It’s now officially springtime and lots of things are happening in the Town.
If you are a walker you may be interested in the sidewalk restoration projects set for this year:
· Victoria Street - South side, Fourth Street to Sixth Street
· William Street - West side, Jeanne Street to Alcorn Subdivision
· Lindsay Street - East side, Bay Street to Barnett Avenue
· George Street - West side, Bay Street to Barnett Avenue
· Bay Street - South side, King Street to Midland Avenue
· Hugel Avenue - South side, Russell Street to Manly Street
And for drivers, the following roads will be resurfaced. (Please note a few other roads – not on this list - are being fully rebuilt).
· Cedar Street (all)
· Huron Street (all)
· George Street (Gloucester north to end)
· Portage Park Lane (all)
· Vindin Street (Ludlow Street to Fifth Street)
· Little Lake Park Road (approx 280m)
· Everton Road
The old St. Theresa High school on Barnett Ave has been scheduled for demolition in May.
The Town has been officially notified that the Regent Park Public School on Russell Street has been approved for closure and disposition. So if you want to buy a school, now is your chance.
Team Glen Howard is going to be honoured on Saturday June 2nd at 4:00 pm at the Coldwater Curling/Recreation Center. There is an admission fee so you may want to contact the arena at 705-686-3946.
And don’t forget our own Twisted Pines arts and music festival this May long weekend.
Gord McKay
May 12, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Tuesday May 1, 2007
Happy Trails to you …. And if you have no interest in the Town trails please delete this e-mail.
I have had a number of inquiries about the completion of the bicycle/walking trail that connects the Tay Shore trail to our waterfront trails through the Tiffin development. According to our Town Planner, Bryan MacKell, the connection may be established this year but will depend upon negotiations with many of the affected property owners.
To follow this trail route description you may want to get a map out. The trail connection should run along the Tiffin waterfront to the Georgian Bay Islands National Park lands - then out onto the Wye Valley Road at the north end of the Doral building - then south along the Road to the intersection of Hwy 12 - then along the road allowance to the CN Bridge - then over the CN Bridge - then over the wood trestle bridge over the Wye River and onto the Tay Shore Trail at Ste. Marie. We will obviously need a few directional signs.
At the other end of our waterfront trail system, the new Midland Loop Trail is being affected by construction. You can still get through on the Rotary Trail but the “loop back” portion has been affected by earth storage from a nearby condominium development. Hopefully the loop trail will be back for the next biking season.
And snowmobile trails? The next Ad-Hoc Snowmobile meeting is scheduled for May 23rd at 7pm at the Town Hall. We should be getting close to a solution by then.
Gord McKay
May 1, 2007
I have had a number of inquiries about the completion of the bicycle/walking trail that connects the Tay Shore trail to our waterfront trails through the Tiffin development. According to our Town Planner, Bryan MacKell, the connection may be established this year but will depend upon negotiations with many of the affected property owners.
To follow this trail route description you may want to get a map out. The trail connection should run along the Tiffin waterfront to the Georgian Bay Islands National Park lands - then out onto the Wye Valley Road at the north end of the Doral building - then south along the Road to the intersection of Hwy 12 - then along the road allowance to the CN Bridge - then over the CN Bridge - then over the wood trestle bridge over the Wye River and onto the Tay Shore Trail at Ste. Marie. We will obviously need a few directional signs.
At the other end of our waterfront trail system, the new Midland Loop Trail is being affected by construction. You can still get through on the Rotary Trail but the “loop back” portion has been affected by earth storage from a nearby condominium development. Hopefully the loop trail will be back for the next biking season.
And snowmobile trails? The next Ad-Hoc Snowmobile meeting is scheduled for May 23rd at 7pm at the Town Hall. We should be getting close to a solution by then.
Gord McKay
May 1, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Wednesday April 12, 2007
It’s been a tough couple of days and I’m not just talking about the weather. Last night’s Committee Meeting at the Town went on until 11:30. The good news is that if the level of heat in these debates continues our TV ratings will definitely go up.
The main agenda item for last night was the Budget discussion. Our budget, containing a tax increase of 4.4%, will go for a final vote on April 23rd at 7:30pm.
Two other Committees that you may be following:
- Active Transportation will meet again on April 16 at 5pm in the Council Chambers. The meeting will likely consider if the Committee should be continued or if most the ducks are now in line.
- Snowmobiling Committee will take place on April 17th at 7pm in the Council Chambers. The Committee should receive an expanded map of all our snowmobile routes and options.
And another special meeting tonight at the Town! (I really should have read the fine print on that contract). We are going to discuss how we fit into the County’s growth strategy. This is an extension of the IGAP initiative. Other items tonight (that may be moved to a closed meeting) include the possible acquisition of our downtown harbour by the Town.
The road crews are getting the trucks ready to make some major road improvements, so summer cannot be too far away.
