I’m live at the Hamilton City Council meeting today. Live stream and coverage is available on RaiseTheHammer, a local community site in Hamilton.
http://www.raisethehammer.org/blog/1920/live_coverage_of_pan_am_stadium_meeting
Letter from Minister of State (Sport) Gary Lunn to Mayor Fred Eisenberger
Dear Mr. Mayor:
I am writing in response to your correspondence of August 12, 2010, forwarded to me by the Office of the Prime Minister, regarding federal government funding for venues to be built for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.
I appreciate being advised of Hamilton City Council’s decision to proceed with West Harbour as the site for its proposed stadium. As you are aware, now that Hamilton City Council has selected West Harbour as its preferred location, the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Organizing Committee will decide if it wants to incorporate this venue into its overall capital plan.
In the fall, the Committee will present its proposed venue plan and business plan to its Board of Directors for approval. The Board will then present its venue plan and business plan to the Multi-Party Agreement signatories, including the Government of Canada and Province of Ontario, for approval.
Our Government has committed to contribute to the capital costs associated with building or upgrading facilities for the Toronto 2015 Games. As outlined in the Multi-Party Agreement, this support is conditional on the facilities being publicly owned, being used for the 2015 Games (i.e., they can be built on time and within the allotted budget) and having a post-Games high-performance sport legacy.
With respect to discussions on the use of the stadium, it is important to note that the federal government will not get involved in negotiations between City of Hamilton, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Organizing Committee.
Please accept my best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
The Honourable Gary Lunn, P.C., M.P.