.__ Taylor says city should look at selling RIM Park That‘s on top of the financing obligations the city incurred with the park and the financing fiasco that added more than $32 milâ€" lion to the cost of the facility. Taylor said the burgeonâ€" Coun. Morty Taylor said that all the options should be on the table after city council learned July 14 that city staff are projecting a yearâ€"end deficit of $940,000 for RIM Park. Concerns have been raised since the report that the deficit will affect other city projects like the redevelopment of the main library. e chair of the City T:;.f Waterloo‘s finance committee says every option should be explored in dealing with the RIM Park deficit, even the potential sale of the recreation comâ€" Wear mosquito netting, long sleeves and long pants in heavily wooded areas. Use bug repellent containing DEET and avoid mosquito areas from dusk through dawn when they‘re most active. Make sure your tent or cabin can keep the bugs out. To learn more, call or visit our Web site. 1â€"877â€"234â€"4343 TTY 1â€"800â€"387â€"5559 www.HealthyOntario.com West Nile virus: Camping. Looking For a New or Preâ€"owned BMW Robert Woolstencroft is a semiâ€"finalist in Magna‘s "As Prime Minister" awards. beaoess Chanbait pubre www.bkmotorsgroup.com By Bos VrRanac ing deficit could also affect Taylor doesn‘t know if Chronicle Staff other basic city services like _ there‘s a market for the park, roads and sewers. That‘s _ and knows a potential sale e chair of the City â€" why he‘s willing to look at would be complicated by f Waterloo‘s finance _ any way of reducing the the debt servicing of the ommittee says every _ city‘s financial obligations _ park, but he thinks that idea i should be explored regarding RIM Park, even should be adequately ling with the RIM Park _ going so far as suggesting â€" explored. , even the potential _ the city sell the facility. "We shouldn‘t close out 4 4A RA4 _ i4 U P I VC AU04A 6R V VJ 6R 3 0 0 0 Mayor‘s son selected as finalist in contest for building a better Canada As Prime Minister Taylor said the idea to sell RIM Park might be comâ€" ing out of "left field," but he thinks that it‘s time to explore some creative soluâ€" tions regarding the city‘s financial obligations to the facility. "Maybe it‘s not the right time to sell it, and we‘re buyâ€" ing it high and selling it low at this time because it hasn‘t had enough time to generâ€" ate additional revenues. But I think that option should be on the table." "Maybe we should sell the park," said Taylor. "You might think that‘s a bizarre idea, but I think we should seriously look at it. DEBORAH CRANMDaALt PHOTO Woolstencroft, a PhD student in molecular and medical genetics at the University of Toronto, is really more interâ€" ested in furthering cancer research than in running the country. But his visions for a better Canada earned him semiâ€"finalist status in the contest, and brought him closer to a prize of up to $70,000. The 29â€"yearâ€"old was named Thursday as one of 50 semiâ€"finalists in Magna Interâ€" national‘s 2003 As Prime Minister awards. He was selected from among hundreds of postâ€"secondary students from across Canada, who, in 2,500â€"word essays, answered the question, "If you were the prime minister of Canada, what political vision would you offer to improve our livâ€" ing standards and ensure a secure and prosperous global community?" So it‘s not at all surprising that Robert Woolstencroft has been named a finalist in a contest that asks competitors to offer advice to the prime minister of Canada. 11, he comes by it honestly â€" Where's no doubt of that. His mother is Waterloo Mayor Lynne Woolstencroft and his father is University of Waterloo political science professor Peter Woolstencroft. "We‘re strapped at the moment for eash flow, which will not only affect the library, but it will affect other infrastructure." Taylor said there are also other options including leasing out parts of the park, offering shares in the facility, or hiring a professional management team with the experience in running a facility of RIM Park‘s stature. "We could lease out part of the park," said Taylor. "We "We shouldn‘t close out minds and say we shouldn‘t sell it," he said. "Maybe after we looked at the interest in the park that would be the best deal to generate cash By Desoras Cranpaur __ "It has a lot to do with my upbringing. Chronicle Staff PAGE 3 _ But the Grey Silo golf course was always enviâ€" sioned as a revenue generatâ€" ing component of the proâ€" ject, and so far has been the only component of the park that has exceeded revenue "I wonder if we should evenbe in the golf course business in the long run." could lease out the golf course. "Maybe we should sell the park. You might think that‘s a bizarre idea, but I think we should seriously look at it." Waterioo city councillor Woolstencroft‘s essay calls for strong government investment and private partâ€" nership to develop wind farms for largeâ€" scale wind power production, coupled with hydrogen fuel production, to put "Oil, petroleum and energy resources such as that are finite resources. Canada is rich in those, but demands are going to outstrip production, and we‘re going to have to look for alternative energy sources. So I wanted to take an environâ€" mental and economicallyâ€"sensible approach to make Canada a world leader." Having a father who‘s a political scientist and a mother who‘s been involved in poliâ€" tics for three decades, I see the value and the worthiness of political involvement," Woolstencroft says of his reasons for entering the contest. "And I think the Magna program really gives an opportuniâ€" ty to young Canadians to have a voice. That really appealed to me. I had learned of the program while I was an undergrad at McMaster University, and sort of folâ€" lowed it at arm‘s length. But this was the first year I really felt I had an idea 1 wanted to put on paper." In his essay, Woolstencroft focuses on three issues, the foremost being developâ€" ment of wind power as a step towards energy independence for Canada. Another idea could be setting up something that Taylor said that wasn‘t a condemnatian of the city staff running the facility. He was just wondering if they had the expertise to get the best return out of that type of a facility. "Are we specialists in that area?" asked Taylor. "Maybe we‘re not and maybe we have to own up to the fact that we have to hire a manâ€" agement or a specialist in this area." "It may, but that leads me to angther option and that‘s hiring a management team to run the park," said Taylor. "We should get some people who could maximize revâ€" enue while minimizing the projections generating a potential profit of $500,000 this year. The leasing of the golf course could put the rest of the facility deeper in the red. "I wasn‘texpecting to make it this far. I just wanted to get my ideas out," Woolstencroft says. "Put I think the judges are Jooking for concepts â€" they‘re not looking for a rehash of ideas. They want to know what people think Canada should do differently. Of the 50 semiâ€"finalists, there‘s going to be at least one idea in every essay that is worthwhile and worth pursuing." If he is selected as one of 10 finalists, Woolstencroft will be awarded $10,000 and an offer of a fourâ€"month internship with Magna International, Canada‘s largest Supplier of automotive systems and components. If he wins the national title in November, Woolstencroft will be awarded an additional $10,000 and an offer of a oneâ€"year internship at Magna, valued at $50,000. Woolstencroft‘s essay also makes recâ€" ommendations for tax reform and reform of healthâ€"care funding and delivery. _ In Toronto Aug. 6, Woolstencroft will present his essay to a panel of judges that includes Mike Duffy of CTV, national politâ€" ical commentator Joan Crockatt, Major General Richard Rhomer, and Jean Charpâ€" entier, former press secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. * City staff are currently trying to get a handle on the deficit by reducing expendiâ€" tures, including staffing through normal attrition. They are also looking into increasing revenues through the creation of a marketing and special events team. In the meantime, staff will be enhancing business measurements and manâ€" agement of RIM Park while making monthly reports to council. "But I think that it‘s something we have to look at. 1 don‘t think that anyâ€" "It‘s like companies raisâ€" ing money through initial public offerings," said Tayâ€" lor. "Maybe that would work, or maybe we can‘t even do it because of the Municipal Act, thing should be taken off the table at this point." Taylor called an income trust along the lines of sellâ€" ing shares in the park.