UTRCA to prepare Thames River park master plan

Erastus Burgess trained horses

His land is important to Woodstock's history and future 

By Mark Schadenberg

I’m not sure what Erastus Burgess would have thought, but the former thoroughbred horse trainer from Woodstock will see the lands that still bear his name as Burgess Park locally be under debate one more time.

Burgess, who was inducted in the Woodstock Sports Wall Of Fame in 2008, was honoured then based on training and owning race horses in the 1880s era. In 1885, Burgess was the trainer and owner of Willie W -- winner of the Queen's Plate in a time of 2:58.0 when the race was contested over 1.5-mile oval. The jockey's name was William Jamieson. Burgess was also trainer of 1880 Queen's Plate champion Bonnie Bird, and 1881 winner Vice Chancellor. 

Erastus Burgess died in 1916, but locally he is remembered.

A few recent years ago, the Burgess / Standard Tube parks were part of local controversy when the Sally Creek subdivision was attempting to negotiate control of a significant portion of the acreage to complete the design and build of an 18-hole golf course. The course today is still nine holes.

The Burgess property is recognized by its entry to trails along the Thames River on Tecumseh Street just below the Highway 59 / Vansittart Ave train/river bridge.

UTRCA To Write Report

The City of Woodstock at a council meeting last Thursday (March 7) announced it would be writing a cheque for $60,000 to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) to conduct a master plan study of the entire 227 acres. With the trails behind ArcelorMittal (Standard Tube historically) and bordering both sides of the Thames River decimated by the emerald ash borer, now is the time to determine the area’s exact future.

First and foremost – in my opinion – a roadway must be built that connects the Sally Creek subdivision (likely at Fairway Road) westward to The 11^th Line which is also the west boundary of the city, as a small subdivision is currently in the final drawing stage there. Without this suggested artery, the access to both Dundas Street and Downtown travelling south, the Alder Grange neighbourhood to the east of Highway 59 and the Sally Creek residential area itself would be cumbersome. In other words, the 11^th Line is in Woodstock, so it must also be connected to the city.

The request for UTRCA to pen a master plan report for City Council was made by Brian Connors, director of Woodstock parks and recreation, stating: “The master plan is a long-range guideline document for the management and protection of the area. The purpose of undertaking a master plan . . . is to formalize the management strategies that have been implemented over the years and to provide new direction for the restoration and preservation of this significant area, balanced with recreational demands of local residents.”

If you have wandered through these (former) trails by bike or on foot you will realize what a treasure exists here, but how much work has to be done to re-forest and maybe to some degree re-focus sections of the lands which are currently fallow farmland.

The Connors report indicates the project will need four phases, but will begin this month.

Making Contact

Want to learn more about Woodstock as a destination to call home, contact:

Mark Schadenberg

Sales Representative

Royal LePage Triland Realty

(519) 537-1553

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Full-time Realtor with more than 14 years experience.

Romeo & Juliet and Fiddler On The Roof

Shakespearean festival in Stratford announces 2012 deficit

By Mark Schadenberg

It is certainly possible that the toughest entertainment business is the movie theatre game as you open the doors everyday to your 7-plex (Woodstock) movie house and just hope the movies in current release will attract a crowd.

You can’t sell popcorn and nachos with a fake cheese dip if all the movies available are a disappointment.

Avid movie folks will still see just about everything and anything as it arrives on the big screen, but most will want a good review, a popular cast and positive word-of-mouth advertising.

On the flip side, could you imagine operating an entire stage theatre festival season in a slow economy – fewer disposable dollars available for entertainment.

At The Stratford Festival (www.stratfordfestival.ca; 1-800-567-1600) in 2012, there was a reported deficit of $3.4 million due in part to a reduction of about 5% in total ticket sales.

The 2013 lineup appears to be very strong with Shakespeare productions of Romeo & Juliet, Othello, Measure For Measure, and the old ‘pound of flesh’ (0.4536 of a kg) Shylock show known as The Merchant Of Venice (Starring this time Brian Bedford and Tom McCamus). If you add in Fiddler On The Roof, rock opera Tommy, Waiting For Godot, Three Musketeers (Alexandre Dumas), and Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, this calendar year should be a strong rebound.

Having said that, the 2012 lineup was strong (Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, Pirates of Penzance, 42^nd Street), but the number of visitors was down and a news story I watched on local CTV stations noted that theatre fans were also simply watching fewer shows – maybe picking the best three to enjoy instead of a longer list on stagings.

