ST. PAUL - Details remain sparse regarding a proposed field house project in the Ashmont area.
The project has come up at a handful of meetings over the past month.
One Town of St. Paul councillor brought up the topic briefly at a Nov. 22 council meeting, asking if administration had any more information on the potential project.
As councillors reviewed the St. Paul/Elk Point Economic Development Alliance (STEP) notes from a Nov. 12 meeting, Coun. Brad Eamon asked if CAO Steven Jeffery had any more information about the request for letters of support that had gone before County of St. Paul council a couple weeks prior.
"What I know about this... is that it is very, very preliminary," said Jeffery. He noted the conversation has not transferred over to the Town of St. Paul yet. He also stated that he didn't know anything more than what was included in the STEP report.
The report states only that there has been a "private individual expression of interest" to build a recreation field house within the County of St. Paul.
At the Nov. 9 County of St. Paul council meeting, the request for letters of support were brought before council. The request came from a group called House of Speed.
Lornette Daye, President of the House of Speed Canada Ltd. submitted a request for two letters of support to accompany applications for the Tourism Relief Fund for Indigenous Communities Sport Programs, and the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities – Sport Support Program.
A letter from Daye included in the County agenda package was sparse on details, and efforts to reach the organization following the meeting were unsuccessful.
Council discussed the request briefly, with Coun. Darrell Younghans asking administration if those involved had contacted neighbouring municipalities. Reeve Glen Ockerman also asked about ownership of the potential facility.
"It would be privately owned," said County of St. Paul CAO Sheila Kitz.
Coun. Ross Krekoski said he felt that generally, grant programs such as those being applied for would require support from other communities, and felt the group had likely reached out to others.
Ockerman said he had no problem supporting the initiative as long as the County wasn't bound to anything financially at this point in time.
Coun. Maxine Fodness made a motion to provide a letter of support for the tourism program, while Coun. Kevin Wirsta made a motion for the other letter of support.
County of St. Paul Coun. Dale Hedrick excused himself prior to discussions beginning due to pecuniary interest.
Section 170 of the MGA describes pecuniary interest as something that could monetarily affect a council member, their spouse, an adult interdependent partner, or children, parents or the parents of a spouse; or a business that employs the councillor, or in which they have an interest.
