While the municipality still hasn’t heard from the federal and provincial governments about potential funding for a multi-purpose sports complex, Chatham-Kent council is pledging to move $18.5 million from reserves toward the project. 
Some councillors, including Ward 3’s Steve Pinsonneault, don’t understand why the money had to be set aside with the grants still not approved.
“If we don’t get the funding from the upper levels of government, there’s no way we can afford an arena,” Pinsonneault says. “I just don’t think it’s necessary right now to put $18.5 million dollars into a reserve that we may never need.”
Administration says taking the money from reserves is for housekeeping purposes, so council knows at budget time how much they have in reserves and how much is set aside for the sports complex project.
Chatham-Kent is expected to hear whether it has been successful in getting grants for the sports complex from upper-levels of government in the new year.
