Sunday July 1, 2018 - Canada Day

Ladies and Gentlemen

Happy Canada Day and hello summer. As has been my tradition, News from the Town will take a break over the next two months, coming back in September. That does not mean that Midland shuts down for the summer, as you will see, but just my way of giving you more time to simply enjoy the season with family and friends.

I have changed today’s newsletter format a bit to help you find things.  I may also send you a special bulletin from time to time if required.

So grab your sun screen and BBQ tongs - - now get out there and have fun.

Special Activities

Council meetings should continue to take place on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:00 pm. The July General Committee meeting is cancelled (at this time) while the July Planning meeting (July 4^th) is on. Both General Committee and Planning meetings will occur over the summer at the call of the Chair so please check the Town calendar for meeting dates at http://www.midland.ca/Pages/meetingagenda.aspx

This summer we have a cavalcade of movies for you. The Town and the BIA will be hosting movies under the stars starting at dusk at the 509 Bay Street parking lot. The line-up:

·         July 4 - Jumanji

·         July 18 - Coco

·         August 1 - Avengers

·         August 15 - The Muppets

·         August 18 - Tragically Hip Concert

·         August 29  - Star Wars – the Last Jedi

·         October 13 – Hotel Transylvania

And our Library is also screening free summer movies for you at their location at 6:30pm. The movies are:

·         July 12 - Mamma Mia!

·         July 26 - The Greatest Showman

·         August 9 - Black Panther

·         August 23 - Ready Player One

The Town and Rotary are organizing some fabulous summer entertainments for you.

·         Dockside Tuesday – Every Tuesday evening at Midland Town Dock

·         Music in the Park – Every Sunday evening at the Rotary stage in Little Lake Park

·         Cruise Ship Celebration -  All day, each day we have the Pearl Mist at the Town Dock

For further details on all these activities please see our Town website at http://www.midland.ca/quick-links/community-events-calendar

Midland Public Library has many summer programs for all ages. Please check out their activities at http://www.midlandlibrary.com/events/

And let’s not overlook our MCC and their sizzling summer entertainment. No hints but you will be impressed by their summer line-up. Check out upcoming attractions regularly at http://midlandculturalcentre.com/

The Month Ahead - July

July 2 (week of) - The last yard waste pick-up of the spring season. Don’t miss it

July 6, 7 and 8 – Midland’s free Garage Sale Permit Weekend. Your entrepreneurial chance to clean out the garage without paying the Town fee

July 7 - 1st Annual Sandy Mason & Friends Lawn Bowling Charity Day at the Midland Lawn Bowling Club. All proceeds to Hospice Huronia

July 8 – Performance Boat Poker Run from the Town Dock

July 12 to 14 - Festival du Loup in Lafontaine

July 14 - Downtown Midland Road Basketball Game at the 509 Bay Street Parking Lot from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. FREE pizza from Papa's Pizza Mama's Chicken. FREE water from www.ShopMidland.com

July 16 to 23 - One of the most iconic airplanes from World War II, the B-25 Mitchell “Maid in the Shade,” will make a stop at Lake Simcoe Regional Airport as part of its Summer Flying Legends of Victory Tour. Open to the public on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 to 6:00 pm and on Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 6:00 p.m. Reservations to fly on the bomber are required and can be booked by visiting http://bit.ly/FLOVTBarrieON

July 21 – Tiny Community BBQ at Perkinsfeild Park

July 20 to 22 – Feast Fest returns to Midland – all day party

July 24 – The Artrepreneur Expo at 6:30 pm at MCC. This event celebrates up and coming local artists who have completed their 13 week Artrepreneur program

July 27 – Wye Marsh Gardeners celebrate their 30^th year of wildflower gardening at the Wye Marsh from 1:00 to 4:00 pm

July 27 – Last day to register to run in the fall municipal election. The registration closes at 2:00 pm today

July 27 to 28 – All Things Canadian Festival takes place in Penetanguishene

July 31 - PRIDE flag raising at Town Hall at noon

The Month Ahead - August

August 4 - Blood donor clinic from 2:00pm to 7:00pm at the NSSRC. Hope to see you when I am there from 10:00 to 11:00 am

