I have come to understand that the completion of the Riel Football Complex is at risk of being pushed back for another year.
I find this very troubling and financially irresponsible.
Is this council willing to have a sports field sit vacant while the teams and, more importantly, the youth for which this field was designed, drive to other centres such as Sherwood Park or Edmonton instead of playing in their own community.
To me, every time a game is not played in St. Albert due to the facilities not being completed it is a large waste of money for the taxpayers. It was designed as a first-class stadium; it's time that it got there.
Sports are a vital part of the development of our children, and if we are to "Cultivate Life" as the slogan states, then we should in fact do that.
If even one child cannot play a sport because he or she cannot travel even the small distances to Edmonton or Sherwood Park, that is a day that we as a community have failed our youth.
Put off putting shrubs in on St Albert Trail ... that are destined to die once the piles of snow from the snowplows, thus needing more money to put into them.
Let's not only go half way on this. Let's complete the program and the construction of the amenities building. The players need full and heated change rooms.
John Tkachyk, St. Albert
