Thank You

I am both honoured and humbled that the people of Midland have elected me as Mayor for another four years. This was a challenging election. It presented citizens with a clear choice for their future and they chose to keep to the path that we started over four years ago. While I welcome my own victory, I am most pleased with the balance of veterans and new energetic individuals who will be making up the new Council. The next four years augur well for Midland.

While some assume that the Mayor did all of the work, this victory would not have been possible without an amazing group of volunteers, supporters, and citizens. I want to thank my wife, whose steadfast support and hard work was my foundation. I want to thank my hardworking election team, led by Burke Penny, who organized and motivated one of the best campaign teams I have ever had the privilege of knowing. My thanks to all the candidates, both successful and unsuccessful, who offered their services to the people of Midland. I want to recognize the Councillors who will not be returning in December for their four years of civic duty on behalf of the people. And finally, my thanks to the people of Midland for putting their trust in me and clearly stating where they see Midland heading in the coming years.

Time to Vote

After many weeks of knocking on doors, attending meetings, and communicating with residents both verbally and on social media, it is time to let the citizens of Midland decide who they want to be their Mayor over the next four years. I have worked hard to present a positive message for the future of our town - a future of more jobs, reasonable taxes, and a waterfront developed for all the people of Midland. At the same time, I have tried not to be distracted by stolen signs, reckless statements, and misinformation from opponents. Unfortunately, these are things that seem to have become part of election campaigning. Frankly, the people of Midland deserve better.

Before you mark your ballot on Monday, I am asking you to consider the following questions:

1. Who has the skills, experience, and leadership qualities to deal with the issues facing our town over the next four years?


2. Who do you want to be speaking on behalf of Midland in discussions with business leaders, other municipalities, and government decision-makers?

In a close election like this, every vote is important. On October 27^th, I invite you to join me in moving Midland forward.

Vote Gord McKay for Mayor of Midland.

Thanks for Your Support

Over the past weeks, I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting hundreds of people in our community at their doors, at candidates meetings, and at other events around town. I am impressed by the level of engagement of Midland citizens in this election and, if the large numbers at the advance polls are any indication, we could have a substantial increase in voter turnout over 2010.

The amount of support that I have received is truly gratifying. In addition to kind words at the door and hundreds of sign requests, some people have been more public with their support and I offer a special thanks to these people for going that extra step. It not only means a lot to me personally, but it can also have a positive effect towards the outcome that we hope to achieve. So, it is with this in mind that I offer the following as testimony to the support that I have in our community:

Jim Brown: "Gord has been so supportive of new ventures in Town like mine. His business experience and contacts are very important in developing new jobs and keeping Midland moving forward."

Glen Canning: "He understands economics, he understands finance, he understands the role of policy in municipal government, and he knows how they interact.”

Pat File: "For his integrity, steadfastness, grace under pressure, ideas, fairness - he gets the sustainability piece on all levels - environmental, economic and social justice. I believe that we are on a good track on so many fronts for the Town of Midland. I do support Gord McKay for Mayor and hope that our residents will re-elect him on October 27.

Carol (Cee) Fisher: "He's just so down to earth."

Fred Hacker: "Midland needs a strong, decisive, forward-looking Mayor. Midland needs Gord McKay!"

Hudson Leavens: "I've been very impressed by Gord's ability to apply his business skills in encouraging committees to work well and achieve results."

Stu Leggett: "For the past 8 years - first as Councillor and then as Mayor - you have worked diligently, honestly, passionately and with great integrity to improve the economic and social conditions here in Midland. Your obvious skills and proven leadership are critically needed in this complex community! I support Gordon McKay for Mayor in 2014!!!"

Patrick Murray: "I have found you to at least listen with an open mind and for that you will continue to have my support."

Carol Nichols: "He has class... he's finding solutions and that's why I want to work with him."

Colin Pape: "Gord gets the importance of innovation, and knows how to leverage technology better than anyone else running... Gord has been instrumental in helping us cut through red tape and move our company forward. We now employ 15 people in Downtown Midland, and with an experienced leader like Mayor McKay, who's already grown a company from a handful of people to hundreds, I know we can employ many more. A vote for Gord is a vote for real economic development."

Mike Ross: "He's a true leader. He's the man I want representing Midland."

Stewart Strathearn: "Under Gord's leadership we've seen a very solid foundation put in place, that in the coming four years under Gord’s leadership again... we can continue to build Midland as a wonderful place."

