More Short Stories

Here are a few more for you to think about

SANDWICH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA

I wonder if Councillors Postma and Jones are still on the Board of Management of the BIA. Isn't Mary Ann Cuderman the head of it?

The Bridge Co. probably sent out an invitation for the Sandwich BIA to meet with them since the BIA is obviously a relevant stakeholder. From the Free Press and Star articles recently, I would guess that the three individuals have no interest in doing so even though the enhancement project is such a "threat" to their Community.

I wonder if the other members of the BIA were given the opportunity to meet and hear the Bridge Co. presentation. Did they even know about the opportunity?

Wait a minute. Perhaps I am too cynical. Perhaps they have already seen the Bridge Co. materials. Perhaps they know now there is no threat. Perhaps now they are in favour of the Enhancement Project so that there is no need to meet.

CHILDREN PLAYING GAMES WITH BLOCKS

Now we have a new measurement in Windsor. NOT feet or metres or miles or kilometres. It's:

BLOCKS

Who is our chief Blockhead who thought this one up?

What a remarkable co-incidence don't you think. Mary Ann Cuderman in the Free Press talks about the bridge being two blocks from her house/business rather than 2300 feet.

In today's Star, it is said

• "City leaders fear the environmental impact of building a six-lane, more truck-friendly bridge within 25 blocks of Ouellette Avenue, as opposed to a dedicated industrial area near Brighton Beach."
  
  

The distance which does not sound as bad a few blocks is actually about about 1.65 miles.

Who needs to spend a quarter of a million on a new team of PR flacks at City Hall when we have this genius there already!

FIXING THE BORDER ROAD AND WITH NO TUNNELS

FOUR-LANE WIDENING FROM SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, TO U.S. BORDER TO PROVIDE BETTER LINKS BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES

SURREY— Mr. Russ Hiebert, MP for South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that work is underway to widen the Highway 15 corridor between Surrey and the United States border.

"By investing in projects like these, Canada's New Government is helping to support the economy by reducing bottlenecks. We are also facilitating the flow of goods across our borders and making the crossings safer than ever," said Mr. Hiebert. "Better links with Canada's main trading partner will also contribute to the economic well-being of the Lower Mainland and Canada."

This project will see the widening of Highway 15 in Surrey from 32nd Avenue to the Roger Pierlet Overhead, and from 68A Avenue to 92nd Avenue. Work includes grade construction, soil preparation, asphalt removal, paving and electrical installations.

"Improvements like these are important to all Canadians," said Minister Cannon. "Not only do they allow for the easier flow of traffic to and from the United States, they encourage strong economic ties between our countries."

The Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia are cost-sharing this latest project, with most of the work being funded through the Border Infrastructure Fund. Supplemental funding is provided through the federal-provincial Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program border crossing component.

Federal Budget 2007 makes an historic investment of more than $16 billion over seven years in infrastructure—bringing federal support under a new long-term Infrastructure Plan to a total of $33 billion, including the funding provided in Budget 2006. The Government of Canada will also make investments in national, growth-oriented projects like the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, to which we are now committing $1 billion in federal funding.

MY EMAIL TO THE TREASURER

----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Arditti
To: ocolucci@city.windsor.on.ca
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 7:29 PM
Subject: Reserve funds

I was quite shocked to read in the Star on April 11 that Windsor's reserves are greatly reduced.

"Among administration's concerns is their projection to have only $39 million in reserves at the end of this year, among the lowest of comparable municipalities across Ontario, said Onorio Colucci, the city's treasurer."

My recollection is that the Mayor in December in his inaugural address said "Today, Windsor has $74.1 million in reserves. We need $140 million."

Can you please let me know why the reserves will decline from $74.1M to $39M in one year.

Do you know how Windsor fared in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's Financial Indicator Review 2006 respecting reserves in comparison with other cities? Where would reserves of $39 M have placed Windsor in the 2005 Review? Do you have similar data from the last financial indicators published by BMA Management Consulting Inc. in 2005 and 2006 (In 2005, our Reserves as a % of Total Expenditures was third lowest)

Thank you for your assistance

A TIP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

A reader sent me this article. I think someone ought to call this gentleman as soon as possible don't you think!

KW is Ontario's 'economic Alberta'
Apr 12, 2007 Tony Wong, Toronto Star

The Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge area is the top place in Ontario to invest in real estate, with the most potential for future price appreciation of any area in the province, according to an investment study released yesterday.

Canada's technology triangle is the "economic Alberta of Ontario" said analyst Don Campbell, head of the research and education firm Real Estate Investing Network.

The area, home to the University of Waterloo and companies such as Research In Motion Inc., maker of the popular BlackBerry wireless devices, is rated one of the most competitive regions to do business in North America, he said.

More than 60 per cent of Canada's population and 40 per cent of the U.S. population is within 800 kilometres of the area, where the average price of a two-storey, three-bedroom home in 2006 was $215,000.

"We are looking for places in Ontario that are poised to go forward, that haven't reached their potential yet, and that still have good upside for investing," said Campbell, a prominent real estate investor who is based in Vancouver.

In the study's second spot is the Barrie-Orillia area, followed by the Durham Region towns of Whitby, Pickering and Ajax. Markham comes in fourth, and Hamilton and Brantford are fifth.

The Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge area beat out Barrie, last year's winner, because K-W and Cambridge are rapidly transforming from a manufacturing base to a more diversified jobs base, representing a buying opportunity, Campbell said.

"You have a wide range of potential renters, anywhere from students to retirees, and continued strong job growth in the Kitchener-Waterloo area."

Campbell, the author of Real Estate Investing in Canada, uses 13 key factors for each area to help him determine rankings.