David Thompson says the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) has a mandate to explore partnerships within the community.
At a Wednesday noon meeting of the arena committee charged with deciding the when, where, how, and how much, when it comes to a new arena build in North Bay, Thompson, chair of the board of trustees for NNDSB will do just that.
A motion at the October 17 meeting of city council to include the West Ferris Intermediate and Secondary School grounds as a potential arena site has given life to the possibility of a City-NNDSB collaboration. Recently, correspondence between the two groups seems to have affirmed a desire to work together on projects beneficial to the community, not necessarily just when it comes to the arena.
Thompson says that regular meetings of some form will take place between the board and City officials, that he hopes will include the Mayor, CAO, and other City staffers, as well as representation from the councillors.
An already extended December 31 arena committee deadline has been set and there are more potential arena sites now than there were at the outset. Geotechnical studies have been undertaken in Thomson Park behind Memorial Gardens and adjacent to the Steve Omischl Sports Complex.
Arena committee chair Mark King has also hinted at the possibility of private groups coming forward with offers. One offer of land on Pinewood Park Drive has been ruled out, as has the construction of the new arena on the site of the current West Ferris Community Centre.
Thompson says there is room for up to four pads north of the school in West Ferris, an arrangement that would smooth some feathers among West Ferris residents who are not thrilled about almost losing the high school and community centre in one calendar year.
