Governments make smart investment

By CHRIS COCHRANE Sports Columnist

I’VE GOT NO DOUBT that Wednesday’s announcement of a $40.5-million investment in a new Halifax sports centre won’t make everyone happy.

That is massive spending. Be assured some will argue that the same tax dollars should have gone toward our roads, education system and health care.

But that’s an outdated argument, one largely based on ignorance.

Years of study have shown that every dollar spent in the sport and recreation fields brings a much larger return in savings to our economy, most specifically in the health and social services fields. The problem during much of the past couple of decades is that governments weren’t convinced the voting public appreciated this connection, meaning that investment in sport infrastructure wasn’t regarded as a politically wise investment for government.

Thankfully, that attitude is changing. The public now has a better understanding of the advantages of such investment, that dollars spent keeping us in better physical condition and keeping our youth involved in sport translate into great savings to our economy.

That means the $40.5 million to build a new Mainland Common Recreation Centre in Halifax, which will also serve as the centerpiece for the 2011 Canada Winters Games here, is a win-win situation. The federal government will contribute $12 million, the province will kick in $12 million and the other $16.5 million will come from the city and fundraising in the private sector. The return will be a new 176,000-square-foot facility, highlighted by four gymnasiums, a 200-metre six-lane indoor track, two 25-metre pools and considerable recreation facilities to serve youth and the local community. It’s a centre that is badly needed in Halifax. It will also be the future home of Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic, meaning many of our local elite athletes will be able to stay home for much of their training.

This won’t fix the sports infrastructure problems in Halifax; won’t even come close. Though the announcement also included a $1-million upgrade from the province to aging Centennial Pool in Halifax, there was disappointment expressed by the Build-It-Right group that a 50-metre pool, the size needed to host national and international swim events, wasn’t included. The Build-It-Right group has done a great lobbying job to make this project happen, and their argument for one 50-metre pool does make sense and will no doubt continue to be the topic of hot debate.

For what is coming, credit the feds for stepping up. Though I’m still baffled by a system that seems to require a large sporting event — like the Canada Games — to bring federal largesse for sport infrastructure, at least the feds came through on this one.

It’s not surprising that the province is part of the deal. The current government has done an admirable job of late about spreading money around the province to upgrade sport infrastructure. Of course, it’s in large part due to so many years of provincial government neglect and weak lobbying of the federal government that we’re facing this present problem.

And it’s good to see the city, which long ago dropped the ball on making sports infrastructure a priority, show a willingness to kick in its share.

It’s a major step in the right direction in a city and province that so badly need new sports infrastructure to serve elite athletes and, more importantly, the young athletes at the grassroots. And perhaps the best sign for future investment in this area is that the province, city and federal governments were able to hammer out a deal on funding levels.

Hopefully, this isn’t the last time the three levels of government co-operate to create smart investment in Nova Scotia sports.