Quebec National Assembly considering bill to outlaw court challenges in arena/NHL bid

[CorbeauNoir]

What is this 2016 stuff. It takes four months to build an arena.

As someone studying architecture, I can only wish this was true.

 

[CorbeauNoir]

TNSE's long term goal was always to bring the NHL to Winnipeg. The design and construction of the building was part of that (10 years ago).

I would contest this: if they really were 100% committed/certain about bringing the NHL to Winnipeg from the very beginning they'd have pushed for an arena that was either of a less controversial size, or one that could be expanded to such. The fact that they have recently had to undergo massive restructuring of their press and camera facilities to have the building up to League standards instead of insisting on NHL-capable ones from the start further suggests that this is doubtful.

My belief is that TNSE have simply been attempting to give Winnipeg the best hockey they could provide. If that eventually meant a return of the NHL then great, if not then fine, they continue to run the Moose as high-quality a franchise as they can. The MTS Center is a great facility, but it seems to me one that was built as a sort of contingency plan where hosting an NHL team was not a certainty - especially 10 years ago when the youth of many of these now-struggling teams and national economies made the prospect of a team moving to Canada completely unfeasable (and when there was still a mindset of bigger=better for arenas). MTSC is a building that can accommodate the NHL if the opportunity arises (and so it has) but it doesn't strike me as a 'bait' facility the way that Hamilton/Kansas City/soon-to-be Quebec City's arenas are.

 

[Phil Parent]

The bill will be passed within 15 minutes of the start of the next session of the Quebec parliament, per some MPs (Including J.M. Fournier and the minister of the Quebec Highway Deathtrap system, Sam Hammad), per CKAC.

http://www.ckac.com/hockey/nouvelles/les-voeux-du-maire-labeaume-exauces-91816.html

 

[Fehr Time*]

They should be calling this 'law' the "Legalized money laundering, racketeering, fraud, and theft act". This scam was likely thought up behind closed doors some time ago, and they were just looking for an avenue such as this one to try to pass it by the public smell test.

 

[Jeffrey93]

Quebec National Assembly to consider bill that would outlaw any court challenges to deal between Quebec City and Quebecor- deal in Phoenix cited

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/chronique...1-4400167-leffet-phoenix-plane-sur-quebec.php

TRANSLATED from original French

Who do these guys think they are? A bill that would make any LEGAL challenge against the funding of this arena (that it is apparently ILLEGAL) not permitted?!?!

You want to challenge how your taxpayer dollars are spent? We'll pass a bill that says you can't!

What a joke....this further illustrates how ridiculously corrupt that entire province is. If I were the NHL I'd be staying very clear of Quebec.

 

[Bob1321]

Who do these guys think they are? A bill that would make any LEGAL challenge against the funding of this arena (that it is apparently ILLEGAL) not permitted?!?!

You want to challenge how your taxpayer dollars are spent? We'll pass a bill that says you can't!

What a joke....this further illustrates how ridiculously corrupt that entire province is. If I were the NHL I'd be staying very clear of Quebec.

When you will know the problem, you will understand

The bill is for the contract between Quebecor and the city of Quebec, not the arena

When its a minority who is trying to block a project because they dont like the sports, you need to block this kind of people

 

[Melrose Munch]

Who do these guys think they are? A bill that would make any LEGAL challenge against the funding of this arena (that it is apparently ILLEGAL) not permitted?!?!

You want to challenge how your taxpayer dollars are spent? We'll pass a bill that says you can't!

What a joke....this further illustrates how ridiculously corrupt that entire province is. If I were the NHL I'd be staying very clear of Quebec.

So what.

Do you want hockey back in Canada or not.

 

[Skarjak]

Who do these guys think they are? A bill that would make any LEGAL challenge against the funding of this arena (that it is apparently ILLEGAL) not permitted?!?!

You want to challenge how your taxpayer dollars are spent? We'll pass a bill that says you can't!

What a joke....this further illustrates how ridiculously corrupt that entire province is. If I were the NHL I'd be staying very clear of Quebec.

It would be great if people could stop parroting that horribly written Macleans article. I doubt you know enough about Québec to make such a judgment. Do we seriously need to discuss corruption in the rest of Canada?

 

[dj4aces]

So what.

Do you want hockey back in Canada or not.

If there is an issue with how something went down, one cannot simply assume that it would have happened that way anyway. It simply must be dealt with, for no other reason than the sake of ensuring proper procedure was followed.

Would I like to see Quebec City return to the NHL? Definitely. However, perhaps those folks should have followed proper procedure, rather than try to skirt around the law.

 

[Little Nilan]

Who do these guys think they are? A bill that would make any LEGAL challenge against the funding of this arena (that it is apparently ILLEGAL) not permitted?!?!

You want to challenge how your taxpayer dollars are spent? We'll pass a bill that says you can't!

What a joke....this further illustrates how ridiculously corrupt that entire province is. If I were the NHL I'd be staying very clear of Quebec.

Agreed, Montreal for example has been a disaster for the league.

 

[Stanley Cup]

Who do these guys think they are? A bill that would make any LEGAL challenge against the funding of this arena (that it is apparently ILLEGAL) not permitted?!?!

You want to challenge how your taxpayer dollars are spent? We'll pass a bill that says you can't!

What a joke....this further illustrates how ridiculously corrupt that entire province is. If I were the NHL I'd be staying very clear of Quebec.

