From our friends at WindsorEats.com. I look forward to hearing what exciting new ideas the dynamic duo of Adriano and Pina have in store for Windsor and Essex County.
Tanya Mitchell, Director of Operations and Wine Maker, Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery
WindsorEats.com will hold a press conference at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel located at 333 Riverside Drive, Skyline Room.
Beginning at 10:30 a.m. Adriano Ciotoli and Pina Ciotoli, founders of WindsorEats.com, will announce new initiatives for culinary tourism in our region to boost the local economy and celebrate local resources. Tanya Mitchell, Director of Operations and Wine Maker of Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery will also be speaking.
These exciting new initiatives are meant not only to celebrate Essex County’s culinary diversity and promote this region as a culinary destination but also to give a much needed boost to the economy and get people thinking about how great our local resources are.
For inquiries please contact:
Adriano Ciotoli
519-982-5212
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Pina Ciotoli
519-890-5038
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
A friend of mine posted her definition of a veteran on Facebook last night that I thought was very appropriate.
" A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank cheque made payable to Canada for an amount of 'up to and including my life!' Please remember all our service men and women tomorrow and everyday!!! "
I remember my very first Remembrance Day service very vividly.
I wasn't quite 11 years old yet. I had just joined the Navy League Cadets in Guelph in September of that year. As a member of the Cadets I marched in the local Guelph parade, even though I could barely march and didn't really understand why I was there. The parade was long and very cold. I thought my ears were going to drop off they were so cold and I lost all feeling in my hands. I was miserable. Many thoughts go through the head of a young 10 year old when you're in that frame of mind. I cursed my older cousin in Sea Cadets who convinced me to join, I was mad at my parents for making me go to the parade. I hated all the Officers and Petty Officers who never seemed to cease barking orders. I was ready to quit. As far as I was concerned, once I got home that day and took off my uniform, that was it.
Immediately after the Parade most participants went to the Royal Canadian Legion, but the Navy League, Sea Cadets and Navy Veterans retired to the Royal Canadian Naval Association club located in a beautiful old limestone building on Commercial St., just on the edge of downtown Guelph. At this point, I wouldn't have cared if it was a cardboard box, as long as it had heat.
The Women's Auxiliary had hot chocolate and sandwiches waiting for us. Never had something so simple tasted so good. As I began to warm up, curiousity got the better of me. I began to wander the club looking at all the pictures, models and plaques that adorned the walls. As I was looking at one particular picture of a what I thought was a Destroyer (it was actually a Corvette, but I didn't know that at the time), one of the vets came up to me, with obvious pride, to tell me that that was his old ship. Over the next hour or so this gentleman took me on a tour of all the clubs various artifacts, regaling me with stories of his time in the Navy, both good and bad. He showed me pictures of Corvette mess decks awash with water and ships at the end of a Murmansk run so coated with ice it was hard to recognize the ship underneath. Suddenly my cold hands and ears didn't seem like such a big deal anymore.
I was fascinated by what this old gentleman had to say and peppered him with questions as only a 10 year old could. I didn't know the proper naval term for most things yet and he patiently explained many things to me. Before I realized it, I was one of the few remaining cadets left in the club. My father had been sitting in a corner having a coffee and patiently waiting for me to finish. Most of my guide's friends were having a beer together, swapping old stories and remembrances. It was time to go and I didn't want to leave. The vet invited me to come back any time I wanted. It was an invitation that I was to take up many times over the next 7 years.
I was very silent on the way home as I contemplated the entire day. As much as I hated the parade, maybe this cadet thing wasn't so bad after all.
My guide that day was Sam. Over the years he took an interest in my career in cadets, my school life and when he heard I was joining the Navy, he was as proud as my parents. I have many great memories of afternoons spent at the RCNA club talking to Sam and his friends, learning about the Canadian Navy, it's history and the people who made it. Several years after I joined the Navy the sad news arrived that he had passed away. I felt like I had lost a member of my family. Sam had opened my eyes to a generation and a world that I previously didn't understand. War was no longer John Wayne and Charlton Heston for me, it was Sam, his friends and all of the other Canadians who had served their country. Thank-you Sam, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing with me so willingly.
From Col John McRae's (another of Guelph's illustrious veterans) Flanders Fields:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
Rest in peace Sam, the torch burns bright and strong in Canada today. You and all the others will always be remembered.
Congratulations to St. Clair College and the City of Windsor for coming together on another great project for Downtown Windsor. While the details are yet to be finalized, the new School of Journalism will re-habilitate an abandoned downtown building and provide yet more traffic in the downtown core.
When I first heard about the possiblity of this deal, I took a walk through the area and tried to imagine future possibilities. I've mapped them out below on Google Maps to help people visualize what I'm talking about.
1. St. Clair Centre for the Arts
2. School of Journalism - former Salvation Army building at the corner of Victoria and University Ave.
3. Windsor Star Building - with the current financial difficulties faced by Canwest Media, I could see them being interested in selling this piece of property and consolidating their operations at their printing facilty off Central Ave. It represents the missing piece of the puzzle to link the School of Journalism and the St. Clair Centre for the Arts. Possible uses include a joint Law and Security/Law School and library between St. Clair College and the University of Windsor. You could even incorporate the Fish Market property into the mix.
4. Quality Suites - wouldn't this make a great ready made residence for downtown students? It fits right in with the other properties listed above and could probably be made ready for use with very few renovations.
In terms of future Infrastructure funding applicaitons, I would sooner see a joint City/College/University applicaiton to make something like this happen than applying for funding to dig the big downtown ditch.
Congratulations to Chris Ryan, the new CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. I think it's a great choice. Chris is a dynamic individual with proven industry experience in the Windsor area. From what the Star article states, Chris will be starting with a fairly clean slate in terms of staff. A new organization with a focused mandate, a new board and new staff. Chris starts his new job with high expectations from an area desperately in search of good news.
With the Tourism CEO out of the way, we're now left with the Development Commission CEO and Auditor-General as Windsor's two longstanding searches still in progress. A month ago I took a stab at predicting the time-lines for these positions and it looks like things are progressing nicely.
Predictions
1. Tourism Board CEO - October 2009 - completed
2. WEDC CEO - December 2009 - ?
3. Auditor General - March 2010 - ?
In a series of motions at the April meeting the Audit Committee received a report from HR regarding the A-G position, approved a term of office of 5 years, directed the Executive Directory of Human Resources to "finalize her process regarding the Auditor General position", authorized the Executive Director to "sign the contract regarding the Auditor General position" and finally a vote of thanks to the Executive Director of Human Resources and the department "for their assistance in selecting the candidate for the Auditor General position".
