INFORMATION ITEMS Week Ending August 14, 2015 REPORTS 1. None CORRESPONDENCE 1. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing re: Community Hubs 2. GRCA Current, August 2015 3. GRCA re: Grand River Watershed Water Management Action Plan: 2014 Annual Report on Actions BOARDS & COMMITTEES 1. Tourism Advisory Committee Resignation – Sandra Pitts ITEMS AVAILABLE IN THE CLERK’S OFFICE 1. None Ministry of Ministère des Municipal Affairs Affaires municipales and Housing et du Logement Office of the Minister Bureau du ministre 777 Bay Street, 17th Floor 777, rue Bay, 17e étage Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Tel. 416-585-7000 Tél. 416-585-7000 Fax 416-585-6470 Téléc. 416-585-6470 www.ontario.ca/MAH www.ontario.ca/MAH MIN15-67309 August 12, 2015 Dear Heads of Council: I am writing to thank the many municipal leaders, individuals and organizations who provided input to inform the work of the Premier’s Special Advisor and Advisory Group on Community Hubs. The mandate of the Advisory Group was to review provincial policies, research best practices and develop a framework for adapting existing public properties to become community hubs. The Special Advisor has presented the group’s findings and recommendations in a report to the government, titled: Community Hubs in Ontario: A Strategic Framework and Action Plan. The report is now available online: Ontario.ca/communityhubs The Special Advisor will continue to work with government, individuals and organizations to inform the implementation of the report. Comments or questions about the report and work being undertaken on community hubs in Ontario can be directed to: [email protected] Best regards, Ted McMeekin Minister c. Association Municipalities of Ontario Ministry of Ministère des Municipal Affairs Affaires municipales and Housing et du Logement Office of the Minister Bureau du ministre 777 Bay Street, 17th Floor 777, rue Bay, 17e étage Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Tel. 416-585-7000 Tél. 416-585-7000 Fax 416-585-6470 Téléc. 416-585-6470 www.ontario.ca/MAH www.ontario.ca/MAH MIN15-67309 12 août 2015 Madame, Monsieur, Je vous écris pour remercier le grand nombre de leaders municipaux, de particuliers et d’organismes qui ont fourni des commentaires destinés à orienter les travaux du Groupe consultatif chargé du cadre pour les carrefours communautaires et ceux de la conseillère spéciale que la première ministre a nommée pour soutenir ce groupe. Le Groupe consultatif avait pour mandat d’examiner les politiques provinciales, de rechercher les pratiques exemplaires et d’élaborer un cadre pour adapter les biens publics actuels afin qu’ils deviennent des carrefours communautaires. La conseillère spéciale a présenté les conclusions et les recommandations du groupe dans un rapport destiné au gouvernement, intitulé : Les carrefours communautaires en Ontario : un cadre stratégique et plan d’action. Il est maintenant possible de consulter ce rapport en ligne : http://www.ontario.ca/fr/page/carrefours-communautaires La conseillère spéciale continuera à travailler avec le gouvernement, la population et les organismes, afin d’encadrer la mise en œuvre de ce rapport. Les commentaires ou les questions concernant le rapport ou les travaux relatifs aux carrefours communautaires en Ontario peuvent être adressés à : [email protected] Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs. Le ministre, Ted McMeekin c. Association des municipalités de l’Ontario GRCA Current August 2015 • Volume 20 Number 7 GRCA General Membership Park and Laurel Creek in 2016, Pinehurst Lake Canadian rowing team and Rockwood in 2017, Belwood Lake and Guelph Lake in 2018, Byng Island and Elora Gorge in Chair Jane Mitchell at Guelph Lake 2019 and Conestogo Lake and Luther Marsh in Vice-Chair Vic Prendergast The Canadian National Men’s Rowing Team is 2020. using Guelph Lake for a training camp this sum- Townships of Amaranth, East Key West Industries of Guelph won the contract Garafraxa, Melancthon and South- mer as it prepares for an Olympic qualifying event. gate and Town of Grand Valley to supply the gate, cash station, card reader and Guy Gardhouse That means other boaters will have to take care other related equipment at Shade’s Mills at a cost as they travel around the lake. The team is practis- of about $40,000. The total cost of the new gates at Townships of Mapleton ing July 24 to Aug. 14 to prepare for the Olympic all the parks is estimated to be $417,000. and Wellington North Pat Salter qualifying regatta in France. They will be holding Township of Centre Wellington two or three practice sessions a day in a special Kelly Linton course set aside for their use. The practices will Town of Erin, Townships of usually be held at 7 a.m., 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. In Filming at Rockwood Guelph/Eramosa and Puslinch