Markham residents are questioning the city’s attempt to keep private the documents of a report that looked at the possibility of building an National Hockey League–sized arena in their area.
The arena was never built, but the tab for the failed project has cost Markham taxpayers $726,000 dollars — but they’ve been blocked from seeing how that money was actually spent.
“We paid for these reports, we should be able to see them, simple as that,” said long-time Markham resident Marilyn Ginsberg.
Ginsberg also said she believes the city has long tried to keep private any ideas and planning surrounding this project, which she said had included talks to borrow over $3 million for the build.
“The secrecy of these documents just adds insult to injury. This is a crime against transparency in the City of Markham,” Ginsberg added.
According to newly elected councillor Karen Rae, the project had also been negotiated for over one year before anyone outside a small circle had found out about it.
Rae had filed a freedom of information request regarding a report on the arena back in 2012 and then again in 2013, both times as a private citizen.
“This is not pocket change. The taxpayers paid for it. They should have access, and they have a right to know where their tax dollars are spent,” Rae said.
In April, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) ordered portions of the report to be made public and to have the reasons for privacy, provided by Markham City Council, reviewed.
“The city has received interim orders from the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) regarding two outstanding appeals for the disclosure of documents related to the arena project,” Markham’s city clerk, Kimberley Kitteringham, wrote in an email to Post City.
The city has asked for a 60-day extension to review the papers —searching specifically for exemptions such as client-solicitor privileges and economic interests — before releasing them. The IPC later agreed to a three-week extension.
The city has until May 13 to release the papers to the public.