Could it be possible that the crowds are seeing the same show too often? My speculation solely as The Merchant Of Venice was last produced as recently as 2001 when Al Waxman was slated for the marquee lead role before passing away and being replaced by Paul Soles. Also, Brent Carver starred in Fiddler in 2000.

At the end of the analysis, it’s a difficult juggle between which shows are the most recognizable and well-known storylines that draw a significant audience, compared to which lesser-known Canadian playwrights deserve a major boost with a summer Stratford season appearance.

Also, are there enough attractions in Stratford (championship golf courses, etc) and quality high-end hotels to create a one-destination vacation. Or, do visitors spend two nights in Stratford on their way to Toronto or perhaps Niagara-On-The-Lake and The Falls. Does the Stratford Festival advertise itself in southern Ontario with the increase in stay-cations? One can not say the prices are too high because this is the best level of acting and overall productions available anywhere.  

I was just three years old when The Who recorded Tommy, so the pinball wizard is a draw to all demographics now. Tommy along with Fiddler and The Bard are great anchors for 2013.

Here’s the press clipping from the Stratford Beacon-Herald:

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Stratford Festival looking for box office turnaround

By Donal O'Connor, The Beacon Herald

Saturday, March 9, 2013

STRATFORD -- Despite acclaim from theatre critics and audiences the Stratford Festival experienced a 5% drop in attendance in its 2012 season that has resulted in a $3.4 million deficit.

The fall in attendance has not been a secret but the official accounting for the Festival's 60th season was presented to members Saturday at the theatre's annual general meeting.

The revenue shortfall occurred in spite of donor contributions to operations totalling $13.3 million – the highest in the Festival's history – and the transfer of $2.3 million from the Endowment Foundation.

Treasurer Dan Bernstein reported that expenditures were about $57.7 million and revenues, including government contributions of 5.4 million, amounted to about $54.3 million.

Undaunted, artistic director Antoni Cimolino noted in his address that the theatre has faced and surmounted economic challenges before.

“It is often in the face of adversity that we achieve the most clarity – a principle that is right at the centre of drama, from the ancient Greeks to William Shakespeare and to plays that were written yesterday,” he said. “Hard times have a way of stripping away superfluities and requiring us to confront the essence of who we are and what we're doing.”

Cimolino outlined a vision for the Festival that includes seeking out the most talented theatre artists in Canada and from around the world and providing them with unsurpassed opportunities to hone their skills even further.

And citing the Laboratory program that he'll introduce this year, he suggested it will enhance the Festival as a home for the re-invigoration of the classics and work-shopping of new large-scale works with a potential to be staged around the world.

In a written address to the board, past artistic director Des McAnuff expressed regret the 2012 season did not do as well at the box office as it did critically.

Although it was not an unreasonable decision to stage 14 productions for the theatre's 60th season, he said, it proved to be “overly ambitious.”

In a message delivered by board chair David Goldbloom, McAnuff challenged the Festival to find new ways to attract philanthropic gifts and other sources of revenue such as grants from foundations and governments so that the theatre is less reliant on ticket sales and market conditions.

“It must be more widely recognized that the Stratford Festival is one of the great artistic institutions of Canada and a formidable cultural resource in North America,” he said. “In a healthy society a leading theatre is not a luxury.”

Also addressing the membership at the AGM was Festival executive director Anita Gaffney who cited a number of special events and marketing initiatives designed to attracted new audiences and re-attract lapsed patrons.

Gaffney said there's already an 11 % increase in U.S. ticket sales so far this year, a 100% increase in “lapsed patrons” and some increase in new patrons as well.

The average number of tickets that people are purchasing is also up, she reported.

"I think we're seeing some very promising signals for the season ahead.”

General Motors invests $250 million in Cami

Great news for Ingersoll auto assembly plant

By Mark Schadenberg

INGERSOLL -- The Cami car plant in Ingersoll is a shining example of the southern Ontario economy’s strength in automobile assembly.

This past week it was announced that General Motors will be investing $250 million into the factory that builds Equinox and Terrain vehicles and thereby reinforcing Cami as a significant player in the Oxford County economy.

In The London Free Press, Ingersoll CAW Local 88 boss Mike VanBoekel, said it best: “It is fantastic news, it reflects on our membership, we got this thanks to their work.”

Quality workmanship at Cami 

Another report from the national CAW boss echoed VanBoekel’s comments as CAW National president Ken Lewenza, said: "New investment in infrastructure is difficult to obtain in today's economic climate. This success can be directly attributed to the quality work of CAW members at Cami."

Cami employees more than 3,000 already and that number should grow as the GM plant expansion will permit the building of other car designs in a more versatile body shop.

