Now that the event centre decision has been made and the issue seems to have been resolved, I'd like to share my takeaways from the whole ordeal.
One takeaway comes from a letter that Northern Life published on July 20. In it, the writer suggested that the opinions of community leaders, architects and planners shouldn't be taken any more seriously than those of the least informed person. My takeaway? Expertise doesn't matter.
Another takeaway is with respect to how city council conducted itself. Council determined the criteria, hired a consultant, and then half of council rejected the result because they had already made up their mind. Both data and transparent, process-based decision-making don't matter, either.
And who can forget that, in order for the city to select The Kingsway, council had to ignore its own strategic plan, which prioritizes the redevelopment of the downtown? I guess that planning and being consistent with our declared plans doesn't matter.
In June, there was the Oracle poll that showed 51 per cent of Sudburians thought Dario Zulich would be paying for the arena. If social media discussions are any indication, this continues to be true. Because facts don't matter.
One last takeaway comes courtesy of Coun. Bob Kirwan, who wrote in an email to me that there is "overwhelming evidence" in support of The Kingsway site. But in his 2,175-word missive, he provided none. So, words don't matter.
In summary, then, these are my takeaways from the event centre selection process:
Expertise doesn't matter.
Process doesn't matter.
Data doesn't matter.
Plans don't matter.
Facts don't matter.
Words don't matter.
What can we conclude from this whole exercise except that nothing matters?
Neil Shyminsky
Sudbury