A delegation from Owen Sound will try to convince Ontario’s Infrastructure Minister to support the new Regional Rec centre beyond the March 31st, 2011 deadline.
Ottawa set the deadline for funding any infrastructure work and both the Federal dollars and Ontario money are tied to it.
Owen Sound Mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners says she will meet directly with Infrastructure Minister Brad Duguid Monday afternoon during the AMO convention in Windsor.
Lovell Stanners is bringing along Warden Arelen Wright, Brad McRoberts who is the staff person in charge of the project, as well as the acting city Manager Pam Coulter, and Jim McManaman who is chair of the Rec steering committee.
The Owen Sound Mayor feels it will be helpful to meet face to face with Duguid to answer any questions he has, and to show him a break-down of the delays the city has faced, which she says were unavoidable.
If Owen Sound fails to get an extension, the infrastructure project could end up costing taxpayers over 16 million dollars instead of 8 million.
Lovell Stanners says although the project is up to a year behind schedule, putting more workers on the site would actually cost more than the city would gain in Federal-Provincial money.
