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Uptown development Council to determine future of Seagram lands Waterloo council will tentatively decide on the future development of the cityâ€"owned Seagram lands on March 30. Waterloo chief administrative officer, Tom Stockie, revealed the information to council in a report presented to it during a commitiee of the whole meeting last week. During last week‘s meeting. council unanimously passed (7â€"01 two recommendations concerning the Seaâ€" gram lands. One asked council to approve the formation of a selection team to choose the final propasals lar the development of the property, while a second asked council to approve the hiring of Arthur Andersen & Co Chartered Accountants of Toronto to provide the team with financial and other advice during the sclection process. Members of the selection team that will eventually recommend to council what developers should work on the Seagram lands, and what projects should be built there, include Mayor Joan McKinnon. Stockie, Stockies executive assistant, Paul Eichinger. Waterloos economic development officer, Doug McKenzie and representaâ€" tives from Waterloo Maple Inc., the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area and the city‘s Uptown Vision Committee. The cost to retain Arthur Andersen is estimated to be $25 000 and will be funded from the sale of lands The process started on Sept. 8 of last year when counâ€" cil voted unanimously to buy the 11.37â€"acre Seagram lands at the southwest corner of Caroline Street and Erb Street West for close to $4 million. On Dec. 15, council also vated to provide potential developers of the site with two proposed development documents concerning a sixâ€"actre parcel of land and a 2.7â€"acre parcel of land, containing the former Seagram barrel warehouses, that they could study for possible development with the stipulation that the documents "Service: We Believe in It" PACK 3 747â€"2040 Tim Gardner Chronicle Staff The winter of 207798 will go down as one of the least snowfalls in history and I‘m not complaining. The good weather has allowed us to enjoy sunny weekends and is good real estate buying weather. The market was a little slow at the start of January but we‘re heading for a gold medal in February. Sales of homes in town have returned to the level of last year with 152 homes sold versns 155 last year. An interesting bit of information from the sales in February is the increase in the number of sales over $150,000 So far in February there have been 64 versus 39 last year or a 4% increase. This is a strong indication of move up buyer activity which had to be returned to the city by Monday, Feb. 16 During last week‘s meeting, Stockie said the city had distributed over 100 copies of these ‘expressions of interest‘ to potential developers. Offers to develop the land, based on the propased development documents, had to be submitted to the city by Feb. 16. A total of nine submissions were received. Six were for the Seagram Barre] Warchouses, two were for the Seaâ€" gram Lands, and one was for both the warehouses and the lands. "We‘te very pleased with the quality of proposals we‘ve received," said Stockie at Monday nights council meeting. "I‘m sure the selection team is going to have a real challenge to short list 1t, and select the appropriate developer." Council will receive a preliminary report from the city‘s selection team regarding the proposals at a closed council meeting March 23 Ontario Teacher Federation (OTF) presiâ€" dent Eileen Lennon said proposed changes to bhigh schools are another example of a govâ€" ernment addled by big business on the brain. Lennon, in town for an information meetâ€" ing with local teachers unions last week, said "For the first time ever in Ontario, the curâ€" riculum is going to be written by companies from the private sector. That leaves open the door for curriculum being written by large Amencan text book companies." The concern is that these companies will ignore Canadian content in pursuit of a more Halt private sector curriculum, Lennon says WATERLOO REAL ESTATE UPDATE Bob Vrbanac Chronicle Staff Students from Macâ€" Gregor senior public school in Waterivoe competed Saturday at the Science Olympics held at St. Mary‘s secâ€" ondary school. Grade 7 and 8 students from throughout the region participated in the event which featured activities such as building bridges out OLYMPICS Debotah Crandall photo general curriculum, using their own text books as the basis of the new curriculum The Ministry of Education suggested that the tendering process will save money, but Lennon said the costs to the students will far outweigh any saving. "The thinking that the bigger private sector way of doing things is what works best in every other sector isn‘t true." she said "Schools aren‘t producing a product, they‘re dealing with people "I you‘re not successful you cant thraw the product in the garhage and start over again." _ And with the proposals for the new curâ€" riculum due in Apnl, Lennon said most of Ontario‘s school boards will be left out of the It was a full house at the Preston Audiâ€" tomum as local residents and health care professionals struggled with the issue of planning for the future of health care in Waterloo Region. A wide range of specific visions, strateâ€" gies and current shortcomings were brought forward at the third of three regional health care forums, but no comâ€" prehensive, allâ€"inclusive vision was embraced or even proposed. There were two reoccurring themes during Thursday‘s public forum. One, the region is definitely under funded and under serviced when caompared to its population, size and amount of taxes it contributes to the province. Two., all groups within the region, from health care professionals and politicians to local citizens, need to band together for the cormon purpose of improving health care and support a single voice to speak on its behalf No comprehensive vision proposed ali health care forum Who that person or group will be was not decided, and no one stepped forâ€" ward After the meeting‘s introductions, Charlotte Noesgaard, president of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, began by attacking the province for replacing educated nurses with "generic‘ workers â€" same aof whom have as little as four weeks of traiming. "These individuals are not regulated is very important in the resale market. If this activity continues we will have a strong spring market. The Uptown Waterloo scene promises to have a very positive change if the Seagrams land proposals take shape. The use of the land is vital to the uptown and a mixture of « ommercial/residential would certainly be welcomed. If you are thinking about buying or selling. give one of the professionals at Scharf Realty a call. Ted Scharf, Broker, T747 2040 VICTORIA STAR MOTORS 1998 C230 CLASSIC Leases sturting at ‘391. @ 1450 Victoria St. N., Kitchener $ 7500 down or equiy. trade, Freaght PD 1 . license & tases extra O A C See us for all the details 579â€"4460 process. Once again local consultation will be the biggest victim "Ever since this government came to power they haven‘t shown any real interest in any kind of consultation with any groups â€" cerâ€" tainly not with educators," she said. "Their idea of consultation is, ‘This is what we‘re going to do â€" agree." Lennon said Ontario teachers will contimue to keep a report card on the changes to eduâ€" cation, and aren‘t afraid to hand out farling grades "We will be holding this government accountable for any of the negative impacts that will come about as a result of how they‘re going to implement Bill 160," she said and do not have sufficient education to provide evidenceâ€"based, bestâ€"practice panent care," she explained. Doug McKenzie, City of Waterloo‘s director of economic development, said health service shortcomings in the regron are having a negative effect on attracting and keeping business in the region. McKenzie said he had heard of at least one business that had taken the region off is list of potential sites because health care standards were lower than other areas "The link between economic developâ€" ment and health care services may seem to be tenuous. .. but its not," he said The forum was the last of three argaâ€" nized by the Cimes of Waterloo, Kitchâ€" ener, Cambridge and the Regrion of Waterloo. Initrated by Kitchener mayor Carl Zchr, the sessions were a response to Waterloo North MPP and Ontano Miruster of Health Elizabeth Witmers vomments a few weeks ago that the regian hasn‘t been vocal enough in demanding its fair share of health care spending The first indication whether or not the community has been heard will come in a few weeks when the province‘s Health Care Restructuring Commusston preâ€" sents its preliminary: recommendations on health care delivery in Waterloo Region. ‘ w 2 R > . m p 408 w o £ X y i u 9 m in e] p < nse n ; m _ P 3 2 x