, provincial designation places in the hands of the minister sole and total authority on what may be done to the property by way of additions or alterations.

Consider what this means in light of the rate at which our city manager has been adding new staff. We are shortly going to run out of space for them. In truth, we already have! If the provincial minister were to refuse to allow alterations to city hall to provide more space, then the mayor and council would be free to declare that we “have no alternative” to new construction.

The consultant’s report cited above finds that a new civic building across the street from city hall, together with a parkade, would be a nice thing. I estimate the cost at $50 million!

This may or may not be council’s game. But if not, then this bylaw is an empty gesture. What do you think? As you are thinking, recall what Rev. William Aberhart advised the people of Alberta during the Depression, “If you still haven’t suffered enough, it’s your God-given right to suffer some more!”

Canada faces a $50-billion budget deficit. Canadians are carrying a record $1.3-trillion in personal debt. Alberta jobs are being lost at a dismaying rate. Now is not the time to spend like drunken sailors in St. Albert!

Deane Doucette, St. Albert

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