Cornwall now has a real chance to step up and show the country what we are all about.

I have tickets to the tournament opener on Saturday night as well as 2 other games next week plus the Final. I’m hoping each game will be sold out - but most likely we will see good crowds for the Colts three games (or more) and the playoffs next weekend.

The new seating is up & ready and looks pretty good. I play hockey on Friday nights and have seen it first hand - in fact my tickets are in the new seating. The Complex looks very different with the new red seats around the rink - it kind of looks like a regular arena now! From what I have heard the ice surface has been redone and looks good.

The RBC Cup can do a lot to repair / increase the City’s reputation both nationally and in the region. Cornwall has been prepping for this for 4 years and it’s now time to step up.

See you at the Complex!

I always thought Nav Canada would make a great campus for a small private University. One that focused on environmental studies or a very targeted niche. It is the perfect location, its ready to use and has lots of dorms already built - oh, and quite a nice pub. Perhaps if Nav Canada continues to move their good jobs out of town and shuts down, the silver lining will be a “Turnkey” University ready to go. I don’t see that happening though.
Until then, we better start promoting St. Lawrence College a bit more because The University of Cornwall is a long way away.

Here’s the list of reasons to shop locally (from SeawayValley.com):

1. Significantly more money re-circulates in Cornwall when purchases are made at locally owned, businesses
2. Most new jobs are provided by local businesses
3. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of our distinctive character
4. Local business owners invest in community
5. Customer service is better
6. Competition and diversity leads to more choices
7. Reduced environmental impact
8. Public benefits far outweigh public costs.
9. Encourages investment in Cornwall
10. Non-profits receive greater support

You can see more details if you follow the link. I’m not sure I agree with #5 - but the list provides some very good reasons to shop locally.

First - let me start by writing that this is a very good thing. Congratulations to the City and the media outlets involved in promoting local shopping. I’ve never understood why this isn’t more of a focus of economic development. By shopping locally and following some very basic shopping habits we can have more of an impact on our economy than most other sources.
So what does it to mean to shop locally? We can see the benefits - but what does it to mean to actually shop locally? Which businesses qualify and which ones don’t? As a little resource - I’ve put together my own list of HOW you can shop locally more.

1. Shop at store’s that are not franchises:
Buying your school supplies, hockey gear, food, hardware and anything else at “mom and pop” stores and a significantly higher percentage of the money will stay in the area. Of course, not everything can be purchased this way - and it requires a bit more effort - but the economic benefit is huge.

2. Buy your groceries from local distributors:
As much as possible, make sure you buy products that are grown in Ontario. While it is difficult to tell which items were actually grown in SD&G - the more you look for the locally grown the better. Buy produce at the Farmers Market in Le Village in the summers. There are many local vendors there who sell everything from Fruits & vegetables to Honey. Hopefully they will keep it going next year. Our local economy is much more dependent on farmer’s in SD&G then we would believe. Helping them out will help us all out in the long run.

4. Shop at “local” franchises:
There are some excellent franchises that were started right here in Cornwall and area. Stores that would qualify include Billy K’s, Farm Boy, MacEwen’s, Benson’s, Urban Trade and many more. Many companies are also part of larger corporate chains but are 100% locally owned or close. Companies like Play It Again Sports, Rona, Corus Entertianment (Part of a public company - but is a local company in terms of economic impact on our economy), Don Cherry’s, East Side Mario’s, Ramada Inn, Best Western, Insurance Agents, Financial Planners etc.

5. Get your services from local companies:
Cornwall and SDG has a lot of talent and a lot of businesses that can compete with bigger markets if given the chance. If only the City of Cornwall followed suit.

6. Avoid Big Box Stores:
As much as we love the economic impact from Wal-Mart and Home Depot etc - these businesses buy their product out of town and their profits leave as well. Aside from the low-paying jobs created and the taxes paid - very little of the actual money spent at these stores stays here. Sure - you’ll save a few dollars, but most of the money spent leaves the area for good.

7. Shop in Town:
The best way to shop locally is to spend your money here. Montreal and Ottawa and Massena are totally separate economies and your money is simply leaving the area

8. Don’t buy online:
A lot of people now look online before they even look around town. It’s easier and quicker - but 100% of your money leaves the area. Unless you can’t find the product or service you need - try and shop here first, then turn to the Internet when you simply can’t find it.

9. Ask:
If you’re not sure who owns a company or where the store is headquartered - ask them. You’ll be surprised at how many businesses are actually owned by people who live out town. Once you know which ones are locally owned - focus on spending your money with those businesses.

