Subject: Lamoureux Park Beach Still Possible
When I and friends presented a beach idea to the Water front Committee (3rd time done) we focused on the North edge of the inlet. Today I could envision the opposite or southern edge of the inlet with a sandy beach approach from the bike path on the peninsula to the water.
The kids loved it. They all ran down the narrow docking ramps and jumped right in. It was beautiful. What a loss to the city of Cornwall that so many have their heads buried somewhere deep that they can not see the advantages of having our own beach in the middle of Lamoureux Park.
This truly is a perfect spot for it.
A gunnite(cement) bottom layer would cover up the concerns of any deep pollutants. Also, this inlet was dredge their in 1970. It was not part of the original flow but rather a back wash pool…far less to no pollutants here and a gunnite would secure the bottom anyway.
Pulling the earth back to bevel the south approach, layer it with sands. Picnic tables for family time and portables for wash room breaks and changing. IT CAN AN SHOULD BE DONE.
Is it selfishness of the RCAFA Wing and other city fathers wanting this pristine pleasure for themselves. That continues to destroy any attempts to reclaim this area for the children?
The geese are here for 6-8 weeks until their goslings can fly and are mostly outside of this pond area. It is my hope that this project will be revisited with more fervor and desire on behalf of a community who needs it. I do not believe what we are told up to this point. I do believe there may be ulterior motives withholding this approach.
If it is a project that we want the money will come. Grants and donations are very possible as they are for many other ‘community’ driven project.
Dave Windsor
Cornwall, On
Yeah, we were there on Friday doing some fishing while a few teens were jumping off the new docks. It was also cute seeing the goslings and such BUT we were there today and the remnants of the geese are absolutely disgusting! Kids can’t be kids playing in the grass for all the poop around! This problem is the biggest reason why we stopped going to the beaches on the Long Sault Parkway.
So if you want a beach at this inlet…how are you going to keep the grassy areas (and walkways) clean of this crap? It’s certainly not maintained now!
Oh and FYI, have you actually taken a look IN the water, there are picnic tables, old metal garbage cans and other crap…would definitely need to be cleaned up!
All in due time Colleen.
The HEALTH unit does regular checks on all beaches. Initial work certainly is needed.
With people congealing in the area, the geese will back off. For now there is regular maintenance of the bike paths at least with a city spiraling broom/collector system. It can be doubled up in a beach area.
Yes, there will have to be maintenance and management w/ lifeguards, unless the city decides to post ‘Swim at Your Own Risk’ or ‘No Swimming’. As it is they did post no swimming where pleasure/fishing craft loading docks are but they too are ignored.
I realize there are obstacles and objections to overcome. There always are, yet somehow together, we can get it done. Marketing this city is hard enough as it is. A summer beach, and this is an ideal location, will invite more tourist who wish to picnic while kids swim. More people will want to locate here as well.
A beach will be on our city guides. If a trailer park is considered for the area where the snow dump currently is, this could also provide adequate parking and a short walk on the bike paths for an enjoyable swim.
A gunite bottom (formerly known as a ‘shotcrete’ or concrete is poured it would be easier to maintain items tossed in. ‘No Swimming or Fishing’ area signage can be placed on the north side shoreline so that there will be no need to relocate the bike path.
Sorry but I can’t see council forgoing any possibility of loosing income to the pool .But I can I see the problem of boaters trying to get in or out of the water with their boats .The children are there at the docks now and don’t follow the no swimming now, really can see
the traffic problem, children running back and forth cars trying to park to get in and out boaters trying to get in and out ,bike path runs right across entrance to the boat ramp now .Only one way in and out. Boaters always stop just pass the entrance to the parking on the east side to drain boats and tie down .The boaters leave their trailers and vehicles on the East side can’t see it if the East inlet is the spot to swim .There would be a steady stream of people crossing from West lot to get over to the East to swim or picnic ?
I love the idea of a beach but that area ? I think we are talking about the same area from the diagram .
Mr. Windsor this lady Colleen is right about picnic tables and garbage cans in water and some people are so mighty inconsiderate that they destroy these things. Even here in Ottawa it is the same problem with the people and they have destroyed a bench that we normally like to sit on here. People get drunk and act up. I have seen it at Guindon Park as well and adults doing the destruction and not just some crazy teenagers.
