Northgate, SK and Corus Land Holding Corp.

[oneoff]

I will only say that the facts say the Corus sales started with SE-6-1-2-W2. You and everyone has access to the same public land title info as anyone else. Check whose name was on the titles prior to January 1 of this year and you will come up with exactly the same names as anyone else in the world.
Yes no one declared any conflicts of interest at the council table (open sessions); and more importantly if anyone had a conflict of interest; they didn't apparently distance themselves from any possible influence from members who arecharged with making the decision. Hell the land deals with Corus were so well camoflaged that there were only passing hints that anything was even being considered. It was as though everyone was sworn to absolute secrecy.

Thats a leading question about possible insider info benefits; or even the perception of a possible benefit. I honestly don't know and wouldn't have the desire to find out in court. I leave that conclusion up to others and the facts which are being witheld from everyone in this cloak of secrecy.


However the next quarter to the east (SE 5-1-2-W2 sold to Corus Land Holding Corp for only $150,000 Still a second best record though.

[oneoff]

Just to repeat..... $150,000 for the next quarter east olond the 49th parallel. Probably few people have ever even set eyes on that quarter. I would even know how to get there.

[bucket]

oneoff

Questions.

Are the ratepayers not interested in this?

Are you the only one following this?

Sounds like a very closed door deal, corruption involved, and the ratepayers are not asking for some provincial help in opening up the process?

[cottonpicken]

Pull up google maps and look at the area.

Think about oil.

Think about billions and billions of dollars.

Look at the surrounding area and the isolation from
any major centre.

Take a trip to williston and see whats happening.

Your about to have an invasion of strangers,young
single men.

My advice open up a strip club.

By the way the ratio of 70:1 men to women ratio in
williston has lead to a dramatic rise in the ****...of
men...lol true story.

[checking]

Cottonpricken, have you been visiting Williston a lot? (lol)

Grain haulers are avoiding the area, whenever possible. They are claiming it's taking them 45 minutes of waiting to make their turn off gravelled roads.

Less than one million people in Saskatchewan was just fine.

[bucket]

cotton

They say that strippers are making more money in North Dakota than they are in Vegas. Interesting fact. Follow the boom.

[cottonpicken]

Checkers,did the flooding in your area hit you with
alkali as bad as us?I wonder if that won't end up
being the worst part of it all.

[checking]

No, I don't think so, just judging from the health of the winter wheat fields. What I've noticed, and I think it is just cosmetic, is the brown ground scum similar to that on the north side of tree trunks.

Sorry for the freudian slip. I'll blame it on a fat finger, for now. I suspect I'll mean it later. (lol)

[oneoff]

farmaholic and bucket
Conflicts of interest are to be only recognized by the holder of those real and what could be perceived as potential conflicts of interest. Proving any allegation would be done before the court system and a judge; and not by the opinion of any other person.

I have no answers. I have copied and stated the facts I have been able to glean. They are sparse indeed. No one is voluntarily giving any details; let alone publically disclosing even a hint about any public decision even have being made.

The proof of this fact is that anyone can do a Google search; and I challenge anyone to produce any lead of anything concerning Corus Land Holding Corp., other than my posts on agriville; the Oct 2011 Farm Land Security Board decision and a Sask Gazettte advertisement in Sept 2011 registering the company under the Corporations Act in Sask.
There is not one lead to a newspaper story; the Leader Post; a news release; an RM council report; a ratepayers meeting,or other invitation to have some input into ones community and its future; nor a public discussion about a potentially important set of upcoming developments.
And I am not responsible for any of these defects in the optimum democratic processes. To the contrary; I have stuck my neck out so far; and been so attacked; and had such relatively few indications that anyone considers any of the points raised to be of enough significance that very few have raised their voices.
It is entirely the responsibility of the ratepayers to see they get responsible representation from their elected officials. If the majority wish not to become involved in any way; and don't want to know about their business; then there has been a gross injustice done to democratic principles; whether it has been realized or not.

I have reported the facts as I see them. There has been no rebutal nor attempt at explanation by council beyond that they got rid of a liability. I siubmit that council didn't recognize; and still refuses to recognize that no one pays the equivalent of $400,000 per acre for multiple vacant lots in Northgate; and $800,000 for an adjoining quarter section if it strictly a liability. Any businessman; or ratepayers should surely agree; but apparently not. Please concentrate on the facts and and nothing else until those important issues have been resolved.

