Where are the Community Leaders in Cornwall Ontario on the Eve of Chem Tanks Becoming Our Reality by Jamie Gilcig

Cornwall Ontario –  Chem tanks on our waterfront.   It’s been a hot story this past month here in Cornwall Ontario; but what it really highlights, what it really is about is our community; Cornwall Ontario.

What it shows is a clear lack of genuine leadership.  It shows a corrupt underbelly and hive like mentality.  It shows a group of people in pyramid fashion; each somehow dependent on their lot on the direction of those at the pointy top.

Of course that rarely works out except for those at the top, and usually only until the bottom gets fed up and topples them.

Everyone in Cornwall seems to be against the Chemical storage tanks that have been constructed on the site of the Kaneb’s former oil tanks.   Either against or indifferent.   The only person I have yet to hear a comment on against the tanks is our Mayor Bob Kilger whose first statement was that they wouldn’t be that high and mostly buried under ground all the while most likely falsely claiming that he knew nothing of them until December 2013 even though this media outlet clearly showed that he knew in November at a Waterfront Committee meeting he was in attendance at and in this scribblers gut probably as early as February 2013.

Now that’s fine.  Our mayor’s many sins have been exposed and as former Councilor O’Shaughnessy complained Mayor Kilger isn’t the truth’s best friend.

But this is a city of over 45,000 people.  There are ten councilors and city management.  Where have their voices been?

Councilor Clement, a working lawyer by day, seems far more concerned over the mayor not wearing a hat in the video above than our waterfront having chemical tanks just down the road from her office.  She’s also on the board of the River Institute.  Where are their voice or are they worried about funding?  They should be the first ones screaming about this potential danger to the St. Lawrence.

Elaine MacDonald; the long time NDP champion of the area and her team of “dippers” have said nary a word or organized any real push back and you’d think for political points alone they’d do or say something?    The local Liberals the same.

MP Guy Lauzon still doesn’t seem to know much.     Elaine Kennedy?  Well she voiced up at a meeting with some good info; but what about her Green friends?

The Chamber of Commerce?  Well they refuse to work with CFN; the only locally owned media corporation and other than a few nice press releases haven’t done much either.

Chuck Charlebois means well and I certainly have no doubt of his clear good intentions for our waterfront; but at his stage of life with his relationship with the mayor I am not so sure he’s reacting to this clear menace to our city’s future than he would have in his prime.

Mark MacDonald is shooting some videos and creating some conversation.   He’s also the only person I’ve heard of in Cornwall that has talked about taking some action.

Our neighbors in Akwesasne?   Well they have a claim on the lands and finally made a statement, and may be the only thing that has temporarily stopped construction; but where has the Grand Chief been in this picture and why hasn’t Akwesasne got a legal injunction to stop construction?

At the end of the day this issue may be a huge election issue especially if the tanks are greased in as is starting to appear will happen.   Or even worse as Chuck Charlebois suggested the people of Cornwall will have to foot the bill to kill the lease and remove the tanks.    And if that happens then we all should be very very upset and angry, and we should remember that not only in October during the Municipal elections; but in the next Federal one as well because this is after all a riding that gave its support to Mr. Harper and Mr. Lauzon and putting chemical tanks in front of luxury condos certainly is not a normal way of returning a favour or showing respect.

As they say;

We get the government we deserve.

It’s not too late.   We can show the Federal Government, and our Mayor that Cornwall does care and that we really really really don’t want Chem tanks on our waterfront.   We also don’t like a city withholding information from its duly elected council and the citizens of Cornwall, and that we need clear answers as to why if the city knew in February 2013 of this project that we the people didn’t know; because there wouldn’t be tanks and construction to pay for at any level if we had known “BEFORE” construction started.

Where are our leaders?  Where are our voices?  Who cares for our city, and who will step up and defend what we all clearly wish for our waterfront?

These are the questions dear viewers and only you have the answers….

Jamie Gilcig – Editor – CFN

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