London Construction - Development News Thread#1

[GreatTallNorth2]

Little risk of that. That building would doubtless be protected by heritage designations up the wazoo,

Actually I understand that the Wright building, believe it or not, is NOT under any kind of heritage preservation.

Farhi's money is coming out of his wazoo.

[Snark]

..

[ldoto]

Invests $4 Million In London Sport And Recreation Facilities:cheers:

Key Element In Strategy To Further Boost Jobs And Economic Renewal


LONDON — The McGuinty government is providing $4 million to the city of London to upgrade the North London Optimist Community Centre and the Thames Pool as part of the province’s $190 million economic stimulus plan, Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson announced today.

“Active living is crucial to good health,” said Watson. “Improving these facilities will encourage the people of this community to participate in physical activities and achieve a better quality of life.”

Watson was joined by Training, Colleges and Universities Minister and MPP for London West Christopher Bentley, Khalil Ramal MPP for London-Fanshawe, and Deb Matthews MPP for London North Centre.

“To encourage good health, communities must provide sport and recreation infrastructure to meet the needs of their residents,” said Bentley. “Upgrading these facilities will help us do just that.”

“I’m certain our updated facilities will encourage many people and families throughout the community to stay active and keep fit,” said Ramal. “In particular, I hope residents of this community will enjoy all that these sport and recreation facilities have to offer.”

“Through our Parks and Recreation Master Plan, we continue to invest in a variety of community facilities to keep our citizens healthy and happy,” says London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best. “And, this provincial funding for two key projects means we are now better equipped to answer the social and recreational needs of all Londoners.”

The government’s $190 million economic stimulus package is a key component of the plan to foster a stronger workforce and a stronger economy.

Announced in the 2006 Fall Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, the stimulus package aims to boost jobs and growth through a focus on four key areas:

Focused training and job services to help job-threatened and laid-off workers find new jobs
Fast-tracking infrastructure projects to generate immediate economic activity and job creation
Encouraging Ontario tourism to boost economic activity and tourism-related jobs
Strengthening interprovincial trade to match industrial needs in Alberta with Ontario’s industrial capacity.

[ldoto]

All I know is Farhi said that he had big plans for this site do to the historic library. In my opinion one day we will see a Grand tower!

btw.
I was on Farhi's website and I found this pretty interesting. It is a Video about the land and the properties that he owns. It also talked about his heart and dedication to the city of London, Windsor. It was shown on Canada Now CBC News. :cool:



http://www.fhc.ca/default2.asp

[GreatTallNorth2]

Did you check out his house? Pretty nice, eh?

I also believe that he will build a nice tower one day. He really likes One London Place and said that he would like to build something to compliment it. Also, the tower proposal he had was going to cost $100 million. Compare that to City Place which cost $25 million for two towers, each 25 storeys. Farhi's would obviously be much better quality and design.

[ldoto]

Cities seek fed transit funding

Tue, March 6, 2007

By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA AND NEWS SERVICES



London would be in line for about $20 million a year in funding if the federal government backs a proposed national transit strategy unveiled yesterday.

Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best said the feds must provide $2 billion a year in funding for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' strategy to succeed.

"Paying for public transit is a major issue for all municipalities, and property tax alone is not sufficient to support this important service," DeCicco-Best said at a London news conference.

"Clearly, municipal governments need help to deliver the transit services on which our nation's economy, quality of life and environmental sustainability rely."

DeCicco-Best joined mayors across the country in calling on the federal government to back the federation's national public transportation strategy.

The strategy includes: - $2 billion annual federal funding for capital and operating expenses to maintain and expand systems.

- Tax incentives to increase ridership.

- Research to look at new systems and policies.

- Benchmarks to measure success in public transit.

- Integrated land use and transportation planning.

The mayors say the strategy is needed to maintain economic competitiveness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

Yesterday, there was reason for optimism after the federal government agreed to provide $1 billion for transit in the Toronto area that will be matched by the province and municipalities.

Local officials say conditions may be right for the federal government to back a national transit strategy when it unveils its budget March 19.

Such a move would go a long way to appease cash-strapped municipalities and environmentalists, putting a green stamp on the budget with a possible election this spring.

"There's no doubt this is very timely," DeCicco-Best said.

"But there's no question buses are a solution to some of our environmental problems and when you look at soaring gas prices . . . that's all the more reason to develop transit systems to get more people on the buses."

London Transit recently unveiled a long-term strategy that calls for spending of $105 million over the next nine years to whisk passengers across the city faster.

The strategy includes spending $68 million on 102 replacement buses and 32 additional buses and creating a rapid transit system with pickups on some routes every five minutes during rush hour.

The mayors say that one city bus can carry as many passengers as 50 vehicles and pollutes 10 times less.

"The environmental impact of public transit is extremely important," said Toronto Mayor David Miller.

"And the truth is that Canada's major cities cannot expand their systems. In fact, we don't have the money to keep them going." :tup:

[ldoto]

A proposed office tower on Riverside Drive may be just the first wave of new buildings that will threaten the beauty
and heritage of the Thames River, environmentalists fear Developers can build near the river because rules that
protect it are incomplete — a problem city council has known about for three years. The current rules don’t let
the city consider whether new buildings will damage the esthetics or identity of neighbourhoods according to a 2004 decision by the Ontario Municipal Board. The decision led council to launch a study to stiffen rules
to protect the river corridor, but the study has fallen nearly two years behind, creating a window for developers.
“There’s always that danger,” said Jack Lorimer, who volunteered to be on a committee that was supposed
to advise city hall on how to protect the Thames. City staff say the danger is minimal because there is very
little open land near the river in private hands.

[FazDeH]

I never heard about this project; aside from the negitive effects on the river corridor, what else is known about it? i.e. size, style etc.

[ldoto]

:previous:
It sounds like a good project but I have on idea?:shrug:

[ldoto]

Fri, March 9, 2007

By NORMAN DE BONO, FREE PRESS BUSINESS REPORTER



Air service in London is taking flight, with Air Canada Jazz adding two flights a day to Toronto, the airline announced yesterday.

The national carrier will offer 12 flights daily to Toronto from London, adding them at 8:15 a.m. and 8:15 p.m., Peter Fitzpatrick, Air Canada spokesperson, said yesterday.

"Our loads from London have been quite strong and we're adding capacity in response to market demand," he said. "London has been a very strong market for us."

This year Westjet added a second flight to Calgary from London and it was one year ago this month Air Canada Jazz added a flight from London to Winnipeg.

Flights out of London are running at more than 80 per cent capacity, as the airport sees a surge in business across Southwestern Ontario -- from Windsor to Waterloo, said airport president and chief executive Steve Baker.

"We are proud that residents of Southwestern Ontario have embraced this airport as a regional hub," said Baker.

Passenger traffic increased 12 per cent last year over 2005 and has grown 38 per cent over the last two years, as 415,000 people boarded planes from the airport.

The airport has drawn traffic from other cities in Southwestern Ontario because it offers more flights than airports in other areas, said Baker. "We have more flights per day and more connections. That is why people use the service," he said.

Much of that growth has been from outside London. Fifty-five per cent of passengers are from outside the city, drawing from Windsor to Kitchener-Waterloo, said Baker.

The added Air Canada Jazz service will start March 31.

The boom in travel in Southwestern Ontario is part of a growth in flights across the country, said Fitzpatrick.

"We are running at record levels across the country. The economy is good and more people are travelling for business and pleasure," he said.

Air Canada Jazz also offers daily service to Ottawa which continues to Montreal. Westjet also has service to Winnipeg and Northwest Airlines has four daily flights to Detroit.

The airport also offers flights on seasonal airlines to Cuba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

[QuantumLeap]

I would just like to introduce myself to the forum. I am a longtime Londoner but just joined SSP. Looking forward to a lot of good discussion

[ssiguy]

Welcome aboard from an old ex-London boy.

I still greatly miss the ol' town.

[MolsonExport]

Well, London just managed to hang on to tenth place in the population sweepstakes...watch out, 'cause K-W is biting our ass!

[ldoto]

Immigration nation

Wed, March 14, 2007

London a leader in drawing immigrants

By JOE BELANGER, AND JOHN MINER, SUN MEDIA AND NEWS SERVICES

Canada is on track to becoming totally dependent on immigration for growth, just-released census data suggest.

London is capitalizing on that, welcoming more than 11,000 immigrants since 2001 to rank among the nation's cities with the highest per-capita rates of immigration.

And the first wave of 2006 census results, released yesterday, also underlines two other national trends mirrored in the London region -- one, an alarming indicator:


- Stagnancy: Many smaller cities and rural areas have stagnant or falling populations, including -- in this area -- Sarnia and Chatham-Kent and most of Huron County.

- Booming 'burgs: On the flip side, suburbs and small towns that feed off cities -- so-called "exurbs" are booming in many areas, including St. Thomas and St. Marys.

Canada's native-born population climbed by a modest 400,000 between 2001 and 2006, the latest census shows.

In contrast, it was the addition of 1.2 million immigrants that helped push the population total to 31.6 million.

That's no surprise to Mary Williamson of the Cross Cultural Learner Centre, a London agency that helps immigrants to get settled.

"We've been living that story for three to five years," said Williamson. "Before, immigrants weren't on anyone's antennae. Now, everyone is recognizing the need for immigrants and how to attract and retain them."

The census shows Canada had overall population growth since 2001 of 5.4 per cent, the highest among the G8 group of industrialized nations.

Canadian growth rose by four per cent in the previous five-year period, its slowest half-decade in modern history.

Thank immigration for the relatively robust growth. An average of 240,000 newcomers a year more than compensated for Canada's flat fertility rate.

"It is unique and it's going to continue," said Laurent Martel, a Statistics Canada analyst. "We're heading toward a point where immigration will be the only source of growth in Canada."

That point won't be reached until after 2030, when the peak of the baby boomers born in the 1950s and early '60s reach the end of their lifespans.

"You're going to see an increase in the number of deaths in Canada and the number of deaths will exceed the number of births -- so natural (population) increase will become negative," said Martel.

"The only factor of growth will then be immigration."

It's a demographic squeeze facing much of the developed world. Among G8 countries, only the U.S., at five per cent, approaches Canada's growth rate. France grew by 3.1 per cent, Britain by 1.9 per cent, Japan near zero and Russia shrank by 2.4 per cent over the same five-year period.

The trend lines suggest Canada is well-positioned to weather the demographic storm -- providing the country successfully integrates its huge migrant population.

In London, several programs have been launched including an Internet web portal and a job access centre, to attract skilled immigrants.

"The growth numbers we see show we can no longer depend on internal growth to drive the London and Canadian economies," said John Kime, chief executive of the London Economic Development Corp.

Kime said the business community is heavily involved. The city and the LEDC have launched an immigrant employment task force to explore the issue and come up with recommendations.

Per capita, London already has the highest population of refugees in Canadian cities. The city is also attracting more immigrants. In 2005, it had Canada's fourth-highest rate per capita of newcomers.

Soon to open is the South Western Ontario Centre for Access to Regulated Employment, a one-stop shop for internationally-trained workers seeking job information, and the first such centre outside Toronto.

"We were the first community to really put some muscle into the whole question of how to integrate new Canadians," said Kime. "We're way ahead of the curve."

Williamson said the keys to attract and keep immigrants are jobs and local supports.

"We have to see newcomers engaged economically with jobs," she said. "And the community has to recognize that they're here and sometimes they do have different needs."

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said a regional approach to attracting immigrants is needed, calling that "critical" to the Southwest's future.

"We need to market each other. The skilled labour crisis is starting and getting worse."

---

The urbanization of Canada is continuing unabated. More than two-thirds of the country's population lives in or around 33 major urban centres. The metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton account for almost half of the country's population.

Two provinces were primarily responsible for the country's growth -- Ontario and booming Alberta, which led all provinces with a whopping 10.6 per cent population increase. Most of Alberta's growth was due to Canadians from other provinces moving there for work. Ontario's 6.6 per cent increase came mostly from immigration.

Only one-third of the population gain was attributed to "natural increase" -- growth that results from more births than deaths. The country's aging population and low fertility rate (1.5 children per family) means immigration could become the sole source of growth by 2030.

The arrival of 1.2 million immigrants between 2001 and 2006 pushed Canada's growth rate higher than any other G8 country during that period.

[ldoto]

Fanshawe gets cash to renovate building:tup:

Wed, March 14, 2007

By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA



The province chipped in $5 million today to renovate the former city-owned Small Business Centre in London into an industrial and skills training centre.

Fanshawe College will open part of the Oxford Street East facility next September.

London-Fanshawe MPP Khalil Ramal announced the funding at a news conference at the centre.

Ramal said the centre will focus on the skills and trades in short supply in the province, including aviation trades — a key issue in whether Diamond Aircraft stays in London.

“Competitiveness is not about quantity, but the quality of people . . . highly skilled, technical people to meet the demand in this area and across the province,” said Ramal.

The centre will eventually train about 1,000 students a year in industrial and skilled trades.

About half those students will be enrolled in new programs still being developed.

Some programs will be designed to respond to existing industry needs to retrain workers, while others would be for diplomas.

John Kime, president and chief executive officer of the London Economic Development Corporation, welcomed the news.

“When we think of economic development and what we do, we sell skills,” said Kime.

“Keeping skills up to date is critically important for the current and future economy, an important part of growing the local economy.”

Fanshawe paid the city $1.1 million for the 60,000 square-foot building located next to Trudell Medical Group, which also bid on the property.

The college will also contribute about $1 million to the renovation.

Fanshawe vice-president Joy Warkentin said the additional space is needed at Fanshawe, which has seen a massive increase in enrolment over the last five years.

“We continue to be space-challenged,” said Warkentin.