Leaf Pick-Up

The leaves are now falling and I know that some Midlanders are having a tough time adjusting to the County “bag your leaves” collection system.

This is the first year that we have not been allowed to use Town services to help homeowners. Last year, I personally petitioned the County to give Midland residents one more year with curbside vacuuming. The County agreed, but was clear that last year was the only extension. No other municipality in the County of Simcoe got that extra year exemption.

This year, all 16 County municipalities are bagging their leaves. The good news at the County level is that we are saving well over $2 million per year by using a standardized waste collection. Some of those savings reduce the taxes that you pay to the County.

In Midland, many private sector companies are now offering leaf vacuuming services. The Town is also helping out by reimbursing residents for the cost of leaf bags (receipt and proof of residency required).

I recognize that this is a change that residents are unhappy about. I will continue to listen and, if the County collection system continues to cause problems for Midland residents, I will work with my fellow mayors and take your issues/concerns to the County.

A Fiscal Picture of Midland

The Town of Midland is a $25 million a year “corporation” providing a variety of services to the people of Midland. And while the Town must be responsive to its citizens, it also must heed the basic financial rules that apply to all corporations.

The population of Midland, from which the Town receives its tax revenues, is characterized by two factors:

• Low average household income, and
• Flat population growth

Inflation aside, there has been almost no increase in the ability of the people of Midland to pay more taxes in almost a decade. Keeping taxes down to help low-income homeowners keep their homes is essential.

Flying in the face of that fact is that our tax bills have increased over 100% since 2000. The tax growth stems from past Councils not managing wage growth and adding new services without a financial plan. One example is the NSSRC - an excellent facility providing needed services to many in our area. Its fiscal reality is that it requires a $1.4 million annual subsidy from taxpayers for its operations and capital. Midland, like every householder, has to balance its income with its costs.

So, how do we get to a better financial place? It is first important to recognize that we have spent decades getting into this situation. It will take time to get us out. Also, Midland is not in “dire straits” - we do not need knee jerk solutions. We need to build on our reasonably healthy local economy and take advantage of the opportunities to realign municipal services to decrease our costs and taxes.

The first step (which has already started) is to implement operational changes identified in the KPMG report that will save money while preserving our service levels. 60 such items were identified that can save us $1-2 million per year. Opportunities include consolidating internal works operations or consolidated billing with MPUC. This can be done without laying off staff.

The second step (which has already started) is to grow our local economy and, with it, the tax base. We have:

• Launched the Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe, our arms length agency devoted to building our North Simcoe economy
• Started to streamline services at our Town Hall under our new CAO, Carolyn Tripp
• Frozen Development Charges, signaling to companies and developers that we are open for business
• Maintained tax control, holding the rate of increase to less than inflation - in essence, reducing real taxes

We have started to turn the fiscal corner. There are many more opportunities ahead that, if implemented, will allow taxes to actually be reduced and services maintained. But it is not just about getting the budget right. I am committed to a balance between fiscal restraint and providing needed community services (e.g. library, recreation, affordable housing, social services) so that all citizens of Midland can enjoy being part of our great community.

Leadership and Entrepreneurism

I have been fortunate to receive many supportive messages from people throughout our community. I appreciate them all - some make me smile, others are very humbling, and some offer me great hope for the future of our town. Such was the case when I read the following words from Colin Pape (ShopCity, ShopMidland). Colin is a young entrepreneur who was born and raised in Midland, left for a while, and then came back to start a business in his hometown.

"I've had many discussions with Gord McKay about ways to grow our business and bring more jobs to the area. Gord has been instrumental in helping us cut through red tape and move our company forward. We now employ 15 people in Downtown Midland, and with an experienced leader like Mayor McKay, who's already grown a company from a handful of people to hundreds, I know we can employ many more. A vote for Gord is a vote for real economic development.

In today's day and age, with smartphones, the internet, and Facebook at the core of our communications, it's imperative that we have a leader who understands and uses these powerful mediums to engage the community, seize opportunities, and communicate the potential of our community to the world. Gord gets the importance of innovation and knows how to leverage technology better than anyone else running."

Colin's enthusiasm and his entrepreneurial spirit are indicative of the potential that we have in our community. And fortunately, he is not alone. I have met with many other ambitious people with similar aspirations including: John P. Cipressi (manufacturing), Christine Taylor (retail), Jim Brown (computer technology), Bob Kafato (communications), and Barb Rowlandson (event management). With people like this committed to economic development in our town, I am confident that we can move Midland forward over the next four years and beyond.

