CFN – In this article, I would like to shine some light on some possibly forgotten hot topics from the recent past! These ideas have either been forgotten or simply have gone off the radar in recent discussions. If any members of the community would like to add to this conversation than please do so in the Cornwall Free News comments section below.
Arts and Culture Facility
During the 2010 election, Arts and Culture seemed to have finally immerged as the front runner for discussions. It seemed as if we were on the verge of beginning to look at developing an area of our community that was vibrant but lacked support from most levels of government and most other community action groups.
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Many in the S.D. & G. community where rightfully pushing for an arts and culture centre to be built here in Cornwall which would help showcase and develop our local talent while centralizing the areas faculties under one roof.
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As of today, many meetings where held and several groups formed but still, to this date, nothing of worth has been discussed after the initial meetings took place. No future plans have been announced nor any commitment or public input sought since the initial meetings!
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It would seem that the initial meetings were just to appease the public and true support for this venture was not truly on the front burner. This seems to be a political move to go through the motions and hope people will forget about it for now!!!
Leslie O’Shaugnessy – Resignation Details
Leslie O’Shaughnessy resigned from council on April 10th, 2012 and although speculation and his clear opinions and complaints led us to believe that he was leaving office due to the number of scandals and number of closed door meetings taking place at Cornwall City Hall it was never exactly confirmed!
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We were all told that more information would be released in the near future clarifying his resignation. To this date nothing has been said and maybe it’s better off that way but for whom???????
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Transparency has been a highly discussed topic recently in politics but what really is Political Transparency? According to Wikipedia it is: Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in a social context more generally, implies openness, communication, and accountability. To simply describe how I termed it, as a business student, would be to perform actions in such a way that they are clearly seen and known while leaving the option and ability for anyone to verify your results or actions……..even simpler would be counting someone’s change in front of them is clear example of transparency! Not by counting it behind the counter and then throwing it in a bag that cannot be opened or seen!
WTF
How did the Cornwall Standard Freeholder allow Claude McIntosh’s article trashing Andre Rivette to get published and printed? Did Claude vouch for the claims because his son gave him the information (who is a City Cop) or was it because the Mayor wanted it printed because Andre was giving him a hard time and has walked out of several closed door meetings; including one that was proven by Stephen Fournier to have disregarded the Municipal Act. Bob Kilger chaired the meeting and was directly responsible for not keeping the closed door meeting on track!
Kudos
Cornwall Ribfest was amazing and kudo’s to those who provided and reminded Cornwall of what type of festival we all love! Local music, good food and lots of things to do with the kids!
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Also I visited Mont-Tremblant and saw David Usher (lead singer of the band Moist)perform live for FREE in front of about 5,000 people. His act was amazing and better than anything at lift-off which I am positive didn’t cost $100,000 plus as Lift-off organizers claimed to have paid or have unwisely over paid for each headliner!
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Seeing this inspires me to help support Ribfest or another festival! The more festivals the better in my opinion!
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Thank You,
Mike Bedard
(Comments and opinions of Editorials, Letters to the Editor, and comments from readers are purely their own and don’t necessarily reflect those of the owners of this site, their staff, or sponsors.)
Leslie O’Shaughnessy didn’t leave council for nothing but had very good reasons. If you look at what SF and their idiot writer did to André Rivette they would do to others as well. This was something that was completely uncalled for and mighty childlike. I gave up looking at SF here on the computer and would never buy their rag under any circumstance. I know a great deal more about a lot like the cover ups, corruption, etc. but I will leave it at that. I do know that a huge sweeping of the mayor, council along with CEO and everything else has to go or else Cornwall will continue to die off. It doesn’t just take you Mike to change things but a whole lot more people (new people) to run for mayor and council. A whole cleanup from the very top to the bottom is very much needed to get rid of what has been going on in Cornwall for some years now and even way back but especially these past 5 to 12 years.
