Latest news with #PeterOsborne
BBC News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
'I have nightmares about potholes' - Kent Council roads boss
A Kent council cabinet member said he has "nightmares about potholes" as it aims to invest millions into fixing the County Council says it wants to invest £67m into roads in the region, including quick repairs on potholes and preventative measures to stop new issues from in Herne Bay this afternoon, Peter Osborne - who is responsible for highways and transport - said potholes in Kent would be fixed in order of priority, having previously claimed the council had repaired more than 12,000 said: "I have nightmares about potholes. We have all driven over them and I want them fixed." As part of the multi-million pound investment, the Reform-run council says £25m would be used on renewing and reconstructing roads, while £14m would also be sought from the Department for Transport to fund a dedicated pothole patching March, the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey found that fixing the backlog of repairs on roads in the South East would cost about £ Sole, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group in Kent County Council, said residents want to "see those potholes being repaired with their own eyes".
Toronto Sun
31-07-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Hudson's Bay gets permission to sell leases, extend creditor protection
Published Jul 31, 2025 • 4 minute read A Hudson's Bay store in Etobicoke on Friday, March 24, 2025. Photo by Laura Proctor / Bloomberg Hudson's Bay is set to shave off a sliver of its debt after getting court approval for two lease deals, but is still gearing up for a fight on a third lease agreement later this month. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Ontario Superior Court judge Peter Osborne gave the collapsed retailer permission Thursday to sell six of its leases. Five will be bought for $5.03 million by YM Inc., which owns a slew of mall brands including Bluenotes, Urban Planet, Suzy Shier and West 49. The leases were held by Saks Off Fifth, a discount retailer run by the Saks Canada chain, until the Bay closed its 80 stores and all 16 under the Saks banners in the country earlier this year. The leases cover stores at Vaughan Mills in Vaughan, Ont., Tanger Outlet in Kanata, Ont., Outlet Collection in Winnipeg, CrossIron Mills in Rocky View, Alta., and Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, Ont. YM has not said which of its brands will move into each site, but the Bay said in court filings made last week that the landlords of all five properties have given their blessing to the prospective new tenant. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. YM originally had even bigger ambitions. When it inked a deal with the Bay on May 28, it wanted to buy the leases at Pickering Town Centre in Pickering, Ont., Skyview Power Centre in Edmonton, and Midtown Plaza in Saskatoon for $1 million, but landlord waivers weren't secured for those properties. In addition to the YM transaction, the Bay got court permission to move forward with another deal it struck to sell its lease at Metrotown in Burnaby, B.C., to Ivanhoe Realties Inc. for $20,000. Ivanhoe Cambridge, the parent company of Ivanhoe Realties, owns the mall and thus, the transaction is not facing opposition. The two deals were the result of a process, which saw the Bay put its leases up for sale. One dozen bids for a collective 39 properties came in. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ivanhoe's bid was not initially accepted because of its low price, the Bay has said in court documents. However, negotiations eventually helped the parties come to an agreement. The deals will help the Bay address the $1.1 billion in debt it had when it filed for creditor protection in March. Nearly $1 billion of that money was owed to a 26-page list of creditors, including prominent lenders, utilities providers and fashion brands. Money has started to flow to creditors now that liquidation sales at the Bay and Saks have concluded but much of the cash is still outstanding and on Thursday, Osborne prolonged the retailer's period of reprieve from creditors to at least Oct. 31. The Bay said the extension will give it more time to prepare its art and artifacts for auction and get approval to sell 25 more leases to B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Liu already bought three leases at B.C. malls she owns but wants about two dozen more. She has said she would use the sites to open a new department store she will name after herself. Originally, her plan said the department stores would include dining, entertainment, retail and recreational activities but recently, plans she submitted to court dropped those elements. Most landlords are vehemently opposed to her moving in and have criticized her for not providing enough information about the business she intends to build in their properties. However, Bay lawyer Ashley Taylor revealed Thursday that Liu has been generating some support. He told Osborne that she has entered into a consent agreement with Triple Five Group, which owns the West Edmonton Mall. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Taylor said Liu is 'very close' to signing a similar agreement with another landlord he did not name. Earlier this week, Liu generated plenty of attention when letters she sent to Osborne were entered into the court record, prompting the chief justice's office to remind her people should not directly contact judges presiding over their cases. Linda Galessiere, a lawyer for several landlords, said in court Thursday that she was 'quite surprised' by the letters and 'very troubled' by their contents. In the letters, Liu asked Osborne to 'please give me a chance' and revealed the Bay had repeatedly threatened to cancel her deal because she was not taking steps the retailer thought was necessary to appease landlords and get a deal done. But rather than pull the deal or seek concessions from Liu because of her alleged inaction, the company took another tact. It presented her with an opportunity to save $3 million on her deal, if she hired the retailer's former CEO as a consultant and KPMG as a financial adviser. Brian Kolenda, a lawyer for one of the Bay's lenders, said in court Thursday that such actions raise 'legitimate questions about the conduct of this proceeding and who has conducted themselves in good faith along the way.' Canada Canada Tennis Basketball Wrestling
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Kent County Council seeks solution to 'painful' Operation Brock
Kent County Council says it is looking for alternatives to Operation Brock, including an off-road lorry facility to try to ease Brock sees lorries heading to Dover queuing on one side of the M20 in an attempt to ease congestion, but council representatives said it was a "painful measure for everybody in Kent".Peter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport, said that while they were seeking a solution to the ongoing issues the contraflow system between junctions eight and nine was "all that we've got".Mr Osborne said: "I'm pretty sure that everyone at the council and most of our residents want to get rid of it." Operation Brock is funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), with decisions on its use made by the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF).On average the operation costs about £250,000 each time it is deployed, a Freedom of Information request Osborne said the council had looked at sites for an off-road holding facility, but the site needed to be between Ashford and Folkestone and on the left side of the had included the Sevington inland border facility, which the government is reportedly considering selling following its post-Brexit deal with the EU, but Mr Osborne said the site was on the wrong side of the Howe, highways and transport strategic resilience manager at the KMRF, told Radio Kent that "being realistic, it [Operation Brock] won't be fixed this summer and it won't be fixed next summer".The DfT was approached for comment.
Toronto Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Hudson's Bay hearing on lease deal adjourned as B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu appears without lawyer
Judge Peter Osborne adjourned the Tuesday hearing, telling Liu "I not only urge but recommend in the strongest terms" that she hire a lawyer to represent her and her plans to buy the leases. Published Jul 15, 2025 • Last updated 10 minutes ago • 4 minute read B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu and her bid to buy up to 25 Hudson's Bay leases was due to come under further scrutiny in court Tuesday — but the battle was waylaid when she showed up with no lawyer or materials to aid in making her case. Photo by Richard Lam / PNG B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu and her bid to buy up to 25 Hudson's Bay leases was due to come under further scrutiny in court Tuesday — but the battle was waylaid when she showed up with no lawyer or materials to aid in making her case. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Judge Peter Osborne adjourned the hearing 'for a short period of time,' telling Liu 'I not only urge but recommend in the strongest terms' that she hire a lawyer to represent her and her plans to buy the leases. 'There are significant concerns being expressed about those plans, so it is important for me to hear from you fully about what those plans are,' he said. Liu signed deals with The Bay in May to buy up to 28 leases in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario belonging to the defunct retailer and its sister banner Saks. She planned to use the properties to open a department store named after herself. Three of the spaces in B.C. malls she owns were transferred to her last month after receiving court approval. The Bay has yet to seek that assent for up to 25 more in properties held by other landlords, who are overwhelmingly opposed to Liu moving in because they say she's yet to provide detailed business plans. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Documents filed in the leadup to Tuesday's hearing in Ontario Superior Court, showed Bay lender Restore Capital LLC and its affiliate Hilco Global were due to join the opposition. Restore, part of a group that loaned The Bay $151.4 million, planned to ask Osborne to terminate the retailer's 25-lease deal because it's 'uneconomical and imprudent.' The longer The Bay goes without landlord or court approval, the more Restore's collateral is being 'frittered away,' the firm said. Alvarez & Marsal, the monitor previously appointed to guide the court process, estimated it's costing at least $4.7 million in rent, property taxes, utilities and other fees each month that the Liu deal goes unapproved. In a filing made just after midnight on Tuesday, it said it wrote to Liu repeatedly reminding her of her obligations and seeking information that could be used to get the court to assign her the leases without landlord approval. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The monitor said Liu has 'not meaningfully responded,' provided landlords with more information that might get them onside or even taken 'the most basic and necessary steps' to advance her bid. Liu previously provided landlords with information about her plans and believes they will welcome her if a court assigns her the leases. 'We will work closely with HBC and have already hired experts,' Liu told Osborne on Tuesday, speaking in Mandarin that was translated by Linda Qin, the CEO of her company. 'We are ready to open the stores.' Liu said she intends to hire a new lawyer. She was previously represented by both Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP and Miller Thomson but has parted ways with each. Gavin Finlayson, a Miller Thomson lawyer, appeared in court to confirm he was no longer representing Liu, but didn't say why. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse later, Liu said she had been dropped by her lawyer 'all of a sudden' on Sunday after a disagreement over whether his firm should be paid $3 million more to represent her. Liu said her legal counsel was the topic of a letter she sent Osborne, but declined to offer further details. Osborne had advised her during the court session that parties aren't to communicate with the judge outside of the hearing. Finlayson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Osborne pressed Liu to find a lawyer in part because it will help her navigate The Bay's creditor protection case, which began in March, when the retailer admitted it was unable to cover bills and had no hope of finding lender support. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A sales process uncovered no one willing to buy the business, so it liquidated all 80 of its stores and 16 Saks locations. The company got 12 bids for 39 leases but chose Liu to buy 28 because the terms she offered were 'the most favourable.' A copy of the agreement she entered with The Bay was given to the court over the weekend but sealed. Prior filings, however, show Liu made a deposit of $9.4 million, which would equate to a purchase price of $94 million for 25 leases. A package prepared by Liu's former lawyers and obtained by The Canadian Press in early June shows she told landlords she could open stores within 180 days of receiving leases and would pour millions into rehabilitating properties. Landlords almost immediately panned her plans, saying she doesn't have the suppliers, financing or retail management experience to run a department store. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Bay lawyer Ashley Taylor told Osborne there has since been 'an ongoing dialogue' between Liu and stakeholders. David Bish, who represents Cadillac Fairview, disagreed and said the landlords remain 'deeply concerned.' 'This is the hill to die on for landlords,' Bish said. To aid in The Bay's wind-down, Restore wants the court to appoint a 'super-monitor' to subject the department store chain to even more oversight. If the court doesn't agree, Restore suggests appointing Richter Consulting Inc. as a receiver. The Bay argued it doesn't need more oversight because it's properly governed. It maintains the Liu deal is the best shot it has at recovering more cash for creditors. Pathlight Capital LP, one of The Bay's other lenders, supports the Liu transaction but won't finance the extra time it could take to close the deal. Meanwhile, the monitor said more oversight may be appropriate at some point. It's prepared to step up, when necessary. Its report also revealed The Bay has several other lease deals in the works. One has been reached with a landlord wanting to buy its own lease for less than $250,000. Another is with an unnamed party wanting seven leases. Read More NFL Editorial Cartoons Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA Columnists
The Province
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Province
Hudson's Bay hearing on lease deal adjourned as B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu appears without lawyer
Judge Peter Osborne adjourned the Tuesday hearing, telling Liu "I not only urge but recommend in the strongest terms" that she hire a lawyer to represent her and her plans to buy the leases. Published Jul 15, 2025 • Last updated 19 minutes ago • 4 minute read B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu and her bid to buy up to 25 Hudson's Bay leases was due to come under further scrutiny in court Tuesday — but the battle was waylaid when she showed up with no lawyer or materials to aid in making her case. Photo by Richard Lam / PNG B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu and her bid to buy up to 25 Hudson's Bay leases was due to come under further scrutiny in court Tuesday — but the battle was waylaid when she showed up with no lawyer or materials to aid in making her case. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Judge Peter Osborne adjourned the hearing 'for a short period of time,' telling Liu 'I not only urge but recommend in the strongest terms' that she hire a lawyer to represent her and her plans to buy the leases. 