August 4 – Pirates of the Bay Festival at HHP, Discovery Harbour

August 12 - Balm Beach Family Fun Day at Balm Beach

August 17 to18 – TugFest in Midland Harbour

August 18 – The 5th Annual Georgian Bay Pops raising funds for the CT scanner at Georgian Bay General Hospital.  Hosted at the private home of Helen and Frank Morneau, 120 West Shore Drive, Thunder Beach. Music to be performed by “Slocan Ramblers”.  Contact Shelly at 705-526-GIVE (4483) or email at prices@gbgh.on.ca. 

August 25 - Cycle Camelot Bike for Cancer Support starting from the Penetanguishene Curling Club  http://cyclecamelot.com/

Council Issues Update

Downtown Safety

The Community Safety Task Force will wrap up the problem definition phase of the project in August and make specific recommendations for short term actions, as well as identify the longer term challenges that will need further study.  If Council approves the longer term study may start this fall.

Midland Bay Landing

The Board for the new MBL Development Corporation will form over the summer. New Board members should be announced at one of the summer Council meetings.  The Board will then meet and prepare a plan of action for developing our major waterfront project.

MPUC

While the MPUC sale has been agreed by all parties, we still need the final OEB approval. The OEB has been very quiet over the last few months, likely related to the recent election. No problems have been identified so we expect to receive final approval shortly.

Downtown Health Clinic

Construction on the building will continue throughout the summer. The opening is still (optimistically) set for December but the betting says early 2019.

Official Plan Review

After a recent presentation to Council of the draft Plan, the process will go dormant through the civic election period. Late this year the new Council will restart the process by sending the draft to County for their approval.  Sometime in 2019 we should have an updated Official Plan.

Economic Development

The recent Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe http://www.edcns.ca/  Prosperity Summit told the continuing good news of our growing manufacturing and healthcare sectors. Over 7,000 people in North Simcoe are employed in these two sectors. The challenge now is finding more good employees. In fact I have just received the following request from a local employer, Baytech:

“Baytech Plastics is looking for summer students and permanent full-time staff to work shifts at our two Midland plants. Pay is $14/hour (under review) and benefits for full-time staff after 3 months. If you know of anyone who might be interested they can email me or call me at 705-528-4027.”

Please pass this along if you know of anyone who might be interested.

The new Seasons on Little Lake project plans to start 50 new homes by this fall; the new GBDSS should be ready for students by year’s end: the Jarlette Healthcare facility is underway (currently delayed a bit due to a government slowdown) plus new apartment buildings and many new homes are under construction. Yes Midland, it is happening.

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Before I let you go to summer please remember we have a civic election this October. Our future, especially the next four years, will depend upon whom we vote to guide the Town. If you or someone you know has the desire to help us forge our future, please get your name registered for the ballot by July 27 at 2:00 pm http://www.midland.ca/Pages/Election.aspx

I can’t stress enough the importance of good municipal leadership.

Now enjoy your summer.

Gord McKay

The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018

                                                                                              

Sunday June 24, 2018

Ladies and Gentlemen

This past Wednesday saw a “Town Hall” meeting at St. Paul’s on the downtown safety issue. It was attended by some 40 people many of whom chose to speak to the matter.  Two key take-a-ways were that this is a long standing issue in the downtown and it is causing some significant distress in certain areas. A good discussion that will lead to recommendations for action in both the short and long term.

The Week Ahead

On Monday the 25^th Council meets at 6:15 pm in closed to discuss three matters including potential litigation and nominations to a committee. At 7:00 pm it’s the June Council meeting including:

-       A Public Meeting (you may speak) regarding Building Permit fees.  Since Town staff now provides these services in both Midland and Penetanguishene, staff is proposing that we harmonize our fees to minimize confusion

-       Presentation of Senior of the Year Award to Mr. Tom Barber

-       Three deputations:

o    Midland Public Library update

o    Guesthouse Shelter request for forgiveness of their $25,000 loan

o    EDCNS year in review with Roy Ellis

-       Discussion of the workplan of the Community Safety Task Force, especially given that no external consultant has been hired

-       Introduction of “lame duck” provisions for Council. The Municipal Act allows for some of the authorities of Council to be delegated to staff during the post nomination period if it is likely that less than 75% of current Councilors will continue into the new term. The election draws nigh.