“We need the buildings and facilities to attract students into high-skill trades and technology (programs) to meet the needs of employers in our community.”

The aging building has high bay doors that will accommodate some existing programs that require the use of massive machinery, such as farm equipment.

Ontario faces a shortage of blue-collar workers, a crisis that will only get worse as baby boomers retire.

That shortage of skilled trades is no more evident than in London.

It’s one of the reasons Diamond Aircraft is pondering where to manufacture the new D-Jet, which will employ 400 workers.

The province already gave Diamond $10 million to develop the technology for the jet, then another $1 million to develop a plan to find and train the workers it will need to build the innovative five-seater jet plane in London.

Federal funding is considered crucial to the project, but is still up in the air. With a new budget to be presented Monday and a possible federal election this spring, that issue may soon be resolved.

In the past, Diamond president Peter Maurer has noted the difficulty in building a pool of trained workers in London because there are few aerospace industries here.

Warkentin said the college is in discussions with Diamond about possible training programs.

[ldoto]

The future success of the Greater London Area will require a high concentration of complementary skills to be located inside our compact geographical area.:banana:


Special to The London Free Press
January 8, 2005

For the last 150 years, London has been on a very successful journey. As we look to the future, will London have its place in the sun in the next century? Will our children and their children make their home in London or will they have to go elsewhere?

Will we have a prosperous, high-quality way of life?

The answers to these questions will depend on our ability to pay our way in the world.

If we wish to be in control of our own fate, then we have to be economically prosperous. Economic prosperity earns us the right to choose how we wish to live. Otherwise, we sort of have to take what we are given by others.

Fortunately, we don't have to agree on just what we want our future to look like, but we probably can agree that we want to retain and augment our right to choose.

What actions do we take now to prepare ourselves for a prosperous economic future?

Many researchers and advisers have come to the conclusion that the city is the basic economic unit. One of these researchers is Jane Jacobs. She believes that the economic strength of the city determines the quality of life of its citizens. While Jacobs referred to the city, her writings show she meant what we would call the Greater London Area (let's call it the GLA).

So the context for our questions is that our future standard of living will be determined by the economic strength of the GLA. Or in other words, our right to choose our future will be determined by the economic strength of the GLA. In an economic sense, it's us against the world.

We could move to a place that's being managed better, but if we want to be in control of our own future and that of our children, it sounds like we ought to pay a lot of attention to the economic strength of our local area.

First of all, who is responsible for the task of making the GLA prosperous? The traditional way of looking at this was that we sort of assumed that large companies and senior governments were making sure that our future would turn out well. In actual fact, economic development agencies such as the UN and World Bank learned that the only real economic strength comes from the bottom up and not the top down.

This means that to be in control of our future, we will have to be more self-reliant in managing our own affairs. Like it or not, we are all part of the economic organism called London Inc. How could we take a hold of that task?

In order to realize that we are responsible for our own prosperity, we have to understand that we, as residents in our community, are the wealth creators in the system. We create wealth by competing profitably in free and open markets.

So if we do the Canadian thing and ask our governments for help, we are sort of getting the cart before the horse. There are legitimate roles for governments to be sure, but they live off the economic wealth that we create, and not vice versa.

We may appreciate whatever resources senior governments may provide, but they are basically giving us back part of what we already gave to them.

London will be a high-quality place to live as long as we can pay our own way in the world.

How will we measure our success in doing this?

There are really two economies to think about - the external economy and the internal economy. London buys a great deal of goods and services from the rest of the world. In order to pay for that, we have to sell a lot of goods and services to the rest of the world.

That is what I call the external economy. Prosperous communities are those that are able to run a trade surplus with the rest of the world. The higher their trade surplus per capita is, the more access they have to a world full of goods and services, and the higher their prosperity. The same will be true for us in the GLA.

The internal economy, on the other hand, is made up of the goods and services we exchange with each other.

In terms of prosperity, our success in the external economy is the main determinant of our quality of life.

It is clear that the world is changing quickly. One has only to watch CNN for an evening to see the level of concern in the U.S. about the exporting of jobs.

In 1992, Lester Thurow wrote a book called Head to Head, discussing the economic competition that he saw coming among North America, Europe and the Far East. One thought from that book has stuck in my mind ever since. Thurow said that, at one time, the quality of life we could expect was basically an accident of birth. If you were fortunate enough to be born in a rich country, the chances were that you were going to enjoy a relatively high quality of life. Now, however, the situation is that if you have Third World skills, you will have a Third World income. This is because people in the Third World are willing to provide those skills for a lower price.

We have become familiar with the idea that our standard of living will depend on our skills. But Michael Porter, a Harvard professor, has pushed that understanding to a new level. For a skill to earn its keep, it must be combined with a whole lot of other skills, which can make it into a product that others will buy. Porter called this combination of skills a "skill cluster."

An example of a skill cluster is Silicon Valley, which I will discuss later. It basically contains a whole plethora of skills making it into an economic powerhouse.

Both Jane Jacobs and Michael Porter have concluded that an area can be prosperous if the skills required to make a skill cluster are all packed together in a limited geographic area. A skill cluster requires a high degree of interaction among complementary skill bases, so the geographic area of a skill cluster is not very large. As a rule of thumb, the high degree of interaction needed means that the geographic area is small enough that you can easily get together with anyone for lunch.

In the case of the GLA, the skill cluster area certainly includes St. Thomas, Strathroy, Ingersoll, perhaps Woodstock, but not likely Brantford, Stratford or Sarnia.

Innovation is critically important for prosperity. If efficiency has created one inch of improvement in our standard of living in the past hundred years, then innovation has created a mile.

To appreciate the power of innovation versus efficiency, imagine the most efficient economy that would be possible before the harnessing of electricity and compare it to our life today.

Recent thinking about economic strength tends to revere size. The economy is a balance of forces and there are exceptions to every rule, but in general, the concentration of economic power seems to reduce the degree of creativity and innovation. Skills captured within a hierarchy eventually have only one brain making decisions. On the other hand, independent skill bases who choose to work together through a market place, allow for many brains to work creatively.

To the extent that London can choose it, we should opt for a structure that facilitates creativity and innovation. Enticing large branch plants to locate here is not sufficient. While branch plants can bring some important skills to the city and can use some of our existing skills in the process, they cannot guarantee us long-term prosperity. We have to do that for ourselves. And in the long run, innovation trumps all in producing economic prosperity. So we should do all we can to foster and support it.

In London, we have some skill bases of which we can be properly proud; in particular, medical and medical research skills and some superb educational capabilities at the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College.

But we should understand that these are institutional skill bases primarily financed by government. They are not market-oriented. Some find it strange to consider research capabilities as economic assets. However, some very prosperous communities have learned to complement such institutional skill bases with market-driven innovators, thereby producing strong skill clusters. In the process, both the institutional skill base and the community are strengthened. In nature, this is called a symbiotic relationship where partners strengthen each other through co-operation.

What sorts of skills are we short of?

In the skill cluster that was Silicon Valley, there were the obvious skills, such as making computer chips and the clean rooms in which to fabricate them. But in addition, there were the integrators who could put all the pieces together and get a product to market. Along with these entrepreneurs came the venture capitalists, who knew how to scramble together the capital required.

One of our critical needs in London is to attract and keep entrepreneurs who can build our skills into skill clusters and get our products to market.

By doing that, we end up with the very best asset that it is possible to have - talented people who want to live here and help make London prosperous.

I think that is already happening in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, when we see people such as the founders of Research in Motion (RIM) who have developed important new skill clusters, and who want to live there. They started there, they're staying there, and they're helping others to emulate them.

What can we do individually in London?

We can certainly apply effort to understanding the economic organism that is the GLA. One of the principles we can apply from successful businesses is that when we have a common understanding of where we're going, many people can start to see opportunities.

Can a community actually achieve a consensus on what it wants to become and thereby take hold of its economic future?

Las Vegas did it. They decided to become the convention capital of the world and by working together that is what they have achieved. And the players who have done that are, at the same time, very fierce competitors with each other.

Another thing we can do is to encourage our children to consider the career of an entre-preneur. We should encourage them to participate in the free market earlier, perhaps through such vehicles as Junior Achievement.

One of the lessons that we can take from our neighbours to the south is the title of Lester Thurow's latest book, Fortune Favors the Bold. For more than two centuries, the Americans certainly have been bold, and they became the richest and most successful country in the world because of it.

Being innovative will require us to be bolder.

We can encourage and nurture our entrepreneurs. We can encourage our teachers to make our children aware of the benefits brought to us by innovation and who brought those innovations into existence.

Lastly, we should be keenly aware that our own skills are part of the GLA skill cluster. Making continuous improvement of our skills a way of life enhances not only our own income but the power of the skill clusters we are a part of and the prosperity of our own community. :cheers:

The future of London? Tag - you're it!

Peter C. Maurice is a former CEO of Canada Trust and is now a corporate director and consultant. He has been involved in urban economic development for the last 20 years

[ldoto]

Death of a hospital

Sat, March 24, 2007

By PATRICK MALONEY



These doors that once opened automatically, likely hundreds of times daily, are now only pried apart with a security guard's key and an emphatic push.

On the sixth floor of London's grand old hospital, they were the gateway to a state-of-the-art surgical wing where countless surgeries were performed, patients improved, lives saved.

But the dark, narrow hallways of this 65-year-old building -- the kind that would make today's doctors and nurses laugh -- and the markings along its walls are proof those days are long gone.

"Good work was done here" is written in black marker on one wall.

But no more. Much of the old Victoria Hospital on South Street, a string of buildings dating as far back as a century, is filled with reminders of its former glory, but little else.

As clear as its past is, the future of this workhorse hospital is equally uncertain. All the buildings on the south side of South Street, along the Thames River, will be empty by 2010, the services therein moved to the new Victoria Hospital at Wellington and Commissioners roads.

On a tour of the nearly empty north building -- the one with the grand entrance -- a London hospital executive with an encyclopedic know-ledge of the old place laments a bygone building that time, technology and London's growth have left behind.

"Oh, I love this place," says Dave Crockett, the LHSC's vice-president of facilities management, who started working in London 20 years ago at this site, which first housed a hospital in 1875.

"South Street (hospital, as it's also known) cannot be adapted to the new world. The new buildings are huge, open spaces -- if things change in 20 years, you just gut the space. Here, if you take that wall out, the floor falls out above it."

That's a sad reality for London health-care workers -- and former patients -- who fondly remember the hospital.

It's also a testament to how much medical care has changed in recent decades. And a stark reminder why the new buildings were necessary.

---

Through those sliding doors and past the heartfelt sixth-floor graffiti are the quiet remains -- equal parts nostalgic and creepy -- of the abandoned surgical wing.

On the left, a thin film of dust has settled over what was likely a main nurses station, unused since the staff moved to the Wellington-Commissioners site in June 2005.

To the right down the hall, open doorways break up the off-white walls and lead to otherwise empty rooms filled with blinding sunlight. Rooms that for decades would have been filled with patients.

Straight ahead, Crockett steps into operating room N601, built in 1941 as a top-notch OR. But it's tiny by today's standards: The biggest OR in those days, like this one, was about 200 square feet. Today's smallest are twice that size.

A pair of huge surgical lights, 20 years old and looking too big and clunky for modern times, drop from the ceiling along with a gas column. A wooden shelf under the window, built to hold medical tools, looks totally out of place.

Another simple, undeniable reminder of how times have changed.

"This building was state-of-the-art in 1941," says Crockett, a short, trim man who speaks quickly and passionately, his words breaking the wing's usual silence. "We would laugh at a (room) like this."

In what would have been a cramped hallway -- "We could never have a corridor this narrow" -- Crockett points to the two-foot-wide entrance to a storage room and wonders how it ever worked.

"Could you imagine getting anything through a doorway like that?"

---

How many lives were saved in this room? How many ended?

A strange question, that, in most circumstances. But not here, standing on the linoleum floor in an empty space about the size of a large garage.

Many who frantically arrived at the old, brown-brick building for years would have come right here, to the trauma room inside the old ER entrance off South Street. It's long since empty, but Crockett clearly remembers its busy days.

It's just hard to picture how it could have worked.

Look at the wall of wooden shelves and the ridges along the floor's edge, he says. They're virtually impossible to keep clean by today's standards.

"This looks open," he says of the trauma room, noting the remains of patient bays are spread just an arm's length apart. "But if you had been in here with the stretchers and all the equipment, you could hardly walk.

"You could imagine a trauma (patient) coming in."

Lives saved and lives ended. Right next to each other in some cases.

"That would be disturbing to people," he says.

It's been nearly two years since anyone came to the adjacent ER waiting room, which when empty is stunningly small -- cramped under low-slung ceilings and about the dimensions of a living room.

The north building remains in decent shape: No shortage of nicks and marks throughout, but largely the floors toured by The Free Press look exactly as they should: Like empty parts of an old hospital.

But in truth, they're probably doomed to be levelled. Officials with the city, which will get the land, wants the LHSC to raze the buildings and clean up the rubble.

"It was deemed to be a good deal for the city: Again, the land would be returned and in essence cleaned up," said Coun. Joni Baechler, head of the planning committee.

"(The buildings) are quite aged. We would undertake a community plan and assess the potential for those lands."

---

What does the future hold for the bypassed hospital that for decades defined London's health-care identity?

Crockett isn't sure. While all the south side buildings will be empty within three years, the next step after that is unclear.

London Health Sciences Centre owns the structures but the city still owns the land, which it first leased to house London General Hospital in 1875. It likely will be another year before the plan is final, Crockett says.

But in any case the spirit of old Vic, he notes, will live on. An old stained-glass portrait of Queen Victoria, for whom the hospital was named, watched over the north building's main entrance for years.