Just because the majority may believe that dictators can provide good government; we have to stay off our leaders backs and give them free reign; its a thankless job; no one else is available to serve; no one cares about being consulted or informed; does not mean that any of those statements are true; or should be true. . My opinion is that good government comes from discussions; public involement; openness in decision making and developing a concensus for planning, bylaw and policy development.
When it comes to democratic processes, in ny opinion, both ratepayers and council leadership have failed miserably.

[oneoff]

farmaholic In answer to your specific question about accommodating expressions of interest and the past history of lot sales in townsites and hamlets. There are references to Northgate townsite; and 60 acres of subdivided lots, lanes and streets; rail yards; train turnarounds, reservoirs, water bodies etc. could even be considered impressive by todays standards. A few residents obviously purchased some adjoining lots over the years. Who could have any concern about such sales. Growth and business interest has exploded more in the past few months in SE Sask; than maybe in all the changes in Sask history so far. And that is why it was so shortsighted to continue to see Northgate's future as it had been for the last half century.

This wholesale complete disposal of all public property in Northgate as an immediate done deal is completely different.
In my mind, I doubt if anyone could produce an example of this magnitude being enabled in "secret" and I submit behind "closed doors" that enabled a single entity to solely take over this type of infrastucture in Saskatchewan.. I speculate that no one even knows the new owner; nor their serious intentions; and if so why has this not been disclosed even after the land acquisition has been all but completely completed.
Had I any influence; at a minimum I would have I would have ensured that expansion options remained open for an existing James Richardson facilty; lands which are in fact not developed shortly and paying taxes would again become potentially available for other development by other individuals and businesses; and that a public advertisement of an intent for sale would have taken place to provide an opportunity for competing bids. The public would have been given an opportunity for input into proposed development; and the blanket pre-approval of zoning, development and use would certainly not have been given immediate approval. And why does a global company need tax incentives (and if those incentives are designed for commercial businesses; would speculated facilities not be considered industrial facilities)? Afterall, I doubt that the current oil industry is eligible for those new incentives that have been recently approved.

Tell me where else in the world you could get such a blanket go ahead and wholesale handover of a strategic, valuable and potentially desirous property in the current world business environment?

[oneoff]

farmaholic In answer to your specific question about accommodating expressions of interest and the past history of lot sales in townsites and hamlets. There are references to Northgate townsite; and 60 acres of subdivided lots, lanes and streets; rail yards; train turnarounds, reservoirs, water bodies etc. could even be considered impressive by todays standards. A few residents obviously purchased some adjoining lots over the years. Who could have any concern about such sales? But growth and business interest has exploded more in the past few months in SE Sask; maybe more than in all the changes in Sask history so far. And that is why it was so shortsighted to continue to see Northgate's future as it had been for the last half century.

This wholesale complete disposal of all public property in Northgate as an immediate done deal is completely different.
In my mind, I doubt if anyone could produce an example of this magnitude being enabled in "secret" and I submit behind "closed doors" that enabled a single entity to solely take over this type of infrastucture in Saskatchewan.. I speculate that no one even knows the new owner; nor their serious intentions; and if so why has this not been disclosed even after the land acquisition has been all but completely completed.
Had I any influence; at a minimum I would have I would have ensured that expansion options remained open for an existing James Richardson facilty; lands which are in fact not developed shortly and paying taxes would again become potentially available for other development by other individuals and businesses; and that a public advertisement of an intent for sale would have taken place to provide an opportunity for competing bids. The public would have been given an opportunity for input into proposed development; and the blanket pre-approval of zoning, development and use would certainly not have been given immediate approval. Streets, roads and lanes woul not have been offered up for wholesale closure. The integrity of the townsite would have not been compromised until there was a demonstated need to make nessessary infrastructure changes.

And why does a global company need tax incentives (and if those incentives were created for commercial businesses; would speculated facilities not be considered industrial facilities)? Afterall, I doubt that the current oil industry is eligible for those new incentives that have been recently approved.

Tell me where else in the world you could get such a blanket go ahead and wholesale handover of a strategic, valuable and potentially desirous property in the current world business environment?

[farmaholic]

Oneoff: I see your concern regarding the sequence of events that lead to this. However, would public disclosure of an interested party in the townsite scared off the potential buyer and would anyone else have stepped up to the plate to develope it into what ever the present buyer has planned? It is hard to put a value on something that no one really wanted until someone steps up and expresses an interest. Could have Council received more money for the property? Probably. Is it possible to think that there will be more benefits gained in the long run than what was sacrificed in the short term. A deal on the property and a couple years tax concessions may be peanuts in comparison to the long term benefits to the area, like more jobs and a long term tax base.

I am not being argumentative, just trying to understand your concerns. You appear to have to very good qualities if used productively, determination and a strong will.