Tag Archives: Valerie M’Garry

11.26.16
by

There’s specificity in one area, a date in court

city_scope_logo-cmykHeld over for another big year . . . The Sutherland Saga.

Watch the City of St. Thomas and David McGee, owner of Sutherland Lofts, pick up where they left off in 2016 . . . back in court.

That’s right, after issuing another work order late in October against the owner of the four-storey Sutherland Press building, McGee has tossed it back in the city’s corner with the declaration, see you in court.

On October 28, the city slapped a new unsafe building order on McGee with what city manager Wendell Graves called a very specific time line.

“They have until Dec. 15 to provide a detailed work plan and schedule to get the thing remedied and then work has to commence by the 9th of January,” Graves told this corner. Continue reading →

11.02.16
by

City issues new Sutherland Press building work order

A month after failing in its bid to proceed with demolition, the city has again slapped a work order on the Sutherland Press building and owner David McGee.

On Sept. 27 at the Elgin County Courthouse, Justice Gorman ruled a previous order issued in March of this year warning of demolition for failure to comply were null and void due to improper delivery and lack of specificity on the part of the city.27jt01sutherlandjpg

That order called for immediate replacement of spalling or damaged bricks and securing the roof, which had suffered a partial collapse.

Last Friday, city manager Wendell Graves confirmed a new unsafe building order has been issued to McGee.

Continue reading →

10.22.16
by

Complete Streets: Paving the way forward

city_scope_logo-cmykEndorsed Monday by city council, the Complete Street guidelines are “”a shift in mindset from the historical car-centric streets to modern multi-purpose streets that appropriately support all modes of transportation,” advised David Jackson, the city’s manager of capital works.

It’s an ambitious blueprint for the future with an aim to design, create and build streetscapes that accommodate users of all ages and abilities and all modes of transportation including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit users.

However we could argue there is little clear direction on the latter save for continued road reconstruction to lessen the shake, rattle and roll that hastens the demise of city buses. Continue reading →

10.15.16
by

There’s no shortage of work orders in the Sutherland Saga

city_scope_logo-cmykRound 3 is coming up momentarily. Of course we’re talking about the Sutherland Saga, the seemingly endless courtroom soap opera.

In the last episode, culminating on Sept. 27, Justice Gorman accepted Sutherland Press building owner David McGee’s submission at a May hearing in the Elgin County Courthouse that Sutherland Loft Inc. did not receive notice of a building order issued by the city and its president was unaware, specifically, the building might be demolished if not remediated by the owner.

McGee’s lawyer, Valerie M’Garry, argued in March of this year the city did not properly deliver via registered mail a letter warning demolition of the building would begin at the end of that month because of noncompliance with a property standards order. The order called for immediate replacement of spalling or damaged bricks and securing the roof, which had suffered a partial collapse. Continue reading →

10.01.16
by

Sutherland Saga sees St. Thomas held for ransom

city_scope_logo-cmykJust when we thought the Sutherland Saga could not plunge deeper into the abyss of absurdity, what happens but it does just that.

In a decision rendered Tuesday (Sept. 27), Justice Gorman declined to rule on owner David McGee’s request for an injunction to halt demolition of the four-storey structure deemed unsafe by city engineers.

Instead, Justice Gorman did accept McGee’s submission at the May hearing in the Elgin County Courthouse that Sutherland Loft Inc. did not receive notice of a building order and its president was unaware, specifically, the building might be demolished if not remediated by the owner. Continue reading →

09.27.16
by

Sutherland Press building demolition decision deferred

23jt01sutherlandjpg

If the elements don’t hasten the demise of the Sutherland Press building, time spent in protracted court battles may ultimately prove the enemy of the derelict structure.

As the result of a technicality presented May 27 of this year to Justice Gorman by building owner David McGee, no decision has been reached as to whether the city can proceed with demolition of the Talbot Street building dating back to 1913.

In a decision delivered Tuesday, Justice Gorman declined to rule on McGee’s request for an injunction to halt demolition of the four-storey structure deemed unsafe by city engineers.

Continue reading →

08.13.16
by

After eight years, where might the money be?

city_scope_logo-cmykComing up to three months since both sides in the Sutherland saga faced each other again at the Elgin County Courthouse. On May 27, city staff and Toronto owner David McGee – along with their legal counsel – left the fate of the 103-year-old Sutherland Press building in the hands of Justice Gorman.

Have we waited an inordinate amount of time for a decision?

Not really, suggests McGee’s lawyer Valerie M’Garry. There is a lot of supporting documents to digest she notes.

“Stacked together they would be a foot-and-a-half high,” M’Garry points out, “so for her (Justice Gorman) to go through them all, which I think she would want to do for whatever decision she is going to render.”

Continue reading →

06.04.16
by

Interpreting Ascent deal through our ‘filters’

city_scope_logo-cmykThree members of council are in favour of keeping the people who elected them to office in the dark about the comings and goings at Ascent, formerly known as St. Thomas Energy.
Well actually it may only be two but we’ll get to that in a moment.
The trio, Mayor Heather Jackson and councillors Gary Clarke and Linda Stevenson sit on the Ascent board of directors which met May 26 to deal with the sale of its Ascent Solutions division to Spark Power of Oakville.
Included in the deal are Tillsonburg-based Tiltran — acquired by Ascent in 2007 — and Belleville operation Tal Trees — acquired in 2009.
This corner — and we’re sure many ratepayers — would like financial disclosure on the sale.
Guess what, that is not about to happen. Continue reading →
05.21.16
by

Sutherland stalling hits ratepayers in the pocket

city_scope_logo-cmykIf it didn’t pose such a financial burden on the city, the Sutherland saga would be comedic relief in best Keystone Cops fashion.
Take, for example, the return to court this past Tuesday in what was to be the start of a scheduled two-day hearing to determine the fate of the 103-year-old structure.
Instead you have a solicitor and three city staffers sitting in stunned silence across from building owner David McGee and his lawyer as Ontario Justice Gorman announces she has only set aside five minutes for the proceedings.
So, who dropped the ball here?
It was made perfectly clear when the two sides last faced off in April the next step would entail presentations from the city seeking to proceed with demolition of the derelict building while McGee and his lawyer would counter with the argument there is nothing structurally wrong with the four-storey structure. Continue reading →