Prince Albert mayoral candidate Josh Morrow made his pitch for why he’s the right person to oversee the future development of the City’s new $60-million arenas and aquatics centre on Friday.

Morrow, who is one of four people running for the mayor’s seat in next week’s municipal election, said his background in project management makes him the ideal candidate. He said building the new rec centre is one of the City’s most important projects, and it requires an experienced leader to make sure it’s done right.

“I really believe that we need somebody at the helm that will understand and scrutinize (the project) and ensure that the residents of Prince Albert are getting the absolute best bang for their buck,” he said in an interview. “My entire philosophy is efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and responsibility for any projects or any tasks we take on moving forward.”

Morrow acknowledged that not everyone was happy with the building’s location, or with council’s decision to purchase and 18-acre parcel to build on. However, he said all major infrastructure projects will carry a certain amount of risk. In this case, he believes the rewards are worth those risks.

“The benefits outweigh the negatives 10,000 to one, and that’s something that we really need to understand,” he said. “We desperately need to make sure that there are opportunities so our children do not fall through the cracks, and we really promote that recreational style of life for our children, ourselves, our family members and the senior population.”

Morrow added that building the facility would not only draw more visitors to Prince Albert, it would also help attract new residents and keep current ones from leaving. He reiterated concerns that he’s disappointed with the negative attention the project has received, and urged voters to accept the project as it is and more forward.

“There is a small risk involved when building these kinds of centres, but the end result is always fantastic,” he said. “It is the absolute best community building to bring people together.”

Morrow is running against incumbent mayor Greg Dionne, former MLA Darryl Hickie, and former Ward 7 Coun. Dennis Nowoselsky in the 2020 municipal election. Election Day is Nov. 9.

Former Minto offers support for new rec facility

Former Prince Albert Mintos defenceman Robyn Regehr said he’s happy to hear about plans for a new arenas and aquatics centre in Prince Albert.

The Rosthern-product spent one season with the Mintos, before suiting up with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. He also spent 15 seasons in the NHL.

Now retired, Regehr still spends his summers in the Prince Albert area with his family. As a father of two kids, he said it’s important to have a good recreation facilities, and he’s excited to see Prince Albert taking steps to build them.

“We’re in the city quite a bit, and it’s exciting to hear that Prince Albert could be getting a really important piece, (plus) a hospital that has increased capability for care,” Regehr said. “That, hopefully, will attract a bunch of new young professionals with young families. This rec centre could be a very important part of the ability to attract those types of people, and make Prince Albert a place they want to be.”

Regehr said he became aware of the project after talking to mayoral candidate Josh Morrow, who he’s known for a few years. Regehr said the two had in-depth discussions about Morrow’s decision to run for mayor, and the recreation centre was one of the most common topics.

“I was actually quite excited,” Regehr explained. “Sports have been very important for me, and when he talked about this potential project, I thought it was a very good opportunity for Prince Albert to add what could be a very nice piece of infrastructure that lots of people could enjoy.”

“If felt that growing up in Rosthern, and in smaller communities, there were really two heartbeats during the winter months: the hockey rink and the curling rink,” he added. “It depended on your age for where you spent your time, but that’s where the happening place was for a good part of the winter. I think that’s still true today, and that’s why potentially adding another couple of sheets of ice there would be a great opportunity.”

Regehr wasn’t the only former NHLer to weigh in on the topic. Retired defenceman Jay Bouwmeester, who won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, also expressed his support for building a new facility.

Like Regehr, Bouwmeester found out about the product through discussions with Morrow, who he considers a good friend. Bouwmeester has three kids of his own, and said the rec centre would provide benefits that go far beyond competitive sports.

“Just playing on different team sports, I think, is good for kids to learn that cooperation and leadership and that sort of thing,” he said. “I played sports growing up all the time and I was always around that, so I have that sort of view, but I think that those experiences for kids can translate into other things, whether it be at school or when they get older and get into the work force, and things like that.”