The Cornwall Free News » Money

Small Business Funding at the South Dundas Business Breakfast by Reg Coffey, April 24, 2012

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:15:31 +0000

From Left to right: Angela Besner, Account Manager, BDC; Candy Pollard, Business Consultant, Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre; Ravinder Banga, Loans Officer, SD&G Community Futures Development Corporation; Charlene MacLennan, Senior Advisor Grants and Projects, SD&G Community Futures Development Corporation; Keith Kerr, Commercial Accounts Manager, RBC; Nicole Sullivan, Economic Development Officer, Township of South Dundas.

CFN – The very first South Dundas Business Breakfast meeting was held this morning at the Macintosh Inn in Morrisburg. The event was hosted by the Township of South Dundas, and funded and organized by the Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre. In spite of its name, the Enterprise Centre serves all of SDG.

The presentations were focussed on funding for small businesses. After an ample breakfast Keith Kerr from RBC began the session discussing the importance of having a relationship with your bank and highlighted the need of a well thought out business plan. He gave several examples of how a diligent bank account manager can help reduce costs and generate revenue for a small business. www.rbcroyalbank.com/business/

BDC’s Angela Besner was next on the program and she presented her company’s programs for financing to help small businesses grow. She described the crown corporations services highlighting that it is a non-demand lender for qualified loans and that they have considerable consulting services. www.bdc.ca

Charlene MacLennan from SD&G Communities Future Development Corporation described how her corporation can help to create and retain jobs for the community through investing in small businesses. Ravinder Banga, loans officer with SD&G Communities Future Development Corporation briefly outlined some of the requirements to access loans with the corporation. Both Charlene and Ravinder stressed that before a small business started to fill out any of the online forms, they should call them directly to discuss your needs first and they can advise you on the best way to proceed. www.sdgfdc.on.ca

Candy Pollard finished up the session by listing and describing the many programs available for grants and financing that a small business can apply to. She did note that each grant or loan has its own set of priorities and the applications should be filled out in detail with lots of thought and planning. Her office is there to help identify and apply to applicable funding programs. www.businessenterprisecentre.ca

The following is a list of the programs in her presentation:

The Ontario Trillium Foundation www.TrilliumFoundation.org
The Ontario Arts Council www.Arts.on.ca
Canadian Heritage www.pch.gc.ca
Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) www.cybf.ca
Conservation Fund www.PowerAuthority.on.ca
Tourism Development Fund www.sse.gov.on.ca
Tourism Event Marketing Partnership Program www.CanadaBusiness.ca
Canada Council for the Arts www.CanadaCouncil.ca
Canada Small Business Financing Program www.ic.gc.ca/csbfp
Small Business Internship Program www.ic.gc.ca
Celebrate Ontario www.grants.on.ca
Canada Business Network www.canadabusiness.ca
Leadership Grants www.leadershipgrants.ca
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs www.omafra.gov.on.ca

There was one common message from all the presenters and that was to call them and they will help.

C.D. Howe Institute: Consumer Debt Reaches Record Levels in Canada – April 4, 2012

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:05:42 +0000

CFN – Canadian households are saddled with unprecedented amounts of debt through bank loans, credit cards and lines of credit, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In The Rise in Consumer Credit and Bankruptcy: Cause for Concern?, author James MacGee finds that debt levels associated with consumer credit are higher than at any point in recent history, and are now higher than those of American households. This raises concerns about the sustainability of household finances, the risks to the broader economy and the merits of government intervention, he says. “At present, there is no cause for panic,” says MacGee, “but there are warning signs in the numbers that are reason for concern, and merit close watching.”

While recent debates have largely focused on the housing market and on the risks associated with household mortgage debt, MacGee looks more specifically at consumer credit – auto loans, credit card debt, and lines of credit – and personal bankruptcies. Consumer credit accounts for roughly 45 percent of total household interest payments, he notes, and often offers variable interest rates, leaving borrowers more vulnerable to higher interest rates. Further, the rapid expansion of new consumer credit products, especially home equity lines of credit, raises real concerns about whether lenders and borrowers have been overly optimistic.

