Dispatches From North Of The Border

Oakville is in danger of becoming an over-regulated community

12 May 2010 5/12/2010 01:02:00 pm by Unknown 0 comments

The following was an open letter sent to most of the Town of Oakville elected officials on May 10, 2010 through TwitLongeR. Some councillors did not have digital access that was easily accessible and thus will not have received this pleading.

As drive-thru regulation comes to Council, I would urge you to see the many positive impacts of drive-thrus as well as the many who will be negatively impacted by over regulation, in this case the banning of drive-thrus in some of or all of Oakville. Drive thrus are an extremely important operations and perform an important economic function for many people in the Town of Oakville.

One group that will be particularly impacted by the over-regulating of drive-thrus. Persons with disabilities require them and they have both a physical and economic positive impact for them.

At businesses where drive-thrus are used there is never enough accessible parking where the traffic change over by customers is large and everyone is in a hurry, and only going to be just "a minute". You can't legislate morality but you can think through the implications of user friendly access being banned or over regulated. The abuse of disability parking spots would increase at many more high traffic places.

Disability parking is usually filled with irresponsible users and because small businesses generally are only required to provide one spot based on use or the overall size of a plaza and owners with planning approval them throughout the plaza at inconvenient and unsafe locations. In many places convenience spots for "women with small children", which are not even legally defined spots in Ontario equal or out number disability spots. There are many issues to look at beyond the seeming appeal as a green piece of legislation.

There is much bigger set of issues that changing one item, such as eliminating drive-thrus, puts into play. It is not just traffic or property value it is the value of a our Town and how it serves all members of its city, not just the Property owner. If you do not change the parking access by-laws to provide significantly more accessible parking then as Oakville faces its ageing boomer issues , the town will not be addressing the problems it creates by what seems to be a "green" bylaw but in fact is a discriminatory by-law without all the angles thought about.

It is, in my opinion, the time that council started representing the needs of all citizens not just property owners who claim that their property is some how devalued. Lack of access is a devaluing of a person and their rights which may not be addressed.

PLEASE do not ban drive-thrus now or into future planning or the great function of drive-thrus to all citizens will be lost. The added cost of lost business opportunities and economic development may well impact many businesses and thus the economy of Oakville.

I see a very negative business climate potentially developing here in Oakville as we attempt to regulate everything that moves. I would urge you to see the Oakville Chamber of Commerce response to Councils passing of the particulate bylaw as an example.

Aside: One example of business abuse ( not blaming the owner or the new facility) just the reality of the Town not doing its job, is found at the new Oakville Entertainment Centre at Dundas and Trafalgar.

This new large attendance venue has no disability parking (the new purveyors/owners have blocked off the only disability space). The only option for a person with a disability is to park across the lot and then travel behind parked vehicles where they can not be seen. I know The Entertainment Centre is not a drive-thru but it is an example of a new facility, given a permit but not having to morally or legally comply with the law. Either the town planners did not require changes or the need for a patio seems to trump access and safety.

Regardless, there is a need to think outside the box when passing by-laws/regulation which will affect many others beyond the local neighbourhood.

Oakville is a community, not just a series of lobbying block neighbourhoods, and the interest of ALL citizens and those who come to Oakville should be addressed.

Posted in acessibility, bylaws, council, discrimination, Oakville, overregulation, regulation, Town of Oakville

COGECO models Air Canada, customer indifference service model ! !

10 Apr 2010 4/10/2010 12:34:00 pm by Unknown 0 comments

Dear COGECO, @COGECO and the world!

The third COGECO modem in a year died Thursday. In twitter e-language - #cogecofail, #cogecoepicfail, #fail.

I went to a COGECO store Friday as directed by CSR, on the telephone, both of which are not what you think they are. Adventures of indifference and apathy and broken customer service follows.

AS directed, I can wait a week for a field technician or I can go to a COGECO store. I opt for the store and use my gas, my time and I bring home a new "faster" modem. Install! No signal. Store has not set up the new modem properly, no MAC id. I still have no internet connectivity.

Next, call COGECO (third time now in less than 12 hours, give name and number and info FOUR times, to four different COGECO support people (See a pattern here?) and finally get to an "internet technician".

COGECO internet technician" on phone is useless. COGECO "technicians" are CSR reps who can read messages on their computer screen confirming what you already know.

Told they would have technical support, inside COGECO, fix and install the correct MAC id and modem would be “provisioned properly” and running Saturday. HAH!

Called Saturday morning about status of technical support on my “order” and told it could take another 24-48 hours. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER but monopoly means no choices.

