Agree to Disagree : Frost on the ground is not all bad…

 I will agree that the climate at City Council has not been all rainbows and unicorns since Brock Frost became a City Councilor a little over a year ago.

Even before he was elected, gossip and rumours seemed to have a way of following him around. First, there was the fire at the Church on Sydney, a business venture he owned, which was surrounded with whispers of insurance fraud and arson. Then there was the incident at the Library debate, where he collapsed and had to be taken out by ambulance. There were also allegations coming from the River Queens and speculations that he had purchased the River Kings only to get elected.

Even before he was elected, he was said to allegedly be a drug dealer and smuggler, was said to be involved in money laundering, thought to have a few illegitimate kids, named to be a loan shark and considered to be a member of the Hell’s Angels. And that’s not even half of it. This information had been around, widely circulated. Controversy was following him. Voters knew this. Even before he was elected.

I just thought he’d shake things up and make council meetings more lively. It’s always good to spice things up…

Frost had always been an interesting character. He’s good looking, mysterious, bright, charming… A lot of people believed in what he was selling and I think his intentions were honest. Well you know what they say… The road to hell is paved in good intentions.

The public loved him, or loved to hate him. In turn, the media loved him. They published anything and everything Frost related, sometimes without checking their facts. Sometimes getting in trouble for it. But that’s on the media, not on Frost.

Shortly after he took office, serious accusations ensued. First, he sold the River Kings, giving naysayers reason to believe that his move to purchase had indeed been a political one. Then, there was the news about his real estate dealings in Nicaragua, The LHNA Fraud case, followed by a few other outrageous media releases which landed him in court.

But not all that came from Frost was bad in is 364 day reign.

Take a moment to put aside the personal issues surrounding him and reflect on how he handled the job at council, because really, THAT’s what he should be judged on. Brock Frost has probably been the most active councillor during his stay. In my book, he gets an A for Effort. He’s tried. He’s introduced many good ideas to try to make Cornwall a better place to live, work and play. He put forth motions to hire an Arts Coordinator, one to bring a Casino to the waterfront and also tabled a motion to research and then create a code of conduct for council and consider the use of an integrity commissioner for the municipality. His ideas were too big and Frost seems a bit impatient when it comes to getting results. This is a problem we will see a lot more of as we elect new, younger people. We live in an era of instant gratification and the process at City Hall is everything but instantaneous.

Where did Frost go wrong? Well, there probably were many mishaps that led to where we are today, but in my opinion, not knowing when to be quiet is probably what did him in. Silence IS a virtue.

Some may say my opinion is tainted by the fact that I know him a bit more than your average Joe does. But I base my opinion on facts. I’ve had the pleasure of sitting on the Board of Directors or the Cornwall Business Network with him and have nothing but good things to say about his dealings there. He helped many launch or take their business to the next level. Many can testify to that.

It takes a big man to know when it’s time to quit, to admit you may have taken a wrong decision and grow from failure. By resigning, Frost did the right thing for the City and for himself.

Not all he did was positive either, but it sure as hell was entertaining.

What do you think?

If you’re wondering… 


Frost created the Eagle’s Nest, Cornwall’s version of Dragon’s Den, and donated $3000 to small businesses. He created the Hugs & Kisses event, which delivered chocolates to seniors homes on Valentine’s Day. He donated $4000 to Winterfest, saving it from possible folding. He purchased the River Kings and he donated his salary (partly or in full is not confirmed) to Cornwall Hospice.