Just so we get this straight, here's the latest on enclosed stadiums in Canada.
British Columbia is just finishing up its renovation of that B.C. Place stadium in Vancouver, the one with the dome that will now be a sliding roof. Cost of renovations and roof replacement, $530 million, but no word on who is paying for it. There are what maybe 4 or 4.5 million people in B.C.? The original roofed stadium probably cost $200 million or more back when it was built a couple of decades ago. Did they argue about it for three years like we have?
Next comes the proposed $400 million Quebec City arena. That's arena for hockey and skating and stuff, not a multi-purposed stadium folks. It's a rink. Apparently the province and Quebec City are paying for it by themselves (so far).
Winnipeg and Manitoba just finished spending hundreds of millions on a new arena plus stadium renovations at $500 million or more and Hamilton is about to do the same at Ivor Wynn Stadium, renovating the old barn that is in worse shape than Mosaic Stadium/Taylor Field. That facelift will come in at over $200 million.
So here we sit, dithering over $440 million for an enclosed stadium in the country's heartland.
Just thought I'd bring it up as something for you folks to chew on this week.
On Sunday Tiger Woods got fined some money because he spat on one of the greens while he was sizing up a putt in Dubai. That's bad manners. In fact spitting on any surface is bad manners and that includes those people who insist on globbing up on Estevan's sidewalks. It's bad enough having to watch this continual ritual performed by ball players, football players and puck chasers spitting all around themselves, but those who leave their drool on public sidewalks need to be fined.
And while I'm referring to fines, could someone please do something about those people who continue to use their cellphones and texting devices while driving. It's getting worse instead of better since the legislation to ban those practices came into effect last year.
And then on to my final topic for the day and this time we go internationally.
I smiled when I real how Hosni Mubarak's two sons almost got into a fist fight during an argument as to who was to blame for their father's demise as president of Egypt. Apparently both Alaa and Gamal Mubarak were claiming dibs on the unofficial throne that would have reaped billions for the lucky one, but now, alas, they'll just have to lead the lives of normal millionaires, instead of being billionaires.
Gamal, 47, who spent 11 years at the Bank of America, was later named head of the Egyptian government policy committee in 2002 and commenced bestowing favours on his friends who wanted to gain access to the president, his father, so they could receive favourable treatment.
Now it seems, Alaa blamed Gamal for spoiling access to the money pit by granting all these favours to his friends. Obviously the Egyptian public were hearing too many horror stories about these tricks and treats and figured something had to be done. So they did it, the hard way, by demonstrating for 18 days, insisting that Hosni ride out of town, taking his greedy family with him.
I say Hosni should come to Saskatchewan with his billions, settle down in Regina, have a domed stadium built and paid for using his ill-gotten gains from that place with the pyramids. I'd have no problem in attending Roughrider games in good old Mubarak/Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. Would you?
Mind you he might need a couple of jobs for his crafty sons, but I think Bradley Wall could find something for them to do in return for $400 million or so. He'd have to keep them away from the treasury, of course, but I'm sure they could go for a little recreational portfolio; Or maybe Highways, and then we could talk to him about twinning Highway 39 using his family's petty cash fund.
Any other ideas of what Saskatchewan could do with a little extra money from select refugees?
