Sunday, September 24, 2017

Sunday September 24, 2017


Ladies and Gentlemen



With this lovely weather I expect that all thoughts are about enjoying another day in the sun.  But businesses in our area have been busy.  This past week-end I visited IFM in Penetanguishene to celebrate their expansion. Business has grown significantly for them. This Thursday I will be at the Streit manufacturing facility (the old Pillsbury plant) as they start production. This manufacturer of armored cars is bringing over 100 quality jobs to our area.  Another indicator of economic health is that almost all of our large manufacturers are hiring.  Spread the word – Midland is the place to be.





The Week Ahead



Monday the 25th is a day of Town meetings.  At 2:00 pm the Official Plan Review Steering Committee meets, mainly to prepare for the public session this Thursday.  At 5:00 pm Council goes into closed session to discuss a number of personal matters respecting staff and committee nominees. Then at 7:00 pm the September Council meeting takes place. A very busy agenda including:

-       Two meetings to hear from the public about removing the “Holding” symbols on the properties at 226/230 Queen and at 281 Lakewood Dr.

-       Three deputations:

o    Presentation on the Town’s Service Delivery Review process

o    Review of Quest Art’s Canada 150 mural program

o    Update on Culture Midland

-       Request by Jarlette Healthcare to start site work at their new King Street location

-       Selection of a consultant for the Town’s Parks and Trail master plan

-       Confirmation of the new bus transit link between Barrie and Midland. The fare will be $7 including the transfer to/from the Midland bus system

-       Response to recent Ontario Municipal Act changes including developing a Code of Conduct and identifying an Integrity Commissioner

-       Updates on a number of internal projects:

o    Midland Forward

o    Implementation of Council strategy

o    Service Delivery Review



On Tuesday I head to County for a Council meeting at 9:00 am. The most interesting item is the start of a trial for a standardized garbage container.  Currently each household provides its own.  The County intends to move to a “one size for all” program with a standardized 80 litre container.  At 3:00 pm the North Simcoe Housing Working group resumes its schedule at Town Hall with an update by the County on affordable housing in our area.



Thursday September the 28th it’s the Huronia Community Foundation “Caring Counts Charity Showcase”. From 11:00 am to 2:30 pm at the NSSRC you will see exhibits from local charities and be entertained by Evan Hadfield, the person behind Col. Chris Hadfield’s musical sensation “Space Oddity”.  At 1:00 pm I am at Streit Manufacturing as they start operations in Midland. Commendations to Town staff and EDCNS in helping bring this international company to our community. At 4:00 pm you are invited to the Hospice Huronia launch for their new facility and capital campaign. It takes place at 25 Jeffery St. in Penetanguishene.



That evening you have a choice of two special events. At 6:30 pm you are invited to the NSSRC for a public meeting to discuss the Natural Heritage System, a new (to Midland) feature of the Official Plan process. This change will affect many properties in Midland. At 7:00 pm Huronia Historical Parks launches the return of its popular Pumpkinferno at Discovery Harbor in Penentanguishene.



Week - End



Saturday September 30



-       Treasure Day in Midland. Put reusable items out to the curb by 8:00 am and take them back in by 5:00 pm. Helping us help each other.

-       Big Brothers Big Sisters “Showcase of Homes”.  From 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Take a self-guided tour of 6 spectacular homes plus lunch at Restaurant Ste. Marie.  Tickets at Simply Country, Tripps Paint, Cabin Boy or at www.kidsdomatter.com

-       12 noon - Feast of the Martyrs mass at Martyrs’ Shine

-       4:00 pm - OPP Pedal for the Past at Ste. Marie Among the Hurons.  A fund raiser for the OPP museum

-       6:30 pm to 8:30 pm - Wye Marsh by moonlight, a paddle series



Sunday October 1



-       Treasure Day in Midland. Put reusable items out to the curb by 8:00 am and take them back in by 5:00pm.

-       10:00 am – The first annual Julianna Matyas memorial golf tournament at Brooklea. For reservations contact Liesje at observer@rogers.com





Council Issues Update



Service Delivery Review



This staff-led process is looking for better ways to deliver our services to you. With the assistance of a consultant, internal and external surveys for all our operations have now been completed and initial recommendations for improvement are coming in. The Council report this week should give us some early indications of adjustments we need to make.  More to come.



