Shortfall in Memorial Gardens funding?

Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation Tim Hudak will soon announce $3.7 million in funding for Sault Ste. Marie's Memorial Gardens, according to today's National Post. If the report is accurate, the amount is only half of the $7.

Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation Tim Hudak will soon announce $3.7 million in funding for Sault Ste. Marie's Memorial Gardens, according to today's National Post.

If the report is accurate, the amount is only half of the $7.4 million in Ontario SuperBuild funding that the City was hoping for.

Quoting unnamed sources, the Post's Robert Benzie says Hudak "is planning a slew of spending announcements in the coming weeks."

Hudak (shown above) will announce $3.7 million in provincial spending toward the $21 million cost of turning the Gardens into a multi-use sports, recreation and trade complex, the newspaper says.

Other announcements the Post says we can expect:

- $1.9 million toward the $9 million cost of a hockey arena commemorating Tim Horton in the former Maple Leaf's hometown of Cochrane. - $1.4 million toward the cost of a new $10-million community centre in Aylmer.

- $2.5 million toward the $12.8-million conversion of an old public building in Belleville into a library, art gallery, studio and community hall.

In a revised application for Ontario SuperBuild money submitted last month, the City of Sault Ste. Marie sought $7.4 million to be combined with $7 million each from the City and the Soo Greyhounds.

"We'd be very happy with the forthcoming announcement, however for the project to be feasible we need one-third funding from government sources," James Caicco, chair of the City's arena review committee, said this afternoon when advised by SooToday News of the National Post story.

"If the federal government would match this funding, we'll be well on our way to a new arena. To date, most applications to Superbuild have been matched by the federal government," Caicco said.

Caicco said there are still issues to be ironed out before the funding from the City and the Soo Greyhounds can be finalized.

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