It’s coming up on three months since city council unanimously agreed to declare certain parcels of land that partially comprise Jonas Park to be declared surplus to the city and those parcels will be sold to Doug Tarry Limited for future residential development west of the Elgin Country Railway Museum (ECRM).
And it’s been almost three years since Tarry declared proposed residential development on land currently owned by the museum is an opportunity to revitalize that portion of downtown St. Thomas.
In the summer of 2021, Tarry sought to purchase eight acres of railway land immediately west of the museum at $300,000 per acre for a low-rise residential development that would front onto a new street to be created off Ross Street and north of Jonas Street.

Following council’s vote on Feb.20 Tarry stressed, “Last night was a much-needed next step for the railway lands. Official comment is, we are honoured by and respectful of the faith that council has shown us.
“Investing into our downtown by honouring our railway heritage while creating a sustainable future is part of Doug Tarry Limited’s continuing vision for our community engagement projects, such as our support of the elevated park and Project Tiny Hope.

“Our dad would be so proud of this commitment. As he taught us, ‘Always leave the campsite better than you found it.’”
As Mayor Joe Preston stressed at that council meeting, “This is the start to the process and we will touch it many times.
“This is the city being bold with the railway lands. What is the best thing we can do with the railway lands in downtown St. Thomas?”

“The land should be used for its intended purpose – to educate and celebrate our deep rich history in the rail industry. It is crucial that ECRM follows their mandate to preserve and protect all railway assets.”

Bold is not quite the adjective area resident Terry Mason connects to council’s decision.
Mason has lived on Barnes Street for more than 40 years and he is more than a little passionate about Jonas Park. And city council green-lighting the deal with Doug Tarry has spurred Mason into action.
He has launched a petition calling for the railway museum lands to be preserved for historical education.
“He wants to put 240 units in an area one-third of the size of the whole neighbourhood. I mean that is really packing them in.
“In my 40 years here, it’s always been a parkland.”
In his petition which you can find here, Mason stresses, “This proposed construction goes against everything that ECRM stands for.
“The land should be used for its intended purpose – to educate and celebrate our deep rich history in the rail industry. It is crucial that ECRM follows their mandate to preserve and protect all railway assets.”
Speaking with Mason this past week while sitting at a picnic table in Jonas Park, he observed “What I find disappointing is Doug Tarry has always been a well-respected builder.
“It just upsets me that I don’t see it as helping the museum when you take half their property for profit.”
In July of 2021, we talked with Matt Janes, then vice-president of the museum’s board of directors and he laid the cards on the table.
“The reason we’re doing this is we need to raise money in order to protect our main assets which are the museum building and the collection.
“And so by selling a portion of the land, the money we raise will go a long way toward protecting and restoring the building and protecting the tremendous collection we have.”
He continued, “I think the main concern of a lot of the members is that the railway aspect of the museum – the ability to access our collection of rolling stock and to bring trains onto the site – be maintained.
“We’re committed to maintaining the railway aspect of the museum.”
Janes continued, “Doug Tarry personally and his company have been a tremendous boost to the city in any number of ways. And, he’s also nationally recognized as an energy-efficient homebuilder.
“We as a board are very confident that we’ve got a developer who is going to look after . . . the broader interests of the museum and the downtown core.

“We call on ECRM not only as neighbours but also as stewards of local history – let’s preserve this land together.”

“We’re pretty confident if this goes through, they’ll do what’s really important to look after not just their own interests, but the broader community interest as well.”
Mason is not convinced.
“It’s pretty bad when you start off by selling half of your property.”
A better route, according to Mason, would be a community fundraising drive to preserve the museum.
“I know the community would get behind that place and there’s a lot of things you can do to bring in money.”
His petition points to the fact, “railways played an essential role in shaping Canada’s history and development.
“They were instrumental in connecting communities across vast landscapes and facilitating trade (according to Transport Canada).
“This rich history deserves preservation not just for us but also for future generations.”
Mason’s petition concludes, “We must ensure that this land remains dedicated to celebrating our railway heritage rather than being sold off for apartment buildings.
“We call on ECRM not only as neighbours but also as stewards of local history – let’s preserve this land together.”
It would appear that is likewise the goal of Doug Tarry.
“I don’t want to see that beautiful, Edwardian-era building fall down because there is no money to fix it. So, we are committed to doing what we can on our part to revitalize the downtown core and part of that is trying to see if we can’t move forward with helping with the building.
“Certainly we can’t cover the entire cost of that, it’s fairly significant, but don’t we have an obligation as a community to try?”
It would appear there is common ground here.

