It’s over already! There are a few formalities to go through, but if any of you are under the illusion that common sense will prevail – sorry, it doesn’t work that way in the real world.
It’s not often that I get to scoop the big media, since I don’t have the same access to the councillor and City bureaucrats that they do.
The renaming of the strip to Lloyd Francis Boulevard is a done deal!
Today was the last chance for people to slow down the RC runaway battering ram.
A lot of heavyweights did step up to the plate (I’m not referring to myself, of course; I’m a flyweight).
I’m talking about Andy Haydon and many other equally impressive individuals who got in some good shots (and garnered a few laughs from the large crowd) before they went down in flames.
Andy lobbies Jan Harder
The sad part is that most Bells Corners taxpayers don’t realize yet how badly they’ve been hosed – it’s only $43,000 for the first small part of the councillor’s master plan, but MANY more tax dollars will be wasted on this RC/BIA vanity project.
The small business owners and residents affected will get a shock when they see how much it’s going to cost them.
Here’s how the committee vote went:
Harder: NO (I’m so sorry Rick, but this is a dumb idea.)
Qadri: NO (What a gong show this is! I can’t believe Rick’s chutzpah.)
all the other councillors: YES (Sure, Rick, whatever you say, Bells Corners is “under your jurisdiction.”)
Mayor Watson rides to the rescue? It’s the only faint hope left, but it’s very faint. Jim (possibly the only career politician wilier than RC or SH) is too smart to take on RC just yet.
bellscorners 
Not surprised.
– Me, yes. There were so many spin-doctored half-truths thrown around today that I could not believe that RC’s lipstick-on-a-pig, backroom-deal approach to urban planning was going to fly.
Shows what I know.
Wipe away Bells Corners history so that the Robertson Rd. car dealerships can have catchier CFRA ads?
I must be missing something.
Yet another reason for me to say “this is why I didn’t vote for Rick.”
– RC cited his “crushing” victory in the last election as justification for the lack of community consultation. No mention of the fact that he didn’t have a single serious opponent – who would be stupid enough to take on the cunning Richard Daley lookalike?
He doesn’t mention that no one important dared (or had the financial resources) to take on the wiliest career politician since Saddaam Hussein. His campaign contributions list reads like the who’s who A-list of the development/big box/bureaucracy industry.
The day the strip died! When’s the funeral?
– The grand opening is slated for sometime in 2012.
IKEA, Domicile, Minto and the usual suspects are financing the bash. It’ll be photo op heaven for RC and his developer/big box friends.
Rumour has it that Alice Cooper and the HPVOoOers will be making an appearance, just to keep it lively.
from Margaret Lodge, re. Renaming of Richmond/Robertson Road in Bells Corners:
I have already contacted the Planning Department, Chairs of Planning, the councillor for the area and the local Westcliffe community association. You know my views on this topic.
I have also contacted residents and businesses in the Bells Corners community, and not one responded in favour of changing the name of Richmond/Robertson, and until recently no one had real information on the proposal.
Unfortunately, I was not be able to attend the April 12 meeting, but I ask that the Planning Committee either vote ‘NO’ on this resolution or request that nothing be done until there has been community input into the topic, including all future plans for the Bells Corners area.
Since this meeting came to my attention, from a single ad in the March 29 Citizen, I have learned that it is not just the stretch of road from Baseline to Eagleson that is being proposed for a name change, but the proposal will eventually also include the part of Richmond Road that goes south through Bells Corners, Fallowfield and all the way to Richmond itself.
I heard about an ’emergency’ Westcliffe meeting (April 5) after the fact, and understand that the councillor was there.
However, the Bells Corners community, and anyone else who might be affected by these changes have not, in general, been contacted or informed or given any say in this matter. This is our community. Surely we should have a say in any changes that might be affecting our community?
I am all for revitalizing Bells Corners, but what is needed is an overall plan, not things being done in bits and pieces. The plan should come first – the whole vision. What is really needed is for the community to be a part of that vision, to be informed of what is going on and what the potential plans might be, and to be allowed some input into them.
Bells Corners and Robertson/Richmond Road are part of our heritage. Today’s Citizen article by Phil Jenkins sums it up …. unfortunately he too maybe doesn’t see the big picture.
