Feds say no to funding proposed event centre in its current form

The proposed Thunder Bay event and convention centre is not eligible for any funding under the federal New Building Canada Plan.

The city received word directly from Minister of Infrastructure and Community Amarjeet Sohi in the form of a letter.

"While amateur sports facilities are eligible under the Gas Tax Fund and the newly-added Recreation category of the New Building Canada Fund – National and Regional Projects, facilities for professional sports teams are not," the letter reads. "Professional sports are first and foremost the responsibility of the private sector, which is why our suite of infrastructure programs does not allow for funding of facilities that will house professional or semi-professional athletes."

MP Don Rusnak, who represents the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding, said that it really comes down to the design of the proposed facility, which, in its current form, would include several thousand seats.

"An arena of the scope of the event centre proposal is an arena that's essentially designed for a professional or semi-professional team," Rusnak said. "It's not a Delaney Arena or a Port Arthur Arena. It's obviously a larger centre that at this time does not meet, or is not eligible, for any federal funding under any program we have at infrastructure."

However, some faint federal funding-related hope may remain.

Rusnak said the phase two of the federal infrastructure program is currently being developed, and the federal government is in talks with the provinces to determine exactly what that will look like.

​"My understanding right now is it likely wouldn't be eligible for any of phase two's funding," Rusnak said. "But there's still discussions regarding P3's and other funding mechanisms for infrastructure that it may fall under in the future."

"I don't want to presuppose what'll be rolling out in the next years or months, but there may be something that is available, or to fund a portion of a facility that would be essentially a replacement to the Fort William Gardens."

Rusnak was careful to point out he was just speculating, but noted that the next phase of the infrastructure program is being guided by input from other Canadian municipalities.

Thunder Bay, he said, is not the only Canadian municipality running into event centre-funding roadblocks. Other cities have proposed facilities that would house professional or semi-professional sports teams, but haven't received any funding either.

Even if the next phase of the infrastructure program doesn't provide for any funding options, Rusnak said it's possible the proposed Thunder Bay event centre could be eligible for federal money if its design is changed.

"If they want funding under the current formula ... it needs to fit one of the funding categories," Rusnak said. "There are ways to do that."

"I don't want to speculate on what the city wants to do, or I don't want to put expectations on the city and what the city needs to do, but there may be ways to help the city with either a convention centre portion, or a portion that fits one of our programs."