Historic Day in Thompson - Council Passes Development Agreement with the Province

Tonight was electric!  I have never seen Council Chambers so full that it was standing room only.  It really goes to show that when there are tough decisions to be made, our community is ready to stand up for what they believe in.

Council called a special meeting for this Monday night to debate a Resolution to approve the Development Agreement with the Province of Manitoba for the development of the UCN Campus.  The debates were passionate and the room attentive.  Not like a regular Monday night...

Honestly, this wasn't a regular Monday night at all.  Tonight marked a historic point in our City's development as a community and charts out an exciting and sustainable future.  I mentioned at the Council meeting that I am incredibly humbled to have my name associated with supporting this Agreement.  I have been on Council for nearly 10 months and am able to ride the coattails of a process that was envisioned many decades ago.  The truth is that this Project has been hashed out over seven year by two different terms of Council, announced by two different Premiers and at a price tag of $82 million it represents one of the largest, if not the largest, single Provincial investment in our community!

I would like to thank the many residents that turned up to show their support.  Not only for the campus, but for the housing and child care components that are integral to the entire Project.  Speaking from experience, I've learned that Development Agreements are complicated, tedious arrangements and rest assured that I have spent the past few weeks in meeting after meeting with my council colleagues to ensure we hashed out the best deal for our residents.

Here are a few points of the Development Agreement that was approved tonight that I feel are important to highlight:

• The outlined intent of the Project is to connect the campus and the Thompson Regional Community Centre in order to create a facility with complimentary uses that will allow for a greater use of space for both the University College of the North and the Thompson Regional Community Centre.

• The campus component of the Project is to be completed by June 2013

• Shared parking services agreement(s) with UCN and the City will address the parking needs of all stakeholders on the site

• The City will establish a financial assistance program that will reduce Manitoba's municipal taxes by 50% up to a yearly maximum of $250,000.  The total value of the program is $6.675 million and the City will not be responsible for any interest on this program   

• The construction of student housing and infrastructure related to the student housing is conditional upon the City passing a zoning by-law amendment. 

However, any great victory is not without the small, constant battles.  Residents were mixed on priorities as we debated the Agreement tonight, with the most obvious division pitting principle against process.  As I noted, I am 100% committed to advancing education for northern residents and providing greater opportunities for our residents to develop multiple skill sets at home.    Not only does continued education increase incomes and support the diversification of our local economy, but it also has been shown to lead to better community health, increased participation in governance and the democratic process, increase volunteerism, increased use of libraries, increased community safety and quality of life.  After seven years of negotiations and decades of leaders passing on the vision, I am more than ready to commit now!

The other side of the debate is the concern about process.  Residents noted that they feel left out of the process.  I'll admit that now that I am sitting on the other side of the table, it is a constant struggle to be innovative in how you reach out to residents.  Community meetings, delegations, advertisements, and chatting with everyone you see at Safeway on a Saturday morning still doesn't quite cut it.  Unfortunately, the argument for proper consultation is an easy and convenient one to make now that campaign fever is in the air and municipal elections are taking place later this month.

To the issue of proper consultation, however, I believe residents must be given the opportunity to participate.  It is then a matter of individual choice whether they wish to partake or not.  I can comfortably say that most community groups and many residents that have been deeply concerned with the development of this Agreement have been paying attention to the process and engaging Council in addressing their concerns.  The greatest thing about our democratic government is that you don't need to be an elected official to express an opinion and influence a decision - if you're willing to be vocal, you're able to participate.

I feel that the struggle will continue to be getting the facts out to people.  People are reasonable and I believe that with all the information, people can make good choices and good decisions.  But we need to talk about them first.  Public debate provides opportunities to confront new ideas, new people and new conceptions of what's best for our community.  It also allows short-sighted and otherwise indefensible assumptions to be found out. 

I am proud of the residents of Thompson for coming together tonight to debate, and ultimately show support for the University College of the North in our City.  I believe that we'll look back in twenty years and ask ourselves: "Why did it take so long?"