WW: A tip to TheDog for the info.
Kelowna Capital News
City finds its new planning boss in Winnipeg
By Adrian Nieoczym - Kelowna Capital News
Published: July 15, 2008 10:00 PM
The City of Kelowna has hired a new head of planning.
Jim Paterson will be moving from Winnipeg to take on the position of general manager of community sustainability.
It’s a new position which replaces the old position of director of planning. It was created as part of City Hall’s organizational restructuring.
“I’m still pinching myself,” Paterson said from Winnipeg about being selected for the Kelowna job, which he is scheduled to start the first week of September.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/kelownacapitalnews/news/25491589.html
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Water park proposal raises concerns
ABOVE: Frank Liebzeit, president of the Sargent Park Improvement Team, is worried that the city’s plans to provide $7 million in funding for an indoor water park will negatively impact the Cindy Klassen Recreational Complex.(WW: Harvey Smith must not read the community newspapers.)
Water park proposal raises concerns
By Aaron Zeghers
The Lance et al
July 10, 2008
July 10, 2008
The head of the group overseeing improvements to the Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex says he has serious concerns about plans to build a privately-owned, state-of-the-art water park near the West End athletic facility.
Frank Liebzeit, president of the Sargent Park Improvement Team, said a proposed $43.6 million water park at Canad Inns Polo Park could have a negative impact on the operations of the city-owned athletic facility.
The city’s executive policy committee recently voted in favour of contributing $7 million towards the project. City council is expected to vote on the proposal on July 16.
http://www.canstarnews.com/page/story/the_lance/3227
PSA: Winnipeg Citizens’ Coalition’s Movie Night
You are invited to the Winnipeg Citizens’ Coalition’s upcoming Movie Night!
It's another day at Toronto 's city hall - and another characteristic outburst from former Mayor Mel Lastman. His target is the progressive opposition councillor and future mayor David Miller. Campaign: The Making of a Candidate is a smart insider look at the virtually unknown Miller in his run for mayor in what would become one of the most contentious campaigns in the city's history.
Date: Thursday, July 31st
Time: 8:00 to 10:00 PM (Following the Osborne Village Market)
Location: Gas Station Theatre at 445 River Avenue
Special Guest: To be announced
Tickets: $10 suggested and available at the door
You can help the Winnipeg Citizens’ Coalition promote Campaign: The Making of a Candidate by downloading a copy of the event poster at www.winnipegcitizenscoalition.com and sharing with family, friends and neighbours.
You can also join the Movie Night facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=18770187411&ref=share.
-30-
It's another day at Toronto 's city hall - and another characteristic outburst from former Mayor Mel Lastman. His target is the progressive opposition councillor and future mayor David Miller. Campaign: The Making of a Candidate is a smart insider look at the virtually unknown Miller in his run for mayor in what would become one of the most contentious campaigns in the city's history.
Date: Thursday, July 31st
Time: 8:00 to 10:00 PM (Following the Osborne Village Market)
Location: Gas Station Theatre at 445 River Avenue
Special Guest: To be announced
Tickets: $10 suggested and available at the door
You can help the Winnipeg Citizens’ Coalition promote Campaign: The Making of a Candidate by downloading a copy of the event poster at www.winnipegcitizenscoalition.com and sharing with family, friends and neighbours.
You can also join the Movie Night facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=18770187411&ref=share.
-30-
Monday, July 14, 2008
This time, full disclosure
Winnipegers never really perceived the heart of darkness that was True North. Perhaps one man did. Is Rocky Kravetsky the new Stadium oracle? Should his opponents stone him just in case, or is really not worth their bother?
View from the West
This time, full disclosure
Analysis of True North process shows new stadium should be built on facts, not spin, myths and magic
The Winnipeg Free Press
Rocky Kravetsky
Updated: July 13, 2008 at 12:05 AM CDT
Rocky Kravetsky is a Winnipeg lawyer. He represented the Save the Eaton's Building Coalition in the legal side of its battles against the City of Winnipeg over the construction of the True North Arena. The Master Funding Agreement was first disclosed to the public when it became, over the city's objections, part of the record in that litigation. Mr. Kravetsky suspects he is one of a very few people who has actually read the Master Funding Agreement.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/westview/story/4198276p-4789875c.html
View from the West
This time, full disclosure
Analysis of True North process shows new stadium should be built on facts, not spin, myths and magic
The Winnipeg Free Press
Rocky Kravetsky
Updated: July 13, 2008 at 12:05 AM CDT
Rocky Kravetsky is a Winnipeg lawyer. He represented the Save the Eaton's Building Coalition in the legal side of its battles against the City of Winnipeg over the construction of the True North Arena. The Master Funding Agreement was first disclosed to the public when it became, over the city's objections, part of the record in that litigation. Mr. Kravetsky suspects he is one of a very few people who has actually read the Master Funding Agreement.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/westview/story/4198276p-4789875c.html
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Robert Akman, Grandin Park and ACI Properties
On May 9, 2003 Akman Consolidated Inc. officially merged with Robert Akman’s own company, Windjammer Enterprises Ltd. At that time Bob Akman was preparing to leave the Presidency of Creswin, the Asper family’s investment/holding company. Akman’s new corporation, ACI Properties Ltd., is located at 900 - 400 St. Mary Avenue in downtown Winnipeg. These are the law offices of Taylor McCaffrey LLP.
The major shareholder in ACI, with 1,000,000 Class A preference shares, is Robert Akman. Akman serves as Chairman, President and Secretary. Andrew Akman of Toronto is the corporation’s VP. Karen Michelle Bergman is the Marketing Director and Debra Corsaro is the Executive Assistant.
