Alyssa Blais to Run for Cornwall Ontario City Council – Some of the Many Reasons Why Not to Vote for her by Jamie Gilcig

Alyssa BLACKCornwall Ontario – It looks like Alyssa Blais is running for City Council in Cornwall Ontario.    I say it looks like as Ms Blais has not issued a release nor is she listed yet on the City’s election page.  LINK

 

Normally when someone runs for public office they send out a press release and then make an announcement. If they have an affiliation with a particular media outlet it’s important for them to be professional about it if they hope to get any exposure.  Of course Ms Blais is a disciple of Elaine MacDonald so this sort of amateur petty bush behavior isn’t surprising.

“We cannot let negative comments, which comes from a place of low self-esteem, bother us to begin with.”

Ms Blais has done none of that and there is a story in the outlet that she and her husband write for announcing that she’s running which isn’t really a surprise as she’s had an election website up now for quite awhile.    Ms Blais in her announcement though doesn’t really show why the public should vote for her; but it seems goes into a passive aggressive attack mode.

What I have learned in my forty plus years is when someone attacks you nastily, it really never is about you. It is generally a reflection of how that person feels about themselves. 

Um, no Ms Blais; sometimes it really is about you, and of course the definition of “nastily” isn’t simply what you don’t like or wish to hear.

Ms Blais was a patronage appointee to the Agape Food bank.   She had no prior experience with being a director or even manager at a food bank before, never mind being a director of a near $1M per year operation.

Since her leadership the food bank has cut services and replaced or added staff who are friends and acquaintances of Ms Blais which while similar to the way that some at City Hall operate is not the standard.

Likewise a politician has to have thick skin and know how to communicate and compromise at times.  They are there for all of the public and not just their friends, family, cronies, and paying supporters.

Under Ms Blais’ guidance the Agape has gone from a dysfunctional and struggling provider for the needy in Cornwall to a total mess that has had to pay out thousands of dollars to former employees in settlements and wrongful termination lawsuits including one that involves a very good friend of hers and her husbands allegedly involving one incident of the musically inclined gentleman giving a wedgie to an under age employee that ripped the kids garments.

Ms Blais also refuses to answer basic questions as director of an organization that if anything should be the most clear and transparent as they need public support.

Here are some of the questions we have emailed to Ms Blais that have never been answered.

This, like some of the others was sent to both Ms Blais and Elaine MacDonald who sits on Alyssa’s Board of Directors as well as other Council candidate Carilyne Hebert.

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Hi Ladies,

 
We know that Frank Burelle was one of the recipients of positions thanks to the Trillium grant.  
 
Has John Earle ever worked for pay in any form for the Agape?
 
Thanks for your prompt & professional replies,
.
It was alleged that Mr. Earle and his good friend were the recipients of the Trillium funding that Agape received to help “Marketing.”
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Hi Ladies,

 
Can you please confirm either losing a legal case or settling that resulted in a $5K payout from Agape in the past 18 months to a past/current employee?We are not asking for you to identify them; simply confirm from you that it happened?
 
Thanks for your prompt and professional reply,
.
There was no reply to this email as well.
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Hi Alyssa & Elaine,

 
How much has the Agape Centre spent in legal bills for the 2012 and 2013 calendar years please?
 
How many libel chill letters have been sent to former staff and volunteers?
 
Why does a Cornwall Charity use an Ottawa Law firm?
 
How many lawsuits/settlements has the Agape Centre had with current/former employees since Alyssa has begun her position as director?
 
Thank you for your prompt replies as we go to press in the AM.
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Nor this one.
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Hi Ladies,

 
I will be doing a story on the Agape, pending lawsuits, and disgruntled staff, etc.
 
Do either of you wish to go on the record or issue a statement?
 
Happy Thanksgiving,
.
Nor that one.
To be fair Ms Blais did respond to an allegation in September.
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Hi Jamie,

 

I am responding to the statement you put in quotes in this email:

“agape centre is corrupt as you probably already know , operations manager lori greer just recently used centres supplies to feed a wedding for her familly, one of the many things wrong with that place since ive worked there. hate seeing peoples donations be put to such a waste”

 

This statement, to me, sounds like this person is accusing the Operations Manager of using food from the Centre that did not belong to her. Whether or not she rented the kitchen is not the issue here. It is whether she used Agape’s food supplies for her own benefit and I can say that she did not and never has.