It's now the middle of October and still no Auditor General. Seven months and no contract has been signed. At the same time, the "Office of the Auditor General" is being used by the Audit Committee to shield the original Dunbar 400 Building Audit from being released to the public. As long as the position of Auditor General remains unfilled, control of any and all documents stashed in the "Office of the Auditor General" remains under control of the Audit Committee. We've been told that Part II of the revised 400 Building Audit may be released in a month, but there were no firm commitments to this timeline.
The question remains - why hasn't Windsor hired an Auditor General yet? The office and budget have been approved by Council and Audit Committee minutes would seem to indicate a candidate is ready. The only outstanding issue seems to be the various 400 Building Audits, both the original Dunbar Audit and the revised audit. The only concusion I can draw from the evidence available is that his whole process is being managed for political purposes. The minute an Auditor General is appointed the Audit Committee, and by extension City Council, loses control of any and all documents held by the "Office of the Auditor General". If you look at the Access to Information battle being fought by Chris Schnurr, the case can certainly be made that the utmost effort is being made to ensure the Dunbar Audit never sees the light of day, despite the fact that both the Mayor and former CAO have already seen the report. We are supposed to believe that it is pure coincidence that the "Office of Auditor General" was created and all Dunbar Audit related files moved into the "office" five days after the City received his Access to Information Request for a copy of the Dunbar Audit.
Let me put on my Shadow prediction hat again. Looking at Council's calendar for the rest of the year, my guess is that Part II of the Dunbar report will be released sometime after the 14th of December, the 14th being the last meeting of City Council for 2009. With Council adjourned for the year and everyone focused on the Christmas Holidays, there's probably no better time, politically at least, to release bad news. If you ever want to find bad news being released by any level of government it's always best to keep an eye on Friday afternoons of a long weekend or just before long holiday breaks when the body isn't holding meetings. It's a classic political move to minimize the impact, hoping that the news cycle on the story will die out and the public will lose interest before the next meeting of the government body in question.
You can expect the Part II 400 Building Audit to be released in conjunction with a report from City Hall of all the actions they have already taken to ensure that the "mistakes" made never happen again. We will be reassured that the appropriate lessons have been learned (again) and that with beefed up internal and external audit resources Windsor taxpayers are properly protected. With Council not due to reconvene until, at the earliest January 4th 2009 and most likely not until January 11th, Councillors can ride out any wave of bad publicity over the Christmas break. Throw in the announcement of a new WEDC CEO and anything else that they can think of and enough distractions can be provided to ensure the 400 Audit story dies a quick death on the local front pages. Once the heat is off Council can then move to announce that the Auditor General's position has at long last been filled.
Time will tell, but time is not on the side of our current City Councillors. There are two Councillors on the Audit Committee, Councillors Marra and Halberstadt. While they face future questions over their role in this whole process, that doesn't absolve the remaing eight Councillors of their responsibilities. We elect Councillors to represent taxpayers. When they fail to do their job adequately, the responsibility falls on all of them, not just a Committee of Council. Election year 2010 is certainly going to be interesting.
I received the following Press Release in my inbox listing the shortlisted companies for the Windsor-Essex Parkway project. The release states that the RFP for the project is due to be released in December. No indication on when the winning bid will be announced.
For Immediate Release
October 8, 2009
THE WINDSOR-ESSEX PARKWAY PROJECT-BUILDERS SHORTLISTED
Project Attracts International Industry Interest
TORONTO - Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation today announced the companies short-listed to submit proposals to design, build, finance and maintain The Windsor-Essex Parkway.
Over the past few months, companies from all over the world participated in a rigorous competitive request for qualifications (RFQ) process that reviewed their design, construction, maintenance and financing abilities to deliver a large and complex project, such as the Parkway.
Following evaluations, five companies met the qualifications criteria and the three highest scoring ones were short-listed for the project. The short-listed companies are:
* Rose City Parkway Group including:
* Aecon Concessions is a division of Aecon Construction Group Inc.
* Fengate Capital
* Dufferin, a division of Holcim (Canada) Inc.
* The Miller Group
* MMM Group Limited
* Macquarie Capital Group Limited
* HOCHTIEF PPP Solution North America Inc.
* Peter Kiewit Sons Co.
* AECOM Canada Ltd.
* H.W. Lochner
* Thurber Engineering Ltd.
* Applied Research Associates, Inc.
* RC Spencer Associates Inc.
* West 8
* Windsor-Essex Transportation Partners including:
* Carillion Canada Inc.
* The Bank of Nova Scotia
* Stantec Consulting Ltd.
* PCL
* Bilfinger Berger Project Investments
* HSBC Specialist Investments Ltd (HSBC Infrastructure)
* John Laing Investments Limited (John Laing)
* Walsh Construction Company, a subsidiary of The Walsh Group, Ltd.
* Parsons Corporation
* Trow Associates Inc.
* Windsor Essex Mobility Group including:
* Dilion Consulting Limited
* RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
* Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras, S. A.
* Acciona, S.A.
* Fluor Canada Ltd.
* Dragados Canada Inc.
* Acciona Infrastructure Canada, Inc.
* Hatch Mott MacDonald Ltd.
* AMEC Earth and Environmental, Ltd.
These companies are diverse and their team members include many local contractors and businesses - a criteria of the RFQ. In their proposals, the companies demonstrated a strong interest in partnering with local companies and businesses.
Short-listed bidders will be invited to respond to the request for proposals, which will be released in December 2009. The two remaining pre-qualified companies will be held in reserve to replace any of the short-listed bidders should they be unable to participate. The companies being held in reserve include SNC Lavalin Inc. and WEP Development Partners.
Evaluation teams consisted of professional staff from Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation collectively having many decades of experience in highway design, construction financing and maintenance. The evaluation process was overseen by an independent fairness monitor.
Ontario approved the provincial environmental assessment for The Windsor-Essex Parkway in August 2009 and the required federal environmental assessment decision is anticipated in the coming weeks. A winning team will be selected in 2010 to design, build, finance and maintain The Windsor-Essex Parkway, which will be owned and operated by the provincial government and it will not be tolled.
The Windsor-Essex Parkway is the most significant single highway investment the province has made in Ontario's history and it will provide a major boost to the local and regional economies. The creation of 12,000 project-related jobs, with the majority in the Windsor-Essex area, is anticipated.
Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation are working to develop The Windsor-Essex Parkway, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable. Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget.
Find out more about Infrastructure Ontario www.infrastructureontario.ca.
Explore The Windsor-Essex Parkway at www.weparkway.ca.
- 30 -
Contacts:
Paulette den Elzen
Infrastructure Ontario
416-327-5764
Heather Grondin
Windsor Border Initiatives Implementation Group
Ministry of Transportation
519-973-7359
Details of the union-sponsored event reveal that the bands will take a two-minute union-mandated break in the middle of each song, followed by a half hour break after playing the first 45 minutes. The time taken up by audience applause and cheering...
