James Breckenridge makes some valid points in his criticism of “ego projects” such as the AESC and the deal with the Heat, which appeared in the April 27 News.
At first, I, too, was not thrilled that our tax dollars were being spent in such a way.
However, if we follow Mr. Breckenridge’s argument, none of us should attend any functions in these facilities.
Since we’re on the hook for half a billion dollars for the refurbished BC Place, we should boycott it too.
Should we not punish the B.C. Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps, the auto show and any others for our politicians’ largesse with our tax dollars?
Of course, the answer is no.
Now that the facilities have been built, we should encourage people to attend any and all games, exhibitions and such that use those venues, to help pay the rent. This includes the Abbotsford Heat.
Granted, the team’s financial circumstances are unfortunate, but if Abbotsford didn’t have the Heat, who else is going to occupy the stadium?
It seems to me that the citizens of the Fraser Valley continue to hold a grudge against the Heat for the politicians’ decisions, which doesn’t seem fair to me.
They also seem unwilling to attend games because of their loyalty to the Vancouver Canucks.
I, too, am a huge Canucks fan and bled blue and green when we came so near and yet so far to winning it all. But I believe we can be loyal to the Canucks and still be fans of the Abbotsford Heat, our local team.
I can assure everyone that the Heat is a first-class organization. I’ve had the good fortune to meet Ryan Walter, Troy Ward and many others who work for the Heat, and they are trying very hard to gain the loyalty of the Fraser Valley fan base.
If you’re a hockey fan, you really should try to attend a game. You’ll find the on-ice product to be a fast, exciting, hard-fought brand of hockey with a fun, family-oriented atmosphere.
Not only do my young son and I enjoy the high-quality hockey, I feel that I’m also helping to pay the rent and assist my fellow taxpayers whenever I put down my hard-earned cash.
I urge all of you Fraser Valley hockey fans to attend any Heat games you can – you won’t be disappointed.
Alan Cameron