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From The Guardian

Time for regional effort to build wellness centre, says Georgetown mayor
STEVE SHARRATT
The Guardian

GEORGETOWN — Efforts to raise money for a wellness centre have been heroic but Mayor Peter Llewellyn says building a $7-million facility to host women’s wrestling at the Canada Games borders on lunacy.
“It’s time to realize that we’re all too small to finance this kind of project on our own,” he said Thursday. “It’s time to get together as an entire region and fundraise for one major centre.”
Llewellyn was responding to news that tenders for a new Montague and area wellness centre were $2 million over the estimated cost. Instead of $5.2 million, the project will now cost $7 million. And it could even be higher before a ribbon is cut.
Montague and five neighbouring communities, not including Georgetown, are trying to raise $1.7 million as its share of the project.
Meanwhile, Iceland Arena in Montague has been sold, the Three Rivers Sportsplex in Georgetown required $40,000 from the town to maintain operations this year, and the Northumberland Arena in Murray River is limping along financially.
Llewellyn said the writing is on the wall that aging community rinks are on the demise. He said the current rinks in Murray River, Georgetown and Belfast could handle all the hockey and skating needs for the next few years while a major effort is conducted from the entire district to build one new regional centre.
Six months ago, he drew the ire of the Wellness Centre committee when he called the proposed project a “white elephant” and said “anyone who thinks you can build this for $5 million is smoking crack.”
Llewellyn said the 33 cent dollars (the project is cost shared by levels of government) could still be accessed for a future project.
“I know Montague doesn’t want to throw in the towel and I don’t blame them, but if they try and take on the extra $2 million, the interest payments alone would cripple the town. It’s time to work as a region and build one centre for all.”