It's been taken down and once the new Victoria Hospital is completely built, that old portrait will be added to that site.

"There's a Vic culture and a character that has always been focused on patient care and teaching," Crockett says. "You can see it has carried on to the new site, the passion of the people."

---

THEN

$11,000 -- Cost in 1874 to build London General Hospital on the site of what would become Victoria Hospital.

30 -- Estimated number of beds at London General Hospital when it opened in 1875.

271 -- Number of in-patient visits at London General Hospital in 1874.

NOW

$470,000,000 -- Estimated costs of upgrades and renovations to five London hospital sites between 1997 and 2012.

800 -- Number of beds Victoria Hospital had at its peak in the 1970s.

70,000 -- Number of in-patient visits and day procedures at London Health Sciences Centre in 2005.

THE FUTURE

100 -- Number of years the new Victoria Hospital, at Wellington and Commissioners roads, is intended to last the city.

[ldoto]

I was driving at the south end of the city two weeks ago and I noticed that the new bad boy furniture Warehouse was under construction at the old Wharnciffe road Home depot.

Here are some pics!:cheers:


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/DSC00020-1.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/DSC00019-1.jpg

[Waterlooson]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/DSC00019-1.jpg


There, I fixed that for you.

[QuantumLeap]

Did anyone get a chance to look at the State of the Downtown report just released by MainStreet? It's pretty optimistic in terms of new construction!

[ldoto]

:previous:
Can you please give me the link to the State of the Downtown report!

Thanks:tup:

[ldoto]

:previous:
Is this the report you are talking about?


A new city report on the state of the core notes a vacancy problem persists.
Downtown comeback a work in progress



It's made a big comeback, but London's core still has a way to go on the road to renewal.



That's the thrust of the latest report card on the state of the downtown, an annual update to city politicians.

The report effectively says private bucks are picking up from where the $100 million taxpayers have invested in the core left off, but that major problems -- such as high office and street-level store vacancy rates -- persist.

Turning that around will take a new plan, observers said March 15.

"Our grades are way better than last year," said Janette MacDonald, manager of MainStreet London.

"I'd give the downtown an A-minus over a B-minus last year. But we need to do more and it's going to take an enhanced suite of incentives to get it done," she said.

The incentives will be proposed soon, MacDonald added.

London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best, preparing for a Taiwan business trip with other big-city mayors, hadn't seen the report March 15.

But Coun. Cheryl Miller, politically involved in the downtown for years, said city council has to stop wasting time and commit to solving the core's problems.

"We have to make sure it's not a push-pull kind of discussion at council," she said. "Everyone talks a good line, but talk is cheap. You can't be half in and half out."

The city has spent enough on the downtown, said Gerry Macartney, general manager of the London Chamber of Commerce.

What's needed now, he said, is a master plan to attract more residents to the core and fill its empty storefronts. He'd also like to see a cleaned-up core, making it more inviting.

"All the incentives in the world are not going to make a difference without people living downtown," he said.

"But once you get that critical mass, savvy retailers and investors will figure out quickly it's a good investment."

Over the last decade, taxpayers have put about $100 million in the core, mainly for mega-projects such as the $45-million John Labatt Centre, the Central Library and the Covent Garden Market.

But the report effectively says the private sector has also begun to put its money where its mouth is, with more than $130 million in core spending -- mostly on apartment towers -- since the JLC opened in 2001.

That works out to $216 in private money for every public dollar spent in the core since the JLC was built.

Prepared for city council's planning committee, the numbers contained in the report for last year tell both sides of the core's grades.

On the upside:



$70 million in apartment buildings with 550 new units, bringing the total to nearly 1,700 units and 3,000 new residents since 1998.


A $10.6-million office complex by Lerners law firm.


$345,000 in facade and building code upgrades.


On the downside:


Office vacancies rose to 18.4 per cent from 15.7 per cent, an increase attributed mostly to Bell Canada downsizing at its Dundas Street office tower.


Empty storefronts, especially along Dundas Street between Richmond and Clarence streets, and Richmond between King and York streets, with vacancy rates of 25 to 32 per cent.


Shmuel Farhi, downtown's largest landlord, with 80 core properties, praised the city's revitalization efforts.

But what's needed, he said, is a major development -- complete with parking garage, grocery store and apartments -- near the "inner-core" of Richmond and Dundas streets.

That, combined with more leased office space, would secure revitalization.

"If you have offices in many parts of the core, then you help force people to walk and shop," Farhi said.

But Farhi and others say a downtown parking garage is needed, since older office sites lack long-term parking.

Vic Cote, the city's finance manager and former planning boss, who oversaw most of the city's renewal efforts, said, "we've turned the corner," making core living attractive to the public.

Still, "we do have some trouble spots and the only solution is to go out and attract new head offices," he said. "We need to be more strategic and aggressive."

He estimated it could take 10 years to finish the job.

"As far as I'm concerned, the best is yet to come.":banana:

[ldoto]

Looks good to me!:banana:

London City Police have redesigned their new headquarters proposal in response to criticism that it function had completely dominated form.
The original design, in which the police stressed the practicality of efficient function, met with a public response suggesting London could do better.

So it was back to the drawing board.

And the new design is getting rave reviews.

Deputy Chief Brad Duncan admits there was a challenge in breaking away from the utilitarian look of the 1970's brick bunker, and developing a more community friendly look.

But the new design is so positive, there is hope is might encourage neighbourhood revitalization of the Old East area.

Here is a video of it!
http://www.achannel.ca/london/news_42171.aspx

[ldoto]

Gwen Stefani comes to London

Wed, March 28, 2007

By JAMES REANEY, SUN MEDIA



She's glamming up American Idol this week.

She's all over the charts with her latest hit single, The Sweet Escape.

And on June 7, Gwen Stefani will be at the John Labatt Centre. :notacrook:

The U.S. superstar brings her tour to the downtown London arena along with platinum-selling singer Akon, who also sings on and produced the Top 10 hit The Sweet Escape.

Also on the bill for the 7:30 p.m show is British MC Lady Sovereign.

“I'm excited to have this opportunity to tour with Akon and Lady Sovereign, two original artists that I have so much respect for,” Stefani says. "I can’t wait to get out there. This show is going to be spectacular!”

Stefani and Akon give a taste of the tour tonight on the American Idol results show (9 p.m., CTV, Fox) when they perform The Sweet Escape.

The 40-date tour starts April 22 in San Diego.

Tickets for the London show go on sale to the public on Saturday.

A pre-sale for members of Stefani's fan club starts today at 5 p.m.

Stefani's website guides fans to www.gwenstefanitourclub.musictoday.com for a preview and to pre-register memberships.

[MolsonExport]

^damn, I gotta do laundry that night. ;)

[ldoto]

The Brantford developer says the plan offers the first "legitimate" public access to the area.

JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA
The LONDON FREE PRESS

A deal to build condominiums on the site of a former paint factory overlooking one of London's ecological and recreational gems could be done within weeks.

Brantford-based developer King and Benton is awaiting results of final soil tests before closing the deal with Minnesota-based Valspar Industries to buy more than 28 hectares at The Coves.

"I hope we'll be going to the public shortly with our plans," said Steve Charest, president of King and Benton.

"But the deal doesn't close until we're satisfied with the results of our final round of testing."

Charest said if test results are good, the deal could close within two weeks.

The company has met with community groups, city and provincial officials to reach agreement on the extent of a residential development.

Part of the land would be returned to its natural state.

But a key component would be providing the public its first "legitimate" access to the Coves, which is surrounded by privately owned land.

For environmentalists and neighbours, the Duke Street paint plant -- located off Springbank Drive near the idyllic, wooded flood plain -- has long been considered a thorn among roses.

The Coves are a series of landlocked ponds or lakes that once were part of a meandering Thames River.

Valspar bought the plant and adjacent orchard in 2000 and closed it a year later.

King and Benton specialize in developing so-called "brownfields," a term used to describe former industrial or commercial sites.

"This is one of the largest and most challenging brownfields in Ontario and, if everything goes well, we're hoping to do more business in London," Charest said.

"We've been treated very well by city officials, the neighbours, everyone."

Charest said the company hopes to use about eight hectares for low-rise condominiums, leaving the balance "for community enjoyment."

Overcoming constraints imposed by the flood plain will be the major obstacle, Charest has said.

A few years ago, Friends of the Coves got funding for a two-year study of the Coves subwatershed -- a 700-hectare, low-lying drainage area south of Springbank Drive and west of Wharncliffe Road.

The city has designated the Coves an environmentally significant area, so changing the landscape would require an environmental impact study.

[ldoto]

Provincial Dollars Solve Robarts Financial Woes

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty came cheque in hand to the rescue of the Robarts Research Institute.
The $23-Million solves the immediate financial problems of the Institute, and allows the incorporation under Western's larger organization to continue.

Some of the top scientific minds in the world we be able to continue their work at Robarts. The money problems began when Robarts was no longer able to cover it operating costs with research grants. So $10-Million will solve existing financial woes, and the remaining $13-Million will go toward cutting edge medical technology.

It is now hoped the new money and the partnership with Western will help draw new talent. The merger has to be approved by Western's Senate and Board of Governors.:banana:

Watch Video
http://www.achannel.ca/london/news_42234.aspx

[ldoto]

:previous:
Here's more info from the Institute!

EllisDon has been awarded a $1.5 million Construction Management contract for the 6th Floor Fit-out of the Robarts Research Institute.
EllisDon continues a long and successful relationship with Robarts Research Institute that began September 2001 when we constructed the new facility which was then followed by additional projects and expansion. The 6th floor will be a 12,000 square foot tenant fit -out that will be dedicated to the Clinical Trials Division which will be mainly comprised of office space, in keeping with the previous floors.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/RobartsResearchInstitute.jpg

[ldoto]

Robarts, UWO merger gets $23M

Fri, March 30, 2007

The provincial funding will help the research institute join Western.

By CHIP MARTIN, SUN MEDIA




Premier Dalton McGuinty announces the Ontario government will provide $23 million to support integration of the Robarts Research Institute with the University of Western Ontario. (Sue Reeve, Sun Media)
A $23-million contribution from Queen's Park has paved the way for the merger of the Robarts Research Institute with the University of Western Ontario.

The cash, announced at Robarts yesterday by Premier Dalton McGuinty, came with a vow from UWO president Paul Davenport Canada's only independent research centre will keep its identity and build on its reputation.

Robarts, with a $55-million annual budget and 600 employed in medical research, was floundering financially.

It has been in talks with UWO for months.

The money is expected to make next month's UWO board of governor's final decision about a merger with the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry much easier.


Davenport told about 120 researchers, university and civic officials the Robarts name and "stellar" reputation will live on.

"We're going to keep the brand alive," he promised. "Robarts will thrive within the Western family."

The move will allow for "tighter (medical research) collaboration all across the city," Davenport told McGuinty. "This is a wonderful investment in the future. We will show you great returns."

Founded in 1986, Robarts conducts research into a range of medical issues, including cardiovascular diseases, immune-related disorders, brain diseases and cancer. It had no trouble attracting research money but was having difficulty funding ongoing operations.

Davenport said some of the money would go toward covering operations while new efficiencies are found within the university. The rest will go for research.

The university president paid tribute to just-retired Robarts scientific director Mark Poznansky for the tremendous growth in research in recent years.

"The research and innovation underway here is truly inspiring," McGuinty said.

The premier said he's trying to encourage a "culture of innovation" in Ontario and his government is allocating more than $1.7 billion over five years to stimulate research, commercialization and outreach programs toward that culture.

Dr. Cecil Rorabeck, a Robarts board member, orthopedic surgeon and medical professor at Western, also paid tribute to the growth at Robarts that was orchestrated by Poznansky. Rorabeck has been acting director of Robarts.

The money from Queen's Park, Rorabeck said, is vital and is an invaluable investment.

"This is an extremely important day in the future of Robarts and the future of the University of Western Ontario," he said.

[ldoto]

It looks like a new London city hall may soon be on the books for future projects. Controller Gord Hume thinks council should start planning for a replacement. Especially after council chambers had to be sealed off yesterday when insulation containing asbestos fell on the floor. Hume says it's just another sign the building is aging badly.

[FazDeH]

^^^ Wasnt this discussed before? and turned down because it would be to expensive, due to the fact that the city is leasing a lot of space as it is? and would need like almost 100,000 sq ft.? and the only way to get that much space would be to do a joint project with a developer/corperation, and no developers were biting.

[MolsonExport]

Great. Our property taxes will inevitably go up again (much higher than the rate of inflation, but with a corresponding reduction in services and maintenance).

[ldoto]

Mon, April 2, 2007

Expect a busy spring, summer and fall as the city spends more than $42 million.:cheers: :cheers:

By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA

Yes, it's just about that time again -- road construction.

And Londoners can expect another busy spring, summer and fall as the city spends more than $42 million repairing and rebuilding roads, curbs, sidewalks and bridges and replacing sewer and water lines.

Oh, yes, and up to a dozen city work crews are already out there filling those menacing potholes -- now in full, bone-jarring season.

"It's not a big year like last year when we got that extra $11 million for roads from the province, but it will be above average activity for road works," said Dave Leckie, the city's roads and transportation director.


"There will be work that will impact every quadrant of the city."

Dozens of projects large and small are scheduled over the next several months.

First off the mark was the reconstruction of Heather Crescent, one of the smaller, local road projects that began a week ago.

But none is more expensive or more of a relief to Londoners than the notorious Western Road, ranked Ontario's fourth worst roadway last year, which will undergo an $8.3-million rebuild.

But there's some uncertainty about the project when the last of two tenders opened Wednesday offered a bid of $9.6 million.

City staff are reviewing the bids and are expected to go to board of control with a report Wednesday.

