Resident upset that Canada Post moved a graffiti-covered mailbox directly in front of his house. After taking a look, I don’t blame him.
Author Archive for Councillor Rob Lantz
Just received this from the Utility Projects Officer:
If you were on the fence about replacing an old or leaky toilet in your home, there is some added incentive this weekend!
Home Depot is having their annual Go Low Flow sale on high-efficiency toilets (dual-flush or 4.8 models). If you live in Charlottetown or have a business or rental property in the City, you are eligible to receive a rebate of $75 on these toilets when replacing up to 2 older models that use over 6L/flush.
So… if you purchase their Glacier Bay dual-flush model you will only end up paying $24 after rebate!
Visit the city website for more information on the low flow Toilet Rebate Program.
Combine water conservation with the city’s Voluntary Meter Program and you could save more money and help us conserve a precious resource.
Queen Street, 1962 (click image for larger view)
Photo courtesy of Charles Martorelli and used with his permission. It was taken by his late father Carmine sometime in 1962 on Queen Street at Richmond Street (Victoria Row) looking north west. The bell tower of City Hall is visible in the distance.
The old Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building is also visible in the background at the corner of Queen & Grafton. Such a shame that beautiful building was demolished.
More from the City of Charlottetown website:
The Canadian Bank of Commerce occupied the north west corner of Queen Street and Grafton Street since approximately 1910, when an impressive building “finished in terra cotta and Ohio brick…with a base of Pictou greystone” was constructed on the site (see above image). [1] The Bank was demolished in 1981, after a great outcry from a concerned citizens group, and the present modern brick facility was built. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was created from two of Canada’s largest banks- The Canadian Bank of Commerce and The Imperial Bank of Canada- in June 1961. Interestingly, the Canadian Bank of Commerce was an amalgam of a number of banks including Prince Edward Island’s own Merchants Bank of Prince Edward Island which entered into a merger with “The Commerce” in 1906.
The Brighton Beach Range Front Light is a designated heritage resource under the city’s Zoning & Development Bylaw. The lighthouse was built in 1890. It is an iconic symbol of our nautical heritage and provides a scenic shoreline vista that is photographed as much as, maybe more than, any other site in Charlottetown.
Random photos pulled from the photo sharing site Flickr.
When I was growing up in the area it was a popular pastime to shimmy around the edge of the lighthouse foundation at high tide, leaning against the exterior, trying not to fall in. I still remember when the Brighton shore around the lighthouse was lined with small summer cottages.
The lighthouse suffered extensive damage to the exterior walls from a storm in 2000. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which owns the lighthouse, was prepared to remove the lighthouse and replace it with a steel tower. After a massive public outcry DFO agreed to repair the existing structure instead. Since that time, as a member of Heritage Board (now the chair) I have been witness to further DFO threats that the lighthouse may yet be replaced with a simple pole. The concrete foundation is badly deteriorating and the walls suffered more structural damage from ice in recent years.
Last year, DFO declared the lighthouse “surplus” yet still active, meaning it is still a required navigational aid; a polite way of saying “that’s it, the building is too much trouble but we still need the light.” As we’ve seen from a couple of related media stories this week the deadline for declaring an interest in surplus lighthouses is approaching and groups from community’s across PEI are beginning to come forward.
Last summer I sent a letter to the DFO and Coast Guard. Late in the fall, senior city staff held discussions with federal counterparts which resulted in a draft Memorandum of Agreement for the transfer of ownership of the lighthouse, and a Contribution Agreement by which the feds will pay up to $120,000 to repair and reinforce the walls, construct a new concrete base and surround the foundation with a wide radius of protective armour stone.
Last night council agreed in principle to enter into these agreements pending final negotiations. If all goes well the work should be complete by early next summer.
Photo Courtesy of John Morris - jmweb.500px.com
I was fortunate to have a great deal of assistance from two residents near the lighthouse in navigating the DFO and Coast Guard bureaucracy. Kim Griffin and Dan Jenkins made many phone calls, engaged consulting engineers, and cajoled the Heritage Committee to pursue a transfer of ownership of the lighthouse. I’ve also heard from other nearby residents who are very concerned for the future of the lighthouse. We all agree the neighbourhood wouldn’t be the same without it.