Public Engagement

It was a pretty typical morning in the Mayor’s office. I drafted a response to the grade six students at Sacred Heart School, thanking them for their ideas about what young people would like to see in our new Midland Bay Landing property. I also received a call from a gentleman who had heard of my office’s involvement in our area’s healthcare and wanted to be part of our new healthcare steering committee. I made a call to the school board to help another group who are planning a new outdoor skating rink in our Town.

Wherever you turn, the people of Midland are looking for ways to be meaningfully involved in helping our Town. The reality from the municipal side is that we absolutely need that help. Without the expertise and energy of our engaged citizens, the Town of Midland could not go forward.

Through my first term I have taken every opportunity to get people informed and meaningfully engaged. It started right at Town Hall. I invested the first year in trying to get Council to work together and I am pleased to say that your Councillors are now generally listening to each other as they discuss the issues. I also reached out the public with my weekly blog, News from the Town, which keeps hundreds of citizens up to date on what is happening in Midland (see News from the Town).

I worked with staff to change the processes of Town Hall to allow more citizen involvement:

• Adding a public input session to our annual budget process
• Adding “rise and report” so that citizens could hear the results of closed meetings
• Re-designing the Town website and putting more information on it
• Hosting new public meetings on topics of interest: casino, taxi fares, Hanson lands development
• Making public consultation central to planning: Midland Bay Landing Plan, Down Town Master Plan
• Making citizen membership part of most committees: Waterfront Steering Committee, Development Charges Ad-Hoc, Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe

Where outside stakeholders were essential to progress, I set up new mechanisms to have them fully engaged:

• Downtown Safety – I organized and led the formative meetings that brought many stakeholders together to implement long-term solutions to improve downtown safety
• Healthcare – I worked with our Seniors Council to create public meetings to develop our healthcare objectives for North Simcoe
• Job Creation – I brought together a group of entrepreneurs who meet regularly at the ShopMidland location to discuss opportunities for job growth in the healthcare sector
• Affordable Housing – Under the general guidance of the County, I organized the North Simcoe Housing Working Group.  The group is made up of stakeholders and the public, looking  for solutions to our affordable housing deficit

Each of these initiatives would not be possible without active and meaningful participation by the public.  In the days ahead there will be even greater need for citizens to be involved in moving their Town forward.  The good news is that we have the people who can make it happen.

If I am re-elected, these types of discussions and consultations will continue to be the way we do business at the Town of Midland.

Town Council

“Council is split 5-4.” – “Council is dysfunctional.” – “Why can't these guys work together?”

It seems that everyone likes to criticize Council. While there have been problems, I want to give you a different perspective and tell you about the many good things that this “dysfunctional” Council has accomplished.

My first job when I became Mayor was to get Council to work together. I know from past leadership roles that working together does not mean everyone agrees and there will often be passionate discussion on issues. But being a Councillor is about more than talking about your favourite position. It is about doing your homework, coming to the Council table prepared to listen, and then voting for what you feel is best for Midland.

Despite best intentions, Council's first year was chaotic. Divisions from the previous Council were in play and many votes were split 5-4. Over the next three years we learned how to work together. While there were still some 5-4 votes, there were far more that were 9-0 or instances where the 5-4 split was made up of different Councillors. We were listening to each other and making good independent decisions for Midland. And we accomplished a lot:

• A four year budget discipline to keep taxes below the rate of inflation
• Agreement on our first ever operational review by KPMG
• Purchase of the Unimin lands (7-1)
• Support for our Downtown Master Plan (unanimous)
• Creation of the Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe (unanimous)
• Launch of the Tourism Action Plan and the Cultural Plan (large majorities)

In the coming term, Council will face some big challenges. This election you will vote for the members of Council who will be making those tough decisions. Take time to get to know who is running and vote for those candidates whose first priority is “Moving Midland Forward”.

Fred Hacker Endorses Gord McKay for Mayor

I was deeply honoured to have Fred Hacker introduce me at my recent campaign rally. Being endorsed by Fred is a significant boost for my bid for re-election. Below is a copy of the media release, including some of Fred's remarks, as well as video of his speech in its entirety.

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When long time Midland resident, lawyer, and community leader Fred Hacker speaks, people listen. And what the large crowd attending Mayor Gord McKay's re-election campaign rally on Thursday heard was a strong endorsement of their candidate. "The candidate in whom I’m placing my trust for guiding the community over the next four years is Gord McKay," stated Mr. Hacker.