Tuesday the 26^th sees County Council start at 9:00 am in Midhurst.  At 3:00 pm the North Simcoe Housing Working Group meets at Town Hall to consider a proposal for a new housing style called “shared accommodation”.  If developed properly this method could provide much needed affordable housing in our area.  Then at 5:00 pm Heads of Council meet in Penetanguishene to review a number of area issues, including the work of the Community Safety Task Force and the Huronia Airport.

Wednesday the 27^th is also a busy day starting at 2:00 pm with a Community Safety Task Force meeting at Town Hall.  At 4:00 pm our MCC hosts its AGM at the MCC. And at 7:00 pm you are invited to a special meeting of Council to hear about our new Procedural By-Law. This By-Law will set the ground rules for how Council deals with all matters set before it.

On Thursday the Pearl Mist returns to our Town dock and is met with an all day celebration. Please do come down and welcome our visitors.  At noon please join the Georgian Bay General Hospital Foundation AGM being held at the MCC. Lunch will be served while they provide you with an update on the Foundation and the hospital. Not to be outdone, our hospital hosts its own AGM in Conference Room 1 at the hospital at 4:00 pm.

The energy starts to build at 7:00 pm with both GBDSS and St. Theresa`s hosting their graduation ceremonies. Drive carefully. And at 8:00 pm it’s an evening with the Bee Gees at MCC.  

Friday June 29 – time to celebrate summer. The Midland Rib Fest returns with great BBQ and craft beer!  Northern Heat Rib Series is bringing the BEST BBQ in Canada right to your backyard! Join us for a weekend full of food, fun, and entertainment as you enjoy all the event has to offer.

-       Location: David Onley Park - 475 Bayshore Drive, Midland

-       Friday 4PM - 11PM, Saturday 11AM - 11PM, Sunday 11AM - 7PM

FREE Admission, FREE Parking; Great weather – can it get any better.

And the Huronia Braves Lacrosse Tournament gets underway at the NSSRC.

Week - End

Saturday June 30

-       10:00 am to 3:00 pm - Hospice Huronia is holding a HOT DOG & BAKE SALE at the Penetanguishene Curling Club. Call 705-245-7611 for information

-       11:00 am to 11:00 pm – Ribfest at David Onley Park

-       Huronia Braves lacrosse tournament all week end at the NSSRC

-       At dusk (9ish) – Downtown Movie Night featuring Canadian Bacon

Sunday July 1- Canada Day

-       All day - Canada Day festivities from the parade at 10:30 am to fireworks in the evening. For more information: http://www.midland.ca/Shared%20Documents/Events%20page/Canada%20Day%202018%20schedule%20v4.pdf

-       11:00 am to 7:00 pm – Ribfest at David Onley Park

-       Huronia Braves lacrosse tournament all week end at the NSSRC

Council Issues Update

Official Plan Review

The Town held its last public OPR status meeting of this Council term this past week. The draft plan reflected the input received on the Natural Heritage designation in addition to changes to the definition of ``employment  lands``. These changes, once agreed by Council, will then be presented to County Council for its approval.

Complicating this process are the upcoming elections, which will require a work stoppage and the requirement of the County to undertake a Municipal Comprehensive Review, which once completed will require us to further adjust our plan.

Who said planning was easy.

 

Gord McKay

The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018

                                                                                              

Sunday June 17, 2018

Ladies and Gentlemen

The summer season is upon us.  Party on the Dock is just wrapping up. The Pearl Mist visits us again plus a couple of free BBQs this week. Then Ribfest and Canada Day at the end of the month.  Get out there and enjoy the good life in Midland.

The Week Ahead

On Monday at 9:00 am the second Community Safety Task Force stakeholder workshop takes place at Town Hall.  The first workshop was quite instructive in identifying the causes underlying many downtown safety issues.