Assuming Western Road goes ahead, that may only draw more attention to Thompson Road, east of Adelaide Street, which made the list for the first time last year as Ontario's ninth-worst road, according to the informal poll by the Municipal Roads Coalition.

Over the next few months, drivers should brace for construction on many of the major roadways, including Commissioners Road, Oxford Street, Hamilton Road, Kipps Lane, Boler Road, Pond Mills Road, Huron Street, Clark Road and Adelaide Street North.

In recent years, the city has worked hard at reducing the impact of road construction, ensuring contractors stay on schedule and keep closures, mud and dust to a minimum.

"There was a time when (road) construction was king and everyone else (read drivers, pedestrians and neighours) were treated second-rate," said Leckie.

"We've made major strides in trying to address the impact on the public in terms of access, or using signs to warn them ahead of time so they can decide if they want to got through it. And we try to stay on top of the contractor to keep surfaces smooth."

As well, the city now offers incentives for contractors who finish ahead of schedule and penalties if they fall behind.

"By and large, we're not getting as many complaints as we used to," he said.

City council has been increasing the roads budget in recent years, using federal gas tax and surplus dollars to keep up with repairs on the city's 3,700 kilometres of road lanes.

Leckie said London -- like most others struggling to pay for downloaded social services and soaring emergency services costs -- should be spending about $17 million each year on widenings and extensions and another $13 million-plus on rehabilitation.

Instead, the city is spending $7 million on rehab projects, boosted by another $3 million left over from last year and some surplus money, and another $9 million on growth-related projects.

In recent years, the federal and provincial governments have provided cash to municipalities for roads and bridges and Leckie hopes that continues. If not, municipal roads could become nightmares for drivers.

"My concern is that the average age of roads is such that, if we don't have a more aggressive program, many roads will begin deteriorating to the point where they have serious pothole issues," said Leckie.

In London and elsewhere, maintaining roads has become a delicate balancing act -- delaying major projects by patching small sections; shaving and paving long stretches, such as planned for Oxford Street West this year; careful timing to rebuild roads when sewer and water lines need to be replaced; and, controlling growth.

"No municipality will ever have the budget to meet all their road needs," said Leckie. "No one can afford that."

MAJOR PROJECTS

Major commuter routes where drivers will see work crews either installing new sewer and water lines, laying down new asphalt, or fixing intersections include:

- Ridout Street, from the Thames River to Elmwood Avenue.

- Kipps Lane from Adelaide Street to just east of Arbour Glen Crescent, which is also being rebuilt.

- Hamilton Road between Hale Street and Pottersburg Creek and Rectory to Adelaide.

- Boler Road from Optimist Park to Wayne Road.

- Highbury from Dingman Drive south to Green Valley Road and from Huron Street north to Kilally Road.

- Huron Street from Sandford Street to Clarke Road.

- Pond Mills from Burlington Crescent to Thompson Road.

- Commissioners Road, including a rebuild at Snake Hill, rehabilitation between Wonderland Road and Crestwood Drive, along with a resurfacing and new watermains between Wonderland and Viscount.

- Viscount Road between Commissioners Road and Andover Drive.

- Oxford Street East between Second and Third streets and Clarke Road to Industrial Road.

- Oxford Street West between Hyde Park and Sanatorium Roads for a shave and pave.

- Clarke Road from Gore Road to Trafalgar Street.

- Adelaide Street north between Grenfell Crescent and Sunningdale Road.

- About 20 other projects that only impact local neighbourhoods.

- Intersections on Highbury Avenue at Wilton Grove and Sunningdale roads as well as concrete repairs from Highway 401 north to Hamilton Road.

- Bridge work at Adelaide over Bathurst Street and Highbury over the CP Rail line.

ROADS, PIPES, BRIDGES -- BY THE NUMBERS

Sewer, water and road replacement projects:

- Number: 15.

- Total cost: $14.8 million.

- Start/finish: Usually early May with October completion.

Road replacement and rehabilitation:

- Number: 23, including 14 major projects.

- Total cost: $10 million.

- Start/finish: June or early July/late fall, depending on size of project.

Major works:

- Number: 6, including the notorious Western Road.

- Total cost: $13.4 million*

- Start/finish: May/late fall (although some major projects can take more than a year, for example, for final surface and tree planting.)

Bridges:

- Number: 2.

- Total cost: $2 million.

- Start/finish: Late May (Adelaide Street), early June (Highbury Avenue) /late August (Highbury), late November (Adelaide)

Sewer and watermain repairs using new trenchless technology (such as liners):

- Number: 2.

- Total cost: $3.8 million.

- Start/finish: Not seasonal

- Tenders opened last Wednesday for Western Road came in about $1 million higher than expected.

ROADWORK ON WEB

- For more information visit the city's website at www.london.ca. On the home page, click on the link titled Road Construction for a list of all projects, planned or underway, work details and contacts.

[ldoto]

News Release

2007-04-03



March 29, 2007 (London, ON) - ESRI Canada, a leading geographic information system (GIS) software provider, has opened an office in London. It will provide new and existing clients with support including account management, consulting and training.

“We chose to open an office in London because of the proximity to our growing market in Southwestern Ontario,” says Alex Miller President, ESRI Canada. “We are impressed with the diversity of the London economy and the potential for growth is readily apparent.” Miller also cites access to skills through The University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College as an attractive asset for the company.

John Kime, President and CEO of the London Economic Development Corporation will officially welcome the company to London on April 2nd at the 2007 ESRI Regional User Conference at the Four Points Sheraton in London.

“We are pleased that ESRI has chosen London for its next regional office. Our city continues to be recognized for the skills it can offer to technology companies like this one,” says Kime, “Given the type of business, the potential for growth is tremendous.”

Established in 1984 and headquartered in Toronto, ESRI Canada provides GIS solutions, consulting, training, technical support and implementation for many industries including local government, utilities, public safety and defence, education and transportation. With the opening of the London office, the company has fifteen regional offices across the country.

For more information, please contact:
Larry MacKinnon
Director, Business Development, Technology
London Economic Development Corporation
519-661-5011
lmackinnon@ledc.com

Heather Adams
Communications Specialist
ESRI Canada
416-386-6463
hadams@esricanada.com

[ldoto]

Tue, April 3, 2007

By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA



A plan to allow overnight parking on London's streets this summer is closer to approval but still no slam dunk.

A pilot project to lift the ban on parking between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. -- along with the $30 tickets -- is being recommended by city council's environment and transportation committee.

But the proposal could get a rocky ride once it goes to city council next Tuesday.

"There's really not enough evidence there for me to upset 99 per cent of the people in my ward to keep the other one per cent happy," Coun. 7 Walter Lonc said.

Lonc was the lone dissenting voice on the committee opposed to the plan pushed by Coun. Cheryl Miller and Controller Bud Polhill.

But Lonc was backed by Ward 3 Coun. Bernie MacDonald, who said the change will lead to chaos in areas dominated by student housing.

"This is going to turn into a nightmare," said MacDonald, adding Fanshawe will have about 2,000 students this summer while another 13,000 will attend the University of Western Ontario.

"The students will be parking in the streets and you won't be able to get ambulances up there, you won't get fire trucks up there."

The pilot project would begin June 15 and run to Sept. 4 during the height of the city's busy festival and tourism season.

In the past, city staff opposed lifting the parking ban, noting it would cost taxpayers upward of $100,000 in lost revenue.

As well, they said it would make street cleaning difficult and lead to a proliferation of tenant parking.

Staff now say the impact on operations will be minimal.

City police have said a ban on parking allows them to locate stolen and abandoned vehicles.

Police now say it would be more beneficial to allow the parking than have people who have been drinking driving their cars to avoid $30 fines.

Miller and Polhill argue it's unfair to visitors and tourists to be drawn to London for festivals and events and then face the fine for parking overnight.

They also say it's a safety issue because people who drink too much downtown may be inclined to drive.

Enforcement would be done on a complaint-basis only
__________________

[ssiguy]

I hope the ESRI office is downtown.
Any idea of the number of emloyees and the sq footage needed.

[ldoto]

London developing strategy to keep its
young people


London has been designated a Youth Friendly Community. The designation comes from Play Works, an independent group of organizations committed to helping young people by encouraging and promoting a greater investment in play.

So is that a big deal or what?

Well yes, says Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best. The designation underlines the importance of investing in young people.

"As Londoners, we recognize play, sports and positive leisure-time activities as important factors in nurturing strong, healthy youth, within a well-balanced community," Ms. DeCicco-Best says. "As such, we're delighted to be named a Youth Friendly Community through our investment in a strategic parks and recreational plan to provide great community centres, libraries, ice pads, swimming pools, soccer fields and skate parks for our young people to explore."

For some taxpayers, the provision of recreation facilities is a costly frill - and it is costly. A new recreation centre planned for north London, to cite just one example, will cost more than $35 million.

But providing safe, well-equipped places for recreation and social interaction by young people is critical to their development, says the chairperson of Play Works.

"Play is arguably the most important activity through which adolescents learn how to interact socially and develop life skills such as leadership, decision-making and problem solving," Mary Gallop says. "Communities that support youth play are making an investment in a healthy, friendly, and more creative community."

And London, as it evolves a new youth strategy, is making serious investments. Besides money for new facilities, the city has also created a new department with the interests of young people at heart.

Lynne Livingstone is the director of what is called Neighbourhood and Children's Services. She started Jan. 9.

"We have a mandate to develop a strategy for strong neighbourhoods and a child and youth agenda," she explains. "The next steps are to move toward a concrete vision for children, youth and families and this designation (as a Youth Friendly Community) takes us in a very positive direction as a start."

The youth strategy Ms. Livingstone's department is now developing is to create an inclusive vision for London, in keeping with the Creative Cities report of 2005 that indicated London needs to do more to keep its young people once they complete school.

"Celebrating youth is only one component of the strategy," Ms. Livingstone says. "The other aspects are important too - they talk about involving youth; there are supports for youth frontline workers; and the last piece is connecting youth. It will help people know what is happening as well as give young people an opportunity for feedback about what else they need. We hope this will encourage youth to stay in London and they'll have roots here.

"If we can engage the 13- to 24-year-olds, they are going to stay and help create a sustainable community. The other benefit is that if you pay attention to children and young families then the long-term paybacks are there. It's doing up stream investment to prevent downstream cost. If you have youth who participate then they are less likely to be the ones using high-end services (like the justice system) later."

To achieve that objective she'll be building on the services are already available in London.

"There is a lot of great stuff to work with and build upon. We want to make sure every corner of the city has an opportunity for youth-friendly equipment. That means working with our community partners like neighbourhood resource centres and other youth service groups to ensure they are providing positive and progressive opportunities."

As an example of facilities geared to youth the city's application to Play Works for consideration as a Youth Friendly Community highlights the building of four outdoor skateboard parks since 1998 and development of a skate park strategy to guide the future development of skateboard parks.

Laurie Quinlan, a supervisor of recreation services in the new neighbourhood and children's services department, handles day-to-day operations.

"Play Works called us the most enthused group," she says. "We know that when you engage youth that the physical, emotional and social benefits are there."

The Play Works designation judged on 16 youth friendly criteria. Of 22 entries only London and Peterborough scored positive on all 16. The criteria included youth having options for play in their community; youth being formally connected to the community; facilities dedicated to youth play; youth easily find information about play activities; the community supports youth events; celebrates and recognizes its youth; commits funding for youth play; supports positive youth development; supports youth volunteerism and leadership development; has effective community partnerships; that youth activism and advocacy for play is nurtured; that youth feel comfortable in their own community; youth can get to the play programs that are offered; schools support the youth friendly approach; adults champion the need for youth play; and play is accessible to youth with disabilities.

Play Works describes play "as any non-school activity that has elements of choice, leads to satisfaction, and encourages progressive learning and enjoyment." For London's part, play also means more than sports, hanging out or making sandcastles - it's about a meaningful engagement within the community. It's a commitment that is evident in our municipal efforts to take the program to the next level, the only city in Ontario to do so, with its developmental strategy, an upcoming educational forum for frontline youth service providers, youth week activities and a website currently under development.

"The educational forum was born out of a meeting of London youth services providers regarding having needs and we found that there weren't enough opportunities to learn. We applied to the Trillium Foundation for a one-day workshop on May 2 at Huron University College. We're hoping to have about 100 staff from London and a few from around the region. We're hoping to have about 35 agencies there. The question then is what can we do next and we're looking to the fall," Ms. Quinlan says.

When the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association passed a resolution to make May 7 until 13 National Youth Week, "London jumped on it right away," Ms. Quinlan says. "We have about 50 agencies around the table. What we are asking is for patrons to run their own program that week. The most exciting thing is our wrap up event May 12 at the Western Fair. We have 42 youth on our youth planning committee."

Livingstone is also excited about the event designed to connect youth with each other and it includes some new partnerships with the London Public Library, the RCMP, MainStreet London, Covent Garden Market, Mindyourmind.ca, the Small Business centre, the Chamber of Commerce and Huron University College.

"Youth Week gives them an opportunity to come together in something positive. There are already youth connections existing across the city. As long as people talk it up and participate, youth will get connected. They're planning a huge citywide event," Ms. Livingstone says. "The central element is a web-based format. Through the London youth services providers the website is being developed by youth for youth."

As for what can be expected down the road, "I hope that we'll develop a vision of youth and families but that will be developed by the community. We won't do that on our own but with our partners," Ms. Livingstone says. "What we're bringing to it is hope and possibilities. It's a little different that what we've focused on in the past.":tup:

[MolsonExport]

"A new recreation centre planned for north London..."

Any clue on where this might be? Hoping it will be near my house (Hyde Park).

[LondnPlanr]

I hope the ESRI office is downtown.
Any idea of the number of emloyees and the sq footage needed.

