Sunday April 3, 2016

Ladies and Gentlemen

When it comes to April Fool’s jokes, it’s hard to beat a dumping of snow and below zero temperatures.  Ah Spring.

Monday April 4^th at 9:00 am Askennonia is holding its annual 55 Alive! Driver Refresher Course with Paul Hamelin. It’s a full day course costing $30 including lunch.  All are welcome; pre-registration is required (705) 526-7609. Then at 10:00 am the Town will raise the world Autism Day flag at Town Hall.

Tuesday the 5^th has a definite food theme. Peaceworks is having a fund raiser for Doctors Without Borders. Join them for lunch at Explorers restaurant at noon. Tickets are $20.00. Then for dinner it’s the first annual Mayors Mac and Cheese dinner to raise funds for “We are the Villagers”. There are three sittings – 4:30 5:45 and 7:00 pm – where you will be served by the mayors and entertained by the children.  Please join us at the Library restaurant.

Wednesday’s theme is meetings. In the morning the mayors meet to further their discussions on the GBGH funding situation. (More on that below). At 1:00 pm at Town Hall the fibre optics committee meets to discuss its recent request for quotation and how best to organize to bring fibre to our area. At 6:00 pm I expect there to be a special closed meeting of Council to discuss a personnel item, (This meeting has not yet been posted).  And at 7:00 pm is the Planning and Development Committee. The first part of the meeting will be a public meeting (you may speak) on three topics:

-       Zoning application for 711 Aberdeen (the second condo-tower)

-       Official Plan Amendment for the Midland Bay Landing development

-       The proposed Second Suites by-laws

Then we get into the regular planning meeting with:

-       Discussion of the items covered in the public meeting

-       Site plan application for our new high school – Georgian Bay District High School

-       Downtown Community Improvement Plan (CIP)

On Thursday the 7^th, area physicians will be holding a “town hall” to discuss cutbacks at GBGH. The meeting takes place at 6:30 pm at Brian Orser arena in Penetanguishene.  At 8:00 pm you are invited to the MCC to listen to the swinging blues interpretations of Guy Davis the “Ambassador of the Blues”.

Our Deputy Mayor, Mike Ross, is doing his best to bring the video feed of the Blue Jays home opener to our new downtown public square (aka 509 Bay). He is still working on the licensing permissions – stay tuned.

Weekend

Saturday

-       9:00 pm Georgian College holds an Open House.  Everyone is welcome to come out and see our local college

-       10:00 am to 3:00 pm Kingdom Hall holds an Open House celebrating their new church renovations at 845 Yonge Street.  All are welcome

-       11:00 am Better Life Chiropratic opens its new business at 226 King (at Bay)

             

Council Issues Update

GBGH

Our hospital, staff and doctors continue to work on implementing many of the recommendations from the recent GBGH operational review.  Any service level changes remain on hold.

In parallel, the mayors are pursuing a change to our hospital funding formula. This change is essential if we are to get our hospital out of its chronically underfunded situation. Talks have begun with the mayors of five municipalities in North Simcoe – Muskoka. The Ontario Hospital Association is also proving assistance. All these efforts are directed to convincing the Ministry that a different approach to funding is needed to ensure appropriate hospital services remain in small town Ontario.

Gord McKay

Your Year for Getting Aboard – Midland is on the Move - 2016