About goose poop you may have a huge problem and may have to contact the Ministry of Natural Resources on what to do about that whether you make a beach or not. I am all for that idea like I posted before.
I respect the RCAF and would like them to remain as is. Maybe a beach might be in a wrong place since that land belongs to them and may be a little destructive.
You have very good ideas but they have to be in the right area and avoid the pollution that has existed for a mighty long time.
Dave I fully agree that a beach would be a wonderful attraction for Cornwall, but unfortunately drastic change is needed first before anything can happen here. Our leaders and managers at City Hall all have their heads too far up their asses. I think that a boardwalk and family picnic area would also be a great addition to better the quality of our community. Unless Cornwall unites as a community to kick out Mayor Bob, his lame, asskissing council and Bob’s crony clique friends nothing good will ever come to or change in our city. Our wonderous leaders have proven every day for the past 7 years that they do not give a rats ass about the people here as they waste our money to pay off High Grade lawyers for their mistakes and coverups. Like Sunday Bus service which almost everyone asked for in a recent poll your idea of a beach here is just a dream. Shame !!!
Don’t agree with a beach yet at this point. City cannot control geese poop or anything else for that matter as it is now. Look at the failed beaches in Long Sault! We camp out of town just for that reason.
Not saying never on the beach suggestion, but with this council it is just not the right time. They only work with themselves.
Beach ould be nice for people that dont drive or have cars yes i agree. but all this city thinks about is condos and the old people this city has nothing for kids they are even taking out the pools like come on who wants to raise kids here nowadays
as a matter of fact all that area was a swimming place for the kids when i grew up and also we use to have a nice beach behind the college when i awas little taht is where w e spent our summer plus at horifitz pack we had a nice pool but hey teh city wanted to make money other wise and tear it doen and now there nowhere for the kids to go and lots of poor kids that why they swim at teh boat launch and if you look at there faces how happy they are we do need a beach for teh people in the park somewhere it would bring alot more attraction in the mall also instead of closing store it might just open some wake up cornwall and look into it
I would like to thank all who have responded to my re-visit of a beach idea. There are real variables to overcome, I agree.
Mr. Gordon references the problem with the main boat ramp area and children at play in the water and on the docks, despite signs to the contrary. I was like that too. It was hard for me to ignore the water ‘just because’ a sign was there…….as it has been for thousands of children for a thousand years. Mr. Gordon is quite right however, that ramping area is inappropriate for swimming. It is the ‘other’ inlet to which I refer..slightly east of the RCAFA Wing.
Jules, regarding picnic tables and other ‘stuff’ in the water, you are right, as Colleen mentioned. With a cement bottom a team of ‘pickers’ (eager swimmers) can assist to keep these things out. Tables can also be anchored down. It is easy to teach people but child mind people proofing is near impossible EVERYWHERE,,,,so does that mean we can not ANYTHING?
We all agree that for a time in the season the geese are indeed an issue. Temporary beach closures will need to be decided as needed. Does that mean we say no all together?
Mr. Samler references a positive thought about the need for a beach, thank you. Whether or not and I tend to agree with the ‘not with this council’ remains to be seen. There will be an election
at some point where our people can make those decisions. Our best hope is that we elect capable, professionals who desire the same things. Sunday bus service has been on the docket since Sunday shopping was instituted. Perhaps one day……
S of St., thank you for your cander and for your tacit comment of ‘not saying never on the beach……that’s a step at least. With Copykat, ‘Beach could be nice for people’, well together to me 2 possible says a ‘yes’…thank you.
the Guy so well reminds us of the years gone by when children of all ages were swimming everywhere along this north shore of the St. Lawerence basically in every hole from one end of the city to the other. They were diving off the old train bridge, the old canal, the sand shore that existed near the St. Lawerence College and any area inbetween.
WHAT HAPPENED? Well, I don’t need to tell you that a war or two happened and industry destroyed our north shore for some time…a lot of time into the future.
Herein lies my concern….and possibilities…….no where along the St. Lawerence in Cornwall is it 100% safe to swim if it means stirring up our long buried soiled sediment. Dioxin, mercury and other deadly chemicals are imbedded along this RED ZONE as the ‘River Institute’ will remind us as well as any scientific journal in North America. These were all dumped via our own factories where such chemicals were needed to service the war efforts as well as the needs to maintain pulp and paper jobs and the Courtalds requirements, BASF Industries and who ever else were given a pass during our last past century.