“Conversion of the Cami Assembly plant to a flexible manufacturing facility will provide Cami with the ability to produce multiple global architectures and body styles,” Kevin Williams, president and managing director, General Motors of Canada, said in a statement included in the Free Press story as written by Norman DeBono.

“We have had a strong start to 2013 with customer demand for our newest vehicles driving improved sales,” added Williams, “This is strong confirmation that our investing in manufacturing flexibility, finding ways to bring new products to market faster, is the right strategy.”

Cami started 26 years ago

Cami Automotiove was established back in 1986 as an association between GM and Suzuki, and quickly became known in the SUV world for its Geo Tracker and Suzuki Sidekicks.

By 1993, Cami had already built 500,000 vehicles. Other cars to roll off the assembly line previously include the Firefly, Metro, Vitara, Torrent and XL7.

According to links I read online, Suzuki departed from the shared agreement in 2009, giving General Motors sole possession.

A widely released Canadian Press reported noted the market share of GM. According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, General Motors brands currently account for about 14 per cent of Canadian sales of passenger vehicles and light trucks.

As of February, GM Canada was third in national sales volume — trailing Chrysler/Fiat and Ford. Together, the three U.S.-based auto companies accounted for about 47.3 per cent of Canadian sales in the first two months of 2013.

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For the full story see this link from The London Free Press:   http://www.lfpress.com/2013/03/08/cami-investment-secures-next-generation-vehicles

    

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Another reason why Woodstock, Ingersoll and Oxford County should be on your house hunting shopping list.

Contact: 

Mark Schadenberg, sales representative

Royal LePage Triland Realty

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

(519) 537-1553

Learn about house hunting process

Home Buyer's Seminar slated for March 26

By Mark Schadenberg

If you’re planning to buy your first home in the near future, you should call me.

If you want to learn as much as you can in one night from many specialists, you should attend the Home Buyer’s Seminar on Tuesday, March 26, 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Four Points in London at 1150 Wellington Road (681-0600 or www.fourpointslondonontario.com).

Organized by Dominion Lending Centre – Great Lakes, the evening is to feature several guest speakers, including discussion on closing costs and the role of a lawyer in a house transaction, plus the importance of having a home inspection before finalizing a purchase. You can better understand high-ratio mortgages and CMHC insurance as a rep from CMHC will be in attendance. Home insurance and a thorough analysis of different types of mortgages will be on the agenda – variable rates, amortization timetables and calculating how much you can afford in payments whether they’re bi-weekly or monthly.

Our Royal LePage Triland office features an experienced group of Dominion Lending Centre (http://www.dominionlending.ca/mortgage-professional-benefits) mortgage advisors working in-house. For example, when you are qualifying yourself for a mortgage you can attend the March 26 seminar or contact Rita Nicholson anytime at (519) 636-2946 (or email: ranicholson@rogers.com) and she will meet with you at your house at your best time and convenience. I would get in trouble if I told you how many years Rita’s career has been in the financial world.

If you plan on attending on March 26, contact me and I will make sure you’re on the guest list, or call 495-7487.

Best Time Could Be Now !

By the way, this could possibly be the best time ever to buy as home prices are stable (not rising quickly) and you can negotiate a five-year mortgage for as low as 2.89%.

Finally, if it’s your preference to obtain a mortgage from your current financial institution, that’s great too. There are several very good mortgage reps locally.

Call me today, so we can begin the process of home buying – your future could be now !

Mark Schadenberg

Sales Representative

Royal LePage Triland Realty

757 Dundas St, Woodstock

(519) 537-1553

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Discussion . . . Direction . . .  Determination . . . Destination

CFL doesn't select London as site

Tiger-Cats schedule for Guelph announced

By Mark Schadenberg

I’m still mildly miffed.

You could say, put a tick beside my name of CFL fans somewhat ticked that London didn’t receive any Hamilton Tiger-Cats home games.

The Canadian Football League’s Tabbies will call the University of Guelph home for eight (nine including pre-season) home dates and Moncton, New Brunswick for one contest.

When the CFL released its full schedule this past week, I was in the camp that was still hoping and wishing you could put three cities down for Hamilton football in 2013 as the Ticats (www.ticats.ca) usual home Yvor Wynne Stadium is getting a complete re-build.

Take it from someone who has seen more than 20 football games in London’s TD Waterhouse complex (Rogers TV commentary for Mustangs, OVFL and even London high school championships), the Western University campus would have been a good choice for our pro pigskin. Temporary seats could easily increase capacity to 18,000 (There will be 14,000 ducats in Guelph). The CFL might envision expansion in the future, which I think should include all of -- Quebec City, Moncton, Halifax and London.

