Throwing the hat in the ring

This afternoon, I declared officially my candidacy in the Ward 6 council race.  You can read the press release below, and please share it widely!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Mike Bloxam declares candidacy in Ward 6 council race

Business owner and active community volunteer, Mike Bloxam, declared his candidacy for London’s Ward 6 council seat on Tuesday.

Already familiar with City Hall by serving on council’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Bloxam feels he has more to contribute. He is passionate about London, his hometown, and believes strongly that living in a community means giving back – a belief and practice that he will continue through civic duty.

Bloxam wants to see community-focused urban planning and will apply his own experience to the office.

“My vision is a sustainable London where people want to live, work, play, and stay,” Bloxam said. “Striking the right balance between economics, community life, and the environment is critical to a successful city. My experience as a business owner and volunteer in London has helped me find that balance, showing me first-hand it is absolutely achievable.”

Bloxam owns and operates SunTap Technologies, a company specializing in renewable energy. Launching and sustaining a small business has given him crucial skills to represent Ward 6 on council. Mentoring co-op students through his local company has helped to convince Bloxam of the need to create opportunities for young people in our city.

“Instead of always looking outside our city for business investment, we need to encourage home-grown small businesses – not only to survive, but to thrive. These local companies will create jobs here and help London prosper,” he explained. “Mentoring and financial support are two ways to keep our highly-educated graduates in London.  We can foster their sense of entrepreneurship by giving them what they need.”

Serving for 15 years as a volunteer at the London Food Bank, where demand continues to rise, also strengthened his resolve to seek a council seat. He donates his time to various other community organizations, such as ReForest London and All-Breed Canine Rescue. Given the level of need in our city, Bloxam feels he can have even more impact, and improve quality of life for Londoners, as part of a more focused council.

“London can be better because council can do better,” Bloxam said. “My commitment to represent the citizens and businesses of Ward 6 is to ensure that all views have the chance to be heard. I will listen to Londoners' ideas and issues – as I have in my career and community life – to help me make the right decisions for Ward 6 and our city as a whole.”   

Bloxam will celebrate his candidacy with a launch party in March, to be announced at bloxam.ca.

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Mike Bloxam is running to be your next councillor for Ward 6 in London, Ontario. He aspires for a better London that is an ideal place to live, work, play, and stay.

Campaign hotline: 519-518-2273 | E-mail: mike@bloxam.ca | Web site: www.bloxam.ca | Twitter: @Mike_Bloxam

Changing how London moves

In a couple of months, a significant change to the way Londoners get around the city will arrive.  While the first choice for people to move from point A to point B should be "active" transportation (walking, cycling, etc.), followed closely by public transit (the city bus in London's case), most elect to hop into their personal vehicle and drive to their destination.  Starting in April, drivers will have a new option when it comes to automobiles:  Community CarShare has announced they will open in London.  (Read their announcement)

Haven't heard of Community CarShare?  Ontario's first non-profit co-operative car-share service started in Kitchener-Waterloo in 1998, and essentially enhances the traditional car rental with the flexibility of using (and therefore paying for) the use of a vehicle only when you need it.

At the December meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Environment (ACE), we received a presentation from one of the co-op's representatives.  He told us that a car-share vehicle removes 5 to 15 cars from the road.  This means less traffic congestion and lower pollution levels as a city adopts the concept.  In addition, he informed us that the average car-share member drives 50% less with a shared vehicle versus owning one (they will choose to walk or take other transportation for close trips), translating into more exercise and improved health.

Many families will debate how "big" they should go:  purchasing the "largest" vehicle possible to suit all needs means having to take a mini-van or SUV everywhere, while its main purpose in size serves to deliver children to their activities (such as hockey, with all the equipment that needs transporting along with the player!), yet proves overkill for most other tasks.  A car-share program allows a family to choose the best vehicle to fit the needs of the day:  perhaps a sedan for groceries on Tuesday, a mini-van to transport to the arena or the performance venue on the weekends, or an extended-cab pick-up truck to move furniture for the university-bound student twice a year.

