Saturday, March 31, 2018

Saturday March 31, 2018


Ladies and Gentlemen



Happy Easter.  News from the Town is a bit early this week-end as I have a date to go visit my new grand-daughter on Sunday. I hope that you are enjoying the long week-end with family and friends.



The Week Ahead



Monday the Town office is closed for the Easter break.



On Tuesday April 3rd at 10:00 am we will raise the Autism flag at Town hall.  At 7:30 pm at the MCC you are invited to hear three experts discuss eyeCARE - Dr. Daniel Laurin, an Optometrist, Dr. Daniel Scanlan, an Ophthalmologist, and Fran Moreau, who is partially sighted. The discussion will include many aspects related to vision, but focus on screening and three long-term eye problems – diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration. In addition, a CNIB representative will be available prior to the event.  Admission is free for those who register in advance https://midlandculturalcentre.ticketfly.com./  



Wednesday the 4th at 11:30 am, Georgian College is providing a sneak preview of its new Advanced Technology Innovation and Research Centre in Barrie. This facility will provide a major boost to new technology companies and wealth creation in Simcoe County.  Then at 7:00 pm it’s the April Planning and Development Committee – a lengthy agenda including:

-       Public meeting (your chance to speak) on zoning for the Bayport Development

-       Site plan control for 281 Midland Ave. – the three story condominium residence

-       Zoning amendment for 786 William Street – Residential town homes on the vacant property, just to the south of Galloway.

-       Sign by-law review



Thursday is a full day for County Councilors as we attend the Care Connections conference at Rama starting at 8:00 am. This event, organized by NSMLHIN, will discuss the delivery of health care services throughout our area. One development that is of special interest is the creation of “sub-region planning tables”. This new mechanism will allow for improved guidance by local service providers and residents in deciding on healthcare delivery in their area. Our area has a number of special challenges that require a made in North Simcoe solution. 



Week - End



Saturday April 7



-       Sweet Ontario kicks off the 2018 maple syrup season. Windlee Farms at 10 Baseline Road N. in Midland is one of the participating sites. More information at  www.mapleweekend.ca

-       2:30 pm Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Corps Trillium hosts a retirement ceremony at the NSSRC



Sunday April 8



-       2:00 pm - Books to Eat at the Library. The most delicious event of the year raises funds for the Library’s Makerspace project. A $25 ticket, available at the Library or Café Roxy, allows you the chance to vote for the best, and eat the rest!  With delicious displays (based on books) from Midland Fish & Chips, FEAST, Explorer’s Café,  Dock Lunch, Georgian Bakery, and more, the day is sure to be a memorable one.  Thanks to our generous sponsors Café Roxy, DODA photography, Colio Estate Wines, Thornbury Beverage Company, Fresh by Leanne, Downtown Midland BIA, ELM Catering, and Maurice’s Valu-Mart.



Council Issues Update



Service Delivery Review



As you are aware, Council and staff have embarked upon a major redesign of Town services to bring greater efficiencies and better control.  At its last budget meeting Council directed staff to provide a cost-benefit analysis for the entire Service Delivery Review project.  This analysis will track the multi-year SDR project and help Council and the public track the benefits this important project will deliver in the coming years.



Downtown Health Clinic



Basic ground construction has gone well.  Now with the warmer weather you should notice a pick-up in above ground construction activity. The Centre is still on track for a December opening.



Budget



This past week saw the public budget meeting.  Five individuals made comment with most concerned about keeping tax rates down to help local business. As a result Council made a few minor changes at the meeting.



The Town tax rate is currently about 3%. This increase is relatively high compared to prior years and reflects the investment Council is making in our Service Delivery Review initiative. This increased rate represents a down payment on our future, allowing the Town to operate at a lower relative cost in the years ahead.



So when the County and school potions are factored in your tax rate increase should be about 1.5%. The budget discussion now moves to General Committee and then to the April Council meeting for final approval.  If you have comments on the budget please get those to your Councillor soon.





