ctvnews

This dumpster fire...

Here’s the skinny:
At the beginning of April, the parking lot attendant (a dude we actually like a lot) randomly quipped at Joe as he was coming into work, “so, new owners, huh?”
Joe messaged me instantly. I had no idea what he was talking about.
Our landlords had sold the building, without telling us anything. Made the deal, at the very least.
There’s so much wrong with this one act, I can’t even calmly put my thoughts down about it.
Phog has been paying month-to-month rent for 17 years. That was just what we were comfortable with. Upon the whim and fancy of a wealthy developer, we would’ve been bulldozed or booted out and we had some sense of that being possible. But being a compassionate person, one would assume that landlords understand that people giving them hard-earned money to run a business means they have their own lives. They are autonomous creatures that have bills to pay, and mouths to feed, and aspirations of success and growth.
But somehow, that’s not what’s on the mind of almost any commercial landlord, at any time, I have found. Renters are numbers. That’s it. You are a tiny rectangular box on an Excel sheet. Less even. If this post serves as a warning, that’s pretty much the best I could hope for, reminding small business owners (and renters of any kind) that you are just a few taps of a keyboard to people who are ruthlessly pursuing money.
At the highest end of expectation, one thinks they might have offered ME the opportunity to purchase the property. An opportunity to scale up from lowly bar owner, to possibly seeing and doing more. I think this is option ONE. I think that’s where almost everyone reading this would go in their minds. But essentially the truth is that there’s a club. A club of people with money who just keep kissing each other‘s asses and putting another chunk of flagstone on the back of the little guy so that they can step up another inch, together.
Not only was there zero effort given to tell us that this was happening, but the level of inconsiderateness is unrivaled. Any normal person, who has any sense of others would have thought, “hey fellas, if we sell this building what’s going to happen to the people who’ve given us almost a million dollars in rent over the last 20 years? What’s going to happen to their families? What’s going to happen to their employees? What’s going to happen to the community that we have basically ignored and been absolutely separate from for decades?”
When I told my kids about this fiasco, my 13-year-old daughter looked at me, baffled, and said, “why would they do that? Why wouldn’t they ask you to buy it?“ Like, a CHILD knows better.
So what this rant boils down to is respect, and a grotesque lack of it. Even if I didn’t have a prayer of securing this property, having any idea that this was coming, or any sense of what we could expect from new ownership is the LEAST someone with a heart could provide.
Personally, I am sickened at the selfishness, and level of disregard for our community of artists, musicians, and creatives that I’ve tried to foster in a floundering, crumbling and ignored downtown.
As I’ve said, before, this little business is just a fun spot for us to make noise and create what we want. It’s just a little room. Little rooms can be re-created. This isn’t a hospital, or a shelter, or a food bank that’s being threatened. But it is a Home. And people get evicted and victimized every day when it comes to security of space.
It’s a loathsome and disgusting business, expecting the lowest level of respect and dignity, and getting zero in return.
Yes, I am spitting acid that people can be this gross. And I’m sure the comments after this post will just be dozens and dozens of examples of this (I don’t really pal around with commercial landlords…so there SHOULDN’T be an iota of support for their treachery). It’s madness.
Looking ahead… maybe things move forward like normal. Maybe the new landlords are willing to continue with the same rent, allowing us a respite until they eventually develop the lot into something else. I have no idea. 100% in the dark about all of this.
If there’s one good thing about the City Of Windsor, it’s that they prevent anything necessary and essential from happening. Housing needs to be built, but Windsor is really good at stifling and preventing development. The likelihood of an immediate shovel hitting the ground is impossible. Incompetence might be favourable, for once.
I’m not sure if we have to fight to survive in the space we are in, but the petition that was put out by our protective friends could come in handy as an indicator of community support. Signatures…I’m grateful and humbled.
I’ve been notified that there’s a way of donating to this, which I’m personally against. Once again, just like when the windows were being smashed, I will not accept money from any of you, unless there is an actual purpose for that money to serve the community. So anyone who has donated, you’re going to get that back.
All of that being said, I’m just an imperfect guy with three young kids and SCADS of generous friends, who will land on his feet in almost any situation. I’m not wringing my hands over this. I’m just baffled at the disrespect shown once again, by the true scourge of downtown Windsor, and probably North America. Commercial landlords. Landlords. Playing with communities and people’s lives, because they have the word “lord“ in their title, and enough money to have the right people in their pockets at all times.
From here forward, adjust, zag, adapt, and stay positive.
Fingers crossed that we will be here, making more memories for DECADES to come, at 157 University Ave. W.
Thank you, genuinely, for your continued support.
❤️ ...read more

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Allan Robinson and his wife, Debbie, saved for a lifetime to build their new home.
they can't move in any time soon because they can't afford to pay Hydro One the $60,000 the utility wants to hook up the electricity.
The nearest hydro pole is about 440 metres west of their home.
Hydro One reported a $238-million profit in the second quarter of 2021, says the couple has to cover the expense to extend the line from the existing pole to their property, then sign over ownership of the line once they've paid for it.

Before they bought the vacant property 15 years ago, the utility told them the gap in the hydro line along County Road 1 would soon be connected to the existing lines.

$3.3 million was spent to upgrade the electrical grid in the area, including replacing poles and installing new lines. But that didn't fill in the gap in the hydro line.
They're saying this is a [hydro] grid extension. It's not. It's a line completion they failed to do.

They're waiting for homeowners to pay to fix this,

Now, Robinson and his wife say they'll be spending the winter living in a trailer, looking out at their new home steps away.

The Robinsons are also on the hook for clearing any trees or brush along the side of the municipal road and to repair any damage to the road that may occur during the line installation.

While the Robinsons are being asked to pay $60,000, the utility would contribute about $130. ...read more