From the Town of Bracebridge:
Join Mayor Rick Maloney, members of Council, stakeholders and the community as the Town of Bracebridge officially opens the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre.
A formal event will be held out front of the facility (weather permitting) with remarks from Mayor Maloney, invited dignitaries, and sponsors. Following the event, members of the community are invited to participate in a facility tour.
Date: Thursday, October 10
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Muskoka Lumber Community Centre, 56 Salmon Avenue, Bracebridge
Media and members of the community are welcome to attend.
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The new complex is also an energy hog.
Ice making and a/c for these huge buildings consumes a huge amount of energy.
Lakeland could have made the new complex a sustainable energy showpiece.
Instead it’s an energy hog.
Why wasn’t solar installed on the giant roofs to help offset the costs?
Another massive mistake.
The buildings could have been a net generator of power at times.
A government grant for most or all of the solar cost is likely available.
Solar on the roof and batteries on the ground to soak up excess energy during the day and make it available 24/7.
And prevent power outages for some local homes.
Like this micro-grid project.
Search “Bracebridge Generation’s ‘first-of-its-kind’ power grid tested in Parry Sound.”
Before the project was even finished there was a power outage.
The system kept the lights on.
The new arena complex is a financial disaster.
Aided and abetted by the District, of course.
Drunken sailors are thriftier.
“the project was costing $40 million!! more than initially anticipated.”
$58 million vs $18 million.
For some ugly boxes.
In Renfrew those involved with a similar debacle were asked to resign.
“Council calls for Renfrew mayor to resign over project mismanagement”
Mayor Maloney kept saying the new complex is jaw dropping.
The only thing jaw dropping is the cost.
$78 milllion!! not counting increases in operating costs.
For $78 million I was expecting sparkling gold leaf and marble.
Instead it’s very plain and dull on the inside.
Ugly on the outside.
When guestimated federal and provincial funding didn’t come through did Bracebridge cancel or scale back the project and the cost to just a new arena?
Nope.
Just borrow FAR more.
Using the District’s access to huge loans at high interest rates.
“The loans required will make Bracebridge one of Ontario’s top indebted communities.”
Cost is 3X+ expected for Bracebridge taxpayers.
A disaster.
For $10 million LESS than Bracebridge taxpayers are now burdened with, King township is completing a state-of-the-art, carbon neutral, fully accessible recreation complex with TWO!! NHL-sized ice surfaces, a six-lane 25-metre lap pool, a leisure pool, a multi-purpose athletic fieldhouse, and a multi-purpose community room.
Total $86 million minus $38.7 million funded from the feds and the province or just $47.3 million for taxpayers.
$10 million LESS.
king ca/townshipwiderecreationcentre
Some areas know how to get funding and value for money.
Bracebridge is not one of them.
Actually it’s much worse.
“The preliminary project budget was shy of $60 million; however, in late 2021, when tenders for the project began to roll in, the capital budget for the project increased to about $75 million.”
Now $78 million and climbing.
4X!!+ the guestimate for local taxpayers.
And that’s just the capital expense.
How many millions more a year compared to the old arena and library to operate the facility and service the debt?