 

Why someone would post such a thing is beyond my comprehension.

I am sorry Jamie, it is probably not the response you want to hear.

 

Kind regards,

Alyssa Blais

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That was a rare reply that even surprised myself.

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Hi Alyssa,

 
Can you please confirm that you stated that you plan on growing Asian Pear & Apple trees on behalf of the Agape and what your budget will be for the project?  Will it be run by volunteers or paid staff?   Is there a grant(s) involved?
 
Thank you  for your prompt reply,
.
Nothing on this one, and Ms Blais has subsequently in other media mentioned her apple and pear orchard, but in season both of these fruit are very inexpensive and could be canned and jammed for year round use.  With the snow suit fund  cut why not simply share how much was spent on “consultation” and purchase of anything related to the orchard?
Ms Blais did send me a missive about not liking a video interview I shot of her at an event.

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Hi Jamie,

 

It has come to my attention I have every right to see and approve any interview that I give, prior to its release.

 

I am requesting a copy of my interview that you conducted October 9th, for approval please.

Thank you very much for your attention on this.

 

I have no problems conducting interviews with you in the future.

 

Kind regards,

Alyssa

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My reply:

No Alyssa,

You don’t get to have approval.  You chose to answer the camera.  You had the option to say no comment or stop at any time.  Answering is consent.
Her reply:
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Dear Jamie,Anything that is written with respect to the interview that date and time, the interviewee is entitled to see it before it gets released for approval, regardless of how the interview was conducted. Kind regards,
Alyssa

and,
Jamie,I am not asking because I want to “disapprove” of what you write. I am tired of being misquoted by all reporters. That’s all. I am asking everyone now.Sorry if I offended you.Kind regards,
Alyssa 
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My response:    Alyssa video does not misquote.  It also was interesting today looking back at what Alyssa states in the video above. It also sounds like she herself did not avail herself of some of the subjects she shared would be focused on in her Politic Gal group?
There are more, but I think the viewer gets the direction of Ms Blais behavior at this point, speaking of which her embarrassing of our community by appealing for help on CTV in Ottawa as though Cornwall wasn’t supporting its own wasn’t terribly classy either.

Agape Centre Food Bank in Cornwall Ontario Cries Poor on CTV 

Or hire an expensive Ottawa legal firm to attack a former employee for facebook comments.  How many snow suits could that have purchased, especially this winter?

Agape Centre Hires Ottawa Law Firm to Send Threatening Letters to 

Or then Agape having their law firm telephone me which resulted in me releasing their tax returns.

Agape Centre in Cornwall Ontario Tax Return Information from 

And our candid One on One with a former cook.

Former Agape Cook Tracy Barker On Director Alyssa Blais 

Sadly Alyssa Blais represents the sad and scary truth about the political system in Ontario which is that there are people who want a good job so badly that they will mold themselves to those they are beholden to.

Would any tax payer in Cornwall ever expect Ms Blais to think independently and stand against those that feed her and her family?    Experience has shown this doesn’t happen, and Ms Blais’ own history and actions, or those lacking certainly do not show hope of changing that history.

While we need fresh blood at City Hall I don’t think any tax payer wants to see strings connected to the people we put in charge of a $150M budget; especially after what Ms Blais and her friends  have done to the Agape Centre.

Ms Blais represents the very worst of Cronyism and Cliqueism in Cornwall Ontario.  If our community is ever to break the cycle and culture of this type of behaviour we can’t simply replace the Elaine MacDonald’s with the Alyssa Blais’.   We need to change and end patronage and sycophancy of this nature.  From her power lunch with Gilles Latour; to her relationship with Mr. & Mrs. Bob Peters (including getting a deal on their old Volkswagen), to her use of donated dollars to hire friends and family.   Both Graham & Lori Greer were hired by Agape, as well as Carilyne Hebert, Frank Burelle, and others in Alyssa’s circle.   Positions that perhaps could’ve been given to those more needy and help they themselves break their own circles of poverty?

