http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrVM_ReGCSE or go to www.youtube.com Type "ambassador bridge" in the search box in the top right corner.
The poor reporters and editorial writers. No longer will they automatically be able to use the word "reclusive" when talking about the owner of the Bridge Co. They will have to come up with a new adjective now!
I thought it was a stroke of genius when I heard Dan Stamper say on Melanie Deveau's radio interview show on CKLW that the Bridge Co. fly-over animation video was going to be posted on YouTube and not buried on some stuffy EA hearing site.
CKLW advertised it on their website and the Star story today will make it easy for people to find it. Over the weekend, it received almost 2,000 views (many from BLOG readers who got the address first again) and received an honour as:
- #36 - Most Viewed (Today) - Autos & Vehicles -All
- #19 - Most Viewed (Today) - Autos & Vehicles - English
- #20 - Top Favorites (Today) - Autos & Vehicles - All
- #14 - Top Favorites (Today) - Autos & Vehicles - English
I guess the theory was to let the world know exactly what it is that they propose to do and end the rumours, speculation and LIES! If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what is a video worth, a million?
I wonder what the West End activists and politicos will do now, never mind the DRIC team. It makes it harder to make the Bridge Co. the bogey man when it can be seen how little of Windsor and Detroit will be negatively impacted by what they propose to do. The strategy sessions will have to work overtime to convince people that what their eyes tell them is not reality.
Contrast their proposal with anything that DRIC wants to do in Sandwich and Delray. It should not be to difficult either to see which one will cost a lot less to construct as well.
So that is the obvious to discuss. Now the more interesting part of what is taking place.
Over the past year we have seen a change in the attitude of the Bridge Co. They learned that merely being the best border operator in North America is not good enough. It does not win you any thanks or gratitude. You need to get out there publicly and blow your own horn.
Moreover, using the word of the City of Windsor, they have learned that they have "enemies" who are trying desperately to destroy their business. They need to get out there aggressively and defend themselves from lies and disinforamtion.
We have seen the change and it was not so subtle either. The Bridge Co. was front and centre in the hearings in Lansing and in Ottawa before the House of Commons and Senate. The Gowlings lawsuit to me was a very significant event as far as I was concerned and quite a shocker. The recent Michigan approvals I believe are of major concern to their foes because it is now clear that they are moving forward on their enhancement project since many assumed that they were bluffing and were not going to do anything.
The YouTube animation is fascinating to me because it is a direct appeal to the public over the head of and to get around the traditional media like the Windsor Star. I thought it was great that Dan Stamper revealed it on the radio first to give Melanie the scoop!
I am shocked that the Star reported this. Well, it was Dale Molnar who did the story not the usual border reporter. They even gave the address for people to see the video and in the first line of the story too on the online edition. BUT NOT IN THE PUBLISHED EDITION. It was almost as if they wanted people to see what the Bridge Co. offers and that it is not as bad as feared. Then of course the editors got to it and took out the address since it would be too damaging to the position of the Star and the Mayor.
Heavens...the Star readers cannot be trusted with facts!
What I really find informative though is the comparison between the actions of the City and the actions of the Bridge Co. Which party is acting in the "right" manner?
I leave you with this. In the Senate hearings, our Mayor was called a "politician" when answering questions, a term not used in a complimentary fashion. The Bridge Co. people were thanked for speaking "candidly" about their position.
Our "open and transparent" Mayor and Council have not taken into their confidence the people who elected them on the border issue with all of their in camera meetings, acted in a stealth fashion against the Bridge Co. when introducing the Interim Control By-law, and will spend up to $500,000 over an Economic Development Initiative to create a few parking spaces for some call centre employees as part of what was described by Gord Henderson in a much different way than parking spaces (see other BLOG).
And what does the "reclusive" Bridge Co. owner do---posts a video on YouTube for everyone to watch. That man is really "boss" now!
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