Dwight Duncan, Sandra Pupatello and Jeff Watson - where are you?
With the highest unemployment rate in the country and both legislatures in summer recess, you can't come up with one date where you each have two or three hours to spare for your respective ridings? You can also throw Brian Masse and Joe Comartin into the mix regarding this issue. Considering what's at stake for the future of Windsor and Essex County, this isn't a partisan government/opposition issue. I expect each and every one of our elected officials at all levels to be doing their utmost on the single largest issue to affect this region in the last 30 or 40 years.
Instead, what do we get? Photo-ops, sound-bites, press releases and warmed over mushed peas served up as pablum to the unwashed masses who don't know any better.
And they wonder why voting rates in Canada are in a race to the bottom with popularity ratings for used car salesmen, lawyers and funeral directors.
PS. My apologies to Used Car Salesmen, Lawyers and Funeral Directors for lumping you in with such a disreputable group.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 September 2009 03:09
(BTW, can you tell yet that an election year is coming? Note and file all the bluster and bluff you see now for when you read about your next 86% Windsor Utilities bill increase AFTER the next election!)
PS. Add up what we're going to be paying in severance over the next year (not to mention legal fees, consultants and outside reports) and tell me again why it's the fault of senior levels of government why we can't afford to fund local programs. Add up the entire cost of the 400 Building Audit debacle alone and you could fund this program for a full year.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 September 2009 02:45
It looks like the Windsor Star's Live Streaming of City Council meetings is going to continue. You can watch it on their LiveStream page , on the Windsor Star site itself (Look for it in the left hand sidebar) or right here on the Shadow.
Last Friday I blogged about the hiring (or lack thereof) of the Windsor Auditor General. My prediction was that it wasn't going to happen until 2010. It seems like I was wrong - sort of.
As I was reviewing this weeks Council Communications for Monday's City Council meeting I came across the minutes for the Audit Committee from April 7th of this year. Anyone reading those minutes would certainly come away with the impression that an Auditor General had already been hired. Interesting, eh?
In a series of motions at the April meeting the Audit Committee received a report from HR regarding the A-G position, approved a term of office of 5 years, directed the Executive Directory of Human Resources to "finalize her process regarding the Auditor General position", authorized the Executive Director to "sign the contract regarding the Auditor General position" and finally a vote of thanks to the Executive Director of Human Resources and the department "for their assistance in selecting the candidate for the Auditor General position".
So what gives? Why haven't we heard an announcement about this? Has it really taken more than six months to negotiate a contract, with no resolution in sight? Have we or have we not decided on a final candidate for this position? If we have, what is the delay in finalizing the hire?
Further on in the minutes, the committee talks about receiving a report from the office of the Auditor General. Interesting since the office exists in name only, with no staff. The only current purpose of the office seems to be shielding Part II of the 400 Building Audit along with the originial "draft" audit conducted by former City Auditor Mike Dunbar.
If a candidate has actually been approved, then it's time to move forward and announce the hiring and begin setting up the office. Other than pure Windsor politics at it's best, what other reason is there for the delay?
For a city with the nation's highest unemployment rate our local politicians and board members certainly have a difficult time filling jobs that pay in excess of $100,000 a year.
Well known is the long and agonizing search for a new head of the Windsor Essex Development commission. A recent Windsor Star article had the new board reviewing 26 candidates and hopefully narrowing that list down to six finalists over the next 6 weeks. That would put the start of the final stage sometime in October. Add in another month for final interviews and we might get an early Christmas present in the form of a new Development Commission CEO.
Next up is the search for a Windsor Auditor General. Given the angst generated by the overly long search for the Development Commission CEO, it's hard to understand why this one has flown under the radar for so long. The Audit committee approved the position posting more than a year ago, in July of 2008. Although I expressed cautious optimism at the time, I still wasn't convinced that the City was in any hurry to fill this position. It was initially stated that the search was expected to take 3 to 6 months.
Much like the initial rejection of the 10 ward boundary system by City Council I suspect that there is a large degree of self-interest at play in delaying the hiring of an Auditor General. Even if they announced a hire in the next month you can assume that the first several months would be spent establishing the office and hiring staff. Next up would be developing an audit plan and then beginning the actual audits. Given the complexities of audits of this nature, we would be lucky to see anything reported on prior to August or September of next year. With the next Municipal Election set for November of 2010, that's not necessarily a bad thing from the view of our current Council incumbents. Every month that the hiring is delayed means we are less likely to see any audits at all prior to the 2010 Municipal Election. You can also add Part II of the 400 Building Audit and the initial 400 Building Audit conducted by former City Auditor Michael Dunbar. These documents have been "moved" to the office of the Windsor Auditor General in order to shield them from release to the public. The only person who can release these documents is the Auditor General. The longer we go without one, the longer the documents remain secret.
Last up is the search for the head of the new Tourism Board. In contrast to the two previous positions, Councillor Dilkens is expecting the search to take approximately one month. A cynic might observe that since there are less politics involved in this hiring that there is no impediment to proceeding with a quick hire. Why else would the Tourism Board be able to accomplish in one or two months what the others haven't been able to do in over a year?
Predictions
1. Tourism Board CEO - October 2009
2. WEDC CEO - December 2009
3. Auditor General - March 2010
Can these predicted timelines be changed? Yes, but only if you get involved. Start asking questions of your local Councillors. Call them or send them an email.Call or email the Mayor's office and ask questions. Write a Letter to the Editor of the Windsor Star. Blog about it. Educate yourself about the issues and get involved. City Council is content with making the decisions they do, or not making any decisions, based on the general indifference of their constituents. When people begin speaking up, Council begins taking notice, especially with an election year approaching.
I found the board's administration report, as detailed by the article, rather bizzare.
More trustees required? Why? The boundaries are changing, not the population. Currently the Public Board elects four Trustees representing a combined Wards 1,2 and 3 and two Trustees for a combined Wards 4 and 5. The Catholic Board elects one Trustee each in Wards 2, 3 and 4.
Seeking a legal opinion is simply a waste of time and money. If the Board is contemplating a legal challenge of some sort, they're not going to get very far. Rather than wasting money on legal fees the Board would be far better served if they hired Dr. Williams to assist them in redistributing their Trustees. He has all of the data at hand and is well versed with the issues. Provide him with the relevant school data and let him get to work.
The W.E. Speak blogroll now stands at 138 blogs. I'll be updating the actual blogroll later on this evening. Don't forget to ping the blogroll after posting, or setup your blog software to do it automatically. This will move your blog's name and link to the top of the roll each time you post.
