CORNWALL Ontario – It’s great to write a happy story about the Cornwall River Kings. The next chapter in their history began this week when Steve Moreau helped save the team by purchasing it after the disaster created by Cornwall’s own Criminal City Councilor Brock Fraud Frost.
Mr. Frost had run as low a budget as possible and some of the team’s better players were off shooted as recently as a few weeks before he lost control of the team after the Darren Madden fiasco was exposed via CFN.
It was an honor to return to centre ice at the Civic Complex to drop the first puck. It was sad that because of a hate group on facebook that security was ultra tight.
The good news was that attendance was up and other than a few heavy Fluoride drinkers it was a great game that the River Kings nearly won.
(In the video below I drop the puck and introduce the Moreau family. Captain Steve Simoes delivers the monies that Brock Frost said were stolen by volunteers.)
The team garnered a point Friday night in their OT loss. The thing for our city though is how it is displaying itself for the world to see. Mr. Moreau and his family aren’t from Cornwall. He chose to make an investment in this team and our community when no local buyer would step up.
That’s a good thing. That a bunch of low lifes made boycott sounds and other drama on social media doesn’t send the right message.
The River Kings are a great product for our city. They also export the Cornwall brand to places that have some of the best chance of growth in our community; Quebec. It might be something the fans should think about. Last night Mr. Moreau had a chance to gauge the local reaction and vibe as he has to make some big decisions as to whether he ups the talent budget this year, especially facing the losses that the team will most likely shoulder. As spirited as the boys played Friday and Saturday the roster needs help.
There’s plenty of hockey left and plenty of time to turn the team around.
It was nice to see and chat with Mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy as well as former owner Dave Small. Council candidate Roland Besner came up to say hello too, and I was told Councilor Dupelle was in the house as well.
Now it’s up to the fans. The attendance was up, but we’ll have to do better to fill our barn. Mr. Moreau’s plea to bring a friend is something anyone that wants to see River King hockey will hopefully consider. It’s up to the fans of this city to show their pride and inspire new ownership to deliver a winner.
As for myself it’s back to the hard news grind that is CFN. I want to thank our amazing community for the support and kindness during my own travails at the hand of the Kings former owner Mr. Frost. Justice, and the truth will prevail.
Special thanks to Mr. Wyatt Walsh for helping with the camera Saturday night and nurse Debbie Cameron for her photo above.
Oddly enough the Seaway News was too busy to cover the event or game as of Sunday morning….
What do you think Hockey fans? Will you bring a friend and help make the team a success? You can post your comment below.
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I was at last night’s game. I’d say boos and cheers for Jamie were a little heavier on the boo side, but not by much. Jamie’s speech was short, as I don’t think he knew what to expect (boos or cheers). Steve Moreau’s speech was short as well, but to the point. I loved the point when he said he wasn’t a politician. Was that a dig at the former owner? He was right we all have to bring friends to the games. Steve Simoes little speech was very good as well. I think he wanted to say more about the former owner. But the River Kings are family entertainment so Steve had to keep his comments PG. The River Kings play good hockey, not NHL caliber by any stretch of the imagination. But I think they could give the Colts a good run for their money in a game.
Now for the teams and Civic Complex to thrive something has to be done about the Civic Complex. You have to spend money to make money. Those blue seats are terrible, and that’s being polite. They have no padding and there is no leg room. And don’t get me started on the angle of the steps. The seat situation can be fixed. New seats need to be installed, and less of them. When was the last time the Civic Complex was filled? They could install wider seats, thus reducing capacity, but increasing fan enjoyment. They could also look at installing the curtain system used in most other large arenas. Using the curtain system would force the fans down lower, thus increasing the intimacy of the game and the arena. It would also make the arena not look so empty. Now on to the score board. How old is that thing? If I recall they got it from the Ottawa Civic Centre when they upgraded their scoreboard. And if I recall correctly the Ottawa Civic Centre got that scoreboard from the old Montreal Forum. The scoreboard in the Civic Complex is so old it can’t even do the last minute period countdown in tenths of a second. If the city is unwilling to install a video scoreboard at the very least they could put in a digital scoreboard.