While the recent US experience highlights the risks of overextended consumers, more prudent lending standards in Canada suggest that, under likely scenarios, consumer debt levels should remain manageable. Nonetheless, these high levels of debt leave Canadian consumers vulnerable to large economic shocks – notably a sharp rise in interest rates or an economic downturn.

MacGee says lenders and regulators need to (i) evaluate carefully whether current capital levels of financial institutions are sufficient to guard against these risks; (ii) gather better and more detailed data to paint a more complete picture of these risks; and (iii) ensure that regulations related to household credit are appropriate and consistent over the business cycle, rather than constantly attempting countercyclical regulation. MacGee emphasizes the need for continued efforts to improve financial literacy and simplify the disclosure of credit contracts, to help consumers make informed borrowing choices.

For the study go to: http://www.cdhowe.org/the-rise-in-consumer-credit-and-bankruptcy-cause-for-concern/17174

Cornwall Ontario Chamber of Commerce President Rick Shaver Blames Another Report. First the CFIB and now Moneysense Magazine!

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:01:57 +0000

Rick Shaver & Premier McGuinty - Photo courtesy of Team Cornwall

CFN – Cornwall sure has been “branding:” itself of late. Moneysense Magazine comes out with a Best City to Live in Canada each year and for this year Cornwall Ontario dropped from 90th in the 190 city ranking to 167. The City also finished 98 out of 100 in the CFIB Communities in BOOM report on Small business growth and viability.

Mr. Shaver’s standard response is to criticize the reports instead of reflecting that the leadership and vision of city leaders of this city of nearly 50,000 people has room for improvement and maybe, just maybe, look for solutions instead of excuses?

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) recently issued a report entitled “Communities in Boom.” The report seeks to rank Canada’s top entrepreneurial cities.
Mayor Bob Kilger and Rick Shaver, President of the Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce, issued a joint statement today concerning the report.

“We welcome any information that may help us better understand the needs and concerns of our business community and what we can do collectively to improve our economy. Unfortunately, the
sample size for Cornwall is relatively small, and as a result, it’s difficult to draw any definitive conclusions from the CFIB report.”

Both the City and the Chamber of Commerce are committed to the retention and expansion of small and medium enterprises. The Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre is currently conducting an average of 25
consultations with new and prospective entrepreneurs on a monthly basis. The Chamber of Commerce also supports small businesses through a variety of programs and services.

This week, for example, it is hosting BizFest, a week-long conference focused on innovation, growth and development of the business community. The City of Cornwall is a major sponsor of BizFest .

That was Mr. Shaver’s answer to the CFIB report, and BIZFEST, an event that was an utter disaster that saw the Chamber lose thousands of dollars which the Chamber apparently could not afford as it’s been running in the red now for several years relying on income from the Motor Vehicle services office it is the franchise holder of. Imagine a Chamber of Commerce losing money or potentially going bankrupt? Now that’s leadership!

Mr. Shaver’s response to the Moneysense report was issued solo – Mayor Kilger decided not to dance with the Chamber prez on this one. He did give a quote to another BLOG cum sort of media outlet about the Employment numbers not working for him, but Cornwall failed in each score across the charts of the Moneysense report.

We had to search for the release as apparently the Chamber has lost the Cornwall Free News email….again.

The Cornwall & Area Chamber of Commerce is surprised and somewhat suspect of the results of the recent MoneySense showing Cornwall dropping to 167 th position in the Best Places to Live report. “The Chamber has reviewed the findings of the survey and will continue to study the methodology used in determining the decline in our rating.” States President Shaver.

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The report considers factors such as climate, ease of travel, affordable housing, population growth and unemployment. The data and methodology used in the study is confusing and perhaps not the most accurate way to grade the cities. For one, how can the quality of life be assessed without the input of the people living there; Should the lifestyle of the population be considered, the results may be very different.

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President Shaver notes that Cornwall was not the only city in the area that experienced a decline in their rating, among them; Hawkesburry, Brockville, Belleville and Cobourg. It appears some categories are based on projections, rather than accurate numbers. The most baffling, is the unemployment rate at 12%, which the Chamber feels is close to double the actual percentage.

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According to the methodology, the unemployment rate category is one that carries a great deal of influence on the outcome of the report. Weather is the most influential category and the methodology measures 1cm of rain equal to a foot of snow.

