Communities Surrounding Edmonton Supports $25M Grant for Arena Funding

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

In a board meeting, the neighboring communities of Edmonton have chosen to help in aiding the city for regional development and agreed to pay in part for the $480-million downtown arena. A motion was passed in the board meeting on Thursday, deciding that the Capital Region Board support for the City of Edmonton in an application for a three-year grant of $25 million under the province’s Regional Collaboration Program. The board motion was passed by a 17-7 margin.

At last-minute of the board meeting, Mayor Stephen Mandel requested the Capital Region Board members to add another motion to the board’s meeting agenda. It was recommended that the money will be arranged from the $140-million pot of money originally entitled for municipalities who want to collaborate on a regional project. This program is anticipated to offer $141 million in the course of next three years for projects that are intended to benefit the region as a whole. The board which comprises of 24 cities, towns, counties and villages surrounding Edmonton, agreed on Thursday to add the matter to the agenda.

St Albert Mayor and board chair, Nolan Crouse, predicted that Edmonton will definitely win the necessary support. He stated that “this is seen as being an Edmonton-driven initiative which everybody understands, but people also understand the importance of the Edmonton downtown and the Edmonton arena really to Alberta.” On the other hand, among those disappointed was Bon Accord Mayor, Randolph Boyd, who alleged that “I wouldn’t do it to you, so why would you do it to us?”