The ONLY potential for an appropriate ‘swim hole’ happens to be a nice little inlet dredged out in 1970 for aesthetics to the park since the fill in of the old canals and the opening up of the OPG (Ontario Power Generating) station.
The only pollutants that would have entered this area would be via a back wash of water that fills it in as the St. Lawrence runs to the east. Limited pollution (unless ACTUALLY PROVEN OTHERWISE) exists here PLUS a shotcrete or gunite (concrete flooring) would bury it for a swimming hole/beach to fulfill the desires of hundreds of our children and dare I say a few adults too for years to come.
To ignore the obvious then and to impede its development for purely personal wishes is unfair to our community. Hundreds of other communities provide adequate swimming for their people in an outside environment….free of charge too. It is possible if we all get behind it.
FAILING THIS I would suggest that an extra large SWIMMING pool be dug in above the north side of this inlet. People want to stay in their own home town and enjoy such perks.
The last approach to this idea was basically ‘shot down’ with no actual study of the inlet which in any event would be circumvented by a gunite flooring.
I will continue my best to respond as others make comments and suggestions to this issue.
Thank you.
Dave
There used to be Horwitz Park as well as St. Lawrence Park and St. Lawrence Park was across from Courthaulds and they have Courthaulds cottages there. Horwitz Park has been turned into a shopping mall and I haven’t been to the old St. Lawrence Park on Montreal Road where the cottages are located. Maybe the old St. Lawrence Park might be a good location – I don’t know since I don’t live there anymore.
Like someone said here which is true people would be a hindrance with the boaters coming in and enough problems with them as is. Goose poop is another hindrance.
You all have to throw out Bare Ass lock, stock and barrel because believe me he is going to destroy Cornwall and I just don’t say that because I mean that fully. You cannot keep that animal in chambers any longer along with 10 council members for such a very small town. Not only that you have to weed out the management area as well who are trouble and useless – all corrupted.
Mr. Windsor tables here in Ottawa are anchored down and the problem here is not that they are not anchored down but they literally destroy the tables and the benches. We live in a very bad society nowadays and people were never taught to respect anything.
I too would love to see a beach in Cornwall just like yourself but I can say that there would be plenty of problems that police would have a difficult time with.
Here in Ottawa they charge fees for people to use the park for BBQ and picnics and last year it was $7./day. People find that steep and yes it sure is steep and this is Ottawa and you don’t see people picnicking here in the day or anytime these past few years because of the cost. We mostly see schools go by the bus loads to BBQ and picnic. People are having a very hard time right here in Ottawa – no jobs. The high rise apartment vacancy is at 3.7% and climbing and those are not single homes that are rented nor condos counted – the situation is even worse. When things are that bad here just think about how hard life is in Cornwall. I am absolutely for your idea but many changes have to happen before that plan can go through and you need a much better mayor and council. The best way is to go back to the ward system as well which we have here in Ottawa. You sure do not need 10 councellors for such a very small town. That money can go to use for other projects.
# 1 Stagnant water ,will require pumps to circulate the water .have to deal with Oceans and fisheries , Eco system problems .Life guards .Liability .Parking and traffic . Boaters .Fishing off the Peninsula .I have photos I can send you that show on a good day the number of geese in there in November 2012, ranging from the West end of the inlet to the East end of the Peninsula .
This is my favourite area to walk from the Wing to the complex and back .I have to tiptoe on the bike path in an effort to not step in the pooh .till I get to approx. behind the Museum .At that point 2 geese will come out of the water looking for food and approach you on the path ,no fear on their part but move it they
want something .
Since the people also walk the dog along there not to mention E-bikes .
The area is a lovely area that’s why so many go there after the wedding for photo shots
Sure hope we succeed in a beach but there has to be an easier spot and don’t forget you have three I believe still three Pro Bass Tourneys out of there every year .BTW the Coast Guard RCMP, and others launch those (humungas )Crafts out of there .
Lastly you have a canoe club and kayakers club pinching children out of this area too .To much activity for a small area .
