Pachi

Friday September 18, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday September 18, 2015 Wynne under fire over bonuses to Pan Am executives Ontario is paying big bonuses to Pan American Games executives, doubling the salaries of some top brass. Fifty-three executives on the TO2015 organizing committee are expected to share in $5.7-million worth of bonuses. Some of the money will be shelled out as a reward to executives for not quitting ahead of the Games; some of it is a reward for keeping the Games within their budget. The $2.5-billion Games, however, received a $74-million bailout from the provincial Liberal government last year, raising tough questions about whether the province set the budget artificially high so executives could meet it. The Games, which were held this summer, also saw several cost overruns and delays, most notably for the construction of a soccer stadium in Hamilton. But the contracts were structured so that individual companies building the venues absorbed the extra costs, making it easier for TO2015 to stay within its budget. On Wednesday, the Progressive Conservatives called on the province to freeze all bonus payments to Pan Am executives and asked the Auditor-General to conduct a value-for-money evaluation of the Games. They questioned why the province was choosing to make the payouts at a time when it is facing an $8.5-billion deficit. ÒYou look at these huge amounts being spent on the Pan Am Games É this is in the face of 800,000 Ontarians who donÕt have a family doctor. They just cut 50 residency spots. You see record wait times in long-term care,Ó PC Leader Patrick Brown said. ÒIt begs the question: Where are the governmentÕs priorities?Ó Tory deputy leader Steve Clark said he also wanted to know how the Games could possibly be under budget when the province handed them an extra $74-million last September. At the time, the Liberals said they had to give the Games more money because TO2015 had failed to bring in as much spons

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday September 18, 2015

Wynne under fire over bonuses to Pan Am executives

Ontario is paying big bonuses to Pan American Games executives, doubling the salaries of some top brass.

Fifty-three executives on the TO2015 organizing committee are expected to share in $5.7-million worth of bonuses. Some of the money will be shelled out as a reward to executives for not quitting ahead of the Games; some of it is a reward for keeping the Games within their budget.

Pan Am Guide | by Graeme MacKayThe $2.5-billion Games, however, received a $74-million bailout from the provincial Liberal government last year, raising tough questions about whether the province set the budget artificially high so executives could meet it.

The Games, which were held this summer, also saw several cost overruns and delays, most notably for the construction of a soccer stadium in Hamilton. But the contracts were structured so that individual companies building the venues absorbed the extra costs, making it easier for TO2015 to stay within its budget.

Thursday July 23, 2015On Wednesday, the Progressive Conservatives called on the province to freeze all bonus payments to Pan Am executives and asked the Auditor-General to conduct a value-for-money evaluation of the Games. They questioned why the province was choosing to make the payouts at a time when it is facing an $8.5-billion deficit.

“You look at these huge amounts being spent on the Pan Am Games … this is in the face of 800,000 Ontarians who don’t have a family doctor. They just cut 50 residency spots. You see record wait times in long-term care,” PC Leader Patrick Brown said. “It begs the question: Where are the government’s priorities?”

Tory deputy leader Steve Clark said he also wanted to know how the Games could possibly be under budget when the province handed them an extra $74-million last September. At the time, the Liberals said they had to give the Games more money because TO2015 had failed to bring in as much sponsorship revenue as it was hoping, and also needed more cash to do live broadcasts of some events, expand the torch relay to more communities and build more satellite villages for athletes.

Friday, July 19, 2013Both Pan Am chairman David Peterson, the former Liberal premier, and CEO Saad Rafi refused The Globe and Mail’s interview requests Wednesday.

In a radio interview on 680 News, Mr. Peterson said the Games spent $57-million less than expected on construction, plus saved $10-million from a capital contingency fund. The Pan Am organization also spent “tens of millions” less than it budgeted for operations, he said, but final figures are not yet available.

The bonuses were written into the executives’ contracts when they were hired, he said.

Mr. Peterson said big bonuses are just a fact of life. “When the president of the bank gets a bonus, do you approve of that?” he said. “When you do a good job in your company, you get a bonus – do you approve of that? It’s the way the world works.” (Source: Globe & Mail)

 

Chronology of a front page illustration

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday July 25, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Saturday July 25, 2015 Chronology of a front page illustration The illustration on today's front page of the Hamilton Spectator began mid-week with a vision explained to me by Saturday editor Cheryl Stepan as an illustration to promote a fireworks display marking the end to the 2015 Pan Am Games. Art Director, John Bullock, further envisioned the fireworks being let off by Pachi, the Pan Am mascot from a barge in Hamilton Harbour. The shape of the illustration was measured out which resembled a big letter T allowing for text on either side of the rocket smoke streams. A difference of opinion emerged on what to do with the background. I insisted on a black sky background, and John argued that it would be too difficult to read white text on black especially on newsprint. To me there was no sense putting fireworks on a white background. So when I finished drawing the firework bursts and rocket lighting Pachi on the barge I supplied a version with a white sky and another with a grey gradient transitioning from white to black. Side by side it made better sense to editors to go with the black sky version, and working with it John came up with the idea to lay the entire masthead atop the fireworks and voila, the resulting A1 illustration. cover art, illustration, cartooning, fireworks, Pan Am Games, Pachi, barge, reflection

