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Written by Kieran Delamont, Associate Editor, London Inc.
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T&T Supermarket brings its iconic shopping experience to London
By the time you read this, the T&T Supermarket at Oxford and Wonderland ― set to become the largest Asian grocery store in London ― will officially be open. Highlights of the new store include T&T’s signature selection of unique Asian grocery products, plus things like an in-house baker, Hong Kong-style barbecue pork, Tianjin crepes and a sushi bar, among other things. The opening of the store will be celebrated by those who have shopped at T&T before, and those who are about to experience a T&T for the first time (if you’re a first-timer, it’s definitely worth checking out ― it’s unlike any other grocery store in Canada, really). “I remember the three-hour carpools to Toronto just to shop at T&T,” said company CEO Tina Lee, a Western University grad, speaking to Retail Insider. “Those trips were more than just grocery runs; they were a cure for homesickness. Two decades later, I’m thrilled to bring the T&T experience to my old stomping grounds.”
The upshot: Even though it is owned by Loblaws (launched in 1993, Loblaws purchased T&T back in 2009), many see stores like T&T as welcome alternatives to conventional grocery stores and the bite their prices have taken out of people in the last few years. The arrival is being celebrated by the Asian community in London (many of them students), including some other Asian grocery owners who see it less as competition and more as a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats type scenario. “I think it’s a good opportunity for people to see something new and for them to have another chance to go shopping at other stores,” Thai Asian Grocery owner Siriya Sritharang told CBC News London. “My customers feel excited.”
Read more: Retail Insider | CBC News London
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LHSC board resigns, province steps in
The entire board of the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has resigned, and the province has stepped in to try and resolve the budget crisis at the region’s largest hospital. On Wednesday, the province announced that it was appointing interim CEO David Musyj, who has so far overseen a restructuring process that has resulted in major cuts at the executive level, as supervisor for the hospital. “Mr. Musyj will work closely with the LHSC senior leadership and staff to address concerns regarding hospital governance and operations, and management practices, including concerning financial performance,” the provincial health ministry said in a statement. On the same day, it was announced that the entire LHSC board was stepping down, “in acknowledgement of the need for a fresh path for LHSC.” Musyj will take on an 18-month term as supervisor, which will culminate with a public report on the status of LHSC, its governance and its finances.
The upshot: “It is long overdue,” was the take from the Ontario Health Coalition’s Peter Bergmanis. The hospital’s board mostly comprised the same members that had overseen scandal after scandal over the past few years ― the pandemic travel scandal of Paul Woods, the move to sever ties with St. Joseph’s Hospital, the expansion of management ranks under the very richly paid (but brief) tenure of Jackie Schleifer Taylor and a spending controversy around international trips by senior staff. In the end, the board seemed to know that a fresh start was what the doctor ordered. “I support the decision to appoint Mr. Musyj as supervisor, an appointment which I believe will facilitate a quicker recovery for LHSC, and supported the decision to voluntarily resign,” said volunteer board chair Matthew Wilson. From a governance perspective, the move puts a lot of control in the hands of Musyj, with the province noting he has “the exclusive right to exercise all of the powers of the board.” We’ve seen Musyj make swift moves to cut the ranks of management so far, so it may not be long before his next move.
Read more: CBC News London | London Free Press
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Stacked townhomes on connector streets okayed in latest density push
London’s latest push towards greater housing density was approved by council on Tuesday. By a 13 to one vote, council approved changes to the master plan that would allow towers of up to 45 storeys downtown, plus the more controversial change to allow four-storey stacked townhouses on neighbourhood connector streets (a designation the city applies to mid-capacity streets like Aldersbrook, Cheapside, Base Line and dozens of others). That change has garnered controversy ― Mayor Josh Morgan only put the change in motion earlier this month, just four days before a public meeting on the proposed density changes. Critics like Councillor Corrine Rahman had concerns that the public was shut out of the decision (she voted for the changes regardless). Morgan defended the change. “If we want to talk about housing affordability, we have to be talking about stacked townhouses in this city,” he said. “They’re a really affordable form of housing. Let’s move forward with more light density options in our city.”
The upshot: Amid all the talk about housing affordability and the disappearance of the starter home, the stacked townhouse has emerged as a good middle ground: it’s not seen as a ‘shoebox in the sky’ as many highrises are, and they rarely have the price tags associated with single-family detached homes. So, Morgan ― keen to be seen as the housing supply mayor ― has been pushing hard for this, despite sharp opposition from some residents. Regarding that opposition, Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis dismissed it as “residents who want this killed on their street.” He also made a point to say that the federal housing minister was paying attention: “I had a text from the federal housing minister’s office asking what time we will be dealing with this,” Lewis told CBC News London, “because they’ll be watching.”