Gord McKay
April 12, 2007
The main agenda item for last night was the Budget discussion. Our budget, containing a tax increase of 4.4%, will go for a final vote on April 23rd at 7:30pm.
Two other Committees that you may be following:
- Active Transportation will meet again on April 16 at 5pm in the Council Chambers. The meeting will likely consider if the Committee should be continued or if most the ducks are now in line.
- Snowmobiling Committee will take place on April 17th at 7pm in the Council Chambers. The Committee should receive an expanded map of all our snowmobile routes and options.
And another special meeting tonight at the Town! (I really should have read the fine print on that contract). We are going to discuss how we fit into the County’s growth strategy. This is an extension of the IGAP initiative. Other items tonight (that may be moved to a closed meeting) include the possible acquisition of our downtown harbour by the Town.
The road crews are getting the trucks ready to make some major road improvements, so summer cannot be too far away.
Gord McKay
April 12, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tuesday March 27 2007
Spring is definitely in the air – and lots of good things are happening.
This past week saw the second meeting of our Snowmobile Committee. Not surprisingly discussing snowmobile trails raises the passions of many and the meeting demonstrated some of those fireworks. Most of the meeting was spent looking at the trail issues along Aberdeen Blvd. between Highway 12 and Bay Street. The Committee has asked for a better map to be produced of trail options and will use that to start making decisions. The next meeting date has yet to be announced.
What would spring be without a debate on pesticides? Get ready for a public meeting on this topic likely in the next two months. I will let you know when we have a date.
Our final major budget meeting will take place Monday April 2 at 6pm at the Town. The mood of Council seems generally set to accept a Town rate increase of 6.16 % for an overall residential tax rate increase of 5.38%. Since there is no property assessment change this year (MPAC is under review) you can determine your 2007 taxes by taking last year’s amount and multiplying by 1.0538. However, there is at least one more meeting to go.
Outside the Town some very good ideas are bubbling:
- Look for a “very special” type of Farmers Market event to likely take place in August. The coordinating group is talking about featuring local produce, local chefs and a family fun day.
- A dynamic group of local artisans and entrepreneurs got together this past Monday to plan a cultural renaissance for our area. This group, while still in its formative stages, plans to help our many local artists and artisans to flourish. As a start look for the Twisted Pines Music and Arts Festival this May18-21.
Gord McKay
March 27, 2007
This past week saw the second meeting of our Snowmobile Committee. Not surprisingly discussing snowmobile trails raises the passions of many and the meeting demonstrated some of those fireworks. Most of the meeting was spent looking at the trail issues along Aberdeen Blvd. between Highway 12 and Bay Street. The Committee has asked for a better map to be produced of trail options and will use that to start making decisions. The next meeting date has yet to be announced.
What would spring be without a debate on pesticides? Get ready for a public meeting on this topic likely in the next two months. I will let you know when we have a date.
Our final major budget meeting will take place Monday April 2 at 6pm at the Town. The mood of Council seems generally set to accept a Town rate increase of 6.16 % for an overall residential tax rate increase of 5.38%. Since there is no property assessment change this year (MPAC is under review) you can determine your 2007 taxes by taking last year’s amount and multiplying by 1.0538. However, there is at least one more meeting to go.
Outside the Town some very good ideas are bubbling:
- Look for a “very special” type of Farmers Market event to likely take place in August. The coordinating group is talking about featuring local produce, local chefs and a family fun day.
- A dynamic group of local artisans and entrepreneurs got together this past Monday to plan a cultural renaissance for our area. This group, while still in its formative stages, plans to help our many local artists and artisans to flourish. As a start look for the Twisted Pines Music and Arts Festival this May18-21.
Gord McKay
March 27, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Sunday March 18, 2007
Meetings, meetings, meetings … and Midland has a lot of interesting ones over the next two weeks.
A lot of discussion over the recently released Census Canada data showing population growth for Midland – data that is used by federal and provincial planners. Our population numbers, which include Midland Point, are:
1999______ _2001 ______2006
16,347 ........16,214........ 16,300
Unfortunately the underlying numbers are not yet released. Two that I am looking for are the age data to be released in July 2007 and the wage/housing cost data to be released in May 2008. In the meantime the population number will be discussed at PAC on April 4th 7:00pm at Town Hall. Should be interesting.
Our second Active Transportation meeting will take place Monday March 19th, 5:00 pm at the Town Hall. This meeting should get down to acting on some of the first ten Active Transportation items and reviewing where the Committee may be headed. Also note that the Town will be advertising for civilian members to join the Committee. Please try to become part of making our Town more Active.
The second Snowmobile Committee will take place Tuesday March 20th, 7:00 pm at the Town Hall. With the organizational matters out of the way the meeting should start looking at trail options and hearing from groups affected by snowmobiles. Another interesting meeting you may want to attend.