A Horvitz Park is starting to sound good ? no well best of luck .
There are a # of fish living in there, as people ice fish there all winter to cement the bottom would eliminate their food no doubt
another big obstacle to jump over .
Mr. Windsor I will show you some pictures of Vincent Massey Park here in Ottawa and click on the picture to see how they have the picnic tables anchored to cement. The park is owned by NCC (National Capital Commission) but it is maintained by a private contractor who maintains the park better than the high paid personnel as well as the washrooms etc. There is another picture of a bandshell like what you have in Cornwall and many people of foreign countries play their music in the bandshell. It was like that a few years ago. My husband and I walk right through there and sit on the picnic tables. This is our morning routine rain or shine. Here are a few places to look at.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_Masse
http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/places-to-visit
The beach itself called Mooney’s Bay is right near that area on the opposite side of Hog’s Back Falls just down the ways. You can get some ideas by looking at everything. The beach is always full of people especially on hot-humid days like today and they often have a water problem when the beach is closed down for health reasons.
George Gordon I call it “tiptoeing through the tulips.” LOL LOL. I sure do agree with you on that. There is also a problem with dogs doing their thing as well.
I know that Mr. Windsor has excellent ideas but it does pose a lot of problems.
Here in Ottawa those benches and picnic tables are maintained all the time both replacing parts as well as painting and there is a private contractor that looks after that called “Caltrio” and there is one young man there who looks after the trees and plants and he is studying horticulture. A very nice young man to boot. There is plenty of staff who look after the park and they look after government buildings and hospital grounds as well. There is a great deal of work involved. There is one lady who sits inside this complex that arranges for people to picnic and she takes appointments by phone. I saw her out there today talking to one of the hired hands of the park. There is another person at the gate as you come in who takes the money to park ones car, etc.
I sent you all to look at the picnic tables how they are placed and a chain is holding the table into cement blocks cemented into the ground. Click on the pictures to see it better. Bike trails all over and we walk on them rain or shine. People walk their dogs and we made some furry friends. Plenty of birds, ducks and geese there as well. Plenty of squirrels and some people even feed them along with the birds.
In order to look at the beach you would have to type in Mooney’s Bay Beach here in Ottawa. I might just try and see if I can see of anything of interest for you.
Mr. Dave Windsor and Mr. George Gordon there are plenty of photos on Mooney’s Beach and I will be sending you some now. Some of the photos are taken in winter because they teach cross country skiing there as well. We have a friend who skis there along with his uncle who is a medical doctor and is an old school mate of my husband’s. Good to keep in shape.
http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/06/16/the-bc
http://www.invisiblestructures.com/project_pro
http://ottawa.capen/residents/parks-and-recrea
http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/mooneys-bay-p
http://www.robhuntley.ca/kite-Aerial-Photography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooney%27s-Bay
In the park of Mooney’s Bay they have docs at certain areas where they have pleasure boats as well as people do dragon boat races and this has been going on lately. You can find many more photos of the beach but these are just a few for you to look at. It is a huge responsibility and very costly like what Mr. George Gordon said and that is so true indeed. You have to have lifeguards there as well. If Cornwall finds maintaining city pools costly then what would they do with a beach. These are things to consider just like Mr. Gordon said. I am one who loves nature instead of a beach but a beach is wonderful for those who like that kind of thing. It is a mighty costly venture and one that you cannot take lightly.
One more thing to both of you Mr. Windsor and Mr. Gordon is that a Horwitz Park is a much better and much less costly idea to go. Mayor Horwitz was a great mayor of his day and those of us who lived in those days and sometime after remember the good days of Cornwall.
Don’t try to make Cornwall look like Ottawa and spoil the town with high rise buildings which are as ugly as can be and mighty costly to maintain. Our landlord is in with his brothers in these ventures and it costs him an arm and a leg to maintain and then some; they are very rich. I like the condos that Mr. Markell built on Water Street and that is the way to go, believe me he built those in very good taste. Those condos are mostly for elderly as well as single people who have no children. Singles are more for families.
If only there were more mayors like Mayor Horwitz then Cornwall would be a better place to live. I miss the past so very much but not in this day and age at all.
George Gordon and Jules, once again I thank you for your input.
