Sunday, August 24, 2014

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:

Saturday, August 23, 2014

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.

Wednesday, August 06, 2014

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.

Tuesday, August 05, 2014

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.