Asper: "Be Patient, Winnipeg."

Author: Scott Taylor

March 15, 2010

Scott Taylor's E-Take is sponsored by BioTech Laser, who utilize a low intensity laser that stimulates the natural healing of tissue.

David Asper has only one thing to say to skeptical Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ fans: “Be patient.”

The man who came up with a great way to save both the Bombers in the long-term and build a new stadium to replace the old dump out by Polo Park in the short-term, knows that a lot of Winnipeggers don’t believe a new stadium will ever be built in this community.  However, this week he told hotdoghockey.com that there was still life in his plans.  There will be a new stadium at the University of Manitoba, just be patient.

Of course, there is probably a legitimate reason why many people don’t believe Asper will ever realize his dream.  After all, he first presented his plans to the Bombers board of directors in January of 2007.  Yes, that’s more than three years ago.  Since then, there has really been nothing but setbacks.  Still, for a guy whose family is still in the running to buy back their media empire, you can pretty much guarantee that there is no quit in him.

“Be patient. Be patient,” Asper said. “I’m not discussing it. Everything is moving along.”

It had better be.

That’s because both the Bombers and the province have a problem if Asper fails (or is allowed to fail).  If he doesn’t get this done, there is nobody else around who would even bother.  The stadium is 56 years old and it’s crumbling.  The East Side is a disaster and the upper decks creak.  Having concession sales in the old dump is a necessity that has now turned into a luxury.  In a nutshell, this city’s Canadian Football League franchise requires a new stadium well before the 80-year-old Bombers celebrate their 85th anniversary.

Of course, that might or might not be realistic.  If Asper’s real estate arm, Creswin Properties, can acquire the leases necessary to make the commercial project work -- the commercial project that will fuel the Bombers financial engine for the next X-number of years -- then all will be well.

But during the recent economic downturn, Creswin couldn’t make it work and Asper had to get a one-year extension on the project.  That means, by the time an announcement -- one way or the other -- is made, it will have been at least four years since Asper brought his proposal to the Bomber board.  And even at that, no one will know if the thumb is up or down.

“We all hope he succeeds,” said Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz.  “Because right now, there is no Plan B.”

That might have to do with the fact that the provincial government has changed to such an extent that the $20 million committed to the project is no longer a set-in-stone guarantee.  Insiders on Broadway say the project has died completely, and then been resurrected, on at least two separate occasions.  Unelected premier Greg Selinger doesn’t want to commit $20 million to the project and Asper has been forced to do more political backroom work than he’d ever expected – or wanted to do.

Where the feds are on this deal has become a mystery, although University of Manitoba insiders say that the money is still ready to roll.  Trouble is, the cost of the project rises every day and after Saskatchewan started talking $386.2 million for a new “Entertainment Facility” in Regina, folks started to wonder what $145 million would buy for Winnipeg and the U of M (BTW, how can Regina build a $386.2 million domed stadium and Winnipeg can’t?).

Regardless, there has not been a peep from Asper’s fan website, www.blueandgold.ca since Oct. 1, 2009 and one high-ranking local official said this week, “I hope David gets it done, because he’s the only person with a vision.  But right now, it all just seems kind of dead in the water.”

“It’s Winnipeg,” Asper said, “things move very slowly.”

No lie there.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see the Bombers financial report for 2009 knowing that another year or two or three in the creaky old dump on Maroons Rd., will not help to make those reports any better.

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