Moving Midland Forward

Midland has a proud past. Over the last century, we were a major lumbering town, a ship building center, and a transportation hub for central Ontario. In the 50s and 60s, manufacturing took off and Midland became a boom town. Our past is solid, but our social and economic fortunes have changed. So must we.

The good news is that the best is still ahead for Midland. The vision:

Midland will become the regional centre for North Simcoe. It will be an affordable community attractive to all age groups and supportive of our seniors. It will be a healthy community, allowing citizens to enjoy the simple pleasures of walking and cycling on tree lined streets while supporting vibrant commercial areas where growing business ventures will provide jobs in healthcare, tourism and smart manufacture.

We have started on the path to realizing that vision. If we are to get there, we must stay the course. Over the past four years as Mayor, I have put many positive initiatives into motion:

• The four North Simcoe municipalities have invested in job creation by pooling their efforts in the newly created EDCNS (Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe). This arm's length corporation has an initial endowment of $400,000 and a mission to bring prosperity to our region.

• Downtown revitalization has begun. The BIA has invested their own funds in building improvements. Many new businesses have opened downtown this past year. We are hosting major events, such as the Buttertart Festival, which draw thousands of visitors. The Midland Cultural Centre has shown its ability to attract local residents and out of town visitors. The Town has started the Downtown Master Planning project. Get ready for a new downtown!

• The Unimin Lands Master Plan has been completed. The property has been acquired by the Town. Discussions have started with developers. Over the next ten years the development of Midland Bay Landing will transform our entire waterfront and bring in new energy, employment, and a quality of life that everyone can enjoy.

• A new sense of municipal cooperation exists in North Simcoe. The Town is currently working with Tay on sharing water and sewer, with Tiny on enhanced septage processing, and with Penentanguishene on shared bike trails and transit. Sharing public services will become even more critical in the days ahead as the hospital and public high-schools consolidate operations in Midland. Continuing the effort to find efficiencies in government must continue.

Together, we can keep moving Midland forward!