Sunday February 8, 2015

Ladies and Gentlemen

The winter of 2015 is here with a vengeance and it’s starting to get deep out there.  But “groundhog guesses” aside there is one early sign of spring in Midland.  I am starting to see a number of our local snowbirds return from the south.

Monday February 9^th will see two Town meetings.  At 6:00 pm is a closed meeting to discuss labour and personal matters.  At 7:00 pm it’s the General Committee meeting -  a light agenda including:

-       Report on our preparations for the Emerald Ash Borer invasion

-       Discussion of students crossing King Street mid-block to get to Tim Hortons

-       Information that the tax arrears are down in 2014

-       Discussion of Penetanguishene’s formal approach to the Town to start an inter-urban transit link. Over the last year the two municipalities have had informal discussions about a new transit service, linking key destinations such as the hospital and the respective downtowns. Midland would be the operator as we have the staff and infrastructure to easily add the new route. A good step in seeing our communities work better together.

Tuesday the 10^th sees me at County Council at 9:00 am. That evening it’s A Day in the Life featuring ecologist, Dr. Peter Sale, author of Our Dying Planet.  Dr. Sale is University Professor Emeritus at the University of Windsor and until recently was Assistant Director, Institute for Water, Environment and Health at United Nations University.  His expertise is in coral reefs a threatened ecosystem that may actually be eliminated from the planet. That’s at 7:30 pm at the MCC. For tickets  www.midlandculturalcentre.com

Wednesday February 11^th sees two important meetings. At 10:00 am at Town hall is the first meeting of the Downtown Safety Committee.  This Committee was struck by Council to bring together the many groups who have a stake in ensuring a safe community for us all and to consider what measure will help improve downtown safety. The Committee recognizes that many of the safety issues require social interventions and not just policing. Our challenge is to work together to ensure safety for all. You are welcome to attend.

From 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm Georgian College – Midland Campus - is hosting a unique event to challenge the entrepreneurs in our midst. It’s a mini-“Dragons Den” where some of our brightest local minds will pitch their business ideas to a College panel. This is a good step forward for our municipality, as we celebrate the many talented young people who will create tomorrow’s jobs right here in Midland. Please do attend.

On Thursday February 12^th your Council spends a full day mapping out our future. Starting at 9:00 am at Town Hall, Council will receive the draft of its first strategy planning session and refine those points into our roadmap for the next four years. Please do attend. Then about 1:00 pm Council will likely go into a closed session to discuss staffing levels and directions for the year ahead.

To round out the week, Friday the 13^th will see the Waterfront Steering Committee meeting at Town Hall at 11:00 am.

Weekend

Saturday

-       The 67^th Winterama weekend in Penetanguishene starts with a parade down Main Street at 11 am.

-       Its Valentine’s Day – an opportunity to celebrate your significant other

And don’t forget that Monday February 16^th is Family Day. Some businesses, including Town Hall, will be closed. A good opportunity to bring your family down to one of our two new outdoor rinks for some skating fun.

Gord McKay

Be part of Midland’s Year of Bold Action - 2015