Mayor’s Report for October 4, 2022
A thank you note to Mayor and Council was received from Linda Pacaud, Chair, Food Bank, in recognition of the donation made to the food bank. In response, on behalf of Council, I want to thank Linda and the volunteers who operate the food bank for their service to the community.
September 24th
I attended the Scarecrow Festival put on by the Light Up Marmora Group. It was a great community event and I want to congratulate and thank Bernie and her volunteers for organizing the festival and raising funds to purchase Christmas Lights for the downtown. Thank you to the businesses and organizations who participated and everyone who attended the event for your support.
That evening, I attended the farewell gala evening for Warden Rick Phillips who is not seeking re-election in Tyendinaga and is retiring.
Rick has served as Warden for a number of years and has represented Hastings County with dignity and respect both locally and at all levels of government. Rick has been a great advocate for Hastings County and on behalf of myself, Council, staff, and the residents of Marmora and Lake, I thanked him for his service and wished he and his wife Cheryl congratulations on their retirement.
September 27th
I attended the Community Living known as COPE AGM in Madoc along with Mayor Deline and Mayor Blackburn.
This organization and the facility they operate is amazing. There is a Board of Directors and Christine Spencer is the Executive Director. Christine is the daughter of the late Councillor Linda Bracken. She obviously inherited her mother’s compassion for accessibility and equal opportunity. The services they provide to the community gives every resident the opportunity to be included and recognized despite human and physical challenges. They currently support approximately 63 people from the communities of Tweed, Centre Hastings, Hastings Township and Marmora and Lake. Maybe more – they have no boundaries. They provide support for independent living, job and volunteer opportunities, education and sometimes just coping and life skills. Thank you to Christine and the staff and the Board of Directors for this amazing service and support to members of our communities. Following the meeting, they provided a lovely dinner. Table decorations were provided by the COPE community. Thank you for your good work and for a great evening.
September 28th
I met with residents of Cook Road.
At 5:30, I attended the Community Centre to present a new business certificate to Greg Magwood, the instructor of the Marshall Arts program.
September 29th
I attended Hastings County Council. CAO Pine advised that Hastings County is now the sole owner of the Heritage Trail.
At 3:30, I participated in a Board of Health meeting with the medical officer of Health, Dr. Toumishay and Chair Albert in preparation for our regular Board Meeting scheduled for October 5th.
October 4th
Today I attended Crowe Valley Conservation to sign documents.
October is “dress purple month”. During the month of October, Children’s Aid Societies across the province raise awareness about the important role that individuals and communities play in supporting vulnerable children, youth and families.
Highland Shores Children’s Aid requested that October be proclaimed as dress purple month and encourage everyone to wear a purple pin or ribbon during the month and wear purple on October 27th for Dress Purple Day.
At 5:30, I presided over the Planning Meeting.
We are now in regular Council. These meetings are being held virtual due to staff being ill.
This is the last regular Council Meeting scheduled for this term of Council.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Deputy Mayor Stevens and Councillors Ron Derry, Bernie Donaldson and Jason Carman for their service over the past four years. On behalf of the Mayor and Council, thank you to Tonia Bennett, CAO, and all municipal staff for their support. Thank you to Council appointed committee volunteers and volunteers who supported fund raising events throughout the community. Thank you to the entire community, decorating, fund raising, event planning, for your assistance in celebrating Marmora’s 200th anniversary. It was an amazing celebration.
It has been a tough four years with unprecedented events – a pandemic, two tornadoes in addition to the regular demands to provide and sustain service delivery. I appreciate each and every staff member who went beyond the call of duty. Staff were quick to respond to make adjustments to their work environment, schedules to accommodate social distancing and continued to provide service to the public. Work crews along with the OPP and volunteer fire crews conducted safety and wellbeing visits where there was obvious damage to property to ensure public safety and restore essential services quickly and efficiently. Thank you sincerely for your dedicated service to the community.
It has been my honour to serve as the Mayor of the Municipality of Marmora and Lake.