[CaptainYooh]

I've listened to Ken's presentation and looked at the slides. Yes, very flashy and impressive. But I just can't stop thinking why go to all this trouble, when both Saddledome and McMahon can be remodeled and renovated/re-built for hundreds of millions less?

I mean, a fieldhouse could be an asset, but it is not a private venue by any means; it's a public venue, it's a very costly venue and it's not necessarily s justified public expense at present. In other words, it's something that we, as a good city, would like to have at some point; but at what cost? Calgary has just scored, again, 5th on the list of most liveable cities in the world. Without a fieldhouse. If a new fieldhouse could help make Calgary a better city, then it should be planned somewhere in the greenfield, where costs to the public would be a small fraction of what they could be in the West Village and the facility could be well planned ahead within a new community somewhere. Why downtown???

The Flames organization made a bet that a sexy giant public/private complex has a better chance of getting public financing as a whole than in parts. But it just doesn't add up at all.

The urgency and need of cleaning up the creosote contamination is a red herring. The City would be much better financially and logically to contain contamination seepage through efficient boundary protective measures and re-develop West Village as beautiful public park space. Heck, even a new public golf course would make a better sense than a sportscomplex at that location.