These are just suggestions on how to help people shop locally and are by no means meant to serve as rules to follow. Each person has their own tastes and preferences so no two people will shop locally the same way or have the same desire to help the local economy. If you have your own suggestions - feel free to add them as a comment.

Also - does anyone else see the irony in the fact that the City of Cornwall is getting it marketing materials (and vehicle purchases, and …) done by a company in Ottawa yet promotes shopping locally? Some City Counsellors earlier this term suggested that the City should create a law that forces the City to shop locally and I’m all for it. I suggest you call your Counsellor if you like it too.

The Dog Handler in Lamoureux Park
Lamoureux Park is one of the nicest waterfront parks in a small urban setting in Canada. A bold statement - but one that I truly believe. We are incredibly lucky to have such a place but the past few years has seen an incremental rise in the number of geese using the park as a breading ground / toilet. As a frequent user of the park for running, concerts and playing with my kids I can say that the park was very hard to walk around.  Hopefully by hiring a  dog and handler to scare the geese somewhere else -  usage of the facility will increase and the image we (and tourists) have of the park will be a positive one.

8onSecond
Congratulations to the Optometrists for the new brand and building face. A lot of work went into making that building look nicer and the brand, colours and brick building are very appealing. The buildings fit well together with Pommier Jewellers and make south-east Pitt and Second look very nice. If only North-East Pitt and Second could do the same.

The Breakfast Club
The restaurant that rotates at Pitt and second now has a new name and hopefully a permanent tenant.  For years the building on the south-east corner has been empty and/or not busy. I know the owners of building put a lot of work into cleaning it up and painting it - but an empty building is an empty building. It seems that all of the hard work has paid off and a new restaurant may finally succeed in the area. I just may have to pop-in for breakfast soon.

The Maximum Fitness Parking Lot
Funny how less is more sometimes. The old Maximum Fitness Building (I was a member) was torn down to make a parking lot and access lane to the larger parking lot in the back. Although it is a very “small” item I find it really opens the downtown up. No longer do people have to access 3 one-way streets to find parking on Pitt. Now you can just pull in and access the many thriving stores downtown.

These are just a few examples of things I have noticed that make a big difference in the image people have of our City.

I am as big a sports fan as anyone in town and I enjoy playing soccer, hockey, basketball, running and on occasion some softball. I also really think that good facilities help the local economy and should help keep our youth interested in these sports. I agree that tournaments help the local economy tremendously and that the more kids we can have with access to sport the better.

That said - I am very curious as to why we aren’t considering other sports in this multi-million dollar complex. If we build 4 ice pads - the City would have 5 total. The Civic Complex isn’t going anywhere - in fact, the City just approved adding seating to the Complex. Does a City the size of Cornwall need 5 rinks? I don’t think so.

Here’s what I propose:

Build a community sports complex. Add several more sports to the tally and build a hub of sport in Cornwall for roughly the same price as a 4 pad arena would cost. For the cost of 2 ice pads - you could build the following items and have money left over.

- A Rubberized Track & Field Venue
- A synthetic outdoor field for Football and Soccer.
- Several other playing fields (For soccer, football, rugby and Lacrosse).
- Office space for ALL of Cornwall’s minor sports.
- Seating capacity at the outdoor venue for 1,000 + people.
- A BMX / Mountain Bike bike course
- A gymnasium
- An Indoor Soccer Field / Lacrosse facility

I won’t get into the financial details in this post. That’s not my job. And if building these items costs more then the 4 pad arena - then at least it was considered. This is meant to get people talking about what else could be included for roughly the same price of 4 rinks.

The benefits of making a central hub for all sporting activity in town are enormous. Let’s break them down one by one.

A Rubberized Track & Field Venue
Cornwall does not currently have a good track for Track and Field. St. Lawrence High School usually acts as the main hub of athletics in SD&G but it’s track is old and not ideal for training and hosting events. St. Joe’s and GV have a similar situation. CCVS and La Citadelle have gravel tracks with grass in them. L’Heritage and Holy Trinity - don’t have one. Adding a rubberized track for High School competitions would allow our local athletes to train better and get better. Here’s proof. It would also allow the area to host EOSSAA track events, Regional Track Events and possibly encourage St. Lawrence College to take up Track and Field as well. As a former Cornwall Cougar (The local Track club) I can say that training and events in the summer are almost always done out of town because we had no where to host any events. Adding this track to the ice pad complex would cost very little (relatively speaking) and would see almost as much of an economic spin-off as a third hockey arena. It would also allow for many more people to have access to quality training and competition.