The average annual cost of owning and operating a vehicle in Ontario sits at about $10 500, while the average CarShare member will spend $1200 per year, including gasoline, insurance, and other incidentals.  Instead of purchasing that "second vehicle" that rarely gets used or exceeds the majority of a family's needs, a household can spend a tenth of the yearly costs for the same service and convenience with a shared vehicle.

The Community CarShare representative informed those of us at ACE that they only ask from the City of London a $150 000 line of credit for the next five to ten years (as a fallback: there is no plan to use the money unless necessary), and some subsidized or in-kind public parking spots.

Think your neighbourhood could use a shared vehicle?  Get in contact and flood them with requests:  you will put your street on their radar and may get your very own community-owned vehicle.

Starving students

The term "starving student" gets thrown around rather carelessly.  This colloquialism refers to the mounds of money required by post-secondary students to pay for tuition, books, and housing, in many cases leaving little left over for food or entertainment (Heaven forbid).

Sure, certain students in university or college have access to government assistance (OSAP), scholarships, bursaries, and other loans/grants; however, for those who don't qualify—sometimes for a ridiculous reason as their parents' income registered as "too high", even when a student chooses to or must pay his or her own way—many sacrifice their health and end up on a diet of ramen and Kraft Dinner.  While fine in moderation, these pre-packaged foods hardly give the required nutrients to sustain a learning mind and a weary body.  Some say a part-time job solves the income issue, but time between lectures, projects, and studying often does not present itself, not to mention the difficulty of finding a job while the city sits at 7.5% unemployment rate (as of November).

What options do these lower-income students have?  Some will establish a food budget and consume enough to keep energized.  Some may just go hungry and get by one one meal a day.  Others make the trip to the south end of London and make use of the services provided by the London Food Bank.

Photo courtesy of the London Food Bank

In the late 1990s, the University of Western Ontario and the London Food Bank discussed how to address students in need.  The idea of having a food bank on campus didn't proceed for fear of hungry students feeling ashamed to be seen by their colleagues using such a service.  Instead, the Food Bank opened its doors on Saturdays for two hours dedicated to serve students.  The Food Bank's location far enough away from campus (on King Street beside Kellogg's at the time and now on Leathorne Street) allowed the anonymity that students likely would not get on campus.

In my years of volunteering on Saturday mornings (since 1999), the demand for student support has grown alarmingly.  We see students from Fanshawe College, Western University, multiple private colleges, and newer Canadians enrolled in courses for English as a second language.  Some of them have insufficient funds from OSAP, some have part-time jobs, some have children, but the vast majority are single and have no income.  In a food bank that sees approximately 3600 families (of all sizes from one person and up) visit per month, we occasionally serve 20+ students on a Saturday morning, many of them repeat clients.  While that doesn't sound like many people, we used to only have two to five at most from 2004 until around mid-2011.  Many more make the trek during the weekday public hours for their emergency hamper that lasts four to five days.

We need a better loan program in this province, one that takes into account students supporting themselves through school, and also factors in the exorbitant price of books and rent, while allowing for a healthy, solid diet to fit into their budget.

The next time you hear someone say "starving student", or find yourself about to use the phrase, think about the gravity of the words:  the students truly starving may not take it lightly.

Concerns on cycling

What a packed month for activities at London City Hall!  Monday saw the approval to exempt Rockin' New Year's Eve from the fine for exceeding the maximum noise level, and Tuesday's decision to continue the study for the Blackfriars-Petersville heritage conservation district met (mostly) happy agreement.

This coming Monday, December 16th, the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meets at 4:00 PM (16h00) and the gallery should be packed:  a group of London cyclists have a delegation to encourage City Council to form a Cycling Advisory Committee (or "CAC").  