“At Island Park, the Duke of Wellington hands over to the Duke of Richmond (who was governor general from 1818-20), and Richmond Road makes its way westward all the way to the hamlet of, no surprise, Richmond, which predates Ottawa.
If I may end with a finger-wagging here, there is a move afoot at City Hall to rename a section of the very historic Richmond Road after a prominent Ottawa developer and federal politician who died four years ago. Surely there are plenty of new streets or parks on the way in Nepean that would be proud to carry his name. Our street names are in part a history lesson; cutting up Richmond is like tearing a page out of our history book. Not a good idea. “
Please keep it the way it is, at least until a real community plan is designed.
By renaming part of Richmond Road at this location – what is achieved? Nothing, except it will cause more directional issues.
By renaming Robertson Road – what is achieved? Nothing, except removing one honour for another.
It is not going to make travel easier and it is not going to make a difference in drawing people into our community rather than just driving through it. It will take a lot more than renaming a road into a boulevard to make it a hot destination.
Please send this back to the drawing board and allow ALL residents and businesses to have a real say.
Thank you,
Margaret Lodge
Westcliffe, Bells Corners
– Apparently the councillor and his staff went door-to-door somewhere in his Bells Corners fiefdom – he reported that everyone was super-enthusiastic about his scheme.
Voilà! Consultation done! And at very little cost to the taxpayer (apart from RC’s $234,000 office budget).
Nice try, Citizen Lodge – better luck next time!
We tried – but to no avail.
Our pleas fell on deaf ears.
Shame on council.
I was pleased to see the Citizen did pick up on it – a little late though.
RIP Mr. Robertson – what you did for your community means nothing to this present council.
– According to the Citizen editorial Robertson “helped build the first eight locks of the Rideau Canal and established a farm, general store and schoolhouse in what is now Bells Corners. How soon we forget.”
It’s also ironic that the Bells Corners BIA, which allegedly represents the Bells Corners business community, disrespected its founding father, the man who established Bells Corners FIRST business where Al’s Steakhouse now sits.
The most poignant part was watching the reaction of the two competing families as the vote result was announced.
The Francis family did a little triumphant jig and congratulated themselves while the lone Robertson family member sitting nearby struggled to maintain her brave front.
I may even have seen a small tear well up in the corner of her eye.
She was very dignified, polite and articulate throughout the undignified proceedings, but her introduction to democracy, City Hall-style, must have been hard on her.
Maybe she didn’t even realize that the committee meeting was only to rubber-stamp the Francis family’s victory over the Robertson family.
As one wag present said “What a gong show! It’s like the Hatfields vs. the McCoys, or a bad episode of Family Feud.”
RC seemed more interested in checking out the reactions of his vanquished foes.
Andy Haydon looked on in wonder – did he really expect that his generous offer (to let them rename Andrew Haydon Park as Lloyd Francis Park) would be accepted as a compromise solution? Maybe he was just joking when he said it – with him it’s sometimes hard to tell.
Bell Corners history wiped out so that the car dealerships can air catchier CFRA ads?
This is true face of politics in its rawest form.
No wonder fewer and fewer citizens take the time to vote and politicians are held in such low esteem.
Sad.
Does anyone have an address for the petition mentioned in today’s, Saturday, April 16th, Citizen? How do we organize a response?
– I’m curious too. I phoned John Robertson’s relative, the one who presented at the planning committee, but she didn’t know.
But I have other ways of finding out, so I’ll be posting the info before too long.
Why am I not surprised? I’m sure nobody even read the letter I sent. Disgusting!
Boo RC and boo all the councillors who voted yes.
– It’s not THAT disgusting- count your blessings! Politics is even dirtier everywhere else in the world!
Just be grateful that you won’t be “disappeared” because of your participation in this blog – you need a teensy bit of courage to say that the emperor is wearing skimpy clothes.
You’re now in the RC database as an “unfriendly” but it’s extremely unlikely that you will sent to the camps because of your impertinence.
“Our democracy is the WORST system possible (except for the alternatives).” Isn’t that a famous Ben Franklin (hallowed be his name) quote?
When I tuned in to this I wrote Rick Chiarelli (RC) pointing out the flaws in his survey, cheaper ways to solve any traffic confusion and suggesting alternate ways to honour Lloyd Francis. Clearly and repeatedly he defended his position and was not interested in alternatives.
I wrote to the City staffer responsible for the staff report presented to the planning committee and pointed out to her that it was incomplete and inaccurate. No response yet.
