To the Editor,
I tuned in to the WHL game on Shaw TV on Jan. 10. Red Deer was hosting Prince George. Red Deer had been identified in the Phase 2 Nanaimo event centre study as a WHL market comparable to Nanaimo. What I saw was very different from what I expected, after reading the Phase 2 study. The study told me the arena should be about two-thirds full of fans (average attendance of 5,635 with a seating capacity of 7,111). What I saw was perhaps a couple of thousand fans, distributed in a sea of empty seats.
I encourage everyone to check out a few WHL games on Shaw TV. It might help you decide whether partially filled arenas like these look like good places to invest your tax dollars.
Allan DavidsonNanaimo
To the Editor,
Re: City of Nanaimo moves ahead with multiplex, Dec. 29.
The proposed multiplex for Nanaimo at a cost of tens of millions of dollars is a terrible idea.
These millions should be used for something that everyone might use and enjoy ... not just the up to 15 per cent that for some reason like to pay to watch grown men skating around in circles, playing keep-away with a rubber disk while playing children’s recreational activities.
As for concerts, is it really worth the millions for the two or maybe three concerts per year? Again for the 15 per cent at most that would actually consider wanting to go to the concerts.
Not to mention that up to 90 per cent of the tickets would likely end up going to scalpers to profit from anyways.
Wake up Nanaimo. Let’s put our money into something that a much higher percentage of our small population will have an interest in using and enjoying.
Doug BodnerNanaimo
To the Editor,
Re: Sports and events centre would revitalize downtown core, Letters, Jan. 12.
The proposed hockey and event centre should only be built with private investors’ money. This is not something our taxes should be supporting. If it is such a wonderful investment, then surely the private sector will want to take the risk, and the best of luck to them.
My hard-earned tax dollars should be spent removing ice from sidewalks and fixing potholes. That’s what we give it to the city for. Not to throw away. Leave business to run these things and stick to roads, sewers, water, schools, parks, police and fire, you know, civic responsibilities.
Ed and Sue OakleyNanaimo