Hockey???? This is a university in a winter city ... what would make you expect a hockey arena???

Top of the line building. Acutal Graduates at UNBC approx 475-500 per year. Full time equivalent students, which I presume includes those off Campus IE; Quesnel, Valemount; Nass Valley, etc 3500. I would suggest that 90 percent of the students at UNBC are out of shape and not interested in Sports. This leaves a small number in enjoy this facility. In addition it will pull business away from the Civic Centre, Masich Place Stadium,and some other places which are even as we speak operating at less that 50 percent. 30 Million for a few avid atheletes is pretty pricy. You might be able to utilize this building to some degree, however it seems to me it is overkill for a City, or University this size. The long term forcast for this University is less students, or at best the same number as now unless something dramatic happens. I dont think this is it.

Palapu, you're out of touch with reality. You write, "I would suggest that 90 percent of the students at UNBC are out of shape and not interested in Sports."

From the classes I've taken up there I can't think of a single student that was overweight. Almost all of them are active in sports. The current gym up there is always at 110% capacity throughout the entire day. I workout there quite often and can say without question that improved facilities for sport would be a good investment in this university.

We lose a lot of bright students and international students to other univesities because of our lack of sports facilities. These students are some of the brightest students.

IMO it is important to attract the best students because it enhances the value of an education learning alongside and with the brightests students who often provide more of a learning experience than the facilty themselves can provide. Not to mention when quality students pick UNBC and graduate from UNBC it raises the reputation for all involved, which is important when your investing $10,000 to $25,000 a year in tuition. The foreign students pay big dollars to attend our university and add to the global reach of our entire community and they currently have no options for out of school activity, which is a common complaint at UNBC.

I'm not keen about spending $30 million dollars, nor the fact it won't have an ice rink, but if the province is paying 2/3'rds, than I would say this is a better investment for the city than the art gallary, swimming pool, and civic center were combined at 1/3'rd the cost.

It should be disgusting to city taxpayers that we paid more for an art gallary that no one uses than we will pay for this sports center at the university that opens up huge opportunities for the entire city and will be used I think to capacity from day one by the entire community.

Chamonder. Being out of shape does not mean that people have to be overweight. They can just be out of shape. Can they run one or two miles, without falling flat on there faces. I dont begrudge them a new facility at the University, all I am saying is that this is a pretty pricy facility for a few students. When you get rid of the out of town registrations and the FTE students, how many actual full time students do you really have. Looking at the graduation numbers yearly and the alumi numbers it appears that there are approx 400/500 students who actually go threw the University for 5 years. These numbers have remained constant for the past 6 years while enrollement has increased by approx 200 students per year(Full and FTE) for the past 6 years. This is very slow growth and suggestions are that enrollments will actually start to decline in the coming years.

92% of students at UNBC come from BC and 60% of those come from the North. The balance come from out of Province or are international students. (8%) In 2004 there were 143 Intl Students.

With Approx 500/700 less students enrolling in schools in School District 57 in the last 5 years along with the high drop out rate in this area, it is obvious that there will be less students available in the next 5 years to attend University. The declining populations of Northern BC communities cannot keep this University going. I doubt if you will be able to get enough Intl Students to keep it going and of course you have to compete with Uvic,Ubc,SimonFraser,Kelowna,Kamloops for the students from the South.

It doesnt look good over the long term, especially if those who predict a decrease in jobs in this area of approx 2700 in the next 5/10 years.

Assuming that enrollments remain the same for the next 10 years (Highly unlikely) then I reiterate my point that this is a pretty pricy facility for the number of students attending Unbc.

I doubt if the facilities will be free to the taxpayers of Prince George, as the normal procedure would be to charge a user fee. Much like they charge you to park. If there is a user fee people will be less inclined to us it.

Having said that, let them enjoy the facilities.

PS. The money from the Provincial Government is also tax dollars, just from a different source.