Canada’s heritage minister says there will be no extension of a Thursday deadline to resolve a dispute over a plan to build a community featuring a new downtown arena for the Ottawa Senators.
Pablo Rodriguez told reporters on Tuesday that the National Capital Commission’s deadline for the LeBreton Flats file is firm.
“The NCC was very clear,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a deadline for February 28th and there will be no extension.”
(Sponsored)
For the fifth year in a row, Ottawa will become the epicentre of Canadian culinary excellence in late January. Chefs from Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton
How Carleton is using simulation and visualization to improve training, design and human performance
From healthcare to aviation to architecture, simulation and visualization tools have become an essential part of training, analysis and decision-making in sectors that rely on precision. At Carleton University, researchers
Judge Warren Winkler has been presiding over mediation between partners in the RendezVous LeBreton Group: Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, Trinity Development Group founder John Ruddy and GBA Development and Project Management president Graham Bird.
On Jan. 14, an original deadline of Jan. 19 was extended until Thursday by the NCC – the crown corporation which controls the LeBreton Flats land.
“It’s between them. Now they have to come to an agreement,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a few days left. It ends February 28th, no extension.”
When asked what happens if no agreement is reached, Rodriguez said, “I invite you to speak directly to the NCC but this is an absolute priority for them (and) for us also as a government because it’s a priority for the region.”
Melnyk’s Capital Sports Management Inc., filed a $700-million lawsuit against Ruddy and Bird in November. The next month, Ruddy responded with a $1-billion counterclaim.
While filing a statement of defence against Melnyk’s lawsuit, Bird got the three parties to agree to mediation in early January.
The NHL team has dealt with a long list of negative headlines for on- and off-ice developments since falling one goal short of reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2017.
The Senators sit last in the NHL standings and traded away top forwards Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel for younger players and draft picks before this week’s trade deadline.
Ottawa also dealt its first pick in this year’s draft – expected to be very high because of the team’s poor record – in the original deal to get Duchene last season.