Photo courtesy of London Cycle Link

The City currently has 12 advisory committees.  These committees consist of community members who volunteer their time to give direction to the the standing committees - made up of city councillors - on items that fall into their purview.  (As an aside, I sit on the Advisory Committee on the Environment.)

Currently, many topics relating to cycling get discussed by the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC).  Of course, TAC also covers traffic, roadways, public transit, and so forth, and many feel that cycling gets lost in the mix and cyclists have requirements that differ from motor vehicles.

Most other cities of comparable size in Ontario have a CAC.  London has made great strides toward endorsing active transportation (walking, cycling, etc.) and having a CAC created will help greatly to achieve the established goals.  In essence, the City must embrace the idea of prioritizing transportation in the following order:

1. walking
2. cycling
3. public/mass transit
4. commercial vehicles
5. commuter traffic

Using this order of precedence reduces the number of commuter vehicles (normally single-occupancy travellers), which alleviates traffic congestion.  Less traffic means less wear and tear on the roads, eliminates the need to expand/add lanes (which only causes more traffic), lower pollution levels, and more room on the road for cyclists and busses.  It also means more money in the pockets of the everyday citizen:  33% of our energy costs in London (that's everybody who lives and works here) go toward powering vehicles at a cost of $433 million per year, and the vast majority of that money flows out of the city.

Young people also tend to avoid purchasing a vehicle - and who can blame them with thousands in student debt and trouble finding a job?  The need for a car to get around provides one of the biggest problems for London as a whole.  Students will choose to go to another city with adequate transit and access to safe cycling.

With cycling at #2 on the list above, the approval to create the Cycling Advisory Committee should receive unanimous consent on Monday.  Anyone voting against will require a darned convincing counter-argument (and it had better not contain the words "zero percent").

London's next heritage district - TONIGHT

Tonight at City Hall, staff will present a draft report on the Blackfriars/Petersville Heritage Conservation District Study to the Planning & Environment Committee.  The public participation meeting will commence no sooner than 5:15 PM (17h15), so if you have any interest in this study, make sure you get there in time.  The report holds much fascinating information, but I'll boil things down here.

Below shows the original study area undertaken by the consultants:

and this map shows the area proposed for heritage designation (in pink):

Basically, this adds heritage designation for the former villages of Petersville and Kensington (once amalgamated as London West before joining London).  The consultants decided that this area meets the criteria required for designation, while the other areas in yellow and blue remain strong contenders for future study.  Staff will request London Council to endorse this tentative boundary and to give authorization to prepare conservation guidelines for the proposed area, while asking that the other areas remain in consideration for study.

Should this pass, the study would recommend heritage status under the Ontario Heritage Act, and would make the Blackfriars/Petersville district the sixth such in the city.  This important move protects the architectural, cultural, and environmental features of the neighbourhood.

If you have any comments and can't make tonight's meeting, do send me a line as I am one of the community members acting as a resource to the consulting team, which includes getting feedback from residents to pass along for consideration.

For more information, check out the City of London's Web page for the study at:

http://www.london.ca/business/Planning-Development/land-use-applications/Pages/blackfriars-petersville-study.aspx

Hope to see a good crowd in the gallery tonight!

Let's make some noise!

Thank goodness for today's break from Winter: it gave me the opportunity to swap out the all-seasons for proper winter tires (the November squalls caught me unawares).  If you drive, make sure you have your vehicle properly equipped for our the impending snow and ice.  Today's respite will not last long, so I hope you can take advantage of today's higher temperatures to do whatever needs doing before the snow's return.

In my previous post about the proposed removal of mandatory composting at festivals in Victoria Park, I mentioned that we received much more information beyond that important topic. On the evening of Tuesday, October 22, the Special Events Public Consultation Meeting took place at the Civic Garden Complex.  Scott Stafford and Krista Kearns of the Community Services Department did an excellent job of going over the policies and procedures that will change in the 2013 manual for the 2014 season (with Ms. Kearns's assistant taking minutes). 

