Paula Louise Simons

I am Paulatics, Edmonton Journal columnist. This is my 2nd special events backup account. To keep me out of Twitter jail when I live-tweet big news events!

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

@murraymeads @dstaples We agreed to split the tab 50/50 - in the spirit of the deal. But there will still be metal utensils.

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

It doesn't matter - but it's holding things up. I won't even bother trying to explain. And we're done. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

And now, council dissolves into weird procedural surrealism. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Can it actually be over? Well it isn't, exactly. Still contingent on #abgov support for CRL and the CRB. Too many acronyms. #yegarena

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

And as my friend @Paulatics predicted, the vote was indeed 10-3. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Mandel says #yegarena will make #yeg a city of tomorrow, not just of yesterday. #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

He suggests, not very subtly, that Sloan has "misrepresented" the facts about #yegarena - #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Mandel says #yegarena largely self-funding, will not take money from playgrounds, other projects. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Batty says #yegarena will be a flagship building in #yegt. - #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Batty thanks Mandel, Katz, all the city staff, all the Katz Group for their vision. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

"We are a verbose group, and I'm afraid I'm going to add to it," says Jane Batty. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Says the stretching of the rules has been irritating. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

"I can't say this has been the most fun that I've had at council," says Sloan with dry wit. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Sloan wants to know what happens to Rexall, about impact on Northlands. #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

In a city that needs new sewers, renewed parks, firehalls, Sloan says she can't support #yegarena. It's not core municipal infrastructure.

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Sloan speaks. "The deal has been made. I just can't swallow the burden of risk." #yegarena #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

He says mayors from other cities around #yeg support this project, no matter what the results of the Capital Region Board vote. #yegarena

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Loken says he supported use of MSI money to build #yegarena - says it is major infrastructure. #yegcc

[Paula Louise Simons @PaulaticsLive]

Gibbons and Loken both speak passionately in favour of #yegarena deal. #yegcc

[Paula Simons @Paulatics]

So, in case you hadn't been counting noses, this is going to pass. 10-3, I'm projecting. #yegarena #yegcc