Vital Entity

Put this 'vital entity' in heart of city



THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

(Jul 31, 2010)

Re: Pan Am stadium

I am a lifelong Hamilton resident. I have always lived below the Mountain at one end or the other; possibly I am biased regarding the location of the Pan Am stadium.

Maybe as an avid user of the waterfront trail, a frequent patron of Williams Coffee Pub on the waterfront and someone who holds hope for the downtown core to be revitalized, I am biased when it comes to the location.

I have tried to keep an open mind regarding the placement of the new stadium, listening to both sides, weighing the pros and cons of each location. But for the life of me, I can't understand how anyone would be opposed to placing this vital entity within the heart of the city.

After all of the models that have worked south of the border, why would we even be considering the east Mountain as a possibility? One word -- money -- and not in the pockets of those who need it most in this city, such as our lower-city business owners who have struggled and stood by to watch more and more being spent on the Mountain for development, while their surroundings fall apart around them.

Yet they remain. They remain to fight it out and keep the heart of the city beating.

Our only hope is that the upcoming municipal election would have some bearing on where the stadium ends up. One could hope that the potential of losing voters as a result of poor decision-making and not listening to the masses will move city council to do what is right for all in the city and not just a few.