"Severest Critic” Levels Blast At Centennial Centre
By PHIL GIBSON
Journal·Record Staff
Oakville - Opening day for the Centennial Centre is tomorrow and concurring with its stormy history so far, it doesn't look like its dedication will be all that tranquil.
Ward 4 candidate for council Laurie Mannell – often called the town's "severest critic", today blasted the centre's organizing committee.
Referring to a publicity release from the committee chaired by Ward 4 Councillor Kelly New, Mannell said "either they're lying like hell or their adminstration is balled up."
Mannell took issue with a statement made in the release that the library and centennial exhibition wing cost $712,500 and the indoor swimming pool will cost $471,000.
He said the original estimate on the cost of the pool pool was about $471,000 but that as a result of the innumerable delays in the project "it's probably double that now."
Three separate construction strikes held up completion of the pool for four months this summer. Mannell has referred to the complex as "a monument to stupidity" saying that there are other things the town has to acquire before they need a Centennial Centre. .
Ontario's Lieutenant - Governor Earl Rowe will be present at the opening of the site located at the comer of Navy Street and Lakeshore Road.
Even before construction started on the site it was the centre of a controversy. During the 1965 election campaign one of the major issues was whether or not to put the new police building on that site instead of where it is now on Trafalgar Road north of the QEW.
The Mayor and eight citizens of Oakville's twin municipality, Dorval, Quebec will also be present. The past few months have seen a number of goodwill exchanges between the councils of both municipalities.
Reeve Herb Merry was to have taken over for Mayor McLean Anderson at the ceremony but it was revealed that the Mayor has returned from a holiday in the Barbados earlier than was expected.
OAKVILLE CENTENNIAL CENTRE
Official opening on Saturday
