Best burgers, best ribs at barbecue grill-off
The Memorial Centre is going to start selling Labatt beer to sports fans instead of Molson or Coors.
For the last 12 years, the arena has sold only Molson or Coors. But their current contract ends Aug. 31 and on Monday night councillors opted to go with the competition.
Labatt was the only other company to offer a bid.
It’s not the only change in beverage sales at the Memorial Centre: Council recently switched from Pepsi to Coke for its soft-drink beverage company, and they’ve also stopped selling bottled water at the arena.
Coun. Dan McWilliams said he hopes it’s not all “change for the sake of change.”
“I hope it’s change for the better,” he said.
The staff report says Labatt has offered to buy advertising and to lease a private box suite at the arena.
It also says Labatt scored higher on criteria such as pricing and marketing plan.
Meanwhile the GM Centre in Oshawa recently made the switch from Molson to Labatt, and Coun. Gary Baldwin wanted to know whether city staff in Peterborough might have been inclined to follow suit.
“We don’t show favouritism – nor does our staff show any favouritism,” said Ken Doherty, the city’s director of community services.
A city staff report states the city’s revenues in the deal are expected to be $375,000 over the five-year term of the contract with Labatt.
No craft brewers bid for the contract.
Also on councillors’ committee of the whole agenda Monday night:
Approval of a plan buy 808 Sherbrooke St. for the purposes of extending The Parkway. The house is currently for sale and councillors decided to buy it while it’s on the market because they will need a portion of the property to carry out the planned extension of the roadway. The cost to the city is $245,000.
Approval of a plan to spend $398,000 on new office furniture for the social service department buildings on Charlotte and Simcoe streets. The furniture is in addition to nearly $3 million in renovations the city has spent to make the location more accessible.
Coun. Diane Therrien asked why the furniture is so pricey and where it’s coming from.
She was told these are desks for about 50 employees, to make it possible for them to do desk-side interviews with people in wheelchairs or people with strollers. The furniture is coming from Brant’s.
Meanwhile Coun. Lesley Parnell and Coun. Dan McWilliams were both unhappy that the city has paid this much on improvements to the building when it’s not municipallyowned – it’s rented.
But Coun. Keith Riel pointed out it all makes the building more accessible and welcoming to people receiving social assistance – and it’s better for the staff too.
Approval of a plan for the city to take over four rental properties from Homegrown Homes, the nonprofit provider of affordable rental homes. The 20-year-old agency is getting out of the business of renting.
The four rental units are worth about $1.5 million. The city takes on debts for the buildings ($800,000) and also land disposition costs ($49,000).
City planning director Malcolm Hunt said staff doesn’t know exactly what that $49,000 in costs is meant to cover, but he said it could be items such as legal bills and utility charges.
A plan to sell four acres of cityowned industrial land on Jamieson Dr. to the KB Group of Companies for $149,540.
KB manufactures components for modular homes and garages, and plans to increase its workforce from 20 employees to 30 or so, with this expansion.
Approval of a plan to have staff write a report for councillors about finding a temporary location for the Wednesday downtown farmers’ market, once construction starts on the downtown urban park.
There is money set aside in the 2016 city budget to get started on construction.
The city plans to convert the Louis St. parking lot into an urban park and the farmers’ market will need a temporary location. There was no word on when the report will be delivered, or whether it will definitely give the temporary location of the market.
NOTE: See more city council coverage on Pages A1, A2 and A3.
The fifth annual Kawartha Barbecue Competition, held Saturday at Friendly Fires on Highway 7, raised $415 for the Canadian Cancer Society in the name of Courtney Druce as competitors got their grills going to determine who has the best ribs and burgers in the area.
Rope-A-Dope won the best burger competition (and a $450 Napoleon Smoker) with a total score of 8.275. Judges awarded the Rope-A-Dope burger 8.5 for appearance, 7.75 for doneness and 8.5.
The runner-up was 1 Angry Dude with 8.225 (and a prize of a $330 Napoleon Travel Q). Third place was a tie between 3S BBQ and Dangers Smoke with 7.675 both received $150 in Napoleon accessories.
Other competitors included PBH Classic Catering (7.625), Dumb and Dummer (7.475), Ribneck (7.45), Bellevegas (6.9), Delicious Intsense (6.25) and Boy Meets Grill (6.775).
Dangers Smoke won the ribs competition and a $2,000 Primo grill with a total score of 8.85 - 8 for appearance, 8.75 for doneness and 9.25 for taste.
Runner-up was Boy Meets Grill (8.575 and a $330 Napoleon Travel Q) and third went to 1 Angry Dyde with 8.15, winning $150 in Napoleon accessories.
The ribs race was rounded out by Rope-A-Dope with 7.9, Dumb and Dummer with 7.725, Ribneck with 6.775, PBH Classic Catering with 6.65, 3S BBQ with 5.9, Delicious Intense with 5.5 and Bellevegas with 5.4.