Red Deer is afraid and covers it up by saying it cannot afford to spend $1,000 per resident on a new multi-use aquatic centre 20 years after the last time.
Blackfalds will be spending $1,210 per resident on twinning their multiplex only three years after building their last one.
Perhaps we need to study why Blackfalds is investing in itself and growing in population and Red Deer is hoarding and declining in population.
Red Deer needs to build an aquatic centre with a 50-metre pool. Red Deer has a shortage of recreational facilities north of the river. Red Deer is in need of an identity.
Red Deer is abdicating its leadership role in Central Alberta. Penhold, Sylvan Lake and Blackfalds have all invested in their recreational facilities in recent years and have maintained population growth, while Red Deer has ceased investing in new facilities, and seen a decline in population.
I would suggest that we bite the bullet, proceed with an aquatic centre that can hold provincial and national competitions and attract tourist and investment dollars. Build it north of the river by Hazlett Lake and offset the costs with sponsorships, like we did with the Collicutt Centre.
Or we can just welcome mediocrity and obscurity.
Garfield Marks, Red Deer