I believe the office is going to be downtown, yes.

Also, I think it will be starting with very few employees, then expanding as the business in the area grows.

I visited ESRI HQ a few weeks back, and that is what they said.

[QuantumLeap]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=127976
Where are our beautiful buildings?

[Snark]

..

[QuantumLeap]

No one is gonna put down $300 mil for a building like that in any medium Canadian city (such as is London).
$100 mil is about the the extent that any developer will sink into a single project in London, and even that is pushing it.

ok, what I meant was where are our beautiful buildings, not where are our giant buildings. small can be beautiful. i am just so tired of pre-cast concrete blocks. even one london is only so-so.

towers like the mondrian in ottawa, the marilyn monroe in mississauga etc are at least interesting...

[Snark]

..

[flar]

One London Place is definitely a top notch building any city would be lucky to have. Of course right now London doesn't need any more office space, which leaves residential buildings. It's really too bad developers don't get more creative with the condos and apartment towers.

[MolsonExport]

London has got to do a sweep of the downtown area. The intersection of Dundas and Richmond is a disgrace. The two major thoroughfares through the core downtown are incredibly gritty. Not at all good for attracting people to the core.

[ssiguy]

I've seen all the designs of the new Renasaince towers but haven't seen any actual picture as in colours.

[ldoto]

Mon, April 9, 2007

Sale will be good for local programming, expert says

By HANK DANISZEWSKI, SUN MEDIA



Rogers could bring revival to London’s A-Channel, says a media expert at the University of Western Ontario. :banana: :banana: :banana:

Rogers Communications (TSX:RCI.B) is paying $137.5 million for the A-Channel group of stations, which is being spun off by CTVglobemedia Inc. as part of its $1.7-billion acquisition of CHUM Ltd.

London’s A-Channel, with satellite operations in Windsor and Wingham, has been buffeted by a series of owners, format changes and cutbacks in recent years says David Spencer, a professor of media and information studies.

He expects the takeover by Rogers, known as a cable and cellphone giant, will be good news for the station, which was founded by Free Press publisher Walter Blackburn in 1955

Spencer expect Rogers will strengthen the local programming, especially in news.

“I think they will be a welcome addition to this market. They’ve learned a lot or hard lessons . . . and I think they will be out there in the community finding out what people want,” he said.

Spencer said Rogers is a relatively new player in broadcast television but did a good job building the Toronto-based Omni multicultural TV station and has added Omni 2, a second channel.

Rogers also operates a community cable operation in London, but Spencer said there is probably not much scope to combine the two operations because they have a different focus and advertising base.

A-Channel London station manager Donald Mumford says he had no information on any changes planned by Rogers but the news of the sale will put an end to months of uncertainty for the station, which has about 154 employees.

Although the station has gone through several owners in the past 20 years, Mumford said each change has had a positive impact.

“In each instance we have always benefited from ownership change. It has brought new vision and new resources.”

The sale to Rogers must be approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which regulates the broadcast industry — but another analyst that should not be a problem.

“The CRTC will love it,” said John Henderson of Scotia Capital. “They want less market concentration and this adds to the level of competition in the market, and I don’t think the CRTC would have any problem with this.”
:tup: :tup: :tup: :tup:

[ldoto]

Rogers to Acquire A-Channel Stations

One of Canada's largest technology firms is making headlines today.

Rogers Broadcasting is paying $137.5 million dollars for several CTVglobemedia TV channels divested in the wake of last year's acquisition of CHUM Limited.

Among them, A-Channel stations in London, Windsor and Wingham, along with 3 other A-Channel outlets, a CBC affiliate in Brandon, Manitoba and two other speciality TV channels.

In a news release, Rogers Broadcasting President Rael Merson says "Rogers has built its successful television business by serving community-focused and niche audiences."

CTVglobemedia President Ivan Fecan says he's confident Rogers will use its "financial resources and commitment to conventional TV to ensure the A-Channel local stations not only survive, but thrive."

The purchase agreement still needs the approval of the CRTC, which is not expected until late this year or early 2008.

[ldoto]

London Creative Tenants Wanted for Creative Business Consortium



Tenants are wanted to be part of a creative business consortium in the core of London. Looking to secure 60% of tenants to commence renovations. Prospective tenants are established small businesses in the creative community.

Overview
The Establishment: London Creative Business Consortium will be a vibrant 3rd floor venue in the Core of London, Ontario. The venue is a cross between an incubator for creative businesses (individual secure offices with shared access to a board room, kitchenette and common reception area) and a centre for the creative community – transient space for seminars, presentations and happenings. The Establishment is a quality professional space where the creative business-minded community can develop an economic process they can prosper from.

The venue will allow a positive synergy amongst the individual tenants further developing the creative community in downtown London.

Timeline
To meet a goal of August 1, 2007 occupancy, 60% of the tenants need to be interested by March 31.

For more information:

www.establishmentlondon.com

Michael L. Mullan
519.520.0386
michael@establishmentlondon.com




Here’s some pics from the The Creative Business Consortium from the core in London
http://gibbdesign.com/establishment/est_photos.html

[QuantumLeap]

If you are curious about seeing new projects at Western go tohttp://communications.uwo.ca/western_news/PDF_archive.html and look at page 11 of the pdf from April 5.

[ldoto]

Video game outlet seeks programmers

Thu, April 19, 2007

By HANK DANISZEWSKI, SUN MEDIA



The folks at Beanbag Studios in London are so busy churning out hot video games they want to hire about 90 more staff.

But they're afraid they won't be able to find experienced game programmers and are thinking of moving operations to the Toronto area.

"I'm in dire need of about 30 more people right now because we have more projects than we can handle. But our preference is to stay in London," said company president Steve Bergenholtz, who says Beanbag should have about 100 employees within two years.

Bergenholtz, based in Texas, says he contacted the London Economic Development Corp. (LEDC), but was disappointed by feedback from Larry MacKinnon, who started in a position last October to develop technology businesses. He said MacKinnon didn't offer direct help in recruitment and suggested Beanbag advertise on websites.

"We anticipated more support from the city than they were able to provide," Bergenholtz said.

Beanbag's London operation is headed by co-owner Gary Corriveau, a London native. He said the LEDC should do a better job promoting technology businesses.

"I want to know what they are spending their money on," Corriveau said.

MacKinnon said he wasn't aware of Beanbag until the company called him this week. He said London has five video game developers but they've kept a low profile.

"They have kept their heads down but now they have raised their profile to get the talent they need to grow," .

MacKinnon said the market for experienced video game programmers is tight everywhere.

"I am not in a position to be hiring those people, I can't address the issue directly," he said.

But MacKinnon said the LEDC can work with the company as well as Fanshawe College and the University of Western Ontario to ensure grads are ready for the job market. He said the LEDC also can help new employees settle in the city,

Video game programmers make $40,000 to $60,000 to start but some make more than $100,000 with incentive bonuses.

More information on the jobs is on the company's website, www.beanbagstudios.com

[ldoto]

Danish rival beats IKEA into London

Mon, April 23, 2007

By HANK DANISZEWSKI, SUN MEDIA



Swedish furniture giant IKEA may be snubbing London, but Danish rival JYSK is happy to move in to the market.

JYSK (pronounced Yisk) is opening its first London store on May 12 in a portion of the former Canadian Tire store near the Masonville mall.

The 30,000 square foot store will feature bed, bath and houseware items as well as Scandinavian-style home furnishings.

JYSK Canada CEO Pablo Reich said London shoppers who now travel to the nearest IKEA store in Burlington will like what JYSK has to offer.

“We target similar price points with similar looks . . . but we go into markets where IKEA is not present,” said Reich.

Rumours have been floating for years that IKEA is building a store in London. In 2004 a online petition asking for an IKEA store in London gathered over 7,000 names. But IKEA officials said at the time London is not a “viable” market for the chain.

JYSK was founded in 1979 by Lars Larsen, a native of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The name is derived from the Danish adjective for the region.

JYSK now has 1,200 stores worldwide including 31 in Canada. The chain entered the Canadian market in British Columbia 10 years ago and has been gradually moving east, opening it first Ontario store last year.

Reich said the Masonville store will employ about 35 people. He said he is confident London will be a good market and he expects the chain will open a second store in south London in the future.

JYSK is the third outlet to move into the building vacated by Canadian Tire last year when it opened a new store in Hyde Park. Marble Slab Creamery and Winners have also moved into the space.

Link
http://www.jysk.ca/

[ldoto]

Update!

Mon, April 23, 2007

By PATRICK MALONEY, SUN MEDIA



Robarts Research Institute is one step closer to becoming part of the University of Western Ontario, following approval of the move by the school's senate.

The senate's decision -- considered the biggest hurdle in the takeover of the cash-strapped institute -- has largely cleared the way for Robarts to be integrated into UWO's Schulich School of Medicine July 1.

It's now up to the boards of both institutions to approve the the move.

Earlier this month, Robarts, which was Canada's only independent research institute, announced 19 job cuts in a restructuring as part of the preparation to join UWO.

With a $55-million annual budget, Robarts also has a deficit that's reportedly in the millions of dollars. UWO isn't paying to bring the research institute under its umbrella.

But Robarts and the 600 people employed in its medical research work will add significantly to UWO's reputation, spokesperson Ann Hutchison said.

"Some of the best researchers in the world" work there, she said, noting many are already affiliated with the university.

"To have Robarts . . . as part of Western is just a great thing for both institutions."

When Robarts announced the job cuts earlier this month, officials said they were needed to keep the institute financially stable.

"The layoffs were absolutely essential to secure the long-term stability of Robarts," said Dr. Cecil Rorabeck, who was hired to oversee the move into UWO.:tup:

[ldoto]

News Release

2007-04-24


London ranks high as North American Small City of the Future
London ON – (April 24, 2007) Today, fDi magazine announces London, Ontario ranks in the Top Five of Most Cost Effective North American Small Cities of the Future, the Top Five Best Economic Potential and overall Top Ten (with a fourth place finish). :banana: :banana:

fDi researchers took more than six months to select the “top ten” shortlists of cities of all sizes with the best strategies and resources for economic development. Courtney Fingar, editor of fDi magazine, said: “fDi magazine’s City of the Future ranks reflects an independent panel of judges’ views on each city according to seven selection factors.

As part of the selection process, nine judges reviewed nominations from 108 cities on more than 60 criteria designed to assess cities’ potential to attract business investment projects.”

This is the first time that cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico have competed directly against one another in fDi’s Cities of the Future research.

“This is significant recognition for London by a magazine held in high regard by the international economic development community,” said John Kime, London Economic Development Corporation’s President and CEO. “This independent assessment of London’s economic potential, cost effectiveness, quality of life, human resources, infrastructure and business friendliness is another tool for LEDC to raise London’s profile internationally.”

fDi magazine’s “Locations of the Future” competition has been running for five years and covers almost every region across the world. The methodology is designed to identify those cities that have the basics in place to flourish in the next few years by attracting high levels of inward investment. The shortlists are created by asking cities to provide data and qualitative information in much the same way investors approach locations during the screening process used to decide which are suitable for capital investment projects.

“As Londoners, we have always viewed The Forest City as a well-rounded community, ideal for raising families and investing in enterprise,” says Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best. “Now, through the fDi rankings, we have objective results to confirm we’re definitely taking the right steps to ensure our city’s future prosperity.”

In the second half of 2006, fDI magazine invited key cities across North America to answer more than 60 questions in seven broad categories. A total of 108 cities were considered by fDi’s panel of judges, which scored each city. Cities were categorized by size so that cities across North American could compete against each other on a level basis. London was ranked as a Small City with a population between 100,000 and 500,000.

Top ten small cities of the future

1 Windsor Ontario Canada
2 Huntsville Alabama United States
3 Albany New York United States
4 London Ontario Canada
5 Waterloo Ontario Canada
6 Colima Colima Mexico
7 Bloomington-Normal Illinois United States
8 Mobile Alabama United States
9 Chatham-Kent Ontario Canada
10 Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada

Small cities - best economic potential

1 Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
2 Mobile Alabama United States
3 Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
4 Windsor Ontario Canada
5= Durango Durango Mexico
5= London Ontario Canada

Small cities - best development and investment promotion

1 Huntsville Alabama United States
2 Windsor Ontario Canada
3 Durango Durango Mexico
4 Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
5= St. Johns New Foundland and Labrador Canada
5= Waterloo Ontario Canada

Small cities - best human resources

1 Albany New York United States
2 Waterloo Ontario Canada
3 Greenville South Carolina United States
4 Plano Texas United States
5 Windsor Ontario Canada

Small cities - best infrastructure

1 Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
2 Gatineau Quebec Canada
3 Huntsville Alabama United States
4 Waterloo Ontario Canada
5= Matamoros Tamaulipas Mexico
5= Windsor Ontario Canada

Small cities - most business friendly

1 Mobile Alabama United States
2 Windsor Ontario Canada
3 Greenville South Carolina United States
4 Anchorage Alaska United States
5 Moncton New Brunswick Canada

Small cities - most cost effective

1 Colima Colima Mexico
2 Chatham-Kent Ontario Canada
3 London Ontario Canada
4 Barrie Ontario Canada
5 Amarillo Texas United States

Small cities - quality of life

1 Albany New York United States
2 Waterloo Ontario Canada
3 Huntsville Alabama United States
4 Windsor Ontario Canada
5 Lafayette Louisiana United States

Top ten micro cities of the future

1 Zapata Texas United States
2 Ennis Texas United States
3 Sarnia Ontario Canada
4 Yuma Arizona United States
5 Wilmington Delaware United States
6 Silverthorne Colorado United States
7 Surprise Arizona United States
8 Fredericton New Brunswick Canada
9 Plattsburgh New York United States
10 Poughkeepsie New York United States

Micro cities - best economic potential

1 Wilmington Delaware United States
2 Yuma Arizona United States
3 Ennis Texas United States
4 Danville Virginia United States
5 Zapata Texas United States

Micro cities - best development and investment promotion

1 Surprise Arizona United States
2 Zapata Texas United States
3 Sarnia Ontario Canada
4 Yuma Arizona United States
5= Campbell River British Columbia Canada
5= Ennis Texas United States

Micro cities - best human resources

1 Wilmington Delaware United States
2 Franklin Wisconsin United States
3 Plattsburgh New York United States
4 Fredericton New Brunswick Canada
5 Silverthorne Colorado United States

Micro cities - best infrastructure

1 Poughkeepsie New York United States
2 Surprise Arizona United States
3 Zapata Texas United States
4 Franklin Wisconsin United States
5 Wilmington Delaware United States

Micro cities - most business friendly

1 Zapata Texas United States
2 Blue Ash Ohio United States
3 Surprise Arizona United States
4 Ennis Texas United States
5 Wilmington Delaware United
:cheers:

[MolsonExport]

These lists are essentially meaningless.