When calling COGECO Saturday morning, caller (me) has two choices, push 1 if you wish UFC pay TV tonight, push 2 if you need customer support. Can you guess? CORRECT! No access to COGECO customer support by pushing 2 as directed.

So, I reluctantly push 1 and get a pay TV CSR who would be pleased to take my $49.95.

COGECO claims to provide in home telephone service. They can't get their own phone service working as CSR noted they were having troubles. Glad I called to confirm what I knew.

After playing something like “chatroulette” when COGECO transfers you, I am transferred to other silo for CSR support. Notice they don't call this customer help. And they definitely work in narrow vision silos at COGECO.

Well you can guess … after transfer, this also took me the mandatort routine of giving ID and all personal info FOUR times and then I reach a CSR "internet technician". Now ask for someone to help. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER.

After much soul searching by COGECO CSR rep, I am deigned worthy of speaking with a Technical internet supervisor, who is actually technically literate and knows their systems. Supervisor says modem not set up properly and tries to help but RF indicators out of spec. Confirms what I know and called to tell them.

Really upset at this point with indifference of everyone in COGECO, CSR Support and technical support. They should be called CSR No-support reps.

Supervisor finally agrees to send out a technician tomorrow (Sunday) however I would have to remain at home all day. I AGREE to this because I want what I am paying for!

After hanging up, I go back to the start of my home cable connections and unplug everything and re-plug same setup and make sure all my cables are still plugged in and tight, as they were before.

Amazingly, after about 20 minutes, I finally get an internet signal connection through my new high speed modem and voilà, I have THE Internet. YEAH!

Called back to COGECO to see if they wish to save some money and not have a field technician come out because I am now working and have internet connection. (You know the drill, same routine their phone system still not working and usual 4x to give personal info before you can actually speak with someone).

Can you see why they are less profitable, as reported yesterday in their earnings release? Maybe someone in executive management should actually try calling their own support services.

Not deemed significant enough to speak to same supervisor I spoke with fifteen minutes ago, we both agree that maybe there is a signal degrade outside the home, and the technician will still be sent and I need to stay home ALL day Sunday. (better than a work day as to availability for me). COGECO equipment technician will still come out.

So, I will be under “COGECO house arrest” Sunday, all day, because COGECO has poor quality, poor training, poor service and poor customer assitance.

COGECO is fast becoming a Rogers cable clone and they are taking aim at becoming the totally indifferent uncaring business that Air Canada is known for. Customer indifference!

These same cable companies were the same cable companies that spent tens, if not hundreds of millions of share holder equity telling the public and coercing the CRTC that they should keep their monopolies and charge customers MORE for even less support, service, poor quality cable TV, internet services and phone services.

Tomorrow, I am chained to my computer from 8:00 AM Sunday to 7:00 PM (I do this during the week however I get remuneration) wasting more of my time. If it is sunny and warm and I miss a whole day of time, money and living waiting for COGECO … well you know!

So COGECO, I will be cancelling my cable TV Monday. Yes, I know it will take me the four times to connect with a person to cancel my cable TV. But I will endure so I don't have to in the future.

Maybe ongoing loss of revenue will convince COGECO that customers are important to their operation and ultimate survival.

COGECO if I could get another internet provider here in monopoly land I would be totally gone from your indifference and lack of service.

Posted in 2010, cable, cable companies, COGECO, CSR, customer apathy, monolpy, world

Sneezing and your personal health!

19 May 2009 5/19/2009 06:51:00 pm by Unknown 0 comments

With the "Swine Flu" (Influenza A(H1N1) renamed for political correctness, moving about the world I wanted to better understand the scientific aspect of a sneeze. The "Swine Flu" has been moving around at least two of our local high schools here in Oakville, Ontario.

Today, I went to the doctor because I was exhibiting many of the symptoms associated with this flu. As a teacher, we are always infected with many illnesses found in our barn, oops sorry I meant school, which are due to the "Herd Syndrome".

Apparently ... in three days, I will know if I am a carrier or just overly concerned. The doctor said being at school was not an issue.

Will I have infected many of my students and/or fellow teachers should I return a positive A(H1N1) flu swab? Hmmm ?

With lots of unexplained personal sneezes and a low-grade fever, plus a few more of the usual cold/flu symptoms, I started reading about sneezing. I know what a fever is but wanted to know more about a SNEEZE!