Read more: London Free Press | CBC News London
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Old Oak cranks up Legacy Village density to become London’s single largest housing development
Elsewhere on the housing file, Old Oak Properties’ latest version of its proposal for Legacy Village (the redevelopment of the former London Psychiatric Hospital lands at Oxford Street and Highbury Avenue) is heading to the city planning committee. And it’s getting bigger: the new proposal, which is seeking 10 extra storeys for some of the planned towers (rendering pictured), now has a total of 8,400 units, an increase of more than 2,600, which would make it the largest housing project in the city’s history. “It’s a whole new neighbourhood coming into an area of the city that is already in existence,” Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis told The London Free Press. “The city has never had an opportunity like this.” With the increased scope comes an increased timeline: Old Oak now says that this project will “likely [take] over 20 years to finish,” longer than the 10 to 15 initially pitched. “It will be the largest development in London’s history,” said Old Oak’s vice-president of operations Robert Bierbaum. “This area of town is one where development has been lacking and there’s a strong need for housing across the entirety of our city, especially in this part of town, which historically has been underdeveloped and underserviced.”
The upshot: The new proposal ― which (coincidence or not) lands on the same week that the city’s new density guidelines were approved ― is cranking the ambition dial further up, likely seizing on what Old Oak sees as a more open demeanor towards mega-projects around the council table, which has definitely grown less skittish about approving housing projects since the developer acquired the site in 2019. If you wanted to look for parallels for major districts being built up over a couple decades, the best might be the CityPlace redevelopment along Toronto’s waterfront (though one hopes that Old Oak’s vision ― for something more lively and walkable ― will come to fruition).
Read more: London Free Press
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Bud Gardens officially becomes Canada Life Place, moves to fully cashless operation
Soon, the old sign will come down, and the downtown rink will have a new one, bearing its new name, Canada Life Place (rendering pictured), a change approved by council on Tuesday. “Canada Life Place is more than a name ― it signals our commitment to this community, to our shared growth and shared success,” said Canada Life’s COO Fabrice Morin. “This new arena agreement means a lot to our team, including the 3,500 Canada Life employees who call London home.” The newly named rink also now has its first mini-controversy on its hands. Last week, it also announced that it was going completely cashless as part of the changes being made to its concession stands that are taking it in the direction “more of a grab-and-go market style concession stand,” according to general manager Kelly Austin.
The upshot: Some locals will mourn the old name, and naturally there will be a year or two where people will call it by both names (out of either confusion or stubbornness) and eventually the community will settle on a new nickname (an informal CBC London poll suggested “The Can” might stick). The announcement that it was going cashless, though, has angered some accessibility advocates, who say the move will basically shut out older folks, people without bank accounts of their own and some people with disabilities from buying concessions. “Money is legal tender, and we should be able to pay for things the way we want to,” Lisa Haven, a social worker at Hutton House, told CTV News London. It’s a fair point ― OHL games can be a relatively affordable and accessible night out for adults with disabilities (for instance), and cash is simple and straightforward. Still, it’s as much a sign of the times as anything. “There are a lot of retailers that have already made the decision to move away from cash and Budweiser Gardens is only the latest of many,” noted local tech expert Carmi Levy.
Read more: Insurance Business | CTV News London
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CAMI Assembly workers ratify new contract
Workers at the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll have ratified a deal with General Motors that will see significant wage increases the plant return to two shifts by January, the union said. “It’s been a very big day today,” said plant chair Mike Van Boekel. “Today we rolled out a tentative agreement and our members voted overwhelmingly to approve our new contract.” Ninety-six per cent of production workers and 81 per cent of trades employees voted to ratify the two-year deal, the union said. The new contract will give a 15 per cent wage hike to people on the production line, and a 20.25 per cent increase to skilled trade workers. There’s also improved paid holidays and a reported $10,000 signing bonus. “Hopefully it sets the road for some job stability going forward,” Van Boekel said.
The upshot: CAMI workers and GM weren’t the only ones hoping to see the plant back up to full production ― the town of Ingersoll and many of its small businesses are hopeful that more money in workers’ pockets will deliver a boost to economic activity. “They’ve been in and out of work for a couple of years now, and it really impacts my business,” Chris Kneilands, owner of the Joker’s Crown Restaurant and Pub, told CTV News London. Kneilands said she has been “in the kitchen seven days a week,” because sales were down so much during the plant shutdowns. Van Boekel says that, at least from the workforce’s perspective, there should be some more money to be spent. “It’s very major wage increases for everybody, a large signing bonus, better everything. It’s just a very good contract for our members,” he said. CAMI Assembly manufactures the Chevrolet BrightDrop commercial EV vans, and is Canada’s first full-scale electric vehicle manufacturing plant.
Read more: Financial Post | CTV News London
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Dispatch: September 27, 2024
A summary of recent business appointments and announcements, plus event listings for the upcoming week.
View listings here
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