A synthetic outdoor field for Football and Soccer.
This type of outdoor field is becoming more and more commonplace. Although the cost is more up front to build a field that is synthetic grass - the costs of maintenance are far lower. By creating this space inside of the track venue, the complex would be able to host ALL outdoor High School championships, tournaments and summer leagues. Lacrosse, Soccer, Rugby and Football could all benefit form this field. It would also never turn into mud, never need water or mowing and would look great. With the seating capacity - the City could host several events on this field each summer.

Several other playing fields (For soccer, football, rugby and Lacrosse).
The facility should be built where there is room for tournaments to be played - and where teams can practice. Adding a couple of soccer fields, football fields or rugby fields would go a long way in being able to host tournaments and for local teams to find practice time. This would of course be dependent on the size of the land used - but a worthy investment nonetheless in my opinion.

Office space for ALL of Cornwall’s minor sports.
There are several sports organizations in this town. Most (read all) are run by volunteers. Most have files, equipment, papers, computers, uniforms etc to store. Why not give an office for each of the major sporting associations in town to use as a central hub. Kinsmen Minor Soccer, Cornwall Wildcats Football, SD&G Blazers, Cornwall Cougars, Minor Hockey etc all work out of a network of homes and turnover for the volunteers always involves tracking down resources year after year. Some of these organizations have some kind of office space - but by putting them all together we would reduce their operating costs and hep put that money back into the sports themselves. Adding conference rooms, training gyms and such would increase the frequency of use of the facility as well.

Seating capacity at the outdoor venue for 1,000 + people.
I touched on this with the synthetic field and the rubberized track. By adding a small stadium with seating for 1,000 or so spectators, the City could attract larger sporting events and competitions. The cost of adding this is far less then adding 800 seats to a never sold out Civic complex, and would help the economy much more. Think the High School final between CCVS and TISS could get 1,000 people in the stands? Think EOSSAA doesn’t have over 1,000 people in attendance? Think the chances of hosting the Canada Summer Games or Ontario Summer Games wouldn’t increase 100 fold? Think again.
A BMX bike course
This is just an idea based on the local market. I saw a similar sporting complex (minus the hockey rinks) in Kingston. One of the busiest aspect was a small BMX / Mountain Bike dirt course outside the main building. This is a safe environment for people to enjoy the sport and encourages youth who don’t like mainstream sports to be active. Operating costs are pretty cheap and setup is very easy to accomplish. I’m sure the insurance on such an item isn’t cheap - but worthwhile to look at in my opinion.

A gymnasium
When the YMCA closed a few years back - the only public gymnasium in town went with it. Adding such a facility would not come cheap - but would create space that the City is allowed to use for the many basketball, badminton, volleyball and other sports tournaments hosted here on a yearly basis. It would also give people access to a gymnasium for organized sports leagues without depending on school board approval. At the moment we are reliant on the high schools and the college for gymnasium use. Even at a high cost I see this as a better investment then a 3rd rink.

An Indoor Soccer Field / Lacrosse facility
We’re lucky in Cornwall that we already have a good indoor facility. I was there when this facility was built and saw the rapid rise of quality of soccer played. I still enjoy its use every week. But our indoor soccer facility is located on the outskirts of town and is run by the Soccer Club. Adding this facility (moving it) would be very cheap and would give people access to all these other activities in one location and cut down on operating expenses and hydro costs.

In short - I think its very important for people in Cornwall to start questioning the creation of 4 more ice pads. Are they really necessary? Perhaps. But are they more necessary then these items I have included? Not in my opinion.

If its an economic benefit the City is looking for - what could be better then a centralized sporting facility where ALL local sports (save baseball and swimming who already have great facilities) could use to attract events and tournaments.

If its a budgetary concern - why not look at the operating costs of each of these facilities on their own versus together. Sharing the costs between leagues, groups and the city would be much more budget-friendly then simply building new arenas.

If its to help keep youth in Cornwall - what better way then to show them we care about all sports - not just hockey. What better way to encourage a young track star, or football player to use top-notch facilities and have access to train and compete.

Overall I think the City is being very short-sighted in looking only at hockey pads. I have heard some talk of adding the soccer facility - but I don’t think talk is enough. Residents of Cornwall should be asking for a multi-sport complex and they should be asking for it right now. The economic, social and cost saving benefit would be huge.