The following excerpt from "Your Total Health" within iVillage, a subsidiary of NBC best describes the process of a sneeze:

"A sneeze is a reflex which causes a sudden, forceful burst of air through the nose and mouth. Sneezing is an involuntary response to many different physical stimuli or conditions.

The medical term for sneezing is sternutation. It is a way for the body to get rid of something irritating in the upper respiratory tract. It is a normal process and not usually a cause for concern. Many animals sneeze, including dogs and cats – although, unlike humans, animals sneeze only through the nose and not the mouth.

Sneezing is actually a complex physical process that involves the brain, nose, mouth and chest. It is a way for the body to get rid of a foreign object, such as particles of dirt stirred up in a cloud from a passing car. Other reasons to sneeze include exposure to bright light, which is a poorly understood reflex that appears to be an inherited trait. Individuals with this condition are called photic sneezers. Sneezing is also a symptom of allergies, colds, flu and many serious diseases.

The sneeze process begins when the nose encounters certain types of physical stimuli (e.g., dust, smoke, light). This stimulus informs a part of the brain called the sneeze center that something must be expelled from the nose and nasal cavity. The brain then sends a message to several different muscle groups. These muscles must all contract in the correct order for a sneeze to take place. The muscles and their order of contraction include:

Abdominal muscles
Chest muscles
Diaphragm (large muscles beneath the lungs)
Vocal cord muscles
Muscles in the back of the throat
Muscles in the eyelids (the eyes involuntarily close during a sneeze)"

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5209267990255594008

I would urge you to go to the "Your Total Health" site and read on about sneezing and your health.

Just so you know, having your nasal cavity swabbed with some form of "semi-painful" swab, ("Naw ... this doesn't hurt!") brought tears to my right eye, the same side as the nasal swab. None to my left eye. Apparently my parasympathetic nerve system in my head still works.

Remember: Be Safe Out There and Stay Healthy!

Posted in A(H1N1), Herd Syndrome, pandemic, personal health, sneeze, sneezing, Swine Flu

BusinesstoCRACY

29 Nov 2008 11/29/2008 09:00:00 am by Unknown

From alleged democracy to "businesstoCRAZY" to economic ruin!

A smile of "Ahhhhh" and then a giant, sad feeling rolled over me as I read an 18 month old blog by Andy Hobsbawm from 30 April 2007. Hobsbawm was writing in his blog, " Small Is the Next Big Thing " that the world was/is rushing head long toward some type of disaster.

It is November 2008 and the ruling class "giants", the "businesstocracy" including the once might RBS, Merrill Lynch, CitiBank and the worshiped Goldman Sachs and so many more, who had have set about to collect all the marbles in the game of life, may have destroyed the economic game in which they made the rules.

In 2008, we have seen the collapse of RBS, Washington Mutual, CitiBank, Bear Stearns and the all powerful Goldman Sachs. The shell game of who has the money now is over. The difference in this game was one of scope of size in the shell. In this case, three card Monty wasn't for the one dollar a game variety it was for legalized pocket picking of billions of dollars with each play of the the game.

In "collecting things" (called money) they, the "giants", all may have set the world back to the likes of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The extent of the depression may not be seen in the same way as the '30s but for many the effects will be felt in the same way or even worse.

Will the decade of the 2010s be the new Great Depression?

Only time and history will tell, but already, during the last year, the world has seen a world economic collapse which is hundreds of times greater than that of the 1930s and for many the new depression is just beginning.It will not matter what the politicians and "leaders" of the world call it, for many it is already the new depression.

For the real poor of the world, in the undeveloped counties, the new depression will have no immediate effect. They have always been the worlds' neglected and will continue to be.

If the old order ran as a "businesstocracy" the new social and economic world order will require new rules and new leaders.

The question that can be answered rhetorically, "Did the world have any leaders during the last 20-30 years?" INDEED! It was the "businesstocracy"!

If one simply replaces the second letter "c", in businesstocracy, one has the reality of that old ruling class and the games played with other peoples lives: buinesstoCRAZY.

Long live the new order ... what ever that is!

Posted in 2008, affluence, blogging, businesstocracy, businesstocrazy, democracy, gr8wheelss, great depression, recession, Small Is the Next Big Thing

97

11 Nov 2008 11/11/2008 07:07:00 pm by Unknown 0 comments

97 >>> the number of Canadian soldiers who have died serving Canada in Afghanistan

November 11, 2008 was the 90th anniversary marking the end of "The War To End All Wars".

90 years later Canada is involved in the war in Afghanistan, our only war involvement since the Korean War. The time spent in the the theatre of war in Afghanistan has been longer than the time Canada was involved in either WWI or WWII.

