The final decision on the new Harry Jerome rec centre is one year away … or so we wrote in 2010. Back in those days the city was considering building the centre on Norseman Field, aided by about $16 million in reserves.
But it never felt quite right, so in 2013 council agreed to not talk about Harry Jerome that year. And when they did talk about replacing Harry Jerome, due to its age and the structure’s reliance on duct tape and positive thinking, it was to deprioritize it in 2015.
But now the replacement is really happening, thanks to the dogged work of our current council.
The price has shot from $70 million to $150 million, but the city now plans to build on Norseman Field, aided by $14 million in reserves.
We don’t begrudge any resident feelings of Harry Jerome fatigue. However, we remind every Tom, Dick and Mary who wants a curling rink, a 50-metre pool, or to preserve Norseman Field that town halls set for May 3 and 10 will likely be their last chance to make their best argument.
But we also offer a word of caution: the city can’t afford a rec centre on their own, and any support from senior levels of government is likely to be moral in nature.
It’s at this intersection of community needs and government neglect that developers enter the picture.
About 60 per cent of the centre will likely be funded by hulking buildings on the site the current Harry Jerome facility has occupied for half a century.
For every facility in the new centre, you can likely add a storey or two to the development across the street.
Those terms are difficult to accept, but, as the gambler said about the crooked poker parlour: it’s the only game in town.
Let’s play.
