Ladies and Gentlemen
Summer weather – at long last. And as if to prove the
point, this week sees the start of our cruise ship season. On Sunday June 4th
the Pearl Mist makes the first of her 9 visits to Midland. On June 14th,
the MS Victory visits Midland, one of its four port calls. Going to be a great
summer.
The
Week Ahead
Monday the 29th sees the start of operations
of the Guesthouse in there new location. Our shelter for the homeless has been operating
out of the basement of Knox Presbyterian for the last 8 years. This new location provides much better accommodation
for the guests and brings in specialized services, such as addictions counselling
and housing support, that will allow the
homeless to move on to a better life. Look for a public launch about mid-June
At 10:30 am you are invited to GBGH for a cheque presentation
from the County to help our hospital with the funding for its Emergency
Department renovations.
On Tuesday May 30th at 3:00 pm, the NS
Housing Working Group meets at Town Hall to advance its affordable housing
project. Then at 5:00 pm the Citizens Healthcare
Steering Committee meets at GBGH. Their
main agenda item is to discuss how the Committee will work more closely with
the NSMLHIN in representing the citizens of North Simcoe. You are welcome to attend.
Wednesday May 31st is Camp Day at Tim
Hortons. The proceeds from all coffee sales plus donations will be used to help
low income families send their kids to camp.
I will be at their Hwy 12 location at 8:30 am, so do drop by. At 6:00 pm
at Town Hall, Council holds a special meeting to receive the draft Official
Plan Review report. While this is not a public
input meeting, you are invited to attend to gauge Council’s first reaction to
the document.
A Day in the Life takes place at MCC at 7:30 pm featuring
Duncan McCue. Duncan is
the host of CBC Radio's Cross Canada Checkup. He's a journalist,
educator, author and public speaker. He has worked and volunteered with
indigenous organizations across Canada. He is
the author of The Shoe Boy: A Trapline Memoir. pm). Tickets
are available online at www.midlandculturalcentre.com
or at the Box Office at 333 King St., Midland.
And at 8:00 pm at Bay and King Streets, it’s our first outdoor
movie of the summer. So grab the kids
and some lawn chairs and come out to see Rogue One – A Star Wars Story under
the stars.
Thursday June 1st starts at 5:45 am at
the paramedic station in Midland. The reason – the Paramedic Push for Cardiology.
Paramedics from across Simcoe County
will take turns pushing a gurney all the way from Midland to Midhurst. Their objective
is to raise awareness and funds for heart disease, the second leading cause of
death in Canada. So come out and cheer them on. The gurney leaves Midland at
5:45 am and arrives in Midhurst about 4:00 pm.
At 6:00 pm at the NSSRC is a public information meeting
on the recent MPUC sale. This is your chance to find out more about the sale and
get your questions answered. Much of the information is online at http://www.midland.ca/Pages/MidlandPUC.aspx.
On Friday at 1:30 pm Waypoint invites you to its
AGM at Waypoint. If you are looking for
a boat, you will want to be at the Wye Heritage Marina starting at 4:00 pm for
their annual In Water Boat Show. The
show goes all weekend.
Sistema is a special charity that helps underprivileged children
get involved in learning how to play music. www.sistemahuronia.com . They invite you to
come out to their 50s/60s Dance Fundraiser and have some fun while supporting a
great cause. The event takes place at the
Mt. St. Louis Parish Hall, at the Corner of Mt. St Louis Rd and 4th
line of Oro Medonte, starting at 8:00 pm. Tickets available from John at johnjosephvella@gmail.com
Week -
End
Saturday June 3
-
9:00 am - Kids Fishing Derby and Bike Rodeo
at the Town dock
-
10:00 am – The In Water Boat Show at Wye
Heritage Marina
-
11:00 am – The grand opening of Triple Tech
at 713 Vinden
-
1:30 pm – 724 Midland Squadron Royal Canadian
Air Cadets annual review at NSSRC
-
8:00 pm - Take It Easy – The Story of the
Eagles, a musical tribute at the MCC
Sunday June 4
-
8:30 am – The Pearl Mist makes her first
visit to Midland. She will be on dock all day
-
10:00 am – In Water Boat Show at Wye Heritage
Marina
-
2:00 pm - Drumhead service at St. Margaret’s/
St. Marks cemetery
Council
Issues Update
OPR
Council gets its first look at the draft Official Plan Review
report this week. This is a very important document for the Town as it will lay
out the planning framework for the Town of Midland for at least the next 5 years.
It also affects you. The province has
included a number of new features in the Plan including a “Natural Heritage” designation
that is likely to apply to many properties in our community. Take a look at the
information at
http://www.midland.ca/Shared%20Documents/Special%20Meeting%20-%20May%2031%202017.pdf and make sure you are fully informed. There will be additional meetings in the near future
to allow you to provide input on the draft OPR.
Barnstormers
It
has been publically quiet on this front for the last two months. What has been
happening is that soil samples have been taken, a normal development step, and are
being evaluated by Barnstormer’s before the final terms are settled. More information
shortly.
*****
Our
2017 budget has been put to bed. Included in that budget is a small item for $12,000
that may have escaped your attention. These funds will be used for a “gap
analysis” of the broadband coverage in our Town. Essentially to find out what
type of digital communication is currently available for you. When the gap analysis is completed this fall,
we will be ready to participate in the roll-out of the SWIFT fibre optic network
being planned by the Ontario government. The goal is to have fibre available to
every home/business in North Simcoe. High speed connectivity is essential for Midland’s
continued growth in becoming a player on the world stage.
Gord McKay
The
Year for Getting It Done - 2017