I would guess that Guelph became the logical selection because geographically it’s much closer for Tigers-Cats fans to make the trek from Steel Town to the Royal City.

Anyway, here’s some bits and pieces of three stories that appeared in The Guelph Mercury newspaper

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Tony Saxon & Drew Edwards

The Guelph Mercury

March 6, 2013

Give the Hamilton Ticats credit. They delivered a spirited ‘Guelph’ launch event Wednesday.

GUELPH – The only thing missing was the marching band.

Like every good pep rally, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats officially kicked off their year in Guelph Wednesday with a gala event at the Cutten Fields complete with cheerleaders, rousing speeches and cherished alumni.

“It’s about fun, first and foremost, but for us in Guelph, this is a bit more. This will become part of our sports history,” Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge said.

Although the temporary redesign of Alumni Stadium is yet complete, it is expected to hold roughly 14,000 fans for the nine home games the Tiger-Cats will play there this summer.

Around 3,000 of those seats will be reserved for Guelph residents.

Ticats Director of Ticket Sales and Service Gerry Fonzo said Guelph fans wanting to put down deposits on a season ticket can call the team’s ticket office now. Prices will range from roughly $300 to $835.

Single game tickets are expected to go on sale mid-May.

Canadian Football League president Mark Cohon was one of roughly 250 people in attendance at Wednesday’s event, including U of G vice-president Brenda Whiteside, Gryphon football coach Stu Lang and members of Guelph’s high school and minor football programs.

King Kong Mosca

Owner Bob Young, President Scott Mitchell, several players, head coach/general manager Kent Austin and legendary alumni Angelo Mosca represented the Tiger-Cats.

Ticats owner Bob Young said the team resonates beyond the borders of Hamilton and has no doubt its year in Guelph will be a success.

“It’s so much a part of the history of not just Hamilton, but Southern Ontario and Canada generally,” Young said.

The Ticats released their 2013 schedule and it has them playing one pre-season game and eight regular season games at the University of Guelph stadium. The Tiger-Cats also have a regular-season game scheduled to be played at Moncton in September.

First game at Alumni Stadium will be a pre-season tilt with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers June 20. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Ticats will not be playing their annual Labour Day Classic against the Toronto Argonauts. However, those two teams are to play at Alumni Stadium on Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 14) at 4:30 p.m.

Six of the Ticats home games at Alumni Stadium are to be played on Saturdays, with game times varying from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They’re also to play one Sunday game.

Tabbies Schedule

The following is the Ticats schedule for Alumni Stadium.

Thur., June 20: vs. Winnipeg, 7 p.m. (Exhibition)

Sun., July 7: vs. Edmonton, 5 p.m.

Sat., July 13: vs. Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m.

Sat., July 27: vs. Saskatchewan, 7:30 p.m.

Sat., Aug. 24: vs. Winnipeg, 1 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 7: vs. B.C., 4 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 28: vs. Calgary, 6 p.m.

Mon., Oct. 14: vs. Toronto, 4:30 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 26: vs. Montreal, 1 p.m.

Learning Curve 

Given that it’s his first year at the helm, coach Kent Austin acknowledged there will likely be a learning curve for players as they learn new schemes and terminology on both offence and defence. The schedule may ease whatever growing pains there are.

“I like the fact that going down the stretch, six of the last seven games are against Eastern opponents,” Austin said. “All games matter but some games matter more. Hopefully, we’re playing our best football and we’re healthy at that time of the year.”

 “We had some interesting offers to play some neutral site games but we thought that one would be plenty, particularly because of the reaction in Guelph,” Mitchell said.

Empty factory to be revived by Homestead

Harvey Woods would be great as multi-unit residential apartment

By Mark Schadenberg

What to do with an empty church and a former sock factory?

In Woodstock, it’s all about conversion into apartment buildings. Revive the mortar and renovate. Create some residential yield from a brownfield building.

On Winniett Street locally there is now a multi-unit apartment, which I’m sure includes low-income residences, inside a previous church.

Just three blocks away on Dundas Street, the old Paquette hosiery factory has been converted also.

Next on the list will be 18 VanSittart Avenue, which about 20 years ago closed over there (where?) under the name of a Harvey Woods (Just made you say underwear) plant. There was a time – I believe -- when Harvey Woods had five locations in Woodstock.

Coming to the rescue of 18 VanAve is Homestead Christian Care (HCC; www.homesteadchristiancare.ca) to add walls, bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms to evolve into 80 units with many for low income or fixed income residents.

