Ladies
and Gentlemen
I enjoyed my first springtime stroll down King Street this
week. The shops were busy and coffee tables were out on the sidewalk – time for
basking in the spring sunshine. I also heard the sound of hammers and drills as
a number of shops are taking advantage of the BIA façade improvement program to
spruce up their buildings. And new stores are coming, including a menswear
shop. Spring has arrived on King Street.
This past week the Town held a public meeting about a proposed
move by the Guesthouse shelter from the Knox Church premises to Elizabeth
Street. It was a well-attended meeting with three individuals speaking against
the shelter and three in support. All speakers
recognized the special needs of those who use the shelter and genuinely wanted
to do what was best for them. More
street outreach was suggested as a solution to helping balance the needs of the
homeless with maintaining the attractiveness of our downtown for all citizens and
visitors. The matter will likely come back to the April Council meeting for a
final decision on the Elizabeth Street location.
*****
On Monday April 7th the YMCA will hold a
meeting a Town Hall at 11:00 am to develop a plan for youth engagement in our
area.
Tuesday it’s down to County at 9:00 am for the regular Council
meeting. One item on the agenda is the report on the first year of operation
for the County’s combined waste management service. A few statistics;
-
128,000 tons of waste were managed
-
71,5000 tons were diverted
-
The program saved $2.6 million over the 2012 collection
costs
County will also launch its new Affordable Housing Strategy
Committee. North Simcoe will be at the table.
Wednesday April the 9th starts early at 7:30
am at Base Borden. We will be honoring the Canadian role in the historic battle
of Vimy Ridge. I hope to be back in time for the noon presentation on the
economy by BNS Chief Economist Warren Justin.
The event is at Lot 102. Call
Kathy Watson at BNS if you are interested.
At 5:00 pm I will be at Guesthouse helping to prepare the
evening meal and serving the volunteers who support our homeless throughout the
year. At 7:00 pm you are invited to a special meeting of Council at the Town to
learn about brownfields development, especially a new technique call “risk
assessment”.
Friday April 11th at 11:00 am is the regular
Waterfront Project steering committee meeting. The Committee has recommended a
name for the Waterfront district that will be considered by Council in April. And at 7:00 pm it’s time to consider your new
spring wardrobe at the CLH Fashion Show and fundraiser at the NSSRC. All are
welcome.
******
Closing
on a serious note, our Simcoe-Muskoka LHIN held a meeting this past Friday
where they described a process for reorganizing the ophthalmology services (eg.
corneal transplants) we receive. The process once completed is likely to change
the number of locations where these services are provided (currently four) to a
smaller number. Some communities will lose local access to these services.
Our
own ophthalmologist, Dr. Scanlan, was at the meeting and is concerned about the
implications. If Dr. Scanlon is forced to relocate it will affect our growing
seniors community, our hospital’s service delivery and our area’s growing
healthcare economy. I will be involved in a coordinated community response over
the coming weeks. I will keep you updated on this significant issue.
Gord
McKay
Be
part of Midland’s Year of Making Decisions - 2014
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