Further Thoughts on December 17/2018 Walk and Talk from Your Local Realtor Brad Sinclair: Municipal Council Pay and Comparisons and National Shortage Crisis

Municipal Council Pay and Comparisons 

Effective 2019 Municipal elected officials lose a 1/3 tax exemption that helped supplement their pay. Because of this loss of the exemption most councils throughout Ontario last year voted to bump up the pay of the next council. City of Peterborough's last council did not do this for some reason. Here is what local councils typically pay.

Peterborough councillor $27,720 (Council is looking for 30% to 40% pay raise)

City of Kawartha Lakes Councillor $48,050

Selwyn Councillor $22,029

City of Kawartha Lakes Deputy Mayor $50,970

Selwyn Deputy Mayor $26,767

Peterborough Mayor $67,703

City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor $111,790

Selwyn Mayor $39,823

National Shortage Crisis

Canada has a new crisis! There is a national shortage of product. What product you ask? Pot.  This national shortage is holding up the licensing process for recreational retail cannabis stores across Ontario. Alberta has stopped allowing new stores to open and Quebec is reducing stores operation hours and days open. The OCS now is working with federally licensed producers to monitor the availability of supply of pot and will continue to urge the federal government to take immediate action to insured licensed producers ramp up production in order to meet the anticipated market demand of their product. So in other words the government is really crappy drug dealer.

That is all I have for you today.  

When you are in a need for a Realtor Check me online at www.bradsinclair.ca I would like to have you business.

Written for you by:

Your local Realtor®

If you are looking to either Buy or Sell in Selwyn or Peterborough contact me immediately at 705-927-6236

Brad Sinclair, Sales Representative

Royal LePage Frank Real Estate Brokerage

Solving Problems and Making Things Happen in Real Estate since 2007

www.bradsinclair.ca

www.royallepagerealestate.com

www.gowaterfront.ca

Further Thoughts on December 14/2018 Walk and Talk from Your Local Realtor Brad Sinclair: Peterborough Petes VS Peterborough Lakers

I have been very vocal on the Peterborough Memorial Center floor issue in the last week. My heart breaks that the Lakers will not have a major arena to play in 2019. (In Peterborough)  Reading media reports there was a solution on the table that would save the Back to Back Mann Cup Winning Lakers season and satisfy the Petes needs by repairing the floor. I been critical of The Petes for pushing The City for a full floor replacement and not a repair. Burton Lee from the Petes and President Dave Pogue reached out to me to further discuss some facts about this issue which had not been well publicized. A few quick facts that we spoke about was the Petes were going to be displaced for a few months as well. The floor would not be complete until November. This would create a number of challenges to over come for the Petes as well. Also the current system also produces poor ice. This can be unsafe for the quick game of the OHL. One other fact we discussed was Mr.Pogue researched every possible angle and spoke to many experts including Dan Craig and no one had another viable option if the floor repair failed in any way.  I am going to meet with Mr. Pogue next week to see the facts and I will be sure to share with you what I find out in this meeting. Maybe I have been right all along, maybe I have been wrong. We will see.

Tomorrow the Lakers executive will meet to start planning what to do for their 2019 season. There was some talk of the Lakers folding for the 2019 season which does not seem like a very good path to take but the numbers are going to have to work for them not-to fold. To be honest with you I’m not sure if MSL would even survive is the Lakers folded for the year. The city has offered compensation for lost ticket revenue but The Lakers wonder if they will have enough sponsorship money without playing in front of the large crowds. Tim Barrie is quoted saying that "the compensation for the one year will not cut it. The City are doing irreparable damage to the Laker organization and if they kill this franchise it will take years to build it back up" Peterborough has offered the Evinrude Centre to the Lakers but that facility seats 750 fans and the current season ticket base is over 2100 fans. Tim Barrie also says the franchise has had other offers from other communities to host the Lakers but would not say who. The Lakers are going to have to be creative. It does sound like the Petes and the city will help where they can for marketing and promotion of the Lakers sponsors. I’m hoping they come up with something that works for them tomorrow.

That is all I have for you today.  

When you are in a need for a Realtor Check me online at www.bradsinclair.ca I would like to have you business.

Written for you by:

Your local Realtor®

If you are looking to either Buy or Sell in Selwyn or Peterborough contact me immediately at 705-927-6236

Brad Sinclair, Sales Representative

Royal LePage Frank Real Estate Brokerage

Solving Problems and Making Things Happen in Real Estate since 2007

www.bradsinclair.ca

www.royallepagerealestate.com

www.gowaterfront.ca

Peterborough needs to think bigger than the proposed twin pad arena

The proposed new twin pad arena at Trent University sounds like a great complex. The complex would have the following elements:

• a twin pad community arena
• an elevated running track
• off-ice training centre
• sport office and sport storage space
• administrative space
• multi-purpose and meeting facilities
• commercial opportunities
• the addition of a 25-metre, 10-lane competitive pool and a warm up pool is also being considered to be included in the first phase of the arena project.

The projected cost of this arena was announced at $53 million. The land was to be provided by Trent University. At this point what the deal between the City and Trent University to have the land is not clear to me or the public. The land also comes with a few issues including building on wetlands, endangered species and First Nations are not happy about the destruction of the lands as this project impacts treaties. I also hate the location of Trent for an arena. There is no easy access to the arena for opposing teams coming into the city. To get to the arena they would have to travel the Parkway to Lansdowne to Water or through the back roads of Douro-Dummer township to arrive at the rink. Also for tournament purposes there is no accommodations in the immediate area. The only way this location will work is if the Parkway is constructed.

The Rethink Group who was hired by the city for consultation. Rethink says the city is in need: 

So right from the start a twin pad is too small. Why are we not addressing the ice pad need first then adding all these "extras" that are ballooning the costs to build? Rethink projected costs of the twin pad complex at $20-26 million depending on level of finish. A Triple Pad was projected at $27-$36 million again depending on level of finish. To build a twin pad 8 acres of land is required and a triple pad arena requires 12 acres.

Now that the Provincial Government has held back the $18 million promised for this project the City has delayed the project by one year. The city has spent $2.1 million on architectural drawings. What a waste.

That all said I think the city should take the next year and come up with a new plan. The project does not meet the needs of the city. Why go though all this expense and time and build a complex that is too small? I just don't understand. Take this as an opportunity. Find a proper location in the city by the 115. Build a quad ice surface facility that would bring in weekend tournaments but not effect the ice time of teams and leagues not associated in that tournament. For funding, keep working on Federal and Provincial governments for funding but don't be fearful of approaching business and corporate partnerships for further funding.

What are your thoughts?

That is all I have for you today.  

When you are in a need for a Realtor Check me online at www.bradsinclair.ca I would like to have you business.

Written for you by:

Your local Realtor®

If you are looking to either Buy or Sell in Selwyn or Peterborough contact me immediately at 705-927-6236

Brad Sinclair, Sales Representative

Royal LePage Frank Real Estate Brokerage

Solving Problems and Making Things Happen in Real Estate since 2007

www.bradsinclair.ca

www.royallepagerealestate.com

www.gowaterfront.ca