I’ll probably be back for more RK games.
Well done Mr Moreau for stepping up to the plate, and well done Jaime, for if not for you outing Frosty Frost the “snow man” there certainly would not be another chance for the River Kings and Cornwall.
Jamie a job well done by you and those low life hooligans are exactly what I described and you are the best down there in Cornwall to report the real news. You have done a wonderful job just showing up at the arena and dropping the puck on the ice.
Cornwall has a number of fraudsters and you discovered another one and yes fraud is a crime and that is what a lot of people do not realize. This is more than just Brock (Fraud) Frosty the Showman because he represents Cornwall and it is a real shame to have him around.
I agree with Hugger about fixing the seats and stand. I haven’t been inside the hockey arena in many many years and I literally enjoyed watching the game even though I am no sports fan of any sort. My husband is a soccer enthusiast and watches professional soccer (European soccer). I have been inside the complex through the main doors and usually when we drop into Cornwall we go there and walk along the river. A lot of changes have to be done to Cornwall in order to survive and one is to find the fraudsters and expose them for who they are. Again Jamie a wonderful job and you have a great spirit. Take care and all the best.
A bit more convivial than expected by the mad hatters, drunk mouth-breathers aside. No mention of boos in other media. New owner appears to have chutzpah.
He seems to be a business person actually focused on business. That’s refreshing.
What a receptive crowd lol how did it feel to waltz out to center ice hearing boo’s? Clearly it is reflective of the lack of support you have from the people of Cornwall. Any more updates on the status of the criminal charges that you are facing? You are quite the community role model !
The video is great. Wow. Mr. Moreau is so natural, from…We couldn’t let a good team go to waste, to new beginnings, and bring a friend!
Looks like the haters didn’t spoil the moment for the players, fans, the Moreau family or you Jamie.
They were but a tiny, though useful, contrast.
The status Mr. Munro is that the production order from Bell shows I never made the calls. We’re waiting for the crown to drop or for a proper hearing so that we then can go after the real bad guys. You should know as you hang out with that party, at least online, and are about as rabid as they are.
Those charges are about as real as the allegation that Mr. Frost made about me making sexual advances on him. As for the booing it came from another online pal of yours. Quite the company you keep and are.
I’d say there were a few more boos than cheers for Jaime last night, but not by much. But you have to remember the ceremony wasn’t about Jaime, it was to introduce the new RK owner.
chutzpah…I like that from Wow! He/she ( I thought we were to use our full name J.).
Anyway, I concur with Hugger1 and like her thoughts on the changes to score board and certainly seating. I am not sure of the numbers but say they were 4400 max. or maybe 5000 with the lower seating. Curtain containment may well be a good idea, with supervision behind them of course.
I offered a suggestion to Ms. Christine Lefebvre last year to take each second row out of each corner set of seats, one corner at a time as pricing allows. extend floor footing out about one foot with steel base and support rails behind seats similar to what they now have between the blue and red seating. They could also on a trial basis, cut out one seat in each of these short end rows to set in wider seats. With wider seats and extended leg room, you can almost bet these seats would be the first to be taken, even if one had to bring their own butt cushions.
This would just be a start and each year, programed planned financing could continue this prices in all eight corners. (YES, 8 corners do exist here.
After that section by section of the arena could be done up the same way until finished.
Why would this work if we took seating numbers from 5000 to say even 4000? Because greed has proven impossible to manage with the stupid and tight measly seats that we now have. IT HAS RUN OUT ITS TIME.
SAY, 5000 SEAT ARENA ONLY AVERAGES 1500 CLIENTS PER EVENT AS MOST OTHERS REFUSE TO HAVE THIER BUTTS STUCK OR THEIR KNEES UP TO THEIR CHEST SO REFUSE TO GO TO THIS ARENA.
