Ladies and Gentlemen
The Bay may still be frozen but there are lots of plans
for fun on the water this summer. The Pearl Mist cruise ship has just confirmed
its schedule for Midland with 9 visits this summer, running from June 4th
until September 1st. The Victory will publish its schedule shortly
giving us 15 + visits in total.
And Captain Eric of Keewatin fame has planned something
special. He has to move his 350 foot long, 43 foot wide, eight million pound
(3,800 tons) vessel back to its original moorings – and he wants you to help.
He is asking the community to grab a rope this April 22nd and pull
the Keewatin back to the dock. If we succeed in doing this I understand we will
have set a new world record for the heaviest object ever moved by human power.
More details to come.
The
Week Ahead
Monday the 3rd is time to tuck into
a great dinner in support of We Are the Villagers. The Mayors Mac & Cheese extravaganza is
at Lot 102. There are three sittings 4:30 pm 5:45 pm and 7:00 pm. Try to get a ticket in advance, but if not
just gather the family and come over and we will fit you in.
On Tuesday at 7:30 pm at the MCC is the fifth
event in the “Our Health” series. “Happy Mouth, Happy Body" will feature four
local experts to help us better understand the importance of oral and dental
care– Dentist John Augimeri, Hygienist Kelly O’Hara, Denturist Rick Iaboni and
Orthodontist Sean Corsini. Tickets are available online or by calling the MCC
at (705) 527-4420. Register
early to avoid disappointment.
Wednesday April 5th sees the second
meeting of the County Healthcare Coordination Pilot. This initiative will improve
public awareness of the changes coming to our local healthcare services as well
as provide a way for citizens to help direct these changes. The meeting is at 9:30 am at the North Simcoe
Muskoka LHIN office in Orillia. At 7:00 pm it’s the Planning and Development
Committee meeting at Town Hall. A long agenda including:
-
Discussion of the Second Units by-law
-
Expansion of the Salvation Army Thrift Store
on Balm Beach Road
-
Tree planting at the Devonleigh Homes development
-
Launch of the downtown parking study
On Thursday the North Simcoe County Alliance to
End Homelessness hosts their regular meeting at Shelter Now at 1:30 pm. The day
is also the start of a series of interviews to fill the Town’s Legal
Counsel/Clerk and Engineer positions. At 5:00 pm Council will hold a closed
meeting to receive initial bid responses from organizations interested in
acquiring the MPUC.
Friday April the 7th at 7:00
pm is a book reading by Orland French , the author of Letters to Vimy. The reading features his responses to actual
letters written from the battlefields of the Great War by his uncle. The
reading is at the Huronia Museum. At
8:00 pm at the MCC, A Passion for Fashion presents
the 19th annual Spring Fashion Show & Fundraiser. The fashions are inspired
by the “Music of Motown". Proceeds from the event go to Huronia
Community Foundation, Special Olympics Huronia and CLH Foundation.
Week -
End
Saturday April 8
-
10:30 am it’s the Easter
Egg-stravaganza at the Midland Library. Activities, geared for ages 2-9, include building
an Easter glow-bug and see what happens when it lights; finding your balance
with wobbly eggs; painting, an egg-engineering challenge; and a chocolate-y
visit from Buster Bunny. The event is free,
while supplies last.
-
11:00 am to noon - Buster Bunny will be
downtown handing out Easter treats
Sunday April 9
-
The 100th anniversary of Vimy
Ridge. A commemoration at Base Borden starts at 7:30 am
-
7:30 pm - Jacob Moon and the Commissionaires bring soul
and gospel music to the MCC. https://www.youtube.com/watch/?ref=0&v=1TkmMVPbSKE
Council
Issues Update
Budget
Council
has largely wrapped up its 2017 budget deliberations. The municipal portion is
set to rise some 3.1%, higher that in the past few years. There are a number of structural reasons for
the increase including investment in new systems especially information
technology, one time staffing adjustments and a greater commitment to economic
development, specifically a designated share of 0.5% of our taxes. These
changes allow the Town to make some long needed adjustments which will allow us
to deliver our services more efficiently and in future bring our tax rate
increases back into the range of the rate of inflation.
I
will go out on a limb and predict that once the County and school levies are
factored in our overall tax rate increase for 2017 will be between 2.0 and 2.5%.
*****
We have a dedicated “pickleball crew” in Town (thanks
Garry) who wanted me to spread the word on this fast growing sport. The new dedicated
outdoor courts at Tiffin Park have received rave reviews. Take a look at:
www.midlandareapickleballclub.ca . If
you are still wondering what pickleball is all about check out this video on
YouTube: https://youtu.be/XN1LPyeRk1s
Gord McKay
The
Year for Getting It Done - 2017
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