Arena no longer key to public support for LeBreton project, poll shows

A new poll suggests most people in the National Capital Region would be disappointed if the current dispute over LeBreton Flats ices plans to develop the prime downtown land, but don't necessarily see a new arena as the project's key element.

More than 1,000 residents of Ottawa and Gatineau who answered the randomized online survey by EKOS wereevenly split on whether anNHLarena is key to the LeBretonredevelopment, but weredead set against using public money to build an arena.

The public opinion survey was conducted in thedays after the National Capital Commission (NCC) revealed that the partners in RendezVousLeBretonGroup Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and Trinity Development chairman John Ruddy could not resolve internal partnership issues.

The NCCboard gave the partners until the end of January to come to an agreementwhile the NCCfiguresout what the next steps are if the deal can't be saved.

The day after thatNCC board meeting,Melynk's firm sued Ruddy and other partners for $700 million.

EKOS president Frank Graves saidwhile his polling firm has had many of the RendezVousplayers as clients in the past, including Trinity, the Senators, the NCCand the City of Ottawa, he conducted thispoll to gain a better understanding of where the public stands on this "huge project."

His impressions?

"I think there's some sense that we'd like to have a hockey arena as the centre of this development, but if that's not happening, let's move on," Graves said."If that's what's standing in the way, then let's just drop it."

'Extremely disappointed'

More than half of respondents 55 per cent said they supportthe RendezVous LeBretonvision, while only 17 per cent opposed the project.

Whenasked if they would be "extremely disappointed if the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats were put in limbo over this dispute," 64 per centagreed.

However, it doesn't appear their disappointment is anchored to an NHLarena at LeBreton,the centrepiece of the RendezVousLeBretonproposal.

Only 41 per cent of respondents agreed that including a new arena is a "crucial ingredient in any proposal to redevelop LeBreton Flats."

An almost equal portion 40 per cent of poll-takers disagreed.

The remainderhad no opinion.

Little appetite forbailout

Asked whether Melnykhas "made an important contribution" to the capital since buying the team, 35 per cent of respondents disagreed, while only 28 per cent agreed.

Almost one-third of respondents 32 per cent had"no further interest in supporting the Ottawa Senators as long as Eugene Melnykis in control."

The public is souring onMelnyk.- Frank Grave, EKOS

Of those respondents who identified themselves as hockey fans, nearly 40 per cent said they won't support the Senators while Melnykis still there an even more telling statistic, according to Graves.

#MelnykOut billboards

7 years ago

Duration 0:16

Senators fans have put up billboards around Ottawa signalling their frustration with the team's owner and CEO

"The public is souring onMelnyk. He has his supporters butthere's morenegativitythan positivity,"Graves said.

"The fact that such a large number of thefan base says, 'I don't want anything to do with him,'I'm sure it's overstated and it's an expression of frustration and pique, but it's still a pretty shocking number."

A whopping 79 per cent of respondents disagreed with the idea of using tax dollars "for a large portion of the cost of building a downtown arena for the Ottawa Senators," and 60 per cent were against theNHLstepping in to fix the current situation.

The randomized online poll of 1,045 residents aged 18 and over was conducted between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, 2018.

For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

However, when results are subdivided such as looking at the results for hockey fans only the margin of error increases.