The Province of Manitoba is concerned over certain issues with regards to building the new University College of the North (UCN) campus in Thompson, and as a result, Thompson city council says a "stalemate" has occurred
The city had submitted a revised proposal to the province concerning the relocation of the Red Sangster baseball diamond - which will be displaced for the new campus - to the Norplex Pool area last Oct. 8. Later that month the province indicated that they would be willing to invest $200,000 to the redevelopment of the baseball diamond at the existing recreation centre site and stated they would also provide the same amount to the city if a baseball diamond is built off-site.
Gary Ceppetelli, director of planning and community development with the city, says they have asked the province about the cost breakdown of their proposal but have received no word back yet.
Although former NDP premier Gary Doer announced the new UCN campus in Thompson on March 13, 2007, the provincial government now says it is concerned about the relocation of the Red Sangster baseball diamond and the possible development of a wolf park at the Thompson Zoo and how the location of student housing might affect that.
City council has sent letters to various provincial ministers responsible for the UCN project with a request to meet and discuss the overall project. At city council's meeting on Jan. 4 it was learned that a tentative meeting will be taking place in late February.
Marcia Smith, who is the lead person responsible for the drafting of the development agreement with the city - the formal document indentified in the memorandum of understanding that was entered into with the provincial government on Nov. 13 - has told Ceppetelli she will get back to him with more information sometime this month.
Mayor Tim Johnston says UCN is the number one priority for him in 2010. He says he is looking forward to discussions with the provincial ministers in February.
"We have got to get to the table and have that discussion and get this project moving ahead. I'm very concerned that the province is responding to individuals who, quite frankly, are not sitting around this table," Johnston says, of groups who have come forward against the new UCN campus because of the relocation of the Red Sangster baseball diamond and the possible wolf park. "Yes, they reflect a view of a portion of individuals in the community, but this group reflects the priorities of the City of Thompson our intent is to proceed with the construction of UCN."
Senior UCN administrator Chris Reddy told city council on Nov. 30 that the new campus will not be completed until 2013. Heather Reichert, deputy minister of advanced education and literacy and chair of the UCN project steering committee, says the anticipated completion for the Thompson UCN site has always been that year and nothing has changed.
