Grey County Committee of the Whole Meeting Transcript — February 26, 2026

00:00:05 SPEAKER_171: Okay, thank you very much.

00:00:06 SPEAKER_171: I'd like to call to order this committee the whole of February twenty sixth, twenty twenty six.

00:00:11 SPEAKER_171: At this point in time, I'll put out a call if there are any declarations of interest for this agenda.

00:00:16 SPEAKER_177: Councillor Carlton, thank you, Lord Matrasovs.

00:00:21 SPEAKER_177: I will declare a disqualifying interest on item six F in the consent agenda: the vacancy for the agricultural advisory.

00:00:29 SPEAKER_177: Committee, the Gray County Code of Conduct lists a nephew as family, and the Emily McCabe is actually married to my nephew.

00:00:39 SPEAKER_177: So, in an abundance of caution and for transparency, I will declare an interest.

00:00:43 SPEAKER_177: Thank you.

00:00:46 SPEAKER_171: Thank you very much, Councillor Carleton.

00:00:47 SPEAKER_171: So, we'll make a point of pulling that one separately for the consent, so that you don't need to be removed from all of the the motion for the rest of the consent items.

00:00:56 SPEAKER_171: Okay, and not seeing any further. hands, we will proceed then.

00:01:05 SPEAKER_171: And at this point in time, we are going to move on to our delegations.

00:01:08 SPEAKER_171: So we are very pleased to welcome Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for Bruce Power, James Skanyak.

00:01:15 SPEAKER_171: Welcome, and we know that Chad is here with you, so we appreciate your presence here.

00:01:21 SPEAKER_171: Come on to the lectern.

00:01:22 SPEAKER_171: I'm going to turn my red button off.

00:01:24 SPEAKER_171: You're going to turn.

00:01:25 SPEAKER_171: I think it's just.

00:01:25 SPEAKER_171: I think it's. green button, is it?

00:01:28 SPEAKER_171: Okay, there you go, and then it'll be your turn.

00:01:30 SPEAKER_171: And with that, welcome.

00:01:32 SPEAKER_171: We look forward to hearing your updates.

00:01:37 SPEAKER_171: Great.

00:01:37 SPEAKER_171: Well, thanks very much for for for having me.

00:01:40 SPEAKER_171: As always, in pre circulated in the package are some slides from that we provided from from Bruce Power.

00:01:49 SPEAKER_171: What I really was hoping to do, Madam Warden, is take take those slides as read.

00:01:53 SPEAKER_171: Happy to take any questions. on them, but before I do that, there's a handful of areas that I really want to highlight that I think are particularly important,

00:02:03 SPEAKER_171: and I really want to leave County Council with.

00:02:06 SPEAKER_171: But before I do that, I do want to start, and this has become a bit of a tradition at these, but I think it's important to do every year.

00:02:15 SPEAKER_171: Is I truly do want to thank Gray County Council and staff,

00:02:19 SPEAKER_171: and all the municipalities across Gray County for your not only your support but your engagement in activities related to our energy sector and Bruce Power in in particular,

00:02:31 SPEAKER_171: I always like to say that we can't do the things that we do on site without the support of our our elected officials with strong policy, and all of you are are essential to that.

00:02:44 SPEAKER_171: You know, two members of County Council.

00:02:47 SPEAKER_171: I do want to recognize in particular is firstly the the warden who. under her leadership continues to to to be a strong advocate,

00:02:59 SPEAKER_171: was recently this week at the Economic Club of Canada with one of our two main investors, CEO, was presenting Omer's, really talking about investments in Canada.

00:03:11 SPEAKER_171: But but that extends to both Amol Roma, Western Warden's Caucus.

00:03:17 SPEAKER_171: All of those areas are really important in terms of making sure we have the right policy. at the provincial and federal level for some of the things I'm going to talk about.

00:03:25 SPEAKER_171: Talk about today.

00:03:27 SPEAKER_171: I also do want to thank the Maribel and Sound.

00:03:30 SPEAKER_171: We continue to still do a tremendous amount of work with the Southwestern Ontario Isotope Coalition, and Ian was a founding co-chair of that.

00:03:41 SPEAKER_171: And and I know we've grown that since.

00:03:43 SPEAKER_171: And I just want to thank those two members of County Council in particular.

00:03:47 SPEAKER_171: Although I could literally go around the entire county.

00:03:49 SPEAKER_171: I could literally go around the entire kind of council table and recognize everybody, but I thought those were were two important callouts.

00:03:55 SPEAKER_171: In terms of the the Bruce Power update,

00:03:58 SPEAKER_171: I wanted to to start here here at home and Gray Bruce and here on first to really just sort of anchor you on on what is what is underway on the Bruce Power site right

00:04:07 SPEAKER_171: now,

00:04:08 SPEAKER_171: and to sort of give you a bit of a picture and a feel for what's going on in the operation.

