Council must create a backup plan, should a polluted property prove unusable for a proposed recreation complex, Coun. Tim Lauer said this week.

“It is only good management to be ready if the time frame becomes unworkable or the site becomes unworkable,” Lauer told Orillia Today.

Council recently heard that a twice-rejected safety plan for the West Street site – now in its third submission – is likely to face a challenge at an environmental tribunal, if and when the province gives its seal of approval.

Such a challenge could further prolong the chronically delayed project by years, council heard.
“Optimistically, we are looking at 2011 or 2012,” Lauer added.

Lauer will bring forward a motion to strike a committee to explore a range of options drafted by staff and recently presented to council, options that have gone largely ignored in the public chamber.

Options presented include relocating the project to another site, such as the Horne Farm, or abandoning the one-site concept in favour of multiple locations.

Lauer also hopes to explore an earlier proposal for a twin-pad ice surface that could be built to accommodate the demand for additional ice time in the interim.

A majority of council recently supported a motion allowing consultants to continue working on the risk assessment in the hope of garnering an approval from Ontario’s environment ministry.

Coun. Paul Spears this week suggested supporters of the West Street site contact the province to voice their concern over the lengthy review process. 

“Yell, ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this any more,’ and see if that helps,” he added, quoting acting Peter Finch’s angry character in the film Network.

Spears continues to support the troubled site and said others do, too.

“People I talk to basically say, ‘Do it,’” he added. “Some are saying (the price) is too much, and you can argue that point. But wait until you’ve got the tenders in. We are only talking estimates now.”

As for the environmental concerns that have been at the centre of the debate, Spears said he is putting his trust in consultants acting on the city’s behalf.

“There is no way I would vote for something if it meant somebody was going to be endangered,” he added.