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I wanted you to be among the first to know that I have decided not to run for mayor in the upcoming election. I will save you a long dissertation as to why I have come to this decision. Suffice to say I have been your mayor for nearly 8 years and am very pleased with the significant accomplishments that my Councils have made.  Midland is definitely a better place than when I first took office.



Midland is now positioned for a phenomenal future. We will need intelligent and progressive leadership at Town hall to keep us on track. Your chance to truly forge your future comes up this October. Please listen to the candidates and vote wisely - or even better, be the candidate.  And thank you for the privilege of having me as your mayor.





Gord McKay









The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018

                                                                                              


Sunday, March 25, 2018

Sunday March 25, 2018


Ladies and Gentlemen



Wall to wall sunshine and the prospect of warmer weather ahead. And as you will see in the Monday Council agenda all sorts of great activities being planned for this summer.  Gotta love this place we call Midland.



The Week Ahead



Monday the 26th starts with the raising of the Canadian Cancer Society flag at Town Hall at 9:45 am. Then at 5:30 pm Council holds a closed meeting to discuss two matters relating to the sale/purchase of land. At 7:00 pm it’s the March Council meeting, including:

-       Presentation to Pamela Wayne on her retirement

-       Deputation on the new Waypoint/Chigamik Health-Hub

-       Petition regarding the Keewatin

-       Request to permit all sorts of summer activities – movie nights, road basketball, Music on the Dock, a Beatles event, Ribfest, etc.

-       MPUC Board appointments



On Tuesday the deliberations swing to Midhurst with County Council at 9:00 am. The Council will hear a deputation on the Hospital Alliance and how we spend the County allotment of $3M each year in support of our hospitals. Council will also begin the discussion on the topic of tax rebates that are provided to vacant commercial properties. Then at 5:30 pm, Midland hosts the Heads of Council meeting where we review items of interest to all four North Simcoe municipalities.



On Wednesday 28th a meeting will take place at GBGH to discuss home based care in North Simcoe. This meeting will address how healthcare services are best delivered to residents in their own homes. At 11:30 am Askennonia hosts its AGM at the NSSRC.  And at 7:00 pm you are invited to a special Council meeting on the budget at Town Hall.  This is your chance to provide input on the developing 2018 budget.



Thursday I return to County for a discussion on better ways to organize healthcare in Simcoe County.



The 30th is Good Friday. Administrative offices will be closed. Town offices are also closed on Monday April 2nd.





Week - End



Saturday March 31



-       1:00 to 3:00 pm - Glow in the dark Easter Egg hunt at Huronia Museum.  Wander through the dark museum looking for the glow in the dark eggs. The cost to attend is $2 per participant with a non-perishable food item.



-       7:00 pm - The opera Don Giovani brought to you by Brookside, at the MCC





Council Issues Update





Budget



Council has finished its first pass review of both the operational and capital budgets. It may have been the late hour but Council ended up with a potential 3.58% Midland tax increase. Council has also accepted a 6% rate increase for water and wastewater. You will have a chance to provide your thoughts to Council about these significant increases at the public meeting this Wednesday March 28th at 7:00 pm.



Keewatin



The March 19th deadline set by Skyline has come and gone. As you may recall, Skyline presented to Council earlier this month, summarizing what they were prepared to offer the Town. The Town, recognizing the challenges of owning and operating a 100 years old ship/tourism attraction valued at $48M, asked for some financial assistance to evaluate the offer. No response was received.



So currently the Keewatin looks likely to stay in Port McNicol, at least for the 2018 season. While Midland has not shut the door, we will continue to take the necessary steps to protect the taxpayers of Midland.



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The County of Simcoe is conducting the 2018 Simcoe County Point-in-Time Count and Registry Week from April 24 – 26. The purpose of the counting is to identify all the individuals who are experiencing homelessness and include them on a prioritized list for housing and outreach services.