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The Cornwall Chamber of Commerce invites Moneysense to visit Cornwall and get a first hand look at what our city has to offer it’s residents. The Chamber encourages residents to follow Mayor Kilger’s lead and not let the outcome of this survey distract us from the many positive attributes Cornwall has to offer.

Um, yeah. I know Ricky, it can be confusing. So I phoned Moneysense Magazine today and within minutes was speaking with Sarah Efron the Managing Editor of Moneysense Magazine.

She had the following to say:

MoneySense is Canada’s top personal finance magazine, and this is the seventh year we’ve put out the Best Places to Live list. It’s a great tool for city governments and citizens to use to address areas where the city needs improvement, and see how their city is changing over time.

The source of our unemployment data is Statistics Canada and Canadian Demographics. Unemployment makes up 10 out of our 105 points.

Sometimes Local Politicians use our score as a way to show solidarity with their constituents as a positive tool to promote growth.

She said it was normal for leaders to react to poor scores, and of course they react to good scores too like nearby Ottawa Ontario that scored the number one spot on the list as the best place to live in Canada.

With the City of Cornwall falling in every category from 2011 to 2012 it seems odd to try and single out one category? Mr. Shaver is also on the board of Kinsman Cornwall Lift Off 2012 which still has to announce who is on their board, or much of any details to this years event. He returns to the Balloon fest after quickly resigning as its president in 2011 when the event had to request an emergency $30,000 loan from Mayor Kilger and the City of Cornwall.

Mr. Shaver did not return our attempt to contact him for reply to this story. You may post your comments below.

SD&G Community Futures Development Corporation Video Nets Over 6,000 You Tube Views in 24 Hours! February 16, 2012

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:35:55 +0000

CFN – I always love to promote local successes; especially when local young people are involved in helping to promote our fair city and area!

SD&G Community Futures Honcho François Désormeaux also was jubilant about results from the video that featured Charlene MacClennan who works at CDFC, also is on the board of the Aultsville Theatre.

6000 viewers in less than 12hours – Simple, fun and absolutely entertaining is how François Désormeaux, Executive Director of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Community Futures Development Corporation (SDG CFDC), describes the “Shotgun Show”.

Broadcast on YouTube, the world’s second largest web search engine after Google, this social media video was launched yesterday to help promote the many different funding opportunities that the SDG CFDC offers to local businesses.

“I did not expect to get so many hits on the first day, but the buzz is out and it proves that when you get a little creative you can get your message across in a big way “, said Désormeaux after seeing the results of this social media blitz.

The ”Shotgun Show”“ may be news for Cornwall and SD&G but Mr. Désormeaux has been working on this for a few months and he is not alone, because many of these videos who are shot in Ottawa, have been edited right here in Cornwall by two young freelance editors.

It all began last November at The Grind coffee house on second street in Cornwall, where Mr. Désormeaux met Brock Terriah and his friend Mathieu Lamarche, two young and very talented creative minds living in Cornwall.

They were looking for work so Désormeaux decided to team them up with some of the creative people he knew in Ottawa. After a meeting in December with the producers and host of the Shotgun Show the dynamic duo started working on the productions.

“Creating success one job at a time is what the SDG CFDC does and we are thrilled today to have participated in connecting a couple of young entrepreneurs providing them with an opportunity to work right here in Cornwall.

It was also nice to know that our “Shotgun Show” video was being edited by Brock”, said Désormeaux.

For more information about the SD&G Community Futures Development Corporation CLICK HERE.

Platinum Pools & Spas Grand Opening at the Eastcourt Mall in Cornwall Ontario – VIDEO

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:47:00 +0000

Pictured from Left - Marilyn McMahon-Ayerst, MP Guy Lauzon, Mike Bedard, Mayor Bob Kilger

CFN – Platinum Pools & Spas held their grand opening Monday at their Eastcourt Mall location in Cornwall Ontario. Manager Mike Bedard talked about how his experience with Roy’s Pools gave him the knowledge and understanding of the business that he feels will amp up the industry in the area.

Service is his focus; and his long time customers can attest to the quality of his team of capable professionals.

Mr. Bedard also presented a cheque to the Agape Centre at the opening.

