The hero and the villain in this apparent 1/3 billion semi-fraud is Greg Selinger.
Slinger, who may have been medically unfit for office at the time - got so sick 'n tired of the back 'n forth between fraudulent arena builders like Dave Asper (and his group of turds) and city hall, bomber organization, others that he just wrote a clean cheque (on our chequebook btw) for over $200 million - just for starters!
The grabbers of the cheque - Asper and some of his associates were so eager to erect the thing before Slinger put a stop-payment on the cheque they failed to appoint a proper over-sight manager on the project - perhaps at an extra million to 1.5 million, yes, extra cost but money well spent vs. how the project degenerated into a ménage a trois of inferior materials, poor workmanship, union spats, unprepared contractors & exceptionally feeble HVAC & water/sewer systems.
Slinger, the premier was so fed up with the process he just cut the cheque and walked away. Asper was palpitating so ferociously with that $160 million cheque in hand he just gave the go ahead to a merry band of dozies to get the thing underway.
So Slinger is the HERO + due to no oversight - HE SHARES PRIMARY VILLAIN STATUS - WITH DAVID ASPER.
The contractors & subs, mostly men of unfit character status - primarily men waiting for easy prey - FOUND IT.
and here we are!
Thing got built - very poorly in terms both objective and subjective. Debt is too high to support life of facility. Write off will eventually occur - but when. My guess is in around 15 to 20 years - perhaps with $150 to $180 million still owing on the thing.
People who don't support pro sports supported the mess cuz Selinger cut the no-strings cheque.
For sports people that's a minor victory. For a province over 20 billion in debt not so much.
Funny thing - in 20 or 25 years, expect the process to begin again. IGF will be falling apart, fresh fear-mongers will materialize. New David Aspers will come up with their own stadium-generating software and so it goes. A new stadium - maybe 500 to 800 million in fresh money - with all kinds of false assurances and new lies. TURN, TURN, TURN.