The Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre is a jewel of the community — that’s a fact that cannot be denied.
Anyone who took in last weekend’s first-ever Festival of Christmas Wonder can attest to that. The joint was jumping Friday and Saturday with scores of tables set up for vendors, while children played and danced in the fieldhouse. Meanwhile, hockey dominated the arena portion of the facility, while others just used the walking track or the workout room.
Those two days truly showcased what the facility already means to this community — this isn’t just an arena, or a fieldhouse. It’s a gathering place for the entire community. It’s the spirit of the community.
In less than a year it’s hosted performers like Randy Travis, a country music recording artist who has sold more than 25 million records, and the ever-popular Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
If you’re not sold on the centre by now, you never will be. But, and it’s a big but, there is the price.
For the past two weeks news of the $3 million cost overruns have dominated our pages. Council officially looked at the numbers last Monday and although mayor Bruce Lennon and administration stepped forward to explain overages, they were hardly contrite.
Granted hindsight is 20/20, as Lennon said, and some things could and should have been done differently so save you, the taxpayers, money. No use crying over spilled milk, right? Wrong.
The attitude about cost overruns from public officials that “these things happen,” whether it’s the Spirit Centre, the lodge expansion or the water lines, is a pretty ridiculous cop out. If mistakes were made, as they undoubtedly were, own up to them.
The Spirit Centre is a once-in-a-generation project — there are no do-overs when you’re talking about something this grand. The end result is we got a great facility, but at a cost well beyond what was advertised … and there’s still the matter of the demolition of the asbestos-filled Jubilee Arena. Yet we have had no letters on the topic, and only a dozen residents showed up to last Monday’s meeting — in fact some even applauded council. Maybe you don’t care. Maybe you look at the centre and say, “I see a $19.7 million facility.”
Municipal elections are slated for October 2013. I guess we’ll all get an answer on whether you, the residents, accept council/administration’s explanation.
