B.C. Place Roof In Jeopardy??

[ziggy]

On a lighter not could 120db and Gordon Campbell be one in the same?

[Toppy Vann]

I'm a realist. This is a discretionary item and if I were home in Vancouver, I'd be just like I always was - watching the Lions play regardless of the venue. I think people don't realize just how uncomfortable and rainy it used to be when they played a full fall-winter schedule. I'd never want that so I'd take the warmth in BC Place any day. The venue is not an issue for me, but then again I love football.

Hambone is right. Forestry is one of the huge economic generators for gov't and it is not the same industry as it was back in the 60s and 70s.

Gordon Campbell has done a lot of bad things to British Columbians many of which the average person might not even know when it comes to paying higher rates for things but if he cancels this roof, I'd be fine with it.
The MSL isn't the be-all end-all of sports.

Jim Mullin says dont promise it but I can tell you from Hong Kong that NO ONE foresaw this one other than maybe Peter Schiff or Ian Gordon of Kondratieiff cycle fame.

Average folks in BC need a break more than BC Place needs a new roof.

[Hutch85]

I'll echo Hambone's and Toppy Vann's comments regarding the forestry industry - as someone who left the pulp/paper industry (fortuitously before the downward cycle), I've seen companies lay off hundreds and hundreds of employees and shutter (partly and/or fully) half a dozen mills that I knew of. Falling prices for products and the Cdn dollar strength before the recession were killing the industry. Before I left, my former employer stated that it generated as much or more spin-off benefits as the entire tourism industry of BC - while I take statistics with a grain of salt, I can see it being a significant contribution to the bottom line of the province.

I'm not defending the current 'Keystone Cops' government, but if they delay the BC Place roof then so be it. They've reneged on other more important promises, so I wasn't holding my breath for it anyway. They're too busy trying to pull off that 2-week party next February.

[bclions16]

I'll let the Four Tops take over from here....

[Rammer]

If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.....just seems so fitting for this news.

[Sir Purrcival]

I pretty much agree with those who are disappointed but when it comes right down to it, this is what I would want Government to do if times grow hard like they have. At the end of the day, there are more important matters to be addressed than the roof on a Stadium. In the face of massive layoffs, dwindling revenues and such, the roof seems somewhat minor in comparison. We have been luckier than some provinces to this point but it was only a matter of time before the hard times hit home and the latest budget deficit is yet another example. Just wait until all the roadworks and such finish up. You can bet that a lot of jobs needing to be done won't get done for lack of money. We in the social services sector right now are cringing as funding for a lot of useful programs are at risk. It is pretty hard to feel bad about a stadium roof in comparison to the feeling you get when you tell a single mother with a special needs child that she can't get help because funding has been cut back.

Situations change, plans change all the time. It is part of life.

[B.C.FAN]

The roof project was being undertaken by a Crown corporation and paid for over time by development of lands around the stadium. It wouldn't impact the provincial deficit, only the gross provincial debt of the government and its Crown corporations. There is no financial savings to be gained by cancelling it, and no extra money to be allocated to social programs or other areas of need.

The government, along with its counterparts throughout the western world, has been investing heavily in public capital projects as a means of propping up the economy during the worldwide recession. According to economists, that policy has worked and we are emerging from recession. Let's keep building.

[Hambone]

Maybe this article about our formerly rich cousins on the other side of the Rockies might help one understand the depth of the holes ALL levels of Canadian governments are facing.

http://www.theprovince.com/Falling+ener ... story.html

[David]

.....perhaps it's now time to seriously look at blowing the thing up, flipping the land and looking at an alternative outdoor stadium for the Lions, Caps and other events.

This is madness. Time to get the two billionaires (Braley and Kerfoot) in the same room and work this out. There has to be land somewhere in this city that can be zoned for a mountain view 33,000 seat stadium that will benefit both clubs and can host international friendlies and outdoor concerts.

DH.

