OmniTRAX president and real estate developer, Patrick Broe …

A real estate developer?

Others undoubtedly saw that line and took in its full meaning. But I had focused on Broe as president of a U.S. railway company, OmniTRAX, who was bidding for BCRail. And who, rumour says, was offered a substantial consolation prize for losing out. Or being pushed out. Or something.

OmniTRAX had trains in the U.S., but had only just begun its quest for a Canadian empire. OmniTRAX had obtained ownership of Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill. What a deal that was, with the Arctic Ocean opening up because of global warming. Today is July 14, 2009 and today I think Pat Broe is a real estate developer who knows more than we do about how railways lead to real estate.

News item in BUSINESS WIRE for March 15, 2004: Broe begins land division with initial operations focused on Intermodal, Rail Related … Read about it HERE.

So OmniTRAX president, Pat Broe, is a major real estate developer. Early in 2002, he was meeting with, and corresponding with Gordon Campbell and promoting OmniTRAX as an attractive partner in Gordo’s vision for B.C. prosperity.

Broe, as OmniTRAX, already owned a small railway in the Okanagan, plus Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill. HBRY is 810 miles of former CN track, from The Pas to Churchill, Canada’s only Arctic seaport [www.portofchurchill.ca] Broe’s OmniTRAX took possession of the whole shebang, port and rail line, by paying $10. to the Canadian federal government in September 1997. Ten bucks.

Gordon Campbell, the Vancouver real estate developer, formed the BC government in 2001 and immediately began talking about selling BCRail. Pat Broe must have zeroed in very quickly.

Then Erik Bornman enters the scene by registering with Gordo’s B.C. government as a consultant lobbyist representing the Broe Companies. Bornman busies himself looking for B.C. investment opportunities in economic development and trade, such as rail transportation.

Soon Pat Broe, Dwight Johnson are having dinner with the B.C. Minister of Finance, Gary Collins. For some reason, police wanted to know what those men were discussing. There were RCMP inside the Villa del Lupa restaurant as well as outside, making videos of that meeting. Thank goodness.

Today is July 14, 2009 when various spectacular BC Rail properties can be scooped by CN for $1. Or so we hear.

I think that maybe Collins, Broe, and Johnson were talking, in a roundabout way, about land, lots and lotsa land to be had for 1/10th the cost of the Hudson Bay Railway plus Port of Churchill.

Pat Broe is a real estate developer.

- BC Mary.

“”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”

lynx has left a new comment on your post “Give me land, lots of land, under starry skies above …”:

In light of what BC Mary has just written – here is an excerpt from hansard between Joy MacPhail and Gary Collins: (Read between the lines and think real estate deal and it reads a whole new way.)

J. MacPhail (Leader of the Opposition): I have two concluding questions. These are a follow-up from my questions around lobbying. The minister said he never met with Pilothouse. Did he ever meet with anyone from Omnitrax itself?

Hon. G. Collins (Minister of Finance): Yes. I have met with Pat Broe prior to the B.C. Rail transaction process starting. I met with him once after the B.C. Rail transaction had completed.

J. MacPhail: Boy, I’m sure glad I get the questions right. Is the minister aware of any of his staff that met with Omnitrax on his behalf?

Hon. G. Collins: I’m not aware of that, whether it would have happened or not — certainly not on my behalf. I wouldn’t have directed anybody to do that.

J. MacPhail: And Pat Broe is whom?

Hon. G. Collins: He’s the owner, president and CEO, I think, of Broe Companies, of which Omnitrax is a subsidiary.

J. MacPhail: What were the two meetings about?

Hon. G. Collins: The first meeting was, “Hi, this is who I am,” on his part. “I’d like to come and invest in British Columbia. I think what you guys are doing makes sense. It looks like a great place for me to invest. I’m interested in all sorts of things.” Just a general get-to-know-you type of meeting. I have those regularly with potential investors in British Columbia, if they want to come and talk. It’s more of a welcome, get-to-know-you, individual meeting.

After the transaction had closed, Mr. Broe wanted to tell us that despite not winning the B.C. Rail contract,, he would be interested in continuing to be part of British Columbia, if he could — similar to the prior meeting.

J. MacPhail: Was Mr. Basi present at either of those meetings?

Hon. G. Collins: No.

J. MacPhail: Who staffed the minister?

Hon. G. Collins: I rarely take staff with me. I think it’s a waste of their time for the most part when I travel or when I meet with them. Sometimes I do; sometimes I don’t. It depends on what the need is. I had a dinner, and I didn’t feel I needed staff at a dinner.

J. MacPhail: Was the minister aware that Omnitrax was bidding on the B.C. Rail spur line to Roberts Bank during that period of time?

Hon. G. Collins: No, I wasn’t. I knew they were generally looking to do investments in British Columbia. We certainly didn’t talk in any great detail about any of their proposals. Rather, it was a general discussion of things they might do in British Columbia. They were still interested in British Columbia. They were disappointed, obviously, that they weren’t the successful bidder on CN, but they wanted to continue to have a presence in British Columbia. They were looking for things they might do.