The illustration on today’s front page of the Hamilton Spectator began mid-week with a vision explained to me by Saturday editor Cheryl Stepan as a graphic to promote a fireworks display marking the end to the 2015 Pan Am Games. Art Director, John Bullock, further envisioned the fireworks being let off by Pachi, the Pan Am mascot from a barge in Hamilton Harbour. The shape of the illustration was measured out which resembled a big letter T allowing for text on either side of the rocket smoke streams. A difference of opinion emerged on what to do with the background. 2015-07-25whitesky-coverI insisted on a black sky background, and John argued that it would be too difficult to read white text on black especially on newsprint. To me there was no sense putting fireworks on a white background. So when I finished drawing the firework bursts and rocket lighting Pachi on the barge I supplied a version with a white sky and another with a grey gradient transitioning from white to black. Side by side it made better sense to editors to go with the black sky version, and working with it John came up with the idea to lay the entire masthead atop the fireworks and voila, the resulting A1 illustration.

CAN_HS

LETTER

Spectator front page (July 25)

Graeme Mackay’s front page illustration was ingenious!

As a longtime subscriber to The Hamilton Spectator, I daily look for his brilliance in depicting current news, whether political or social. With keen insight and imagination, he often weaves humour with reality.

TO2015’s mascot, PACHI, is so lovable, one of the best ever in Olympic or Pan American Games. Daily, this spirited raccoon greets me as I open my refrigerator door.

And to include him with the spectacular fireworks accompanied by Boris Brott’s orchestra – how wonderful. Kudos to Graeme Mackay and Boris Brott, both local professionals.

Merle Baird-Kerr, Burlington

Thursday July 23, 2015

Thursday July 23, 2015Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday July 23, 2015

Randle Reef construction starting in spring

After years of delay, the harbour toxic blob will be encapsulated at a cost of almost $140M

The Hamilton company that will take on the first phase of the long awaited Randle Reef Remediation Project won’t be starting construction until the spring of 2016.

Environment Canada says it’s too late this year to begin work encapsulating the giant toxic blob in Hamilton Harbour. As well, it will take several months for steel to be made for the containment walls.

The $138.9-million project to deal with the worst coal tar contaminated site in Canada had been snarled for years in delays, technical studies, funding disputes, and legalities. Then in February 2014 a call for bidders was issued with expectations of construction beginning that summer.

But that was dashed when all the bids came in over budget and government officials had to go back to the drawing board. A second request for proposals was issued in the spring of 2015, with hopes of construction beginning this summer.

But now—with the awarding of the contract to McNally Construction of Hamilton taking until last week – actual construction has been put off again.

“I had a feeling this would happen,” said Lynda Lukasik, of Environment Hamilton. “It is par for the course. We have been waiting a long time.”

But she said she is pleased the project has reached a point that a contract has been awarded for the first of three phases.

Jonathan Gee, of Environment Canada, said one aspect of the project will move ahead in September. In a separate contract with a different construction company, work will begin on reconstructing a harbour wall along the shoreline.

The entire remediation project is slated for completion in 2022. “Two years to build the box, two years to fill the box, and three years to put a lid on the box,” said Gee. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Friday, July 19, 2013

Friday, July 19, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday, July 19, 2013

Meet Pachi the Porcupine, Toronto’s Pan Am mascot

Pachi the Porcupine was greeted with plenty of applause at the CBC’s Broadcast Centre in Toronto on Wednesday.

And fittingly enough, that’s what the name of the official mascot for the 2015 Pan American Games represents when translated from Japanese.

“Pachi” is derived from a Japanese phrase meaning “clapping with joy,” and that’s exactly what enthusiastic kids and parents alike were doing when the multi-coloured mascot was unveiled at Kids’ CBC Days.

But the four Grade 8 students from Markham, Ont. — whose design was chosen after earning the most votes in an online nationwide poll, beating out more than 4,000 entries — were caught off-guard by this kind of reception.

“It’s unbelievable, because we were never expecting anything like this,” Jenny Lee, who along with Buttonville Public School classmates Fiona Hong, Paige Kunihiro and Michelle Ing, came up with the design as part of a school project, told the CBC’s Charlsie Agro.

But what may be equally surprising may be how the design — which includes 41 multi-coloured quills to represent all nations competing at the Games — began coming to fruition.

“[The name] came to me once when I was reading my manga book, which is a Japanese comic book. There was a Japanese phrase called ‘pachi pachi,’ and in English it translates to ‘clapping with joy,”‘ said Kunihiro. “We know that in the Pan Am Games there’s going to be a lot of cheering on our favourite athletes and superstars.” (Source: CBC Sports)