He had the following to say about Platinum Pools & Spas:

At Platinum Pools we beleive service sells. We guarantee the lowest service rates and strive to ensure all of our clients are extrmely satisfied with all the services they receive. In doing so we beleive that our loyal clients will become our biggest advertisers and return to our retail store for all of their swimming pool and spa needs.

“It’s really simple, we provide great service for next to nothing and in return our clients tell everyone about us and keep coming back for all their products! But our service doesn’t end their, once in our store we offer free water analysis and free quaterly seminars to inform our clients of proper maintenance techniques and new technologies! And to top it off all or our products come with a hassle free guarantee! If the product doesn’t work as expected we will refund or give you additional products – free- without any hassle – guaranteed!”"

Everyone at Platinum Pools and Spas is truely dedicated to ensuring that all of our clients enjoy life in their own backyard! We love what we do and it shows!

Platinum Pools currently services and sells all parts, accessories and chemicals for most swimming pool and spa makes and models. They offer several different options of swimming pools including In Ground, Semi-In Groun or On Ground and Above Ground Pools. There pools are of the highest quality and standards mathced with with themost reliable and dependable equipment, such as pumps and filters, on the market. Platinum Pools and is currently home to Cornwall’s only Fiberglass Swimming Pool Installers.

The locally owned store provides a supportive environment that encourages allows all of its employees to support our clients and community on a continuous basis!

Women Entrepreneurs of Cornwall & Area Annual Conference & Business Show – February 23, 2012

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:48:09 +0000

CFN- The Women Entrepreneurs of Cornwall & Area are once again preparing for their annual Conference and Business Show to be held on Thursday February 23rd, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Best Western Inn and Conference Centre. Women of all ages and from all walks of life are invited to join us for an evening of inspiration, personal development and

Networking.Women in business will be on-hand to offer products, services, opportunities and resources.The Keynote Speaker is Elizabeth Manley, 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist, 1988 World Silver Medalist and three time Canadian Figure Skating Champion. An uplifting and compassionate speaker, Liz’s presentation will centre on overcoming life’s unexpected challenges and finding motivation to live a full and balanced life.Full Conference Pass Early Bird Rate is only $20.

Tickets can be purchased on line at www.powerofwomenconference.com or in person at Above & Beyond, 28 First Street West, Cornwall.

After February 10th, tickets are $25.For more information about the event, visit us at www.powerofwomenconference.com, and register early to take advantage of the early bird discount.

Ezra Levant – Friend of China, but Foe to Canadians by Richard Komorowski – December 31, 2011

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:42:50 +0000

Putting the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers above Canada

CFN - There are many economic gains to be made in exploiting the Tar Sands, and limited production could actually benefit Canada and go a little towards assuring our future in an increasingly uncertain world. But there are also many major short term gains to be made from exporting this oil to Asia, especially China.

According to Canadian economist Jeff Rubin (one of the few economists who actually understands economics and the role of energy), Canada is losing over $1bn per month in revenue, because they are selling the product at West Texas Intermediate price, rather than world price, as they would to China. However, even Rubin falls a little short on this one, as he fails to note that these companies pay very little tax anyway, compared to their income, and most of the profit leaves the country. Exporting oil to China would actually push Canada’s economy further down.

Exporting Western Jobs to Communist China

Why is it that Levant, his Conservative government, and his beneficiaries at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers want to support the unethical communist Chinese regime, who only recently imprisoned two writers who dared criticise the regime? Giving China access to the tar sands oil puts Canadians, our land, and our seashores at risk. In the long term, we won’t even profit from the oil, except for the minimum in royalties and taxes Sinopec might eventually pay. The Chinese will get the oil for their cost of production, not for the world price most others have to pay, and they will also get all the profits from their operation. Not only that, it strengthens them economically against us, and the oil we ship over there will not be available to run our emergency services and military when OPEC (or perhaps simply Peak Oil) decide it’s time to bring us down.The major reason China controls the world economy is through its low labour costs, along with low shipping costs. However, as energy costs increase, making it more expensive not only to manufacture, but also to ship their goods, this advantage disappears. Eventually rising energy costs will balance China’s virtual slave labour costs, and the West, in spite of having to pay decent wages, will compete equally because we can use energy much more efficiently.Although Levant and the echo chamber of self-appointed science deniers do not want us to know about CO2 and climate change, burning tar sands oil in China will be even worse for the world’s future climate than burning that same fuel here. The reason is that here in the liberal-democratic West we are learning to use energy more efficiently. We are following Europe’s lead, by driving more fuel-efficient cars, insulating our homes so less energy is wasted, and looking seriously at the cost of energy and transportation in the bottom line business equation.

