Calgary Could Form New Committee To Resurrect Flames Arena Talks

Calgary city councillor Jeff Davison said that he will "bring forward a motion to create a new committee to resurrect negotiations" with the owners of the Flames for a "new arena to replace the aging Saddledome, more than six months after talks broke down," according to Meghan Potkins of the CALGARY HERALD. Davison: "It’s critically important that the city move forward, take the move and form a committee to get negotiations going on the arena again. This is a different council, we have some new councillors, we have a fresh perspective." The Flames’ owners said in September that they were "no longer pursuing an arena deal after months of unproductive negotiations with city hall." However, Davison confirmed that a "proposal to begin negotiations anew" with Calgary Sports & Entertainment is "in the works." While there were "few details offered about who might sit on the new committee," Davison let slip that "at least three councillors could be 'on board.'" Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said that he "welcomed the idea of injecting 'fresh blood' into the arena debate, but questioned what a new committee would accomplish" ( CALGARY HERALD, 4/24 ). Calgary city councillor Ray Jones said, "Initially, it should be new blood that’s on it to give it a different perspective than we’re getting now. The longer we leave it, the more it just kind of goes away. Everybody right now is gung ho to get going on it, and I think we should take advantage of that." In Calgary, Trevor Howell notes efforts to "rejuvenate negotiations with the Flames could be seen as yet another move to curtail Nenshi’s control of high-profile projects, such as the city’s gaffe-prone bid" to host the '26 Winter Games ( THE STAR CALGARY, 4/24 ).