He encouraged the citizens of Midland to ask themselves four questions as they make their decision on who to vote for:

1. Which of the candidates for mayor is best equipped to provide solid, intelligent, consistent and reliable leadership?


2. Which of the candidates for mayor would I want to have at the table when serious negotiations were ongoing with respect to the future of this community?


3. Which of the candidates for mayor would I want to be speaking on behalf of our community?


4. Which of the candidates for mayor is best suited to deal with the issues that we haven't even thought about yet?

For each of these questions, he responded, "Gord McKay".

"Having the support of such an influential community leader is a distinct honour," said Mayor McKay, commenting that he and Fred Hacker have been friends for many years. In his speech to supporters at the rally, he emphasized the importance of listening and collaboration, not only on Town Council, but with members of the community as well. "If I'm re-elected, ongoing interaction and exchange of ideas will be the way the town does business," noted the mayor.

Hanson Development Moving Forward

Hanson Developments presented to the Midland Planning and Development Committee this past Wednesday. If you think that you have heard the name before, you are right. Hanson has had a Plan of Subdivision with the Town for almost 20 years. But with recent improvements to Midland's economic outlook, Hanson feels it is now time to start building.

The Hanson Lands are a large parcel that is bounded by the Wal-Mart plaza, Highway 12, Old Penetanguishene Road, and Little Lake. Over the next ten years, they are planning to build an entirely new neighbourhood of some 1,200 to 1,700 homes. The development will not be the "typical suburb", but rather a community that provides all the urban amenities while encouraging healthy living and a green environment.

I am particularly pleased because Hanson has done their homework. We have seen too many developments that start off with great fanfare but end up as an empty field with a few scattered homes. Hanson has researched both our local residents and those who may want to live in Midland. They are responding by building homes that are attractive (e.g. front porches), have low maintenance costs, and will priced in the low $200,000 range.

Hanson also intends to make its Little Lake shoreline a public area with parks and connections to our exiting trail system - this will not be an isolated neighbourhood. Hanson also indicated that one of the reasons they are deciding to invest now is the proposed Midland Bay Landing development, something they regard as a great benefit for our future.

Look for marketing activity to start in the spring of next year.

Healthcare Progress

Positive developments on the healthcare front.

Over the last six months there has been concern about the loss of ophthalmological services from our area hospital. This would include cataract surgeries. Our North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN has been looking at different models of service delivery that likely would have seen the service end up in Barrie or Orillia.

Last week, I assisted as our seniors held a second  healthcare meeting at the NSSRC.  Jill Tettmann (CEO of the NSMLHIN) attended and indicated that she understood our concerns and would help.

This week, there was increased concern in our community about a sub-committee meeting to choose a service model that would leave Midland out. I contacted Jill to ensure that we got a Midland solution back into the discussion. Jill personally intervened in that meeting and asked them to consider other models. That is now being done. (See e-mail from Dr. McNamara below.)

Coming together as a respectful community and engaging the LHIN has worked. We, as a community, still have much work on this front in the days ahead. I intend to be actively engaged in the critical discussion of Midland's  healthcare future.

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From: Martin McNamara [mailto:drm@csolve.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2014 1:21 PM

Subject: Good News

To the citizens of North Simcoe:

Hello All;

Great news from last night. Dr. Dan Scanlan has been in communication and has informed me that the “cataract committee” has, due to the influence of Ms. Jill Tettman (LHIN CEO), changed its mandate and is now committed to finding efficiencies within the existing system. They are dropping the idea of having all cataracts done at one or two centres and will allow us to continue providing this service locally. Your work and letters have surely been one of the factors that prompted this. Thank you for your support.

This also means that the LHIN are committing to working at improving other areas of eye care such as the regional ophthalmology on call coverage for emergencies and exploring other options to cut costs and improve care with input from those who know best, our patients and ophthalmologists. We will continue to track their work. Dr. Scanlan advises me that he is interested in re-joining the committee (he left when he found that he could not support their options for one/two site regional care). I will keep you posted as events unfold. I have sent Ms. Jill Tettman a note of thanks for her support in changing the mandate of the committee.

I would ask for your help in another issue and that is our hospital funding. 

There have been many instances, in the past few years, where we have been short changed by the MOHLTC on issues such as our ER redevelopment, our complex chronic care floor, our base funding, our ER performance funding and a number of other areas. This has resulted in the current financial shortfall facing our hospital. 

