CFN – I had to humble myself this week. I had to ask for help. It was extremely hard and I realized that as much as I like to practice humility, that I too have a lot of pride.
I freely help people every day and rarely with hold assistance if I can help. Part of me even takes pride in being able to help my friends, family, and viewers of CFN and much that I do rarely is ever talked about which is the way it should be. If you help someone for personal gain it’s not really helping, is it?
There really is nothing wrong with asking for help, or for forgiveness.
This week I really felt what many people feel when they have to ask for help or how they feel when they suffer by not asking.
There’s a line. There are moochies out there that will ask without needing as though the world owes them something. It doesn’t. The world isn’t fair. The world is what we make with what opportunities we get in life. Look at our Mayor Kilger. He’s done awesome with only a 10th grade education and now he’s part of a group that wants to found a University here in Cornwall!
This week I’ve given a lot of thought to the Group that wants to bring a University to Cornwall, the Benson University, after all Gerry needs a legacy and some of the group apparently need more money. (That’s a whole other story!)
But I was thinking, after being told that Queens had been negotiating with NAV CAN ( Queen’s denies it; NAV CAN’s Ron Singer was mystically ominous about the rumour) that even with move from Bricks to Clicks (not cliques) that Cornwall if anything, with some vision, could become a school town. If we could get different schools & colleges here our culture and society would totally change and that gives me hope.
We have some empty schools that could go to Upper learning. We have a lower cost of living which students need. We have a great location close to Ottawa, Montreal, and short hops all the way to Toronto. Having a mass of students can bring life to a city. Pitt Street could become party central. Montreal Road could light up with the kind of stores that ad colour and life to a city.
Younger people might start businesses. After all the business community here is far too close to pension age. Are they the types that could service a younger, hipper crowd? Could you see Tam Tam’s in Lamoureux Park on Sundays like Parc Mont Royal in Montreal? Why not encourage musicians and artists to hit our green space to work themselves on Sundays?
No, maybe these greedy old Blue Beards have planted an unintentional seed of hope. Or maybe nothing will happen and we’ll go back to debating the best form of Goose control for Lamoureux Park….
Jamie Gilcig – Editor – CFN
Like your article Jamie, but really don,t understand were you think the cost of living in Cornwall is so low.Have you priced the rental units in Cornwall lately.You can double that if and when we ever get a university.Landlords will be all smiles if a university comes to Cornwall.
This is good reading
luckyred could you imagine if this group of 30 had decided to do this 25 years ago? It’s funny that not one of the elected officials in this group gave any push to universities in their last elections.
Kinda stinks of opportunism somewhere dontcha think? Wonder who’s making money on this deal if it goes through….
I understand your vision of an educational town which brings life, knowledge, conferences, collaboration, experiences, ventures and wealth to a community. The drawbacks are a minor inconvenience for a community to tolerate.
Access to higher learning has changed distribution channels and greatly reduced in acquisition cost. There are competitive enterprising options. The best students of lifelong learning are self directed autodidacts.
Knowledge is not a rival commodity. If you share your ideas, concepts, compiled information, interpretations, understandings and presentations; you are not transferring your knowledge “out” of you. You’ll have your knowledge.
Many organizations are competing to render knowledge accessible to the greatest number of potential students. One such entity is the Khan Academy. The baby echo generation have educational choices in addition to living in campus towns.
https://www.khanacademy.org/
Maybe we could be a hub for MOOC’s (massive open on-line content) courses. Just put in a few large computers with dedicated internet lines and buy the courses from willing established universities.
My suspicious mind wonders if this is going to open up the property at NAV CAN to developers? If they can’t get Lamoureux Park, the NAV CAN property is a pretty good substitute.
I get the impression Admin, that you would drop everything for a friend, asking that friend for help just needs a new motto. What are friends for if you can’t USE them! LOL
I would like to see TR Leger put on a push on for people to complete high school. On line courses with some night classes in town through an established university like Queens, would be a good continuation.
I’d like to see TR Leger get its act together too. So far they have not impressed me in Cornwall….again, more of the clique nonsense…
It seems some people feel a “high-priced” survey at the taxpayers’ expense would be required at this time to develop a business plan for a university in Cornwall.
Why can’t we use some of our local talent and resources to obtain some “low-priced” surveys first.
We have students in business courses at St. Lawrence College. Students complete projects for grades. Let’s ask them to pick teams and all work on the Cornwall U feasibility study project. Perhaps the committee could scratch up a $1,000 for prize money to add some extra incentive.
(Just a thought).
