Councillor Bill Osbourne's Vote

The April 5, 2006 St Marys Journal Argus reported St Marys Councillor Bill Osbourne's 3 reasons for voting against the St Marys Ontario Arena Expansion as

• The original Living Life Project recommendation had the arena expansion only moving ahead if there was provincial or federal funding for one-third of the costs. "I'm well aware that funding is not available."
  


• To come up with the annual financial support for the project the money has to come from other projects in the town. "I don't feel comfortable with that situation, there's too much stress on the system."
  


• The great urgency. "Many want the whole complex and they want it now and many want the second ice pad and they want it now." Even the feasilibity study indicates that "the time line is unrealistic."
  

The following week in a letter to the editor J Queenan applauded Bill Osbourne "for having the integrity to hold true to his principles." (see J Queenan letter)