Michael Harding member of delegation

Last month, re-surfacing was former Woodstock mayor Michael Harding, who is a key figure in this HCC project, and he was part of a delegation at city council to gain approval for a zoning change.

The motion was granted.

HCC is a Hamilton-based company, but already has a strong foot-hold in Woodstock as the developer of the Blossom Park Road facility off Devonshire Avenue.

Watching city council on TV, you could see Harding’s enthusiasm that this structure will be revitalized and also remembered as the ‘old maple’ hardwood flooring will be re-surfaced.

It’s expected that the first phase of construction will begin late this spring and include as many as 54 one-bedroom apartments with 2014 occupancy. The next and final phase would include 26 more units. The average apartment, according to a story in The Woodstock Sentinel-Review, would be less than 600 sq ft.

Central Woodstock & Downtown

The story added that the demand exists for this type of urban and central Woodstock housing.

“In the county, there’s an absolute decline in one-bedroom units period. People living on disability are spending more than half, 60 per cent of their income just paying for housing,” Harding said in The Sentinel bit by Tara Bowie.

The estimated cost of renting a one-bedroom unit at the HCC building will be $479 per month – well below the average of $762 for market value one-bedroom unit.

After a visit to Woodstock council, the HCC contingent crossed the street to Oxford County council to receive their blessing and dollars for available county funding for geared-to-income residences.

That motion also passed with the county apparently agreeing to contribute $200,000 annually, according to a story reported on Heart-FM (104.7 FM). The report added that provincial and federal monies would also be allocated to this project.

Motto: Homestead Christian Care creates affordable housing communities that support people seeking health, wellness and belonging.

 http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2013/02/19/proposed-development-for-woodstocks-former-harvey-woods-building-moving-forward

Mark Schadenberg

Sales Representative

Royal LePage Triland Realty

Woodstock, Ont

(519) 537-1553

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Christmas present from London stage

Elf part of 13-14 Grand Theatre lineup
By Mark Schadenberg
Since Will Ferrell is busy filming Anchorman 2 I'm sure you won't see him in London before next Christmas.
However, an adaptation of his movie Elf will be part of the 2013-14 season at The Grand Theatre (www.grandtheatre.com) in Downtown London.
It will be a difficult task of casting the role of Elf as in the movie Ferrell thinks he's a real elf from the Santa Claus workshop. Elf -- in my opinion -- is already a holiday family classic and it was released in 2003 with James Caan, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Richter, and Ed Asner as Santa.
The Grand Theatre will stage the story, Nov. 20 - Jan. 4.
In the movie, Buddy the Elf arrives in New York City to find his real Dad. Much of the humour revolves around food as Buddy declares: "We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup." 
Two more very recognizable names from the large screen are on the Grand Theatre schedule with the high school production announced as Legally Blonde (Sept. 17-28 and sponsored by Canadian Tire) and the music revue show is Ring Of Fire: The Music Of Johnny Cash (Oct 15 - Nov. 2).  The 'man in black' show is slated to include 38 songs and tell (or sing) the biography of Cash. 
The 2014 calendar will begin with a touch of Wingfield farm comedy as Doug and Rod Beattie present The Passion of Narcisse Mondoux (Jan 21 - Feb 8).
Pulitizer Prize finalist
Other Desert Cities takes over the stage next (Feb.  18 - March 8). The play by Jon Robin Baitz, premiered Off-Broadway in January 2011 and transferred to Broadway in November 2011. It was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The storyline revolves around a family member writing a book that reveals a family secret. 
The season wraps up with The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee (March 18 - April 12), and finally Robert Chafe's Oil And Water (April 22 - May 10), which is based in Newfoundland in 1942. 
For more details on ticket packages for the season, call (519) 672-8800 or visit the box office at the theatre at 471 Richmond St in London. Ticket packages include discounts for larger groups.
Don't forget this year
By the way, the 2012-13 season is still underway, continuing with Mom's The Word: For Crying Out Loud (March 19 - April 6) and Dance Legends (April 16 - May 18). 
In Mom's The Word, the web site bills the production as: "outrageously funny, poignant and true vignettes of motherhood".
Dance Legends takes you back to the moves of Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly, plus Cyd Charisse, Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis Jr, along with stars of this generation like Michael Jackson. 
If you like Shakespeare, the spring high school show is The Taming Of The Shrew (April 23-27) at McManus Studio.

Opening in 1901 as a concert hall, the Grand Theatre has not always been used for concerts and plays as it was a first-run movie theatre until about 1945, and then re-established for live performing arts.
Twitter: @thegrandlondon