Relocation. Relocation. Relocation.

[maplesyrup]

What I'm trying to say is that there's essentially the ACC in terms of big time venues as far as arenas goes that serve this city and that's about it.

Well that's just not true. The Dome still exists. It still holds things like UFC fights and concerts and other things that a new Arena would be competing for.

Ah yes, the dome... Forgot about that place though it's never been a very good place for a concert but your point remains. Still, sooner or later I feel the 905/705 is going to need a comparable venue to the ACC. 

 

[bustaheims]

Ok. But that's a population of what...500,000 or so spread out over a large geographic area? Winnipeg is several hundred thousand people bigger, denser, and they don't have any 20,000 seat arenas within any kind of driving distance. Certainly not the 40-45 minutes it takes to get to the ACC.

A 20,000 seat venue isn't something that's going to be within driving distance of the whole world. Again, if it made sense to build a 20,000 seat venue in Markham, it'd be being built.

York Region boasts a population of over 1 million and Markham recently became a city rather than a town.

 

[Kin]

Still, sooner or later I feel the 905/705 is going to need a comparable venue to the ACC.

Well, getting back all the way to the beginning, the minute that any region/city "needs" a facility to the extent that it will make actual genuine money there will be private developers who will build it and reap the rewards. Trust me, Southern Ontario is lousy with real estate developers. As soon as the demographics indicate that it would be a profitable venture without sponging hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayers you'll see the shovels in the ground.

 

[maplesyrup]

Ok. But that's a population of what...500,000 or so spread out over a large geographic area? Winnipeg is several hundred thousand people bigger, denser, and they don't have any 20,000 seat arenas within any kind of driving distance. Certainly not the 40-45 minutes it takes to get to the ACC.

A 20,000 seat venue isn't something that's going to be within driving distance of the whole world. Again, if it made sense to build a 20,000 seat venue in Markham, it'd be being built.

York Region boasts a population of over 1 million and Markham recently became a city rather than a town.

... and saving an hour both ways for the folks coming in from places further north pretty significant too. It probably makes a difference in terms of coming in to see a game/concert/event or not. I mean, being able to get back from work to pick up the kids/family and back down again would be huge.

 

[Kin]

York Region boasts a population of over 1 million and Markham recently became a city rather than a town.

What are their chief exports?

 

[maplesyrup]

Still, sooner or later I feel the 905/705 is going to need a comparable venue to the ACC.

Well, getting back all the way to the beginning, the minute that any region/city "needs" a facility to the extent that it will make actual genuine money there will be private developers who will build it and reap the rewards. Trust me, Southern Ontario is lousy with real estate developers. As soon as the demographics indicate that it would be a profitable venture without sponging hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayers you'll see the shovels in the ground.

But again, why as a private investor would I wait to foot the bill myself when I have an eager partner now?

 

[bustaheims]

York Region boasts a population of over 1 million and Markham recently became a city rather than a town.

What are their chief exports?

Young people moving into the city and then moving back to start families?

 

[maplesyrup]

York Region boasts a population of over 1 million and Markham recently became a city rather than a town.

What are their chief exports?

Worker bees mostly.

 

[bustaheims]

But, for what it's worth, York Region is one of the fastest growing census divisions in the country.

 

[Kin]

But again, why as a private investor would I wait to foot the bill myself when I have an eager partner now?

Well, you wouldn't. If I were in private business and I could sucker a city into giving me hundreds of millions of dollars I'd take it too. My point has never been that developers shouldn't want public money. Just that it's a boondoggle.

 

[Kin]

Young people moving into the city and then moving back to start families?

Well, those aren't exports but it wasn't a serious question either way. Markham can call itself whatever it want and it doesn't change the fundamental concept of capitalism.

 

[bustaheims]

Well, those aren't exports but it wasn't a serious question either way. Markham can call itself whatever it want and it doesn't change the fundamental concept of capitalism.

Well, it's not up to Markham. The designation of "city" is bestowed by the provincial government and is based on population.

 

[maplesyrup]

But, for what it's worth, York Region is one of the fastest growing census divisions in the country.

It's getting brutal. Try taking Yonge street from the south end of Newmarket right through past the north... Don't even think about it unless you've got an audio book.  :-\ 

 

[bustaheims]

It's getting brutal. Try taking Yonge street from the south end of Newmarket right through past the north... Don't even think about it unless you've got an audio book.  :-\

I try not to travel north of 7 and very rarely do I end up north of 16th.

 

[Kin]

Well, it's not up to Markham. The designation of "city" is bestowed by the provincial government and is based on population.

Alright. So the contentious issue of their letterhead is resolved then?

 

[maplesyrup]

It's getting brutal. Try taking Yonge street from the south end of Newmarket right through past the north... Don't even think about it unless you've got an audio book.  :-\

I try not to travel north of 7 and very rarely do I end up north of 16th.

See, even Canada's Wonderland gets a little 416ish for me. 

 

[bustaheims]

Alright. So the contentious issue of their letterhead is resolved then?

Maybe, but I think you're being a little dismissive towards the area. There are over 1 million people living there, and it's growing faster than all but a handful of areas of the country. It's already the 7th largest census division in the country and has the 11th highest population density - and, that's not including places like Barrie, Orillia, etc, that Sarge brought into the discussion.

 

[maplesyrup]

Alright. So the contentious issue of their letterhead is resolved then?

Maybe, but I think you're being a little dismissive towards the area. There are over 1 million people living there, and it's growing faster than all but a handful of areas of the country. It's already the 7th largest census division in the country and has the 11th highest population density - and, that's not including places like Barrie, Orillia, etc, that Sarge brought into the discussion.

I mean, that's more than Winnipeg, Ottawa, Edmonton, and about the same as Calgary, right?

 

[bustaheims]

I mean, that's more than Winnipeg, Ottawa, Edmonton, and about the same as Calgary, right?

It's a touch smaller than metro-Edmonton (about 100K), but, bigger than Ottawa proper (about 200K smaller than metro), about the same as Calgary proper (again, about 200K smaller than metro) and significantly larger than Winnipeg.

 

[Kin]

Maybe, but I think you're being a little dismissive towards the area.

I'm sure it's a fabulous place filled with wonderful people. That's one of the many reasons why I'd hate to see them waste their money on an arena that private industry can't support.