You sure do put forward some dynamic concerns. I am not an eternal optimist here, looking for a white night either.
There are limitations to hurdle, I too well know.
When I took this on last year, you can see by the mock ups printed here, drawn by one of two friends who happen to both be very informed, professional engineers.
After really scouring the water from the OPG to Grey’s Creek Marina, all areas with potential had so many of the same concerns as you have expressed, yet two things out of three yelled out at me for this to be acceptable. the three were location, location, location.
1) Location: Visible and open at most all times.
2) Location: Nearest most to downtown from the Inlet Beach idea than any of the others offered up in the past.
3) Location: In a manageable area with team building from the Civic Complex to, yes, to the RCAFA Wing….with eyes on the prize.
The presentations last year were more in a search mode more than a comment invite mode. Oh, yes, many did comment, however yours come in more direct and to the point, which is part of this needed process.
Without question, environmental and financial segments always follow and are required components of any project. For example a project like this has to be acceptable to approximately 7 or more different agencies, organizations and government agencies.
Laying a cement base I am sure would come in as high on the ‘fish’ and other live concerns. So then would the desire for such a project outweigh the thousands of potential people using it…also how to keep the fish/eels etc., out of this pond area after the fact.
I would anticipate that studies would be required. Cement alone would run approx. $300,000 +. That’s where grant monies would be needed from gov. trillium, donations etc.
This would not be an easy project.
Suffice then would be to say that alternatives would still need to be weighed in such as a large in ground pool. Again, does this community want it…..if it was shown as viable, affordable and inviting to large numbers of tourists, citizens and neighboring communities…….free of charge.
Perhaps I am drawing at straws. Perhaps I am out of my league with all of this. Perhaps nobody else cares………you know, the etc., etc., etc,….can’ts continue to plague me with this.
Should we all bury our heads? Is their someone else who see’s the need over and above the current city pool and Nav. Can pool and the small hotel pools such as the Ramada and the Best Western as well as the now too few outdoor out of downtown areas.
Anyone else care to offer opinions as well, please, please feel free to be open and honest with your thoughts.
Thank you.
This whole conversation is a waist of time , the WFC has turned you down , Adm appears to not be in favor , City Council spends all our extra money on out of town Lawyers defending themselves and your asking for what / 300 grand to cement the bottom ,well
let me tell you Sir you aren’t going to get it . Might also point out to you that a storm sewer empties directly into that pond . At any rate hang in there man and keep the faith .
Mr. Dave Windsor what I showed you as pictures of Mooney’s Bay and Vincent Massey Park are only small areas compared to what that park and beach really is. We walk for quite a distance every day in the park and it is a very costly venture to maintain. It used to be free for the public at Vincent Massey but no more not since a couple of years after we came back to live in Ottawa and I would say it started to charge in 2007. The park and the beach are well maintained and that takes money to pay employees. One man told me some years ago that his salary was $16./hour with Caltrio and with the cost of living going up who knows what he would make today.
You have vision and so do some other people in Cornwall and it takes vision and it takes big money. Even the people here in Ottawa are struggling. Cornwall is in a much worse situation since businesses have all left (the big business is what I am referring to) so you can imagine the small businesses what kind of hell that they are going through trying to pay all the business taxes, electricity, upkeep, etc. Something has to give somewhere.
Bare Ass made the biggest mistake of all getting in with the wrong people and building the humoungous albatross hung on the people’s necks is that cursed “tax mahal” that you all call a Benson Centre. I warned the people about all of that that it would cost an arm and a leg to have that and who is going to use it when the vast majority are seniors and the young are leaving and will not come back. My generation left as well as those older than me and younger. That takes someone with absolutely no brains at all.
Mr. Windsor you have great ideas but one has to be mighty careful because you are all facing a nightmare as is and like the old saying that my dad used to use God Bless him I miss him “talk is cheap it takes money to buy whiskey” and I said that so many times to people. People are not facing reality and that is the problem with them. If I went along with everything that I want I wouldn’t have a dime to my name. There are huge differences between want and need.
