Cornwall Ontario – Karma can be ugly sometimes. I’ve always written and said that you get more when you’re a small part of something good rather than be Justin Towndale and the rest of the people running the Seaway Food and Beer fest.
Playing petty,ignorant, politics usually get you thunderstorms and rain. It’s a metaphor although last night saw the single day event get rained on hard.
A six to eight foot sinkhole is a definite statement.
Young councilor Towndale seems to be going out of his way to boycott this very newspaper. He was elected chiefly on his family name after a failed political adventure in Toronto. In an election of change, which many attribute to CFN viewers, he was elected with some promise, but he went bad worse than day old bread on a Summer weekend clearly benefiting from his public office with personal ventures.
Partners in a restaurant that seemed to get all of its permits a lot faster than the average. And here’s some weirdness:
Why is Bob Peters at Economic Development using tax dollars to buy ads from US social media for a non city run event? Did we buy ads for Lift Off? Should that cheap skate Jeff Brunet get free ads too? What about the Port? Is there a criteria for the tax payers to be buying sponsored facebook ads? Is it because Councilor Towndale is part of the Fest and playing politics with Bob?
Facebook is great at what it does, but does it really make sense for the city to be spending cash this way? After all, there are local media that sell ads which are many times far more effective and in some cases of even greater value? Local media cover local issues, but they can’t if they don’t sell ads and they pay local taxes. Does it make sense to use local taxes to send money out of town and hurt those that pay them?
Will event organizers buy ads from any media when Bob is going to cut them some social media love?
As an example, this newspaper has had a pretty busy month of June.
Does any reasonable person think that 1.4 million human pageviews through 24 days would not involve more people at any event or festivity? And then they bemoan good acts skipping Cornwall or say nothing works? It’s comical because for most events in Cornwall, unless you’re Corus Radio for some reason…, media end up having to either work for free or heavily discount their ads as Media sponsors.
The Seaway Food fest doesn’t even send releases or invites to the largest newspaper in this city. Surely this would disqualify any organization from getting city cash and support? If it’s not for everyone then you simply shouldn’t get tax money, and whether Mr. Peters likes it or not (or Maureen, or Mark, or some of council who this writer can promise won’t be elected next time around) more people in this city read CFN than any other newspaper or media.
And in the cases for events such as this; our outside market in nearby cities like Montreal, Ottawa, Brockville, and Kingston or even more valuable.
The solutions are easy. Remove anyone from their positions to make such silly decisions on the public’s dime. It’s nothing to get emotional over. You just can’t get real success when you behave like such a petty loser, and frankly the organizers of the Seaway Food Festival are petty losers playing silly small town politics. That’s fine as long as it’s not with my, and I’m sure many of your, tax dollars.
I feel bad for some of the brew folk that schlepped all the way to Cornwall for a limp wet crowd, and sinkhole.
The bigger question is if it’s time to highlight people like Justin Towndale and ask viewers if they wish to boycott his businesses and political future as much as he boycotts the newspaper they read the most of locally?
What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.
Photo: Social media
Isn’t he supposed to be on military training ? If so, what’s this with the Beer Fest ? How much did this cost the City coffers ? This would be a “for profit event ” wouldn’t it ? What was the City’s rent charge for the Park ? Was City works involved in any way shape or form ? Answers please ! Military training must look good on a resume, when running for higher office ?
Don’t forget free bus travel for the event as well Ivan.
I was at beerfest and it was an awesome time.Id say there was about 1k ppl there.They were from all over the place,ottawa,montreal,kingston, US! The rain didnt dappen our fun at all. We had an awesome time dancing in the short time the rain was there and used the opportunity to grab a bite to eat on the grounds. There was enough tent room for everyone so we stayed dry. Some good karma if u ask me