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Wow, was it ever cold out on this morning. 

I started writing this article last Friday morning. To be direct, it was a lot easier to do this than to go outside for my usual stroll. When I started writing late in the morning, the temperature on The Weather Network was around -16°C with a feel-like temperature around -27°C.  Yet, on Monday the temperature is supposed to rise much higher to be +2°C and on Thursday it will go upwards to +5°C. Naturally, after that, the temperatures drop again into the minus range over the next several days. Oh well, what should one expect these days!

I must admit that I am disappointed about what is happening because it means that going out for a walk is much too difficult now. I am not going out to freeze! My recollection of the winter temperatures a few years ago is a lot different. I can remember going out for many walks during this period of time because, in that winter, the temperatures were higher. If only it was the same now, so that this could be done again to give me some extra outdoor exercising.

Naturally, in order to take up the time, what I plan to do is to write some more articles. Here is my next one which I hope that you enjoy.

IS WINDSOR PROGRESSIVE NOW

Should we all be pleased about some of the announcements that Windsor is making?

You might want to read the Anne Jarvis column where she starts off pretty positively I think:

"The course of downtown is turning in part because of one of city council’s biggest, best decisions in 2017: a new, aggressive core plan that offers grants and waives taxes to drive development.

There was also investment in Windsor’s distinctive neighbourhoods, its history and public art.

Slowly, despite hitches, the city is heading toward progressive.

The downtown plan is more than just incentives. It recognizes the importance of character, a sense of place, good design and little things that make the core striking and inviting." (Anne Jarvis,Windsor Star, December 29, 2017) 

I would suggest that you read the article yourself and make your decision on how important it is, or not, about the way in which the City is progressing. I have to admit that, in going through her list of items which point out how the City is spending money, I was not too impressed about what the City has accomplished. Moreover, once you read the last few paragraphs of the story, you will note that a lot of it seems to be quite negative.  The City did not accomplish very much in a number of areas. After all, Anne wrote:

"Given all these advances, there’s no explaining other decisions."

NEW UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS OPERATIONS

One has to be very excited in reading the article about the new University buildings operating in downtown Windsor. It is extremely positive seems to me:

"It’s unusual to see students this excited for the first day of school.

Thursday was the first day of class for University of Windsor’s creative arts students in the renovated Windsor Armouries. It wasn’t long before they were singing its praises.

“Being in a space that has a lot of history, it’s very beautiful, it’s very inspiring,” said Jude Abu Zaineh, a Master of Fine Arts student. “It just feels like it was a labour of love. They did a really great job incorporating a lot great materials that speak to one another, between the original brick and the metal and the exposed beams. It’s just a really nice melody of different materials that they’ve used so beautifully.” (Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star,  January 4, 2018) 

There will be a number of events that people can come to the University and watch. Go here to find out what they are and what the costs are to attend: http://www.uwindsor.ca/music/388/concerts-and-events 

I must say that the article is extremely positive about what has happened in the downtown. I am so glad that this has happened considering that about 500 people will be attending classes there.  However, I am not sure why it has taken so long to finish this project but it finally has been done:

"Work has been underway at the 100-year-old Windsor Armouries, the university’s second phase of its push into downtown, for four years."

Notwithstanding that sentence, in going through the article, it is a very positive one for the future of the University in this area of education. Expect quite a number of people to apply in the future for a student position there.

MORE JOBS

What a great headline in Bloomberg News! The story is pretty good too: "Canada’s unemployment rate plunges to lowest in 40 years" (Bloomberg News, January 5, 2018)

Canada's unemployment rate dropped to 5.7% in December although the rate in our area is 6.1%. That is still a significant number for us, a good one, given how bad things were a short time ago.

Of course, the growth in the economy that can be seen as well is not always as much fun to appreciate as can be seen in this part of the article:

“The books closed on a phenomenal year for Canadian employment with another spectacular result for December,” Nick Exarhos, an economist at CIBC Capital Markets, said in a note to investors. “In our judgement, that should be enough to see the Bank of Canada hike rates later this month.”

Never mind, so many more people with a job now will be able to pay a few dollars more per month if needed. Let us just hope that the unemployment drops a bit more and stays low for as long as possible.

ARE YOU A SKEPTIC

You must be one if you think that the Gordie Howe International Bridge will not be built.

Seriously, why should it be built at all if the cost to do so, if legally it is entitled to be built in the first place, will be outrageously high. Does it make sense to spend perhaps 10 times as much money now to build that bridge compared with the balance of the cost of building a 2nd Ambassador Bridge?

The senior special projects manager of Gov. Rick Snyder for the Howe Bridge wrote a very interesting article in Crains Detroit trying to justify the building of this bridge: "Skeptics are missing big picture in opposing Howe bridge"  

Of course, for the purpose of this article, he sets out a whole bunch of negative reasons why the Government Bridge should not be built. Naturally, he has answers for these negatives. In addition, he provides his "positives" which are supposed to make everyone so thrilled about this project moving forward.

Funny, he did not point out how much the Government bridge would cost compared with the cost of the private Ambassador Bridge expansion. There was no discussion about trying to partner with the Ambassador Bridge Company as if that is an impossible task. He did not let us know about the massive litigation that would take place if the Governments did try to build a 2nd bridge and the likelihood of them losing the lawsuit so that a Government bridge could not be built in any event.

All this Government stuff bothers me already. I know the reality is that they are waiting for the son of Matty Moroun to be in complete charge and to come to a deal with them. They are terrified in trying to negotiate a deal because they do not think they can do so.

I wish though they would stop playing their silly games and really do a deal now with the Moroun Family so that everything can be built even quicker. I am sure that it can be done now if done properly.