Total 40 events per year at 15.0 per client at 1500 = $22500 x 40 = $900,000/ YEAR.
NOW DOUBLE THAT AND OFTEN MORE TO 3000 CLIENTS AT THE SAME $15.00 PER CLIENT PER EVENT AND EACH EVENT WOULD BE $45,000 X 40 = $$1.8 MILLION DOLLARS AT THE GATE.
NOW THEN ADD JUST 5 MORE EVENTS DUE TO NEW POPULARITY AND WE WOULD ACCOMPLISH $45,000 X 45 EVENTS or $2,025,000 gate receipts to help pay for the new layout, team share and all other expenses.
Personally I believe this is definitely doable. All it takes is heart, desire, perhaps a fund drive, city council and planning board and Fire Marshal and other areas of expertise for approvals and presto, we are there.
Hugger you have to remember that the boos were from one loud, but isolated section with the loudest from someone that sued me and has essentially lost blaming me for losing his job. It really was a supportive crowd last night and great evening for the team.
I couldn’t tell where or how many boo birds were there last night. I was in the last row of a section to be comfortable.
Dave….Hugger1 is a man, not a woman.
The curtain system I’m suggesting is used in a lot of arenas to block off unused seats. Usually no security is required behind the curtains.
I like your other suggestions. The city has to get proactive if the complex is to survive without a major cash infusion yearlu. The arena needs a major updating, it’s stuck in the 80’s.
With respect Jamie, the detractors are not alone. There is a wider segment at large that do have a lifetime of hurt as some were directly affected by your arguments other than just the Saturday crowd. Getting ‘over it’ will tke a lot of belief in what you do with your ‘realease’ on a hard fought campaign to uproot the former mayor and his support group of councilors. Surely you jest when you seem to flg ‘one loud but isolated group, without the understanding that a wider number of those not at the arena felt as they do. So many held dear to Mayor Kilgor to the bitter end, as well as all the councilors who lost their bid to regain seats. Total the number of votes each received. Take the highest count of any one individual and that would represent close to the number that just could not believe the truths you tost out for public consumption. Jamie these voters were hurt due to their loyalties and refusal to believe that people they knew for 30 or 40 years were in together with the discontent leveled their way.
In my view, I was definitely glad of the turn arround from the network we had previously. Obviously the voters bought into your premise of frauds, colusions and whatever else you dug up on them, save perhaps one or two councillors who slipped throught the nets.
It will be a long hard drive Jamie for you to build and rebuild the fairness in advertising, even trust od who might or might not be next on your hit list.
Be all that as it may. a new awakening is on the horizon and I feel confident that baring some minor bumps in the road,in the long run, CORNWALL stands to benefit greatly because of you.
I also believe that despite lingering discontent, many of those suffering delusion and discontent will, even grudgingly come around to see the new confidences rise.
Regards.
In light of your new standsard, unlike some others on this page, I choose to give my full and propper name as requested.
Dave that is great thinking. That sounds doable. I was thinking also, that if we stop the greed once in a while and have a RK game at $5 per person it would get more people into it. say one night tickets are only $5 no tax or anything just $5 and you can go watch a game. That would be an excellent way to get new faces and just to get people to try it out. Or how about $15 or $10 with non perishable food? Everyone wins , the main thing is to get new people to just take in one game. I would love to see sat night games packed right up to the ceiling.
It was a great game. A little disappointed they lost, but hey there’s always next. At least it was close this time. I had to move seats though I was way too close to that loud mothed drunk. You handled yourself well during the interview with the seeker. Glad to see you guys working it out.
Jerry there are league rules about ticket prices, but there are some marketing tools that could achieve similar results.
Dave to clarify a few points. Brock’s lie is a whopper that clearly not even the haters believe, but it’s not been the first one and sadly many have bought into the whisper campaign. Likewise many of those that have shown public support for CFN have been brutally attacked so that I appear isolated.
