Cornwall Ontario – Can you imagine a magazine called “Cornwall Living” not really about living in Cornwall? The vanity magazine is grossly subsidized by Bob Peters and the City via its Economic Development department.
You can’t blame TC media who simply are trying to run a business, but when City Staffers are about to have their wages frozen does it make sense to see bags of cash spent on such rubbish? $20K here, $20K there..it adds up as you can tell from your tax bills each year.
It’s a circle jerk vanity mag filled with pics of Peter’s friends and family usually. Perusing Seaway News coverage of it yesterday it was hysterical to see Lori Greer featured on a photo at the big shindig at NAV Can. Were you invited? Bet you weren’t unless you were part of the impotent circle that’s draining this city dry of cash and opportunity.
Lori runs the United Way. She’s missed her fundraising goal for at least two years. She, following bootstrap with Peter’s Lumleyesque boycott of this newspaper, misses out on the largest amount of eyeballs in the city she’s trying to raise funds in. (About 13 million human pageviews last year alone) Normally missing a target for two years in a row would be fodder for a replacement, not featured photo, but then again this is a community that saw Team Cornwall Prez Peter Gault single out disgraced former President Gilles Latour at their year end celebration of um….I’m not sure what.
The Freeholder have their own little magazine which debuted this week as well. Peters Choose Cornwall release was tepid as best. Could it be because he doesn’t get to quarterback it or have it purchase photos of his kid and friends yearly?
Peters also is a closet journalist wannabee as he’s literally taking cash out of local media pockets by running articles on the Choose Cornwall website that either should be picked up from local media or not run at all. Some businesses have actually said why should they by an opening ad when Peters will give them a limp write up?
Of course there’s the dark shadow of corruption and influence. If you don’t keep the poobahs at City Hall happy you might have problems getting permits or your business being successful because of influence. This is a town where the foppish Andre Pommier called up this newspaper once and stated that Peters told him to buy an ad including how much to pay for it.
While it’s nice to sell any ad that kind of influence only hurts a community. Mix in his working on City time during the first Kilger re-election campaign, cover up of his first departure from City Hall, and a disastrous local economy that now sees his office taking over tourism and is it any wonder why Cornwall is in the position it is financially?
The bigger question of course is Peter’s so much the problem or senior management like Maureen Adams who ok’s all this or City Council who ok’s the enchilada? (yes, I’m culturally appropriating that term)
At a certain point the well will be empty,the damage done. This morning I was emailing a friend who simply gave up on this community after missing out several job opportunities to people like Graham and Lori Greer, and other hanger ons and friends of the Peter’s Clique.
Loading ...Take a peek at the Seaway News online slideshow of the farce at NAVCAN (Bernadette Clement’s hen pack choice for beverages)
Mel Brulee on the cover. A modest talent that left Cornwall. A feature on Ryan Gosling, about a decade too late, a conflicted failure of a mayor and the manager of NAV CAN that plays ball with the clique boycott of this newspaper.
Gerry Benson and his pet monkey David Murphy who he’s pushing to run for mayor (David after watching your Russian Bear dance with Dan Allaire my offer to box you is still open even though you chickened out of the first) along with Amanda Brisson who runs a sexual assault facility that stayed mum when Seaway News reporter Adam Brazeau (replaced not long after) essentially online sexually abused a woman shortly before an event (Adam Brazeau of TC Media Seaway News Pulls a Mini Jian Ghomeshi Day of Anti Sexual Assault Rally in Cornwall Ontario) and stayed silent and allowed him to participate in her fundraiser. (I kid you not. The things someone will do to keep their job…even though that very silence might be cause for termination) Andre Pommier and another charity stooge, MP Lauzon who never misses a party while nursing his failed choice for Conservative leader in Kevin O’Leary, and in each pic you don’t see much if any people in the background. And ultimately paid for by the taxpayers of Cornwall. Is Cornwall Living about living in Cornwall Ontario or about glorifying the parasite class of this community? Can you imagine the services that could be provided by this total waste of money?
Cornwall does need to promote itself. There are many many stories that should be promoted. There are people like this newspaper’s Dawn Ford who after a lifetime of nursing now does a Seniors column on this newspaper who’s about to celebrate her 100th column. In fact we are going to assist in the publication of a book of her columns and asked the City for the same funding that other artists get who are Cornwall Centric (usually about $1 per cd or book for a limited first run as it promotes the community) with no reply to date. Yet Mr. Peters spends thousands every year promoting the same old same old.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? Is it time to drain the swamp and actually create opportunity in this community where none really exists unless you fall under the thumb of such mediocrity?
You can post your comments below.
UPDATE
A leak from City Hall alleges that CAO Maureen Adams had city managers attend a meeting this week which included a presentation from Bob Peters who allegedly shared that there were 36,000 copies of Cornwall Living (as opposed to about 9,000 of the Freeholder’s offering) and that a joke was made about feeling free to take a box to share. The managers were asked to attend the NAVCAN event as well to show support.
To add insult to injury during the paid lunch it was alleged that Ms Adams shared that there would be no raises for management this year.
The big question, which CFN will be emailing Ms Adams about, is how much is the City paying TC media for such a large print run of such a narrow focus magazine?
There are people in Cornwall who are very capable of being mayor and counsel but are as afraid as deer in the headlights and many know “what change will happen if I run for office” and they see what happened to you and others who wanted to make good changes and backed down. People will be hearing more things soon as time goes on. I would hate to open Cornwall’s books to see such a mess.