Part of the challenge in protecting the lighthouse from increasingly frequent tidal surges is that it will remain a functional navigational aid so the elevation of the light must remain the same in relation to the rear range light. At some point in the future, if the light is no longer required, it may be possible to increase the height of the foundation to raise the entire structure out of harms way, but we believe the measures being taken will largely protect the lighthouse from any significant damage in the near future.
As the chair of Heritage Board it’s my job to ensure the integrity of our designated heritage resources is maintained. This one — having as much sentimental value to me and many other residents, and considering it’s aesthetic value to our waterfront and Victoria Park — is particular satisfying to be protecting.
Sgt. Dave Cheverie updated the Charlottetown Downtown Residents Association on Tuesday, November 29th, on efforts to curb the use of modified mufflers on motorcycles. These bikes are often extremely loud and are the bane of many city residents. Sgt. Cheverie has been working closely with the provincial department of Highway Safety to target Motor Vehicle Inspection sites that are negligently allowing bikes with modified pipes to pass inspection. One of the MVI stations lost its license and the news spread quickly through the community. Hopefully this will begin to have an effect as bikes are inspected annually.
Listen to Sgt. Cheverie speaking to the CDRA:
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I want CBC to move from University Avenue to a new location in our downtown core. All the other major media players are here and contribute greatly to a growing sense of vitality in the downtown. By all accounts, CBC Charlottetown no longer requires the enormous property they now occupy. In recent years other CBC stations have recognized the importance of relocating to, or reinvesting in, central locations where they can physically participate in the community they serve so well on air.
CBC Charlottetown building on University Avenue
There has been a corporate-wide cost saving trend at the CBC towards leasing, rather owning the their buildings. The current CBC building is inaccessible on that lonely stretch of University Avenue, isolated across four lanes of busy traffic from the fast food joints and auto repair shops that line the strip. It is not a pedestrian friendly destination. As gregarious and likeable as their on-air hosts are, their physical location makes it difficult to fully engage with the community.
Downtown Charlottetown offers several large vacant properties that would suit the CBC’s purposes very well and situate CBC reporters close to Province House, City Hall, provincial and federal government buildings, theaters, major events, music venues and people. Imagine Mitch and Matt doing Island Morning in a storefront location like K-ROCK and OCEAN (they’re lucky to catch a ray of daylight from their current studio bunker). Picture yourself watching Bruce broadcast Compass live from a street front studio and Boomer reporting weather from the sidewalk! Imagine being able to walk in off the street for an impromptu chat with Karen on Mainstreet.
I think CBC would be such an exciting tenant to have in our downtown and would contribute enormously to our cultural and social fabric in a way that is not possible where they currently are. Islanders are dedicated listeners and viewers; CBC PEI consistently has ratings well above the national average. A move downtown would bring the CBC closer to the public, revitalize both the organization and our city, and create a fresh new relationship with our public broadcaster.
Continue reading below for examples of what CBC is doing in other cities, and that illustrate what is possible here.
Had a call from Premier Ghiz about a broken water main near his house. Utility truck arrived while we talked. He congratulated me on my speedy response 
The Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) Committee, which I chair, is responsible for the implementation of our ICSP. Every municipality was required to develop an ICSP in order to be eligible for the federal Gas Tax Fund. One of the goals identified through the process of developing this plan with the public was the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Tonight, Brendan Elliott from CBC, asked this question about the City’s partnership with Bullfrog Power, announced at our monthly public meeting of council:
“How difficult is it to justify paying a little extra for this energy?”
Here’s how I answered (recorded on my iPhone):
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CBC News: Charlottetown spends on green power
IRAC has ruled against the appellants in the case of an apartment building constructed in the vicinity of a chemical plant. But in the process the commission has, by its own admission, wandered outside the scope of the question before it, making contradictory statements that on one hand endorse, and on the other, criticize actions of the city. IRAC lectures about dangers of the city using arbitrary discretion to deny applications, and then seems to suggest that’s what should have been done. They admit the site of the apartment building “meets code requirements” and that the “siting of these buildings represents an acceptable risk” but the city should not have allowed it anyway. They conclude, rightly, they would have no authority to hear an appeal of the zoning map adopted in the 1999 Official Plan, but then go on to offer their opinion on the matter. There’s even a cameo by the H1N1 virus.