Synott dropped into a downtown bar for a beer recently, and was flabberghasted when a heated political discussion about council erupted involving half the people in the room. "There's certainly a lot more interest out there," he says. "And there's a desire for change."
What I found most interesting about the discussion was that it involved that typically unengaged, non-voting under 30 demographic. Considering they represent the single largest voting block after the baby boomers, any increase in voter turnout amongst this group could have a significant impact on an election. One of the goals of the soon-to-be relaunched Citizfaction will be to engage this group and encourage them to not only vote but get involved in campaigns throughout the city.
Bonus: a Windsor Star Editorial that takes Mayor Eddie Francis to task. When's the last time that happened?
Here's a great guest blog on the National Post site from a CUPE delegate at their last National Convention:
Marc Roumy: CUPE should focus on its members, not foreign policy
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is Canada's largest union, representing over 560,000 workers in both the public and private sectors across Canada. CUPE's members work in health care, education, municipalities, libraries, universities, social services, public utilities, transportation, emergency services and airlines. I automatically became a member when I was hired as an Air Canada flight attendant; there was no other choice.
CUPE has three levels of bottom-up leadership with voting privileges at all three levels: local, component and national. At the airline, local representatives deal with the company's lower management while the next component level faces upper management. Across Canada, locals and components are under the umbrella of CUPE National, headquartered in Ottawa, which lobbies and fights for our rights before all levels of government.
CUPE National sets its agenda every two years at a national convention, which approximately 2,000 delegates attend to debate and vote on resolutions provided by all locals. Each delegate is nominated by acquiring a minimum number of signatures from their local membership. If more members are nominated than proportionally allocated, an election is held to decide who becomes a delegate.
Two years ago, when I first attended the National Convention as a nominated delegate, I was surprised at the many distractions we faced. For five days there was very little, if any, discussion about the working or safety conditions facing our members. Much of the focus was placed on a mandate within the union's constitution on the "promotion of peace and freedom." The many resolutions debated and voted on ranged from the Kyoto Protocol to the protesters killed in Burma and opposition to the war in Afghanistan. There was even one resolution criticizing "any threats of war and/or a military action against Iran, and equally opposed [to] the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council." Anti-Israeli literature was freely promulgated, and anti-Israeli meetings were held. Out of the 515 resolutions brought forward over the five days, only 40 were discussed.
The majority of my colleagues have no idea that this is what goes on at the National Convention. When they find out, they are either angry or disappointed. Very few have told me they support CUPE's current direction. They're unhappy that the delegates spend so much time contemplating resolutions that have no bearing on members' health and safety and general collective agreements.
WINDSOR, Ont. -- Mayor Eddie Francis is urging city councillors to stick to their jobs — rather than his — and he’s hinting at a possible third run for mayor, contrary to a 2003 campaign promise to serve only two terms.
With more than a year to go before the next civic election, Francis said he is fed up with what he describes as the open and not-so-open political manoeuvreing of some councillors and insists they should instead focus on municipal priorities, including Windsor’s ambitious $643-million capital program.
The mayor won’t say who it is or what it is that he finds so distracting.
“There’s been many behind-the-scenes examples. Councillors know what I’m talking about,” said Francis.
When I think of "open and not-so-open political manoeuvreing" it's the Mayor that springs to mind and not City Councillors. It's fairly obvious that this is the Mayor's attempt at maintaining a degree of control and avoiding any sort of lame duck status. As I mentioned a while ago, the next election has already begun.
One hint of that was Council's recent approval of a temporary patio for the Pour House, even after the Mayor gave one of his signature lectures from on high to Councillors who were poised to buck administration's denial recommendation. Generally when Eddie delivers one of his lectures, Council backs down. This time they didn't. Councillors know that the next election will be like no other in recent memory. The 86% water rate increase is still bubbling just below the surface and is bound to re-emerge during the next election. Throw in the lingering effects from the strike and a general perception that this Council likes to study things to death while accomplishing little and the winds of change are already beginning to blow. Of course, we can't forget the new 10 Ward system that will see Councillors standing on their own in the newly redrawn wards.
Since the approval of the 10 Ward system I have been hearing about a lot of people interested in running. Many of them are out kicking the tires in their wards, gauging levels of support. In the small world of municipal politics, word of this tire kicking always finds it's way back to current Councillors quite quickly. There are already some interesting names being bandied about, several of which I'd be happy to support in any way I could.
The last time Windsor had more than 3 Councillors defeated in an election was in 1980 when 5 sitting Councillors were shown the door. Coincidentally, that election occured just after Windsor adopted the current 5 ward system.
439 Days until the next Municipal Election. 131 Days until candidates can legally register and begin (open) campaigning.
Hopefully this event produces a meaningful announcement. Considering the attendees listed, chances are good...
Detroit River International Crossing Study Announcement
August 24, 2009
WINDSOR - Media are invited to join Minister Sandra Pupatello, Member of Provincial
Parliament (MPP) for Windsor West, Minister Dwight Duncan, MPP for Windsor-
Tecumseh, and MPP Bruce Crozier, Essex, for a technical briefing on the Detroit River
International Crossing (DRIC) study and a significant access road announcement.
Date: Monday, August 24, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. technical briefing
10:30 a.m. formal media event
Location: Former Parts Source building (2525 Howard Avenue - red building on
the west side of Howard Avenue, just south of the CPR tracks.)
Attendees are requested to park south of the building with overflow parking to the
back of the building, along Doty Avenue (runs west of Howard) and in the overflow lot
that housed the former Trifonopoulos Dental Office.
Please RSVP to Jennifer Setterington, Windsor Border Initiatives Implementation Group, at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 519-973-7367.
2. As mentioned by Al Nelman at City Council Monday evening - where's Part II of the 400 Building Audit?
3. August Windsor Blogger's meetup. John from Western District has graciously offered to host a BBQ/Pool Party for August's meeting. With the success of the Downtown Market, Chris Holt's Development charges initiative and the Ward boundary issue, just to name a few, Windsor's bloggers have been anything but quiet this summer. Come on out and meet your fellow bloggers. We don't bite - although muzzles are available as required! BYOB, there will be some awesome all-natural beef burgers available along with Italian sausages sizzling on the grill. There might even be a bacon explosion in the works!
4. This week's adventure for me is going to be brining/pickling some great hot peppers I picked up at the Downtown Market last weekend. A couple of jars for the fridge and I'll probably pick up another batch for the freezer next weekend.
5. Water Rates - never far from citizens minds and still bubbling below the surface, ready to burst forth next November.
7.Bikes and Ice Cream on a beautiful summer weekend on Windsor's Riverfront. What could be better?
