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.