Be at Harmony Square in downtown Brantford at Noon tomorrow to take part in a special video!
From the LipDub facebook group: “Let’s make this video something we can be proud of!! Come out and show your support! We need YOU to come help us make this video a HUGE success!!! So share this photo with your friend and come be a part of Brantford’s FIRST EVER LIPDUB!!!”
Within about six weeks of (re)starting the conversation on Twitter about the safety of downtown Brantford’s streets, the city traffic department quickly responded and on the week of Sept 30 installed these signs on Dalhousie and Colborne:
Kudos in part to councillor Jan Vandersteldt for keeping us up to date as to the city’s progress, and Annette Fitch for helping us take up the cause. Now Laurier students are a little bit safer.
“Well, Peter, if you plan to pull a party out of your ass, you better stand up.”
- Brian Griffin, Family Guy
It’s quickly becoming an unfunny comedy of errors as Hockeyfest 2012 remains in limbo. Today alone we learned that Mayor Chris Friel had been assisting with finding a solution to Ralph Spoltore’s woes of security at the event and would have an announcement at 1pm; Then delayed; then no announcement.
The Brantford Police were saying Monday night that they had initially gotten agreement to the demands they had set for Hockeyfest; that all was required was a signature. Ralph Spoltore was supposed to “come on down,” as Bob Barker would say, with Star Security and sign the deal. Then it was learned Star Security may not actually be working the event and that they had only done the plans, prompting a lengthy press release from the Brantford Police service explaining their position on the matter and expressing their dissatisfaction with Hockeyfest organizers.
The Grand River Conservation Authority was to be presented with the consent of the Police Service with Ralph Spoltore’s signatures on it this morning and give it’s re-affirmation of the venue; instead, after several meetings and much discussion, they too released a statement confirming the Brant Park will not be the home of Hockeyfest.
And for Ralph himself? He’s still clinging hope this will happen. But as my quote at the top of this post says, he had better come up with more than stay tuned. With less than 48 hours to go, Hockeyfest Facebook only says “Hockeyfest Team is on our way to see an alternate location.” That’s not comforting to anyone.
While I was quick to point fingers at the City of Brantford and the Brantford Police Service for their part in pulling the rug out way too late…. it seems it might have been only the last straw in what seems to be a quickly breaking the camel’s back.
Sunday afternoon, this is Chris Friel in response to a Brantford citzen’s email:
City Council and the Mayor’s office has no role in the decision-making for this event other than the noise by-law. The fault for the failure lies entirely with the promoter.
Mayor Chris Friel
Brantford Canada
www.brantford.ca
City Hall,
100 Wellington Square
N3T 2M3
519-759-4150 #2213
Then……
Early Sunday evening, City of Brantford Mayor Chris Friel said he is working with Star Security Inc. in an effort to salvage Hockeyfest 2012. Meanwhile, Hockeyfest organizer Ralph Spoltore says he intends to proceed with festival setup at Brant Conservation Area as planned on Monday.
It’s about time this mayor went from passive, to active on this file. This is your job Chris. Make it happen, or you will be saddled with a legacy of failure.
It’s absolutely ridiculous that all Mayor Chris Friel can say is “poor Brantford might get it’s name muddied” cause of Hockeyfest. You think? Since the mayor withdrew support of Hockeyfest for 2012, he should have at least given moral support and set some expectations regarding security. Maybe he should have had someone from Brantford Police and Brantford Fire liasing with the organisers of Hockeyfest? Maybe months, if not weeks from the event?
Instead we get ass covering and “it wasn’t me, it was them” blame game. Good on you guys. So now over 30,000 people from all over Ontario and the US may not be able to enjoy acts like Creed, The Trews, Weezer, Mariana’s Trench, and Down with Webster among others.
Shame not only on organisers, but on Chris Friel, shame on Brantford Police, shame on council, and shame on the Grand River Conservation Authority. You should have helped not turn this into the giant boondoggle it is going to be. Not exactly Brantastic.
I just want to unabashedly say that my new internet provider, Start Communications, is kicking serious arse. If you are a Laurier student and you can’t afford Big Cable prices, but don’t want to suffer sucky DSL speeds, I’d seriously give Start a call. With up to 28mbps dn and 1mbps up…… you finally have a real choice in Brantford. The customer service has been excellent and friendly, and they follow up! If you do decide to go with them in part from this testimony, tell them “roby at genzel dot ca” sent you. I’d appreciate the referral!!
Tonight..A band of thunderstorms is forecast to move across
Southwestern Ontario this evening including Southern Georgian
Bay to towards the west end of Lake Ontario. There is a risk of
severe thunderstorms to the east of Lake Huron across Southwestern
Ontario this evening. Heavy rainfall is the main threat for the
Bruce Peninsula with damaging winds, large hail and brief downpours
in the southwest. There is also a chance of isolated non-severe
thunderstorms over Eastern Ontario and the Nickel Belt.
Mount Hope Cemetery was vandalized for the second time in less than a month on Tuesday. Likely the result of the same vandals as the first attack, this time 169 stones were toppled. Brantford Police are investigating a report that the headstones were knocked over sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, causing an estimated $30,000 in damage.
“I’m disgusted by what has taken place at Mount Hope Cemetery and we will do everything in our power to stop this from happening again and to find the person or people responsible for this,” Brantford Mayor Chris Friel said.
One Brantford resident says it more to the point on his facebook. “Who the fuck knocks over tombstones, especially around Christmas? I hope your caught and executed. Scum of the Earth!!!”
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call Det. Const. Jeff Spencer of the criminal investigation section at 519-756-0113, ext. 2272, or Crime Stoppers at 519-750-8477.
Some vandals late Saturday night and Sunday morning thought it would be a great idea to topple 104 headstones at Brantford’s Mount Hope Cemetery, located at the corner of Charring Cross and West streets. The damage from this great idea is estimated to be around $20,000.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-756-7050, or Crime Stoppers at 519-750-8477. This group of idiots with no respect for the dead, their families, or the law need to be apprehended.
By the way, Brantford ward 1 city councillor Jan VanderStelt needs to be commended for not only trying (and for more than a dozen stones, successfully) setting the stones back in place, But for coming to the scene to view the damage and comfort those who saw it first hand. Excellent job in representing the city, Mr. VanderStelt.
