General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[westwardloo]

This might have happened if Blackberry didn't fumble the smartphone so spectacularly, unfortunately there just isn't that much individual personal wealth in KW right now.

I don't know why you think that, although maybe your concept of "not that much" is different from mine. But apart from Mike Lazaridis (who is not on par with the US oligarchs, but is still quite wealthy) there are dozens (or more) of entrepreneurs in the regions who have had their tech companies acquired for large sums of money. And others who have made their wealth in more conventional ways, too.

I understand that there are wealthy people in this Region, but Blackberry fumbled the ball on the 1 yard line just before smartphones became super mainstream. They would have been a company on par with Samsung's or Apples mobile divisions. Those company profit tens of billions per quarter.  There would have been some inconceivably wealthy people in our region. One of those people might have been interested in the local sports scene and been willing to "invest" or donate to upgrading our local facilities. 

Mike has done a lot for our Region, but it has mostly been focused on the arts/ business at our Universities.