The Chinese, on the other hand, insulated from the liberal west by their extremist dictatorship, which allows them to flout all human and labour rights, are not feeling this crunch quite as hard…, yet…, so there is less incentive to modernise their own industry. On the other hand, the Chinese government, not being stupid, and having no real interest in the survival of the West except under their terms, are busy raiding the world for its remaining natural resources. Why is it, then, that the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and their poster boy Ezra Levant want to subsidise the Chinese economy at the expense of our own? Surely having our jobs return from China to Canada and the West would be more beneficial to all of us than the relatively few that would be created around Fort McMurray.

Wishful Thinking

It is important to note, however, that, contrary to Levant’s wishes, Canada is no superpower, either economically, militarily, or in the energy world. Although it is true that Canada is the world’s sixth largest oil producer, we are nowhere even close to the three giants, Russia, the Saudis, and the US. With our 3.9% contribution to the world’s oil supply and consumption of 87.5m barrels per day, all that makes us is the third biggest midget, with almost no influence to control or decide anything once supplies start tightening up and demand becomes critical. What Levant also forgets is the forecast demand in energy. According to his friend and official CAPP spokeswoman Janet Annesley, world energy demand is expected to double by 2050, i.e. to about 175m barrels per day. Tar Sands production is forecast to reach 3.5m bbl/day by 2025. If somehow this figure could be doubled by 2050, to 7m bbl/day, this would leave Canada with still only about 4% control over the world’s energy pie.Of course, none of the oil companies believe that oil production could ever reach 175m bbl/day – there just isn’t enough economically recoverable oil left in the world (i.e. Peak Oil). As it is, world producers are struggling to keep pace with current demands of 87.5m barrels, and as reserves (and therefore the amount of oil that can be extracted) are inexorably declining, the task is hopeless, even with the Tar Sands. However, if Big Oil were ever to admit this fact, their share prices would tumble to nothing – Shell paid a considerable fine for overstating its reserves in order to keep its share prices high.Canada’s contribution will become almost as futile as trying to save the Titanic with a portable Wajax fire pump. On the other hand, using Annesley’s guess, Canada’s current 2.2m bbl/day oil consumption would double to about 4.4m barrels by 2050. If we build the right infrastructure, (i.e. a pipeline to the east), we could have enough to be self-sufficient for the eventual transition to sustainable energy sources, without having to turn to even dirtier coal, and perhaps also have some left over for our friends in Europe and the US.

Remember too that the Titanic set sail with too few lifeboats. Levant’s wish to sell our natural resources (at less than cost) to China would be akin to putting this country’s small number of lifeboats in a yard sale.

Year in Review : We Grade Cornwall Ontario City Council and Management for 2011 – December 14, 2011

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:04:36 +0000

CFN - Well City Council in Cornwall Ontario is done for 2011. The last official non-secret meeting was held Monday night and it was a full agenda! I thought it would be interesting to do a report card for the mayor, council, and key city management.

Mayor Kilger: B - In hockey parlance Mayor Kilger is a “Gamer”. In spite of his medical issues he’s battled and kept his hand on the rudder of the ship. While in politics people may not always agree with each other, and there may be partisan, and back door issues I have to respect anyone with grit who follows their vision and reaches for their goals.

While there are a lot of issues right now in Cornwall that ultimately lie at “Builder Bob’s” feet he is still fighting the fight.

City Councilors:

Denis Carr: C- Councilor Carr has his fingers in an awful lot of pies. The biggest pie is money for Councilor Carr who when not closing city pools is busy with Heart of the City, Centretown, and the Farmers’ Market. He has the longest tenure on council. With the Diane Shaye and other cases costing the city as much as they are there simply are not enough swimming pools to close to compensate.