Budget



A lot of financial work is underway at the Town. We have just completed our 2016 audit. The finance department is still going through the exercise to fully allocate administrative costs to the respective operating departments, plus Finance is preparing a comprehensive statement of our municipal reserves, debt and capital assets. With all this work the Town will not get around to starting its budget process until January – the last budget that this Council will pass.



GBGH



Our new GBGH CEO Gail Hunt, has arrived. Ms. Hunt led the Chapleau Health Services unit for the last 15 years.  Please take the opportunity to welcome her to our community.





                                                                  *****



Midland, together with our fellow North Simcoe communities, is getting ready to implement high-speed internet throughout the area.  The first challenge is to figure out who has what type of access right now.  Our Community Futures Development Corporation has contracted with a network company to sample the speed of the connection to your computer – and we need your help. Please go to https://performance.cira.ca/northsimcoe/  which will bring up a page with a map. Fill in your postal code, confirm your street location, click start and that’s it – thirty seconds tops. This information will go into an anonymous database (no one will see your individual result) to be used when we talk to the telcos about where the need for high speed internet is greatest.







Gord McKay





The Year for Getting It Done - 2017

                                                                                              






Sunday, September 17, 2017

Sunday September 17, 2017


Ladies and Gentlemen



Just back from the Terry Fox run. Must have been 400-500 people - running, cycling, walking, horseback riding -  from babes-in-arms to great grandparents. We are regarded as the 14th most successful run in the province in terms of fund raising. A great testament to Terry, the event organizers and to our community. And was it warm - summer is back with a vengeance.



The Week Ahead



Monday the 18th starts with our Fire Department being recognized by Enbridge Gas for their excellent service. A ceremony will take place at 10:00 am at the Fire Hall on Bayshore.  At 11:00 am Big Brother and Big Sisters raises their flag at Town Hall. Then at 6:00 pm you are invited to join them for a social hour at Brooklea as they celebrate the many volunteers who help the children of our area.



On Wednesday September 20th the Service Delivery Review committee meets at Town Hall at 1:00 pm.  The Committee is going through the operations of every municipal department to see if there are better ways of serving our customers and/or for improving efficiency. This process is part of the Midland Forward strategy adopted by Council and led by staff.  A “change champion”, one from each department, will make sure that recommendations are based on insights from our staff. Look for a formal report to Council in October/November.  



Thursday the 21st sees the Heads of Council meeting at 5:00 pm in Tiny. This gathering of the mayors and deputy mayors of the four municipalities reviews issues that affect all of North Simcoe. At 6:00 pm you are invited to attend that Gateway AGM, taking place in the Quest meeting room at MCC.



On Friday the 22nd Bruce Stanton and Patrick Brown are inviting all seniors to their Seniors Day at NSSRC. The event starts at 9:30 am and features a seniors oriented trade show, presentations and complementary lunch. At 7:00 pm Quest Art invites you to witness their 2nd annual Art Slam. This creative event will feature 24 artists who are given a theme and 30 minutes to create a work of art. A crazy good time.



Week - End



Saturday September 23



-       9:00 am - Mental Health in Motion, a run to support the work of Waypoint. The run is at Waypoint with registration open at 8 am and runs of 5K, 10K and a 5K walk starting at 9:00 am http://www.waypointcentre.ca/cms/one.aspx?portalId=10043&pageId=10059&objectId.502=8381522&contextId.502=10146&parentId.502=10147&ref=mesTP9fg96fVsgzpWYeogCmIWwzV95VNocH2P84r9OY%3d

-       6:00 pm - Tiawenk dinner hosted by Martyrs’ Shrine at the Quality Inn.  Proceeds will help renovations at the Shrine

-       6:30 pm - Wye Marsh by Moonlight, paddle series at the Marsh. Come out and get acquainted with the beauty of nature



Sunday September 24



-       2:00 pm - Fewer and Knox bring you the music of Bach on violin and harpsicord. The concert is organized by Brookside at St. Pauls





Gord McKay





The Year for Getting It Done - 2017

                                                                                              




Sunday, September 10, 2017

Sunday September 10, 2017


Ladies and Gentlemen



Last week saw a major decision made about Midland’s future. Some 200 people came out to the NSSRC to speak to Council about how they wanted Midland policed and then to hear Council’s decision. Council’s vote was 6-3 to go with the OPP. While the decision will certainly change the economics of our future policing, the fact that all front line officers are expected to move over to the OPP plus the high standards for all policing in the province will ensure that Midland remains a safe community.