And don’t think that the old Courtaulds or Domtar lots aren’t the perfect place to house this sports centre either.

So what does Facebook have to offer us in Cornwall? Here’s a sampling of the most popular groups serving the area:

Cornwall ON Should Be A Network On facebook!!!!
1,942 members
This is a group dedicated to making Cornwall its own Facebook network. A network would allow people in Cornwall to have a shared events calendar, notice boards etc and would mean that everyone like myself wouldn’t have to list Ottawa as our network of choice.

Cornwall for life!
1,602 members
This group is the main hub of discussion about Cornwall on Facebook.

You Know You’re From Cornwall If…
1,404 members
Mainly meant to be a humourous group - the list features incredibly funny lines such as:
- You drive to the Mac’s Milk parking lot looking for a party.
- You don’t “notice” the smell of Pulp and Paper mills

were from cornwall, we can probably out party you
1,229 members
That’s right - its just about partying in Cornwall and such.

Young Entrepreneur Society
26 members
I helped start this group so that any young entrepreneurs in town could get together and discuss business in Cornwall. So far we have 26 members - which is great. Hopefully through Facebook we’ll be able to make this networking group work.

From a business perspective - I think people should be taking notice. Facebook makes it really easy for friends to communicate with ALL of their friends at once and word of mouth advertising travels fast on this site. Some people are also using Facebook as a great means of attracting people to local events - by inviting all of their 1,000 + friends to a specific event. Before Facebook it would have taken some serious organization, costs, and time to get 1,000 of your closest friends to know about an event - now it takes 3 seconds.

Facebook is quickly adding several features that make it easier for people to communicate and to add business listings and feedback on companies. The Word of mouth power behind Facebook should really be taken seriously by businesses looking to get their name out in Cornwall.

Now, there are 6 schools with Football teams (CCVS, St. Joe’s, Holy Trinity, Tagwi and junior teams at GV and St. Lawrence). Football has become a major high school sport in the area in very few years. Our boys are out there playing and competing with the schools in Brockville on a weekly basis. The Freeholder does a great job at covering the matches and the games are well attended.

Having attended a small university where Football was a huge Saturday event I never understood why the sport wasn’t popular in Cornwall. I’ve never played - but I enjoy the games. I enjoy watching them and cheering for my team and I enjoy the atmosphere created by a good football game. Football brings out a certain pride that I don’t see from other sports. People go out and watch “The” team and cheer for their school, much more then other sports. It helps create a sense of pride that I think was really lacking in Cornwall’s youth.

What does this have to do with Cornwall? Well - for one - it is a positive experience that our youth are enjoying. If we want to keep our youth in town, it helps if they enjoy their time here. As well - people in Brockville, Kingston, Arnprior, Renfrew and Ottawa are starting to notice that our teams are becoming very competitive. This helps build our reputation in Cornwall - granted in small amounts - but small positive amounts is a great step in the right direction. Hopefully some of these kids will start playing College Football soon and start letting people know where they are from. Pride is a funny thing - but it can work wonders sometimes with youth, and hopefully with our entire community.

I know that there are lots of volunteers and coaches running these teams - and I salute them. I personally volunteer to coach a high school basketball team because I feel like I am making a difference. Hopefully the sense of pride being instilled in our youth today will pay off huge dividends in the future.

I am a human geographer by education and I had studied Dr. Foote’s book Boom Bust & Echo almost 10 years ago. I jumped at the chance to hear the man speak - and was even more excited about hearing his thoughts on our local economy. After 2 hours of listening to this man I was more then satisfied. In my lifetime I have never heard anyone make economics so simple. I have never heard someone make economics funny nor have I ever seen people react to population pyramids as if they were watching a Michael Moore film. On several occasions Dr. Foote’s data left people gasping. Gasping!

How was a Professor of economics able to leave a room full of business leaders and politicians wanting more? Well - aside from being funny and to the point - his message is incredibly simple. Population trends = economic trends. If you are able to follow population trends properly - then you should be able to predict when school closings, university admission drops, health care system stress and interest rate hikes will take place. And it can all be explained on a local scale and national scale if you look at the population trends.

And how does Cornwall fare? Well - anyone who has been knows 1 thing about this city; There is a real lack of people aged 20 to 35 and the city is going to feel the effects of this very soon. Cornwall bucks the national trends when it comes to youth and people in their early thirties - much more so than other cities our size. People are simply leaving and not returning. Dr. Foote mentioned that we (and the economic development office) should focus some time on trying to attract our youth who go off to university when they are ready to settle down and get a mortgage and have kids. That point alone is huge issue facing this economy in the future and is one i will be writing about a great deal in the near future.

