More land Sales in SE Sask (Northgate worthless "liability lots)

[oneoff]

Connect the dots; draw your conclusions; here's the data from the Official Land Titles website www.isc-online.ca in Sask.


There were three former owners on these equal sized lots of 0.14 acres; and the lots are all on the same block and next to each other as listed. The hints are that there was a private owner who had 7 lots next to each other; SaskTel owned one lot; and the ratepayers owned 4 lots (through their Rural Municipality). All were sold in the last couple of months to one foreign held company (Corus Land Holding Corp). No one is talking; or will talk beyond pure speculation; but the RM Council did sell 60 acres of similarly surveyed lots for a high of sort of 20% of other sales (which was the SaskTel lot ); down to a paltry low of less than 1% of the privately owned lots directly adjoining. Registration at Land Titles was done for the RM lots on Apr4/2012; after all (as far as I know) the other property titles had been acquired.

Who paid for the couple of hundred (or more) title transfers owned by the RM is a good question; the title searches which cost time and $10.00 each; the administrators time and council per diems etc. are good questions.
It would have been very interesting to see what this land would be worth if it had been available for public auction; or even if council's sale intention been leaked to the public before the deal was done.
In fact that is the question that has never been allowed to be raised in a meaningful manner.

Here is the data

Parcel # ISC Declared Value
106823224 $53000
106825776 $57000
106825787 $57000
106825797 $57000
106808272 $57000
106825800 $57000
106825811 $57000
106825822 $500
106825833 $500
106808283 $500
106825844 $500
114269092 $2500

And from searching so far, the ratepayers didn't fare any better on our other 60 some acres of similar property.
In fact had we sold half of the four RM lots mentioned for what the adjacent lot fetched; we could have kept 60 acres and still had almost the same amount received from Corus Land Holding Corp. No wonder there is no public disclosure, announcement in any publication; or bragging about how well the deal was negotiated.

[oneoff]

Accept it as a fact that land adjacent to the CNR North-South rail connection with the USA (Northgate) was prime real estate.


It is now almost wholly in the hands of an "unknown" foreign controlled company; and will never be able to be able to be under local control again.

[oneoff]

The information above is a symptom of how everyone's business can be conducted behind closed doors.
Why are ratepayers so reluctant to express outrage; or at least raise some serious questions.
Is that how we want our affairs and "democracy" to be run?
Don't we at leaste deserve an opportunity for input, consultation and disclosure of decisions.

[oneoff]

It has also been learned; and has been confirmed as a fact, that the "abandonment" of the CNR rail line from Northgate SK to Lewvan SK resulted in at least some RM's receiving sums such as about $191,000 for compensation of loss of rail lines in their RM. The municipality of Enniskillen received absolutely nothing.
Why??? Was there a credible enough fight put up? Why years of deliberately not informing those affected? Why not a lot of council publicity; and a call for public support?

Lost without a whimper. It was money that could be spent on some worthwhile projects that are necessary; and would be of wide benefit.
And why not free up some more money by getting out of APAS; and cancelling Econonomic Development officer contracts; and save the costs of the charade surrounding a ratepayer centered planning effort. Asking questions (that the majority have shown they will not even answer) concerning how we liked council's past impositions on ratepayers; is not long term planning.

[oneoff]

Even if no one else is interested; these posts will be a documentation of one interpretation of the facts. With absolutely no rebuttal; there is no reason to believe that the comments arenot an accurate point of view.
It is not a case of the council being unaware of thes posts in AGRIVILLE. The whole council believes that such posted comments "that while might be legal; are downright arrogant, rude etc. etc. etc.))
I propose that there is an argument that public assets were disposed of in a huge done deal; in secret; and of which any of the details are ever intend to be disclosed openly.
James Richardson Grain company has an 88,000 bushel capacity elevator now stuck in the midst of a Corus "facility". The BNSF Grain Elevator Directory lists it as Facility#2312 in Northgate ND. There is a better known General Mills facility in Northgate ND; but I suspect that the James Richardson facility in Northgate SK is indeed one and the same as listed in the BNSF Elevator directory.
Anyway the Richardson faciity is reported as having a "Track capacity of 31 cars" and only 88,000 bushel capacity. I don't know why RM property might not have been of potential interest in possibly expanding their track capacity to more near unit train size.

Thats the kind of reason why a call for public tenders on land asset sales might have found more interest beyond an initial offer that is hidden from view until well after the whole deal has been completed.
Oh, and the RM got $3000 for 0.6 of an acre at the "gateway" to the center of this deal. A privately held 0.9 acre parcel was transferred only weeks earlier for $50,000. There's not one example revealed so far that brought anywhere close to market value for the ratepayer owners.

I CHALLENGE ANYONE TO RESPOND AND SHOW THAT THESE REPORTED FACTS ARE SUBSTANCIALLY IN ERROR.