Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

City poised to take over arena’s $40 million debt

The City of Toronto is looking at taking over the debt-plagued Lakeshore Lions Arena, also known as the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, where the Toronto Maple Leafs train.

Under a rescue plan going to council’s executive committee next week, the city would assume responsibility for repaying about $40 million borrowed to build the four-pad arena on Kipling Ave.

Since it opened in September, 2009, the centre has been making about $1.6 million a year with the major tenant being the Leafs and Marlies, and 500 hours a year of no-charge ice time allocated to the public school board, which owns the land.

But there’s been no money to cover debt payments and the Lakeshore Lions Club was in danger of defaulting, a city staff report said.

Arena president Bob Harris declined comment.

The facility — the first built in Toronto in two decades — features four NHL-sized rinks, one of which can be expanded to Olympic size. It replaced the single-rink Lakeshore Lions Arena, which opened in 1951.

And the rescue plan would not be the first time the city has decided to step in and take over from outside operators.

Full Article
Source: Toronto Star 

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