What is your beef about TR Leger? Teachers there work really hard to help struggling teens and adults finish highschool. The school is run by new administration who don’t even live in Cornwall. If you even spent one day there and listened to all the success stories, you would change your tune. Perhaps before criticizing, you should educate yourself.
Sue maybe my experience was with the old administration…
Sue wrote: Perhaps before criticizing, you should educate yourself.
Many are too quick to critize which in turn creates too much negativity.
One can’t compare Cornwall with the greater metropolitan areas and nor can we expect to become one…..at least not in our lifetime.
Not being negative here but personally I doubt Cornwall can support a University. There is another elementary school closing at the end of this year and perhaps two. Our college was in financial straights a few years back and came close to closing. There are many Universities in larger cities that are in close proximity to Cornwall. That being said, why would a student choose Cornwall?
Until we have something better to offer, chances are the student will choose to be educated elsewhere.
Adm, your thoughts and dreams of what this city could become are refreshing indeed…….but we have a heck of a way to go. Wondering if we will see it in our lifetime.
Stella after today I am almost ready to give up on this community. If the people of Cornwall are aware of what’s going on at City Hall and support it this isn’t my city after all.
@ admin. It must be depressing living in a two-bit has-been town, especially if you are bent on changing the way things are run. Canada is a huge country with countless towns and cities that are way more progressive than any in eastern Ontario. You are busting your ass trying to polish a turd. That turd will forever be Cornwall.
My post is a bit off the topic, but very important if you care about Canadian citizenship.
Please sign Jason Kenney’s petition to revoke citizenship from Canadian dual citizens who go abroad and commit an act of war or terrorism against Canada. Tell your friends to sign it as well. http://www.jasonkenney.ca/news/stripping-canadian-citizenship-from-terrorists/
Ed February 8, 2013 at 7:36 pm
@ admin. It must be depressing living in a two-bit has-been town,
“You are busting your ass trying to polish a turd. That turd will forever be Cornwall.”
You Sir are a jerk with your comments above of our town ,you obviously do not live in it.
Cornwall may be rough ,but it remains a diamond in the rough.
I believe more citizens are becoming more involved with community activism and that will only help improve our city.
Domain to us what you meant by progressive?
Is not having more of its citizens becoming active in that community considered progressive?
Many are thankfull for CFN as they at times are the catalyst for the fine members of the community as they take a principled stand.
I’m proud to be a Cornwallite when I see concerned citizens get involved in what happens within their community.
Thanks for playing a part of this Jamie,Don and CFN .
Highlander as much as I appreciate your comments in a way Ed is right. As long as good people stay silent we’re doomed to the status quo. The only way to change it to change. To let people know that they can’t do things in a way that hurts our city. I had a few glimmers of light and I’m hoping that a lot of people show up at Monday’s Council meeting.
What’s up with Mondays council meeting?
We’ll be writing about it tomorrow. City Hall pulled a nasty on CFN today…again.
Sure the Queen’s University dream would be great. Do you actually believe Queen’s would every want anything to do with Cornwall though?! I get a milk and then vinegar taste in my mouth when I say “Queens” and then “Cornwall”. If a university ever came here, it would probably be very costly but I would NOT support a “Cornwall U” or “Benson U”.
As for the city, well yes lots of potential, but unfortunately the people here are too apathetic. Apathetic why? Perhaps learned. People get in vicious circles and they don’t have the knowledge, albeit a simple concept that if you don’t speak up, you won’t receive! We live in a time where we get results faster and faster and when you have to fight for them and not be guaranteed the result you want, they why bother? Not enough reason in my book not to fight for what you believe in and fight for your city.
Stella’s right – Cornwall cannot support another school.
Ed – the reason why Cornwall won’t shine is because of the forever negative attitude most have of it – much like the one you exhibited above in describing Cornwall.
Admin – don’t blame you for wanting to leave. I left a while back…
Highlander – Might be time to run for politics!
On with the show this is iiiiiittttt!
After the week I’ve had also dealing with these fine clique people running or do I mean ruining this city by blackballing me for speaking my mind to the truth I too also am ready and thinking of a move to anywhere where stupidity is not rewarded. Congrats Jamie on a big 4 years of CFN. Happy Birthday , my friend. Busting my ass to polish a turd is exactly how I feel right now. That is too bad but people here dont give a shit anymore from what I am seeing and hearing.
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Cornwall is a great rough town. So I moved back to toughen up my spoiled rotten kids. Pitt Street used to be party central 20 years ago admin. Don’t leave. Run for council on a platform that we need to clean house. I’m starting to think Mark MacDonald is more of a positive force than a few years ago as well.