'There are significant concerns being expressed about those plans, so it is important for me to hear from you fully about what those plans are,' he said. Liu signed deals with the Bay in May to buy up to 28 leases in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario belonging to the defunct retailer and its sister banner Saks. She planned to use the properties to open a department store named after herself. Three of the spaces in B.C. malls she owns were transferred to her last month after receiving court approval. The Bay has yet to seek that assent for up to 25 more in properties held by other landlords, who are overwhelmingly opposed to Liu moving in because they say she's yet to provide detailed business plans. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Documents filed in the lead up to Tuesday's hearing in Ontario Superior Court, showed Bay lender Restore Capital LLC and its affiliate Hilco Global were due to join the opposition. Restore, part of a group that loaned the Bay $151.4 million, planned to ask Osborne to terminate the retailer's 25-lease deal because it is 'uneconomical and imprudent.' The longer the Bay goes without landlord or court approval, the more Restore's collateral is being 'frittered away,' the firm said. Alvarez & Marsal, the monitor previously appointed to guide the court process, estimated it's costing at least $4.7 million in rent, property taxes, utilities and other fees each month that the Liu deal goes unapproved. In a filing made just after midnight on Tuesday, it said it wrote to Liu repeatedly reminding her of her obligations and seeking information that could be used to get the court to assign her the leases without landlord approval. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The monitor said Liu has 'not meaningfully responded,' provided landlords with more information that might get them onside or even taken 'the most basic and necessary steps' to advance her bid. Liu previously provided landlords with information about her plans and believes they will welcome her if a court assigns her the leases. 'We will work closely with HBC and have already hired experts,' Liu told Osborne on Tuesday, speaking in Mandarin that was translated by Linda Qin, the CEO of her company. 'We are ready to open the stores.' Liu said she intends to hire a new lawyer. She was previously represented by both Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP and Miller Thomson but has parted ways with each. Gavin Finlayson, a Miller Thomson lawyer, appeared in court to confirm he was no longer representing Liu, but did not say why. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse later, Liu said she had been dropped by her lawyer 'all of a sudden' on Sunday after a disagreement over whether his firm should be paid $3 million more to represent her. Liu said her legal counsel was the topic of a letter she sent Osborne, but declined to offer further details. Osborne had advised her during the court session that parties are not to communicate with the judge outside of the hearing. Finlayson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Osborne pressed Liu to find a lawyer in part because it will help her navigate the Bay's creditor protection case, which began in March, when the retailer admitted it was unable to cover bills and had no hope of finding lender support. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A sales process uncovered no one willing to buy the business, so it liquidated all 80 of its stores and 16 Saks locations. The company got 12 bids for 39 leases but chose Liu to buy 28 because the terms she offered were 'the most favourable.' A copy of the agreement she entered with the Bay was given to the court over the weekend but sealed. Prior filings, however, show Liu made a deposit of $9.4 million, which would equate to a purchase price of $94 million for 25 leases. A package prepared by Liu's former lawyers and obtained by The Canadian Press early June shows she told landlords she could open stores within 180 days of receiving leases and would pour millions into rehabilitating properties. Landlords almost immediately panned her plans, saying she doesn't have the suppliers, financing or retail management experience to run a department store. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Bay lawyer Ashley Taylor told Osborne there has since been 'an ongoing dialogue' between Liu and stakeholders. David Bish, who represents Cadillac Fairview, disagreed and said the landlords remain 'deeply concerned.' 'This is the hill to die on for landlords,' Bish said. To aid in the Bay's wind down, Restore wants the court to appoint a 'super monitor' to subject the department store chain to even more oversight. If the court doesn't agree, Restore suggests appointing Richter Consulting Inc. as a receiver. The Bay argued it doesn't need more oversight because it's properly governed. It maintains the Liu deal is the best shot it has at recovering more cash for creditors. Pathlight Capital LP, one of the Bay's other lenders, supports the Liu transaction but won't finance the extra time it could take to close the deal. Meanwhile, the monitor said more oversight may be appropriate at some point. It's prepared to step up, when necessary. Its report also revealed the Bay has several other lease deals in the works. One has been reached with a landlord wanting to buy its own lease for less than $250,000. Another is with an unnamed party wanting seven leases. Read More Crime Food News Sports Betting Local News