[Snark]

..

[Snashcan]

Suprising WoodStock isn't on the Micro city list, just a massive Toyota plant being built, prolly more then double the population

[FazDeH]

^^^ I doubt an automotive plant will add 33,000 people. More like 2000, still a nice bump for a city that size, but then most of the working force already lives in Woodstock or in London, considering the cut backs at GM and the Ford plant near St. Thomas. So sorry can't say I'd agree with you on this one.

[Snark]

..

[Snashcan]

^^^ I doubt an automotive plant will add 33,000 people. More like 2000, still a nice bump for a city that size, but then most of the working force already lives in Woodstock or in London, considering the cut backs at GM and the Ford plant near St. Thomas. So sorry can't say I'd agree with you on this one.


Ummm the plant alone is to add at least 2500 jobs (high paying Jobs)...One of my profs is high up in the conservation area and told me the trickle down will add at least an expected 10,000...but the plant is suppose to get much bigger then the 2500 jobs.

Remember it's not just the jobs at the plant created, it's also the service jobs added and the supplier jobs for all the workers. Not to mantion the supply jobs for the plant it self.

This plant is huge, it will be the new key industry in woodstock. Remember also with 2500 jobs comes all their families. Some of my planning profs have said the scale of growth which is in application form right now is unbelievable.

This plant will also have a significant effect on london and stratford.

[Snashcan]

Why oh why do some of you guys still think that that a bigger population equals a better place? I guess that means that Calcutta, Mumbai, Lagos, and Mexico City are all better places to live than anywhere in Canada.

If Woodstock were to grow by 30,000 people, and all that resulted from that was more faceless sprawling subdivisions, big-box plazas, and fast food commercial strips, it would hardly be an improvement.

A good city has only a limited relationship to its size.


PS - not a criticism to any one here in any way, but are there any skyscrapers to discuss?


Not saying just cause it was gonna grow meant it was gonna be a better place to live. More saying the economic boom it was a bout to grow through due to the Woodstock plant.

[QuantumLeap]

It's too bad London did not crack the top 5 small cities in terms of quality of life. That is the most important list- being business-friendly is great, if you believe the traditional conservative line about the impact of the economy on quality of life. But quality of life should still be the aim (contra above posts about population, economic spinoffs) etc.

As for new skyscrapers, I don't think we'll see all that many soon, especially downtown because the current construction will likely swamp the market for a year or more. Expect to see cranes at 180 Mill soon though.

[FazDeH]

^^ I understand the concept that there will be an effect on the population in Woodstock, but I doubt that it will double. I have to stick to my guns on the subject. The working force already lives with a relitively short commute. Yes it will effect population But I cant assume by more than 2 or 3 thousand. Again I mention the massive cut backs at the Ford and GM plants, there a literally thousands of able and experienced workers living in London. Some of them will move Im sure and yes there will be others from around the country but I cant imagine it being in such great numbers as has been discribed above. I hope that this a possitive change for woodstock, I love that town, still I dont think it will be as massive a growth as some are suggesting.

[ldoto]

Call centre to stay, expand
Fri, April 27, 2007
By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA





A major downtown London employer has signed a long-term lease to stay with potential to add hundreds more jobs. :tup: :tup:

Citi Cards Canada, now located at One London Place and another core office, will move into Galleria London’s second floor with 700 call centre employees.
There will be room for another 400 employees in the 110,000 square feet office.

“This is a significant coup for Galleria London and for the downtown,” said Janette MacDonald, manager of MainStreet London.

“To be able to retain a company of this magnitude and this number of employees will benefit all of the businesses in the core.”

Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best said the company chose London after a North American search for a new location. In other words, London dodged a bullet because the company could have moved.

“Not only did they say they’re going to stay, but that they are going to expand,” said DeCicco-Best. “That’s why they were searching for a bigger space.”

DeCicco-Best said the deal will bring the city closer to its goal for a “thriving, bustling and attractive downtown streetscape.”

“As we’re trying to revitalize the downtown, it’s important for our future to have a company with that many employees working downtown, close to all the amenities, walking by the stores every day,” DeCicco-Best said.

Citi Cards Canada, is part of Citigroup, which is part of Citi, a leading global financial services company with about 200 million customers in 100 countries.
Its major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex.

A Citi spokesperson in San Francisco said the company has “no specific timetable” for expansion but confirmed there was a search for a bigger location beyond London’s boundaries.

“There are many qualified employees in the London area and this location is easily accessible,” said spokesperson Janis Tarter.
The deal also completes the transformation of Galleria London from a struggling retail centre to a multi-use complex now employing an estimated 3,500 people.

Now housed in Galleria are the University of Western Ontario, Axa Insurance, Stevenson-Hunt, a division of IBM, Honeywell Industries and other call centres.

The renovations will include a new restaurant court area, a Wellington Street lobby for second floor offices and a new Wellington Street facade.

Lucas Blois, of Arcturus Realty Corporation, the property management company for Galleria London, said more than 90 per cent of the former shopping centre is now leased, with some remaining ground-level retail and office space.

“We are excited by the potential new retail tenants that will be attracted to the Galleria London’s repositioned format,” said Blois.

Galleria is owned by the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan.
:banana: :banana:

[ldoto]

Graceway Pharmaceuticals had planned to move 3M Canada's division after buying it.

By NORMAN DE BONO, FREE PRESS BUSINESS REPORTER




A pharmaceutical business looking to leave London is staying after all -- and just may expand its office here. :worship:

Graceway Pharmaceuticals has opened an office on Pall Mall Street with 16 staff.

Graceway bought 3M Canada's pharmaceutical division and was looking to shut it down and move the operation, said Erin Craven, general manager.

"They wanted to keep the talent who knows these products and we were strong advocates of staying in the city," Craven said yesterday.

Graceway has been hiring since the company decided to stay, adding 24 sales representatives across the country as well as office staff here, she said.

"London offers tremendous quality of life and the growing biotech sector in London makes this a great fit for Graceway."

Lesley Cornelius, acting communications and marketing director for the London Economic Development Corp., said keeping Graceway is a big win and will help London expand its technology sector.

"Their plan is to grow and this may help create opportunities down the road," she said.

"London offers them the whole package and there may be collaboration with the university (of Western Ontario) or research centres. Those are important elements."

Graceway makes pharmaceutical products, specifically in the areas of dermatology and respiratory illness, in England.

The local office will house its national sales and marketing division. Graceway also will look to buy smaller life sciences businesses -- and that will be done out of the London office as well, Craven said.

"The focus is on strategic growth and that will happen through strategic acquisitions," she said. "We are really building a growing specialty pharmaceutical company."

Of the drugs now made by Graceway, one is a cream that treats skin cancer and another is a treatment for asthma.

"We feel now that we can really maximize the potential we have," she said. "I could see us doubling our size in the next five years."

Based in Bristol, Tenn., Graceway Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held company. :cheers: :cheers:

[ldoto]

It's building at Highway 401 and Wonderland.
By NORMAN DE BONO, SUN MEDIA




Canada's largest industrial landlord is making a $32-million investment in London. :notacrook:

ING Real Estate Canada has bought 25 acres (10 hectares) of land south of Highway 401, at Wellington Road, and is constructing four buildings for industrial tenants, Matt Johnson, regional manager of transactions for ING, said yesterday.

"We like London a lot. We would not be buying land there if we didn't. We have had a lot of success there."

The developments will double ING's real estate holdings in the city. Its other properties are about 92 per cent occupied and are looking to expand, he added.

"London is a significant city, with a significant labour pool. It makes sense," he said of the development.

There are no tenants for the property yet, but ING is confident it will be filled, he added.

ING bought the land from Drewlo Holdings. Toronto construction firm Urbacon is doing the work.

ING Real Estate Canada is a subsidiary of ING Real Estate, part of Dutch-based ING Group, a financial giant.

"They see opportunity for growth here in the industrial sector," said Lesley Cornelius, acting director of marketing and communications for the London Economic Development Corp.

"They see activity in London and the region as prime for future growth. They want to be ready for companies to come here."

ING has two separate developments on the site. One under construction now is on five acres of land and a 100,000- square-foot building is under construction, to be finished by the fall.

The second development is on an adjacent piece of land on Castleton Road, which will see ING construct three new industrial buildings totaling 330,000 square feet.

"We see that market with a lot of potential and we have a fairly large tenant base there now," added Johnson.

ING has also built with Toyota's new Woodstock assembly plant in mind and wanted to be near the 401-Wellington Road interchange, Johnson said.

"This is great news because the development community is very big and they have opportunities to be out there, to promote available lands and building," said Cornelius.

ING now has 120 tenants in about 430,000 square feet of existing buildings in the area.

ING Real Estate Canada owns more than 33 million square feet of industrial space across Canada.

[Snashcan]

^^ I understand the concept that there will be an effect on the population in Woodstock, but I doubt that it will double. I have to stick to my guns on the subject. The working force already lives with a relitively short commute. Yes it will effect population But I cant assume by more than 2 or 3 thousand. Again I mention the massive cut backs at the Ford and GM plants, there a literally thousands of able and experienced workers living in London. Some of them will move Im sure and yes there will be others from around the country but I cant imagine it being in such great numbers as has been discribed above. I hope that this a possitive change for woodstock, I love that town, still I dont think it will be as massive a growth as some are suggesting.

I can understand what you're saying, but also there are a few supply plants planned for London due to the Toyota Plant. I'm just going by what the experts are saying, and I've been told that the applications the town is getting for new development is unbelievable.

[ssiguy]

Nothing but fantastic news for London, especially the one for Galleria.
This will also help dry up some of the overcapacity London has in office space downtown.

[MolsonExport]

Man, the Galleria has gotta be one of the biggest urban disasters in Canada. I was there yesterday...unfuckingbelievable how empty the place is.

[upinottawa]

The Galleria first sucked the life and the stores from downtown London's streets, relocated them into the mall, and eventually, when the mall collasped when Eaton's went under, exported the stores (and the shoppers) to Masonville.

In 1997 (when I first started my undergrad at UWO), the Galleria was full and vibrant (for a mall). Two years later, it was a giant fortress-like ghost town.

[FazDeH]

^^^ Now the Galleria isnt a mall, or at least cannot be called one. Its an office/learning center. With a drizzling of stores and shops, a food court, and a movie theatre. Personally Im still waiting for the mixed use apt. tower to be added, I think there was a proposal for one a few years back, I always thought it would have been an interesting idea.

[MolsonExport]

Whats the news of the new Walfart that is supposed to go up at Sprawldale and unWonderland?

[ldoto]

Canada's Best Places to Live - Do you live in one of the country's top communities?
MoneySense magazine presents Canada's only by-the-numbers guide to the
best places to live, along with rankings for the best weather, the best
places to retire and the cheapest real estate.

TORONTO, May 2 /CNW/ - MoneySense magazine today reveals its second
annual list of Canada's Best Places to Live. The ranking is the most complete
and objective guide to finding paradise within our borders - ideal for
Canadians considering a move, looking to invest, pondering where to retire, or
simply wondering how their city rates against others.
The Best Places to Live database and reader package goes further than
other sources of such information. To ensure objectivity, MoneySense ranked
communities strictly by the numbers. Our team spent weeks digging up
statistics and crunching thousands of figures relating to the weather, real
estate values, income levels, unemployment rates, discretionary income, crime
rates and signs of prosperity. All of these factors combine to provide a true
picture of what it is like to live in a particular community.

A bigger and better list: This year's ranking is expanded and improved,
spanning 123 communities with a population greater than 10,000 from coast to
coast.

Canada's top 10 places to live: These cities came out on top for having
the best combination of factors that make a city livable.

<<
1. Ottawa, Ont.
2. Halifax, N.S.
3. Québec City, Que.
4. Guelph, Ont.
5. Fredericton, N.B.
6. Kingston, Ont.
7. Moncton, N.B.
8. London, Ont.
9. Victoria, B.C.
10. Gander, Nfld.
>>:banana: :banana:

East beats west: This year, apart from Victoria, no cities west of
Ontario ranked among our top 10 places to live. Even Vancouver only managed to
finish at No. 15.

Best weather: Ottawa was rated as Canada's best overall place to live,
but our capital's cold, snowy winters aren't to everyone's taste. If you rank
the cities by weather alone, Cobourg, Ont. comes out on top, followed by
Leamington, Ont., and Port Hope, Ont.

Best places to retire: Québec City wins for its low crime rate, plentiful
doctors and decent weather. The runners-up were Kingston, Ont., and Victoria,
B.C.

Where the money is: Fort McMurray, Alta., enjoys Canada's highest average
household income, which is a stunning $135,000 a year.

