A new arena is coming to Mount Brydges, we know that, but when and where is still unknown. Last week at Strathroy-Caradoc council, the new Arena Building committee was re-established, after running for about a year and being shut down by the Municipality during election time in 2022. This time around, Council was provided 3 options and eventually approved a recommendation from the Community Services Department to create the committee composed of only Council members and Town staff and no public representation of any kind, not even representation from the Municipality’s Tri-Township partners The Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. The Building Committee will now run parallel to the current Tri-Township Arena Feasibility Study that is currently underway. myFM reached out to Community Services Department Director Rob Lilbourne asking why the department recommended a committee with no one from the public, myFM is still awaiting a response to that question. We caught up with Strathroy-Caradoc Mayor Colin Grantham who says there will be public representation, but it will be later on in the process by way of public consultation and/or open houses.
The problem Mayor Grantham stated is finding suitable land, and he says the only spot the arena can go right now is where it is currently located or at the site of the Caradoc Community Centre.
In addition to no public representation of any kind on the new Building committee, the Municipality’s Tri-Township arena partners The Chippewas of the Thames First Nation are not represented either, and when the Mayor was questioned on that, he told myFM “I have met with Chief French of the Chippewas Nation regarding the arena, and our talks will continue and we will ensure that they are part of any plan.”
Mayor Grantham adds he has only one vote on council but he believes the Caradoc Community Centre needs to stay where it is.
Mayor Grantham says this is a project he really wants to get done, and get shovels into the ground as soon as possible.
written by: R. Ross