8. Citizfaction will be relatively quiet over the next several weeks. I'll still be monitoring all issues related to the Ward Boundary review and ensuring that the necessary by-law is passed in a timely manner, I just won't be posting as much. Stay tuned for some fine-tuning and eventual relaunch of the site in September as a civic resource on Windsor-related issues. 452 days till the next Windsor Municipal election!
A former mayor and long-time Aurora politician, Ms. Buck started her blog in 2007 after growing tired of being dismissed by her fellow councillors. She said they developed a habit of hindering her motions before council.
"If I have no role at the council table, I will damn well create my own role," Ms. Buck said yesterday from her Aurora home. "I will keep people informed on a daily basis about what's happening at that council table and that's how my blog started."
Ms. Buck admits she can be a little "rough around the edges" but says she only calls things as she sees them.
The story is also an interesting tale of how Aurora Council attempted (and failed miserably) to use their Code of Conduct and Integrity Commissioner to silence Councillor Buck.
The first thing Council did after the Integrity Commissioner filed his report? They fired him!
You can tune in here or my Qik Channel to see my attempt at streaming tonight's Council meeting with my phone and Qik. Not sure how it will turn out sound/picture wise. The other issue is battery life on my phone. I'm going to try and find a spot where I can plug the phone in if possible. If this doesn't work then the next Council meeting I'll probably try using my laptop and video camera with the phone as a modem. That will definitely increase the video quality if not the sound.
Thursday night my friend and I headed over to Biscuits and Gravy to try out the Eat Your City 2009 menu. The owner Steve is a friend of mine and I saw the many hours that he put into testing the menu items for this WindsorEats.com event. I wasn't disappointed.
I'm not a food critic so you won't see me talking about the balance of flavours and textures, simply my impressions of a great meal.
The first course was Rivercat Springrolls filled with catfish and veggies. This one was such a winner I could have had eight or ten of them and gone home very happy. Served with a choice of two sauces, the springrolls were an inspired creation on Steve's part and hopefully a future part of his regular menu. (HINT HINT!)
Next up was the Cajun Pasta. Pan seared vegetables, chicken, smoked sausage over ribbon noodles in a spicy Cajun cream sauce. It was so good that I seriously considered licking the bowl when I was done, until my dining companion threatened to move to another table if I did. The sauce had just the right amount of kick to it, leaving me with a light sheen of sweat to remember the experience, but not burning my taste buds off.
Dessert was the decadent Bananas Foster, bananas cooked in a rum caramel sauce and then laid over ice cream. A nice finish to a truly enjoyable meal.
H/T to Steve and Biscuits and Gravy for a great dining experience. Now we just have to get you to blog as well as you cook!
Congratulations to Pina and Adriano from Windsor Eats on another great Windsor event. For those still interested, Eat Your City runs until the end of Saturday. There are many great lunch and dinner venues to choose from. Give it a try, you'll thank yourself for it.
I'm going to round out my EYC 2009 with a visit to Black Kettle Bistro today. They've got a slice of lasagna with my name all over it!
PS. Don't forget about the Downtown Farmers Market today. It's not just a market, it's a community event every Saturday.
Thanks to a commenter at the Windsor Star, here are the seven available positions at the new Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island as posted at Workopolis.
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island is a newly formed Destination Marketing Organization mandated to significantly grow the tourism industry in this region, and the employment, economic and community benefits that tourism delivers. The region has a unique array of shoreline, cultural, historic, winery, heritage, gaming and other tourism assets. At this time, the organization is recruiting for the following positions that will be integral to achieving the new organization's Mission and Goals.
Director, Marketing and Communications
This leadership position will be accountable for the development, implementation and evaluation of all marketing, communications & media programs. The range of responsibilities will include direct marketing activities, cooperative advertising and other initiatives that will increase tourist visitation to the area. The position is also responsible for visitor's information services, volunteer development, grants preparation and the coordination of the organization's contracted administrative & media services. The successful candidate will have a University degree or College diploma in marketing or communications, or commensurate education and relevant experience required to successfully fulfill the position.
Director, Tourism Programs and Development
The organization has identified a series of specific tourism market segments that will be targeted for direct product development, promotion, partnerships and investments. These segments range from gaming, to festivals and events, to heritage and culture, to wine and culinary, to family and visitors, and others. The Director will be responsible for the development of each of these market segments in collaboration with operators and partners. The successful candidate will have a University degree or College diploma in marketing or related areas, or commensurate education and relevant experience required to successfully fulfill the position.
Director, Group Programs and Development
Conferences, conventions, trade shows, sport tourism, travel trade and affinity groups represent unique group-based tourism development and sales opportunities for the region. The Director will be responsible for the development of products, packages, programs and marketing activities that will maximize group visitation to the region. The successful candidate will have a University degree or College diploma in relevant group-based marketing, community development or a related discipline, or commensurate education and relevant experience required to successfully fulfill the position.
Director, Research and Product Development
The organization has identified research and evaluation, strategic planning, trends analysis and product development as key success factors in achieving its Mission. A Director is required that will have a strong research capacity, the ability to analyze trends and strategic directions and align the conclusions and findings with product development initiatives, enhancing industry relations and education, and the development of performance measurement systems. The successful candidate will have a University degree or College diploma in a relevant research and marketing area, or commensurate education and experience needed to successfully fulfill the position.
Marketing and Communications Associate
This position works with the Director in researching, developing, testing, implementing and evaluating all marketing, communications and media programs undertaken by the organization. The incumbent will also be directly involved in overseeing visitor services operations and materials distribution, volunteer development initiatives, the preparation of grants, and other roles within this portfolio. The successful candidate will have a College diploma in tourism, marketing, advertising or other related discipline.
Tourism Programs and Development Associate
Working with the Director, this position will support the ongoing research, development, implementation and evaluation of specific tourism segment programs relative to family and visitors, wine and culinary, heritage and culture, festivals and events, and others. The successful candidate will have a College diploma in tourism, marketing, advertising or other related disciplines (i.e. product development).
Administrative Assistant
This position requires a multi-tasking, highly organized and motivated individual that can provide directly and/or coordinate a wide range of administrative services in support of the Chief Executive Officer, the Directors and Associate staff. The incumbent will be involved in all dimensions of the organization's activities, as well as being involved directly in handling the records management, communications, technology, facilities and other day-to-day operating requirements. The successful candidate will have a College diploma in administrative studies or a relevant discipline, or a commensurate amount of education and experience.
Applicants
Interested individuals wanting more information on these positions are invited to go to www.tourismwindsoressex.com to view position descriptions and related information on Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island.
If you are applying for more than one position, please include a separate cover letter and résumé for each, clearly indicating the position(s) for which you are applying.
