Basement Renovation Update

It has been a few weeks now and I thought I would give a bit of an update on the basement renovations.  Sometimes I am excited on how far I am and other times I get frustrated that there is so much more to get done.  I have all the drywall up and the taping is done as well as the first coat of mud (well almost).

This is the hallway from the bottom of the steps towards the rest of the basement.  There will be 2 wall sconces and an outlet along the right hand wall.  The left wall there is a door to the space under the steps for storage and the pocket door leading into the furnace room.

The picture on the left will be an off season storage closet mainly for winter coats, hats and mitts.  A mistake that we wanted to avoid was maxing out the living space but forgetting about storage.  We are hoping we won't have to dig through piles of junk to find the "sandals box" next spring.  We are thinking about putting 2 bars across the back end (one high and one low) for coats and stuff.  The space in front can be buckets for other stuff.

The picture on the right is what the bathroom looks like now.  Not too exciting just yet but we have a bit more work to get done there.  I did successfully punch a hole out of the side of the house for the ceiling fan in the bathroom. The fan/light combo that we bought is all wired up and the vent is securely connected.  Now just to get the rest finished off so I can liven up those circuits.

The left picture is the area where we plan to have all the toys for the kids.  My dad and I built in the toy shelves to maximize the space we had available.  The shelves are probably my favorite part so far.

On the right is the space for the television and the couch. We are also planning on purchasing one of the electric fire places to go against the far wall beside the electrical panel.  The electrical panel is covered by the tiny closet in the back right of this picture.

Well that is it for now.  I am guessing the next update will be when we have some paint on the walls.  I have some hours of mudding and sanding before we get to that.  I am probably not the best at that part of the project but I am stubborn enough to see it through.

Todd Cowan can Read the Minds of Woolwich Residents

The casino debate rages on and I want to continue to encourage people to contact their municipal governments in Kitchener, Waterloo and Woolwich as well as their local MPs and the Premier.  If you have an open letter that you want me to post here please contact me.  Premier Kathleen Wynne has stated that Casinos will not be built in municipalities that do not want them.  From the debates that have gone on in our region I can still confidently say that the majority of residents DO NOT WANT a casino in this region.   The majority of respondents to the Woolwich survey (60%+) said they do not want a casino.  Most of the delegations that have been presented at Kitchener city council has been against a casino and from the evidence that I have read Waterloo is in the same boat.

Ken Seiling the Regional Chair of Waterloo Region says that he feels compelled to bring the issue to a vote in Regional Council because of the pressure put on him by residents.  The majority of people are getting frustrated by the continued conversations that keep saying the same things.  Those who are in favour of a casino development stand to directly profit from the development. Compound this with Mayor Cowan's proclaimed ability to know what everyone who is not voicing an opinion wants.  Mayor Cowan has said repeatedly that the "vocal minority" doesn't speak for all of Woolwich. 

"Definitely in cases when you have something like this, you hear the vocal minority," Cowan told The Morning Edition host Craig Norris Thursday. "I don't think at this point, we'll be reconsidering our decision," he said. 

So according to his logic the people who are the "silent majority" really want a casino.  They want one so bad that they can't be bothered to come by and say so OR maybe they DON'T want a casino and feel that there concerns have already been voiced by others compound that with the fact Cowan doesn't seem to care any how.  This crazy logic by Cowan enrages me.  How can you be a politician and NOT listen to what your constituents are telling you? This is some serious crazy logic.  You are an elected official that means the will of the people.  Not, well you see I want this so I will find a bunch of people who aren't talking and just pretend they support me!

As a society and as a region we will not profit.  The net jobs gained will be nill, the pay-off will go directly to funding the problems it causes and we have no control over what OLG will decide next.

I know that the mayor of a small municipality is not a glorious job and it probably doesn't pay well, but there must be someone who can do a better job of it then Cowan.  If your interested the candidate registration opens on January 6, 2014 and ends on September 8 and the 2014 municipal elections in Ontario, will be held on October 27, 2014.  If I had any idea about anything in municipal politics I would consider running myself.  I just hope that a strong community leader comes out of the wood work because this current council is not workable.

You have a listen to this Mayor and tell me what you think?  He talks about the fact of having a low taxation rate but then complains about infrastructure deficit.  He laughs when the question of revenue sharing is discussed pretending that the effects of a casino stop at the border. He compares a casino to going to a Maple leafs game.  Sorry Mr. Cowan you do not inspire confidence.