Recently, the MOHLTC and the LHIN have determined that better performing hospitals will benefit from increases in funding and worse performing hospitals will undergo cuts until they improve. In spite of the fact that we have performed well in our ER metrics, we have fallen short of some of their in hospital targets this year and will suffer another cut from our budget. (The actual number is still confidential.)

The MOHLTC’s new funding formula rewards efficient hospitals and penalizes less efficient hospitals and is a new paradigm for the MOHLTC as it is for us. It is geared to encourage all hospitals to become more efficient and proficient at standardized care. Who wouldn’t want this?  There is, however, a major difficulty in that not all hospitals are starting the race from the same set of blocks.

We have analyzed our performance with that of other hospitals in the LHIN and conclude the following: adjusting for acuity, (patient illness severity) our hospital’s staffing levels would have to increase by 35 hours of nursing care per day per floor to even equal that of the next lowest funded hospital, Alliston. To equal RVH, we calculate that we would have to increase our nursing by 65 hours per day per floor. Our ER numbers are even more telling. Patients drive from Collingwood and Barrie to be seen in our ER, knowing that they face a >6 hour wait in their own ERs.

We see half of the number of patients seen in  RVH’s ER, yet have about 1/3 of the funding for ER nursing that they do. We have been constantly one of the top performers in indicators such as patient satisfaction, yet, because of our poor staffing ratios and bed shortages, we find ourselves struggling every year with indicators such as “time to admission from ER” and others. We are falling behind in the race, resulting in decreased funding, resulting in decreases in staffing and in performance, resulting in decreased funding, etc. We are not starting from a level playing field with the other participants. How to win this race?

In the last 7 years, we have gone from being run by a Ministry Supervisor to forming a new board, new Director of Nursing, new CEO, new Director of Human Resources, Finances, etc. We have improved our care and the quality of that care. We are committed to continuing this improvement and our staff have worked very hard to meet the needs of the community. Are we perfect? Certainly not. Are we improving? Significantly.

We continue to struggle with admitting patients in a timely manner because of poor bed availability.  Research has shown that rapid admissions are directly affected by bed availability. If you have more beds, people get to the floors more quickly. Research has also shown that patients housed in hallways and ER beds don’t do as well.

In 1980, GBGH was a 160 bed hospital. Our population has doubled in that time, yet we now have only 68 acute care beds. How did this happen? Why does it continue?

The lack of bed availability also means no surge capacity in the event of another flu epidemic or SARS. We have no capacity for ebbs and flows in patient numbers.

Our Homecare services also runs behind that of other jurisdictions. We have difficulty discharging patients on weekends because home care (while taking emergency referrals for IV antibiotics and other care issues) isn’t available on weekends to arrange for care for discharged patients. Patients perforce must wait until Monday to go home. RVH has 24/7 home care, as do smaller hospitals such as St. Thomas and Lindsay to name two. Why don’t we?

These are just a few of the areas where we are being short changed. We need your help.

I encourage you all to become informed and to advocate on your behalf. We are your hospital. The LHIN and the MOHLTC need to hear your concerns as does your MPP.

Sincerely,

Dr. M. McNamara

All Candidates Meeting - September 17th

Democracy is alive a well in Midland. From a field of 27 in the running for Council positions, 22 attended the All Candidates debate at the MCC this past Wednesday. There was a good mix of youth and those with years of municipal experience - a broad choice for the people of Midland.

It was interesting to hear most of the candidates come together around the three topics that have been front and centre in my term as mayor:

• Economic development and jobs
• Fiscal management and taxes
• Development of the Midland Bay Landing property

Many of the candidates' statements were complementary of the work that has been accomplished, especially our new Economic Development Corporation and the Midland Bay Landing purchase. Others pointed to the work remaining to be done. But there was no fundamental disagreement.

A few candidates went on the offensive with personal attacks - Jonathan Reid indicated that he could have chosen a better Council by picking names from the phone book. Stephan Kramp caused a stir when he stated that there had been a legislation change that would add an additional $8-10 million to the Midland Bay Landing Project. (The Town of Midland has since confirmed that there has been no such change and that the original public announcement stands. Refer to “The Facts About the Unimin Lands Purchase”.)

All in all a good start to the political debating season.

Jobs: Your Decision, Your Future

The biggest challenge confronting Midland is to increase the number of good jobs in our community. New jobs, from both current businesses and new ones, are essential to maintaining and improving the quality of life that we all cherish.