Ms. Kearns informed us that 180 events (including road closures and events at off-city property) in London attracted over one million people (locals and visitors) over the past year.  Of those, four events broke the noise policy outlined in section 13 of the manual by exceeding 90 decibels (dB): Rockin' New Year's Eve, Pride London Festival, Sunfest, and Rock the Park.  This means that they lost their $500 security for exceeding the noise level, and left themselves subject to by-law prosecution.

Ms. Kearns also announced that two of the organizers of Rockin' New Year's Eve, Ed Holder and Bruce McGuffin, made a request to have a complete exemption for noise during their event.  The existing exemption for this event reads:

• New Year's Eve Event will be limited to the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 midnight
• Announcements for the gathering of participants, on your mark, get set go and the singing of the national anthem at sporting events (not sound level not to exceed 90 db between 8 am - 9 am). All other amplified sound (ie: music) could not begin until 9 am)

It sounds like a reasonable request:  a vast majority of folks celebrate New Year's Eve in some fashion.  Music and other exciting noise coming from the bandshell to bring in the new year should pose no threat to anybody's enjoyment of the downtown.

A public participation meeting to discuss the proposed noise exemption (click for report from City staff) for the Rockin' New Year's Eve event at Victoria Park takes place on Monday, December 9 at 7:00 PM (19h00) at the Community and Protective Services Committee meeting, taking place at City Hall.  If you wish to have your input, don't miss this meeting.

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Also of note from this meeting, a gentleman who lives near the river in Blackfriars (making 66% of the audience residents of that neighbourhood - him and myself) suggested that Gibbons Park get used for festivals as an additional option.  Of the 92 days in June, July, and August, Victoria Park hosts events for 44 of those days.  The events schedule allows time (an "administrative week") to give the grounds a chance to recuperate.  Existing turf protection requires replacement, which allows this extended use of the park.

What do you think about opening Gibbons Park to festivals, to either give relief to Victoria Park or to facilitate even more events?

Campus cacaphony

This 'blog has been rather quiet of late, but the meeting at City Hall last week was anything but.

Last Wednesday, the Town and Gown Committee held a public participation meeting in the Council Chambers at City Hall.  Slated for three hours, the meeting bled over another 30 minutes past ten o'clock, with the public gallery dangerously close to capacity.

The crowd consisted of a roughly equal mix of residents living near the campusses of Western University and Fanshawe College, and students attending these two post-secondary institutions.  Conversations between these two groups took place as seven o'clock neared: an exchange of ideas that seemed cordial.

Before the public participation section of the night, Orest Katolyk (formerly called the manager of by-law enforcement, but now with the new title that committee chair and Ward 7 Councillor Matt Brown succeeded in remembering) gave an overview of how Project LEARN came about.  The Great Near-Campus Neighbourhood Strategy of 2008 identified three "customers" for the by-law enforcers: complainants (want immediate action); alleged violators (don't want to be bothered); and the general public ("silent majority").  2009 introduced a new noise by-law and a limit of five bedrooms in a unit.  Good baseline information on near-campus housing.

Police Chief Brad Duncan presented next, saying that "we are back at the same point as in 2005" when Project Speakeasy (predecessor to LEARN) came into effect to combat the increase in noise complaints with a balance of enforcement and education.  2009 introduced more strict enforcement after violence on Thurman Circle; then we have 2012 and the famous St. Patrick's Day riot on Fleming Drive, which gave way to a zero-tolerance policy.  Police felt that after six years, the message that students need to consider their neighbours and the community at large was not being received, acknowledged, or respected.  He admitted this short-term solution can not solve the issue.

For 2013, Chief Duncan noted that police issued warnings at Hallowe'en and this was successful; however, the Broughdale area continues to pose the largest problem, highlighted by a spontaneous party during Western's homecoming celebrations.