Applicants can submit résumés NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 to:
Organization Development Task Force
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
Box 821, c/o The Windsor Star
Windsor, ON N9A 4M5
or
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Another great Windsor initiative from our Friends at WindsorEats.com. Although food is definitely central to Eat Your City 2009 there are plenty of other events to interest you.
August 2-8, 2009 head out to your favourite participating restaurant and indulge in 3 course meals for absolutely amazing prices! There are some fantastic deals to be had. Whether it’s a 3 course lunch for $10 or $15 or a 3 course dinner for $25 or $35, it’s definitely worth heading out for.
August 2, 2009
Mastronardi Estate Winery
1193 Concession 3 East, Kingsville
Take a leisurely stroll through the historic vineyards of Mastronardi Estate Winery. Enjoy their infamous Sangria made with their Baco Noir, local fruits and fruit juices. Local fresh fare will be served under a tent while knowledgeable team members answer all of your vineyard related questions. $10 per person, 1:00pm - 4:00pm.
August 2-8, 2009
Tsunami Glassworks
1167 Mercer St.
Tsunami Glassworks is home of Windsor’s first hot glass studio and will be offering glassblowing demonstrations in the morning’s all week. Also, come by for a tour of the studio and 50% off items in the showroom.
August 2-8, 2009
Johnny Piez Pizza Special
Johnny Piez is offeriing a 24 slice Queen pizza with 4 toppings for only $22.95 plus tax.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
WindsorEats Trivia Night
It’s trivia night at The Social Bean Cafe. 1255 Grand Marais W. On Tuesday, August 4, 2009, stop by Social Bean at 7pm. It’s free to participate, but, get there early as seating is limited.
August 4-8, 2009
Jones & Co. Vintage Sale
1755 Wyandotte St. E.
Enjoy a feast of savings. A tantalizing 30% off store wide will be served.
August 5-8, 2009
Saint Flamingo Silkscreening Studio
1755 Wyandotte St. E.
Stop in at one of Walkerville’s newest businesses. Enjoy complimentary fresh muffins and coffee and learn a bit about silkscreening. Wednesday thru Saturday 12:00 until 6PM
August 5, 2009
Phog Lounge
157 University St. W.
From Halifax, NS, the “Got to Get Got” play at Canada’s best live music venue.
August 6, 2009
Mastronardi Estate Winery
1193 Concession 3 East, Kingsville
This is an enchanting tasting seminar where we discover and celebrate the unique characteristics of 4 varietals. The seminar design includes horizontal flights of wine that will be systemically compared and contrasted starting with the white varietals. A brief interlude of Hors D’oeuvres will be followed by the red varietals. $20 per person, 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Reservations are required for this event. Please call 519-733-9463 to purchase your tickets.
August 6, 2009
Nancy Johns Gallery & Framing
4755 Wyandotte St. E.
Visit the Nancy Johns Gallery & Framing as Aleksander Estate Winery will be hosting a delicious wine tasting. For only $5.00, enjoy a local wine tasting and appetizers from 7:00pm and 10:00pm
August 6, 2009
The Original Tecumseh Roadhouse
Darren Dobsky will be taking the stage at The Original Tecumseh Roadhouse, 10672 County Rd 42.
August 7, 2009
The Original Tecumseh Roadhouse
Local Act Twisted Sisters will be taking the stage at The Original Tecumseh Roadhouse. 10672 County Rd. 42.
August 7, 2009
Slice of Style
997 Parent Ave. (corner of Erie St. E.)
Slice of Style is hosting a Chocolate Tasting on Friday August 7 from 6pm-10pm. Check out what’s new in store while you enjoy a glass of wine and sample a variety of treats dipped in our chocolate fountain. Please RSVP for this event. Cost: $5 per person
So head out to your favourite restaurant and support your local business! It’s the perfect opportunity to explore and discover places you’ve never been to or may not have known exist in your own backyard. Let’s celebrate a great city!
Qik.com + my new HTC Dream Google Android phone = a live stream City Council meeting on the 10th of August. (Might as well test out that 6 gig data plan!)
I'm looking for some sort of clamp now that I can fix to the arm of a chair in the front row of City Council and have the other end grip the phone. It'll be rather basic, no zooming or panning, but it will be live.
2. Now that we've set a new record for a strike in Windsor at 101 days are we looking to set a new record for hiring an Auditor General and Development Commission head? Christmas is coming soon!
4. Did I mention that we still don't have an Auditor General?
5. The idea for a local film commission has merit and should be seriously considered. I'd sooner see that then the communications department the City is slated to establish.
I received the following email this morning from organizers of the Emancipation Day Celebration. If you have some time to spare, please consider volunteering:
It is almost time for the "Greatest Freedom Show on Earth" and we find ourselves short of volunteers for key positions. Rochelle our volunteer Coordinator will be @ 647 Ouellette (Herb Gray building at corner of Wyandotte & Ouellete) from 4pm to 8pm Tuesday. Drop in and see what you can do to help.
Not able to make it but would like to volunteer, call us @ (519)419-5076 or email us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Volunteers are the back bone of Emancipation, they put the Great in Greatest.
I've been promising to do a post and some promo for the Downtown Market for a while now and have been somewhat tardy. Since I'm going to be down there all day Saturday collecting signatures for Citizfaction, I thought now might be a good time to make good. (the logo and a link have also been posted in the community ad section on W.E. Speak.)
As a downtown resident I'm ecstatic that this initiative has taken off. New vendors are being added every week. I've been to two out of the three weekends so far and have left with plenty of fresh goods each time. My favourite so far is the fresh garlic and oregano bread. I've also picked up corn, cherries, potatoes, berries and lettuce. As a single guy the market is great as I have a variety of product to pick from and I can buy just what I need for the week. The fact that I'm supporting local farmers is a great bonus.
C'mon down and check it out. It's not just a market - it's a community meet-up every Saturday.
Please download it, sign it and pass it around as wide as possible. Post it at work and pass it around to your co-workers. Get your neighbours, friends and family to sign.
Please Note: you must have been a valid voter on the 2006 City of Windsor Municipal Voters list in order to sign the Petition.
From the Ontario Municipal Act, the one section of the Act that Council failed to discuss last night. We heard plenty about possible appeals, but nothing about citizens taking action when their own Council fails to act. Hopefully, after consultations with City Staff to ensure a proper format for a petition is utilized, we'll have a petition circulating tomorrow.
223. (1) Electors in a municipality may present a petition to the council asking the council to pass a by-law dividing or redividing the municipality into wards or dissolving the existing wards. 2001, c. 25, s. 223 (1); 2006, c. 32, Sched. A, s. 97 (1).
