CORNWALL Ontario – It was no surprise when Guy St. Jean put in his papers to run for council. Mr. St. Jean had called me on the phone months before; full of high spirits, talking about the changes he felt he could help with in Cornwall and how much he supported Mark A MacDonald for Mayor.
It was a funny call as those kind of calls are when someone’s been tippling.
Monday I went down to City Hall and interviewed Mr. St. Jean as I have offered to do and done for almost all of the candidates (or sent our intern)
Mr. St. Jean mentions some interesting issues facing us in the new election. He’s the second council hopeful to mention re branding Cornwall which while I agree with, the City spends a lot of money already doing. He talked about the waterfront, but has barely been seen or heard from at any of the rallies even though he and his husband live across the street from the tanks in the Cotton Mill Lofts. He and his husband Charlie did take No Tanks pins after the interview.
He talks about the permit process for business in Cornwall which is a huge issue. Why some businesses would have to pay rent for 12-18 months while being tortured by by law officers is not good for business. The biggest complaint is that instead of being given a list of issues at one time by law officers in Cornwall will niggle them one at a time and sometimes new changes force already repaired work to be redone which infuriates business people watching their bank accounts bleed dry without being open.
However Mr. St Jean’s store, Neo Vintage Furniture which specializes in importing kitchy stuff from India and far off places is located in South Stormont where issues are rarely if ever Cornwallesque.
This morning Mr. St. Jean sent me a quick message.
hi Jamie! Please do not publish my interview done with you last Monday February 10th,2014 as I have no interest in any involvement with you!
A bewildering flip flop indeed and certainly something to mull as Mr. St. Jean is asking the public for their support to run for council in 2014. Did his store’s one year party Tuesday night; filled with many of the Cornwall clique influence his decision? Was he distancing himself because of the news of my charges yesterday that are clearly unproven?
Certainly bizarre behavior which begs the question of Mr. St. Jean’s character as the interview we shot was not random but agreed upon with a set time. Is Guy a leader or a submissive follower? Have we not had enough sheep like behavior around our council tables?
Again it’s going to be an interesting election season. I think that for many after what’s occurred with the Kilger council that it will be critical for voters to realize that we are voting for community leadership and not popularity contest or who’s the nicest person. Council run a $160M corporation that makes decisions that impact all of us; like raising commercial tax rates by over 3%.
HA! Is he next to allege threats? Can a man have a husband in Ontario?
.
There is sentence in the police release which is clearly not alleging.
420 they were married. I attended the wedding. And yes, I was invited.
kinda makes a guy go hmmmmm, wonder what psst psst hush hush is going on behind our backs this time. jumped ship did he? whether he was coerced or did it on his own accord, no wishy washy councilman will run in my favor. the more i learn the more i think i should run, but i’ll be watching for now
Mr. St.Jean,
If you are going to base your platform on the issues as mentioned above perhaps you should educate yourself on the following:
Permit requirements are enforced by the City of Cornwall, familiarize yourself with the “Ontario” Building Code as the requirements contained in the code are set forth by the PROVINCE, so perhaps you should challenge the PROVINCE. Secondly, people tend to blame others for their misfortunes…..if you are going to start a venture it’s always prudent to do your homework prior to commencing. Owners in town do a lot of illegal work in their buildings and if a tenant chooses to sign a lease agreement without doing their due diligence…..well shame on you for not doing your homework, it’s always easier to point the fingers at others….ehhhh.
I can’t wait to challenge you regarding your remarks when you are up at the podium.
I have heard many years ago when we moved back to Cornwall that it is next to impossible to make a business in Cornwall. I was more shocked to hear that you have to pay rent for many months on a place that you don’t even know if the EVIL ARCHY will approve to have you make your business or not. This is nuts to the core. Nobody stays in Cornwall except those on welfare. So many good people in Cornwall and they are treated like dirt. I would never move back and thank God that my parents are no longer around. This is much worse than ever before.
@David Oldmin…surprised that someone would be able to register an pseudonym so close to an individual who has always used their real name. No worries, however not wishing to buy into any future drama I will leave you all and grace you with my silence. Best to all .
Really interesting interview. The guy seems like he has the right approach. The interview shows him as confident and articulate. Not sure why he wouldn’t want this interview shown?
Bye David. You will be missed.
Or not.