I counted 31 speakers in total, with 13 being students of either Western of Fanshawe.  Below lists some of the highlights noted by these people - the entire record should become available from the Town and Gown committee on their next agenda.

• Garbage, vandalism, urination on homes, "student Hell" from September to May
• Police use negative reinforcement and unjustly charge for noise complaints
• "95%" improvement since zero-tolerance implemented; used to the peace and quiet
• Students make up "10% of the population" and "need a place to release the pressure of growing up": special zone for parties? These students are "under the most pressure in history"
• It takes a village to raise a child; respect begets respect
• Collection of personal information was a bad move, but police had "honourable intentions"; 2% are trouble-makers, 8% watch (and join if no authority corrects them), and 90% are behaving
• Forget about the riot: "get over it"; police intimidate with "harassment" and go "fishing" for students, who are just like other residents (pay taxes, shop, etc.) and are Canadian citizens
• Can the students' councils and administrations help students fit into neighbourhoods?
• Noise issues disrupt sleep and cause health issues and shouldn't be disrupted living in own home; need "neighbourhood captains" to act as student leaders
• Likes the energy brought by students, but the riot was just a matter of time
• Students feel the "rules don't apply" and want "special treatment": if they acted as adults, there would be no problems with police
• Students hosting a charity party fined for noise as a "nuisance party" at discretion of officer; zero tolerance doesn't work
• Negative reinforcement not a good way to learn; only one out of five neighbours complained about a party
• Concerned for safety when walking at night downtown
• Make more neighbourhoods in the city more accessible to students; reduce pressure on near-campus areas
• "Reluctant and somewhat fearful" to give his opinion (retaliation by police)
• LEARN is working; "two groups missing" from conversation are landlords (to communicate information to students) and real-estate agents (need to stop pricing houses in near-campus areas as businesses, and need to give maintenance and by-law information to would-be landlords)
• "What's wrong with having a couch on your front lawn?"
• Police asked to smell the contents of a water bottle, and when accidentally dropped was issued a littering ticket
• Students contribute to the economy; zero tolerance is "too strict"
• Considers himself a London resident, but LEARN makes him feel like a "second-class citizen" and not like "an individual": this does not encourage interaction
• LEARN creates divide between students, citizens, and police
• Police can now use stung guns: are there "de-escalation routines"?
• Students have "a right" to live in neighbourhoods; need "environment of respect" since zero tolerance fosters hostility
• At the "tipping point" of too much student housing; feels "invaded" by realtors "speculating": need pre-emptive law enforcement and more transparent information on who owns a property
• Support for LEARN and residential homeowners
• Students asking police not to enforce law; "vast amount" of housing is illegal
• Need "community of caring, not blame"; tell students how to party "safely"
• LEARN "failed because we failed as a community"
• Lives in "ghetto" and has dealt with student issues for 30 years; at least 70% student concentration
• "No political cache" with students, so supporting LEARN is "politically expedient"

Living in Blackfriars, which is considered a "near-campus neighbourhood", we actually enjoy a good balance of students, long-term residents, and new families.  It's a balance that should perhaps prevail across the board.

In closing the public participation portion of the meeting, committee members had their chance to speak.  Another meeting, with public input hopefully on the table, should occur in the next couple of months.  Let's hope the points gathered will give both sides something to think about, and the "chasm" (as Mayor Joe Fontana put it) can be bridged happily.

De-Greening of the festivals

Remember in 2007 when "EcoStations" started popping up at the festivals in Victoria Park?  The initiative—dubbed "Greening of the festivals"—aimed to reduce waste by diverting recyclable and compostable materials from the garbage dump, and it came in endorsed by organizers of some of the heavy hitters such as Sunfest, Home County Folk Festival, and RibFest.  Championed by the City of London thanks to the efforts of Waste-Free World and Thames Region Ecological Association (TREA), the initiative targeted reducing the environmental impact of the festivals.

