That’s right. You heard it here first. I’m not sure if City Hall’s plans to turn London’s airport into a cargo gateway at a cost of $11,000,000 has long-term legs. Or wings. (Oct. 14, 2009, Column - It Strikes Me Funny)]
The following email arrived yesterday:
To Gord H. Your doubts about the cargo hub at London airport --- expressed before construction even began, I believe --- are proving to be right on.
Congrats on your foresight. Cheers, Ken W.
I spun my desk chair in circles without falling, clapped my hands and said, “Brilliant.” (This type of email is rare).
Not only did I write two columns related to London’s $11 million cargo hub over two years ago, but updated blog readers about my sheer brilliance and foresight just a few weeks ago after learning lumps hits the air conditioner in the local news about the cargo hub's current lack of success, job production, no bang for the buck, etc.
The following lines from my initial column (Oct. 14, 2009) re the cargo ‘nub’ I still stand by:
“(T)oday I have a few questions about an air cargo hub. For example, many Canadian consumers (some of them surely right here in London) are worried about their wages and pensions and are reducing their spending on many types of material goods (ergo cargo) in their desire to save money and clear up their debt load.”
In my reply to Ken W. I said as much again.
“Thanks for the email, Ken. The city's intentions were good, i.e., create jobs. Surely they're needed.
But the city's ideas about how to create jobs may need to encompass people's changing habits related to consumerism. As more people adopt 'the culture of small', a future based on freight doesn't show promise.
But ‘where to next’, to create jobs? That's the question. Thanks again, GH
‘Where to next?’ Darn good question, eh?
Maybe another brilliant, insightful column is in order.
Hey, it could happen!
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