And lastly, a special meeting coming from a group of Councillors. On March 31st at 1pm at NSSRC a presentation and discussion will take place based upon Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth”. If this is anything like the movie, it is well worth attending. While the event is not an official Town function it is supported by the Mayor. A tip of the hat to the organizers – Zena Pendlebury, Pat File and Stephan Kramp.
Gord McKay
March 18, 2007
A lot of discussion over the recently released Census Canada data showing population growth for Midland – data that is used by federal and provincial planners. Our population numbers, which include Midland Point, are:
1999______ _2001 ______2006
16,347 ........16,214........ 16,300
Unfortunately the underlying numbers are not yet released. Two that I am looking for are the age data to be released in July 2007 and the wage/housing cost data to be released in May 2008. In the meantime the population number will be discussed at PAC on April 4th 7:00pm at Town Hall. Should be interesting.
Our second Active Transportation meeting will take place Monday March 19th, 5:00 pm at the Town Hall. This meeting should get down to acting on some of the first ten Active Transportation items and reviewing where the Committee may be headed. Also note that the Town will be advertising for civilian members to join the Committee. Please try to become part of making our Town more Active.
The second Snowmobile Committee will take place Tuesday March 20th, 7:00 pm at the Town Hall. With the organizational matters out of the way the meeting should start looking at trail options and hearing from groups affected by snowmobiles. Another interesting meeting you may want to attend.
And lastly, a special meeting coming from a group of Councillors. On March 31st at 1pm at NSSRC a presentation and discussion will take place based upon Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth”. If this is anything like the movie, it is well worth attending. While the event is not an official Town function it is supported by the Mayor. A tip of the hat to the organizers – Zena Pendlebury, Pat File and Stephan Kramp.
Gord McKay
March 18, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
Friday March 9 2007
For those of you who did not attend the budget meeting last night, you missed an exciting time. There was a good level of debate fueled by some differences of opinion. Centre stage was the Town tax rate increase supported by topics such as holding the line on costs for the Sports Centre and looking at our Town utilities as a source of revenue. The bottom line – the Town tax rate increase will come in at about 6% and when combined with County and School amounts should give us a 2007 rate increase of 4.5% to 5%. (Please Note: the final rate numbers have yet to be determined by the Town)
Needless to say that my position that we should be in at 3% met with some opposition but I was pleased to have put my arguments on the table. The final budget revisions will be presented on March 29 at 7pm with the budget being adopted at the April Council meeting.
Rumours are afoot that we may have a local Farmers Market in Midland this summer. If you have any thoughts on what you would like to see in a farmer’s market, please drop me an e-mail.
And on the social housing front, planning is underway for a street drop-in centre. The project is being pulled together by a group of citizens and social agencies. If things go well it may be in place this summer. More on this later.
Gord McKay
Mar 9, 2007
Needless to say that my position that we should be in at 3% met with some opposition but I was pleased to have put my arguments on the table. The final budget revisions will be presented on March 29 at 7pm with the budget being adopted at the April Council meeting.
Rumours are afoot that we may have a local Farmers Market in Midland this summer. If you have any thoughts on what you would like to see in a farmer’s market, please drop me an e-mail.
And on the social housing front, planning is underway for a street drop-in centre. The project is being pulled together by a group of citizens and social agencies. If things go well it may be in place this summer. More on this later.
Gord McKay
Mar 9, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Tuesday February 27, 2007
The February 23rd edition of the Mirror carried the headline that Penetanguishene intends to set its Town tax rate at 2.6%. This creates an interesting backdrop for the Midland budget discussion set to take place on March 8th. Speaking of your tax bill, some of the numbers are in:
- the County/Waste portion (just over 20% of your bill) will increase by a little more than 4.75% this year
- the Education portion (just under 20%) will have an increase of 0%
- the remaining 60%, the Town of Midland has to decide
The first two numbers give us a 1% tax increase so far.
A group of Councillors and staff met for our Active Transportation Committee kick-off meeting. I was surprised that there were no citizens in attendance. The Town is going to advertise for additional committee members but we need all of you to get your ideas into the mix.
And the date for the next Snowmobile Committee meeting is looking like the latter part of March. The Town is trying to get some of the Committee members onto snowmobiles so they can see things first hand. Should be interesting.
Gord McKay
Feb 27, 2007
- the County/Waste portion (just over 20% of your bill) will increase by a little more than 4.75% this year
- the Education portion (just under 20%) will have an increase of 0%
- the remaining 60%, the Town of Midland has to decide
The first two numbers give us a 1% tax increase so far.
A group of Councillors and staff met for our Active Transportation Committee kick-off meeting. I was surprised that there were no citizens in attendance. The Town is going to advertise for additional committee members but we need all of you to get your ideas into the mix.
And the date for the next Snowmobile Committee meeting is looking like the latter part of March. The Town is trying to get some of the Committee members onto snowmobiles so they can see things first hand. Should be interesting.
Gord McKay
Feb 27, 2007
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