There are a whole range of things they might do. I hope at some point that they are part of that.

http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/2009/07/give-me-land-lots-of-land-under-starry.html

reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC Canadian Funding Corp CEO

http://livinginvictoriabc.blogspot.com/2009/06/karie-siess-says-rates-are-going-up.html

Buildings 2.0 is a vision that intricately intertwines buildings with Internet technologies. It is a vision that the future of buildings is one which is controlled, managed and connected to the Internet, in a way that goes far beyond simply placing a web server to the control system or in the use of IP.

A great deal is being said about the future of buildings. How information technology is shaping how buildings are designed, built, operated, and how buildings are generally viewed in the Internet-centric world we live in today. Many words and descriptions have been used to describe this vision, but none have come closer than the outcome of the Cisco Connected Roundtable at BuilConn in Dubai on the 28th February 2007.

The concept is to frame the future of buildings under the term “Buildings 2.0”.

What is Buildings 2.0?

Buildings 2.0 is a vision that intricately intertwines buildings with Internet technologies. It is a vision that the future of buildings is one which is controlled, managed and connected to the Internet, in a way that goes far beyond simply placing a web server to the control system or in the use of IP.

Buildings 2.0 is a vision of how technologies such as IP and Web Services will transform how building systems connect with each other, how the limitations of traditional integration is blown away.

Buildings 2.0 is a desire to focus how we look at buildings in a new way, how the experience of the occupier (through new-found services)–in concert with the purpose of the building–and maximizing a building’s performance can work in harmony.

Buildings 2.0 is also an initiative that is sensitive to the realities of the immense investment building owners have in their buildings, and must present a way for facility managers to leverage existing systems and assets to work in the context of the vision outlined by Buildings 2.0.

Buildings 2.0 must be an initiative that cares for the scarce resources we have on planet Earth. Enormous opportunities exist today to adopt technologies that will enable buildings to use less or even no fossil-based energy, and thus to produce less harmful carbon emissions.

An Industry Initiative

Buildings 2.0 needs to be a broad industry initiative, not owned by any one element, but driven for all, and by all who subscribe to the principles outlined in a continuous discussion on how buildings need to change in the face of the enormous opportunities enabled by the Internet revolution.

Buildings 2.0 will present to building owners, developers and operators a new and alternative value proposition, an alternative view to the traditional ways that we have all looked at buildings in the past. The Buildings 2.0 proposition goes beyond looking at buildings simply as a box to house people or things, but an active component of real-time enterprises that makes the world what it is today.

Buildings 2.0 will define a new way to design buildings, from the strategic thought process for the need for space, through to the architectural and mechanical/electrical designs that occur before buildings are constructed. A recognition that the design only represents a small part of the life of a building, which if done right can make the building flexible and valuable for decades of productive use.

Buildings 2.0 will also define the manner that we build buildings, specifically how we include the myriad of disciplines involved with buildings into a well-woven integrated partnership ensuring an on-time, on-budget delivery of the vision of the owner or developer.

More info from Anto Budiardjo
President & CEO,
Clasma Events Inc.

Technology Neutral

Buildings 2.0 must be fundamentally technology neutral, recognizing that almost all of the technologies in use today have only existed for a fraction of the time that most buildings today have remained standing.

Buildings 2.0 must recognize that flexible standards must be adopted to make technology work. Adopted technologies must be truly open, be uncontrolled by any single entity, and unnumbered by any unreasonable economic constraints for its use.

Buildings 2.0 must recognize that information is the true currency of technology.

Buildings 2.0 will need to focus on information models that cover the broadest perspectives of buildings from design to operation, information models that must easily enable interoperability between the seemingly disparate stakeholders who have interests in buildings.

Buildings 2.0 will outline a broad and all-encompassing reference design and architecture of how the complex components of design, construction and operation processes can work together in a manner that is flexible and valuable to all stakeholders involved.

Buildings 2.0 must recognize security and regulatory constraints as well as issues such as privacy and safety.

Making Buildings 2.0 a reality

In many ways, Buildings 2.0 is with us today, in technology terms. In many ways the ball-and-chain that has held the industry back to traditional ways remains strong today, barriers that would inhibit the realization of Buildings 2.0’s vision. It is only with a common vision that this ball-and-chain can be broken.

An invitation is hereby communicated to all involved with buildings to embrace the principles of Buildings 2.0, to help develop it, help to adopt and implement it, and make it the only way we should be looking at buildings.

Buildings 2.0 must engender a continuous improvement and questioning if we are doing enough to make our built environment the best that it can be for society at large.

The author recognizes that this is only a start of what Buildings 2.0 is. It is a concept that needs further discussion, evolution and questioning. There is no ownership in this document, only a desire to further how we design, build and operate buildings.

Those who support Buildings 2.0 must define tangible tools for Buildings 2.0 to evolve, including tools that enable this vision to be understood by a broad spectrum of stakeholders including laymen; such as illustrating key differences in technologies and benefits between Buildings 2.0 and previous views of buildings.

The reality of Buildings 2.0 is that it must enable commerce to develop, for without commerce, without positive economic impact to all stakeholders, Buildings 2.0 will not become a reality. The Internet has shown us how the power of the network can bring about untold opportunities. It’s time to discover them in the context of buildings.

After all, who wants to buy or use a version 1.0 of anything these days!