Greening of the festivals encouraged folks to bring their own dishes and drink containers or use the on-site reusable dishes, while also keeping in mind the three streams of waste disposal:  recycling, composting, and garbage.  The EcoStations provide an enormous number of volunteer hours, allowing citizens (particularly high-school students) to help out by instructing festival attendees how to properly dispose of their waste.  These volunteers  keep down the cost of running the EcoStations.

Photo courtesy of TREA

On Tuesday evening, the Special Events Public Consultation Meeting took place at the Civic Garden Complex.  Scott Stafford and Krista Kearns of the Community Services Department did an excellent job of going over the policies and procedures that will change in the 2013 manual for the 2014 season (with Ms. Kearns's assistant taking minutes).  Unfortunately, the ratio of staff members to audience participants was one to one:  for those who don't like mathematics, that means three staff at the front of the room and three of us in attendance.

Regardless of the turnout, the meeting proved very informative.  When Ms. Kearns began describing changes to "Section 9: Procedures for the use of Victoria Park", she started by noting that mechanical rides can no longer sit on the grass (instead they need to situate on the road), and trailers and vehicles must also locate on the road or another paved surface.    This all provides relief for the much-trampled grass in the park.

The bombshell followed:  EcoStations will henceforth only have two streams – garbage and recycling.  Unless the event organizer requests the third stream (composting), the City of London will only provide EcoStations with two types of containers for garbage and recycling, and event organizers no longer need to provide staffing.  The standard garbage cans already situated in the park will have blue bins twinned during the festival, with emptying of both a duty of the City.  Emptying the (two or three) bins at the EcoStations remain the responsibility of the event organizer.

When I asked for the reasoning behind removing the compost stream, Mr. Stafford explained that the original idea of having the EcoStations—with three streams and volunteers—came with anticipation of a green-bin program forthcoming by the City.  Volunteers in the EcoStations instruct festival-goers how to dispose of waste properly into three streams so that residents can repeat the same process at home:  garbage can, blue box, and green bin.  London citizens become more aware of the three-stream process and don't have to think as much about it when bringing in the green-bin program.  Pure and simple, no?

Now with no green-bin program on the horizon (the pilot project in Pond Mills concluded nearly a year ago and the current council appears to have no plans to implement a city-wide program), the staff conclusion aligns with not implementing green bins rather than continuing to make a progressive step toward waste diversion at these festivals.  The policy will continue to require one EcoStation for every four food vendors.  The City provides everything included in the EcoStations, while the event operator used to staff them (no longer a requirement).

Mr. Stafford also noted too much cross-contamination of materials for reaching the decision, with the efforts and costs going into the three-stream system not giving desired results.  They have decided to not look at re-introducing the third stream for composting until the City implements green bins (i.e. following the City's garbage-collection policy).

My final question to the staff members asked about where the compost went after collection.  Mr. Stafford didn't know for certain, but knew that the compostables went to an appropriate collection site (not Jay Stanford's backyard!), and promised to get the information to me.

I encourage the festival organizers to request the three-stream EcoStations going forward, while also continuing to recruit volunteers to run them.  The learning process must continue, lest the lessons of the past seven festival seasons become for naught.  This important initiative must not die because of inaction at City council to implement green bins.

Other topics included noise levels in Victoria and Harris Parks, which I shall cover in a future post.

'Our Move Forward' - don't miss it!

After a Thanksgiving weekend accompanied by spectacular weather (our family enjoyed a turkey dinner on my cousin's patio – hope you took similar advantage!), folks made their way back to the grind this morning, perhaps not quite so ready and willing to work off the indulgence of the holiday.  

Though a shortened week, do not forget about your last chance for input into the future of London's downtown:  a shared space for all citizens to live, work, and play.  From 5-7 PM tomorrow (Wednesday, October 16th) at the London Convention Centre, people interested in having their say about the plan for the core of our city will gather from across the city.