Number of electors required
(2) The petition requires the signatures of 1 per cent of the electors in the municipality or 500 of the electors in the municipality, whichever is less, but, in any event, a minimum of 50 signatures of the electors in the municipality is required. 2001, c. 25, s. 223 (2).
Definition
(3) In this section,
“elector” means a person whose name appears on the voters’ list, as amended up until the close of voting on voting day, for the last regular election preceding a petition being presented to council under subsection (1). 2001, c. 25, s. 223 (3).
Failure to act
(4) If the council does not pass a by-law in accordance with the petition within 90 days after receiving the petition, any of the electors who signed the petition may apply to the Ontario Municipal Board to have the municipality divided or redivided into wards or to have the existing wards dissolved. 2001, c. 25, s. 223 (4); 2006, c. 32, Sched. A, s. 97 (2).
Order
(5) The Board shall hear the application and may, despite any Act, make an order dividing or redividing the municipality into wards or dissolving the existing wards and subsection 222 (6) applies with necessary modifications in respect to the hearing. 2001, c. 25, s. 223 (5).
Coming into force
(6) An order of the Board under this section comes into force on the day the new council of the municipality is organized following,
(a) the first regular election after the order is made, if the order is made before January 1 in the year of the regular election; or
(b) the second regular election after the order is made, if the order is made on or after January 1 in the year of a regular election but before voting day. 2001, c. 25, s. 223 (6).
Election
(7) Despite subsection (6), if an order comes into force on the day the new council of a municipality is organized following a regular election, that election shall be conducted as if the order was already in force. 2001, c. 25, s. 223 (7).
Deemed by-law
(8) Once an order of the Board is in force, the order shall be deemed to be a by-law of the municipality and may be amended or repealed by the municipality by by-law described in section 222. 2001, c. 25, s. 223 (8); 2006, c. 32, Sched. A, s. 97 (3).
This article from the University of Windsor caught my eye this morning. It provides a good example of why we should re-evaluate all of our public spaces after the CUPE strike is over and before we start the lawnmowers and weed whackers up. There are a lot of areas in the city that I've noticed look better with the natural look as opposed to being neatly manicured.
Allowing the berm around University of Windsor stadium to revert to a naturalized state will be better for the environment, the university's budget, and even worker health and safety, says Grounds Supervisor Garry Moore.
"I don't want my crew to take mowers on this slope," he said Wednesday, as a crew of volunteers from the Student Environmental Coalition joined grounds workers to plant beds of wildflowers along the berm, facing Huron Church Road and College Avenue.
The grass has already grown to knee height; seeds planted Wednesday included native species like asters, coneflowers, milkweed, and prairie grasses. Moore said he selected a mix of plants that will attract beneficial insects, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
So I was going through some old stuff in my garage and I found this antique modem that I’ve had since I was a teenager. Turns out it’s a Livermore Data Systems “Model A”. I decided to hook it up and see if it works, and I made a YouTube video in the process:
I missed Graston's editorial comic on Thursday. What a shame - it's a great one.
The Town of Tecumseh and CUPE skewered with one shot.
To see the original, go to the Editorial Cartoon page, scroll down and click on Thursday June 25, 2009.
I guess this is the "escalation" local labour leaders were warning us about last week. Somehow, 20 bins of garbage were dumped on the Riverfront Wednesday evening. I'm sure if CUPE is contacted we'll hear they had nothing to do with it. It was random vandals; the same ones who have been slashing tires, throwing wire and coat hangers into city parks and helping cars spontaneously combust.
Carnival workers, CUPE face off at waterfront
Durocher said when she arrived at the Summerfest site just east of Dieppe Gardens on Thursday morning, she saw garbage bins tipped over, trash strewn on the ground, and about 20 garbage bins tossed into a dumpster. "Someone had taken the garbage out and thrown the bins in the dumpster," she said. "They pushed me over the edge. It was just taunting someone to come clean it up."
She said "a lady in a CUPE shirt" admitted that striking municipal workers had dumped the garbage out and told Durocher they were now "on garbage watch."
To add insult to injury, CUPE has also forced the Dragon Boat Race to move to Tecumseh from Sand Point Beach after they turned down their request to either have CUPE cut the grass for them or to do it themselves.
CUPE has shot themselves in the foot so many times now, I don't think they have anything left to stand on.
Unlike our CUPE locals who used a union-approved company out of Manitoba to conduct a push-poll (love the buy local, buy Ontario attitude of CUPE) or the Windsor Star who used Survey Monkey for an online survery, The Toronto Star commissioned Angus Reid to do a random sample poll on the Toronto Municipal strike:
This is all the union's fault. Scrap the sick-bank system. End the strike.
The feeling among GTA residents is clear, according to an Angus Reid poll conducted for the Toronto Star. More than three in four, 76 per cent, oppose the strike. More than two-thirds, 71 per cent, think CUPE should drop demands for an agreement that allows workers to bank 18 sick days a year. And an overwhelming 81 per cent favour provincial back-to-work legislation.
By the Numbers
(600 person random sample of GTA adults, conducted June 22nd and 23rd. Accurate +/- 4 %, 19 times out of 20)
76% of GTA residents in new poll oppose the strike;
81% want province to pass back-to-work legislation;
53% blame the unions;
21% fault the city;
10% believe the strike will last less than a week;
37% per cent are predicting one to two weeks;
30% per cent expect it to last up to a month.
The one statistic that really stands out for me is the 81% calling for back-to-work legislation. Obviously not many people realize the cost and consequences that would come with such legislation. Union friendly Mayor David Miller is probably hoping for legislation as it would get him off the hook with his union supporters. Hopefully Premier McGuinty stands firm and resists any calls for such legislation. At the end of the day, he knows that any additional costs for Toronto will ultimately have to be paid for by the Province as the City has demonstrated over the last five years that they are incapable of balancing a budget.
Tecumseh Deputy Mayor Tom Burton and any of his fellow elected officials who supported this silliness are deserving recipients of the "Bone Head" award for their Tecumseh-only motion for a local off-leash dog park.
TECUMSEH, Ont. -- Deputy Mayor Tom Burton is so convinced the town’s new dog park is being overused by non-resident dogs that he wants the OPP to collar the offending owners and charge them with trespassing.
Burton got town council Tuesday to approve a motion to make the town’s new off-leash dog park off-limits to anyone who doesn’t buy a Tecumseh dog tag for their pet.
Burton wants a sign at Carling Park near LaCasse Road to warn that its fenced-off dog park was only for Tecumseh dogs. The OPP could charge offenders with trespassing, he suggested.
It's hard to even know where to begin with something as stupid as this. I'm sure the OPP were glad to hear that they were being volunteered for doggie patrol as opposed to something that might actually be important.