He also pointed out how the new proposed hockey arena (a touchy subject in town) is a bad idea based on the population trend in the city. You see - right now Cornwall has a large percentage of its population that is either 10-18 and 40 - 50 (Children and grandchildren of Baby Boomers), which are the primary users of hockey arena facilities. He pointed out several times that in 5 years when the hockey dads can no longer play hockey and the young children move on to higher education (elsewhere), the demand for arena use will drop dramatically. People in my age group (30 -40) and my children’s age group represent a much smaller percentage of people in town.

In the end - I think that point will be the most talked about. I think in 2 hours Dr. Foote just convinced a bunch of decision makers that the new hockey pad proposal might need to be re-looked at. Hopefully the mayor and council were listening. Hopefully.

If people take nothing more from this speech - it should be that there are economic trends that we can easily predict - and our political leaders should be very aware of this fact.

As a side note - several other topics were brought up today that I will be writing about. I wanted to separate them into individual posts so we could discuss them all.

To quote Seth Myers from SNL … “Really? I mean Really?” Forgive me if I don’t understand why anyone would want to keep that up. It is beyond me. The smokestack should have been the first thing to come down and the entire city should have come out to watch it. I’d even suggest a liquor license for a second street west party.

This land is going to be rebuilt in the next 10 to 15 years. The bridge is coming down and that entire area of town will see some very much needed development. Keeping the smokestack would make that entire area look gloomy.

People in town always talk about the image Cornwall has from the 401. The first thing most people see is a big smokestack. Their first impression is always to hold their breath - even if there is no smell in town anymore.

Wouldn’t it be nice to start rebranding the city with a huge demolition of the giant smokestack that was Cornwall’s past? People on the highway would at least stop holding their breath.

I’ve asked several people in town over the years if hockey can work in Cornwall. Nobody has a straight answer and most people believe that Hockey can work in Cornwall - it just hasn’t been done right. The Royals moved because not enough people were attending games (although nobody confirms that and I don’t buy it). The Aces left because the City owned them and taxpayers were losing a lot of money to support the team. The Comets left because their league was a mess and the Colts have been steadily building one of the top junior A franchises in the country. Hosting the RBC Cup this spring will do wonders for Cornwall’s Brand across the country.

Can the AHL work again in Cornwall?
I would say yes. The major problem with the Aces was that public support for the team was very low because the City was on the hook for about 1 million dollars. The AHL is good hockey. People WILL come out to watch. I know I would be lined up for season tickets. Can Cornwall sell 3,000 seats, 40 times a year? With a lot effort - yes.

What does an AHL team bring to Cornwall?
Aside from the professional athletes living in the city and the coaching staff etc - the economic impact is tremendous. To sell 3,000 seats a night, people are to be coming from out of town to watch hockey. I am certain people will stop for gas, eat at a restaurant, and shop in our stores while here. Let’s not forget the staff required to manage the rink / games. Think don Cherry’s would see a boost? There is also the HUGE impact of having Cornwall’s name right up beside places such as Hamilton, Toronto, Philadelphia, Albany, San Antonio, Houston, Milwaukee, Providence, Syracuse, Winnipeg and 20 other cities. Cornwall would be featured on TV, in newspapers, on the radio and our “brand” would get out there in a very positive light.

Wouldn’t the OHL make more sense?
Yes and no. First of all - I don’t believe the OHL has any interest in moving to Cornwall. There would have been a team here a long time ago if they wanted - but they have been expanding to the US.

The QMJHL has expanded, mainly on the back of the AHL in places like Fredericton, Saint John, St. John’s, Moncton, Charlottetown and Halifax. All of these cities had AHL franchises, and all of them now have successful major junior A teams. If you ask me the Q makes more sense for Cornwall - but I don’t see it happening. Major Junior Hockey would be the best idea for Cornwall as ticket prices are cheaper, costs are lower, and our market is similar in size to other teams (Rimouski, Val D’or etc).

To sum it all up. I am ALL for an AHL team relocating / expanding to Cornwall. The benefits of such a deal are incredible for our community and what better way to start a rebranding effort then by having professional sports return to the city? I do not think the City should get involved in any way though. I’m no fan of the Panthers (I’m an Oilers guy) - but I would be more then happy to watch professional hockey at the Civic Complex - and proudly put on a Panthers jersey while doing so.