Cornwall Ontario – Are we being misled by city officials and a land developer?  Well… at the very least, a “proposed” condominium development on public waterfront and parkland in Cornwall does seem ominously secretive.

 

Is this condo and capital venture, skirting the proper divestiture of Federal Lands, and is the City of Cornwall sneakily in cahoots to destroy a public park?

 

From comments at a POW (Protect Our Waterfront) public forum in Cornwall on July 6, 2017 — held to gauge public sentiment and discuss a “proposed” condominium development on public waterfront and parkland in Cornwall — it appears that Cornwall residents are being presented with “alternate facts” (i.e. falsehoods).

 

Rather than developer C.H. Clement Construction being in negotiations to purchase government land, it seems a lease renegotiation with Transport Canada and/or the City of Cornwall is being sought.

 

That lease is currently held by the City of Cornwall which in turn subleases some of the property to the Royal Canadian Legion (Cornwall Branch) for the use of the Cornwall community and youth baseball.

 

An actual divestiture process should consist of overtures to federal, provincial and municipal bodies before being put into the hands of the Canada Lands Company for sale and/or development — The Canada Lands Company then would conduct full consultations with the public and interested parties before any sale or development.

 

(*N.B. The lands in question border those of our First Nations, yet the residents there are not included in either “approved” process)

 

So instead of due process, what we have here seems to be obfuscation and corruption of civic duty and propriety.

 

And is there no stooping too low? …Supposed “consultations” (appearing as community involvement), are actually just inconvenient or nonexistant meet‑ups. There was even a backdoor offer to a tenant representative, to upgrade sports facilities (as a trade-off), all the while failing to mention these are already planned by the city.

 

The appearance of cheap ethics, backdoor politics, inappropriate favour. and conflict of interest, should be a call to action. Should our parks and playgrounds be taken away in a process shrouded by secret discussions, closed meetings and handshakes?

 

If you care about quality of life, or what we leave our children and grandchildren, please make your objections to losing our public space known to…

 

Guy Lauzon MPP

guy.lauzon@parl.gc.ca

 

Jim McDonell MPP

jim.mcdonellco@pc.ola.org

 

Cornwall City Council

loshaughnessy@cornwall.ca

dcarr@cornwall.ca

bclement@cornwall.ca

mdupelle@cornwall.ca

chebert@cornwall.ca

emacdonald@cornwall.ca

mmacdonald@cornwall.ca

cmcintosh@cornwall.ca

dmurphy@cornwall.ca

arivette@cornwall.ca

jtowndale@cornwall.ca

 

CH Clement Construction (Head Business Development)

ldaoust@chclement.ca

 

Nancy Clement (CH Clement Construction co-owner)

nclement@chclement.ca

Editor’s Note:  There is a POW Cornwall petition on the group’s facebook page.  

36 Comments

  1. Love it, “Daddy what did you do to save our waterfront.” After one is built (condo) the game is over !

  2. Author

    Ivan I just don’t like City Managers like Mark Boileau catting around with developers having secret meetings without the public being aware. There’s something morally wrong as described by some at the first POW meeting….

  3. People of Cornwall show up at those meetings and fill the park and make loud noises and show that you are against development in the park. If you don’t show your displeasure then those machines will be in the park to dig. You cannot put the load on Jamie – you were all against Jamie and Jamie works mighty hard for Cornwall and the people hurt that man very badly. Take responsibility for yoursel

  4. Jamie everything is secret dealings with money handed under the table like the salt tanks for one, that chemical dump of carcenogens called Big Ben, along with Slick Willie Wise and his dirty, underhanded deals and we can go on and on. What else is new in Cornwall. The stupid sheeple have to wake up. Jamie your heart and sole is in the right place but the sheeple don’t appreciate it.

  5. Jamie posted the e-mails of those in charge at the town hall. If I was still in Cornwall I would voice my opinion and I would literally go to their offices and give them a piece of my mind – I am mighty brave and I say what I mean whether on line or in person I am the same. I am now an outsider and I don’t think that my opinion would hold water if I send them an e-mail. Get out there.

  6. Jamie is a mighty good person and that I can see from my end. All of you should have respect for Jamie and do everything you can to stand behind him because the clique did terrible damage to him and they do bad things to many good people and they have to be thrown out immediately out of town. There is a huge healing process that is needed and they all must go now.

  7. Out of the list of names of council and mayor the only good person on that list is André Rivette and I knew André for more years than I can post. That goes way back to my kindergarden years and before and he comes from good people. I wish André the best and is the only good one in council.

  8. Author

    Jules I don’t think Andre is a good person. He’s been been horrible to CFN and myself, and hasn’t stood up for the community this term. It’s as if he sold his soul after what he went through in the previous term. I think it’s time for a council without anyone named Rivette on it.

  9. OMG Jamie that is a shock to me. André used to have something to do with the parks commission many years ago. I didn’t know that André became a complete turn around and I knew him when we were kids. That is a real shock and yes I am 100% behind you on this matter. Jamie you are too good of a person and that is the truth.

  10. Jamie you lived in Ottawa for a short while. Could you give the sheeple of Cornwall an idea of how much townhomes and single homes would cost along the water front here in Ottawa. Everyone better hold on tight to their shorts and chairs – it is a place for the very wealthy and not for the rest of you. SAVE THE PARKS FOR EVERYONE AND NOT FOR THE RICH!