Mr. O’shaugnessy was one of my favourites on council and I was very disappointed to see him resign. I wrote this in hopes of finding out more.
I truly believe too many people are being undermined and forced to make decisions that with a little effort and work could go a different way.
I hope everyone understands that I like Leslie but we all want to know just a little more……heck, who am I kidding we want to see the truth…..no BS!
We need to know who out of elected officials are for real and who are fake! Hence, the whole transperancy issue!
Thank You,
Mike Bedard
Mike,
Just a question….not a put down.
Why is it so important to you to get the scoop on elected officials? Just recently you had an article on how someone’s reputation and their place of business can be ruined in an open forum. With the coverage of council meetings, editorials etc etc….I am certain that one can decipher on their own which elected officials are deserving of our votes.
As an example…..supposing you did run for office, got elected and you feel you are giving your all to the constituents. How would you feel reading that you are a no good for nothing and called every name in the book?
Those types of discussions have no merit and only encourages slander.
Mike we both agree on Mr. O’Shaunessey as one of our favorites. If you take a good look at council many are back biters and only there for their own pocket and known in the community. Another thing is that people want to know what is going on around them and not something held behind closed doors. Anything held in secret is something that they have to hide. I think that Mr. O’Shaunessey knew very well of all the fraud, and other rotten things going on being swept under the carpet and that he was more than fed up about what is going on. Mike it doesn’t take a genius to know what is happening. I live 60 miles away and I found out more on the net about what is going on that concerns the mayor and a few other higher ups. I will leave it at that for you to use your very good common sense and even try to look things up. Being a businessman in town you should know a lot of things that others do not know. I want to see a complete housecleaning of the city of Cornwall from the top down to the bottom. There is so much that the people of Cornwall do not know about and should know in order to heal. The corruption runs mighty deep.
Subject: A Rumour Monger Columnist
Mike Bedard stated last column that he wants ” to ensure [the Cornwall Free News] Does Not become another form of Tabloid Journalism or Gossip News site”
Mike then regenerated a nasty Fitzpatrick rumour that he previously launched, justifying that rumour by saying that people are now talking about it (as if that somehow makes it credible).
I also notice that that restatement of that rumour and the false justification have been removed from Mike’s column.
Could we have that deletion acknowledged by the editor, in order to judge whether it was a hypocritical, bullying and/or mean spirited action by a loutish self-centred prig? Hmnh?
Then dump this columnist that can’t read, write, express a thought logically, or admit he is a blustering bag of wind 99.44% of the time.
Simon that “rumor” or versions of is the subject of an investigation at City Hall and also was mentioned in court documents.
Simon ,
Again with the lies! I may have mentioned something about Fitzpatrick which is irrelevant since the man has left office! I will give him that much respect but that was way before my last column! I did not say such things in the same article nor have I mentioned the man for some time but thanks for the inaccurate rendering of events.
I stated the Cornwall Free News would be better off leaving comments like yours out because they serve no intelligent purpose…………thank you once again for proving me right!
I am surprised that such a phony entity knew the word prig! However, how could you consider a man who is going against the clique a prig or a passive aggressive …………how could I declare my opinions more clearly then in an open forum under my full name and picture? How is that passive aggressive? If you called me a covert-aggressive than at least that would let us know that you own a dictionary and thesaurus. Your story telling is laughable and amusing but you are only deceiving yourself.
You are obviously a disgruntled person with a hidden agenda who feels wronged but is too much of a coward to use their real name since you know very well that it would allow me to properly show everyone what type of cheat you really are!!!!!!
Keep up the great comments! I enjoy reading your snaky little nuisance almost as much as I enjoy rousing you with my columns! I will continue writing just to see your reaction!
Thank You,
Mike Bedard
I regret any pain I may have caused… Until now I presumed that “the truth hurts” was merely an expression.
well Simon, you sound like a person that voted for both bob kilger and harper,,,,, twice, never realizing it was a mistake the first time