Clients have been intimidated. One was not going to get a permit until they dropped their ad. One got a $25K HOC loan right after dropping theirs. Others were told that they’d lose contracts unless they dropped CFN.
I don’t defend against lies. The results of this campaign against CFN and myself have hurt our entire community. There have been no victims of this newspaper. In nearly 10,000 stories there has never been a “first punch”. Those that were hurt hopefully would learn to not throw one against us or anyone.
Sometimes changing a culture is a slow process, but if we are ever to have any chance of growth we need to be more inclusive and what’s happened to CFN and myself can never happen to anyone every again. Until that’s accepted and moved forward we simply will not fulfill our promise. Until people learn to work together fairly we will not move forward.
It,s too bad that a few drunks were so vocal that were in one section & obviously birds of a feather. There well may be others that are loyal friends of those who have been ousted by CFN but at the end of the day they have to build a bridge & just get over it.It is time to ban together for the good of Cornwall & small business who have been hurt in the past. I was very happy to see more of the many CFN supporters coming public with that support, better late than never.I was very happy to hear the the mayor & a few councilors came out to support the River Kings.This is how it starts.This is the beginning of a new improved Cornwall,it has to start somewhere.Jamie has done more for Cornwall than anyone else that I know.His job is near done, new mayor ,council & citizens must now run with that torch…it is doable
What kind of person revels in the potential discomfort of others? Is this Colin Munro really that simple minded stereo typical bigot used to portray the scummy side of ignorance? Would he not be better served by silence?
I fully agree with the recent comments of Dave Windsor and Admin.
Oh, forgot to add David Oldham too.
You can tell itès Monday. Add Mary Bray and Jerry.
One correction I said Mr. Samson when I meant Mr. Sabourin.
Mr. Windsor Cornwall’s mentality is going to have to change if it wants to progress in the 21st century. Taking away business contracts from others shows a mighty backward way of thinking and bullies and businesses will go elsewhere. We need to open a new chapter and out with the old and in with the new. Those who booed Jamie are looser and drunks and hooligans.
I appreciate the favorable comments and the update about Hugger1 being a he.
As I commented about long term associates of those who got their popularity and knuckles rapped, it was obvious by the election results that more of the specific ‘voters’ showed their ire and favor for digging Jamie did. Though that may translate to more connective tissue with the advertising community no doubt the will be looking over their collective shoulders to see if the Chamber and others are still applying ‘are you to remain my friend or become my foe’ due to their personal bias’, due more to Jamie’s sloven and unkempt appearances with a hefty gate to boot. This is where bigotry and ignorance come together and where unfortunately for those who think this way (on a personal level) actually lose a key media source for their marketing strategies.
This is not about fairness as much as it is hurting bottom line.
Our community is graced with a number of competitive media including print, on paper and on-line as well as audio (radio) and visual(video)and Cogeco.. What gets to me is the small mindedness and malcontents these media’s appear to have signally and collectively against this specific media source.
I personally appreciate each and every one and am very thankful for all. Cornwall is mighty fortunate to have such a force of thought and diversity in storied articles and real news.
Equal considered progress for all to accommodate a business bottom line is the only way to advertise because, like it or not ALL MEDIA HERE RECEIVED CREDIBLE READERSHIP.
some AREE POSITIVE AND UPLIFTING, OTHERS ARE RIGHT INTO THE TRENCHES. MOST ARE MODERATE AND CHOSE NOT TO UPSET THE APPLE CART, SPOIL THE BROTH AND SIMPLY TO MASSAGE STORY LINES WITH FLUFF AND FILLERS……TO KEEP THE CITIZENS ‘LEVELED OUT’. HECK, THERE’S MEDICATION FOR THAT.
Honest hard reporting is hard to come by. When it hits home, it resonates hardest. Pick your selves up and wake up to the real world folks. Just as there is ‘truth’ in advertising and some lost leaders, we see this in media hype and daily looney tones as well.
Here’s hoping 2015 will be a banner year for each and every media source we have to the greater benefit of this wonderful community.