Tuesday the 19^th will see the return of the Pearl Mist to our Town dock.  Look for a day of entertainment dockside - all are welcome to attend. At 7:30 am the North Simcoe Community Futures Development Corporation holds its AGM at Restaurant Ste. Marie.  At 9:00 am, at the County Museum, County Council meets for its last strategic planning session before the election.

At 10:00 am Tiny hosts a Senior Symposium at the Township of Tiny Community Centre. Then at 1:30 pm you are invited to join Waypoint as it presents its annual report to the community at Waypoint. And lastly at 5:00 pm Hospice Huronia hosts a celebration for their new building project. The party takes place at their premises at 25 Jeffery St. Penetanguishene.

On Wednesday you are invited to participate in a traditional Town Hall meeting that will hear from the public about the downtown safety situation. The Community Safety Task force is conducting a full review of the issues and behaviors that affect our downtown. You are asked to participate by completing a short survey at www.surveymonkey.ca/r/midland-safety and also by attending the Town Hall meeting at St Paul’s church on King Street starting at 6:30 pm.

At 7:00 pm at the Midland Public Library, Marina Nemat will present the memoir of her life and political imprisonment in Iran – the Prisoner of Tehran. Her extraordinary tale of faith and survival is a testament to the power of love in the face of evil and injustice.

Thursday the 21^st is National Aboriginal Day.  Ste. Marie among the Hurons will host a special celebration.  Further details at: http://www.saintemarieamongthehurons.on.ca/sm/en/SpecialEvents/NationalAboriginalDay/index.htm

At 4:30 pm Georgian Village hosts a staff appreciation BBQ at their location in Penentanguishene.  Keeping with the BBQ theme, you are invited to a FREE community BBQ to celebrate local climate action.  This Severn Sound Environmental Association sponsored event will welcome Robert Canning, SSEA's new Invasive Species Coordinator. The event runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons. Then at 6:30 pm at the NSSRC, the Town will provide you with an update of its evolving Official Plan. The meeting will present the latest changes and impacts of 2017 growth plan targets.

Friday the 22^nd starts early with the 8:00 am launch of the Prosperity Summit.  This annual event, hosted by our Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe (EDCNS) will focus on a new area of economic opportunity for North Simcoe - the convergence of our local manufacturing and healthcare sectors. This has the promise of many new well-paying jobs in the years ahead.

As Friday is the gateway to the week-end it is not surprising that Tay is moving ahead with celebrating an early Canada Day. Please click the link for a listing of all the great things our neighbours want to share with you this week-end. http://www.taycanadaday.ca/

And that evening get ready to be moved with the First Annual Gospel Music Festival at the MCC. The Band of Christians featuring Titus Chapman returns to the MCC. Last year’s sold out performance had audience members in awe. The best of black gospel music starts at 8:00 pm and lasts all weekend. A full weekend pass is available at  All Weekend Pass $60 PLUS HST & FEES

Week - End

Saturday June 23

-       All day - Tay Canada Day celebration http://www.taycanadaday.ca/ 

-       10:00 am - Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraiser for Rosewood  at the Town Dock

-       1:30 pm - HMCS Trillium Sea Cadets Annual Review at NSSRC

-       8:00 pm - First Annual Gospel Music Festival at the MCC featuring Jacob Moon and the Commissionaires

Sunday June 24

-       All day - Tay Canada Day celebration http://www.taycanadaday.ca/

-       3:00 pm - First Annual Gospel Music Festival at the MCC featuring Calvary Baptist Church Choir

-       7:00 pm - Music in the Park returns to the Rotary Bandshell in Little Lake Park. Good sounds from “Brutthers from Another Mudder”

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The County of Simcoe is introducing a new curbside collection program for textiles to help divert these materials out of landfills. Simcoe County residents will receive one textile collection this June, with our area’s pick-up scheduled for June 18-22 (Zone 2). Similar to Leaf and Yard Waste collection, pick-up does not necessarily coincide with your regular collection day. Items should be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on the Monday of your collection week. For more information visit www.simcoe.ca/textilecollection

The County has provided additional information based upon experiences from the first week of textile collection:

-       Textile collection day is not the same as your garbage day. Textiles must be placed at curbside by 7 a.m. on Monday of the collection week.

