July 23, 2009

Saskatchewan mulls new dome

The province of Saskatchewan has launched a $1 million study to consider whether to build a $350 million domed stadium (all figures Canadian) in Regina for the Roughriders CFL team (not to confused with the Rough Riders CFL team). And as they say in Canada, "sceptics" are critiquing the plan just because it will be conducted by Global Spectrum International, a stadium management company.

Lee Harding, Saskatchewan director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, told the CBC: "We have people writing a report who would have a financial incentive to go back to the people who commissioned it and say: 'Yes, a dome is a great idea.' And after you build it could you let us run it? So really it's a foregone conclusion that this thing is going to recommend a new domed stadium."

Meanwhile, Regina Leader Post columnist Will Chabun points out some other pitfalls of a stadium plan, including land costs, overruns, and whether it would draw off events from the Brandt Centre, the city's hockey arena: "Will we end up having two half-empty barns?"

Also an unknown: Would a new stadium still honor "Piffles" Taylor?