Moving on up - to the east side
So, in my newly created uber-hectic life, I’ve put aside my predominantly active method of mobility in lieu of a mainly motorized one, and in the meantime, put on a few pounds. Yes, my love handles are a little more pronounced and my jowls are a little more, well - jowly.
So, I thought I’d get a little more active and get out for a walk around the ‘hood.
And while I was at it, I thought I would join in the Windsor/Essex County Health Unit’s “We Lose, We Win” campaign. Reading through the article in the paper, I thought - why not? It could be fun and help motivate me to actually follow through with this exercise plan. I’ve never actually needed to exercise before, so a little help may be just what the doctor ordered.
The first two-hour workshop is WAAAAAY out in Kingsville at Lakeside Park Pavilion on Oct. 7.
That’s a little far for me to go, even with my new wheels. There must be some happening a little closer to home in the city, since it is a regional-thing. Let’s take a look at their schedule…
Oct. 14, Essex recreational complex Oct. 21, Windsor WFCU Centre Oct. 28, Tecumseh, L’Essor high school Nov. 4, Lakeshore, Puce Sport and Leisure Centre Nov. 10, LaSalle, St. Thomas of Villanova high school Nov. 18, Amherstburg, community recreational and culture centre Nov. 25, Leamington, Cardinal Carter high school.
Wait a second. The only workshop “in” Windsor is WAAAAAY out at the WFCU Centre? It’s more like the town of Tecumseh is getting two workshops for this thing! I guess the shift has begun.
Then, in the same edition of the paper, Dave Hall wrote about some new business announcements;
Two commercial developments planned for a short stretch of Lauzon Road are expected to go ahead now that zoning amendments have been approved by city council.
They are on the sites of a former Christ Lutheran church, at 1140 Lauzon Rd., and a former Knights of Columbus hall, at 1286 Lauzon Rd.
Iyman Meddoui, of Medd Development Group, said his acquisition of the former church property is subject to final city approvals, but expects to move ahead with a medical and professional building within 12 to 18 months.
“The intent is to create a health centre with perhaps a medical clinic, physician’s offices and a small pharmacy,” said Meddoui, who recently completed phase one of a Rexall Pharmacy development at Sprucewood and Malden roads in LaSalle.
“We believe there is going to be significant activity in that area and we’re just one of a number of people interested in development along that corridor,” Meddoui said of the neighbourhood, which now includes the WFCU Centre. “We can only look up from here and I have confidence there will be continued strong growth on the city’s east side.”
The former K of C hall and property is owned by Mid-South Land Development Corporation and tentative plans for the 4.7-acre site include a pharmacy and the addition of retail in two phases, according to a report prepared for the city’s planning advisory committee.
The rezoning was approved despite objections from some nearby residents who fear additional traffic will have a negative impact on the neighbourhood. The area was already zoned for commercial and the amendment merely allows for expanded commercial uses, including general retail.
It’s anticipated the retail phase of Mid-South’s development would consist of one store of about 25,000 square feet and others between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet. Dino Maggio, president of Mid-South, was unavailable for comment.
The other communities partaking in the challenge have the opportunity to walk to their workshop - why can’t I? I thought that was the whole idea behind the “We Lose, We Win” challenge. It’s kinda funny that most of the city has to drive to the workshop to learn about the weight loss challenge.
And our city? We lose. This urban-core-relocation-scheme is playing out perfectly. Even the Lions could win a Superbowl if they followed a well thought out plan like this. Build it and they will come, and come they are.
Shmuel Fahri’s Lear lands are getting more valuable with each passing day. Can you imagine if this kind of development initiatives followed a downtown arena?
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On a personal note, I wanted to thank everyone for their patience when it comes to my lacklustre posting schedule as of late. My employer decided to call me back to work after a 20 month absense (and spoiling my second fall term in a row at the U!) and it’s wreaking havoc on my schedule. Many thanks to my blogging/radio partners for picking up the slack. You guys rock!
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Some of the other county locations aren’t very walkable either. But I agree, WFCU Centre is very decentralized choice for Windsor’s lone workshop. I guess we can carpool then, Chris.
I don’t begrudge development surrounding the WFCU site, I don’t feel a need to bring them down to bring us up.
However some teeth to the residential intensification plan would be in order. When’s the next downtown strategy meeting going to take place? any chance that councillors will hear from someone other than administration about how to revitalize our downtown at this meeting?
