Growing Pains to Real Gains; WHAT MAKES CORNWALL SPECIAL
I transferred here with my family in 1979 for a major retailer. I didn’t choose CORNWALL, I believe she chose me. Networking was never my cup of tea, though through it, I saw where it came from and how in CORNWALL things were accomplished…or not. That is part and parcel with any cities growth I soon realized. This was my first growth experience with CORNWALL. That makes CORNWALL special.
Initially CORNWALL was structured around two spheres of think tanks. The one being of ‘the smell of money’, that was Domtar thinking. The other, the control center of all other growth, the downtown business entrepreneur’s consortium known then as CORNWALL City Council, the one and the same. That made CORNWALL special.
Of course we see here and there over a few decades, a few adjustments, with twists and turns but through it all CORNWALL was finally coming together as a renewed community. She was a complex community of scared investors, of older business’s and new hope with the challenges being foisted upon her by ‘outside influences’, outside big box stores in particular wanting to locate here. They met and found CORNWALL different and yes, special.
City council was still in a state of trepidation, even up to this day. Yet new hope sprinkles change. No longer the industrial magnate of old, we’ve swung the pendulum 180 degrees to clean industry, giants in the land, recognition thrust out telling the country ‘we are CORNWALL’, CORNWALL of Ontario. We are here and here to stay; to grow with you; to raise our families in a warm and inviting, affordable culture and we invite you to come home as I did, as so many of us have. That’s what makes CORNWALL special.
The surprising move on their part was to allow the single biggest new investment into CORNWALL since Domtar itself and though they, through financial incentives, forced CORNWALL Square to locate downtown to preserve the downtown core, instead of away up at Brookdale Avenue and Toll Gate, CORNWALL businesses were preserved for yet another day. That makes CORNWALL special.
So many more open minded people joined forces with the ever growing and expanding of Team CORNWALL’S world wide visionaries that current growth far surpasses that of the past 50 years and it is just the beginning. We have been in a state of fluid, forward motion with development, a renaissance of sorts is happening here, thanks to our Team Cornwall’s memberships, influences and directional recommendations. That makes CORNWALL special.
One of my greatest involvements since coming here was the 15 years I spent with the United Way on the Board of Directors, one as V.P., and three as Team Captain, Retail collections (1600 places). I met great people like Jake Lamereaux, Ted Caslte, Cecile and Lorraine Robinson and Dick Aubrey of the St. Lawerence College, to name a very few. So many hard working Chairmen and members on behalf of those in need it was encouraging and incredible to be even a little part of this organization. The best part was the hearts of the city, the hearts and giving’s of our people and business’s always met the challenge. That makes CORNWALL special.
So many service clubs and other organizations that with their people’ year after and year out put out, put up and come out to the raising up of the needy, the rebuilding of faith in there fellow man and humanity over shadows all else and at the very least compliments all else this fine community has been rewarded with.
When the going gets tough and the edges get rough, the tough here get going. Neither language, ethnicity/culture holds us back. That makes CORNWALL special.
Religions and religious tolerances (and political too) showing allowances and acceptance in a broad spectrum of forums (medias) has kept the peace, literally here in CORNWALL. That’s what makes CORNWALL special.
For over 30 years now CORNWALL has tolerated my seeding thoughts, ideas, and ideals for social conscience raising and yes remedies in mind for our own city council to pursue, (including our non-smoking issues). My scrap books can attest to these.
For the free speech we are all in awe of the luxuries we share in our city. The tolerance to disagree with my diatribes, yet to know that I as they have that right to express them…as each of us do. Especially for all that, for me personally, that makes CORNWALL SPECIAL.
Because I see so much in store for this great and beautiful city with its premier lands such as OUR waterfront ‘Lamoureaux Park’, OUR many hockey, soccer and so many other sports venues (so many for our boys and girls) as well as so much room for expansion for residential, retail and industrial development as well as our low cost housing and utilities relative to the rest of Canada. That’s what makes CORNWALL special.
CORNWALL offers health unit and hospital services in both our official languages. As well our municipal services and most business’s do as well. That’s what makes CORNWALL special.
Final expansion plans are in the works for our local Summerstown Airport. With this alone, Lear jets will be more quickly able to bring executive branch leaders to CORNWALL. By expediting this area of travel head offices could start locating here, especially with the changes going on in Quebec even offices from other major centers from Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto wanting to deal with the Quebec markets. That is what makes CORNWALL special.
CORNWALL is gaining recognition as a central hub city to the USA, Quebec, Ottawa and all western access points that people will begin flooding here…..workers, students and like me, retiree’s. The dynamic, welcome mat is out here in CORNWALL, ONTARIO Canada. Our demographics are an excellent fit for all. Through it all we are a kind, gentle, strong and proud city…..AND THAT IS ‘WHAT MAKES CORNWALL SPECIAL’.
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What a joy to read such a passionate letter extolling the beauty and strength of Cornwall. I first “really” discovered Cornwall while on an exploratory tour of the waterfront to understand whether the Waterfront Trail should extend east from Brockville. I say ‘really’ because like many people I had visited and passed through Cornwall before but never took the opportunity to really see it. Mike Lalonde of Cornwall and Seaway Tourism opened my eyes and I fell in love with a city that had created continuous access to the waterfront, preserved the Lost Villages, boast of having a haunted jail, hosted an annual Balloon festival…the list goes on. I’m from Toronto but Cornwall is one of my favourite Waterfront Trail cities and Dave Windsor’s letter captures the spirit of the City and I for one share his optimism for your future.
Good Job Dave. It took me a while but hear I am. I too came from somewhere else. It’s funny how someone else’ s story reminds one of their own. I came to this great city from a village in Italy. I was too young to work but my parents took good care of me. But this isn’t about me this is about you and your way of putting words together that emphasize the best of Cornwall. See you in the mall.