We are looking for volunteers to assist with the Point-in-Time Count and Registry Week. The Point-in-Time Count will take place from 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday April 25. It will take place throughout Simcoe County at pre-determined indoor and outdoor locations. Early morning and late night street surveys are likely in each region and volunteers are necessary for success.  If you're able to volunteer for this important cause please contact Toni Crowe Simcoe County Homelessness Enumeration Coordinator at




Gord McKay









The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018




Sunday, March 18, 2018

Sunday March 18, 2018


Ladies and Gentlemen

Spring arrives this week and fittingly our younger set is already looking forward to upcoming graduations. Our ever creative Library is organizing a Prom/Graduation Formal Wear Exchange.  They invite you to stop by and take home a “new to you” dress/suit, absolutely FREE!  For more information please contact Jennifer at 526-4216 Ext. 3307.  And in keeping with the ‘teen theme” I have attached a sheet of events for our creative young people.

The Week Ahead

Monday March 19th sees a public meeting at 6:30 pm at the NSSRC that will lay out the latest developments for our King Street re-design.   Many of the good ideas from the public have been included. Once through this final stage, we are just about ready to start construction.

On Tuesday you are invited to the grand reopening of “Assisting You Social” at their new location, 535 Bay Street. They are a social media marketing and content creation company.  The opening is at 1:00 pm.  Then at 3:00 pm the NS Housing Working Group meets to look for new ways of dealing with our area’s affordable housing shortage. The topic of rooming houses is on the agenda.  And at 5:00 pm the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce hosts its AGM and Business Awards at the Quality Inn.

More meetings on Wednesday the 21st.  The Town’s HR Committee meets in closed session at 10:00 am to discuss labour negotiations.  At 2:00 pm the Downtown Safety Committee meets to review recent incidents in the downtown and discuss needed responses.

Thursday at 3:30 pm it’s the third public budget meeting at Town Hall.  Council will look at capital spending plans plus review the operational budget decisions to date. Then at 7:00 pm our Library hosts the second in its “The Real Deal Student Info. Series” - the topic this time is Financing Your Post-Secondary Education. Sean Elliot, Student Recruitment Specialist with Georgian College, will discuss the cost of post-secondary education and the various sources of funding, including financial aid, OSAP, loans, applications and how to navigate what is available. Register to attend this free event at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-real-deal-student-info-series-financing-post-secondary-education-tickets-42987791642  or visit the main Library desk.

And on Friday I am down in Toronto for a meeting with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.  We will be discussing our initiative to grow the cruise ship industry in the Great Lakes and the potential for making Midland a terminus for the cruise ship operations.

Week - End

Saturday March 24

-       10:00 am - Master painting workshop with Rod Prouse, at Quest in the MCC
-       12 noon - March Mudness at Rotary Park in Penetanguishene. A contest of mud and endurance, all for the benefit of GBGH
-       1:20 to 2:50 pm – “Terry Skate” at NSSRC in appreciation of your continued support of the annual Terry Fox Run.  In 2017, together we raised over $75,000 for cancer research. There will be free hot chocolate and voluntary cash donations to the Terry Fox Foundation.


Sunday March 25

-       10:00 am - Master painting workshop with Rod Prouse, at Quest in the MCC
-       9:30 am to 2:00 pm - We are the Villagers popular Pancake Breakfast takes place at Phil’s Pub and Eatery in Midland. Tickets are $10.00 each for adults and $5.00 for children (under five years old).
-       12 noon to 1:00 pm - The BIA Buster Bunny is hopping through downtown Midland with a stop at the Library at 12:45.  Buster will be handing out chocolates and taking photos. The Midland Public Library will be hosting crafts
-       7:30 pm - Intimate Spaces Series at the MCC presents Churchville Park, an acoustic group that performs old-time country, folk and bluegrass classics


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Looking ahead to April, please join me at the Mayors annual Mac N Cheese dinner on Sunday April 15 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  The food fest will be at Phil’s Pub and Eatery in Midland. All proceeds going to the We are the Villagers charity.