What did you think of last nights Greening of Pelissier agenda. Apparently, Mario Sonego wants to base a 25 year streetscape plan on the fact that we can’t take an extra month to do it right.
Mr. Sonego, shame on you. If you had to live on that street, you’d find the time. Mr. Yanchula, shame on you for not telling anyone about those drawings that sat on your desk for 8 months. and making it sound that its a suprise that no one likes the streetscape.
a few weeks back there was an official plan meeting that discussed implementing a type of slow down in commercial development to allow for existing vacancies to be filled within the core and other neighbourhoods/bias. the only people that attended this meeting were developers who felt that any type of slow down in commercial development was inappropriate. unfortunately there were no residents, small business owners or bia reps to offer a different point of view. i thought the idea was a relatively good one that would allow businesses to invest in areas that already had high commercial vacancy rates.
pc - that sounds as smart as having only developers sit on the development charges task force…
Take a cab, bus, bike farther.
It’s not a big deal. Or, walk.
I’ve walked across Windsor a number of times before just because I didn’t feel like taking the bus that day.
And anyway, really in the end it’s up to YOU to make life changes. The pussificiation of society really is out of hand.
The point I was trying to make is the fact that the shift is underway in the Mayors bid to starve our REAL downtown and build his new legacy project on the far east side.
If we’re going to see any movement on a sustainable urban core, we need to make it easier for people to use, not harder. You may be interested in walking across the city Mark, but I can tell you that you are in the minority. I have a car and am not at all interested in braving the streets and traggic in a trek to the WFCU centre.
Yes - everyone deserves their own walkable community and I would never begrudge anyone from that fact. But there are different scales of community development and a cities downtown is the place for certain intensification projects and amenities, not some “scrubland on the far east side” (as our municipal arena was called in the latest Walrus magazine) that has very little supporting infrastructure.
No matter how hard Edgar et al try, they can’t make a silk purse out of a boar’s scrotum!
I didn’t even know there was an “official” plan meeting last week. But the reasons there is little to no response is because either:
1) not many people know when these meetings are held
2) apathy has taken hold especially by both small business and residents. Both of whom are ignored for their input anyway (Council still hasn’t rolled out the Official Plan from 3 years ago).
I sure would like a walkable community. But the powers that be don’t care about what others want; only what they want themselves.
It’s great to see you writing again Chris.
I too have gained weight this summer. I’m laying the blame on Richard Thibert’s cookies at the Downtown Farmers’ Market. Summer time beer consumption probably hasn’t helped either.
This post did really strike a nerve for me for other reasons, and I’m going to take the liberty of being unusually critical. The health and lifestyle indicators for Essex County residents are bad by any measure. The good folks who work in the city’s emergency wards see the results of this on a daily basis. These tragedies are made worse by the fact that so many were completely avoidable.
And yet, our response to this crisis, which may prove worse in a long-term sense than the economic challenges we’ve faced over the past five years, is a parade of fatuous, fly-by-night public health campaigns that are too numerous to mention, devoid of any passion and don’t appear to be based on any science. One week it’s a gimmicky biggest loser type event, the next week it’s some other kind of one-off promotion, usually at a venue, as in this case, that most people can only drive to. Checking off a box on somebody’s performance plan and a cheesy story on the evening news are the measures of success. I don’t even pay attention to them anymore, and I’m somebody who’s pretty interested in health promotion.
There’s ample evidence that leaving the car at home once and a while is a tremendous boost for improving health outcomes, so I’d be thrilled to see some of these institutations and health promotion teams get behind:
- neighbourhood based exercise programs
- a take the damn bus once and a while campaign
- a let’s improve the lives of pedestrians campaign
- let’s lean on our elected officials and administrators to improve our cycling infrastructure campaign
The rest is just fluff, the funding for which would be better spent on, I don’t know… new benches for bus riders.
Tristan, this situation reminds me of the escalator that leads to the fitness centre.
http://crossfit-fortbragg.com/crossfit/images/stories/escalator.jpg
The organizers of this event I’m sure understand that if we want to tackle the obesity epidemic we must change lifestyles. However, there is a lack of consistency in their message. The location decision for this event only helps to reinforce the sedentary, car-centric lifestyle at the root of the epidemic. It’s like having an escalator that leads to the fitness centre.