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HOW TO PROCEED WITH EV CHARGING STATIONS 

There is little doubt the powers-to-be at city hall are quite determined to proceed full tilt to earn the title for St. Thomas of EV Battery Manufacturing Capital of Canada.
However, caution is more evident regarding how residents, visitors and out-of-town employees will charge the batteries in their electric vehicles.
That is evident in a report prepared at council’s request to be presented at Monday’s (May 13) meeting.
Lou Pompilii, Director of Planning and Building Services, authored the lengthy document along with Allister MacLean, Special Projects Planner.
The purpose of the report is “to provide an analysis of potential for partnerships, incentive programs and municipal regulations needed to implement effective policy and guidance for EV charging stations throughout the municipality and develop a guideline document which could form part of the Official Plan as well as a basis to further implement future amendments to city bylaws, regulation, forms and programs to assist homeowners, developers and the municipality in addressing its strategic goals relating to environmental stewardship and encouraging EV charging station installations through the city.”
No small task.

“A study published in the journal Nature Energy in 2021 indicated that as many as one in five zero-emission vehicle owners reverted back to gas-operated vehicles because of inconvenient charging access.”

The report is chock full of enlightening statistics.
It quotes a December 2021 CBC article, “Canada is mandating that 50 per cent of new cars sold in 2030 must be emissions-free, growing to 100 per cent in 2035”. It also noted that no one is taking the lead to make sure people know what that means in terms of how much electricity or how many charging stations will be needed to accommodate this shift.
The report continues, “A study published in the journal Nature Energy in 2021 indicated that as many as one in five zero-emission vehicle owners reverted back to gas-operated vehicles because of inconvenient charging access.”
Can’t say that is a widely known stat.
Continuing, the report to council advises, “According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, owners of electric vehicles do more than 80 per cent of their charging at home. In keeping with these figures, the consensus is that most Canadians will charge their EVs at home, likely overnight.
“The availability of EV charging at home is one of the most important factors in an individual’s decision to purchase an EV. New homes can be equipped with EV charging relatively cheaply compared to the cost of retrofitting at a later date. Energy management system technology, which allows multiple charging points to safely use a single circuit simultaneously, also makes it more feasible to install EV charging in multi-family residential buildings.
“As a result, it is imperative that in addition to the need for available public chargers, private or semi-private chargers such as those which could be incorporated within new developments are also necessary to ensure that the switch to electric vehicles is successful.
“In the case of high-rise buildings, one study found the incremental cost of installing electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) to be under $2,000 per space, while the cost of retrofitting the infrastructure later is nearly $6,000 per space.”

“If planned correctly, all of these costs can be passed off to the user.”

Let’s fast forward to the conclusion.
“Based on the above analysis there are many factors to consider when a municipality/developer/homeowner/business decides to accommodate electric vehicle service equipment.
“Before the city considers implementing any changes to accommodate EVSE, a comprehensive review with necessary affected parties (i.e. homeowners, developers, utility companies, etc.) is necessary before any networked chargers can require payment to cover the cost of electricity, maintenance, and software fees. If planned correctly, all of these costs can be passed off to the user.”
And all in place by 2035.
All parties involved have a long road to travel before reaching this destination.

GORD CAMPBELL AND THE DESIRE TO MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD

We were not made aware of his death until the city council meeting this past Monday (May 6), otherwise, a tribute to Gord Campbell would have appeared in this corner last week.
He passed away last Friday at the age of 85.
An employee at the Ford Canada St. Thomas Assembly Plant for over 40 years, Campbell served on council for more than three decades.
And over that period, Campbell became one of the most quoted city politicians in this space.
He could be contrary at times, likewise, Campbell was often a man on a mission when it came to the wellbeing of this community and the residents of St. Thomas.
This corner will never forget an early encounter with Campbell standing in the middle of a street questioning him on a neighbourhood issue he was particularly passionate about.
Being eager to get a comment from him, he suggested if I didn’t remove my cassette tape recorder – tells you how long ago this happened – from in front of him, I would soon acquire a taste for magnetic tape and plastic.
I learned there was a lot of bark there, but the bite generally was not quite so serious.
Over my long working relationship with Campbell, there were many memorable moments and words of wisdom to catalogue.
However, to this day, one very serious issue is etched in my memory.
It was mid-September, 2003, and Campbell had just met with then St. Thomas police Chief Bill Lynch to discuss “a serious breach of etiquette” at city hall.
The purpose of the meeting was to determine if there was enough evidence to warrant an investigation.
Campbell had told me he had concerns about ‘a serious breach of etiquette involving the public works community that had never been resolved.’
The matter at hand dealt with alleged sexual harassment that had “demoralized” several employees at city hall.
I was able to earn the trust of the women involved to obtain a written statement from them confirming the allegation.
Campbell’s subsequent actions led to the firing of then-city treasurer Ron Cutway.
Over the past two decades, there have been several other outbreaks of harassing behaviour in the corridors of city hall which have been documented here.
In November of 2014, Campbell had been particularly impassioned during his farewell address to council and city voters, having made the decision not to seek re-election.
He made a subtle reference to a sordid bit of muzzling that transpired almost 13 years previously.

“We’re giving out money to people who haven’t even asked for it.”