Cornwall needs people like yourself and like Chris Cameron and some others. One thing about Chris is that he is a good man and a good family man and that he loves Cornwall and can help improve the town and not put it under water like what Bare Ass is doing. Bare Ass has to be removed now and not later because later will be too late.
believeme77 and jules:
Your frankness is underwhelming, just as it is inviting. Not sure of the fact of the ‘storm’ sewer but at least it is not a city sewage sewer, though there may be one of those up stream which would flow out further as it goes downstream. I do believe that all city raw sewage though is now directed directly to the treatment plant.
Whatever the issues regarding money, we will ALWAYS have issues. That is the nature of the beast. It would then be a matter of priorities.
Through it all, I would have to say that ‘at this time’ this item in particular is off the radar scope as the city has designated/accepted newly charted waters with the help of some very sharp students, just at the time of this revisited ‘beach’ item.
Going forward then, I can only see that having highlighted in as much as basically one man can, I’ll go to bed now, sleep on it for another decade or two. If no one else runs with it or has a better alternative despite the odds, we will let sleeping dogs, well do what sleeping dogs do.
God bless you for your negativity for negativity sake, your truthfulness, for truthfulness sake, your own frank interpretations as best you can with examples of other communities struggles and here and now bid you adieu, with kindness and humble regards.
Dave Windsor
Mr. Dave Windsor you never give up on a dream. Yes it is a mighty costly thing to do and the “lame brained mayor – Bare Ass” spent millions of dollars on that “tax mahal – a real albatross” that you call a Benson Centre that is going to take the taxpayers down with it into bankruptcy as well as his fancy big city lawyers. If it were to be another arena that nitwit that you call a mayor would jump head first into it.
I am for the little people in Cornwall aka Fossoli as I call it LOL LOL and they have no facility to go to and I agree whole heartedly with you. If only there were regular buses to go to Long Sault, Ingleside, and Morrisburg and such places. Here in Ottawa that is our regular travel and beyond on a daily basis. We need something closer by and I was thinking about the old St. Lawrence park that used to exist across from Courthaulds and I haven’t been there to see what is there so I am completely blinded on this one. I remember a Mr. Flanigan that used to look after the park when I was little. I remember the boat tours as well – the good memories of Cornwall unlike the horrifying ones of today.
Never give up a dream and that goes for everyone no matter what it is. Life is about pursuing things and doing things that you like.
THE BENSON CENTER is exactly what I and happy about……..honestly, this too was someones dream….perhaps more than just someone but I believe it was put forward by Glen Grant and quite frankly it in my view has shown to be a real success.
Believe it or not, it was due to this council, minus 2 or 3 from former term, that got all there ducks in a row to get it off the ground. Frankly Jules, I am quite proud of it. It is a major boon for the city taht will continue to draw major tournaments for year to come.
Last year I recall one weekend in a row we had a traveling team hockey tournament withe 64 teams……..I said 64 teams fro all over the province …and I believe other provinces two…and that was just one weekend and one age and gender group…….we were busy here most weekends and often team practices in between.
So to say this was a bad move with size and expense guys, I dare say NO. Do you realize how many hotel rooms and restaurants were used for all these teams their families, entourage, gas for buses, etc.
Build it and they DID come. To this council and the former, I personally say congratulations and a big THANK YOU.
There are many disparaging issues and bones we have to pick with Council, Jules, but THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. Please stop beating us up on this issue. I say this with respect.
Thinking BIG and in a way that will bring people and hopefully act as a draw to bring more business here is what it is all about isn’t it.
One talks of these project like a beach here, a trailer park there a condo project somewhere else, and people who have no idea about the millions of dollars they will cost and it literally floors those who think small.
We bitch and chew about ‘our’ tax money when much much more than just city taxes are involved. you have heard of PPP arrangements haven’t you…that is Public, Private Participation. This includes investors, grants(Trillium Funds), other government project monies and more important private investment monies. There are many avenues to raise money…donations being another.
Too many people get their ears in a knot about nickels and dimes and know nothing about what they are crying about. It is truly visionaries like those who brought in the Cornwall Square, the 3 or 4 major distributions centers, yes, the beautiful Benson Center, all the lovely condos along water St. at Lamoreaux Park were all from big thinking visionaries.
Now we have a major project underway through the Renascence Project Visions along the wharf, brown fields region. So much to continue on into the future. There is hope, much positive stuff happening in this town, with much, much more to come.
