At Home in Hespeler

Heady days here in Hespeler as our circa 1950’s liquor store is replaced by a new,12,000 square foot behomoth, that has room for a vintages section and, get this, more than 4 feet of cold display for the beer. Our old store was serviceable but the former drive-through store, that was one of those “fill out the form and somebody will get your Canadian Club for you,” set-ups until sometime in the 70’s, had outlived it’s usefulness. It never really could handle the Hespeler appetite, and now we have the 6th biggest LCBO outlet in Ontario. Heady days indeed.

Not to be outdone, the ROC (rest of Cambridge) threw their Santa Claus parade on the south side of the 401, and had a parade driver arrested for impaired driving– I am reliably informed it was, in fact, Santa’s driver. He will plead fog I am guessing.

Maybe they can’t handle their drink in the ROC, but here in Hespeler Daddy Dalton has deemed us all growed up and sent us flying into the 1990’s. We are, as you can imagine, chuffed.

Blogging will be light the rest of the evening, as I have some  Wychwood Brewery Bah Humbug Christmas Ale to get through.

Cambridge Bah Humbug Christmas Ale, Cambridge, Dalton McGuinty, Hespeler, LCBO, Parade, Santa Claus, Wychwood Brewery

When John Newton co-purchased a  single family home with his son Ian twelve years ago, he thought he was helping secure his future. In the intervening years, Ian married and had children. John and his wife Loretta moved into a converted garage, which was built, with all applicable permits in place in 2000.  Already having city inspector approved electrical, plumbing, heating &tc., in 2002 they added kitchen cupboard and a stove and moved themselves in, leaving Ian and his growing family the house.

Aging parents living with their children in a granny flat. A perfect arrangement.

But when the city of Cambridge discovered the arrangement, they had a different take on matters. In my hometown of Cambridge, Ontario your parents cannot move in with you unless you seek permission of the city. For a non-refundable fee of $3,000, you can ask the pimply minions of bureaucracy if it’s alright to move your parents in. If they decline your request, you are out $3,000. Furthermore, if they allow your request, your home tax bill will increase permanently, even after your parents no longer live under your roof.

Newton received an eviction notice from the city, an order to leave a residence he owns half of, because he didn’t ask permission of the city to live in his own house.

In much of the world, a man’s home is his castle. Here in Cambridge Ontario, a man’s home is mayor Doug Craig’s castle who, upon Newton’s persistent complaining sent him an e-mail stating:

Mr. Newton: I do not wish to hear any more nonsense from you.
(Signed) Mayor Craig.

Doug Craig can be e-mailed at CraigD@city.cambridge.on.ca

It is a vile, Jacobian, jumped up Jack-in-Office piece of impertinence… by the pimply minions of bureaucracy

Indeed it is.

More here, here and oh yea, here.

Cross Posted to Libertas Post

pimply minions of bureaucracy Cambridge, Doug Craig, Ontario

Now that sounds better than the Cambridge Penguins. I was on the NHL to Cambridge kick before the idea became mainstream during the Nashville to Southern Ontario fiasco. But when you overhear something at the gym from “two guys who heard it from a friend, who knows a guy,” you know you have a scoop.

Sadly, however, it appears Jim Balsillie, if he can pry the Coyotes out of Phoenix, will move them to Hamilton. Southern Ontario is a great market, and if you read the two links given, you’ll know

I believe Cambridge can work: It’s an hour or less from the growth spots – downtown Toronto to London; it’s right along the 401, and RIM owns a parcel of land right at the 401 and Townline; It is outside both Buffalo and Toronto’s 50 mile boundary (just); and the Cambridge Coyotes has a nice alliterative ring to it.

Hamilton on the other hand… lets just say, find me one Hamilton Tiger Cat fan outside of the City of Hamilton. Sorry Hamilton, but Southern Ontario won’t cheer for your team. It will be a Hamilton team, drawing from Burlington to St. Catherines.

As to whether Balsillie will get the Coyotes out of Phoenix, the NHL has been dramatically weakened by the current economic climate. Three teams appear to be in serious trouble, many more hurting. Gary Bettman, for all his bluster, works for the owners. He has already cost them in Nashville. It may be true that the other owners don’t like Balsillie’s style, but sooner rather than later, they’re going to decide they like the colour of his money. It appears, as well, Balsillie has played this one very deftly, possibly opening the NHL to a lawsuit should they decide they don’t want him in the club. The bottom line is, if the bankruptcy judge accepts Balsillie’s offer, the NHL would have trouble turning him down.

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Update: via Christian Conservative, sign the petition to make it seven NHL teams in Canada.

Cambridge 401, Balsillie, Bettman, Buffalo, Cambridge, Coyotes, Gary, Hamilton, Highway 401, Jim, London, Nashville Predators, Penguins, Phoenix, RIM, Tiger Cats, Toronto, Twonline Road