By Dana Reynolds

Mayor Dionne won’t lie; the city is in an economic downturn

Jan 28, 2016 | 4:01 PM

Mayor Dionne said, unlike those who came before, he will be honest about the economic state of the city.

“My predecessor, before me, they used to talk about how the mill’s going to open. They’d talk about the thousands of jobs in the diamond mines. Well I’m not that way. I live in the real world and the real world is what we’re in today,” Dionne said.

The mayor spoke to a crowd of almost 380 people that reflected the who’s who in Prince Albert during his annual state of the city address, Jan. 28. From business leaders, to city councillors, to the fire department, to the Raiders hockey team, a sold out crowd listened as Dionne gave the good and the not so good of everything in the city from 2015 and, even, what to expect this year.

Dionne was pleased to announce roughly $15 million was spent on new construction in the city. He spoke of the work done on Second Ave. and the city’s on-going project to asphalt all existing gravel roads. He also promised to complete all sewer projects in 2016, including spending $3.6 million to finish work on the city’s lifts stations.

The mayor also spoke of private investment in the city, including a brand new 90,000 square foot retail development roughly at the corner of Sixth Ave. E. and 15th St. E.

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However, Dionne was not shy about telling his audience, not just P.A. but the province, the country and practically the global was in the midst of an economic downturn. Unperturbed, the mayor said the city had a plan.

“…we’re responding to it and we acknowledge it. We’re not living in a bubble,” Dionne said.

There are currently in place initiatives for homeowners to buy, for real estate agents to sell and developers to build. He spoke specifically about a rural tax incentive for properties north of the river.

“…if you just go out another kilometer into the (rural municipality) of Buckland, the base tax is about 30 per cent cheaper (than the community of Nordale). So we’re going to match that 30 per cent,” Dionne explained adding he expected this proposal to come to city council at the end of February.

Dionne concluded his speech with his renewed desire to build a new hospital in P.A, but unfortunately acknowledged this was in the province’s hands.

“In past practices the city was to supply 20 per cent of the funding. But we do not agree with that model, strictly speaking, because we believe it’s a northern hospital and we believe the majority of people who use it are from the north,” Dionne said.

dreynolds@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @danitska