Moncton residents challenge council on downtown centre

Moncton city council was pressed by a couple of residents to answer questions about the proposed downtown sports and entertainment centre at its meeting on Monday.

Daniel LeBlanc appeared before council and stated he sent six questions about the project to the city back in January and then again in February.

His questions have yet to be answered and LeBlanc said after six months of silence it's time for the public to get more facts.

"I'm here to officially ask the City of Moncton for a full public consultation," said LeBlanc.

LeBlanc asked questions, such as how much federal money the city will be receiving for the downtown centre and how much money is being diverted from other projects, such as a new sewage treatment plant.

Mayor George LeBlanc said city hall staff are preparing answers to LeBlanc's questions.

Boyd Anderson, another city resident, also addressed council and noted the cost of building the new Resurgo Museum came in 25 per cent over budget and he figures something similar will happen with the $107-million downtown centre.

"Deep down you all know the cost is going to escalate, the event centre has the potential to add $75 million to our debt," said Anderson.

At the beginning of each regular city council meeting in Moncton, members of the public are given an opportunity to speak to council.

LeBlanc said he welcomes a full debate on the project, but says nothing will happen until the province and the federal government agree to contribute.

The city has stated a deadline of June 20 for the provincial and federal governments to commit to funding the project.

On Tuesday, provincial cabinet minister Victor Boudreau called a news conference and told reporters the province and city were told two weeks ago that the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency will not be putting $8.5 million toward the project, as had been expected.

"We were always of the impression when trying to come up with a package that was going to fund the downtown centre, we were always of the impression that ACOA was going to be at the table," said Boudreau. 

"There had been a request put in for approximately $8.5 million and we were always of the impression that that contribution would go towards the centre."

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe Conservative MP Robert Goguen said on Information Morning Moncton on Tuesday "there was never a question of $8 million coming from ACOA."

"That was a project that had been submitted by the previous Alward government. It's not on the table," said Goguen.

"So people are playing games."

Boudreau said Goguen has told him and city official that federal funding could be provided for eight other projects in Moncton to free up city money which could then be used to build the centre.

It's almost as if they're trying to orchestrate the failure of the project.- MP Robert Goguen

​Boudreau said some of those projects have yet to be evaluated.

"And even if we did all eight projects that were submitted to us, there's still a shortfall," said Boudreau.

"So there's still more work that MP Goguen, basically, needs to do to show the province and to show the city how he's going to make up for the federal government's contribution towards this project."

Goguen said the four projects that have been approved would free up about $18 million of $23 million the city is counting on from the federal government.

But Goguen says the provincial government is now re-evaluating its contribution on the two largest of those four projects.

"It's almost as if they're trying to orchestrate the failure of the project," he said.