00:04:13 SPEAKER_171: So, you know, we've talked for many years about our refurbishment program.

00:04:17 SPEAKER_171: We've been talking about it since twenty twenty sixteen.

00:04:20 SPEAKER_171: It's hard to believe.

00:04:21 SPEAKER_171: We're now at the halfway mark of our refurbishment program.

00:04:25 SPEAKER_171: It's it's hard to hard to believe, but we have less refurbishment in front of us than behind us, and I think that's that that's really important.

00:04:34 SPEAKER_171: It's one of Canada's largest investment programs in private investment programs and electricity infrastructure, and thanks to the hard work of of the workers I. The workers at Bruce Power and our contracting partners.

00:04:49 SPEAKER_171: That is a program that remains on time and on budget, and that's really, really important.

00:04:55 SPEAKER_171: We plan here in 2026 to return Unit Three to service, and when Unit Three returns to service, we will take Unit Five, remove Unit Five from service.

00:05:06 SPEAKER_171: When we return Unit Four to service, then we will take Unit Seven offline, and then we return Unit Five to service.

00:05:12 SPEAKER_171: We'll we'll remove Unit Eight.

00:05:14 SPEAKER_171: So. by 2033, we'll have all eight units with a with a life that will go 2060s, 2070s.

00:05:21 SPEAKER_171: So it's a very important investment program.

00:05:25 SPEAKER_171: But what's also important for Ontario is we're not only investing in the assets, but the province is counting on us to generate electricity while we're doing that.

00:05:33 SPEAKER_171: So this sequencing is so important.

00:05:36 SPEAKER_171: This winter, and you know, we're just talking with some people before the meeting just about how brutal of a winter. this has been.

00:05:44 SPEAKER_171: You know, I always joke when people say we should have 100% solar power.

00:05:49 SPEAKER_171: I say they call it Gray County for a reason.

00:05:52 SPEAKER_171: But but in some of these really really cold days, our nuclear fleet's been been there regardless of the temperature, regardless of there to to really keep the lights on.

00:06:03 SPEAKER_171: And so it's great that we're refurbishing the assets, but while we're refurbishing them, we need to we need to do both.

00:06:08 SPEAKER_171: And and thanks to our workers who who have just been extraordinary.

00:06:12 SPEAKER_171: They've been able to manage manage both very very reliably.

00:06:17 SPEAKER_171: When when I take a step back, when you just like when you invest in municipal infrastructure, when we invest in electricity generating infrastructure,

00:06:26 SPEAKER_171: the test is not just carrying that work out safely and getting the project done on time on budget.

00:06:31 SPEAKER_171: It's delivering that work to a high degree of quality.

00:06:35 SPEAKER_171: So when those units come back, they run reliably, and often.

00:06:39 SPEAKER_171: And oftentimes in infrastructure projects, you sort of have a bathtub curve at the end of life of the assets and at the beginning of life of the assets.

00:06:50 SPEAKER_171: And what we're seeing at Bruce is the exact opposite.

00:06:53 SPEAKER_171: Our units before they're entering refurbishment are actually at their highest performance, and our units coming out of refurbishment are our best performing units.

00:07:01 SPEAKER_171: So what does that tell us?

00:07:03 SPEAKER_171: It tells us that our workers focusing on fixing the equipment, renewing the equipment. isn't just life extending it; it's actually improving the performance of that.

00:07:13 SPEAKER_171: And as you know, in nuclear, reliability is is everything.

00:07:17 SPEAKER_171: This year, we will target a what we call force loss rate.

00:07:21 SPEAKER_171: So it's a we measure on an annual basis the amount of time that a unit is supposed to run, which would be 100% is what we want it running,

00:07:30 SPEAKER_171: and then we compare that to you know what are what are unanticipated reasons we've had to go in and do maintenance and remove the unit. we will easily hit a ninety-eight percent, you know,

00:07:40 SPEAKER_171: online factor this year again, and that's because you're doing the right things from a safety perspective, and you're investing in the equipment.

00:07:47 SPEAKER_171: The safest nuclear plant is a plant that has all the equipment duplicated, triplicated, all working the way it should.

00:07:54 SPEAKER_171: So it tells us that the investment program is is working, and I think that that's really important to leave you with.

00:08:00 SPEAKER_171: Just before I open up for questions, a couple of other key points: we continue to. dramatically expand our isotope program at the Bruce site, working with the SOIC,

00:08:12 SPEAKER_171: but also working with the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

00:08:16 SPEAKER_171: I'm chairing a panel for Minister Leche that we will be reporting out this year on on strategies broadly for Ontario.

00:08:25 SPEAKER_171: But we just completed our cobalt harvest on Unit 8.

00:08:28 SPEAKER_171: It will provide enough cobalt to sterilize about three billion pieces of personal protective equipment around the world.

