Jamie Nye: Regina should give Saskatoon a funding idea for rink

The debate will rage in Saskatoon now that the numbers are being shown on the possible price tag of a new downtown rink.

But Saskatoon needs to take a page from part of Regina’s process to build a new stadium for the Roughriders.

$100 million of the cost comes from user pay. This pays back a loan given from the province. For $12 per ticket sold over the first 30 years of use, the money will be back in provincial coffers.

And that fee is on 10 major events a year… Rider games. Maybe an 11th if a stadium concert is there.

The stadium in Saskatoon will have far more than 10 major events a year. Several concerts will come through, along with 36 Blades games and the Saskatchewan Rush. A facility fee might be able to be paid off faster in Saskatoon than even the Roughriders can do.

It helps against the debate from those who are against any taxpayers’ money going into a stadium because the money will be paid by those who use the facility more so than those who do not.

It was an innovative and crucial piece to the financial puzzle to get Mosaic Stadium 2.0 built. Saskatoon is welcome to steal it.