Wit Ventures: April 2017

Saturday 29 April 2017

Sarnia's Bayside Mall: New Owners Plan 'Premier Downtown Destination'.

Zach Neal photos.

From Paul Morden, Sarnia Observer.

Oakville-based Seasons Retirement Communities has been identified as the new owner of Sarnia's Bayside Centre.

The company that owns and operates 18 retirement residences in Ontario and Alberta is named in a report from city solicitor Scott McEachran to members of city council.

An information package from Seasons Retirement Communities is attached to the report going to Monday's council meeting.

It says the company is planning a new 140 to 160-suite assisted living retirement residence as part of a master plan to be developed for the downtown site.

The company's acquisition of the mall property closed April 18, according to the information package.

“It is Season's intention to improve the Bayside Mall location, transforming it into the premier downtown destination for the citizens of Sarnia and Lambton County,” the package says.

Planning is expected to take a year, with construction of the residence beginning as early as 2018, it says.

Link to the rest here.

Additional coverage. (Blackburn News.)

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Saturday 22 April 2017

Sydenham River Canoe and Kayak Race Sunday Morning.

From Jake Jeffrey, Blackburn News.

About 80 canoes and kayaks will be out on the Sydenham River Sunday morning.

St. Clair Region Conservation Authority is once again hosting its annual Sydenham River Canoe and Kayak Race.

Education Coordinator Sharon Nethercott says they expect about 160 people on the water Sunday morning, with registration set for 10am and the race getting underway at 11am.

She says it’s a great opportunity for people to get outdoors and take in some local scenery.

“The Sydenham is a beautiful river, it’s the only river that’s entirely (in the) Carolinian zone.
It’s a great spot to do some bird watching and check out all the wildlife.”

Link to the rest here.

Image credit.

Thank you for reading.

Bluewater Granfondo Garners National Attention.

From Jake Jeffry, Blackburn News.

The Bluewater International Granfondo is gaining some national attention.

Despite entering just its second year, it was listed as the 11th best granfondo in Canada by granfondoguide.com.

The 2017 edition is on August 6, and features a scenic 50 km, 100 km and 150 km routes through Lambton County

Tourism Sarnia-Lambton’s Vicky Praill says the designation is a real feather in their cap.

Link to the rest here.

Image credit.

Thank you for reading.

Shirley D. Neal

Shirley has over 30 years of experience in such diverse businesses as financial planning, manufacturing, and supply. Her education includes a B.A., B.ED., M.ED., C.F.P., N.L.P. and the home inspector’s course as well as having her AZ license for five years. Her family home has given her and her husband the opportunity to do extensive renovation and repairs thereby increasing the value about $100,000 in ten years. She has been able to see firsthand how much a sensible and cost efficient renovations can add to the value of a home. Shirley has chosen joint ventures because she thinks that her experiences an help others achieve their goals and maximize the profits for both parties. In 1979, Shirley became involved in a small group of women who started a metal manufacturing company making small deep drawn metal parts for the automobile companies in Windsor. They took the company from start up to over $400,000 in sales in five years. That was a lot of parts since the parts sold for only five cents per each. In 1985 they sold the company to one of their customers. Whether it was selling mutual funds, teaching foster parents how to recruit foster parents, or working for Tony Robbins, Shirley has put more than 100 percent into every endeavour she was involved in.