Councillor Susan Penner dropped a bombshell at Steinbach city council Tuesday night. At the end of the meeting, under New Business, and as the rest of council listened in stunned silence, she suggested the city drop its plans to build a new performing arts centre. Penner says, based on many phone calls from taxpayers, she cannot support the arts centre project that was approved by council in July.

"I do feel a performing arts centre is too costly. We're hearing numbers that would be in the range of $15-20 million and I think that's too significant for our community. Maybe we should consider giving the Steinbach Arts Council itself a new day-to-day space as opposed to building a performing arts centre. So, for example, the old credit union building is sitting empty right now and I'm suggesting that might be a good alternative for the existing Steinbach Arts Council to move into. It upgrades their space, which is needed, but at the same time it's not spending $15-20 million on a performing arts centre where they would not have day-to-day space in."

Penner says she will make a motion asking council to re-open the discussion at its meeting October 6th. She will require a majority vote of council for that to happen.

Penner notes by scaling back the arts plan, the city would be able to consider a modest indoor soccer facility in the not-too-distant future thereby accommodating more than one user group in a way that is affordable.

She concluded by saying, "Steinbach was built on faith, hard work and careful financial management. A $15-20 million performing arts centre would represent a massive shift from the traditional values this community was built on. By focusing on upgrading the Steinbach Arts Centre programming space, we'd be making an affordable decision that would provide significant benefit to the arts council, at a modest cost. This is good for the taxpayer and good for the arts community."

Mayor Chris Goertzen gave a terse, sarcastic reply before the meeting was adjourned, saying, "Thank-you councillor Penner. It sounds like you've talked to the Arts Council and found out their priorities as well."

Artist's rendering of the proposed Performing Arts Centre