Creating jobs is not easy. But from my business experience, I know that it starts with a solid foundation. Over the last four years I have worked to lay that foundation:

1. I brought together the four North Simcoe communities to co-operate on economic development - no simple feat in itself.


2. With some guidance, that partnership has grown to become the Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe. Last month, Ms. Sharon Vegh accepted the new position of Economic Development Officer. Her job is to grow our area's economy.


3. I have led Council in a full review of our municipal operating costs. We are now better at controlling our taxes, fees, and regulations - measures that help all of our businesses and residents.

Creating jobs requires teamwork. My business background allows me to sit down comfortably with small business as well as large manufacturers. Many of these meetings involve active problem solving that have helped create jobs. My efforts and those of others are starting to show encouraging results:

1. Weber Manufacturing chose Midland when they brought their manufacturing line and jobs back from Mexico.


2. Forte EPS chose Midland to set up their high-tech polystyrene manufacturer, bringing new jobs to our community.


3. Kaitlin Corp. announced last month that they are returning to build homes in Bayport - more construction work.


4. Small businesses continue to come to our downtown - "Taylor and Co.", "We’re Nuts" and "Bell" are some of the most recent.

Creating good jobs is a tough business. It takes a long term vision and plenty of hard work. With your help, I will continue on the path we are on to bring jobs to our community.

The key question before voters this election is whether to continue building on the direction set by the people of Midland in the last election or to turn away and lose all of the energy and momentum that we have achieved.

Midland Bay Landing Launch

Midland took a historic step into its future on Friday August 29th, 2014.

Some 60 people gathered at the corner of William and Bayshore to recognize the unveiling of the new Midland Bay Landing site. I was pleased to welcome M.P. Bruce Stanton, Mayor Scott Warnock, Councillors Pendlebury, Charlebois, and Canning, as well as our CAO.

Speeches were short. My remarks began with a summary of the Midland history already founded on this property - the Playfair mill in the late 1800s, shipbuilding through to WWII, and then rail and coal to supply Midland's industries.

2014 turns a new page for us and it is one that will be equally as profound. Once built, Midland Bay Landing will return the Georgian Bay waterfront to its citizens. It will be a place of new beginnings and family, including an infinity pool onto the Bay, an amphitheatre for outdoor performances, and maybe even a splash pad (thanks Alya). It will also be a new economic engine for our area, with many employers already considering making the neighbourhood part of their expansion plans.

Midland Bay Landing holds the promise of our future. We now need the determination to follow though with our dreams.

Highlights from the unveiling of the site can be viewed here:

MADD Bench Dedication

A touching tribute was made by Bev and other members of MADD at the dedication of a new granite bench at Midland Harbour on Saturday. The beautiful bench, made from the same material as many headstones, is in a peaceful waterfront location near the Harbour Office where anyone can rest and reflect on the loss to our society of lives taken by those who drive while impaired. Many thanks to MADD, Midland Police, and the OPP for the work that you do to keep our families safe, informed, and up-to-date. And a special thanks to our RCSCC Trillium Sea Cadets for assisting in the unveiling.

My remarks from the event can be viewed here:

Tugfest - What a Weekend!

What a wonderful week end to be out enjoying Midland!

The party started on Thursday when the first of 26 tugboats started showing up in our harbour. This is a few more than last year and, as you can see, it caused a little congestion dockside.

Friday night the party started in earnest. The Pescotont, captained by Paul Gaynor and his lovely wife Carol, hosted the captain's party on the rear deck. The event really kicked into high gear with the arrival of the Legion Branch 80 Pipes and Drums.

Then it was time for the main event, the "Parade of Lights". Each of the tugboats set off into the harbour to show how well decorated she was. With the cacophony of water cannon, fireworks, and a lot of boat whistles, the job of the judges was far from easy. Those who stayed ashore appreciated the colourful spectacle.

Saturday was even better! The tugboats were at it again with "tooting" contests and tests of speed and who could push the Midland town dock the farthest (it was a tie). And when things were a bit slow, the boats engaged in a bit of water horseplay.

Not to be outdone, the citizenry of Midland decided to build their own tugboats and take the to water. This year there were three competitors. Not surprisingly, the Power Squadron entry was the fastest tugboat over the course. But there was a lot of sympathy for the fellow who just made it past the start line.

My sincere thanks to the event organizers and the boats and crews from all over Ontario who made this wonderful day in the Midland Harbour possible. Rick Laney and his harbour staff are to be commended for making it all come together.

