The City of Ottawa does it again……..or is it the NCC?  I’m not sure.  The land is owned by the NCC and leased by the city.

The City is certainly the one who decided to  close down the equestrian park because it was losing money.  What should one expect when a municipality tries to manage and run an equestrian facility?????  DUHHHH!!!

Terry Matthews – a very successful local entrepreneur – offered to take it on and put $30 million dollars into the park, expanding its use, adding soccer pitches, maintaining the equestrian events and offerings – but NO – the powers that be have decided this wouldn’t be fair to others who might want this opportunity – and it must all go to competitive tender – at some point in time.  Did you hear the thunder of a multitude of companies rushing to save the NNEP?  I sure didn’t.

Meanwhile, those who have their horses stabled there will have to find other lodgings and move them.

Those who take riding lessons there will have to find another place to take their instruction.

Those annual events on competitive riders’ calendars will disappear or be taken on by another facility.

The horses owned by the park will have to find new homes and the riding program for disabled kids will have to find a new provider.

Do you think any of this will come back to the NNEP a year or more down the road once the competitive process has been completed?  Not to mention, this sort of process often results in a contract to the lowest bidder….not necessarily the best one for the job!

The City did the wrong thing by sole-sourcing Lansdowne.  Now they are doing the wrong thing by refusing to sole-source the equestrian park. One certainly can’t put the two situations into the same category!!  They will likely never find a better scenario than that offered by Terry Matthews.   This is, of course, only my opinion.

BAH HUMBUG!