Gord McKay




The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018
                                                                                              




Sunday, March 11, 2018

Sunday March 11, 2018


Ladies and Gentlemen



March Break and for those of you with children the inevitable question “What are we going to do to keep them occupied?” Luckily the Town has some great answers.



Skating

Free public skating from Monday through Friday of March break, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at NSSRC.



Movies

Free movies each day of March break for the entire family starting at 1:30 pm at the Library.

·         Monday – Lego Ninjago

·         Tuesday – Wonder

·         Wednesday – Ferdinand

·         Thursday – The Pokemon Movie

·         Friday – Jumanji



Fun Activities

Monday, March 12th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm it’s Nerf Gun Game Night. Bring your nerf gun & join us at the Library for an action packed gamed of capture the flag & freeze tag!  We provide the darts & snacks. Cost: $5/child (Ages 9-12). Registration & parental permission is required. (705) 526-4216



Tuesday, March 13th from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the Library, Teen Nights featuring Lego Night



Wednesday, March 14th from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon try your favourite Tech Toys! Free for all ages. Join us at the Library to try out all of our new tech toys including robots, Squishy Circuits, Makey Makeys & more!



Thursday, March 15th from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon it’s time for Spring Crafts. Join Miss Bonnie in the children’s area to paint & decorate a wooden bunny. Cost is $5. Pre-registration is required as space is limited.



The Week Ahead



Not surprisingly March break week is rather quiet at Town Hall.



On Tuesday at 9:00 am I am at County Council where a number of the reports will assess how we are caring for our elderly in our many Long Term Care homes.



Wednesday the 14th at 10:30 am at Town Hall, we celebrate Pam Wayne’s retirement. A veteran of our Finance department, Pam will be missed.



And on Friday at 9:00 am the County Affordable Housing Advisory committee meets to further plan how to bring more affordable housing units to rural areas.





Week - End



Saturday March 17



-       10:00 am to 5:00 pm - Sweetwater Festival at the Wye Marsh. Pancakes with maple syrup are always a highlight

-       8:00 pm - Tartan Terrors at MCC. Tartan Terrors are their own Celtic Invasion, mixing rock’s energy with traditional folklore, dance, and humor. With an arsenal featuring classic pipes and fiddle, driving drum tones, and signature guitar styles, we can see why Dig This Magazine declares “The Terrors - one act to keep an eye on!” https://www.youtube.com/watch/?ref=0&v=JsuzJEgy6q4 



Sunday March 18



-       10:00 am to 5:00 pm - Sweetwater Festival at the Wye Marsh.



Council Issues Update



OPP



This past Friday our 13 MPS officers who transferred to the OPP graduated from their initial training. The ceremony was moving and clearly showed the professionalism and character of our returning officers. The Town of Midland and the OPP would like to thank the families, friends and residents for their overwhelming support of our former MPS officers. We would like to congratulate the officers on completing their training, and look forward to having them back on patrol for the OPP in Midland starting Monday!





MPUC



The MPUC sale process before the Ontario Energy Board slowly continues. The good news is that all is proceeding as expected. It looks like a couple of more months before the process completes.



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Georgian Bay General Hospital is actively recruiting for several new candidates to hold positions on its Board of Directors.  The deadline for applications is April 7, 2018 at 4 p.m. Further details regarding requirements can be found at http://gbgh.on.ca/call-for-applicants-an-exciting-community-leadership-opportunity/ . If you have questions, please contact Jacki Dumont at (dumontj@gbgh.on.ca).





Gord McKay









The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018

                                                                                              






Saturday, March 3, 2018

Saturday March 3, 2018


Ladies and Gentlemen



Days are definitely getting longer. Bur almost everyone I speak too qualifies their spring-like optimism with “there’s going to be one more snow storm”.  Fingers crossed.



