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 11^th 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 13^th 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 14^th, 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 15^th 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 17^th 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