sos
save our seaport
May 31, 2007

Open letter to PROUD concerning your website

Since my involvement in Port Dalhousie I have been told by supporters in St. Catharines not to bother reading or reviewing your publication The Court Reporter. Now I can understand why. (NOTE: He did send a second email correcting the name of our newspaper)

I have reviewed your website as of June 1, 2007, and was astonished to discover that visual representations of the project posted there are those of the 2005 scheme (The PDVC Application")and not the approved proposal.

This is, of course, a scandalous misrepresentation, designed, no doubt, to convince citizens that they should support your position politically and financially.

I should think that you should take your legal disclaimer more seriously when you say...

"...every reasonable effort to insure that the information displayed on this website is accurate and responsible."

You go on to say...

"PROUD Port Dalhousie does not accept responsibility, or legal liability, for information that may have become incorrect or misleading due to the passage of time..."

Really. The lead edition of your Port Reporter is just prior to the June 2006 hearings which were based on the new, approved project. Somehow you managed to update your website to elaborate your opposition but conveniently managed to avoid displaying accurately that to which you are opposed. Somehow you managed to update your website to identify the addresses of current city and regional councillors (2007). Only the content and character of the approved project is something you don't have time for.

For a group claiming ethical high ground I find your behaviour most disappointing but unfortunately surprisingly consistent. Are you not embarrassed to be soliciting money from a confused public, including pensioners and others of lesser means, based on a calculated misrepresentation? In the alternative, what is so awkward about attacking the actual scheme based on its presumably outrageous character.

There are words for your behaviour which will offered on another occasion.

In the meanwhile I formally request that all future material concerning the project rely on the material provided by the applicant which has been verified for accuracy by the City's independent Peer Review consultant.

Sincerely yours,

J. Michael Kirkland
Architect, FRAIC
June 1, 2007

Letter From Tower Developer's Architect, Mr. Kirkland - PROUD's Response

Mr. Kirkland,

We acknowledge your two emails dated and received on May 31, 2007 in which you refer to having reviewed PROUD Port Dalhousie's website as of June 1, 2007 and being "astonished that the visual representations posted are those of the 2005 scheme." ( we assume you mean the 2004 first tower proposal by Mr. Jack Diamond).

We have also reviewed our website and find your accusations "astonishing." First of all, the main introductory article on the home page gives a detailed history of both projects, including your proposal, and follows the process right up to the recent OMB Mediation. All of the articles on this page are up to date and so is the animation "How to Build the Port Dalhousie Condo Tower". Contrary to your assertions, the latest (May, 2007) edition of the Port Reporter is online and ALL previous editions are also available (your second email is correct, it is the "Port" not "Court" Reporter). In addition, also on the main page and under "Hot Topics" and "PDVC Application in pdf" we offer the public access to your full second application -all 400 plus pages of it. This is not edited or changed in any way. The full version is available and all our information about the second project is taken from this application.

How misleading is this? We challenge anyone to go to www.saveport.ca and not get the message that there is a second application with a second tower. We also challenge you to find many residents who are not aware that there is a second tower proposal.

We did find that some of the information on secondary pages still refers to the old application but, as you know, unlike your situation, ours is an all-volunteer organization. Every one of our members donates his or her time because they care about Port Dalhousie and we rely on volunteer webmasters to maintain the website. This is the reason we focus on the main introductory articles to ensure that they kept up to date. Because of this, we strongly disagree that the website is misleading. However, as you point out, we do pride ourselves on always being fair and accurate and taking the high road so we will make every effort to ensure all older references to the first tower are updated as soon as we can.

WE ARE NOT AT ALL EMBARRASED ABOUT ASKING THE CITIZENS OF ST. CATHARINES TO CONTRIBUTE MONEY TO HELP STOP A PROJECT THAT IS SO INAPPROPRIATE AND SO MANY OF THEM - AS WELL AS THE PRESENT CITY COUNCIL - OPPOSE. It is our City's main public and historic beachfront that your project will affect and a very large number of residents are willing to contribute to its opposition. We ask you: Are you not embarrassed that your continuing pursuit of your inappropriate tower project for a designated heritage district is forcing the average residents of our City to raise money to stop you?

Should you have any further concerns, we would be happy to meet with you at the earliest opportunity.

David Bergen and Carlos Garcia
PROUD Port Dalhousie
A PROUD Eight-Year History as a Volunteer Community Organization

PROUD (Port Realizing Our Unique Distinction) is a Port Dalhousie, community-based, all-volunteer organization founded in 1999. PROUD spearheaded the extensive community consultation process that led to Port Dalhousie being designated as a Heritage Conservation District under the Ontario Heritage Act and and actively supports other community projects such as: saving historic Dalhousie House; restoring Locks of the early Canals; solving noise/bar problems; and tree replanting. Over the past 3 years, PROUD has also been leading the struggle against development proposals that we believe would forever alter Port Dalhousie's historic character. Our over 600 members support appropriate development in the commercial core of Port Dalhousie's Heritage Conservation District, but they overwhelmingly oppose a tower and the massive scale of development proposed by the current application.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
PROUD Port Dalhousie has made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information displayed on this website is accurate and responsible. PROUD Port Dalhousie does not accept responsibility, or legal liability, for information that may have become incorrect, or misleading due to the passage of time, changes of ownership, or other conditions. Every reasonable effort is made to keep all information displayed current and up to date. To the best of our knowledge information is accurate at the time of writing and publication. Any opinions expressed on this web site are given without prejudice and may, or may not be the current opinion of PROUD Port Dalhousie.