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By a vote of 12-5, Chatham-Kent Council in southwestern Ontario recently approved a $53 million “community hub” project for downtown Chatham. Granted, with some projects costing billions these days, $53 million may sound like chump change. But this expenditure is a very big deal indeed for Chatham-Kent (population: 105,900.)

Here's the skinny: the idea is to redevelop the former Sears building (about 120,000 sq. ft.) so that it will encompass a new civic centre. The city’s museum and library will also be relocated here.

On the day of the vote, more than 150 people packed the John D. Bradley Convention Centre to listen to a four-hour discussion regarding a project that remains highly controversial.

Local media reported that Chatham Mayor Darrin Canniff stated: “This is the most fiscally responsible thing to do – and we get the museum and the library moving forward for the next 50 years.”

Rebel News recently visited Chatham to interview the former MPP for the region Rick Nicholls. (Nicholls was forced out of Doug Ford’s caucus for not complying with the Covid-19 mandates.)

Nicholls says the new community hub, for most people in the region, is unneeded and unwanted. And it comes with a price tag that is fiscally unsound.

Nicholls also claims that businessman Rob Myers, the CEO of RM Classic Cars, Inc., stands to profit the most from this venture.

Myers bought the entire mall where the defunct Sears building is situated. And Nicholls says Myers will end up getting his entire purchase price back for selling off just a third of the property.

Meanwhile, Nicholls says Myers plans to charge the city $10,000/month for city employees to park at the mall.

Rebel News reached out to Myers and Mayor Canniff for comment but no replies were received by deadline.

Nicholls does concede that the current home for the Civic Centre needs renovations such as a new HVAC system. But renovating this riverfront venue would still be far cheaper than building a new “Taj Mahal” for Chatham-Kent.

As well, Nicholls says the true “off the lot” price of the CK Community Hub will likely be more than double the current $53 million estimate.

Now all eyes are on which firms shall receive the contracts to redevelop the former Sears building should the project go ahead as scheduled next year.

Our take? Too many things about this new development stink. And even if the project comes in on budget, the price tag is still too much for this little community to absorb.

Indeed, given the economic plight of Canada these days, surely this is the time for governments to tighten their belts as opposed to spending like drunken sailors. Or is that old chestnut, “respect for taxpayers” now suddenly out of fashion for some reason?