Campbell, you see, was denied the opportunity to wish his peers and supporters a formal adieu when he failed to gain re-election in the 2003 municipal vote.
However, he was not alone.
Ald. Sharon Crosby — also defeated at the polls — was likewise silenced when the final meetings of the term were cancelled, ostensibly due to a lack of city business.
Well, the mayor at the time was Jeff Kohler, appointed to head of council in September of 2003 when Peter Ostojic chose to vacate the mayor’s office to pursue a full-time position elsewhere at city hall.
Was the cupboard truly empty of items that needed to be addressed or was it payback time for the pair who were vehemently opposed to a downtown location for the city’s proposed twin-pad arena?
Giving them an open microphone — as was tradition upon defeat or retirement — might have proven embarrassing, especially in the case of Crosby, who perhaps could have used the opportunity to shed light on the strategy employed by some of her peers to deny her a voice during the definitive vote on the location of the Timken Centre.
To her credit, Crosby never revealed to the public either of these unsavoury chapters in the history of a council that had been characterized at the time as “dysfunctional.”
In that same farewell address, Campbell observed, “We have, unfortunately, not always agreed, but we have the same desire to move this city forward.”
When it came time for a memorable quote, Campbell was a master wordsmith.
Hard to pick a favourite but this gem from 2011 still triggers a smile.
Campbell had announced, “We’re giving out money to people who haven’t even asked for it,” following a budget session in which several community organizations received a greater amount than they had requested.

“We’ve just passed on to the treasury department 50 or 60,000 dollars worth of grant requests under petitions and communications and I think at some point we’re going to have to make it known that the ratepayer can only afford so many in the grant requests and I can’t support another $5,000.”

During a council meeting in November 2013, he remarked, “We treat the vehicle reserve as if it is some kind of vehicle slush fund.”
His observation on liberties often taken with the city’s vehicle reserve fund during deliberations on the 2014 capital budget.
An incident earlier that year illustrated the fighting side of Campbell.
St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce president Bob Hammersley made his pitch to council to have the city serve as one of the principal sponsors for the first St. Thomas-Elgin Business Awards, a new Chamber and Elgin Business Resource Centre event.
Hammersley would like the city to support the awards presentation to the tune of $5,000, prompting Ald. Campbell to argue, “We’ve just passed on to the treasury department 50 or 60,000 dollars worth of grant requests under petitions and communications and I think at some point we’re going to have to make it known that the ratepayer can only afford so many in the grant requests and I can’t support another $5,000.”

“This isn’t ground we haven’t plowed before. If you’re looking at savings in a budget, you don’t look at the $20,000 salaries of the aldermen.”

The request from Hammersley and Campbell’s honest response prompted St. Thomas entrepreneur Bob McCaig to weigh in with this observation.
“I read with horror, alarm and eventually laughter of the request by the St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce for a $5,000 grant to support free enterprise – What a farcical joke!
“Our local business organization running to our municipal government asking for a handout,” wrote McCaig.
He continued, “Next month the Chamber could perhaps strike a committee to complain about municipal taxes and the same people could be pressed to service to carry their complaint to city hall. 
“Thanks to Ald. Gord Campbell who did not equivocate for even a moment – ‘No, I can’t support it.’”
It should be noted, that Messrs. McCaig and Campbell had previously vented their frustration with each other in this corner, so this closing remark from the former almost seems out of context.
“Congratulations Gord, we’re virtually never on the same side but at least as a labour supporter, you can easily recognize when business should pay its own way. I trust he will be joined by council on this and most all other grant requests.”
Pictured at left is Ald. Campbell with a Shamrock Shuffle T-shirt given to those who participated in the 2012 Inn Out of the Cold walk/run fundraiser.
Look carefully and you’ll see his name, on the same line as that of Bob McCaig, at the bottom left.
The two had been embroiled in a dust-up earlier in the year after McCaig implied the good alderman was an underachiever.
Campbell notes the T-shirt is proof underachievers, like himself, can reside next to overachievers, like McCaig.
One final memory of Campbell.
It was November of 2009 and common sense prevailed during a council meeting that month in the form of the leadership role adopted by Ald. Campbell when dealing with the Elm Street crosswalk at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital.
At the urging of Campbell, his peers on council approved a pedestrian-activated signal at the scene of a fatal accident which claimed the life of 82-year-old Harold Hill on Sept. 24.
Campbell was to be commended on his resolve to press for action instead of hiding behind a staff report that went out of its way to dehumanize the victim.
A staff report that characterized the fatal incident as a “vehicle-pedestrian conflict.”
Shameful.
But let’s wind down our tribute with a quote that so clearly documents what Campbell did best . . . cut to the heart of the matter.
During a budget debate early in 2010 Campbell reminded his peers and city staff, “This isn’t ground we haven’t plowed before. If you’re looking at savings in a budget, you don’t look at the $20,000 salaries of the aldermen.”
If you bump into that McCaig fellow up there Gord, go easy on him. You’ll have plenty of time for exchanging pleasantries.

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And a reminder, I can be heard weekday afternoons as news anchor and reporter on 94.1 myFM in St. Thomas. As always, your comments and input are appreciated.