Economic Development Officer Hired

Since I became mayor almost four years ago, it was clear that we needed to develop a new capacity in our area to drive economic development. The four municipalities (with a lot of encouragement) created an "economic alliance" to improve cooperation in North Simcoe. I knew that we could not stop there though. If we were to seriously move our local economy forward we would have to meaningfully engage the private sector and give them the proper corporate structure to be successful.

A few weeks ago, the four municipalities created the Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe. This is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to building our area's economy. Their first major task was to hire an experienced Economic Development Officer (EDO) to bring energy and discipline to the job. As you can see in the media announcement below, we now have an impressive new EDO.

Looking for more good news in the year ahead!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe appoints Economic Development Officer. 

MIDLAND, Ontario; (August 7, 2014) The Board of Directors of the Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe (EDCNS) today announced the appointment of Sharon Vegh (Economic Development Officer) to work with the Board to implement the Economic Strategy in the four municipalities of Midland, Penetanguishene, Tay and Tiny commencing on August 18, 2014.

Sharon is a seasoned economic development professional experienced internationally (Senior Consultant, Finpro/Consulate of Finland) and in the GTA, supporting the nine York Region Municipalities (Manager, Economic Strategy). She was Director of an international business development firm, LS Market Strategy. Sharon is a Board Director with the Canada-Finland Chamber of Commerce and Xact Solutions Group, Inc. She has a BA in Political Science and a Master of Library and Information Studies from McGill University.

Sharon is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Economic Development Strategic Action Plan; taking a lead role in activities and initiatives that will attract investment and business opportunities to the North Simcoe (County) area and actively supporting (and/or leading) business retention and expansion activities that will increase local employment in the region leading to growth and sustainability.

The EDCNS Board is committed to building a vibrant and sustainable economy, sharing information and ideas and forming strong linkages and networks within the North Simcoe region. Chris Johnston, Chair of the Hiring Committee commented, "The EDCNS Board is dedicated to fostering a business ecosystem that enables businesses and organizations to retain and create jobs that contribute to the continued development of a productive and prosperous business climate. I am encouraged to see the region working together cooperatively to positively impact not only each community partner’s interests but also those of North Simcoe as a whole."

As of August 18, 2014, Sharon can be reached at +1 (705) 526.1371, extension 114 or by email at svegh@edcns.ca.

About EDCNS

The EDCNS Board of Directors was established in 2014 and is composed of 11 members including one appointee each from the Town of Midland, the Town of Penetanguishene, the Township of Tay and the Township of Tiny; 6 members were selected by the Nomination Committee and 1 member was appointed by North Simcoe CFDC. EDCNS is located in the offices of the North Simcoe Community Futures Development Corporation (NSCFDC) in Midland, ON.

Cruising Into Summer

The Great Lakes cruise ship Pearl Mist has docked in Midland in what promises to be the start of a long lasting relationship. Carrying 214 passengers and with ports of call including Chicago and Toronto, Midland is now on the cruise ship circuit. The Pearl Mist will make two more visits to Midland this season.

I was invited aboard by Captain Jeremy and taken to the forward lounge. This was the Captain's first time in Midland and he was very complementary of our lovely town - cruise lines choose their ports of call to satisfy their passengers interests and we apparently did quite well. As you can see below, the downtown is at their doorstep!

While a few passengers stayed aboard or toured King Street, most were off for tours of the S.S. Keewatin, Ste. Marie Among the Hurons, and Little Lake Park. And with the busy four hour stay completed, there is nothing like coming back to a wonderful meal served by the ship's dining room.

Indonesia Visits Midland

On Sunday evening, the Midland Cultural Centre was visited by the Consul General of Indonesia, his wife and two children, and a troop of some 40 entertainers and musicians. The night was simply magical!

Like all visits with national dignitaries, exchanging gifts is de rigeur. Fred Hacker, Chair of the MCC, presented the Consul General with a beautiful Jan Phelan vase - truly a work of art. The Consul General presented the mayor a traditional wayang kulit (shadow puppet). These puppets have been used to entertain residents of the archipelago for centuries.

The performance started with an ensemble of some 12 musicians. Many of the instruments were percussion, similar to a heavy xylophone. The most impressive instrument was an array of bell-like objects called a "gamelan". These are struck, producing the haunting bell-like tones that we associate with South Asian islands. The dancing group followed and was simply awesome. They performed intricate timed manoeuvers that defied belief. The standing ovation by some 200 attendees was certainly merited.

