Do you support the proposal for the new arena?

  • Yes

    Votes: 102 67.5%

  • No

    Votes: 39 25.8%

  • Maybe

    Votes: 10 6.6%
  • Total voters
    151
Chinook Arch said:
It depends what your definition of ‘big concerts’ is. I’m not familiar with Post Malone, and I’ve never heard of Kid Cudi. The Weekend is a big act though.
Looking through upcoming concerts for Rogers Place in Edmonton, I see there are some acts that will draw people. Blink 182, Arcade fire, James Taylor, Rod Stewart, Maroon 5, Rage Against the Machine, and I wouldn’t be surprised if all of those sell out…even Rod Stewart lol.
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Of upcoming concerts listed on Rogers Place website, Blink 182, Arkells, Bryan Adams, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett and Rod Stewart are all also scheduled to play the Saddledome (James Taylor played both in the spring); the Offspring aren't scheduled for the Saddledome but are scheduled to play Grey Eagle (!). Arcade Fire is the only one that is an Edmonton show without a matching Calgary show.
Maroon 5 and RATM aren't playing Calgary or Edmonton at all; RATM were scheduled to do both but cancelled the tour after Zach De La Rocha broke his leg, not that I was waiting three goddamn years to see them or anything.
Looking backwards at the previous handful of artists passing through, all of Greta Van Fleet, Michael Bublé, The Pretty Reckless, The Lumineers, Alanis Morisette / Garbage and John Fogerty played both Rogers Centre and the Saddledome; the Backstreet Boys only played Edmonton (and also Saskatoon and Winnipeg on the tour), while AP Dhillon only played the Saddledome.

Meanwhile, just in the last two months, Vancouver (Rogers Arena) got: Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, Gorillaz, Swedish House Mafia, Roger Waters, Eagles, Jack Harlow, Band of Horses / Black Keys, Florence + the Machine / Japanese Breakfast, New Order / Pet Shop Boys. (As well as all of the artists Calgary and Edmonton got.)

It doesn't look like we're really missing out on all that many touring shows, or rather that there are a lot of artists currently skipping from Toronto to Vancouver that would love to play in a 1.5 million person market in Alberta if only there was a new arena for them to play in rather than the broken down old Saddledome. Not none, but not a ton.
 
Wow I now give this even less of a chance of happening. This is pure political interference. Smith isn’t here to help us. She’s here to help her buddy Murray Edwards and to try and buy votes in competitive Calgary.
 
doughflow said:
This is the same Danielle Smith that was vehemently against Provincial support for the Edmonton arena right?

Surely this can't be a vote getting, political stunt by her..
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She was for provincial support if it came from introducing Keno in restaurants and bars which didn’t have VLTs.

The Wildrose had a tendency to agree with things in principle but then oppose an action which was almost identical but not their exact idea.
 
As far as I know, the province did not 'kick in' for the Rogers Centre in Edmonton. In light of that, I don't know how monetary support could be justified for Calgary as much as city council would welcome it. I don't think that is ever going to happen.
 
JonnyCanuck said:
As far as I know, the province did not 'kick in' for the Rogers Centre in Edmonton. In light of that, I don't know how monetary support could be justified for Calgary as much as city council would welcome it. I don't think that is ever going to happen.
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Yes, it would be shocking and unprecedented for politicians to abandon principles in favour of political expediency.

In all seriousness, I think a big cheque for a new rink checks a lot of boxes for both UCP & NDP going into an election. Who really likes fancy hockey arenas? Upper middle class and wealthy suburbanites who used to vote Progressive Conservative. What's the swing demographic that will decide the 2023 election? Same people.

Smith will try to position an arena deal as her saving the day where woke municipal politicians failed. "I rejected these silly solar panels and sidewalks and now we can afford to build it." Ivermectin Pledge Arena? Has a certain ring to it...

Notley will suggest that she can cooperate with municipal politicians to create economic wins. "I brought all sides together to focus on diversified economic growth." Maybe the deal will be done by the time she can offer a competing vision.
 
JonnyCanuck said:
As far as I know, the province did not 'kick in' for the Rogers Centre in Edmonton. In light of that, I don't know how monetary support could be justified for Calgary as much as city council would welcome it. I don't think that is ever going to happen.
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They authorized the CRL which funded the arena, which effectively transfers Education property tax to the city for CRL purposes.
 
She has appointed Ric McIvor as the Event Centre Liaison, but isn’t that the same guy who stepped in and stopped the Green Line planning for months “to do a fulsome review” and ended up changing it quite a bit? Wonder what he will do when things get moving again on this project! His “assistance” might derail the project.
 
How much power would McIver and the Province have over negotiations and the progress of the project if there is no funding from the province?

They may have assigned McIver as the provincial liaison, but if there's no financial contribution, then why do they get a seat at the table?
 
The way McIvor explained it is that he is there as a liason ... if needed. He said there may be some process improvement or as I interpreted it ... 'some untangling of bureaucracy' as far as legislation or regulation ... that the province could assist with. He made it clear that the province will not have a seat at the table.
 
30 years ago the province refused to wave property tax for the Saddledome. The property tax on the Edmonton arena is treated as a lease payment, going exclusively to the city.

The natural conclusion is the same result in Calgary.
 
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