God bless one and all, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and the best to all who celebrate the closeout of our glorious year of 2014.
Dave Windsor
Very well put Mr. Windsor. If Jamie didn’t find out what is really going on then Cornwall would be going deeper and deeper into the quick sand hiding its dirty linen. Jamie is an excellent journalist and I have said it many times before and is an independent and not with any corporation so he can come out with things that they would not touch. The people of Cornwall have to change and accept independent media. People have to ignore the hillbilly ways of the clique and BOB (oh boy that was hard to say is name when I want to say his pet name instead LOL LOL) and come and support Jamie. Jamie is a good man and not at all what Frosty the Showman have portrayed Jamie to be. People of Cornwall are going to have to help Leslie make a good transition into a more open governance and it isn’t easy at all but the people have to be made aware of the plans going on and not hidden the way BOB had them hidden. Most people are fed up with the clique and big change is needed. Help Jamie and help Leslie make a new transition and pray for BOB to get better in health and pray for Leslie to succeed since Leslie’s job is a difficult one much more than what people realize and pray for Jamie as well.
Folks Happy Hunnaka, Merry Christmas and hope that this New Year will help make changes that are very much needed.
Thanks Jules. Censorship in some countries came at a price. The freedom of speech was limited to whose shop avoided the mafia shootings and political retributions.
Today is almost as obtrusive with those so tied into the political leaders that all it took was a few to recommend abstinence by saving the bad character actors at the expense of business’s gaining sales from all sources of readership…….yes, including this one.
Censorship and annulation of a business(this one)is very counter to freedom of speech that many so fought for they changed the course of history. The comment ‘we’d all be speaking German’ was as real as now in which we may all be speaking Arabic by 2060 if not before.
What kind of a country do you want. Which would YOU prefer.
I prefer one where we can honestly say Merry Christmas, Happy Honaker or ANY OTHER religious references to special event plan.
Merry Christmas
Dave
Kudos to Jamie but we need be somewhat more realistic here. Yes, his input in large measure asserted issues important to the voters.
Mr. Frost, whom I initially supported on Facebook and on this media was elected (hey, maybe I had influence to a minor measure of those who voted for him). I initially take people at face value, giving full credit where I in his case saw fit. Was I fooled? Perhaps. While others I supported did not get the call to duty.. Wow is me.
I am sure though will all Jamie did was a great measure as it purports truths and comments beyond the average citizen, I really think the catalyst was in the losing candidates (including our former Mayor) was the degree of the raise they voted in. Frankly,that was the icing on the cake for a voter decision. They bit themselves in the ass.
Regarding a raise, I could see a longer term of catch up as far as matching Ontario averages. It is a tad unfair to keep Cornwall Mayor and council in a back roads level of pay. I strongly believe that dedication to duty, yes, even ribbon and media opportunities otherwise are part of that, but the amount of training time, learning curve and the day by day reading and meetings of all hours on top of citizen one on ones by phone or face to face harbouring complaints or special requests is phenomenal and the average citizen would not, could not tolerate this.
Because the pay raise consultants recommended, and because citizens overwhelmingly objected I think they raise should maintain a catch up mode over an 8 year span rather than only the 4 years initially recommended. I also believe that the 4 year initial decision by the last council was NOT sold clearly enough. Too many voters were angered in comparison to their own incomes AND took it to mean the total amounts would start right away instead of over a 4 year term.
We need to reason this out relative to the assessment asked for by council of administration to review the last 10 year increments and the inflationary rates applied until now.
Years have gone by now where our Firemen, Police and most other political parties have been assessed on wider averages while Cornwall has sat passively by with our local remunerations.
Question I have, why have other department heads including administrations increases gone far, far ahead while we put thumbs down on our Council and Mayors increases? Answer….because they are not unionized or controlled by Ontario Legislative requirements, AND they are not voted for but selected.
Give this some consideration to lighten up and allow at least an 8 year set of increases until catch up has been accomplished with our sister cities.
Dave Windsor