-       A number of residents have called into Customer Service indicating that their textiles were not collected but acknowledging that they were not in the pink bag provided or clear plastic bags but in garbage bags or other containers.  The pink bag or a clear bag identifies that the bag contains textiles for collection whereas black or green garbage bags should not be collected as textiles as they may contain garbage which would become a contaminant to the textile diversion program.  

-       Many residents have continued to place yard waste out for collection although the final yard waste collection for the north zone was the week of June 4^th.  We believe that this is due to residents assuming that the colour coding in the calendar which identifies the collection zones meant that this was also a yard waste week when in fact it is a textile collection week. 

To help ensure accuracy for future waste collections, residents should be encouraged to subscribe for free waste collection alerts and reminders at www.simcoe.ca/wastereminder in order to make certain that they are aware of scheduled collections for their area. 

Gord McKay

The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018

                                                                                              

Sunday June 10, 2018

Ladies and Gentlemen

Another great Butter Tart Festival has wrapped up with many of us still coming down from that sugary high. Estimates are that somewhere near 200,000 butter tarts were on sale and 50,000 plus visitors. Official word has yet to come.  A big thank-you to Karen Mealing and her team who pulled this off without a hitch.  Making Midland proud.

The Week Ahead

Monday June 11^th at 5:00 pm is the AGM for the MPUC shareholder (the Town). The MPUC sale to Newmarket-Tay is still not closed as we await the OEB decision. Cannot believe it is taking this long. At 7:00 pm is the Town’s General Committee meeting including:

-       Progress report on our Midland Forward initiative

-       Direction on surplus lands, specifically the potential sale of the Parks Depot on Fourth St. and the Works Depot on Ontario St.

-       Direction on our new procurement by-law – how we go about buying things in our Town

-       Terms of Reference for some of our 30 plus committees and Boards

On Tuesday the 12^th County Council takes place at 9:00 am in Midlhurst.  A number of interesting items that may impact Midland:

-       Approval of new organics site on Horseshoe Valley Road

-       Discussion of coordinating all emergency services in North Simcoe

-       By-law for the new inter-urban transit – the first leg being the Barrie to Midland link. One of the new Simcoe County LINX Transit Service buses will be on display at the County. Our Midland-Barrie route is scheduled for launch on August 7th, 2018

At 2:00 pm the Community Safety Task Force meets at the Town. Then at 7:30 pm Dr. Keith Rose hosts - OUR HEALTH: SPIRITUALITY & WELL-BEING  at the MCC. A sold out night but walk-ins may still be available. Those who wish to attend can come to the entrance to Rotary Hall at the MCC, where seating will be on a first-come first-served basis.

Wednesday the 13^th invites you to celebrate Seniors Month. The Midland Seniors Council is hosting a free noon lunch at the NSSRC.  Right after that from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm the Midland Library is launching a new Seniors’ Drop-In. Come for an afternoon of companionship, conversations and fun!  Every other Wednesday, starting June 13^th, and it’s free.

At 7:30 pm A Day in the Life returns to the MCC.  Fred’s guest is Dr. Dianne Saxe, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO), a tough but fair watchdog over Ontario’s environmental, energy and climate performance. Prior to her appointment in December 2015, Commissioner Saxe was one of Canada’s most respected environmental lawyers. Commissioner Saxe has been recognized as one of the world’s top 25 environmental lawyers.

On Thursday June 14^th at 10:00 am, the first Community Safety Task Force workshop takes place at the Town. This meeting will invite key stakeholders, such as the Library, the OPP and Guesthouse to the table.  The Task Force is going to use a number of methods to get your input on our downtown safety situation including an online survey, a public Town Hall scheduled for June 20, stakeholder workshops and one-on-one interviews - a lot of information gathering this month. All meetings are open to the public. The online survey should be available this Monday.

And from 10:00 am to noon EarlyON hosts its annual family picnic at Little Lake Park.