[Rammer]

.....perhaps it's now time to seriously look at blowing the thing up, flipping the land and looking at an alternative outdoor stadium for the Lions, Caps and other events.

This is madness. Time to get the two billionaires (Braley and Kerfoot) in the same room and work this out. There has to be land somewhere in this city that can be zoned for a mountain view 33,000 seat stadium that will benefit both clubs and can host international friendlies and outdoor concerts.

DH.

There didn't seem to be any interest to share a facility prior to this latest announcement. I am not that interested in a 33K facility, more in the 40K in a horseshoe configuration, that allows for temp seats for a GC amount of 55K or so. I think that the seating that each team sees as a need, is too difficult to overcome. But I can dream, can't I?

[Sir Purrcival]

The roof project was being undertaken by a Crown corporation and paid for over time by development of lands around the stadium. It wouldn't impact the provincial deficit, only the gross provincial debt of the government and its Crown corporations. There is no financial savings to be gained by cancelling it, and no extra money to be allocated to social programs or other areas of need.

The government, along with its counterparts throughout the western world, has been investing heavily in public capital projects as a means of propping up the economy during the worldwide recession. According to economists, that policy has worked and we are emerging from recession. Let's keep building.

Crown Corporations are simply Government outside of the books. It is still money that ultimately gets provided by the taxpayer and if the money isn't there, it isn't there. As for the land redevelopment, how is that going these days? Land values are down, some developers have had difficulty getting funding and in many cases have been struggling to hang on to the financing that they have for existing projects. In short, the $$$ that they may have been projecting from the redevelopment side are not like to provide all that is hoped for at the moment. Contractors don't work for free and right now, those doing the paying are having trouble laying hands on the cash. If private industry is struggling, then why would Government be immune? As far as Capitol projects are concerned. We have quite a few going on right now and will continue to do so up to the Olympics. Once that is done, expect the arse to fall out of that for awhile as we will have come to the end of a cycle of massive infrastructure spending. Between all the Olympic Venue's, Sea to Sky, Centennial Line and all the road and sewer work going on generally, something will eventually have to give. I"m betting that the Evergreen Line doesn't go forward any time soon. Once the Olympics are done, how long before the issue of cost overruns begin to appear as well as the issue of lower than expected revenue's from the Olympics because of that same global recession? It won't be long and unfortunately, there couldn't be a worse time in recent memory for a city to host the Olympics. There are going to be lots of hard times ahead here and until the US pulls out it's funk, our economy is going to be in one too.

[Sir Purrcival]

.....perhaps it's now time to seriously look at blowing the thing up, flipping the land and looking at an alternative outdoor stadium for the Lions, Caps and other events.

This is madness. Time to get the two billionaires (Braley and Kerfoot) in the same room and work this out. There has to be land somewhere in this city that can be zoned for a mountain view 33,000 seat stadium that will benefit both clubs and can host international friendlies and outdoor concerts.

DH.

How about the Empire site?

[spikos]

I think y'all are making a lot out of nothing. The only statement from the Government on the subject is the following.

The B.C. Liberals promised a retractable roof as part of a $365-million upgrade — an upgrade that Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger admitted Tuesday is behind schedule.

“I think it will have been delayed because they had to analyze those bids,” Krueger told Global News. “Not substantially delayed. The bidders have agreed to hold their bids in place.”

The project is a little behind schedule during the bid analysis. Direct quote, "NOT SUBSTANTIALLY DELAYED" . How the media spins that into the project possibly being cancelled is comical.

If down the road, something changes...then we can all get excited, mad or P.O'd...but right now the project is just a little behind schedule...What major project ever finishes on time and on budget?

[B.C.FAN]

Kevin Krueger elaborated on the fate of the roof Wednesday and admitted, as I suspected, that the roof-replacement bids came in above the estimated $300-million budget. He says he hopes the project goes ahead but it looks like we may instead get a replacement of the existing fabric roof at a fraction of the price of a new retractable roof.

[MacNews]

There has to be land somewhere in this city

Where?

Even if you can find land...this council won't zone it.