Council Preview
By John Swartz
Orillia council meets at 2 p.m. Monday April 13. With no deputations or presentations on the agenda, after opening formalities council will go right into a closed session. There is only one item on the closed agenda to discuss a report on grant funding and capital project allocation.
When they return to face the music, the number one item on the agenda, and among many in Orillia, is the Champlain Monument. This item was held over from the last meeting because councillor Luke Leatherdale was not in attendance and councillor Dave Campbell argued this topic should have all present in order to make any decision.
SUNonline/Orillia previously made it position known here, and made further comment in the last council preview item.
When that discussion concludes, the next item is a report from the transportation and parking working group. Group members Doug Cooper and Pat Kenney will be delivering a resolution for council to petition the province to, “prioritize the expansion of the Barrie GO Transit Line to establish a direct, integrated, all-day, two-way GO Transit connection between the City of Orillia Transit Terminal (with a supporting stop in West Ridge) and the Barrie Allandale GO Station.”
The committee states anyone wishing to use public transit from Orillia to the GTA now has only one option, use the Simcoe County LINX Transit, which has hourly service to Barrie’s Georgian College, and then take Barrie Transit to the Allendale Station.
The LINX fare is $4 and takes 53 minutes, and the last leg from the college to Allendale another 25 minutes. It then takes 1 hour and 47 minutes to get to Union Station by train. That’s 3 hours and 5 minutes to get to downtown GTA. This is an issue Orillia transit faced before the system was revamped in 2009, it often took riders longer to take the bus than it took to walk.
A Place To Put Their Things
The Orillia District Snowmobile Club would like the city to give them a license to have a storage shed on City land at 150 Front Street North. This is the site of the former chamber of commerce and future home of the Orillia Youth Centre.
The snowmobile trial passes adjacent to the building and the club wants to have a 25’ x 50’ to store trail grooming equipment.
Nice Vote You Have There
Staff want permission to join the County’s joint compliance audit committee. The committee will investigate complaints received related to the municipal and school board elections as they relate to finances for candidates and third party advertisers, and not for any perceived voting irregularities.
The city has participated in such a body since 2014 and while complaints were made in the past two elections, none involved Orillia directly. The committee only meets if there are complaints. Staff estimate the cost for general participation to be up to $2,000; and additional costs for investigations are the responsibility of the municipality involved. In other words if a complaint is made about the election in, say, Midland, Orillia does not pay extra for costs related to that complaint.
Plan Ahead
The Downtown Orillia BIA has a number of requests for closing (mostly) Mississaga Street for events this summer. They are:
- June 12 for the Lake Country Pride On The Patio, Peter to Front Streets Only and Lot 5.
- June 13 for the Lake Country Pride March, Andrew to Front Streets and Lot 5.
- June 27 for the Delicious Days of Summer Food Festival, Albert to Front, and Peter Street.
- July 2 for the Mariposa Folk Festival. Peter to Matchedash Streets only and Lot 5.
- July 18 for the Street Soccer Fundraising Tournament, Albert to West Streets only.
- August 22 for the Rotary Club Car Show, Albert to Front and Peter Streets, and Lot 5.
- August 22 for Starry Night, Peter Street only.
- September 5 for the Pirate Party, Albert to Front Streets, and Lot 5.
Let’s Do Something Different
When the City receives correspondence, the practice is for staff to direct letters and notices to the relevant departments. This sometimes requires reports made to council, sometimes specific actions. Occasionally a councillor will request correspondence be sent to council to determine what to do. There are two items on the agenda for council to direct.
One is from Councillor Jay Fallis who wants staff to report on five bird-friendly practices from the bird friendly city working group to be sent to 2027 budget committee.
Council previously directed staff to apply to Nature Canada for designation as a Bird Friendly City. The City had to demonstrate 5 actions taken, or to be taken, to qualify. The application was rejected. Council asked staff how to achieve designation and report back by March 2026.
In this case the correspondence is from staff to council saying they do not recommend proceeding because of, “the presence of other competing priorities.”
The other item is from councillor Janet-Lynne Durnford who wants council to authorize attendance at the Ontario’s Small Urban Municipalities conference in Parry Sound later this month for herself and councillor Jeff Czetwerzuk.
Motions
There is only one enquiry motion and one by-law of interest. councillor Tim Lauer would like staff to report on an, “overview of the City’s approach to residential culvert replacement and repair.”
There is a by-law to sell part of 4511 Uhthoff Line to Enbridge Gas Inc.
Council meetings are open to the public or can be watched on the City’s Youtube channel.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia)