Dear David Old HAM
I for one won’t miss a man/woman(YOU) who questioned my sexual orientation
One of the most distasteful comments ever directed my way in my 63 years.
My God tells me to forgive and forget..in your case i will just try to Forget!!!!
So if its the Ontario Building Codes, fault why do so many contractor refuse to do business in Cornwall ?
David Oldmin
Building codes also hold a municipal impact, the province merely sets the minimum standards.
The rest of you, what does sex and who you chose to be with have to do with the ability to be a good politician
silentfrancoamerican
for the most part Cornwall neglects many of the codes and standards as they are written ( yes my own professional opinion based on experience). Just look at some of the senior homes and newer buildings up to and including the hospital.
When the hospital was being built there were numerous code violations, how ever in their defense some of the codes are a bit ….out there and primarily help factions of the government remain employed.
The reason they neglect to do business, talk to Mark Boileau Manager of Economic Development who believes we need to get rid of our Mill own Image.
Or Maybe Bob Peters Senior Development Officer who also believes anything with a stack will never be allowed to open in Cornwall
Or the owner of one of our build to print facilities who also believes an employee should never own something of a higher quality then their boss
An attitude I really can’t understand, how can you sell a commodity if nobody works to build it?
This reeks of leadership who want to keep themselves economically elevated. The sad part is it has nothing to do with leadership ability, qualifications or accomplishments but all to do with impeding sustainable growth.
ST Jean your business is not in Cornwall ,it is in the Cornwall township
Hailey I had to laugh at a sentence here which explains so much that you mentioned – you are right on.
“Or the owner of one of our build to print facilities who also believes an employee should never own something of a higher quality than their boss.”
this reminds me of what Obama said to the American people “you didn’t make that, someone else made it for you” LOL LOL. In Cornwall people are kept behind and used as slaves and if you came out with a good product of some sort then someone else will grab it from you and take the credit. This world is really going to hell without a doubt. This way of thinking is a thug society. You are absolutely right in what you said.
Jules. Please ease off the caffeine. We cannot keep deleting so many of your comments and you’re using up too much valuable moderation time. Please keep your points less book length and more on target please.
Hailey Brown:
I think part of the problem with the Ontario Building Codes is not the lack of enforcement, but a lack of staff to enforce the codes. Cities across the province are cutting back on their budgets to limit tax increases. Cities are being told by their citizens that tax increases are not acceptable. While I agree with that in principle it causes problems down the road. We’re seeing bare bones budgets across the province with little or no increase in taxes. That means cities have to supply the same services, etc. but with decreased income but increased costs. Salaries, benefits, supplies, etc costs are exceeding the income. Decisions have to be made and it usually ends up in staff / service reductions. But sooner or later taxes will have to be increased beyond the acceptable level as staff / services can only be cut so much before taxpayers say enough is enough. I think in a few years cities will have to tell their taxpayers that larger than normal tax increases will be needed as the budget, services, etc cannot be cut any further without drastic consequences.
As for Ontario Building Codes I think most builders construct their buildings to the minimum standards, which is part of the problem. It then becomes that much harder to maintain or update their buildings.
I’m thankful the retirement home and long term care home my mom was in were built and maintained to surpass the bare minimum of the Ontario Building Codes.
420…..i smell fish in your comments on Mr. St-Jean…..yes …he can have a husband , partner, friend, boyfriend…whatever you want to call it….its a free world…..Cornwall , I see still has Bashers of Homosexuals……..no one wants to talk about the elite pedaphiles though?…..i remember some old ladies talking on the bus one day back when Terry Ford the bus driver was running for cornwall mayor….these brainwashed catholics where saying that they could not vote for him because he was a black man…..that was then …and this is the situation now…..Bashing…form grown men and women…?……I think Guy would be great at counsell and i wish him luck with his business…..its hard to have a business in the city that sleeps together and can do nothing but pick a the fact the hes gay?….are you all nuts completely?…
It’s not just Cornwall that has it’s share of homophobes. Brockville is full of them. It seems to be a conservative small-town thing.
I have no problems with gays. I don’t know the laws about men being married are. As long as this guy doesn’t push gay rights as a platform I’ll vote for him simple because he is new and can speak. But when is Elaine going to clarify her orientation?
420 do you mean Elaine or Bernie?
Why should anyone have to declare their sexual orientation? What does it matter?