The Week Ahead



Monday the 11th starts with good news as Tim Hortons starts its week-long “Smile Cookie” campaign. Please drop by your local Timmys to buy a cheery cookie and help raise funds for our hospital at the same time. And more good news – no General Committee meeting this evening. The few agenda items will be moved to this month’s Council meeting.



On Tuesday at noon Georgian College will celebrate its 50 Year anniversary at our Midland campus. Please drop by and wish them well.  That evening at 7:30 pm at the MCC it’s the first “Our Health” event for the season. It’s entitled “Going Viral” and will tell you all about preventing infections in our community, immunization and precautions you should take while travelling. The evening will be MC’d by Drs. Hanni Darwish and Colin Lee. Please register at www.midlandcomunitycentre.com



Wednesday the 13th sees a meeting of the Downtown Safety Committee at 2:00 pm, dealing with a number of issues to ensure we have a safe downtown.



Thursday September 14th, PeaceWorks invites you to you try a typical meal from Yemen in support of Doctors Without Borders. The luncheon speaker is Kamal Al Solaylee, an author and professor at Ryerson. The lunch is at Explorers restaurant on King Street at noon. And if you see yourself as a creative entrepreneur you may be interested in joining Georgian College and the Networking Effect to learn about an “entrepreneurial ecosystem”.  This portal hosts news, success stories, workshops and events happening in Barrie and surrounding communities. The event is in the Mady Centre in Barrie starting at 5:30 pm.  Please register at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/entrepreneurs-connect-relaunch-event-keynote-speaker-charles-plant-tickets-37041554286  





On Friday the 15th the Town hosts a group of Ontario mayors at 1:00 pm to discuss the development of the cruise ship industry in the Great Lakes. Midland has enjoyed some 15 visits this past summer and the potential is there to see 50 or more annual visits within the next five years. But before that happens there will need to be changes to municipal docks, local tourism attractions and international regulations. Last week the province indicated they wanted to help the mayors in growing the industry. More developments to come.



Week - End



Saturday September 16



-       11:00 am to 4:00 pm - Toy Day in the Heart of Georgian Bay. Help the Salvation Army toy drive by bringing a new toy to the Midland Recreation center in Coldwater



Sunday September 17



-       9:00 am – the 17th Terry Fox Run starting at the Perkinsfield arena.  9:00 am check in, with the runs at 10:00 am. The event includes 2K, 5K, 10K runs and a silent auction.



Council Issues Update



OPP



With the decision made to move to the OPP, the Town will now go through an orderly transfer of its policing services.  All of the uniform front-line officers will be offered employment with the OPP. Senior officers will have to decide if they wish to join the OPP. Civilian members will be offered the opportunity to apply for a number of new positions that will now open up with our local detachment.



In parallel the Town will go through a provincial Ontario Civilian Police Commission review to ensure that the transition will continue to provide Midland with proper policing. The actual transfer of responsibility should take place early in the new year.





Jarlette Health and Long term Care Centre



Last Wednesday Council directed that a meeting be held for the public to hear about the Jarlette Health Services plans for their site on King Street. While the first phase of the development will be to transfer and upgrade the Long Term Care beds from their Yonge Street location, it will eventually include seniors’ housing and a “geriatric health hub”, a development that should significantly improve the quality of care for all seniors in our area.  The public meeting date should be announced shortly.