Bernadette Clement: B+ – Ms Clement is in a key position to take the torch from Mayor Kilger as this most likely will be his last term in office. She’s still a work in progress politically in spite of her two council terms. She tries to please almost everyone. Her strengths are listening (when she’s available) and being truly as fair as one can expect from a politician.

She seems actually willing to not go with the flow and sometimes stand up for issues that may not be the most popular; in other words; she has principles. Weakenesses: Won’t let go of an issue at the right time (the gym issue from last term as an example) She’s had a good first year on council.

Maurice Dupelle: B The Rookie councilor who finally earned his spot after repeated tries has seemed overwhelmed at times, but has learnt much quickly, and is under the wing of Councilor Thibault. He’s taken criticism well, and doesn’t have to speak on every issue at council like a few others. It should be interesting to see how he performs in year two of his term.

Syd Gardiner: D Not sure what’s going on with Councilor Gardiner? He’s not been his normal self with tirades and profanities spouted in session? He apologized at the last meeting of the year; but I’m still not sure what for after reviewing the video?

Glen Grant: C Glen represents a certain constituency. He doesn’t swerve or deviate. His voting patterns are very clear. If the issue is regarding hockey or something the Guy Lauzon crowd agrees with he nods his head yes. If it’s counter…well. He does seem less feisty this year without sparring partner Mark MacDonald or its the nice new comfy seat.

Elaine MacDonald: D The veteran councilor and former school teacher still doesn’t seem to have recovered from her third place finish in the Provincial election behind Jim McDonell and Mark MacDonald. It’s also not clear as to what she stands for? Stating one thing and voting in another direction can be confusing; especially for her established base.

Of late she’s complained in council about Via Rail cutting service to Cornwall; a service that many in Cornwall can’t afford for travel any longer when available, but with her multiple pensions and council fees she can.

David Murphy: C Councilor Murphy uses his oratory skills as a broadcaster to occasionally stand up and make statements. He seems to be under Councilor Grant’s tutelage. He has not shown the promise that Councilor Dupelle has in his rookie season. So far it’s more “Style over Substance” for the rookie.

Leslie O’Shaughnessy: B+ Returned to office this year after a failed attempt at being Mayor; Councilor O’Shaughnessy has shined. Full kudos for being accessible, open; willing to listen and even change his mind and vote on issues. One of the most principled councilors on this team and a true asset to the city.

Andre Rivette: B+ People either really like or really dislike Councilor Rivette. Never shy from a fight or to help someone that reaches out to him if he believes in the issue. Not the most polished, but calls a spade a spade and then isn’t afraid to whack someone with it! Council would never be the same without one of his arm waving, paper shaking tirades!

Denis Thibault: B You never know where you stand with Councilor Thibault? Friendly; professional; and the best communicator of the group. Most of what Councilor Thibault does is never seen at council meetings. He enjoys the Elder Statesman role. On the times that he stands to speak what he says is usually dead on target. A strong voice in the back room.

City Management

CAO Paul Fitzpatrick: C- Is starting to take the heat on the Diane Shaye case; something that has blemished the City far and wide. Ultimately a CAO is judged on the city’s financial health and perception of success. While there are some real positives in Cornwall right now not many can be attributed to our CAO who has come a long way since working for Ed Lumley. The cost of these court cases and his 14% raise have not made him popular with many.

Clerk Denise Labelle-Gelinas: B Ms Gelinas gets a B for her grace under fire and being a huge team player for silently taking the hit in regards to the secret council meetings which violated the toothless municipal act. I don’t think too many people really believed the statement that this savvy vet of over 3o years “forgot” to notify the public for those meetings.

Economic Development Team: B - It’s got to be a tough job working in that office. I’m grading the team which for this purpose consists of head honcho Mark Boileau, Bob Peters, Candy Pollard, and Kevin Lajoie. With the new distribution centre’s on their way the score is artificially high for 2011. However are these a case of a job well done or as one person stated; “they ran out of space in Brockville to locate.”