Bargain homes: Yorkton, Sask., features the lowest housing costs in the
country.

For the complete package, pick up a copy of the May 2007 issue of
MoneySense, which is currently on newsstands-or visit MoneySense.ca for
comprehensive lists and rankings.

About MoneySense: MoneySense is Canada's personal finance and lifestyle
magazine. Packed with smart features, practical advice and easy-to-follow
financial tips on everything from home improvement to mutual funds, an average
MoneySense issue attracts 892,000 Canadians on the lookout for new ways to
save, invest and spend. MoneySense.ca is Canada's best all-around personal
finance Web site.

[WaterlooInvestor]

CBRE:
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2770/londonontarioofficemarkcz2.jpg

[QuantumLeap]

I am not sure what the solution here is, but London's office market is really in the dumps

[MolsonExport]

London has long ceased being a head-office city, to being a back-office city.

[ldoto]

CBC eyes growth in region

Fri, May 4, 2007

The London area is at the top of the list for a Radio One station.:banana: :banana:

By HANK DANISZEWSKI, SUN MEDIA



Fans of CBC Radio One in the London-Kitchener area might finally get their own full-scale station.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. is considering a plan to beef up its presence in 15 areas across Canada it considers "underserviced."

The Southwestern Ontario market is at the top in the list because it's the most populous, said Ted Kennedy, chief of staff for CBC's English Radio network.

"Southwestern Ontario is the No. 1 priority . . . we're talking about one-and-a-half million people," he said.

CBC has a two-person news bureau in London but local listeners get a morning show based in Toronto and an afternoon show out of Ottawa.

Kennedy said the CBC recognizes the region deserves better service.

"There was a time when Toronto was more representative of southern Ontario than it is now. Many people in Southwestern Ontario define themselves as 'not being Toronto,' " Kennedy said.

Kennedy said if the plan goes ahead the London-Kitchener outlet would be the largest of the new stations and would employ more than 20.

He doesn't expect strong opposition from private broadcasters serving the London and Kitchener markets because the CBC doesn't sell advertising and has a different focus. "They recognize we're fishing in a different pond."

Kennedy quietly held a meeting at the University of Western Ontario this week to unveil the CBC's plans to an invited group of about 30 civic and business leaders and academics. He said the plan to service all 15 areas will cost about $25 million a year and hinges on funding approval by the Harper government.

David Spencer, a professor of media and information studies at UWO, said the London area is a "gaping hole" in CBC radio coverage and a new station would be welcomed. He expects most of the staff in a London-Kitchener station would be in London.

Spencer said the new station would offer a full range of local news and programming.

"The station here would be very little different from the one in Toronto," he said.

Spencer expects there will be an outcry from private broadcasters in the area. But he said the Harper government, struggling to build its political base, may be surprisingly supportive.

"There are a lot of things happening with the government right now, but alienating the CBC is not one of them." :cheers:

[ldoto]

Only 40 years after it was built to celebrate Canada's 100th birthday, London's Centennial Hall is falling apart, literally. Is now the time to renovate it extensively, in the process fixing its many concert deficiencies? Or should London bite the bullet, get ready to tear down the old hall and erect a proper performing arts centre.

Decision day is almost at hand.

Last October the city council contracted Novita Techne Ltd., a Toronto engineering firm which had previously worked on Central Secondary School's auditorium and the Central Library's theatre, in partnership with Malhotra Nicholson Architects of London to conduct a feasibility and condition study. That report is now done and working its way through the committee overseeing the study and eventually will be presented to Board of Control in June.

John Nicholson, principal architect with Malhotra Nicholson, says the report covers "a broad review" of Centennial Hall, which has been the city's main concert venue since it opened.

"I think we need to be careful on how we compare things," Mr. Nicholson explains. "We want to ensure we're meeting the needs of the community."

But he notes the report will certainly focus everyone's attention.

Centennial Hall, he says, "comes with a cost just sitting there. There's a cost to have it and a cost to keep it in considerable repair. We're at a point where decisions will have to be made."

Vic Cote, the city's general manager of finance and corporate services, has overseen the project.

"We are continuing to put money into Centennial Hall. Its future has been a frequent question now that we have the John Labatt Centre. The purpose of this report was to look at its long term future, to access uses of Centennial Hall if it was different, access whether improvements could be made to continue to use it as a performance hall and to access whether it's worth investing in to bring it up to a better standard."

When Centennial Hall was built on Wellington St. just north of City Hall, the primary focus was to mark the country's centennial. Not a lot of thought was given to the who, what, when and whys of those who would eventually be clients of the hall.

"The consultants say Centennial Hall is typical of the structures built at that time - no one at that time considered the needs of a performance centre," Mr. Cote says. "There are many things that weren't addressed in that original structure. It has so many deficiencies in terms of a performance hall. You see most of the events aren't related to a performance hall but other business, small bands, craft shows and others. They don't require strong acoustics and amenities."

By contrast, the much older Grand Theatre was built with performance in mind. "The Grand Theatre was built to be a theatre and continues to be a jewel," Mr. Cote says, explaining the difference between the two buildings.

Rob Gloor, executive director of Orchestra London, one of the primary users of Centennial Hall, concurs with Mr. Cote's assessment.

"It was built in 1967 under different guidelines. Under the category of acoustics - the real problems are all the uncontrollable extraneous noises in the building that make acoustic performances difficult - like the sound of pipes hissing and lights buzzing," Mr. Gloor says.

"What I see as some of the challenges are the inconsistent acoustics depending on where you are in the hall. Other failures are extraordinary like sight lines because of its flat floor and side balcony seating; very limited audience amenities and reception areas; and accessibility, there's no elevator to the second floor. It has an ongoing need for minor repairs like leaks also."

The city could continue to invest and improve upon these shortcomings but Mr. Gloor questions to what end.

"If the report was to say that for $5 million we could improve Centennial Hall's functionality and secure its future for the next 50 years it would impact plans for a performing arts centre but I doubt that's possible. I don't think for a little bit of money we'd be able to make Centennial Hall work better and last longer because I think it has, in its current state, a life span that is coming towards its conclusion," Mr. Gloor says.

Centennial Hall is described on its website as a multi-purpose facility offering specialized facilities for events such as concerts, dances, dinner dances, banquets, meetings, conventions, exhibitions, trade shows, craft shows, fashion shows, travel shows and bridal showers just to name a few offering different configurations for your use.

Concerts or music is only one of the many functions listed while others would work equally well in the recently constructed London Convention Centre.

Brad Jones of Don Jones Management, the company which manages the 1,650-seat facility, defends its acoustics. "We really get a bad rap. It's only as good as the sound guy at the back of the hall turning the knobs," he says.

He also notes that, unlike many other London venues, Centennial Hal is seeing profitability.

"Last year, 2006, was the first year that a multi-purpose arts centre made a profit," Mr. Jones says. "No other centre can say that because they're all subsidised. We're granted about $60,000 from the city last year but we never used any of it. Kitchener's Centre in the Square receives about $1.3 million per year and Thunder Bay was subsidised by $700,000 per year."

Cote does not dispute these figures and confirms the outcome but also notes that a majority of that revenue came for events other than major performance concerts.

"He was in the black by $6,000. It's not a performance hall. Although the orchestra plays there and they host musical shows and generate higher ticket sales it's easier to be in the black when you're running events that are outside of the performing arts centre. Many of them couldn't be done in Kitchener's Centre in the Square," Mr. Cote says.

This is what seems to be at the heart of the discussion and what will be generated once the report is made public - that even thought Centennial Hall performs a specific function there is still a gap in service within our community, Mr. Gloor explains.

"If Centennial Hall were removed you would still need a facility between the size of the Grand Theatre and the RBC Theatre (at the John Labatt Centre). The Grand has been used before for things like a Beethoven music festival.

"What we're looking for is something where the primary use is music so it would be built different. The Grand is perfect for theatre. There are some possibilities with the RBC Theatre but you couldn't do a whole series there because the conversion cost each time is prohibitive. It's not practical for us. For most of our major productions that size works well. We have some that would be best served by a 500 or 600 seat rehearsal hall and that also doesn't exist. An ideal structure would have both."

It all boils down to the content of this report.

"The consultants have talked to a number of organizations, including Orchestra London, about our needs and our use of Centennial Hall and other venues. Hopefully they'll have an in-depth report and some recommendations on where to go next. I look forward to the results of the report because it gets the future of Centennial Hall on the agenda of public discussion," Mr. Gloor says.

"It may change how we go about securing a permanent home for music and a broad spectrum of arts activities. It will be a part of the context of the city's infrastructure and it will, regardless of the report's outcome, move the discussion of a future performing arts centre into the forefront. Until then there is just a bunch of uncertainty. From there we'll have some context for working on its replacement within a specific timeframe. I look forward to the public discussion."

As for what's next and how this will impact future discussions at City Hall, Mr. Cote says: "I've had a lot of discussions around this. It's clear that this will spin into a performing arts centre discussion and we need to look at the capital requirements and expenses to ensure people are realistically focused on the business conditions if that's the way we go."

As for his personal opinion, "I will provide that when I go to council. My job is to take the information that is available and advise council as to what is possible. I led the John Labatt Centre project and took a very business like approach and it's been successful which doesn't always happen. My approach here will also be very realistic."

[ldoto]

Today I will be going downtown to get some new pics and update some of the towers!:cool:

[ldoto]

Update!
Originally Posted by will.exe
On my way home yesterday I noticed that the Ridout-Fullarton-Talbot-Queens block has been sold. But to who? And will they build on it or will it remain a parking lot?

Parking Lot Investment 100 Queens Avenue, London

Bitmap 2.34 acre Downtown London parking lot
Part of the exclusive London Portfolio.

Located across from the Court House
Carefree lease and no depreciating asset
Enormous upside re: rent and development

Asking $8,200,000

Look at This!:banana:
http://www.colliers-international.com/Kitchener/brochures/queens100.pdf

[ldoto]

Update!


Parking Lot Investment 100 Queens Avenue, London

Bitmap 2.34 acre Downtown London parking lot
Part of the exclusive London Portfolio.

Located across from the Court House
Carefree lease and no depreciating asset
Enormous upside re: rent and development

Asking $8,200,000

Look at This!:banana:
http://www.colliers-international.com/Kitchener/brochures/queens100.pdf

Here's some pics from the across from the Court House
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/IMGP4477.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/IMGP4475.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/IMGP4450.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/IMGP4451.jpg

[GreatTallNorth2]

Are we talking about this property? (below) If we are, then Mr. Farhi either just bought it or sold it. This is a picture from his website.

http://www.fhc.ca/images/100Queens.jpg

[Snark]

..

[FazDeH]

That parking lot probably wont be turned into any kind of development for a while, the market is already saturated, Rennisance for example is only going up one at a time due to demand.

[QuantumLeap]

If Farhi bought the property in question, then it means it definetely will NOT be developed anytime soon. I think his drive is great, but I lament the fact that he has almost certainly over-leveraged himself by acquiring property, such that he cannot build. The way he talks about his "Library Tower" (cf Los Angeles) you would think that he can't wait to build it. But there is no way he has the funds. Good for him though for all the work he has done and is doing restoring buildings (with a few notable exceptions).

As for whether the market is saturated, I think it is or soon will be right downtown. It would be excellent to see some construction in the mid-town areas, however.

[GreatTallNorth2]

At this point, we are just speculating. We don't know if Farhi just bought it or sold it. I saw this property in his portfolio a while ago. Maybe he just sold it for over 8 million to finance a project. He has been quoted several times in the Free Press about wanting to build a project with parking, residential and a grocery store. He has the money to do these things. I would like to see a mix use development with one tower that houses both condos and hotel. Who knows what will happen with this land, but to be sure, it is prime real estate.

[ldoto]

Tue, May 8, 2007

By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA



A new design for the expansion of London's police station has silenced critics.

"It's a lot better than the original design, more people-friendly and more neighbourhood-friendly," Controller Gord Hume said yesterday at a meeting of city council's planning committee.

More windows, less brick, a more inviting entrance and a few other adjustments have met most of the original concerns raised by Old East Village residents and businesses about the $34-million expansion.

"It's much less like a 1970s shopping mall," said Sarah Merritt, manager of the Old East Village Business Improvement Area.

Merritt said there's still concern about the amount of parking in front of the building and broad expanses of brick.

City council's planning committee approved the revised design last night.

City councillors will vote next Monday on a recommendation to approve the expansion.

Efforts are underway to form a committee to oversee the installation of artistic murals on the headquarters.

But the parking, short- and long-stay, will have to remain, deputy police Chief Brad Duncan said.

"Really, there's no way to reduce that parking without affecting public service and our ability to meet those needs."

The original design disappointed many in the community, but police worked with neighbours and city staff to find solutions.

As well, details of a green space at the corner of Adelaide and Dundas streets are still not complete.

Merritt said preliminary designs of the tiny park-like area showed "too much concrete and not enough green."

Demolition of the buildings along Dundas needed for the expansion is underway and construction will begin within months.

Duncan said the project is on target and within budget, although bids have to be opened.

A windowless wall to the west, parking in the front and a facade that failed to hide the boxy structures behind housed air and heating systems were the focus of most of the criticism of the initial design.

The utility sheds on the roof were moved further back from Dundas Street.

Police convinced council to approve expansion because its staff has expanded by more than 100 officers with some working out of former closets.

The cost of the expansion was pegged at $28 million and raised to nearly $34 million.

[MolsonExport]

^spammmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hamiltonian]

Hey MolsonExport,

Thanks for bringing your concern to my attention and we agree that spam should not be allowed.

I read the policies of the board and we believed our survey request was not spam as it wasn't a solicitation. It is a voluntary, relevant to the website poll for help. It is for purely educational purposes and that can be verified.