Marc Carrière that name Ford and they were black and living in Riverdale back in my day. The girl (can’t remember her first name just now) went to CCVS and she told us that there was a “petition” that went around trying to get rid of them from Riverdale because they were black. Cornwall has not changed for the better but for the worse. Oh yes they don’t want to talk about the “evil archy pedophiles” but they do pick on the little people who do not belong to their dirty clique. Cornwall went down hill to the worse since those days and that was in the 1960’s the better years compared to today.
Yes Furtz, if you don’t give a group what ever they want you are some kind of phobe. Franco, Homo, big oil or whatever. Life is not all that easy for straights either.
Bernie?
@ Eric. When’s the last time you were beaten up or bullied for being straight?
cornwall what a place too live in i was not born here ive been here since the seaway was built nothing ever change what can i say…………………. this is a good place to vent….thanks
my sister is gay the family has no problem with it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,lets move on to the real issues…..
I think Mr.St. Jean’s politics and integrity are more of a focus than his sexuality, as they should be with any politicians. They say that you can measure a man (or woman) by their friends, which of course includes any cliques that they hang out with. We need to vote for leadership this year; not people that will follow the whims of a small group that feel entitled over others. We have to ask ourselves in this next election if we want more of the same or to break the molds and move forward.
We already know about Bernie. It’s chicken lady that perplexes me. What does Jules mean by evil archy?
my personal opinion is he is a member of the click not my vote
Fern being a member of one of the clique’s shouldn’t automatically rule someone out if they show some back bone and that they are their own person.
Mr. St. Jean has to clearly show he’s his own person and not just someone who likes to hang out with Sue Stewart, Tony Lakroix, and Bob Peters….
Being the newbie here……who are Bernie and the chicken lady?
420 when I say the “evil archy” is those who are the clique in town known to you as the “hyarchy” but they are not the “hyarchy” but are the “evil archy” because they are mighty evil and corrupt to the bone. Evil reigns in Cornwall. If only you all knew about the hypocracy and all what they belong to and they hold their noses high in the air enough to scrape the sky with their noses and believe me they are scum underneath me. When you find out the truth you would look down on them for what they really are.
Mr Marc Carriere
Thank you so much for your comments about my dear friend Terry Ford(who died too young)
If you think the old ladies on the back of the bus were bad..please try and picture this
At one point Terry tried his hand as a hair dresser in Cornwall. With shock and horror I watched an elderly
white woman stand up in the middle of the Salon and scream “I don’t want thisxx0x0x guy touching ME!!)
It made me physically sick and I have never been able to get out of my mind..so…just imagine what it must have done to Mr Ford.
I was walking down Pitt Street with his older brother David when a Cornwall police Officer came running up and started treating him as a criminal because he didn’t have his name on the side of his Volkswagen Van. If you ran a business using your van or truck the law said you had to paint your name on the side.
David was walking..the truck was nowhere in site..and he didn’t run a business but this cop seemed to like trying to push him around…it didn’t work
Jules..the daughters name is Freddie
things seem to be getting a bit off track, no one cares what guy’s sexual preferences are. it hopefully will have nothing to do with his actions as councilor if he should get elected. the gist of the matter is he held an interview with this newspaper columnist, opening up to the public on his stances, then after an evening of carousing with friends, refuses to have it aired. who’s the puppet Guy? man up, put some boxer shorts on cuz this fight is going to be tough for you if you wishy wash out of the publics eye due to influences of your friends, is that a rock you stand on or quagmire, because you just made your first mistake with the public sector
John you get a cookie for hitting the nail on the head. It’s about character, integrity, and leadership and it looks like Mr. St. Jean is simply Kilger Council 2.0 with the likes of Alyssa Blais. I could be wrong; there could be a misunderstanding somewhere; but it certainly doesn’t look good at this point.
of course the elite of cornwall care about his sexual preference …it really bothers these hot catholic, brainwashed , nice, kind men and women…….they are just too hypocrite to tell you the truth….Claudette you hit the nail on the head in cornwall……two faces are better than one….where can i get a t-shirt with the milk carton on it?…..Sour milk ..no doubt…..Arranger vous pour gardez Kilger et ses membres croches….conflicts of interest all over the table………too busy to vote ?….don’t like politics?….not into it?….well then live with what you get….!
Marc you can visit Show Time Apparel at 4th & Cumberland and have just about any image put on a t shirt. They can do any of our fun images and we do not charge any fee for licensing.