Gord McKay





The Year for Getting It Done - 2017

                                                                                              






Monday, September 4, 2017

Monday September 4, 2017


Ladies and Gentlemen



Well it may not have been hot but that was a great summer. Many people have stopped me and said that they could not recall when Midland had had so much summer fun -  Butter Tart Festival;  The Big Duck;  RibFest;  Zuchinni Mania – to name a few. My thanks to all the organizers for the “Summer of 17” and looking forward to more to come.





The Week Ahead



Tuesday September the 5th and students head back to the classroom. Please watch out for excited youngsters as you head out on Tuesday. I also head out to a meeting in Toronto with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. We are going to talk about the growth of the cruise ship industry in our area. 



This summer cruise ships have been visiting many ports around the Great Lakes with Midland receiving some 15 visits from two ships. The potential exists for 50-60 visits a year but challenges such as docking the ships in many ports and federal regulations restricting cruise ship operations on the Great Lakes need to be addressed. Minister McMahon is interested in helping us develop the industry. This meeting is a first step in a multi-year initiative.



At 7:00 pm it’s the Planning and Development Committee meeting at Town hall. A busy agenda including:

-       Zoning by-law amendment for 536 Dominion as they add a residential unit on the ground floor

-       Site plan for a new gas station at 9620 Highway 93

-       Start of the Official Plan amendment process for the development of the new Jarlette Long Term Care facility at 658 King Street



At 7:30 pm at the MCC it’s “A Day in the Life” featuring Tommy Ambrose. Tommy’s musical career launched at the age of 5 when he began singing at religious rallies for evangelist Charles Templeton. By 20, he was hosting “Cross Canada Hit Parade” on CBC TV and later “The Tommy Ambrose Show” on CBC TV. He found his niche in singing commercially, including “jingles” for Brylcreem, milk (the “mike moustache), Labatt’s, Wrigley’s gum, eggs (get crackin) and many other iconic commercials. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Keewatin so all who buy a ticket will receive a free pass to visit the Keewatin.



Wednesday the 6th features an important public meeting as Council decides on the future of policing in Midland. Council looks forward to hearing from you. Please review the background information about the decision at  http://www.midland.ca/Pages/OPP-Costing.aspx  The meeting starts at 7:00 pm at NSSRC,



Week - End



Saturday September 9



12 noon – Georgian Bay Native Friendship Centre Pow-Wow at Ste. Marie Park. All are welcome



Sunday September 10



12 noon – Georgian Bay Native Friendship Centre Pow-Wow at Ste. Marie Park. All are welcome

1:30 pm – Suicide awareness commemoration at Midland Bay Landing Park, off of Bayshore

2:00 pm – Drumhead Ceremony to remember our war dead at Lakeview Cemetery

2:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Bruce Stanton and Patrick Brown sponsor their Shore Supper Fish Fry at the pavilion in Little Lake Park





Council Issues Update



OPP



Over the last six months the Town has invested significant time and energy in providing a fair assessment of the costs associated with going with the OPP or staying with the Midland Police. In developing this assessment the Town retained the services of an experienced consultant, called in outside specialists in legal matters, HR and pension/benefit costs, used our own financial staff to double check the numbers and contacted many other OPP municipalities to confirm the findings.  Those results have now been relayed to Council for its decision this Wednesday.



While there are numerous details supporting the analysis, the essence of Council’s decision will likely come down to the following facts:

1)     Both the MPS and OPP are quality police services and both are capable of policing Midland

2)     The OPP offers Midland a savings of approximately $6 million over ten years – all in. Operationally, the OPP will cost about $1 million dollars a year less than the MPS once the Town is brought into their regular costing model in year 4

3)     The OPP offer provides more front line officers than the MPS currently employs or expects to employ

4)     The MPS has been with the Town for over 100 years. The MPS arguably knows the community better. If the Town goes to OPP almost every officer is expected to transfer to the OPP.



The analysis and recommendations that Council will be receiving from the OPP Costing Committee are contained in the report at the following link.






                                                                    *****



Midland lost a good friend this past week. Julianna Matyas was an inspiring charismatic lady who worked tirelessly on behalf of children and the good of the community.  Julianna was always positive and looked on the bright side of life even as she battled cancer. She will be sorely missed.





Gord McKay





The Year for Getting It Done - 2017