Looking at the booming growth in nearby Valleyfield and Vaudreuil/Dorion Quebec and the $200 million dollars of development in Brockville there certainly is room for improvement by the Economic team in Cornwall. With Cornwall finishing 98 out of 100 in the CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business) Communities in Boom report there are red flags about how the city is attracting growth and retaining its own businesses. The fact that the City of Cornwall has a quarter as many CFIB members as nearby Brockville which is half the size speaks volumes.

The downtown core, and crisis for small business in Cornwall would normally push the score down. The performance of Ms Pollard also pushes the score down as well; but this is just for 2011. Hoping that with a year under her and Mr. Lajoie’s belt in their positions that improvements come and a better grade given for 2012. One seed planted is the city is issuing press releases for new businesses that open in Cornwall.

Overall Grade: B- Cornwall is a city in transition. This current council and mayor are most likely in a Legacy position with the vast majority being over 65 (many over 70) come next Municipal election. Times are changing and the way things are done “successfully” change too.

If the goal is for Cornwall to grow; which it will, strong younger leadership will have to fill the mantle. In the meanwhile we have three more years of this group’s leadership. It should be interesting.

With the new bridge coming in and the huge swath of potential waterfront development coming down the pike this city could be completely different in 15 to 20 years. It’s the seeds that are about to be planted that will determine takes root in this River city.

You can post your non-inflammatory comment below.

The area’s best locally roasted Coffee’s!

City to Come Back with Advertising Report Monday December 12, 7PM at City Hall – Some numbers and thoughts.

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:05:07 +0000

CFN - So is the City of Cornwall Ontario using this report to council on advertising as a financial tool to control local media? It’s an interesting question and one I’ve been fielding now for over a month and I’m sure some of the city officials and council are themselves.

Some interesting numbers in the snippet from the report to be tabled at Council Monday night at 7PM. A bit misleading in a way as Cornwall Living is published via The Seaway News parent company Trans Continental.

I think Councilor Thibault touched on something that resonated with a lot of you; that council should not be splintering media companies by medium. IE if a company trashes you on their radio station or newspaper then you shouldn’t be supporting their other divisions. The reality is that there really are no lines any longer between media. Incorporated media companies today use the internet just as much as print; radio, or television. There is no difference; there are only results.

What you’ll notice in the report is that the issue of Online Anonymity is dead because frankly as shared in our previous reports it’s something that truly can’t be legally enforced. It really is about moderation. Now if you read deeper into the report you’ll see that Mr. Peters is pointing to “past” comments and of course delves a bit into what is offensive and what isn’t? What is vulgar and what isn’t?

That’s quite a subject and one that I won’t enter here. The bottom line at the end of the day is what’s best for the City of Cornwall and its brand. And that question is a very important one and the only issue that should matter.

If you watch the report above you’ll see that Councilors MacDonald and Gardiner supported the original report; as did a few others. That’s scary. I can tell you as a media outlet I should not have to debate the definition of words with and defend our stories in nature I have over the last month or so. Following the lines of the new report the sneaky loophole is such that potentially every single possible offensive term or comment used would penalize a company.

Does that make sense? According to the last report; championed by some councilors the city would be prohibited by policy from advertising with the two most viewed news sites in this city; both of whom reach people not only inside Cornwall; but outside. Is that good for branding or is it simply financial bullying? I’m very proud that the Cornwall Free News supplied the most web traffic of any source to the City of Cornwall other than search engines or high priced Facebook ads. Sadly the results of the ad dollars spent by the city are not in the report. I think they should be because if the real issue is about the positive branding and exposure for the City of Cornwall Ontario that’s very very important.

After all, we are the only news media in this city with Cornwall in its name.

More on this after Monday night, but in the meanwhile feel free to contact the mayor and council by clicking HERE.

And if you support CFN and are near City Hall at 7 PM please come to the meeting and show your love.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Inspire to Action – Gerry Visca’s The BIG Think Lands in Cornwall Ontario!

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:04:07 +0000

CFN - The Cornwall Free News is proud to be a non-exclusive and non-predatory Media sponsor for Motivational Speaker Gerry Visca’s return to our fair city! Mr. Visca was the key note speaker for Biz Fest recently. He’s going to be holding two sessions with a capacity of 100 and a special Inner Circle group of 15!

To register email Gerry@redchairbranding.com