The Mayor of Tache says they are sending out requests for proposals from contractors interested in designing the new recreation complex in Lorette.

Robert Rivard says in December they received a letter from the provincial government committing funding for the project. The government announced it would pay fifty per cent of the cost, up to a maximum of $8 million.

(Tache Mayor Robert Rivard)Rivard says informal talks from local contractors suggest it will cost about $15 million to construct the complex which would include an ice surface, daycare, library, gymnasium and common area. He notes this is considerably less than the dollar figure that was tossed around two years ago.

Rivard says back then they hired a consultant to do a survey of what the community wanted and to come up with a plan of what should be built. The consultant came back with a complex complete with two ice surfaces and a curling rink, a full service restaurant and gymnasium. It was designed to be elaborate with lounging areas and a lot of glass. Rivard says at $45 million, it was just too much for what that community wanted.

According to the Mayor, Tache Council has moved on to the next phase of this project which involves sending out requests for proposals from any design build contractors. He expects they will have those returned in a month and after that they can proceed to the drawings stage.

As mentioned, provincial funding has been announced and now they are awaiting on money from the federal government. Rivard says they haven't heard anything yet, other than reports from the Prime Minister that infrastructure funding will be made available for things like arenas and community centres. Tache is hoping for $5 million in federal funding.

In addition to funding from those two levels of government, Rivard says there is also a required commitment of $2 million to be fundraised by the local community. In fact, he says they won't put shovel in the ground before there is enough raised locally, meaning construction probably will not start for another eighteen months at least.

Rivard says though the project is finding favour from the community and from Council, there are those with concerns related to how much the project will cost. He notes the concern from some is just how much they will be forced to pay, even if they don't live that close and might not use it a whole lot. Rivard says those concerns must be looked at because in the end it has to be something that is best for everybody.

"Some people aren't going to use it as much as others but that doesn't mean that the whole community shouldn't be responsible for helping to pay for it," says Rivard.

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