It’s a $2.4 billion bid that includes $500 million from the Federal Government, $500 million from Ontario, with Ontario guaranteeing to cover any cost over-runs (and you know there will be overruns).

Who wants to bet that upgrading sports arenas and athletic facilities that residents actually need would cost only a fraction of this?

You already know how I feel about Chicago’s lost bid.  But Toronto might as well try to host Olympics now to get some more value out of these facilities.

Here’s what I am sending to Community Services about squash:

Milton’s Community Services Master Plan explicitly calls out for a Tennis Strategy while specifically recommending against building any squash courts. We feel that this double-standard is highly unfair to residents who enjoy indoor racquet sports like squash and racquet ball.

Other municipalities in GTA, such as Mississauga, Oakville, Ajax, Vaughn, and Oshawa, to name a few, build and maintain squash courts as a service to residents. Unlike public tennis courts, squash courts are always fee-based and therefore do not require tax-payer subsidies for on-going maintenance like tennis courts do.

Squash is an incredibly popular sport with over 55 clubs in GTA alone, and many more in Hamilton-Niagara and K-W areas. Forbes Magazine in 2003 found squash to be the best form of exercise. In fact, an hour of squash typically burns 70% more calories than an hour of tennis play. Moreover, due to an enclosed space, squash is easy to play alone which makes it an ideal sport for residents looking for a casual drop-in activity. Tennis, by contrast, requires a partner. In addition, squash can be enjoyed year-round while outdoor tennis courts cannot be used for most of the year. Finally, like tennis courts, squash courts can also be used for other activities.

We urge you to re-think Milton’s opposition to building squash courts. We would like the town to consider squash like it considers other recreational facilities such as swimming pools, ice rinks, tennis courts and gymnasiums. The town should be open to building squash courts if a substantial demand exists. However, in order to investigate the demand the town has to first remove its unfair and unconditional opposition to squash courts.

I must add: squash seems less popular than it is because it is not a spectator sport.  Due to an enclosed space and a tiny, fast moving ball, it is not easy to follow. However, it is still incredibly popular.  Canada ranks sixth in the world, despite its low population, in countries with highest number of squash courts. 

Either way, I do not claim to know whether there is enough demand to justify public courts in Milton. I am saying that there is enough demand to at least give it some consideration.  That’s it! 

The highlighted area, from ninth line to 407, is part of Milton. However, it touches the boundary of Mississauga and it wanted the land.

Well, it got it (pretty much).

In return, Milton will receive $2 million and Halton $1.29 million (to compensate these municipalities for lost property tax revenue). 

It’s a good deal for Mississauga, since it can do something with the land, and a good deal for Milton, it got paid for something it wouldn’t have done anything with anyway.  A true win-win situation. 

Milton has an explicit tennis strategy. There are currently 20 municipal tennis courts in Milton, more under planning. Yet Milton has an explicit policy against building squash courts. That’s partly why you will not see any squash courts added to the Milton Sports Centre as part of its $35 million expansion.

Milton’s opposition for building a squash court is simple: the town does not consider it a ‘core municipal service’. I totally get that, but I don’t see how tennis courts, ice rinks, gyms, skateboard parks etc are ‘core municipal services’.

For various reasons (ability to play year-round, insanely good exercise [much better than tennis], ability to play alone, wallyball , easy to do it casually for drop-ins, etc etc) I am hoping to convince the town to drop its opposition for squash courts.

I am writing a letter that I hope others will sign as well. If you’re interested in signing it then please e-mail me or leave me a comment.  I’ll bring the letter to you. Check it out and sign it if you’re interested. I should’ve done it when the farmer’s market was on but hey, even a few signatures should help (just need to show that I am not the only one interested in squash).  Please only respond if you currently actively play squash or stopped playing because of lack of facilities in Milton and would like to restart.

I could write a book on how Federal (and Provincial) politicians destroy tax-payer value for personal gains, whether its tinkering with climate change objectives to gain votes, short-sighted stimulus expenditures, using Canada’s messed-up equalization payment to get back at Premiers or using taxpayer money and public fund to promote their political parties.

However, this blog focuses on municipal issues and local politicians are not all that innocent either.  Check out what can be done with all the money Chicago will save because it lost the Olympic bid:

… finance a great engineering college, an online university serving tens of thousands of students, an electric car manufacturer, a bunch of high-tech businesses, a free wireless Internet covering the entire city, and still have a lot left over.

Will Chicago do any of this? Of course not.  Spending borrowed taxpayer dollars on a two-week spectacle gives politicians an opportunity to spend some time on national and international limelight that helps them advance their personal agenda.  Spending that money on long-term interest and wellbeing of taxpayers achieves none of that. 

The key, IMO, is to add a ballot requirement for all large-scale borrowing.  Mayor and Municipal Council should lose the ability to debt-finance a project without public explicitly approving it.  Is it efficient? No!  Will some good projects go unfunded because taxpayers did not understand the value? Sure.  Overall will this benefit us by clipping politicians’ wings? Heck yes!