With all the issues facing communities across Essex County during this recession, it's hard to imagine that Tecumseh Council even spent 30 seconds discussing and debating this ridiculous motion.
Time for a serious reality check for elected representatives in Tecumseh.
Congratulations to all involved in this venture. It's been in the works for a while and the approval is a result of the hundreds of hours put in by various individuals and groups. The nice thing about this is that it utilizes an abandoned site, is being started with minimal funds from the taxpayers and has every potential to succeed.
If anyone has ever been to Kingston in the summer, they will most likely have visited their excellent Market held in the Municipal parking lot behind City Hall every Sunday. This Farmers Market/Flea Market is held in the heart of downtown Kingston and acts as a major draw for people. During the two summers I worked in Kingston this was a regular stop on Sundays. We would visit a local diner close by for breakfast and then spend an hour or so at the Market and a couple hours more shopping in the downtown. It was a great way to spend a Sunday in a downtown that was open, inviting and thriving.
By Doug Schmidt, The Windsor StarJune 23, 2009 12:01 AM
The downtown gets its own farmer’s market starting July 4 after city council gave the green light to a proposal by a residents group to convert the former Greyhound bus terminal into an open-air gathering spot for food vendors, crafters and musicians on Saturdays through the summer and fall.
“I think this is a very exciting opportunity,” said Coun. Bill Marra. Council added to a $10,000 grant from the Downtown Windsor BIA by agreeing to invest up to $6,800 in the venture by the Downtown Residents Association.
The tax dollars pay for hydro costs and installation of electrical outlets, as well as the cost of sweeping and patching the asphalt surface.
Now that 24,000 Toronto municipal CUPE workers have joined Windsor's CUPE locals on the picket lines, it will be interesting to see how things develop. If Toronto settles quickly or the Province legislates them back to work again, as they did in 2002, it will increase pressure on Windsor to settle. Similar to Windsor, the main issue in Toronto is benefits, in this case sick days. The City wants to remove the generous amount (18 days per year) awarded to employees and replace them with appropriate short and long term sick benefits. Unused sick days in Toronto can be banked and used at retirement, paid out in cash. This has left Toronto with a current unfunded liability of approximately $186 million.
Even with union-friendly Mayor David Miller in charge, Toronto is facing a stark reality, especially in these depressed times. For the last 5 or 6 years the only way they have been able to balance their budget is by yearly "one-time" cash infusions from the Province. The amounts have been getting smaller each year and the Province's willingness to continue is waning.
It will certainly bear watching to see if Sid Ryan and other Toronto CUPE leaders have learned anything from their disastrous strike strategies attempted in Windsor.
Here's some free advice for them in terms of social media strategies.
CUPE video documentary - Hold the line - professional video produced by CUPE Ontario, run time: 16 minutes Total Views: 1797
A Channel News Report - CUPE Striker Dumps Bag of Garbage In Front of Child - amateur video, run time: 47 seconds. Total Views: 73,155 Update: follow the Toronto Strike on Twitter #TOStrike - as of 8 am there's already 7 pages of Tweets, not very many of a "supportive" nature.
It's as if CUPE leaders are looking for the final nail to drive into their own coffin while they get the hammer ready to finish the job. Instead of telling their story in a calm and dispassionate way to members of the public, working to gain support, we're going to witness more banging of the solidarity drum. Any picket line incidents during this "escalation" will bring forth the typical talking points that it's all the City's fault, while at the same time generating an ever increasing backlash of public opinion against local CUPE members.
Labour Council President Gary Parent, he of the threats to end children's funding, sticks his oar back in again with his own veiled threats of escalation and promises to do “Whatever they want and ask of us". By the way, Gary, obviously after reading CUPE's push-poll, doesn't believe that the Mayor and Council really have any serious support from the public. (Related: Gary Parent - Then and Now)
CUPE denies leak, may amp up strike activitity
WINDSOR, Ont. -- CUPE leaders said Friday that Windsorites could expect to see an escalation in picket line activity by striking municipal workers and that the atmosphere had become “too poisonous” for talks to resume anytime soon with the employer.
Many of those who spoke out at a CUPE membership meeting at the Caboto Club “were adamant that we’ve been too soft,” said Local 82 president Jim Wood, representing outside workers.
He said that, while “other strikes around the world, they get violent,” in Windsor, “it’s been a pretty good strike so far.”
Local 543 president Jean Fox said the union’s members will “stay respectful of the citizens” but that as the strike drags on it was getting harder to witness “scabs and entrepreneurs” doing the former work of striking city employees.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if picket action increases,” Fox said.
When local citizens first began organizing park clean-ups at the end of May, we heard what a hazardous and dangerous job that it was, requiring specific safety equipment:
"You've got beer bottles in the grass, and if it cuts them and shoots them out and hits your legs, it's dangerous." Wood said city employees are required to do the work wearing protective equipment including safety boots, a mask and long pants. He added that the city would likely be liable for any injuries sustained by volunteer cleanup crews.
Congratulations to the CUPE volunteers who mowed one of the ball diamonds at Forest Glade Park on Friday. Your locals are in desperate need of some good news and your efforts will certainly be appreciated by the kids who will take advantage of the newly groomed diamond.
There's only one problem. I think Jim Wood forgot to give these volunteers the same safety briefing that was given to the non-CUPE volunteers. I don't think these CUPE volunteers make the City any less liable for injuries than the non-union volunteers.
Here's one of the better anonymous emails that I've received lately:
judging by the fluffy little entries on your blog its pretty obvious that you kinda know nothing about what's going on in your city, eh?
had you considered that the city might have mistakenly taken union bait and run with it?
in other words, your hero the mayor and his relatives are the only ones who felt "close to an agreement" on wednesday.
so, since you are basically unfit to responsibly comment on these events that are happening which are clearly beyond your ken, maybe you should consider taking a back seat and allowing those in the know to do their business unmolested? even guttersnipes have to return to the gutter from time to time. maybe time is now for you?
-- just some friendly advice from someone who knows you to see you
All I can say is keep the mail coming, it's a great motivator. Free speech may seem like a tired old concept to some people, but is something that is held in high regard around here.
PS. anyone that could email me and claim that the Mayor is my hero obviously hasn't been reading this blog for very long and qualifies for either a jacket with no arms or comedian of the year.
PS2. some advice for the above wannabe. If you want to be really anonymous it's adviseable to use an anonymous proxy from a location other than a home address tied to an internet account.You'd be amazed at the data collected when you host your own site.
BYOB, there will be some awesome all-natural beef burgers available along with Italian sausages sizzling on the grill. There might even be a bacon explosion in the works!
Thursday night my friend and I headed over to Biscuits and Gravy to try out the .png)
I received the following email this morning from organizers of the 
I've been promising to do a post and some promo for the 
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