Friday the 15^th it’s back to Midhurst for a meeting of the County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. The Committee will receive a report on the recent “Place in Time” count that enumerated the homeless population in our area.  Also the Committee will propose a date for all of us to hear about the Federal/Provincial approach to the National Housing Strategy - flowing $13B over 10 years into affordable housing projects.  And at noon the Chamber of Commerce invites you to a public BBQ on the Town Dock.

Week - End

Saturday June 16

-       2:00 pm onward - Party of the Dock returns with a full day of music - https://www.partyonthedock.ca/

Council Issues Update

Downtown Safety

The Task Force is underway but not quite as planned. Due to the aggressive timeframe it has not yet been able to retain the services of an external consultant. So in the short term the many agency reps on the Task Force have taken up the challenge and will direct the initial Problem Statement phase. Another example of our community working together.

Gord McKay

The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018

                                                                                              

Sunday June 3, 2018

Ladies and Gentlemen

Summer draws closer, though we haven’t done too badly with the recent spring heat wave. Our first cruise ship is coming in this week and the Butter Tart Festival takes place on the week-end. Can’t beat Midland.

The Week Ahead

Monday June 4^th. As you may recall your mayor is leading a provincially sponsored study of the Great Lakes cruise ship industry. The study consultant is in Town today to assess the port of Midland and our ability to handle cruise ships and their passengers.  This information will be complied along with that of 7 other Ontario ports to develop an overall assessment of the cruise potential in the Great Lakes.  This could be the first step in us becoming a cruise ship terminus and moving Midland into the main stream of international tourism.

And you are invited downtown today as Kathleen Wynne is expected to drop by the Gerry Marshall campaign office on Bay Street (next to Grounded) at 6:00 pm.

On Tuesday the 5^th the Simcoe County District School Board is hosting a public meeting to hear your concerns about their intention to significantly raise the education development charges on new buildings.  The meeting is at the SMCDSB, Catholic Education Center, 46 Alliance Blvd. in Barrie, starting at 6:00 pm.

Wednesday sees the Pearl Mist return to our harbor.  Please come down as the Town has quite a day of fun and festivities planned for everyone at the Town dock.  It’s also Tim Horton’s Camp Day.  All money from coffee sales goes to deserving kids who need help attending summer camp. I will be at the Tim’s on Hwy 12 at 8:00 am, so do drop by.

At 10:00 am the Community Safety Task Force meets to set its work plan for our Community Safety Plan. At 2:00 pm, the Governance Review Committee meets at Town Hall to finalize its changes to the Procedural By-law, the rules that govern how Council operates. Then at 5:00 pm our Youth Committee meets to organize their summer events. And finally at 7:00 pm Planning and Development Committee meets at Town Hall.  The agenda includes:

-       Zoning By-Law Amendment for 786 William Street, concerning the building of two apartment buildings

-       Site plan and pre-servicing agreement for the Seasons on Little Lake subdivision

Thursday June 7^th is provincial Election Day.  Please take the time to get out and vote for the best candidate for Midland and the province.

On Friday the 8^th you are invited to join the Physician Recruitment team as they honour our rural candidates for medical internship with a BBQ at Waypoint at noon.

Week - End

Saturday June 9

-       Butter Tart Festival - all day – downtown King Street. Come out for a day of great family fun

-       The tART Music and Art Festival, a two-day fair, featuring artists and artisans, a midway and a beer garden in downtown Midland

Sunday June 10

-       10:30 am – Martyrs’ Shrine invites you to a special mass at the Shrine to dedicate the 4 new community gardens.  Our own Midland Garden Club has prepared the Midland garden as our show of support for Martyrs’ Shrine and its many visitors. All are welcome

-       The tART Music and Art Festival, a two-day fair, featuring artists and artisans, a midway and a beer garden in downtown Midland

Council Issues Update

Downtown Safety

The Community Safety Task Force is starting it “problem definition” phase – what are the safety issues we see in the downtown and what are their likely causes?  A public Town Hall meeting will be held at St. Paul’s for all residents who want to speak to the matter. The meeting should be on Wednesday June 20^th at 7:00 pm. I will let you know when the date is finalized.

Gord McKay

The Year for Forging Our Future - 2018