Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 7, 1994, Winnipeg, Manitoba Inside Story win Eppg from rvp1 a 1 1 i i saturday Mav Blu Chip lineup for great debate heres a snapshot of the bums committee far left James chairman of the Board of greatest life Assurance co and Deputy chairman of Power corporation of Canada clockwise from top left William president of Ennis corporation Hartley president and director of James Richardson and sons Helen executive director of the Volunteer Centre of Winnipeg Mai Anderson chief executive officer of credit Union Central of Manitoba and Richard president of Triton investment company not pictured Are Richard executive Vic president with investors group Robert chairman of Megil Stephenson company and president of Birchwood automotive group Del senior partner with Del Rifle and skating into the future committees game plan warns great Arena debate will be last Hope for jets by Paul Samyn and Scott Taylor staff reporters it will set the Agenda for the final round of the great Arena the report from the Burns expected As soon As next will Lay out the arithmetic and a game plan to save the Winnipeg Manitoban will have until june 30 to answer what has become a question that affects not Only the future of professional hockey in the City but also the strength of the provincial As the clock ticks toward that the free press has Learned several of the key recommendations the Burns committee will what follows Are some of those recommendations that will guide discussion about ownership of the team and whether to build a new Arena Winnipeg last Chance for nil hockey the warning from the nine member Blu Chip committee chaired by James Burns of great West life Assurance pulls no simply the committee warns that this debate is Winnipeg last Chance to retain National hockey league with a number of cities eager for nil franchises and willing to pay much More than the million for which the City and province could buy out the teams private it is unlikely Winnipeg would Ever get another nil franchise if the jets the Burns committee also says the loss of the jets will mean no new state theart conditions for Public support using taxpayers dollars to prop up the jets or pay for a new Arena is a Tough Issue for Manitoba politicians to a free press poll last fall showed nearly half of All Winnipeg Ger s oppose the use of tax dollars to build i Deal viable with teamwork a1 a new the Burns committee clearly recognizes the divisive nature of this economic and emotional debate and insists key conditions must be met before government gets involved in any Deal a broaden jets ownership the Burns committee recommends that More investors need to be brought on the broadening of the teams ownership could come from a few Well heeled individuals buying into the club or a Public share Issue with shares trading on a Stock any greater government ownership would Only be used As a Short term Bridge to allow investors to buy into the sources the report also says any ownership changes would require approval by the nil commissioner Gary Bettman has said caretaker ownership by government is As Long As it is not the nil requires a majority owner in a position to make Day today decisions at the league b private sector commitment according to the the private sector will have to have the cheques signed up front for such items As luxury season tickets and advertising for a new the report will clearly Challenge the corporate sector to put its Money on the line for the Cap the report says the nil must come up with a Revenue sharing plan and a salary a key ingredient for Small Market teams such As the jets which have seen their payrolls outstrip while Bettman has said the nil needs teams like he has yet to make any commitments on salary Caps or Revenue these issues will not be resolved by june a key reason an Extension of the agreement with the Only Way Tolep the jets in weighing the proposals proposal new Arena built around old preferred site Polo proponents forum a non profit citizens Cost taxpayer involvement Arena to pay own government guaranteed proposal downtown preferred site across from convention proponents North american life Assurance Cost taxpayer involvement land owned by Public investment of proposal Snow Cap water Avenue a multipurpose facility Able to accommodate baseball and preferred site City land North of the Cost million includes Cost of buying bombers and aaa baseball proponents Paul Sveinson and Board of taxpayer involvement City other costs to be funded through Bond proposal super Lex project an Arena and dome stadium joined by a common Wall with an aquatic Park on the Forks preferred site City land North of the Cost million includes Cost of buying jets and proponents Rick Kos win and Board of taxpayer involvement City other costs to be funded through Bond team is location the Mauro report released last july suggested the Best site for a new Arena costing would be in the downtown area and included the Forks As a possible the Burns committee builds on the Mauro report and now believes the Best site for what it Calls a Complex should be adjacent to the Winnipeg convention the thinking is that having the two facilities adjacent to each other would allow for a consolidation of what would be competing stress the positive keeping the jets in Winnipeg and building a new Arena is not a cheap the City and province would have to Shell out million to gain control of the the Mauro report saw a total of million coming from the the province and Ottawa to Start the Ball rolling for a new million of taxpayers have already been picking up losses for the team As part of an agreement to keep the jets in Winnipeg until the Bill for this years losses is expected to be about but there Are considerable benefits to keeping the jets in and the Burns committee says those cant be their report says politicians should ensure the Public understands the importance the jets play in the cites economic future and its Quality of As Premier Gary Filmon has frequently the jets add million a year to the Economy through spinoff f s and and employ thousands of workers in direct and indirect politicians and Community leaders also Point to the considerable prestige having an nil team brings to the entertainment potential the Burns committee sees a new Arena playing a key role in Winnipeg entertainment and social without a world class the report the major shows and other attractions will bypass the report says that kind of infrastructure merits major Public investment to ensure Winnipeg int of the North american entertainment Simmons Spring sole i phone Simmons Canada Simmons emotions Simmons siesta Simmons medallist i Simmons Ostermoor twin set twin extra Long set Toto Tot imn set Dot set Oln set 389 set Simmons Simmons Simmons Simmons medallist Iii Beauty rest debut Beauty rest Somerset plus twin set set Qew set w twin set set set Kotof 729 twin set set of 789 759 i124911 available at All three 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