The City of London planning division’s invites all interested Londoners to attend and participate in this final community consultation for the Downtown Master Plan.  The content from their e-mail follows:

This event will further explore the proposed plan, the 6 recommended actions and 10 transformational projects found within the Draft Downtown Master Plan. There will be several interactive activities seeking the community's input on the importance and urgency of all the proposed actions and transformational projects. Further information on the Downtown Master Plan can be found here. For those unable to attend there will be an alternate method of participation, details will follow in an additional email after the October 16^th event.

RSVP for the event here, by emailing planning@london.ca or, by calling 519-661-4980

Having as many voices as possible into the direction of our downtown makes for a vibrant, stronger plan.  Hope to see you there!

On a quick end note, you may catch me on Rogers TV's "Daytime" program tomorrow.  The interview will discuss the role of the Advisory Committee on the Environment (ACE), who reports to council's Planning and Environment Committee.

Movers and shakers

What a week Londoners have experienced in the realm of historic businesses.  The Great West Steak House location receives a new lease on life and the Children's Museum searches for a new home, while the Idlewyld Inn closes its doors suddenly and Kingsmills goes up for sale.

The movers

Moving into an historic building:

Local marketing companies rtraction and Atmos Marketing have claimed the former Great West Steak House their new home.  While I had held out hope that a steak house would return some day (oh, the buffet!), having these firms take over this beautiful historic building will breath new life into the SoHo (South of Horton) neighbourhood - even if the building is technically north of Horton (NoHo?).  Great news for the community as the area continues its revitalization.

This grand old building was built in the 1880s by the Great Western Railway as a roundhouse, and the renovations will have as little impact as possible on the historic features of the structure.  Glad to see that they are banning any use of drywall, too.

Read the full story from Metro News.

Moving out of an historic building:

The announcement from the London Children's Museum caused some surprise this week, after inhabiting the former Riverview Public School for over 30 years.  While the search for a new building and the move will likely take two to four years, the building went up for sale on Wednesday.  For a museum that takes in over 80 000 visitors per year, the building has held up well as one of the oldest schools built in London; however, the museum requires more space for visiting exhibits and they have concerns about ongoing maintenance.  Best of luck to them in the search for a new home (McCormick factory, perhaps?).

Here's hoping a new owner keeps the heritage aspects alive and celebrated.  As an aside, two of my aunts attended the school back in the '40s and remember the separate entrances for boys and girls.  They also recall one day when they arrived late and the principal threatened them with the strap.  How times have changed.

Read the full story from Metro News.

The shakers

Dilemma: put up (the "for sale" sign) or shut up (the doors)?

Shock hit the Old South neighbourhood and the city when the Idlewyld Inn announced the closing of its doors on Monday.  Operating as a boutique hotel since 1986, the mansion was originally built in 1878 as a private home for a prominent Londoner, Charles Smith Hyman (businessman, mayor of London, federal cabinet minister, and decorated player of cricket and tennis).  It became an apartment building in the '30s and then a nursing home in the '60s.

A beautiful building with many architecturally significant features, it certainly faces no danger of dereliction or demolition.  A new owner will likely take over the existing business and carry on with the inn - hopefully before any further weddings or other celebrations require relocation.

Read the full story from CTV News.

Downtown jewel up for grabs

Shock of another kind came from downtown, with the announcement that the iconic Kingsmills department store looks for a new owner.  The store opened in 1865, predating the confederation of the Dominion of Canada, and has remained a staple of Dundas Street for generations.  In fact, the store has been owned and operated by five generations of the Kingsmill family throughout its history.

Truly an anomaly in today's globalized economy, many Londoners hope that a beneficial purchaser can take the reigns and continue on with business as usual. Losing this gem would strike at the heart of ongoing downtown revitalization.

Read the full story from Metro News.


Never a dull moment, eh?