I grew-up across the street from Terry Ford (1308 Princess Street) in Riverdale back in the 60’s. I worshipped the ground he walked on. When I was 10 yrs old, Terry used to let me help wash his olive drab Mini Cooper.
He was the epitome of cool and a very nice guy.
I will always remember him dressed in his “Sgt Pepper ” jacket in 1967 – what can I say!
Rest In peace Terry
Of more concern than sexual orientation, is that the sexual preference of Cornwall’s top politicians has (on more than a few occasions) been for anyone but their spouse.
@ Lassie. Say it isn’t so! I can’t bring myself to believe that any politician, at any level, would even think about copping some nookie on the side.
I mention the philandering ways of our “leaders” because…
If elected representatives, after vowing before God to forsake all others, can treat a spouse and the mother of their children so poorly, it’s a cinch they will not hesitate to wipe their arses with voters.
Do elected politicians take a vow before god to forsake all others?
Never knew that.
Claudette MacIntosh you are absolutely right. The girl’s name was Freddie. These people were good people and Freddie seemed to be a popular girl at CCVS in those days. She always had a smile on her face and a good sense of humor. I miss those days so very much and they were the better days of Cornwall. Today with all what is going on we don’t want to be there.
Marc Carrière and folks do any of you remember Bob Turner who founded the Bob Turner Memorial Centre? Well he was a black man from the state of New Jersey in the US and I remember when I was a child of 9 or 10 years old and mom and I would go to the Bob Turner Centre and we walked with Mr. Turner, his children and wife and they were very nice people. These people were treated very badly by the people of Cornwall and it reminded him of some of what life was like back where he was from. Bob Turner was a good man and so was his family. I don’t know how the foreign people are doing in Cornwall these days but I had my fill from what I read about what happened at CCVS with the swastikas and the principal who did nothing about this problem. Cornwall has a very long time to go before it gets to the 20th century let alone being in the 21st century that we are all into.
Point of order….Bob Turner was NOT the founder of the Bob Turner Memorial Centre. The Centre was named after him as a memorial. A big difference that being the ‘founder.”
Hugger Bob Turner was in the recreation department and yes that arena was named after Bob Turner and he did a lot for the community. Bob Turner used to be there a lot and we used to speak with the man and his family. Bob Turner was a good man and people did not appreciate him. Cornwall hasn’t changed for the good but instead went backward. If only the 50’s and 60’s were back then you could say that Cornwall would be a good place but not nowadays. Cornwall’s reputation is something else nowadays.
Yes Jules……your absolutely right again…..Cornwall did go backwards…ask the inquiery victims how they were treated by the Catholic brainwashed…the rich of Cornwall …Hell …they had Gail Kaneb witnessing abuse stories?….she wouln’t even say hi to me at Maynards as i stood behind her…yet she was my witness?….Hypocrites all….hope you all go swimming at the tanks….Next time your son gets molested by some perv in power ……call the police to see if they’ll cover up the truth…..corruption at its best is what runs our city…..and yes its my city as well …even If I choose to move from there….the city where rape hounds get elected cause they’re popular……or rich!…..
@marc Carriere
I respect the courage you’ve shown to tell your story marc. The best of luck to you in the future.
Remember that knowledge is power and that although you paid a terrible price, you do possess unique information that could prove helpful to others in the future. Meanwhile, you’re a survivor and you should be proud of that.
Marc Carrière I could sense a lot of pain in you and you have gone through hell runneth over. I moved out of Cornwall for good and would never ever return under any circumstance whatsoever. We know all about the rich no good for nothings in Cornwall and yes the Barney Fife PD is in it as well and I wouldn’t vote at all for anyone and I made a pack here at home and with everyone else that I would never vote nor will the rest of us here. Yes the perverts get in and the general population is not aware of who they really are. I knew so much since I was only 8 years old and the best priest back in those days was one of the perverts who was also using the young alter boys in my class and when it was the first Friday of the month to go to mass those young boys would scream their heads off and had to be led out of the church by the teachers. Marc the only way to help heal is to leave that horrible town called Cornwall. You cannot heal with all the horrible memories. When we go down for a very short visit it is like a demonic place to enter and heaven to leave. It is all in your hands what you will do but I can assure you and all that I would never ever return to such a place alive or dead and that is a promise and I keep my promises.