addition, the team may also row in other parts of Rockwood Conservation Area continues to be Chris White the lake. popular for film producers. City of Guelph Bob Bell, Mike Salisbury As a safety precaution during practice times, An episode of Reign, a television series about other boaters are asked to avoid entering or cross- Mary, Queen of Scots, was filmed on July 13 at Region of Waterloo ing through the race course to avoid interfering Les Armstrong, Sue Foxton, Rockwood and is expected to air this November. with the rowing shells. The training camp is host- Helen Jowett, Geoff Lorentz, A new children’s movie, Bark Ranger, has been Jane Mitchell, Joe Nowak, ed by the Guelph Rowing Club, which has its Wayne Roth, Sandy Shantz, home base at Guelph Lake. released on DVD. This movie was filmed almost Warren Stauch entirely in the park last summer. Municipality of North Perth and Township of Perth East George Wicke New controlled gates at Grand River Parks Pollinator garden Halton Region Cindy Lunau at Guelph Lake City of Hamilton George Stajanovic Shade’s Mills Park will be the first Grand River Park to have access-controlled gates, which will be TDI International of Guelph was awarded a Oxford County Bruce Banbury installed this fall. contract to create the Operation Pollinator Garden County of Brant at Guelph Lake Park. Brian Coleman, Shirley Simons Installation of this type of gate was recommend- ed through business plans that were prepared for This will be installed on a 3.7-hectare (nine- City of Brantford each of the conservation areas in 2012. acre) parcel of land near the main park entrance as Dave Neumann, Vic Prendergast part of the planned Guelph Lake Nature Centre Haldimand and Norfolk Counties The new gate will allows visitors with a mem- Complex. TDI will excavate two ponds and create Bernie Corbett, Fred Morison bership to gain entry to the park using their mem- viewing mounds that will be surrounded by inter- bership card. Others will be able to pay the pretive and recreational trails. These will provide entrance fee at the gate using automated equip- teaching opportunities associated with nature cen- ment. tre programs. An outdoor classroom and amphitheatre are included in the design, but are The automated gate may be used for year-round not part of the project. access to Grand River Parks and will reduce staffing and overtime costs. Shade’s Mills now has Excavation of the ponds and creation of mounds an “honour box” where visitors can deposit their is the first phase of the project. The tender was fees, but few people use the fee box. The GRCA’s issued May 15. There were eight bids on the proj- new membership card system was put in place in ect, and TDI’s was the lowest bid for $96,000 plus 2013 to replace the vehicle window sticker. taxes. Over the next five years, controlled access gates A donation of $100,000 from Syngenta will be will be installed at all 11 Grand River Parks: Brant used for this project. The donation came through www.grandriver.ca Grand River Conservation Authority the Grand River Conservation Foundation. Work got underway in late July. A combination of aquatic and wetland plants will be planted in the ponds, while native meadow plants and wildflowers will be planted in the pollinator garden. A variety of native trees will also be planted. Stocco named new communications manager Lisa Stocco, a communications profession- al with more than 15 years in the public, pri- vate and not-for-profit sectors, becomes the Manager of Communications for the Grand River Conservation Authority on Aug. 4. She joins the GRCA from the Halton Photo by Bill Chan Catholic District School Board where she has worked since 2003. She served in several posts, most recently as manager of strategic Luther Marsh, July 29: GRCA staff counted 76 egrets, four active heron nests (all with young communications. Prior to joining the school still on the nest), five ospreys, a pair of sandhill cranes, a single loon, several hundred swallows board, she was the assistant manager of pub- and more. Luther is a birding hotspot within the watershed. lic and media relations at the former Intesa Bank Canada. Stocco holds a degree in mass expected to drop slightly over the rest of the communication and French studies from Contract for union staff year. York University, and a post-graduate certifi- The GRCA board voted in support of a cate in journalism from Humber College. new three-year collective agreement which Reservoirs are at or slightly above the nor- She is an accredited member (APR) of the covers 111 full-time, part-time and seasonal mal operating range for this time of year. Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) staff who are members of the Ontario Public River augmentation has been less this year where she currently serves as co-president of Service Employees Union (OPSEU).