Hope you all had a great holiday with friends and family and Happy New Years.

– The Township is in the mist of registering 4 commercial lots for sale on Lone Pine Road in Port Severn. Each lot backs onto Hwy 400.
– Inspector A. Ferguson from the OPP Attachment in Midland provided Jan. – Nov. 2015 crime and traffic statistics for our Township. From 2014 to 2015 speeding is up 41%, seatbelt up 205% and impaired driving up 71%.
– A 3 season food truck has been approved for Honey Harbour on Franks Lane just behind the Liquor Store. Opens in May.
– TGB budget increase will be 1.3%. When the District of Muskoka and Education is added in, the final increase will still be less then 2%.
– The 2 Councillors that will join the 5 public members of the Committee of Adjustment for 2016 are Councillors Douglas and Kay.
– The culvert associated with the Stewart Lake control structure will be replaced before spring. We had hoped to install a control structure but the Province calls it a dam and would take over 2 years for the necessary approvals.
– The Township will be attempting to standardize a blasting by-law. While Georgian Bay has 2 by-laws the inland lakes have none.
– The Executive Director of Georgian Bay Assoc., Bob Duncanson, provided an update on the Nov. 2015 approved Provincial Great Lakes Protection Act. The Act provides for more public input and makes all Provincial Ministries responsible for funding and establishing targets.
– A petition objecting to a development in Macey Bay, Honey Harbour was outlined by Tom Bain. Although there is presently no proposal on the table, local residents are concerned about the potential of a large number of trailers. Council intends you use whatever legal and environmental means to minize this number.
– Council received the final draft of the community based strategic plan that will govern council direction over the next 4 years. Action items were established for the environment, economic, social and cutural guiding principles.
– Staff will apply for a Federal Canada 150 grant to fund a legacy sculpture project that will see individual sculptures in each Ward representing Township history.
– I presented the results of the 2015 water quality and bacteria Fall sampling program from eight inland lakes (Severn River, Gloucester Pool, Baxter Lake. Six Mile Lake, Gibson Lake, Go Home Lake, Galla Lake and Stewart Lake). The report should be on the Township web site in the next week or so.
– Staff will investigate and actively pursue with the Federal Government the concept of establishing ‘No Wake Zones’ or ‘Minimize Wake Zones’ on our water bodies. This may be a long process or a dead end but worth a try.

Paul M. Wiancko.
Six Mile Lake
Township of Georgian Bay
705-730-9133
paul.wiancko@gmail.com