arts – mackaycartoons

Saturday February 27, 2016

February 26, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 27, 2016

No mixed martial arts or boxing, please, we’re Hamilton

(By Andrew Dreschel) For a city that claims to be open for business and eager to generate revenue, Hamilton sure has a funny way of showing it.

Get a load of this story.

Boxing promoter Tyler Buxton figured he had a perfect fight card lined up at the city-owned Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena.

After preliminary bouts between local pros, the main event would feature Hamilton’s own Kevin Higson defending his Canadian super welterweight championship in front of a hometown crowd.

But then the word came from city staff — no combat sports allowed at city-run facilities.

Why, you ask?

We’ll get to that. For now let’s just say banning combat sports is not a council-approved policy. It’s strictly a staff decision.

Buxton, president of United Boxing Promotions, was stunned by the refusal. How could this be? Boxing is a legal and licensed sport, overseen by the Ontario Athletics Commission, which sets rigid safety, medical and liability insurance standards.

Buxton has run boxing events in city-owned community facilities in Ajax and Belleville, and regularly stages fights at the Hershey Centre, privately managed but owned by the City of Mississauga.

“This is the first time I’ve ever had any issues,” he says

Maybe the first for him, but he’s not alone.

Garnet Ace, president of Global Warriors, tried to run a mixed martial arts (MMA) event at the Mountain Arena.

The Ancaster resident says city staff was initially very receptive to renting to him until he got a phone call several weeks later.

“Somebody at City Hall basically said, ‘No, we don’t want it. It’s against our policies.'”

Ace says he pressed but didn’t receive a more detailed explanation. Instead, he moved the event to Burlington’s city-owned Central Arena last May, which was attended by about 2,500 fans.

Both promoters say they want to grow events in Hamilton. Ideally, Ace would like to do four at the Mountain Arena this year alone.

FirstOntario Centre and Hamilton Place are too costly to rent. Private convention facilities too small. With a seating capacity of 3,000 or more, the Mountain Arena is the ideal venue.

The problem is, city staff keep turning thumbs down. It’s not clear who’s making the call or how far up the ladder it goes. Recreation director Jack Brown bounced inquiries to communication staff. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

Saturday January 17, 2015

January 16, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday January 17, 2015

U.S. Steel looks to sell “surplus” Hamilton lands

A “for sale” sign is up over chunks of former Stelco land around Hamilton Harbour.

Since mid-December, U.S. Steel Canada has been quietly seeking offers for pieces of its sprawling 328-hectare property. It’s unclear how much of that land is on the block.

In court documents seeking to extend its current creditor protection order, the company said if any offers are accepted it will sell pieces of the property. Those land sales would proceed whether or not creditors agree to any other restructuring plans.

As part of an outline of efforts to get the struggling company back on its feet, chief restructuring officer Bill Aziz said in an affidavit the company has started an “organized” process to sell land in Hamilton, with a Jan. 22 deadline for filing expressions of interest.

“(P)rompted in part by inquiries from interested third parties, USSC in consultation with Rothschild (the company’s financial adviser) and the [court-appointed] Monitor, determined that it would be useful to start an organized process to solicit expressions of interest in connection with the possible acquisition of the land owned by USSC in Hamilton,” Aziz wrote.

Rothschild, he said, has been looking for potential buyers “who have an interest in, and track record of, redeveloping brownfield industrial properties.”

Any sale, he said, could be done in a way that would not “preclude the continued operation and/or sale of its coke ovens, iron and steel making assets and finishing lines located at Hamilton Works.”

Potential purchasers will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement before being given access to due diligence information.

U.S. Steel Canada, which purchased Stelco in 2007, owns prime industrial land in an area roughly bounded by the bay, Industrial Drive, and the northern ends of Ottawa Street and Sherman Avenue. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)