  11. Author

    Jules I’m actually pro development. I don’t think it means losing all of the waterfront. But what bothers me most, and I think many others, is simply the sneaky shadow games that some at City Hall are doing. We don’t need surprises like the Chem Tanks ever again. City Hall needs to have proper open and transparent public consultations and respect the will of the people.

    City Hall needs to be held accountable and anyone behind this sort of gerrymandering needs to find new employment in my opinion.

  12. Jamie I just read an article by a Mr. Watters (I think that is his name) and he wrote into a column where people post their letters and he too is against development in the park and found that the Domtar and CIL properties would be best for condos and he is absolutely right. All that land can be cleaned up and used for such a purpose. I am for development as well but that of the right kind.

  13. Author

    Jules we need people to pull together. I’m seeing some people that won’t work with each other and it’s saddening. We need to fill 1000 signatures on the official POW Cornwall sheets. People can download them and bring them to our next meeting once they get them filled up.

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/460228200995003/

  14. Jamie I was going to sign the document but it is on facebook and I am no longer a member – I signed off years ago because I thought that was something for my hobbies. LOL LOL. ROLF! Wacky me alright. My husbands niece is on that and she lives in Sydney Australia and I got in through her and others.

  15. Author

    Jules it’s a document to print and have others sign.

  16. There is something else that I wanted to mention that is very important. If a developer takes the land do you know that your homes will become too expensive for you to afford to live in because the value and taxes, utilities, etc. will be beyond reason. Doesn’t that give you something to fight for including the cost of rents.

  17. Jamie how do I get into signing that document since I haven’t been on Facebook in many years. Hubbys niece would be in shock to see my name back on Facebook. LOL LOL. Suzy purchased a house in Melbourne Australia lately and Sydney is so big it gave her headaches. Melbourne is smaller but very big like Montreal and Sydney is like Toronto.

  18. Author

    Jules when you come visit next let me know and I’ll make sure you and the hubby can sign the petition. It has to be hand signatures to count as we’re presenting to City Hall. Come see the Market in Long Sault Wednesday.

  19. Jamie people are going to have to learn to work together and fight. If the people of Cornwall only knew how precious that land is and they have to live in this noisy place stacked up high in the air to appreciate what they have. Folks you don’t know until you lose it and then it is too late. I know I live here and Jamie knows as well as Hugger and Mr. Oldham and some others.

  20. The people in Cornwall do not appreciate what they have and from seeing that picture in the Freeloader it was beautiful. Do you folks think that you get that beautiful scenery here in Ottawa and I can tell you no way you have to live way out of the city to see something so nice. Help Jamie fight for the survival of your beautiful park and development destroys nature just to put up shacks.

  21. Author

    Jules it’s not my fight. I’m helping the group, not leading it. It’s sad that it seems the Freeholder and other local media are putting their petty grudge against myself ahead of the community like they did with the art gallery.

  22. I am so fed up reading Jules’ comments ! Out of 21 comments, 13 are from her ! It’s now, nothing but a joke . My 2.5 cents……

  23. Seriously, it’s time for a two comment limit, or send the repetitive and off topic nonsense straight to the trash.

    What’s the point in making a serious or well thought out submission to this forum, if it gets drowned out by foolish blather?

  24. Author

    This is why I asked our viewers if we should discontinue comments. As a moderator you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. The simplest solution would be if more people commented….

  25. Jamie, like I said before, I’ve always enjoyed the comments and I do on occasion make comments and if this were to end, I’d miss it but I do support limiting comments to 2 or 3 max per person, per topic.

  26. Author

    thanks for the feedback everyone

  27. Waterfront such as Cornwall has can benefit enormously from the participation of federal, provincial and municipal governments. However it begins with vision, leadership and the participation of the community. I have just returned from Goderich Ontario. Amazing what a community of 8,000 can accomplish.

  28. Is there anything out there that describes in detail what they want to do so we may all be better informed?

  29. Author

    The condo proposal is on the city’s website.

  30. The mayor / city want to distance themselves from the proposed condo project?? But yet it is on the city’s website!! Something smells!!!!!!!!!

  31. Author

    Link please Hugger1 🙂

  32. I’m just going by the info you said.

  33. Jamie there is something that I was really thinking about today. Those condos of Clement is one thing but also that water in front of the condos would belong to the owners of those condos and people in Cornwall etc. would be off limits to that water. This is something that I thought about today (water I mean marina 200). What do you think about this. A lot smells fishy in Cornwall.

  34. From the “vision” picture I saw the water by the condos would not belong to the condo owners . It would be as it is now. Marina 200.

  35. Something deep down inside me tells me that the land at Marina 200 has been sold to Clement and you will soon start to see the digging commence and those condos going up. The water of the Marina 200 will belong to the condos and those in Cornwall with boats you will be all SOL when this happens. Those condos are going up for those with boats and it will be their spaces only. The deal is done.

  36. If the land is to be sold it has to be offered to the provincial then the municipal government.If they both don’t want it then it is offered to private enterprise. I’m thinking Clement will try to do an end run and “lease” the land from the feds thus avoiding this process, something we saw before with the chem tanks.Hopefully the city will have a backbone this time and put a stop to it. I doubt it

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