Canada's Fallen Soldiers - 97 as of 11/11/2008 at 11:00 hours

Sgt Prescott Shipway

Age: 36

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group

Deceased: September 7, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Corporal Andrew Paul Grenon

Age: 23

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group

Deceased: September 3, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Corporal Michael James Alexander Seggie

Age: 21

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group

Deceased: September 3, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Private Chadwick James Horn

Age: 21

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group

Deceased: September 3, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Sapper Stephan John Stock

Age: 25

Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)

Deceased: August 20, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Corporal Dustin Roy Robert Joseph Wasden

Age: 25

Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)

Deceased: August 20, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Sergeant Shawn Allen Eades

Age: 33

Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)

Deceased: August 20, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Master Cpl Erin Doyle

Age: 32

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton Alberta

Deceased: August 11, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Master Corporal Joshua Brian Roberts

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: August 9, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey District, Afghanistan.

Corporal James (Jim) Hayward Arnal

Age: 25

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: July 18, 2008

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Private Colin William Wilmot

Age: 24

Unit: 1 Field Ambulance, Edmonton (Alberta)

Deceased: July 5, 2008

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Corporal Brendan Anthony Downey

Age: 37

Unit: Military Police Detachment in Dundurn, Saskatchewan

Deceased: July 4, 2008

Incident: Non combat related

Captain Jonathan (Jon) Sutherland Snyder

Age: 26

Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alberta

Deceased: June 7, 2008

Incident: Accident, Zhari District, Afghanistan

Captain Richard Steven Leary

Age: 32

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: June 3, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan.

Corporal Michael Starker

Age: 36

Unit: 15 (Edmonton) Field Ambulance, Calgary, Alberta

Deceased: May 6, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey District, Afghanistan.

Private Terry John Street

Age: 24

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: April 4, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan

Sergeant Jason Boyes

Age: 32

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: March 16, 2008

Incident: Explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan.

Bombardier Jérémie Ouellet

Age: 22

Unit: 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: March 11, 2008

Incident: Non combat related

Trooper Michael Y. Hayakaze

Age: 25

Unit: Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), Edmonton, Alberta

Deceased: March 2, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan.

Corporal Étienne Gonthier

Age: 21

Home Town:

Unit: 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, Valcartier, Québec

Deceased: January 23, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan.

Trooper Richard Renaud

Age: 26

Home Town: Alma, Quebec

Unit: 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: January 15, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Arghandab district, Afghanistan.

Warrant Officer Hani Massouh

Age : 41

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: January 6, 2008

Incident: Military vehicle rollover, Nalgham, Zhari District, Afghanistan

Corporal Éric Labbé

Age : 31

Home Town: Rimouski, Quebec

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: January 6, 2008

Incident: Military vehicle rollover, Nalgham, Zhari District, Afghanistan

Gunner Jonathan Dion

Age: 27

Home Town: Gatineau, Quebec

Unit: 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: December 30, 2007

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey District, Afghanistan

Private Michel Jr. Lévesque

Age: 25

Home Town: Rivière-Rouge, Quebec

Unit: 3 Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: November 17, 2007

Incident: Improvised explosive device, near Ma’sum Ghar, Afghanistan

Corporal Nicolas R. Beauchamp

Age: 28

Home Town: Montréal, Quebec

Unit: 5 Field Ambulance, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: November 17, 2007

Incident: Improvised explosive device, near Ma’sum Ghar, Afghanistan

Corporal Nathan Hornburg

Age: 24

Home Town: Calgary, Alberta

Unit: The King’s Own Calgary Regiment, Alberta

Deceased: September 24, 2007

Incident: Mortar attack, Panjwayi District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

Major Raymond Mark Ruckpaul

Age: 42

Home Town: Hamilton, Ontario

Unit: Armoured Corps, The Royal Canadian Dragoons

Deceased: August 29, 2007

Incident: Non-combat-related death, Kabul, Afghanistan

Master Corporal Christian Duchesne

Age: 34

Home Town: Montreal, Québec

Unit: 5th Field Ambulance, 5 Area Support Group, Valcartier, Québec

Deceased: August 22, 2007

Incident: Landmine, Afghanistan

Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier

Age: 43

Home Town: Weedon, Québec

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Québec

Deceased: August 22, 2007

Incident: Landmine, Afghanistan

Private Simon Longtin

Age: 23

Home Town: Longueuil, Québec

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Québec

Deceased: August 19, 2007