epee

Teeny Magi stat oenal a Sar

ne ae Ea Same ee ee Rp

SRS Tp

pep aan ie Seen L

Le be akan we Sad are aban et aie ct Ta

Martin told Schneider. “But

from a quality of life point of

view the library is better and
the people should be allowed
to decide.”

June 6, 1990 — The city
held a noon-hour press con-
ference to present drawings
of community-convention
centre soon to be featured in

‘a referendum.

..But what of the library
expansion project? It hadn't
been forgotten, mayor Jack
Talstra told us. The referen-
dum on this project had
been set for the fall of 1991
and if the convention centre
was shot down, heaven for-
bid, the library referendum
would be moved to 1990. In
that event, “It would be full
speed ahead on the library,”
he said.

One problem... The city
applied for a one-third Go

B.C. grant and that, said the
B.C. Lotteries people who’

control the grants, would
place the library’s applica-
tion on hold. Each communi-
ty was only allowed a single

application at a time.

July 11, 1990 — The pro-
posed community-conven-
tion centre was causing a
stir in some circles. A local
ice users group liked the

idea but thought it would be —

much better if a sheet of ice
was included in the “lower
floor” of the complex. A brief

outlining the need for a sec-

ond sheet of ice in Terrace
was being prepared, council
was told.

Still, council had already
committed themselves to a
lot of preparatory work prior
to a fall referendum, and in
this regard, they were forg-
ing ahead. The community-
convention centre was
mulled over during a July 3
in-camera Committee of the
Whole meeting, and topics of
discussion included possible
federal government funding
under the Community Initia-
tive Fund and the possible
integration of the library into
the community-conference
centre.

As a result of that meet-
ing, the city submitted a
funding application to the
Community Initiative Fund
and asked administration to
arrange a meeting with the
library board as soon as pos-

sible to discuss some alter-

nate plans. Later in the
month, the library board
received via Canada Post the
proposal and an invitation to
attend a joint council-board

- meeting.

September 26, 1990 —
The library board consid-
‘ered the city’s proposal at
their September meeting —
their first meeting since
June — and after a lengthy
discussion, a sense of inse-

curity prevailed. The letter —
really only offered a vague ©
proposal

with no real
promise. There were no
plans, no funding commit-
ments... And-there would be
no 1990 referendum for the
community convention cen-
tre. It was too late for the
city to put it on the Novem-
ber agenda.

The library board's con-

‘cerns at the time: Did the

public want the library

Terrace Review —— Wednesday, October 9, 1991 9

chance Terrace “might” be
selected, but half those
bookings, if made at that
time, might be for a date as
far away as five years.

There was a problem with
air transportation. It wasn't

necessarily reliable or con-

scaled sound.”

moved? Or, would they
rather have it stay where it
is... Even without the expan-
sion? Also, there was now a
suggestion that a licensed
restaurant might be included
in the plan. Was there even
a remote possibility that the
well-being of children — one
third of all library patrons —
visiting the library would be
compromised by a conven-
tion with hundreds of out-of-
town visitors and the pres-
ence of a restaurant with a
liquor licence?

The board was unani-
mous. The location of the
proposed centre was less
desirable than the location
of the present library. Multi-
ple use was not conducive to
a library. And the present
building was more suitable...
Even without an expansion.

And there was a final con-
cern. What kind of a com-
mitment would the board be
making? What if the $4.5
million estimated cost of a
community convention cen-
tre suddenly escalated to $6
million or $8 million? How
would that affect the board’s
involvement in the financial

. structure of the project?

Board chairman Willy
Schneider called for a secret
ballot on the city’s proposal.
But that wasn’t going to hap-
pen. As the board discussed
the idea of integration, one
thing became clear. There
were too. many unanswered

questions. Too many “ifs”,

Instead, the board sent a let-
ter back to the city asking
for another meeting.
November 28, 1990 —
The city had initiated a cou-
ple of marketing surveys to
prove the wisdom of their
community-convention cen-
tre plan and the results had
started to roll in. It wasn't
encouraging... It appeared
as though the city's concept
might need to be reworked.
As far as attracting major
out-of-town events was con-
cerned, it was a split deci-
sion, There was a 50/50

“Conference has a down-

Alderman Dave Hull,
November 1990

venient. There was a prob-
lem with accommodations.
There were too few. There
was a problem with potential
local user groups. A total
lack of any real enthusiasm.
There was a problem, it was
beginning to appear, with
every facet of the city’s plan.

