Councilor Ed Smith gave us every reason to believe that he would support Councilor Steve Garrison's motion to save the Memorial Centre Site as a living memorial providing public community facilities. Instead, with Councilors Rick Downes, Beth Pater, George Beavis, Kevin George, Sara Meers and Steve Garrison in support of the motion, he chose to cast the deciding vote to refer the matter to the Community Centre Project Committee, thus preventing the motion from passing.
Why are we concerned about this matter going to the Community Centre Project Steering Committee?
The sale of the Site remains as an integral part of the financing formula for the LVEC set out by the Task force chaired by Deputy Mayor Leonore Foster who has just been appointed to the Community Centre Project Steering Committee considering potential sites for community recreational facilities.
How can we have any confidence that the Memorial Centre site will be considered by her with impartiality given that she has expressed a clear commitment to the sale of Memorial Centre and lands to fund an entertainment centre at the Inner Harbour?. Well-intended or not, how is it possible for Deputy Mayor Foster's judgment to remain unclouded by her recent conclusion that the sale of these lands is the LVEC's financial solution? Where are the alternative financing options we are told exist, and will they be identified as providing full financing for the LVEC by the time this Committee convenes on November 22, 2004?
For these reasons, Deputy Mayor Foster must resign her seat on the Community Centre Project Steering Committee immediately. We are surprised Mayor Rosen would not have pointed out this oversight to her.
Our concerns are only heightened by Deputy Mayor Foster 's remarks at Tuesday's Council debate on Councllor Garrison's motion to the effect that Memorial Hall and the City's investment in its awesome beauty was of greater significance than our living memorial:
I honestly don't feel that the living memorial that you see for the Memorial Centre site has the same kind of significance that Memorial Hall does.
Comparing the two memorials is like comparing apples with oranges. Who has learned to swim or skate in Memorial Hall? Citizens present "booed' in response to these remarks from the representative of many members of the Armed Forces and Royal Military College. While Deputy Mayor Foster responded "its much easier to boo than it is to listen" , she discounted, without listening, the valuable role the Memorial Centre plays in the lives of those who do not share her opinion.
The motion to refer Councilor Garrison's motion to the Community Centre Committee came about through Mayor Rosen who intervened when Councilor Patterson asked that the motion be 'deferred", asking Councilor Patterson if he wished to "refer" the motion to one or the other steering committee, or both? Councilor Patterson opted for both and later accepted Councilor Stoparczyk's 'friendly amendment" to refer the matter to the Community Centre Project Committee.
This happened among concerns expressed during debate that a vote now to save the site would circumvent the "process".
In addition to demanding Councilor Foster's resignation from the committee, we will be doubling our efforts to ensure the site is not sold, and we will be starting an early campaign in anticipation of the next election, especially in Williamsville District, in the hope that we can elect a representative in whom we can place our trust.
Nonetheless, we remain encouraged by the strong Council support in favour of preserving the Memorial Centre Site and who have an appreciation of the need to end this divisive controversy.
As we have made abundantly clear, we are not against changes being made at the Memorial Centre site which contribute to the needs and well-being of both the nearby residents and the City of Kingston. This vision needs to be developed with input from the community.
As the district breakdown of petition signatures submitted to Council establishes, this issue is of concern to all Kingstonians. Of the approximately 4,000 signatures, the percentages were distributed across the councilors' districts as follows:
Councilors Kevin George - 4.6%
Bittu George - 4.3 %
George Beavis -4.5%
George Sutherland - 5.6%
Leonore Foster -5.7%
George Stoparczyk -5.6 %
Beth Pater - 6.8%
Floyd Patterson - 7.3%
Steve Garrison - 9.1%
Sara Meers - 10.5%
Rick Downes - 15.7%
Ed Smith - 20%.
While this battle may have been lost, the 'war' is not over.
Jana Mills
Williamsville Residents' Association &
Friends of the Memorial Centre
November 12, 2004