Sunday December 6, 2015

Ladies and Gentlemen

If our recent summer-like weather is any indication it promises to be an interesting winter.  But there is no dampening of the Christmas spirit as you will see below.

A quiet start to the week.  On Tuesday December 8^th at 9:00 am at Midhurst, County Council debates changes to our waste management system. Over the last 5 years the County has implemented significant changes to our municipal waste recycling and collection.  However our household diversion rate is stuck at about 52% - 48% of our waste still goes to landfill. Further the amount of waste each household generates each year continues to increase. This discussion will see if the County is willing to put in new policy measures to reduce the amount of garbage that we all generate.

On Wednesday the 9^th something very special – the Tay Township Great Christmas Caravan comes to Town.  Captain Eric, of Keewatin fame, and Mayor Scotty have somehow finagled a tractor-trailer full of toys.  These toys will be distributed to childrens’ charities across North Simcoe.  Midland’s turn is at noon in front of the NSSRC. Groups such as Boys and Girls Club and the Salvation Army will be there to receive this Christmas bounty. Please drop by to see Santa at his best.

At 4:45 pm at St. Pauls, Sistema Huronia will perform a series of pieces demonstrating the string playing skills that local children have learned this semester. This will be a short informal concert to provide a friendly atmosphere for our youthful musicians to perform together for the first time. Please come and show these youngsters that they are appreciated by all of us.

That evening, at 6:00 pm is a closed meeting of Council to discuss a labour matter. Then at 7:00 pm Council has an open meeting to discuss budget related matters, followed later on by a closed meeting to discuss the personal aspects of the budget matters. While Council tries to avoid closed meetings, this series of closed meetings arises from your Council’s comprehensive review of the way the Town operates. This internal review will give us the needed information to sustainably provide our needed services while allowing the Town to undertake new initiatives such as downtown revitalization and investing in our cultural economy.

And speaking of culture, the down-east talents of the Barrra MacNeil will be on display at the MCC. This sold out performance is indicative of the cultural growth we are seeing in our area.

On Thursday December the10th there are two meetings for you. From 8:30 am to 12:00 noon at the Best Western, the Severn Sound Sustainability group will host a workshop on invasive species. You need to register in advance. Please contact  tracy@sustainablesevernsound.ca | 705.526.1371 x. 112.  Then at 6:00 pm the Hanson Group is hosting a public input session to review the “development design guideline” for their new development on Highway 12. The event is at our Library.

Friday the 11^th at 10:00 am will feature a short meeting of the Downtown Safety Committee at Town Hall. This meeting will finalize the recommendations for the “Situation Table” – a new form of coordinating police and social agencies to help those who are having trouble coping in society.

In our downtown, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm there will be a live remote in the new parking lot on the corner of King & Bay Street.  Corus Radio will be set up doing a live broadcast and the Midland Fire department will be bringing a truck as we're doing a fill-the-truck food/toy drive for charity. Look for our local merchants to be open for your Christmas shopping – a great opportunity to shop local.

Weekend

A weekend for family plans. Just one cultural note. The iconic Bobby Curtola will be live on stage at the MCC at 8:00 pm on Sunday

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As part of our Town moving to a more modern economy, Council has decided to revamp its by-laws respecting home based businesses. The intention is to move from a regime that restricts entrepreneurial home-based activity to one that encourages it, while respecting the rights of citizens to enjoy their residential neighborhoods.

Our Planning Department is now gathering your views on the topic. If you operate a home-based business, the Town wants to hear from you. You can help by filling out the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PPS6XTY.  Your information will be kept confidential.

Gord McKay

Be part of Midland’s Year of Bold Action - 2015