The Week Ahead



Monday March 5th starts Teen Tech Week at the Library. The Library will be showcasing their favourite technologies online.  Teens are invited to snap a photo or video of themselves using these amazing resources at MPL and share it on social media using #MPLTeenTechWeek on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. For each photo/video you share, we’ll enter your name into our prize draw. Open for ages 13-18.



At 7:00 pm it’s General Committee and a short agenda. (The meeting has been moved up a week due to school March break next week). The main agenda item is the proposal to adopt the Articles of Incorporation for the new MBL Development Corporation. Town Councilors will also be challenged to participate in the Elmvale Maple Syrup festival’s log-sawing contest.



On Wednesday at 7:00 pm the Planning and Development Committee takes place at Town Hall.  The agenda includes:

-       The Hanson Development community design guideline

-       Draft Plan of Subdivision for the Sunrise Pier tower on Aberdeen

-       Site plan application for a low rise commercial building at 880 King Street



Thursday the 8th is a busy day. The YMCA Job Fair takes place at the MCC from 1:00 to 4:30 pm. Bring you resume and meet the area employers who are hiring. For information:  https://employmentresources.jimdo.com/  or call 705-528-0845.  At 2:30 pm the four municipalities meet at Town Hall to discuss the latest developments in bringing high-speed internet services to our area.



At 7:00pm our Library screens “SWIFT. SILENT. DEEP”, the first historical documentation of the hardcore ski culture in the United State. It explores the roots of North America’s most infamous ski fraternity, the Jackson Hole Air Force, the beginnings of the modern American ski bum and the birth of the extreme skiing movement.  (And it’s FREE). If you want to get involved in sports and community activities our Town is hosting the first day of “Joint Registrations” at the NSSRC. Running from 7:30 to 8:00 pm, all the major sporting and activity clubs will be there. Other registration dates are Friday from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.



Friday the 9th is a special day as I travel to Orillia for the graduation ceremony for the MPS officers who transferred to the OPP. The formal ceremony will commence at 1:00 pm in the auditorium at OPP General Headquarters located at 777 Memorial Avenue in Orillia. The ceremony is usually one and a half hours in duration. You are invited to attend. Also from 7:00 to 8:30 pm its sports/activity registration at the NSSRC.





Week - End



Saturday March 10

-       10:00 am to 1:00 pm – Sports/activity registration at the NSSRC

-       8:00 pm - Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day with the “Real St Patrick” featuring the Celts. That’s at the MCC.









Council Issues Update



Budget



Council held its second marathon budget meeting this past week. We are now finished the first draft of the operational budget. At this point the Town tax portion would increase by 2.99%.



Rate-based services – water and wastewater - are set to increase by about 6%. This high rate is required to deal with the significant funding shortfall for future service infrastructure and the fact there was no rate increase in 2016-2017.  The annual rate increase is likely to go back to 3% in future years.



Council will be back for the next round of budget discussions on March 22nd.





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Our Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre has been doing some amazing things. They have just updated their program offerings.  Please take a look at their program calendar at:  http://gbcancersupportcentre.ca/programs/programs-and-events



Midland, Penetanguishene and the County have just completed their Municipal Class Environmental Assessment, undertaken to improve access and safety along County Road 93. In general it recommends that County Road 93 be re-engineered:

-       From Hwy 12 to Yonge Street with 1.5 meter paved shoulders on both sides

-       From Yonge to St. Andrews Drive (GBGH) with 3 meter multi-use trails on both sides of the road

-       From St Andrews to Thompson Rd. (Penetanguishene) with a 3 meter multi-use trail on the east side of the road

The report will be available for your inspection during normal business hours at Town Hall and the Midland Public Library from March 9 to April 9, 2018. The report will also be available for download on the County and Town websites. Construction work should take place in 2019.







Gord McKay









The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018