Letter to Executive Committee regarding River Landing Destination Complex for October 24, 2005, meeting

October 19, 2005



Executive Committee
City of Saskatoon
222 Third Avenue North
Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5


Dear Committee Members:

RE: River Landing Destination Complex

I am writing regarding my letter of October 11, 2005 that was referred by City Council to the Executive Committee’s October 24, 2005 public meeting.

At City Council’s October 17, 2005 meeting I believe Councillor Hnatyshyn suggested that my comments with respect to federal funding on the Gathercole Site were inaccurate. With all due respect to Ms. Hnatyshyn I disagree.

Page one of the City’s April 13, 2004 Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund program submission requesting federal funding for the A.L Cole site states: ‘In conjunction with this project, the City will be developing the adjacent land, called the Gathercole site, entirely at the City’s expense.’

In his April 14, 2004 cover letter to the federal government Mayor Don Atchison said: ‘In conjunction with this project, the City will be developing the adjacent land, called the Gathercole site, at our own expense.’

The November 1, 2004 memorandum signed by The Honourable John Godfrey states: ‘Further to this project, the City plans to develop, and finance, the adjacent land called the Gathercole site.’

On December 10, 2004 a ribbon joining ceremony involving the three levels of government was held at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. The federal government released to me a document from that event called ‘Questions and Answers – Government of Canada’s contribution to the A.L. Cole Site restoration project.’

Question six states: ‘Will the federal government play a role in the development or funding of the Gathercole project adjacent to this site?’

The answer: ‘No, the Gathercole site development project will be funded entirely by the City of Saskatoon. The federal government is not a funding partner in the Gathercole project.’

There is no ambiguity in these statements. I feel the message is consistent and very straightforward, that the development of the Gathercole site would be funded entirely by the City of Saskatoon. In fact, the federal government, in its Q & A document went so far as to emphasize that point by underlining the words ‘funded entirely’. If this arrangement were no longer in force then I would hope that both parties would exercise full disclosure and release all documents related to this whole issue so the public knows exactly what is going on.

Thank you for taking the time to receive my correspondence.

Sincerely,



Joe Kuchta
Saskatoon, SK


Cc:
Hon. Stephen Owen, Minister, Western Economic Diversification Canada
Hon. John Godfrey, Minister of State, Infrastructure Canada
Hon. Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance
Hon. Reg Alcock, President of the Treasury Board
Hon. Lorne Calvert, Premier of Saskatchewan
Ms. Carol Skelton, MP, Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar