CORNWALL Ontario – It was another embarrassing night for the local Federal Liberal riding association under President Jamie Labonte. The lightly employed prez saw his guest speaker for the spaghetti fund raiser not show up and a crowd of less than 30 attended at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
Sadly it marred the announcement of Corey Kalsi as a new contender for the riding nomination.
The 35 year old teacher joins Patricia Pichette of Ingleside, but neither is expected to be a major player in this race as rumblings are that either failed candidate Bernadette Clement may take another feeble stab at MP Guy Lauzon or that newcomer Justin Towndale may be ready to ride the Trudeau ticket.
Mr. Labonte, a former writer for this newspaper, has carried his vendetta into his new position.
In his last note to us he labelled our newspaper, in the largest city of this riding with over 19,000,000 human page views in 2014 a “personal blog”.
We have reviewed your opinion blog several times and will continue to do so in the future with an eye to working with you for maximum effect. Unfortunately, in the past as well as at present, there are a number of factors preventing the association from considering CFN as a credible avenue of advertisement for our activities.
1) Your readership has not been properly documented or verified. You claim an unusually large readership and yet if this was so, your personal bid for municipal mayoralty would have garnered you something other than last place in the most recent election. (under 800 votes compared to Bob Kilger’s 5000 votes)
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2) Reputation: You are continually embroiled in media feuds with members of the community and have a criminal history. As an association, we’re sure you can understand that we need to be above reproach and unfortunately, unless some personal and professional (and documented) self-improvement occurs, the negative connotations of our advertising with you would surely outweigh any positives (if any).
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3) Accuracy: Your blog continually makes factual “leaps” with respect to the community at large but more specifically our riding association. As an example I cite your recent “report” that our Maple leaf dinner lost money and had a poor turn-out. In point of fact, we had a packed room with every table filled and we made money. If you continue to pass opinion off as fact, there is no way that we can do business together. (and this is not opinion – it IS fact)
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In conclusion, I regret to inform you that we will not be able to work together in any professional capacity for the various reasons. I wish you a festive holiday season and offer the heartfelt wish that you manage to celebrate the season without incident.
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Jamie Labonte President SDSG FLA
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CFN is the only media in the region to provide raw real numbers regarding circulation or content results. Mr. Labonte suggested a criminal history of which this writer has none other than a false police charge for making threatening phone calls that a production order from Bell Telephone has already proven false. IE no calls were made as charged.
Ironically Mr. Labonte lists his writings in CFN on his linked in profile and lists his riding presidency under employment.
Looks like another easy win for Mr. Lauzon in 2015….
Editor’s note: Claude Poirier and his team make amazing spaghetti sauce at the KOC in Cornwall.
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1) I agree with your comment about the spaghetti at the KoC, most excellent it is.
2) In regard to Mr. Labonte’s assertion that readership is somehow tied to votes where dos he get that idea? If that were so then every politician would own a newspaper.
3) Newspapers have changed over the last few years. No longer are newspapers in print only. Time for others to wake up to the fact that a lot of newspapers are web-based only. Also time for advertisers/ writers to realize online newspapers do garner traffic.
ADMIN I do not know this Jamie Labonte is he developmentally challenged?
Your run for mayor had a primary purpose of ousting Bob Kilger, winning the position would have been secondary. Although you did not win the election the goal none the less was accomplished and the community owes you thanks. Without your presence in the election process I believe not many would say the results would have been the same.
Could he be a NDP operative who has infiltrated the Liberal party to sabotage its campaign? How else to you explain the dismal outcome of his dinner party
Maybe the fundraiser was a cover for a failed publicity stunt. I know, I am probably just grasping at straws in an attempt to give this sorry individual some credibility. He well could be an idiot in a not so clever disguise, who knows, who really cares?
Mr. Oldham I think Mr. Labonte being the riding President clearly is indicative of Liberal plight in this riding. Sadly they can’t even topple one of the most useless MP’s in Canadian history in Guy Lauzon. Akin to the PC’s rolling out Tim Hudak and falling further backwards in the last provincial election.
As a matter of fact if you look at the screen cap you’ll notice that Mr. Labonte is given a rave endorsement from his…..wife. Tracy, who to be fair is actually talented, is the communications person for the riding. I can only imagine her telling the riding association that she’d only help them if they put her sad sack hubby in as Prez…
I am grateful for the local political machines. I will never be partisan again in my life politically and am now Hyper non-partisan. Imagine, CFN at one point was clearly pro-Liberal. They have managed to alienate the largest newspaper in their riding.
And that’s why they most likely lose to Mr. Lauzon again. Isn’t that special….
More than merely special Admin, it would seem that picking the best of the worst for representation has become the Canadian standard in politics. This requires change on behalf of the electorate however.
On the other hand Jamie, the best candidate often doesn’t stand a chance no matter what. In the riding where I live, Leeds-Grenville, ONLY Conservatives have been elected to Queens Park for well over a hundred years. They could run Peewee Herman here as the Con candidate, and he’d win without having to leave the back of the theater.
You were mentioned by MPP Clark today Furtz. I hope you feel special 🙂
Ha! Was he looking for my real name? Actually, I think he knows who I am.
Well if he’s any good at what he does I bet he knows 🙂
Well Mr Jamie
Get ready for your readership to take another great leap forward as Hugo over at the Freeholder has started insulting his readers claiming they
” speak from a position of ignorance that being an Anglophone in this community allows them”
As he once said against you
WOW just WOW!!!!!
Mel what the heck are you writing about?
Melman is correct Admin. Hugo believes that Ontario is a bilingual province. He failed to inform himself that that distinction belongs exclusively to Manitoba and New Brunswick. His ignorance and bias knows no bounds apparently but then what would you expect from an individual who works for a separatist controlled/owned organization.
Hugo is either a puppet or a fool. I am inclined to believe from observation that he has ownership of both categories. He is the very reason that French people get painted poorly with the same brush. I am surprised that there are no self respecting Canadians with french history that would put this ignorant individual into a position of enlightenment. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.
Just found it. Op ed on the way.
After reading Hugo’s opinion piece I was tempted to comment however I have no desire to give credence to a separatist controlled media source that employes individuals that lack the ability to use a simple tool like spell check. Perhaps if they hired an individual with English language skills they could at least create the illusion of being professionals. Perhaps this community would be better off if this poor example of media was only sold where it was produced. This once local paper has completely lost its relevance but then based on their declining readership they must have figured that out already. Perhaps I give them to much credit or they simply haven’t translated the numbers into a form they can comprehend.
I have challenged Hugo to a debate on Official Bilingualism in Ontario and Canada. http://cornwallfreenews.com/2015/01/hugo-rodrigues-here-are-some-truths-about-bilinguaism-in-canada-by-jamie-gilcig-jan-25-2015/
Hopefully, what can help us is when the English-language print assets of Sun Media, including the Cornwall Standard Freeholder, are finally transferred to Postmedia. If you recall On October 6, 2014 Quebecor Media announced the sale of the remaining English-language print assets of Sun Media to rival Postmedia pending approval of the Competition Bureau.
I know. I’m still bummed as I was hoping that Post would buy CFN 🙂
You think Hugo will accept? I see that happening when Bob Kilger accepts your challenge to debate him for the mayor’s position in the municipal election. And yes, I know the election has passed.
Hugger I had a one on one debate with Kilger. Hugo moderated and I defeated him so badly that they organization is refusing to show the video.
My point exactly almost. But if I recall that debate was supposed to be a three-way debate, but Leslie O’Shaughnessy had to bow out as he had a cold or something. I don’t see Hugo accepting any debate. He knows he’s wrong and is hiding behind the CSF and Sun Media banner.
Now Hugger it’s Sunday. Let’s give Hugo a day to respond before we go suggesting he’s hiding….
What fun is giving him a day to respond? That means we can’t pick on him. Awwwwwwwwwwwww.
admin says:
January 25, 2015 at 7:48 am
Mel what the heck are you writing about?
You can apologize at any time Mr Jamie
Good old Mel-always first with the News-trying for 100 per cent accuracy!!!
Meanwhile Hugo deletes comments from former CFN stellabystarlight who threatened to knock somebodies teeth out..check it for yourself
Probably confused you, early in the morning, with the Wow comment as this was something hugo wrote about you during the twitter war you had with him Where he burnt a news source!!!!
take care
Mel
stellabystarlight MaryKSmith • 16 hours ago
Life is short……keep smiling while you still have teeth…..**smile**
Typical gutless Standard Freeholder response
When comment section gets serious
CLOSE IT DOWN
well done three language Hugo
Let’s give Hugo a day to respond before we go suggesting he’s hiding”
Well somebody managed to hit the close this debate button just after CFN challenge arrived!!!
Always get screen caps Mel. I know I do 😉