In September 26, 2006 Gwyneth, Justine, Matthew and Steven Akman left the ACI Board. (They are probably junior family members.)
As a long time watcher of Grandin Park, the Private-Public-Partnership that built the Royalwood subdivision in St. Boniface, I had always wondered about one listed shareholder.
Robert M. Akman is listed as owning “10% or more of issued voting shares” in Grandin Park Despite having only “2 common shares” he is a major investor.
Bob Akman was never mentioned by me or by the main stream media even as we were exploring the relationship between Ladco’s Borger family and the Province of Manitoba. This fact amazes me in hindsight.
Robert Akman was the President of Creswin, the Asper family development company, until June 1, 2003. That means that as the Borger family bulldozers, on behalf of Grandin Park, were clear cutting a hole into the Bois-des-esprits forest in April 2002, causing major media interest in the development, the President of the Asper’s Creswin was also a major shareholder in Grandin Park. This was never fully appreciated until now.
ACI Properties Ltd. is not listed in the Yellow Pages. It has no website. While its name occurs on the City of Winnipeg and Manitoba Securities websites with regards to a few new Shopper’s Drug Mart locations it has no real digital “paper trail.” With the WFP Search Engine still offline I cannot find out much more about it. One clue is a WFP article posted by a third party. (A definite no-no these days at the WFP.)
Water, sewer rates up again?
Huge cost overruns projected for plants - Engineers admit lowballing estimates
Winnipeg Free Press
Wednesday May 10 2006
By Mary Agnes Welch
maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca
The city also chose to break up the [water treatment plant] construction into 52 smaller, more manageable jobs. Tendering out the whole plant may have locked in prices but would have likely attracted very fewer bidders, if any, with much higher prices, said Mike Shkolny, the department's top engineer.
The $100-million overrun has prompted one business leader, major landowner Bob Akman, to question the city's ability to properly manage taxpayers' money. "Did they not know that steel was going up, that concrete was going up, that labour was going up?" said Akman, president and CEO of ACI Properties. "Could they not have locked in the contracts? I'm sick and tired of this gong show."
So Bob Akman is a “major landowner.” What land does he own? The WFP never says. As Creswin President during the Izzy years Bob Akman is a man with a unique and interesting perspective on the Stadium location debate. Why has the Winnipeg Free Press never interviewed this grey eminence? Why do we know so little of this powerful developer? Enquiring minds want to know.
The major shareholder in ACI, with 1,000,000 Class A preference shares, is Robert Akman. Akman serves as Chairman, President and Secretary. Andrew Akman of Toronto is the corporation’s VP. Karen Michelle Bergman is the Marketing Director and Debra Corsaro is the Executive Assistant.
In September 26, 2006 Gwyneth, Justine, Matthew and Steven Akman left the ACI Board. (They are probably junior family members.)
As a long time watcher of Grandin Park, the Private-Public-Partnership that built the Royalwood subdivision in St. Boniface, I had always wondered about one listed shareholder.
Robert M. Akman is listed as owning “10% or more of issued voting shares” in Grandin Park Despite having only “2 common shares” he is a major investor.
Bob Akman was never mentioned by me or by the main stream media even as we were exploring the relationship between Ladco’s Borger family and the Province of Manitoba. This fact amazes me in hindsight.
Robert Akman was the President of Creswin, the Asper family development company, until June 1, 2003. That means that as the Borger family bulldozers, on behalf of Grandin Park, were clear cutting a hole into the Bois-des-esprits forest in April 2002, causing major media interest in the development, the President of the Asper’s Creswin was also a major shareholder in Grandin Park. This was never fully appreciated until now.
ACI Properties Ltd. is not listed in the Yellow Pages. It has no website. While its name occurs on the City of Winnipeg and Manitoba Securities websites with regards to a few new Shopper’s Drug Mart locations it has no real digital “paper trail.” With the WFP Search Engine still offline I cannot find out much more about it. One clue is a WFP article posted by a third party. (A definite no-no these days at the WFP.)
Water, sewer rates up again?
Huge cost overruns projected for plants - Engineers admit lowballing estimates
Winnipeg Free Press
Wednesday May 10 2006
By Mary Agnes Welch
maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca
The city also chose to break up the [water treatment plant] construction into 52 smaller, more manageable jobs. Tendering out the whole plant may have locked in prices but would have likely attracted very fewer bidders, if any, with much higher prices, said Mike Shkolny, the department's top engineer.
The $100-million overrun has prompted one business leader, major landowner Bob Akman, to question the city's ability to properly manage taxpayers' money. "Did they not know that steel was going up, that concrete was going up, that labour was going up?" said Akman, president and CEO of ACI Properties. "Could they not have locked in the contracts? I'm sick and tired of this gong show."
So Bob Akman is a “major landowner.” What land does he own? The WFP never says. As Creswin President during the Izzy years Bob Akman is a man with a unique and interesting perspective on the Stadium location debate. Why has the Winnipeg Free Press never interviewed this grey eminence? Why do we know so little of this powerful developer? Enquiring minds want to know.
The Real Gatehouse
It is ironic that Augustus Nanton built the lovely home where Senator Rod Zimmer lives today as well as the Nanton Building, one of my favourite downtown buildings. The wedge shaped Nanton was torn down to create the office tower where the Asper family’s Canwest Global and Creswin have their headquarters today.
http://www.winnipeg.ca/PPD/historic/pdf-consv/Roslyn229-long.pdf
http://www.winnipeg.ca/PPD/historic/pdf-consv/Roslyn229-long.pdf
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