Micro-Managing

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Tuesday July 16, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday July 16, 2013

Harper adds 8 new faces in major cabinet shakeup

A mix of young talent, veteran experience and more women at the cabinet table signals a “generational change” as the government prepares for a major policy reset with a fall speech from the throne, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said after unveiling his new inner circle.

The major cabinet makeover elevates eight MPs to the front bench — including four women — and creates new portfolios for multiculturalism and social development.
“I think this is a good mixture of some young and promising talent we have in our caucus and some experienced hands,” Harper said after the swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall on Monday morning.

Harper said the government will continue to focus on key priority areas — the economy and job creation, public safety, celebrating Canada’s history and promoting the country’s interests on the world stage. He touted the government’s economic record during a prolonged period of global uncertainty, and said new policy directions are on the way.

“This fall, the government will move ahead with a renewed policy agenda set forward in a speech from the throne,” he said. “And our new agenda will have new faces to bring it forward — the team Canadians elected in 2011 is deep and it is talented.”

Details of the sweeping overhaul were revealed through Harper’s Twitter account before the re-tooled inner circle was officially unveiled with traditional pomp and ceremony. (Source: CBC News)

Thursday December 6, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday December 6, 2012

Designing the Pan-Am Stadium

A confidential report says City staff is working with the team designing the new Pan Am stadium to make sure the facility meets its design standards.

Members of the Ontario Sports Solutions consortium are meeting with staff “all the time” to alleviate concerns, said Robert Johnston, designer with the Cannon Group.

These concerns include having a public-friendly civic square, a unique aesthetic and enough of a covering behind the stands that the neighbourhood isn’t exposed to beams and the rough underside of the seating.

Those were among the concerns councillors brought up during a city planning committee meeting Tuesday, when Johnston showed the latest renderings of the new Pan Am stadium, scheduled to replace Ivor Wynne in its east-end location in July 2014.

The committee heard that the space behind the stands will be masonry at the base, and screens extending over a large portion of the sides of the mostly outdoor stadium.

This will produce a “light and airy” feeling, and the screens can be changed depending on the event being hosted, Johnston said after his presentation to the committee.

Large solid walls would have overpowered the residential neighbourhood, he said.

The screening “produces the effect of hiding all the structure, but it’s light and airy, so it’s more festive,” Johnston said. Councillors had plenty of questions about the $147.5-million stadium, of which the city is paying 40 per cent. The stadium will host 32 men’s and women’s soccer games for the 2015 Pan Am games, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats starting with the 2014 CFL season. (Source: CBC News)