Kinsmen vs. west end rec centre: Council weighs where to invest

Edmonton city councillors are wrestling over which kind of recreation centre the city should invest in.

The discussion comes ascity councillors have two plans before them; one for the Kinsmen Centre, an elite athletic training centre,and the other, a new recreation centregeared more towards families in the west end. .

The upgrades to the Kinsmen are expected to cost $106 million dollars.

"A new facility in the west end where there isn't any opportunity for families to have any recreation and healthy lifestyles, I think is a higher priority," Coun,Michael Oshrytold reporters after a community services committee meeting on Monday.

Not every councillor agrees with Oshry'sassessment.

Coun. Ben Henderson saidEdmontonians have expectations for higher-end training complexes.

"Ithink the new plans reaffirmthat and actually says a top class facility for the city that you can use for meets, for competition space, you can use for high calibre training, the Kinsmen iswhere it needs to go."

Henderson emphasized that major work hasn't been done at the Kinsmen for a while and the facility requires investment from the city.

"I think there are certain facilities that are city-wide facilities, that are the expectation of citizens to have one of them in a city, he said.

This years city budget is expected to be tight and the ongoing debate over where taxpayers dollars will be spent is expected to generate debate and discussion.