Still, tourism and econom-
ic development officer Peter
Monteith explained that the
results of the surveys were
only indicators that would
allow the city to begin devel-
oping a business plan and
make a few financial projec-

| “Let's face it. There’s an election coming up and
the mayor's job is on the line.”
| Willy Schneider, May 1990

Alderman Dave Hull,
though, was not discour-

aged. Rather than down- .

scaling the project, he sug-
gested down-scaling the
name from a community-
convention centre to a com-
munity-conference centre.
“Conference has a down-
scaled sound,” he said. And
as for the library, Hull said
there was a “very real
chance the library will be in
the ‘convention’ centre”.

January 30, 1991 — On
council’s Tourism and Eco-
nomic Development Commit-
tee agenda this week were a
few community service ideas
from the Jan. 15 Tourism
and Economic Advisory
Commission meeting. Specif-
ically: a community centre,
expanded library and a sec-
ond sheet of ice.

According to commission
minutes, members were first
told by alderman Darryl
Laurent that the proposed
community-conference cen-
tre may be too expensive
and council was now looking
at the three projects as sepa-

tions. Through the Strong
Communities in the 90's pro-
gram, Monteith added, the
city had hired Erythana Ven-
tures to help produce accu-
rate financial projections.
Once those numbers were in,
probably around mid-
December, the city could
start thinking about schedul-
ing a public meeting.

- Alderman Ruth Hallock
was less optimistic. She won-
dered if perhaps the city
shouldn't consider a “lesser
plan”; a less ambitious pro-
ject. Jack Talstra replied by
saying, “A public hearing
and a business plan will give
us a better idea.” And Danny
Sheridan offered the “chick-
en and the egg” concept...
What comes first? Building
the centre or booking the
conventions?

"| think we can barely squeak through. The library board,
the architect and city council have some work to do first."

Regional district director Les Watmough,

on the prospect of a referendum, June 1991

rate and in a very specific
order. First, the community
centre. Second, the library
expansion. And third, the
second sheet of ice.

From ihe perspective of
the commission, however, all
three projects were required
for the future growth of the
city, and the city should be
encouraging the regional
district to become involved
in both planning and cost
sharing.

From the commission:
The library should be a sep-
arate project in the existing
location. There should be a
combined project that
included a community cen-
tre, squash courts and a sec-
ond sheet of ice. And the city
and the regional district
together should structure a
referendum to include the
library expansion, second
sheet of ice and community
centre in a single referen-
dum.

While this discussion was
going on, though, the library
board was busy as well. The
expansion project dominated

their January meeting and

ended with a unanimous
vote to write the city a letter.

In the letter, Willy Schnei-
der noted a 1990 letter writ-
ten to the board by city
administrator Bob Hallsor
that said they would be
going to referendum in
November 1991. “In light of
that letter,” Schneider
wrote, “the board has asked

me to request Council’s early

response to the following
questions: Which date in
November 1991 is Council

considering for the referen--

dum? Will Council unani-

Mously recommend a ‘yes’

vote? As we wish to mini-
mize the cost to the taxpay-
er, will Council remove any
impediment it may have
placed in the way of our GO
BC application?”

Later, Schneider told us: .

“Since city hall seems
shrouded in total silence, we
wanted to make it clear we
are not interested in any
grandiose project that
includes sheets of ice, a day.
care centre or a restaurant...
We want to stay where we
are.” |

The board’s letter to city
hall was postmarked Jan.
19, though, and as this story
was written they were still
waiting for a reply.

February 13, 1991 — The
Terrace Review reported:
“Any decision on the library
expansion project has been
tabled until Feb. 18. Terrace
council received a letter
from Terrace Public Library
board “chairman Willy
Schneider dated Jan. 18
Monday night that requested
some very specific answers.
Alderman Ruth Hallock
noted, however, that a meet-
ing with the board was
already scheduled for Feb.
18 and it was decided to
refrain from any discussion
until that time.”

But: “Even with the Feb.
18 meeting, though, the
library board may still be in
for more delays. The follow-
ing recommendation from a
Jan. 28, in-camera Commit-
tee of the Whole meeting
was adopted by council Mon-
day night: “...that Council

not consider referendum on
any new facilities or addi-
tions to existing facilities
without obtaining capital
cost-sharing or grant contri-
butions from the Regional
District.”@

TO es eae

colt ie ae es

ete ole Eee ee