Two mayoral candidates have teamed up, calling on council to put off a decision on the University College of the North (UCN) development agreement until after the Oct. 27 municipal election.
Ron Matechuk and Colleen Smook, the two challengers to incumbent mayor Tim Johnston in this year's race, sent out a press release Oct. 1 entitled "Mayoral candidates ask council to respect democratic process."
The focus point of the release is a reference to "a development agreement with the provincial government that would turn over our recreation grounds for $1" - which Matechuk later confirmed as referring to the proposed new UCN campus behind the Red Sangster Ball Field in the area of the Thompson Zoo.
"We formally ask the present council to refrain from making any major decisions until after the next election," reads the release. "There are many and far-reaching implications of this proposal that are not well understood by the citizens of Thompson. The next 25 days can be used to properly discuss these implications. We have very specific questions that should be answered before a decision is made."
The UCN development agreement was originally slated to be dealt with at the council meeting on Sept. 27, but Johnston suggested that a special meeting of council be held Oct. 4 to deal exclusively with what he said was a very important issue.
"I understand that Mr. Matechuk and Mrs. Smook are appearing as a delegation at the special meeting of city council on Monday evening," wrote Johnston in an e-mail. "I look forward to the presentation and opportunity to discuss the matter at that time."
"It may not be the best deal," said Matechuk, stating that the deal called for a $1 land transfer as well as a property tax exemption for up to 20 years. Matechuk complained about "the lack of consultation of some of the stakeholders involved," specifically the Thompson Wildlife Association. "What exactly will be mentioned at city council is only the parts they want to talk about," he said.
Calls made to Smook Friday afternoon were unanswered.
A group of Thompson residents, represented by Winnipeg lawyer W. Richard Whidden, sent a letter to the mayor and council July 19, asserted that the planned development agreement would contravene Thompson's zoning bylaws, which would only allow for student housing on the spot - not for students and their families, as has been proposed at every step.
A draft agreement dated Aug. 17, a copy of which was obtained by the Thompson Citizen, states that the tax credit provided by the city would be equivalent to Manitoba's infrastructure investment on the site, to a value of $7.3 million - in other words, the province would only start paying property tax on the site once $7.3 million in such taxes had already been accrued, whenever that may be. Additionally, the province is given the ability to purchase the land on which the wildlife building sits.
The housing portions of the development have repeatedly come under fire for their proposed locations, which have over time moved from the land currently occupied by the Red Sangster Ball Field to an area adjacent to the Wildlife Building and Thompson Zoo, and most recently to the southwest corner of the proposed campus, along the drainage ditch near Pickerel Crescent.
The UCN campus, which is expected to be completed by 2013 at a cost of $82 million, was officially announced in Thompson on April 12. Features of the new campus are slated to include a 24-unit on-campus housing development for students and families; new facilities for academic programs, and child care space for 75 children. The first phase of construction is set to see student capacity increase from 342 to 510. Renovations to some existing UCN buildings and off-site facilities will also be taking place to allow for expansion in the trades and technologies section of UCN. The school's goal is to see apprenticeship spaces increase from 48 to 150, part of the province's commitment to see apprenticeship spaces increase by 4,000.