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Would you vote for Alyssa Blais for Cornwall Ontario City Council?

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13 Comments

  1. If one considers whether accountability and transparency are important then the choice requires little or no mental effort . Anyone can throw their hat into the ring, however for some it simply means that their head will get cold . Enough said on this non issue or event.

  2. after having read this article, i fell she should definitely be demoted from her existing position, why would i put my trust in her for council. the gist i get from her not responding to pertinent questions leads me to believe she is hiding something much larger

  3. Are any of the known or potential candidates not related to the food mess or Team Cornwall Admin?
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    ” What I have learned in my forty plus years is when someone attacks you nastily, it really never is about you. It is generally a reflection of how that person feels about themselves. ” is what people tell their retarded children Jamie. Infantile comment from a pawn to her followers at best. Anyone spouting such feelgood nonsense has drunk the fluoride-laced Kool-Aid.

    DON’T VOTE FOR TEAM CULT (CORNWALL) MEMBERS FOLKS. SIMPLE AS THAT!

  4. and on Tuesday morning October 28th after 38 % of Cornwall have voted in probably another corrupt, rigged election, our loyal team KooKoo members will laugh again in the complex salon in front of all media how they did it again and we end up with an even more selfish, evil, corrupt city hall and out to lunch bunch than the crew we have already had to endure this past 7 years. I could never hate myself or my city enough to ever vote for this woman to City Hall should she ever submit her nomination papers. Any alcoholic homeless bum sleeping alone out behind the park Bandshell would be a better candidate than this woman in my opinion. Sorry if I have offended any homeless bums associating her to any of them as they have probably suffered enough.

  5. Poor Cornwall! If this is the level of city management you hire and vote into power you’re all doomed! She likes Justin Trudeau but hasn’t the clue what he stands for. Wants to teach women about politics but has 0 training or education to do so. Yet I will put a weeks salary on the table and bet that when she runs she will make it a race cause Cornwall folks won’t sweat the details about Alyssa.

    Good luck but your doomed!

  6. Wow a $5000 wedgie!!!! People are still wedging each other????? I thought that went out with the clear cola craze. I take back what I said, this story maybe even juicer than you promised. My apologizes Jamie. Play on player. Five thousands clams sure buys a lot of soup. Scary thing is, in Cornwall if you can get the “wedgie vote” that is probably enough to get her elected. This is why people laugh at Cornwall just so you know.

  7. Dear Ms Blais:
    You should check out the documentary The Front Page about the New York Times
    Professional reporters call subjects and give them a brief idea of the article they are writing
    Then..ask them to comment.
    Even the junior reporter at the local paper/should not/will not?/ let you decide how to report a story
    That only happens in countries run by dictators

  8. @claudette MacIntosh
    Please accept my sincere apology for the humour I attempted in a previous comment. elsewhere as Rev. Biff Toughlove.
    Following your comments and respecting your politics.

  9. {MODERATED} Hi SFA, you have to register your name to use a pseudonym now on CFN. Email your name, mailing address, and phone number to info@cornwallfreenews.com along with the pseudonym you wish to register.

    Cheers and thanks.

  10. Author

    Viewers note. Ms Blais has not filed her papers with the city as of noon on Monday January 13, 2014

  11. Good maybe you can stop her, tell her the truth Ben Mulroney isn’t the prime minister of Canada and those girls are politicians.

  12. Admin Your post above is noted and hopefully for next Council and Cornwall’s sake she will never ever file her nomination papers.It was bad enough just seeing her sitting and hidden in the back row seats of last nights meeting. I expected her to pass around a hat to collect more money for the Agape to help out her cliquish buddies since the city came out short in her last moneygrab attempt.

  13. What a sad state of affairs. Alyssa Blais is doing many things since moving to this area. Not too many of them are good for the area, although they might be good for Ms Blais. Hopefully she will not be able to get onto city council, because then she will be running amok at agape and feeding her ego, and her pocket book on as many aspects of this town as she can.
    Wonder where the money is going to come from for her to launch, and pay for her campaign.
    Such a sad day to hear that she is running, only to be sadder if she gets in.

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