This website has built-in polls, so this is very similar! In fact, we'd be happy to share our results with you. Again, we appreciate your concern and we'd oblige to take down the post if policies are changed that say it should be.

Thank you very much to those who have helped and continue to help!

[Tony]

and the Survey says: SPAM

bu-bye.

[QuantumLeap]

Am I missing something here?

[FazDeH]

yeah the Hamiltonian is a Spammer, using this site as a way to advertise, hence he was banded :)

[ldoto]

Sat, May 12, 2007

London's rate was one of the best in southern Ontario, stats show.

By HANK DANISZEWSKI, SUN MEDIA AND NEWS SERVICES



London's jobless rate edged down last month, while the national rate maintained a 33-year low of 6.1 per cent.

London's unemployment rate was 5.6 per cent in April, down from 5.7 per cent in March. It was one of the best in southern Ontario, lower than Kitchener, Hamilton, Windsor and Toronto. :tup:

Canada's unemployment rate has not budged from 6.1 per cent for three months, said Statistics Canada, but April's number was achieved mostly from a decline in the labour force and an increase in part-time employment.

The economy actually shed 5,200 job in April, leaving economists wondering whether the jobs gravy train that had been carrying economic growth in Canada had run out of steam or was only temporarily stalled.

"Let's be clear from the start, Canada's labour market remains a veritable picture of health," said Warren Lovely, senior economist with CIBC World Markets.

"Is this the leading edge of a material softening . . .or are Canadian employers simply taking a well deserved breather, akin to the June-August 2006 pause?"

One sign the job picture remains robust, said BMO's Douglas Porter, is that average hourly wages rose 0.6 per cent from March, lifting the yearly increase to 2.9 per cent and suggesting the demand for workers remains high.

Lovely called one-month job numbers "notoriously choppy" and said they should be taken with a grain of salt. "The more important indicator is the trend in employment and that still looks solid."

Manufacturing, particularly in Ontario, continued to be the weak link in the employment chain, losing 18,600 overall and 13,000 in Ontario. The services sector lost 17,000 jobs in the month, mostly in finance, insurance and real estate.

[ldoto]

UPDATE!
London City Centre Fire Systems Upgrade
Released April 04, 2007

EllisDon has been awarded a $4.75 million Construction Management contract for the London City Centre office building, involving the installation of new sprinkler systems and other upgrades to the fire alarm system in its entirety.

The existing fire alarm system, covering an area of 700,000 square feet of office, retail, and parking space, will remain “live” throughout the upgrading process and will be progressively replaced with the new system. Fire sprinklers will be installed on thirty-four floors of tenant space, plus mechanical floors. Work also includes replacing the main fire pumps and valves; also while ensuring “live” fire protection coverage for the entire duration of the project.

Because the 33-year old building is fully occupied, our working hours have been specified by the client between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. inclusively.

The project commenced on April 2, 2007 with project completion scheduled for February 18, 2008.

[ldoto]

Ontario cash will help the Royal Canadian Regiment expand its museum and preserve its storied history.:banana: :banana:

By NORMAN DE BONO, SUN MEDIA




Josh Rose, 5, checks out a vintage cannon yesterday at the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum at Wolseley Barracks , where area MPP Deb Matthews announced a $240,000 provincial grant to restore and expand the museum. Josh is the son of Sgt. Lamont Rose, who's with 1RCR at CFB Petawawa. (Sue Reeve, Sun Media)
The London-headquartered Royal Canadian Regiment has won 24 battle honours, dating back 122 years.

From sending soldiers to put down the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, to fighting in Canada's mission against the Taliban in Afghanistan, the regiment has a long and storied military history.

Yesterday, it stepped up its campaign to win a different honour -- an expanded regimental museum.

The Ontario government gave $240,000 to the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum building campaign, which aims to raise $2.3 million by 2008.

"It's a fantastic start to the funding for our Building For The Future campaign. It's a significant donation," said Brig.-Gen. Philip Spencer of the RCR. "This bodes very well for the campaign."


The expansion will add about 6,000 square feet to the museum at Wolseley Barracks, near Oxford and Adelaide streets. New display space will be added to show more museum artifacts now kept in storage.

"We believe in investing in culture and history and we think this will also attract people from all over. It's a terrific draw, a destination museum," said MPP Deb Matthews (L -- London-North-Centre).

The display space also will include a current campaign exhibit, showcasing information on military campaigns in which the RCR is engaged, including the war in Afghanistan.

"They made a compelling case and we were in a position to step up and support them in a significant way," said Matthews.

A new entrance will be built off Elizabeth Street, replacing the fenced entrance at the building's north end.

"It is very exciting. We will see more exhibits from the Northwest Rebellion in 1885, to young soldiers sacrificing their lives now in Afghanistan," added Spencer.

"We will see a full spectrum of history of this regiment, and we will see it in a national historic site."

The regiment now will try to lobby the federal government for building funds, while continuing its local fundraising efforts.

Ontario Labour Minister Steve Peters (L -- Elgin-Middlesex-London) also attended yesterday's ceremony. A historian by training, he spoke about the museum's importance to London and the region.

"This is not just important to the RCR, but it is a Canadian historic site," Peters said. "We must preserve our heritage."

The campaign to rebuild the museum, which dates to 1888, now has raised more than $300,000.

---

THE ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT

- Canada's longest-serving infantry regiment, headquartered in London, it has served in every major Canadian military conflict from the Boer War to Afghanistan.

- Formed in 1883, it has garrisoned communities from Halifax to Victoria.

- The regiment's active or serving components consist of regimental headquarters and the 4th Battalion at Wolseley Barracks in London, with other battalions in Petawawa, Victoria and Gagetown, N.B.

[QuantumLeap]

Was back in town briefly yesterday, good progress on the Harriston and Renaissance. Progress still very slow near my old haunt at 544 Talbot. No progress at all on 180 Mill or the site of the old bingo hall on Colborne. Alas.

[ldoto]

Wed, May 16, 2007

By HANK DANISZEWSKI, SUN MEDIA



Club Phoenix, the mega-nightclub on Richmond Row, has shut down and is unlikely to rise from the ashes.

Majority owner Sal Pacifico said the club closed this month -- opening only for possible "special events" -- and the building at Queen and Richmond streets is for sale.

Pacifico said the club, with capacity for more than 1,500 people, drew patrons from across Southwestern Ontario.

"It is certainly a big loss for the city to lose a great facility like Club Phoenix," Pacifico said.

The Free Press has learned Moxie's Classic Grill, a Calgary-based chain, is considering the Phoenix building as a location for its second London restaurant.

Moxie's first London outlet on Wellington Road South has been filled to capacity often since opening last summer. A manager at that location declined comment on opening a second restaurant.

"I can't confirm anything yet," he said.

Pacifico said Club Phoenix has lost money because negative and unfair media coverage has scared away patrons.

Pacifico has filed a $4.25- million lawsuit against A-Channel in London and a $5.25 -million lawsuit against the Gazette student newspaper at the University of Western Ontario. The Gazette suit includes the volunteer staff reporter who wrote the story.

The statements of claim allege the two media outlets published or broadcast stories that wrongly connected the club and its patrons to a number of stabbings, shootings and fights in the Richmond Row area in recent years.

Pacifico said several of the incidents took place in a private parking lot behind the Phoenix that isn't owned by the club and is used by patrons of a number of downtown bars and businesses.

The statement of claim says the stories gave Club Phoenix "an unwarranted reputation in the public's mind as a high risk location to be shunned where violence and drug dealing are rampant."

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Both A-Channel and the Gazette have filed statements of defence indicating their coverage was fair and did not damage the club's business.

Pacifico, a University of Western Ontario engineering graduate, said he tried to run a "clean" operation.

Pacifico said he and partners invested $1.8 million to open the club in August 2002. At its peak, it employed 70.

The club ran into controversy because the former bank was painted red, sparking complaints from some.

[upinottawa]

^ turn it into a Bank of Montreal....

[ldoto]

Silverbacks to make Labatt Park home:tup:


With renovation work to the field at TD Waterhouse Stadium not expected to be done in time for their regular season, London Silverbacks will play home games in historic Labatt Park. Silverbacks (left to right) Jamie Soulliere, Doug Witchenshaw, team captain Wes Beharrell and team owner Alan Lazar all agree playing at Labatt Park will be an exciting opportunity.

The Silverbacks play on a U.S. football field - 100 yards long, 50 yards wide with 10-yard endzones - which will just fit in the outfield at Labatt Park (below).

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2007/mainpic2_20.jpg:banana:

Here's some pics that I had!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2006/IMGP3881.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2006/IMGP3886.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2006/IMGP3887.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/ldoto/2006/IMGP3884.jpg

Labatt Park is considered by many to be the world's oldest baseball grounds in continuous operation at its original site.

This summer it will get a new designation - London's newest football field.

Currently home to the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball League, the 120-year-old London landmark will also serve this summer as home field for the London Silverbacks of the North American Football League (NAFL).

The Silverbacks have called TD Waterhouse Stadium home their first three seasons in the 102-team, semi-professional league. However, as the new artificial grass field being installed at TD Waterhouse won't be ready for the start of the team's 2007 home schedule - beginning Saturday, July 21 - team owner and head coach Alan Lazar was forced to come up with an alternative plan.

"We were informed of the situation after the end of last season (in which the Silverbacks reached the NAFL semi-finals) that TD wouldn't be ready. We were pretty much, okay, what are we going to do now? What are our options here in London? Very early on, the idea of playing at Labatt Park came up," Alan says. "So we talked with the city, looked at what was available in terms of other city fields, high schools. I was shocked honestly there weren't a lot of options when it came to playing football in the city. But very early on things kept pointing us to Labatt Park."

Ironically, it wasn't the first time Alan had considered the park as a potential home field. "We had actually toyed with the idea when we first came to London, but we wanted a football field; so we chose TD Waterhouse. It's been a great facility for us."

After several months of working together with the city and looking at options both in and out of the London, Alan says the decision was made to play their five home games at Labatt Park (although TD Waterhouse could be ready for the Silverbacks come playoff time).

"When we got approval, we were very excited. To actually get to play on this field I think it is an exciting opportunity," Alan says. "It's an opportunity to bring in new fans, new sponsors. This is a first-class facility, like TD Waterhouse is. I think it will be a great opportunity."

Bill Coxhead, parks and recreation operations division manager, says the city is pleased to have found a solution which will allow the Silverbacks to continue play in London.

"We are thrilled to have football back in Labatt Park. Would we want it there on a regular basis? No. Football belongs in a football stadium," Bill says. "This is a unique set of circumstances. They came to us with a unique problem and we found a unique solution for it."

Wes Beharrell is certainly one Silverback excited about the opportunity of playing at Labatt Park.

Wes has played linebacker for the Silverbacks for the past three years - all on the hard, artificial turf surface at TD Waterhouse Stadium - and he says this should be a great opportunity for the players especially.

"Turf is faster, grass is softer, that's the main difference. The optimum will be the new artificial grass at TD Waterhouse. But this is great, much softer on the knees." Wes says. "I'm really optimistic about coming here. It's a nice, downtown location. The majority of our fan base is friends and family so playing here might be a nice opportunity to expand that. I think there are a lot of opportunities to playing here."

While Wes and Alan both agree there are many positives to playing at Labatt Park, Alan says a lot of discussion has gone into making sure the move is made as smoothly as possible.

"There was a list of criteria we had to agree to meet. I have to say, not unreasonably either. The city has really been good to work with on this. The biggest hurdle is that nobody involved was around the last time football was played at Labatt Park, about 30 years ago I am told," Alan says. "So there were three different layouts looked at, which one was the most practical, the mound created issues too, so we wanted the layout which would have the least impact on the field."

Bill says finding a layout that worked was a challenge.

"We laid it out the best we could. If you were looking out at centerfield, you would be seeing midfield for a football game. This isn't an unusual situation though, you see it in the Major Leagues, it can be done," Bill says. "If you run a post pattern (towards the goal posts), you will be fine. But if you are taking it to the corner, you better be prepared to drop quick. That fence will come up fast."

Fortunately for the Silverbacks, the NAFL uses American rules and American dimensions for its fields. A Canadian Football League-sized field would not have fit, but an American-sized one will - across the outfield, just touching on the infield grass, but not extending in as far as second base.

"There are things to solve, but everything should have a solution. From the beginning this was the best options. I think it is a good fit and will really work well," Alan says. "We have a great deal of respect for this field, a great deal of respect for the history and the tradition of Labatt Park."

That respect is something Bill says made working with Alan so easy.

"We have worked very cooperatively. Right from the beginning they have been very respectful of the history of the park. The risk is really small, but we have worked well with them to minimize any impact," Bill says. "I anticipate baseball will go on unfettered. There will be some evidence a football game was played, but it shouldn't be too bad at all. We don't anticipate any problems."

Alan says he hopes both his commitment, and that of the city, to protect the field will help ease any fears of people worried what damage might be done playing football on that field.

"For those who may be worried, we will make every effort to be respectful of that field, to be as careful as we can. The uprights will come down after the games are played. When we are done, we want it to look like there had never been a football game played there," Alan says. "The city has given us specific criteria to follow. That is one thing. But also, I think we have earned a pretty good reputation since we have been here in London and I wouldn't want to do anything to affect that."

Wes says there will be some impact on the field, depending on how well offences move the ball up and down the grass field.

"Will we tear up the field? Over the course of a game, maybe somewhat, it really depends on the speed of the game. If a lot of work is being done in one part of the field, they yes, it could get a little chewed up," Wes says. "If the offences are going and you don't spend too much time in one part of the field, it should be okay. And I think with the way the grounds are kept here, things will be okay. These people obviously know what they are doing."

[Mille Sabords]

:tup: