CFN – Cornwall Ontario City Council’s concept to fool the public into thinking that it’d finally grew some population by simply changing their signs to accommodate area population was rejected by the Province. Led by one of their most disconnected councilors, Syd Gardiner, the concept was to just add in areas; maybe why not Ottawa or Kingston to really amp up our numbers?
There are reasons why Cornwall’s population has not grown. Some of them are shared by other Eastern Ontario communities, but some come simply to the way business is conducted from the top down in this city.
For example this newspaper. We created CFN with almost no resources in 2009. Somehow we have managed to be the most read media in this market which features some of the biggest National and regional media chains in Canada.
That’s no easy feat; yet Syd will stand in the local tourism office and make sure we get no advertising revenue from them. Likewise council implementing a boycott across the board of CFN. A boycott that not only has hurt this company, but most likely about to cause the cancellation of our online TV station; Seaway TV.
Do they really think that people don’t realize that or see it locally and outside of our fair city? Restaurants needing 18 months to get open because of permit issues while that of someone close to council gets to open their doors in a few scant weeks? Do they really think people don’t hear about that?
Local building supply centres complain about business being down because residents can’t get permits to do renovations while the city hires new inspectors to hand out tickets to those that didn’t get a permit to do their renovations?
Spending nearly $2 million dollars covering up the escapades of “executive leave” CAO Paul Fitzpatrick; spending more money on legal bills to monitor CFN than they did marketing with us (the kicker is that from old archived ads we’ve sent more traffic to the city than the media they actually pay for!) is it no wonder that they have no money to get a proper permit office that can actually service the demand in Cornwall in a reasonable and fair time?
Holding up advancement of City Staff because they won’t play ball like their predecessor to the point that a retirement is delayed?
Trying to sell Little League ball diamonds and city parks to developers without being upfront with the public?
Factors like these cause “BUZZ” and places can get reputations.
No, Syd, if you want Cornwall to grow it’s time to look in the mirror and realize that you sir and your cronies are the problem. Same with the Chamber of Commerce who just cancelled the Fall Home show.
Cornwall has all the ingredients to grow and blossom. It has a gorgeous stretch of river, plenty of space, some good infrastructure; some great people.
What it’s missing is good leadership and management. It’s too cozy; too small town at the top for a city of nearly 50,000 people and a budget of nearly $150,000,000 which is why many of these behaviors occur in the first place.
Power, money, control. It’s time the people of Cornwall took that back from a very corrupt, arrogant, and wicked minority that simply are not smart enough to know how to play the game.
It’s up to people to pull together and work together. I guarantee you that when that starts to happen in this city you’ll see the population rise very very quickly.
Jamie Gilcig – Your humble editor of the Cornwall Free News
(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.)
What does it take to make this mayor, council, realize that they are out of date and useless to the point of no return on their ideas of improvement to this city, that just showing a juggling of numbers posted on a sign on a highway makes things better.
I’m astounded that with all that’s being going on in this fair city,
that the people of Cornwall have not raised their voices or tar and feather the so – called above and beyond, untouchables in the city hall.
The time is coming, for a change.
Have a nice day,folks.
Only 43.5% of eligible voters went to the polls last municipal election, so… Having 56.5% of eligible Cornwall voters afflicted with political and/or social retardation, we can fairly expect the gang buggery to continue twice a month in chamber, and even more frequently in committee.
And as biologists will attest, that kind of behaviour is bound to result in a population decline.
What exactly was he trying to do? Add the population of South Stormont and call it the Cornwall Area?
Please tell me this is a joke…. Yep changing the signs will attract hordes here…I can’t believe this. Gardiner must think we are fools. Only in Cornwall would one read such nonsense.
Cornwall has potential but the nonsense has to stop. It is giving this city a bad name.
Council or maybe the business community should be harping on the lowest price of electricity in the province to everyone who listens……
What a joke….let’s create an illusion that Cornwall is bigger than it really is………you have got to be kidding!!!!! Cornwall hasn’t grown because the people running the place..Kiilger and puppets has done nothing but spend money on trying to cover things up. If one more tree grows on the 401, you won’t even be able to see a gas station along the way as one travels by Cornwall.
Shame on them….suck it up. It ain’t growing because of you KILGER and TEAM!!!!!! Do you jobs and stop trying to create illusions. It is very obvious that Cornwall won’t grow until you are out of power.
Well said! Thanks for your dedication to what is true. A pleasure to read, as always!
Thank you Jamie again for the truth, “Power, money, control. It’s time the people of Cornwall took that back from a very corrupt, arrogant, and wicked minority that simply are not smart enough to know how to play the game.” I dream for this to happen here. If I want the truth I read CFN and if I want their doctored views I read the local rag but then I also love doing their daily crosswords.
Maybe they need the internet at City Hall……. population for 2011 – 58,957
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-cma-eng.cfm?Lang=Eng&TAB=1&GK=CMA&GC=501
Eric that’s the general area including South Stormont.
This city (town) will get nowhere unless it opens its doors to outsde businesses.
Too much favoritism in the ranks. I agree this is why building permits, for example, are “fast tracked” for certain businesses.
It’s even to the point that Cornwall will not be mentioned in an upcoming film, even though some scenes were filmed here. The producers said “NO” to a film credit. Cornwall will simply be mentioned as “Seaway Valley.”
Windsor, Detroit, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Tilbury, among others respectively, welcomed the production, not Cornwall, or any department of city hall.
Wake up Cornwall and maybe your population will increase on its own, without having to add other cities to make youself look bigger than you are.
50 years at least….and the population is still the same? Embarassing!
Why not just get a city employee to sneak up to the 401 and paint an extra zero or two on the signs?
Now thats funny Ed. lol
Cornwall’s population has not grown because there is nothing there and with all the terrible polution as well. Everybody who is educated leaves and leaves for good. There are hardly any people that I know of left in Cornwall from my days. Everybody flew the coup.
Huge warehouses are locating here my question is are they paying
a fair tax rate or is the paying of taxes on these properties deferred
& if so when will they be paying Taxes & will it be at a proper tax rate ? Jamie your readers might like to know .