Ladies and Gentlemen
The halcyon days of summer were brought to a sudden end
with a vicious wind storm this past Friday. While many parts of the Town fortunately
escaped, the western arm of Midland Bay was hit with 2 meter swells that ripped
out many of the docks. A significant amount of destruction. Fortunately no one hurt and the attitude of
the homeowners is “we will get through this”.
The
Week Ahead
Monday October 2nd features a book
launch by local author Jackie Gautier. Jackie has a fascinating personal
background including eloping with a South African
paramedic she met while on an aid trip to South Sudan. Her first book “The Gift
of an Elephant”, is now followed by “Twenty Eight Elephants and Other Everyday
Miracles” that together tell you about life, love, Africa and creating the life
YOU want.
The launch is at 7:30 pm at the MCC and is hosted by Fred Hacker.
On Tuesday I meet with mayors from around the
Great Lakes to plan the development of the cruise ship industry. This past
Saturday Midland saw the M/V Victory at the Town dock, our 15th cruise
ship visit of the year. The mayors want to make sure that this welcome industry
continues to grow in the years ahead.
On Wednesday the 4th, the Sisters in
Spirit Walk takes place at 6:00 pm. Organized by the Georgian Bay Native
Women's Association, it starts at their building at 562 King Street and ends at
Neezhoday Park, beside the library. At 6:30
pm Council has a closed meeting to discuss a matter of Town property. Then at 7:00 pm it’s the Planning and Development
Committee. The agenda includes:
-
Two public meetings (you may speak):
o
Zoning Bylaw Amendment for 536 Dominion, concerning
the change of use for a lower floor
o
Official Plan Amendment for the Jarlette
property at 658 King Street
-
Review of the Waypoint/Chigamik site plan for
their new downtown healthcare hub
-
Start of the zoning amendment process for the
Hanson development on Hwy 12 to address storm water management ponds
Also that evening at 7:00 pm, the Guesthouse is hosting a
special meeting at St. Pauls (308 King Street) in their upper room. The meeting will announce their new Guesthouse
CEO and discuss the Guesthouse mission.
Thursday the 5th sees an internal
meeting about the Town’s ongoing Service Delivery Review project. This project
is reviewing all of the Town’s operations to improve overall efficiency. At 12:30 pm, Georgian College celebrates their
50th anniversary at their Barrie campus. And finally at 4:30 pm Council
holds a closed meeting to discuss personal issues.
On Friday the 6th you are invited to a
very special presentation. At 11:00 am we
will receive the first shipment of the commemorative Frank Graham tulip.
Frank Graham is a World War Two vet who has developed a special bond between the
veterans in Canada and the people of Holland. The “Canada
Committee of The Netherlands” has organized many tours between our two
countries and has now commissioned a special tulip produced to honour Frank. This
honour is normally only given to politicians and famous Dutch citizens. The Frank Graham tulip is red with a black
centre (much like a poppy) and will available for a short time at Normans
Garden Gallery 830 Yonge Street. The tulips are $7 per half dozen, $12 per
dozen. Please join us at Norman’s to celebrate Frank and an unbelievable friendship.
At 8:00 pm MCC hosts the legendary Andy Kim. Remembered for
songs such as “How’d We Ever Get This Way?”, “ Rock
Me Gently” and “Sugar, Sugar”, Andy has earned the country’s top music industry
honor twice, the JUNO Award for outstanding achievements in the record
industry, as well as the “Indie Award” for Favorite Solo Artists in 2005. Andy
Kim rocks Midland.
Week -
End
Saturday October 7
-
The start of Thanksgiving weekend. Drive
safely and enjoy the turkey.
-
6:30 pm - Wye Marsh by Moonlight paddle
series
Council
Issues Update
Downtown Health Clinic
The long discussed Chigamik/Waypoint Health Centre site
plan is before Council this week. Council has approved the Centre’s location on
Bayshore and will now ensure that its design fits into the neighborhood and serves
to improve healthcare for many citizens located in our downtown. Once the site
plan is approved the ground work should start later in the fall.
Official Plan Review
This past Wednesday approximately 100 people met at NSSRC
to hear about the “Natural Heritage System” (NHS) feature of the OPR. A number
of attendees were concerned that the “NHS” designation would deprive them of their
right to develop their property. The NHS is provincially mandated process that requires
municipalities to systematically and scientifically look at all their natural
heritage features – trees, wildlife, water, etc. While the Town has included
natural heritage in its Official Plan for many years, this year the province
has mandated new control requirements. In
summary, if your property is currently zoned for a use and you stay within the
meaning of that zoning there is no impact.
If you are considering a development that is not contemplated in the zoning,
you will have to conduct a study to see how that change affects the natural heritage.
If you have questions about the NHS and your property, please contact Wes Crown
at the Town. wcrown@midland.ca
*****
The Town Hall is closed on Monday, Thanksgiving Day.
Gord McKay
The
Year for Getting It Done - 2017
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