From the Portage Daily Graphic

RM vote on multiplex tenders reflective of community views

Portagers let out a sigh — or a groan — Tuesday following a nail-biter of a vote by the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie council regarding the first two tenders for the multiplex project.

The 4-3 vote, with one notable abstention, was about as close as it can get. If Coun. Garth Asham, who abstained, had voted against the tenders, the resulting 4-4 tie would have defeated the motion to accept the tenders. That would have effectively put an end to the construction of the multiplex for this year and maybe indefinitely, as the City and RM of Portage are walking a tight financial line to make sure the downsized PCU Centre fits within their budget constraints. Hence, Tuesday’s vote was incredibly significant for the life of the project.

Unlike the unanimous front put on by city council, the 4-3 result is more truly reflective of the general mood of the residents of these two municipalities — as was Coun. Owen Williams’s vote. Williams did the truly democratic thing: he left his own opinion out of the equation and instead kept a two-column list next to the phone for his constituents’ positive and negative positions on the project. Those who support the multiplex came out just ahead on Williams’ list. His crucial “yay” was needed to keep this project going.

There are still two more construction tenders to vote on for the recreation complex, which will include a major arena, aquatic centre, fitness centre, walking track and multi-purpose rooms. But given that the first tender hurdle has been passed, the second one, hopefully, will be easier.

Unfortunately, there are farmers and other ratepayers angling to put more obstacles in this endeavour’s path, in the form of some legal actions. What these will entail and if they will be successful is not yet fully known, but it is hoped they can be overcome. The Portage la Prairie-area needs this recreation facility, and the incredible amount of work that already has gone into designing and funding an undertaking such as this should not be cast aside.

There may be other fallout from the current divisiveness over this project. The Portage Recreation Committee is entering its second phase of raising funds privately for the PCU Centre. How successful it will be at convincing local business owners to contribute to a contentious facility is a big unknown. Are those businesses risking alienating part of their client base by publicly supporting the multiplex? Or will having one’s name on some component of the facility for the next two decades be worth living through the tempest in a teapot now? And what effect will the current financial crisis in the United States, but also in Canada, have on people’s ability to make major donations to the project?

To reduce the controversy and start to build consensus, what Portage needs more of are people such as vegetable farmers Doug and Paulette Connery. The Connerys, who researched the property tax implications for their own farm and discovered the bottom line wasn’t as bad as some naysayers had made it out to be. The biggest key to increasing support for the multiplex is for an end to miscommunication on one side and a lack of communication — perceived or otherwise — on the other side. And the financial markets will bounce back eventually; they always do.

There are hurdles and obstacles and hills yet to traverse for the PCU Centre’s proponents. They are going to be in excellent shape from all the exercise they will be doing to get the multiplex off the ground. They just need to not pull too many muscles before reaching the finish line.

Clarise Klassen is the managing editor of The Daily Graphic.