Secret survey?

By P.A. KIDD
I was recently alerted to a previously unknown HRM recreation facility public opinion survey on their website. Aware of the urgent need for a multi-use, multi-district recreation facility on the Mainland Common to serve the entire HRM western region, I was confused. Who was to know?

A secret survey? How odd. Why weren’t we informed, if in-put was truly wanted? Other examples of HRM’s lack of transparency on the Mainland Common Recreation Centre (MCRC), came to mind:

The ill-conceived (daytime hours), poorly advertised public focus groups (fall/06) ensured minimal attendance (two to four people on average), yet claimed a wide public consultation to justify HRM’s present MCRC plan. The promised November 2006 telephone survey results were withheld.

Quietly disregarding three costly studies, recommending a multi-use flagship MCRC facility as early as 1996, HRM has opted for the questionable July 2007 Asbell report, recommending an undersized facility unable to meet even our present needs.

Withholding Asbell report information, HRM moves forward, pleading, "Councillors must see it first," although the councillors have copies. Shouldn’t a public discussion of the plans precede a council vote?

Trees fall, land is cleared on the Common, yet again, no plan is forthcoming.

Isn’t HRM guilty of the very love of secrecy that the Commonwealth Games bid team was accused of? Why the secrecy?