The summer months tend to be the dog days of newspapering. Many people are off on vacation. The business of running towns, cities and countries is still open but usually restricted to just keeping everything in order until September when new initiatives begin to roll faster and harder.
Not so in Innisfail. Never in my six years here in town have we seen so much activity. Lots of infrastructure improvements happening everywhere, and plenty of enthusiasm -- especially for what is happening at the intersection of 42nd Street and 51st Avenue, the build for the new million-dollar skatepark.
The Innisfail Province has strongly supported this project. We have done so since former mayor Brian Spiller recognized during his term the need to provide better recreational opportunities for local youth and that the facility -- unlike the Arena and aquatic centre -- would have far more manageable maintenance costs. He also said at the time the project could be done in the half million dollar range, with provincial grants and donations making a large dent in that expense.
The cost today, which includes the moving of the horseshoe pits to a new location, has doubled under the leadership of current mayor Jim Romane. The town was unsuccessful in an application to the province for a large stream matching grant of $476,000. A second application for a small stream provincial grant of $125,000 has been made. The bottom line here is that taxpayers could be left on the hook to the tune of $800,000 to $900,000.
Some may ask why the Province, professing its support for the project, is repeatedly bringing up the escalating expense in light of the many benefits it will bring to the community, especially for its young.
Last week the scribbler had a nice chat with town CAO Todd Becker. We were both coming back from our holidays. It was one of those checking in "how are you doing" calls. During our chat on another issue I told him it was the policy of this paper that when it came to taxpayers' money there was a sacred duty to report any issue with an expenditure of over $100,000, no matter how much we supported its goals. Every taxpayer has a right to know how their elected officials spend their money.
We believe, however, the new skatepark has the potential to provide a remarkable turnaround for the community. The facility, which we believe will be top-notch, could very well be a deciding factor for many out-of-town families who are thinking of moving here, which in turn will trigger investment from outside businesses to set up shop in the town.
Yes, the expense is big but worth every penny. The skatepark, we believe, will lead a welcoming transformation for the community.
Johnnie Bachusky is the editor of the Innisfail Province.