This was a complicated file. Because it was an as-of-right application, meeting all requirements of the bylaw, National Building Code and the National Fire Protection Association codes NFPA 1 [Fire Code] and NFPA 30 [Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code] , the permit was issued by staff and council was not even aware of the development until it was underway. This is normal; Council is not involved in applications where all requirements are met. Staff were diligent in their examination of the safety issues involved and determined the risks were acceptable.
Would this apartment building be my first choice of residence, wedged as it is between the Trans-Canada and a chemical plant? Probably not. The property is zoned Highway Commercial (C2) but the developer chose, as was his right, to build a residential building.
IRAC ruled in favour of the city while seeming to go out of its way to appear even-handed, but in the process offered up contradictions and what amounts to editorial opinion on matters that were not within its mandate to review.
Many calls recently about snow removal issues, particularly sidewalks.
George Dark from Urban Strategies will be hosting a public open house to present Eastern Gateway Study, commissioned last year by CADC to create a long term vision for the eastern end of Charlottetown waterfront and entrance to the city at the foot of the Hillsborough bridge.
Mr. Dark presented the plan to City Council a few weeks ago. It is a bold plan – some would say radical – to transform the area into an inviting destination in our city. Mr. Dark is a very experienced planning consultant. His presentation of the plan and explanation of the planning principles involved is worth hearing in person. I encourage you to attend.
Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Time: In the afternoon at 2:00pm and in the evening at 7:00pm.
Place: Georgian Room at the Charlottetown Hotel
Keep in mind, it is a concept of what could be achieved over the long term. It would literally take decades and many millions of dollars to fully implement, but if adopted by council it will be a guiding plan for all future planning decisions in the area.
The City of Summerside is taking a public flogging after being allegedly duped by a shady entertainment outfit from California. The city transferred two payments of $650k to producers who claimed to be lining up a star-studded Michael Jackson tribute concert. We all know the details at this point; you can read the lawsuit yourself.
I wish Summerside good luck in recovering the lost money, and I don’t want to add to the storm of criticism they’re facing. But in defending their own actions, Summerside officials have drawn parallels to events that have been hosted in Charlottetown. So let me just state a few facts for clarification.
When I was first elected to Charlottetown city council I became vice-chair of a committee responsible for event attraction. In that role I spent a great deal of time dealing with the promoter who brought the Aerosmith concert to Charlottetown. Never, in any discussions with the promoter, was the city asked to put up the kind of cash Summerside did. Our sole contribution was police and fire services in-kind, which we estimated at a maximum value of $25,000. The city provides the same type of services, in the interest of public safety, for many large public events such as the Gold Cup & Saucer Parade, for example. The concert promoter took all the risks; he secured the artists and paid for the entire production, with his own money and with money from wealthy US investors he persuaded to share the risk with him.
Likewise with Tourism Charlottetown’s Cirque du Soleil shows last summer. TCI is an independent, non-profit organization. The city pays TCI about $125k/year for a range of specific services like leisure tourism marketing/advertising, and small operations like the Confederation Players troupe. Our contribution to the Cirque shows was again emergency services in-kind, and a small sponsorship fee of $10k. For TCI, the Cirque shows were not a financial success, but they were certainly great entertainment for thousands of people.
The amounts we contributed to these events was tiny compared to Summerside’s investment in their no-show event. Mega-concerts are great fun and welcome entertainment but the City of Charlottetown is not in the business of producing and promoting entertainment events and has never assumed the massive financial risks that come with them.
Always nice to get a voicemail like this: “…thank you for your prompt and efficient attention to solving my problem.”
The 11th annual City of Charlottetown Capital New Year in the Park will take place on Friday, December 31, at Victoria Park Clubhouse from 5:30-7:00pm.
There will be refreshments, music, horse and sleigh rides, and walks through the woods. At 7:00pm Reverend Matheson will give a Prayer for Peace for 2011 followed by a fireworks display.
This is a great community event for families that promotes peace and happiness for the coming new year.
Hope you can join in the celebration.
I’ve heard from several people recently offering to serve as resident members on committees. Nice to see the level of interest.
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