Wrote to Peter Hume (Planning Chair) and Jan Harder (vice chair) and asked them not to present the item to Council until the information could be clarified. No reply.
And now to the BIA. If they are so inept that they allow themselves to be used as cover for RC and have no business owners on their executive committee, it is time business owners took it over just to protect themselves from this kind of ward healer politics.
And someone should warn the taxpayers that there are more chunks of Richmond Road to be renamed because of this change according to city staff. This change will cost $49,000 (not 43). I would guess a second change in Lynwood and another from BCUC at Richmond Rd/Moodie Dr. to Richmond Village will each likely cost the same. So, our RC is a spender and we are the payers.
Our City councillors can’t say NO to this kind of foolishness. Now we know why they can’t keep within their budgets – as if we didn’t already know.
– You’ve got it all right except for one thing – the motion permitted the City to spend $49,000 on the first small part of the plan but the planner announced triumphantly to the committee that their new estimate was only $43,000.
Nobody clapped except the Francis family and the councillor’s staff.
I visited numerous businesses today to see if the Citizen journalist had it right (that most businesses WEREN’T consulted) and, sure enough, she was bang-on.
Most of them had no idea what I was talking about, or else they said “yeah, I just read about it in the paper” or “yeah, a customer just told me.”
I did meet a few business owners who knew exactly what was going on.
A manager at the Best Western (which also owns the Day’s Inn in Bells Corners) told me he was one of the few members who showed up at the January AGM. He said other business owners shouldn’t complain now that it’s a done deal – they had their chance to speak up and should have paid attention to their junk mail for the ballot.
Other owners insisted that they did not receive a ballot and were not consulted.
Another owner who went to the meeting said there was no vote on the Lloyd Francis boondoggle at the AGM.
Another told me that it was revealed at the AGM that Alex Lewis (RC’s former office worker who was appointed the BIA executive director) is NOT lavishly paid as I speculated.
He only gets $50,000 a year + benefits – that’s not even HALF of what the councillor makes, and only 20% of his annual office budget.
So we’re not talking scandal here, right?
I apologize to Mr. Lewis for suggesting that his gig was overly sweet.
Well, if I’m in RC’s database as ‘unfriendly’, that’s too bad. Whether or not I’ll be ‘disappeared’, or sent to the ‘camps’ for my impertinence for participating in this blog is yet to be determined, I guess. I’m just exercising my right to free speech in a so-called democracy.
As for consultation with the residents of Bells Corners and environs, that just didn’t happen. This misrepresentation to the committee and councillors should be investigated. I sure hope there is some other venue where we can fight this and make a difference – show council and the mayor that we are displeased.
RC underestimates the people of Bell’s Corners, Westcliffe and the other residents involved.
Sigh…. I guess I’m in doodoo again 😦
– Being in doodoo is not a problem. Everyone is in doodoo to one extent or another.
But being identified as an enemy on a powerful politician’s database is another matter.
Thank God we don’t live in the Ivory Coast or Libya – it’s VERY rare that dissenters are tortured to death in College Ward. If your skin is white the odds are even slimmer.
All the same, if you disappear mysteriously, wanderer, this blogging community will miss your contributions. Have a nice afterlife.
Well, to ‘disappear’ me, they’d have to deal with a very protective hubby – they’d not have a chance!
I enjoy being part of this blogging community. We actually deal with real problems that matter to us and the larger community to which we belong, unlike local politicians who sneak change through without community input or consultation.
How many items are brought to the council on one day and are passed as quickly as this one with hardly any disssent?
Behind-the-scenes deals sounds about the right way to describe it, n’est-ce pas?
Bring on the petition!
– Is it too soon to talk about impeachment?
194 surveys were sent out, 38 were returned, 34 in favor of the change, I wanna know who the 34 are. Sounds like something the Rick cooked up, and it smells like Chara’s jockstrap.
– The City told me that they would send me everything that’s on the public record. I was especially interested in the audio file, as I heard quite a few whoppers from RC.
But apparently there’s been a “wardrobe malfunction”. One City staffer told me this:
“Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem with the audio file- it picks up only at the end of the meeting. I have contacted IT, but they may not have the problem fixed until Monday.”
Hmmm, is this the Bells Corners version of Watergate! Maybe RC is taking over where Richard Nixon left off?