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The performance too quickly drew to a close. The party moved out into the atrium where Midland met Indonesia face-to-face. Stories were exchanged and laughter was heard over traditional foods and beverages. With promises to return again next year, our newfound relationship with the Indonesian people is off to a friendly start.

The Eighth Worst Place to Live

The headline is a shocker: Midland, the eighth worst city to live in Canada. As I walked by the Town dock this morning and watched the morning sun sparkle on the Bay and glorify a pair of early sail boats, the question that came to mind was, "what were they thinking?".

To be fair, the author of the article, Moneysense Magazine, was referring to North Simcoe and not just to Midland. Both Penetanguishene and Tay are officially designated as rural areas, so it is problematic to consolidate them with Midland and call it all a "city". The underlying analysis was primarily financial in nature - unemployment rate, average income, years to buy a house, etc. For those that live in North Simcoe, these are known areas of concern.

The challenge before us then, is not to "question the data", but to move Midland in a direction where we show improvement with our financial metrics. And this is not done to satisfy Moneysense, but to respond to our own needs for a financially sustainable community.

Midland Council has spent considerable energy over the last four years to lay the foundation work. The four North Simcoe communities cooperated to build the Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe - a private sector led corporation that will focus exclusively on improving our local economy. KPMG evaluated the Town's operating structure, which has led to improved efficiency and an average annual tax rate increase of 1.2%. The Town of Midland has just acquired the 40 acre Unimin site, setting the stage for a development project that will profoundly improve our economy, local employment, and the quality of life in Midland.

The Moneysense headline may cause some to doubt our community. Like most Midlanders, I know that we are far better than eighth to last place. So, let's push back.  Let's continue to fix our problems and take every opportunity to tell the world about the real story of Midland - one of the truly great Canadian towns in which to live.

Canada Day

Canada day is one of the few times each year when we celebrate our great country. Midland's Canada Day celebrations started out under stormy skies. By the time the parade was set to start, the sun was breaking through heralding near perfect weather. Crowds at the start were light, but over the course of parade the people came out en masse to celebrate.

Town staff are to be commended for organizing a superb family day. The wind off of Little Lake made it difficult on the bouncy castles, but face painting, clowns, BBQ, water races, and generally meeting with neighbours kept everyone entertained. A special thanks to Freeman Campbell, a young entrepreneur who brought his paddle-boards down to the lake. There was a steady line-up of people trying this new water sport - look for paddle-boards to return to Little Lake later in the summer!

One comment that I heard from many people was that they could not swim in Little Lake because it was polluted. Well, yes you can swim. The water is tested weekly and is great for swimming most of the summer. I have asked our Parks Department to put a special sign on our Town webpage so the residents can see that yes, it is safe to go into the water.

The crowd of some 5,000 people ended Canada Day with an exceptional fireworks display. The icing on the cake was when many in the crowd broke out into singing O Canada - a stirring tribute to our nations birthday.

Healthcare Charter

Even though healthcare is not considered an area of municipal responsibility, the fact remains that the citizens of Midland are the users of the healthcare system. The quality of that system, as provided by the upper levels of government, has a direct bearing on the health and well-being of our community. If we were to lose any valued part of our local healthcare system, the very future of our community could be imperiled.

It is not surprising that, after the Local Health Integration Network announced that they may consider moving ophthalmology out of our area, citizens took notice. Some 500 seniors met at the NSSRC to give voice to what their healthcare system should look like. Over the summer months, other group meetings will be called to provide all interested citizens a chance to participate in defining our local healthcare needs - a Healthcare Charter.  Look for the next public meeting date in late July.

Midland Butter Tart Festival and Midland Bay Landing

Saturday started cool, but with 50,000 butter tarts it was bound to heat up - truly one of the great tourism events in Midlands’s recent history. Visitors came from as far away as Windsor and Ottawa. His Honour David Onley served as one of the judges and truly enjoyed himself in the process. We all owe a great deal of thanks Barb Rowlandson who was the champion and driver for this great event. I understand all 50,000 were sold by 3:00pm. Next year, is 100,000 too many?

My remarks from the event can be viewed here:

While lacking the public splash of the Butter Tart Festival, Midland closed the purchase of the Unimin lands this week. The final purchase price was 3.4 million. On the business side, this amount will be funded by debt that will be fully paid off as parts are sold to developers over the next few years in accordance with our Town Waterfront Plan. On the community building front, the new "Midland Bay Landing" development will significantly improve the economic prospects for Midland while providing boardwalks and beaches for all of our citizens to enjoy.