You don't know what you're talking about, fact is most municipalities want a similar law that applies to the whole province now . It's an issue when 3 people can stop a city from building an arena.

 

[Ryan34222]

We have a bridge that's not in top shape condition either. The provincial didn't put any moneiy in it either. The Mercier Bridge is Ottawa's responsability, So I don't see what it has anything to do with provincial spending.

TNSE could wait, they already had their building ready. Quebec is trying to gather the same conditions. Have an arena ready, a willing owner, then ask politely for a team and wait for an opportunity. That's waht TNSE did.

As long as Montreal will ask for 300 M$ for another roof for the Olympic stadium, I'll support the 200M$ for the new arena.

that's not a way for billionaires to act

 

[DoyleG]

So what.

Do you want hockey back in Canada or not.

I think we all do, but the manner it is done is unsettling to a lot of people.

Katz tried some of the tactics in his bid for an arena (ie. personally pressuring politicians) only to get his knuckles rapped. Yet, that's only a small case compared to what's going on now.

 

[Kimota]

Who do these guys think they are? A bill that would make any LEGAL challenge against the funding of this arena (that it is apparently ILLEGAL) not permitted?!?!

You want to challenge how your taxpayer dollars are spent? We'll pass a bill that says you can't!

What a joke....this further illustrates how ridiculously corrupt that entire province is. If I were the NHL I'd be staying very clear of Quebec.

I wish we would sepatate so we wouldn't have to read or hear crap like this.

 

[Kimota]

There was something on RIS saying Envenko who handles things at the Bell Centre are saying they would be interested in managing a new arena in Quebec city.

 

[Kebekoi]

I heard on the TV this morning that the old bastidge De Bellevalle is going at it again.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

There was something on RIS saying Envenko who handles things at the Bell Centre are saying they would be interested in managing a new arena in Quebec city.

Of course they would, they are owned by the Molsons and they know it would be a public disaster if they ever voted against the return of the Nords. However, if they manage the arena, they will be able to block the Nords from ever coming back without a public backlash against the Habs.

As for De Bellevalle, no way this clown gets his injonction. He has absolutely no case and never had. The law will pass and he will be forgotten soon enough.

 

[End on a Hinote]

I would contest this: if they really were 100% committed/certain about bringing the NHL to Winnipeg from the very beginning they'd have pushed for an arena that was either of a less controversial size, or one that could be expanded to such. The fact that they have recently had to undergo massive restructuring of their press and camera facilities to have the building up to League standards instead of insisting on NHL-capable ones from the start further suggests that this is doubtful.

^This

I will give the NHL and TNSE the benefit of the doubt that 15,000 seats is enough for an NHL team, but it make no sense why they would have the NHL on their mind while building an arena with such an intended capacity.

Could they have built an arena of that size as a safety net so as incase their NHL efforts failed they wouldn't have to worry about an overpriced AHL facility?

 

[OthmarAmmann]

If the budget is $400 mm and it's built in Quebec, can it realistically cost less than $700 mm?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

^This

I will give the NHL and TNSE the benefit of the doubt that 15,000 seats is enough for an NHL team, but it make no sense why they would have the NHL on their mind while building an arena with such an intended capacity.

Could they have built an arena of that size as a safety net so as incase their NHL efforts failed they wouldn't have to worry about an overpriced AHL facility?

AHL will never return to QC, rhe only consideration is the QMJHL Remparts being involved in an updated QC arena

 

[End on a Hinote]

AHL will never return to QC, rhe only consideration is the QMJHL Remparts being involved in an updated QC arena

I'm reffering to previous comment about the MTS Centre. I know it's off topic but some here were listing reasons why TNSE built a 15,000 seat arena while, supposedly, aiming for NHL hockey. I was wondering if it's possible that they built an arena of a smaller capacity to reduce the risk of building a money pit of an arena should their NHL aspirations fail. An 18,000 seat rink for AHL? It would be Saskatoon 1983 all over again.

 

[zimmy61]

^This

I will give the NHL and TNSE the benefit of the doubt that 15,000 seats is enough for an NHL team, but it make no sense why they would have the NHL on their mind while building an arena with such an intended capacity.

Could they have built an arena of that size as a safety net so as incase their NHL efforts failed they wouldn't have to worry about an overpriced AHL facility?

I tend to give the opinion of an expert consultant with a rather impressive track record more weight than I do the average fan. Myself included in that group as I was just as skeptical as anyone else a few years ago.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/06/11/winnipeg-arena-the-perfect-size-expert/

 

[Acesolid]

If the budget is $400 mm and it's built in Quebec, can it realistically cost less than $700 mm?

There was an interview earlier on radio with the guys of the arena plan stating that the 400 million budget included everything, from the ground sanitation at the build site and even inflation.

Those guys know what they are doing.

 

[HabsByTheBay]

18K's a little generous for Quebec, if you ask me.

QC should follow the Winnipeg example. 16,500 would be just perfect.

 

[knorthern knight]

There was an interview earlier on radio with the guys of the arena plan stating that the 400 million budget included everything, from the ground sanitation at the build site and even inflation.

Those guys know what they are doing.

And a big government project can no more go way over budget than a man can have a baby . Before Quebecers start whining, let me also point to the project that was originally called "Pier BC" in Vancouver, as well as SkyDome in Toronto. If it's built by government, I assume that the original cost estimates are deliberate lies to prevent public outrage which would've scuttled the project before it got started.