Sure there are issues with our council that has and continues to trouble citizens……..and major dollars going out to lawyers, payouts to fired staff, still to pay the costs on project truth, future expectations, considerations for on going court cases regarding whistleblowers…and others.
If we allow all the negatives to consume us: if we allow outside people to continue to badger us, if we constantly say NO to everything then for sure we are going to hell in a hand basket.
I do not go down that road. The eternal optimist see’s things that are not, but could be, thing that are not but can be.
We have the Chuck Charlebois Group, the Benson ‘University Think Tank’ along with the ever positive Team Cornwall Association and so many clubs and associations in this town that continue in progressive positive ways that we can not help but get up in the morning and simply put one foot ahead of the other, one thought out of the box, one avenue of growth at a time.
With so much going for us, we can not help but grow and prosper despite ourselves, because in the end, we just will not lay down and die.
Yes I heard about the PPP Mr. Windsor. I too thought about 1958 about all the dredging and if a beach were made in the St. Lawrence River here in Cornwall what chemicals would surface. That would be a real health hazard and I sure wouldn’t want anything to happen to people. I miss the past so very much that it eats at me.
The public pools in the parks should remain open. What else do kids have in Cornwall. Even here in Ottawa there isn’t that much and kids rely on those public pools. At another apartment building that we used to rent here in Ottawa we had a pool in the back of the building and my kids and I and the people of the building used to use it. One day some kid from somewhere else went in the pool with another kid and got hurt. When we came back to Ottawa we noticed that the pool was gone – filled in as an extra parking lot for tenants. Our building where we live now used to have a sauna when we lived here and the present landlord did away with the sauna. We never used the sauna when we lived here in the 70’s era and it was a big responsibility of extra cleaning for the supers in those days. The same thing with a pool and it is a big liability even when it is your own in your own home. I know we had one in Cornwall and filled it and gave parts to a couple who had kids and lived out of town.
The Benson Centre is on polluted land that was not cleaned up and that is the health hazard to this place. If it were clean then it would be a better place to go. That Big Ben ski hill is another health hazard as well as Optimist Park that leaches from the garbage dump beneath. I remember as a child seeing the dump on fire at night from where I used to live.
We cannot give up hope and have to find ideas on what to do for young people if you want to keep young people around in Cornwall. The big problem are jobs and even here in Ottawa there are none. I just had a neighbor who moved out of our building and he went to university to study something in the health field and nothing. The economy is in very dire shape. It will take many long years to ever recover. The government is not telling the people the real truth.
I want to say that the condos on Water Street that Mr. Markell built are superb and with impeccable taste. That is what a condo should look like and not those huge high rises. Many people will not live in these bird cages in the sky.
Take care and don’t give up hope – maybe something will surface about the beach eventually.
Positive items on the agenda for Cornwall Jules.
Some of your concerns, I would suggest, are not without some merit.
I believe one BIG job need here in Cornwall is and will be on going and that is TRUCK DRIVERS, from shunting trucks on lots or from lot to lots, to long haul drivers.
I looks like another mall will be built at the corner or Boundary Road and Marleau Ave. as well.
With the Canadian and USA CUSTOMS BOTH ON THE USA side of the actual border line moving there by 2016 area things are again, moving in a positive direction. Another move to a temporary Canadian Customs will again be relocated on the canal lands to the east side on our former snow dump site……then to the USA ‘back to back (BTB) concept by 2016 when it will be ready.
So you see Jules, signs of Cornwall being on the move, improving our tax base, highly acknowledged by our own Prime Minister as an ideal location for moving goods across our border and country actually is recognition well needed and well warranted.
People of concern within our political sphere will be changed when time comes.
Also, personally, I would not discount all Councillors either. In my view we have one or two strong members that with their background knowledge and stalwart history as well as much community respect (despite some negative howelings) just may put them into contention for the mayors seat. Do not discount everybody, though some feel collusion in the mix.
Oh, yes Jules, not to leave them out, the bacon plant is adding a 37 million dollar extension 70,000 sq ft. extension and there is talk once again of the Best Bay coming to town.
Yup, things are looking up….finally aye!
