"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 23 November 2014

There is a Story

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Free As A Bird....I Shall Be":

Evelyn I believe the condo on Yonge was planned during your term as councillor 1986-88.Correct me if I am wrong

Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 23 November 2014 11:21


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You are not wrong.  It was a three year  term and I did not run for Council at the end of the term. The municipal election overlapped a Federal election. I was a candidate for the NDP and chose not to run for Council 

It was an interesting election. The late John West was incumbent Mayor and a challenger was the town's former CAO. the late Bud Rogers.

Highland Gate condominium construction was well up out of the ground by that time.

As noted in comments yesterday. Mr. Rogers enjoyed high status in the community and in his profession. He served numerous terms on the executive of the  Ontario Association of Clerks and Treasurers.

But it wasn't enough to take the Mayor's office from John West.

During the nineties I was not in office. Out of the loop so-to-speak. I believe the Rogers family moved to Barrie and  he took a position with Reid and Associates Consultant Engineers. I understand  a planning service  was added to their operation and Mr Rogers  had  that responsibility.



21 comments:

Anonymous said...

All I can recall about the condo on Yonge is that a few very determined councillors refused to let it go above a certain height. This despite there being comparable ones all along Yonge in other towns. Not part of their " vision " thing, I guess.

Anonymous said...

The condo was not built where it should have been.Councillor Barker exposed this point during that election.He stated it was moved 40 feet to the east and about 6 feet in elevation.Not the original plan.

Anonymous said...

Have the spring fed ponds on the course been drained?

Anonymous said...


This morning outside the Metro grocery store stood an OPP SUV, parked, with all its lights flashing. I parked and made my way to the front door. Then - understanding.

Beside the four officers was a shopping cart, containing a few brown bags that shoppers could purchase and donate to the Food Bank. After paying for my small grocery list I asked the cashier to add two brown bags, priced at $5.99, to the total. She asked if I wanted to drop them in the bin across the aisle or take them with me.

I said I'd take them with me, went out and delivered them to one of the officers. He said, "Thank you very much. We appreciate this." I said, "I also appreciate this, very much."

As I left the parking lot I spotted an OPP cruiser, sitting empty.

To serve and protect.

And then s story from Vancouver where police apparently shot and killed a man yesterday afternoon.He was standing at an intersection shouting and waving a length of 2" x 4" - not a dangerous weapon. Police attempted to disarm the man with less-lethal beanbag rounds. When this failed the man "was eventually shot with bullets."

A witness said officers fired several rounds when they were within about two metres off the suspect.

B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the incident.

Not much serving and protecting here.

Anonymous said...

I think the commenters were referring to John Rogers (CAO 2005-08), rather than Bud Rogers.

Anonymous said...

16:23
Are you talking about Highland or just through your hat ?
If Highland, why would they drain the ponds ? One of their problems was lack of water. Besides the same owners are still in place

Anonymous said...

I recall a resident near the Highlands who was related to a long time staffer there.He asked the Town many times about this.

Anonymous said...

17:38
Try a FOI. There is apparently a requirement that a response be given. Worth a shot.

Anonymous said...

16:25
If you speak to any retired officer, they to aren't happy with the type of officers that are out there today.

Anonymous said...

@17:38
a] It is not the town's business
b] Most spring-fed ponds dry up naturally = they do not need to be drained
c] Do not trust all those eco-nuts. Sometimes they are just wrong when they generalize

Anonymous said...

"Do not trust all those eco-nuts. Sometimes they are just wrong when they generalize"

Oh, the irony.

Anonymous said...

I bet the LSCA is involved.

Anonymous said...

18:47
I agree. All ponds are not the same. Some should be left alone.

Anonymous said...

Environmental Consultancy is Big Business.
Think of the Green Roof on the Joint-Ops building.
Or the Clear Bags initiative.

Anonymous said...

An audio cassette of a press conference has surfaced.It was recorded at the time the condo was built and Mr .Rogers leaving his post.Once it has been converted to MP3 it will be posted online.

Anonymous said...

20:16- Don't get me started on this whole "eco/green" industry.

Anonymous said...

18:47
If you speak to ANYONE that is retired, they are not too happy with the type of person doing their job today.

That's because people do not like change and the way things are done now are different than the way they used to do it.

They would like to think that they did the job the best - when they were doing it. Things change.

Anonymous said...

I think that post got hi-jacked, Evelyn. Ponds in November are scarcely of great concern.

Anonymous said...

9:06- Officers today either are not capable or are not allowed to use good judgment anymore. Funny thing is…they now all have post-secondary school education. If hiring practices have changed with the type of officers they hire or policies have changed …then maybe you’re correct. But I too see and have witnessed many officers with poor judgment.

Anonymous said...

8:04
The best one was the move to treat a bit of snow which was not actually going to do what it purported to be doing. For thousands of dollars. That sucker might raise its ugly head again.

Anonymous said...

11:55. There are suckers born every day. Our Town is no different.