Freedom Flyer 4

By Chris Dennett
of The Free Press

Ward 3 Aldermen Joe Fontana and Pat O'Brien held one of their regular meet-the-ratepayer sessions in the basement of Blessed Sacrament Church on Saturday and walked into another earful on the city's Pan-American Games proposal.

But the aldermen gave as good as they got in a frank exchange of views with a small group of local ratepayers and in the end most conceded they at least understood more about the issue.

"I don't know anyone on my street who is in favor of these Games," said pensioner Bob Malcolm of Linwood Street. "Is this going to be another one of those Montreal deals where the taxpayer gets stuck with everything?"

"You changed my mind," said Ernie Morenz, president of the Carling Optimist Club. "I think for the first time I know a little about the issue."

"We can't even afford to keep our swimming pools open all summer and the city wants to bring us the Pan-Am Games," said Dennis Mill of Watling Street.

Neither Fontana nor O'Brien said they are ready to cast any votes in favor of the proposal until they have received a great deal more information but both admitted public misgivings on the issue are widespread not only in their northeast ward but across the city. Both added they will maintain open minds on the issue until all the facts are in.

"Even on a radio phone-in show the other day when you would have expected to get a lot of people voting in favor of new sports facilities for the city the split was about 50-50," said O'Brien. "I tell you I am that close to casting a 'no' vote, though, because I think that is the way the people of my ward want me to vote."

O'Brien added that at tonight's meeting of council he will move that the question of the games and whether the city should support such a proposal should go to the people in a referendum question in November's municipal election.

"That would give the people a chance to cast their vote and it would also give the Pan-Am Games committee time to do a proper job of selling the proposal and explaining it properly."

Fontana said that for relatively low cost to the taxpayers of about $10 million spread over eight years, the city would get a chance to build much needed sports centres with a great deal of government assistance and that is an issue that has to be considered.

"These days you have got to go for everything you can get from the provincial and federal governments. If you don't someone else is going to get it."

Fontana said it is "embarrassing" that a city the size of London cannot offer many of the sports facilities that much smaller centres such as Tillsonburg and Brantford take for granted.