Mr. Windsor I did see some good things that have come to Cornwall and coming. Do you mean “Best Buy” Store. We have those big box stores here in Ottawa. The only big box stores that I have gone to was mostly Future Shop and I have been at Best Buy once and I go to Costco every now and then. Costco would be good for Cornwall and people buy in bulk. I don’t buy much because I have a small family and we mostly purchase at Farm Boy, Your Independent, Wal Mart and Food Basics. We go to my husband’s Middle East store once in a while but we have been stung on some foods and we hesitate going there so we try to stick with the stores that I have mentioned.
I have noticed that on the corner of 9th and Marlborough there is a sign about a shopping centre going up there. I don’t know what shopping is going to be there and it used to be the old Bell Canada for the storage of their equipment and vehicles as well as a store for carpets all gone. Brookdale Avenue sure is growing with stores and that is a good sign. Taxes are way too high for people on fixed incomes and low incomes. I almost fell off my chair listening to council talk about the taxes at the old Cotton Mill condos of $5,000/year and yet there was something about charging extra for garbage and recycling.
Here in Ottawa we recycle a lot and we have big bins in the parking garage in the basement and people collect their recyclables and bring them down to recycle. The garbage is thrown down the shute in bags (small grocery bag size) and the super brings the bins up from the parking garage and the garbage room for the garbage men to pick up and then he takes the bins back down.
One man by the name of Itinerant on SF said that he knows about incinerating garbage and turning it into electricity. There is this lady that I used to talk to on a forum (not a forum about garbage) but other things and we just happen to have mentioned that because of Toronto’s garbage going over to Michigan. Toronto has no place to put garbage. Just lately I read that in Norway or Sweden that they would love our garbage to turn it into electricity. There may be others besides Itinerant who can do this sort of thing as well. The smell of the dump is excrutiating at times and reminds me of the garbage room in the basement. It sickens some of the tenants here in the building on the lower floors. I think that this is a good way to dispose of all the horrible garbage and turn it into power for homes and businesses.
Another thing is that seniors cannot haul garbage out to the curb especially not those who are disabled.
I was reminded today that the Best Buy may not be a store but yet another distribution center for Best Buy/Future Shop (same company).
More formal announcements are potentially down the pipe…or on the way.
10th st. appears to be the location. This is NOT official yet.
Mr. Windsor I think that another Horwitz Park would be a good idea since there are a lot of poor kids and swimming in that dirty water and boat launch is dangerous. Not everyone can afford to go and swim at the pool at the complex and this would be something for everyone. I remember the park near the college and those were the good days. I used to swim at Horwitz Park as well.
There is a free splash pad and no goose poop concerns close by so I don’t see that as a major issue. To me it is the location. It’s just too close by to some dangerous things. There are some, I am not sure exactly on what it is called but where the trolley (or street cars) system used to be there are some major undertow and current for some kinda of mechanical turbines (maybe) that pose a very unsafe play area. Not too mention there some very steep cliffs around the water, I dunno just doesn’t seem like place I would like to have my kids playing at. I disagree that is a safe place for a beach. Considering it is functioning as boating dock and an eco park ect… Beaches are awesome and we do have lots close by. Not a bad idea, but I would say not an ideal location. Love to see some innovations, boarkwalk, ect…. there is so much waterfront not being used, lets find a better loaciton that is not adequately functioning to its full potential. I understand kids or teens were swimming there, so ya lets find a solution. There is lots of water front, just saying. Please don’t hate on my opinion, its just my personal perspective.
pp
August 27, 2013 at 12:43 am
Thank you pp for your note of concern. I respect all your reasoning’s, yet I feel with the right approach, all of them can be overcome.
First off, either the north approach or the south approach and th west end of the inlet in question can be excavated or ‘added to’ to allow for a 12 to 15 degree pitch into the water, then laden with a sand fill into the water.
Along with the excavation and sand, a ‘gummite’ or cement bottom could cover over the entire bottom to the point or pinnacles edge. Some weed clean out and possible dredging may be needed however I suspect the bottom is level from the original dredge out that was done in 1970.
I believe the mind set at that time may have been for this very idea.
Donations would be needed in a match w/city basis.
Only a team effort of city support and finances would spearhead this important project. Our Recreation Dept., Water Front Committee, Akwasasne and a few government and environmental dept,’s would have to sigh off on it as well……no different than any other major waters edge project.