00:08:36 SPEAKER_171: We also did a harvest of cobalt for brain tumors and breast cancer, and are actually at our highest production of lutetium one seventy seven.

00:08:43 SPEAKER_171: So you're going to see us continue to expand that program dramatically.

00:08:46 SPEAKER_171: We're putting a hot cell on our site, and this is not for the media to report, which means they're going to probably write it down.

00:08:53 SPEAKER_171: But we have a very exciting announcement tomorrow in Kingardon with with a number of ministers from the Ontario government and our partners.

00:09:03 SPEAKER_171: Alpaskiin Ojibway Nation, and Bruce Power on how we're going to continue to expand our Gamzuc and then a Kasuwin joint venture with isotopes.

00:09:12 SPEAKER_171: So we'll continue to to focus on that.

00:09:15 SPEAKER_171: I think all of us as Canadians should be exceptionally proud of really not only what this means to our region, but what it means around the world.

00:09:26 SPEAKER_171: I had the opportunity to meet with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna last Friday.

00:09:34 SPEAKER_171: Traveling to Vienna sounds more glamorous than it is when you're turning it around so quickly.

00:09:39 SPEAKER_171: But but it was a great meeting, and it was in my my role as chair of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council, and we talked about Canada's leadership role in this space,

00:09:49 SPEAKER_171: and also the work that Canada's isotope sector is doing with helping low and middle income countries in the world catch up when it comes to access to cancer diagnostics. and treatment, and so you know.

00:10:01 SPEAKER_171: Well, there's a lot of great developments in isotopes, and we see that.

00:10:06 SPEAKER_171: What I always remind people is that cancer treatment that you could get in London, Ontario, 73 years ago, you cannot get in a portion of the world that accounts for about two billion people.

00:10:18 SPEAKER_171: Just puts it in perspective.

00:10:19 SPEAKER_171: So it's great we've made a lot of progress here, but we cannot, as a global isotope community, wait for progress to take. seventy-three years for those folks to get access.

00:10:30 SPEAKER_171: That so part of this conversation was about how can we learn with how Canada has advanced to get some of those treatments into those low and middle-income countries.

00:10:40 SPEAKER_171: All of you know how expensive it is in your own communities to bring a CT scanner and MRI machine to your local hospital.

00:10:47 SPEAKER_171: There are countries in continental Africa that have you know one mammography machine for the whole country, and so again,

00:10:54 SPEAKER_171: you know we have to take care of of Canadians. but we also have an obligation to play in terms of what we can do to expand there.

00:11:00 SPEAKER_171: The final item before we open up for questions is our Canadian at our core campaign.

00:11:04 SPEAKER_171: It's not lost on anybody in the room how significant of a time it is for Canada right now, given the the the dynamics, to say the least.

00:11:12 SPEAKER_171: So you see in the slide deck us talk about our Canadian at our core campaign.

00:11:16 SPEAKER_171: Key elements of that are really about making sure we're spending our money here in Canada.

00:11:20 SPEAKER_171: So ninety five cents of every dollar we spend will be in Canada.

00:11:24 SPEAKER_171: Want to keep that money here, but it also gives us a competitive advantage on that front, and that's something certainly we're committed to going forward.

00:11:32 SPEAKER_171: So, Madam Warden, I'll leave it at that, and I'd be delighted to take any questions that may be on your mind, generally, or in the package, or all the above.

00:11:41 SPEAKER_171: Thank you.

00:11:44 SPEAKER_171: Thank you very much, Mr. Skonjac, and certainly we we take our commitment to being part of the clean energy frontier very seriously here in Gray County, both through our staff and and my own representation,

00:11:55 SPEAKER_171: and all of our council members who participate in various different aspects, including a council body as with his hat on as mayor as well.

00:12:03 SPEAKER_171: So it is indeed very exciting.

00:12:06 SPEAKER_171: Ninety five cents per dollar per dollar, you know, staying in Canada and so much of that locally right here,

00:12:12 SPEAKER_171: and the connect between our jobs and our young people and their education and their ability to be able to build a career right next door is is fantastic.

00:12:22 SPEAKER_171: So. we do appreciate all of that, and including all of the details you provided in the slide deck.

00:12:27 SPEAKER_171: I imagine there'll be a number of questions that will come from our council members.

00:12:31 SPEAKER_171: So I will just ask council members at this point in time if they have anything that they would like further information on.

00:12:38 SPEAKER_171: We'll begin with Councillor Kenner.

00:12:43 SPEAKER_171: Thank you, Madam Warden.

00:12:45 SPEAKER_171: Good morning.

00:12:46 SPEAKER_171: I just my question is, for many, many years, Canada's CanDo system has sort of been on the shelf as a marketable item, and my question is:

00:12:56 SPEAKER_171: the Prime Minister is on another ten-day sales trip around the world, and I'm sure there are more coming.

00:13:03 SPEAKER_171: Is CanDo one of the things that he is marketing?

00:13:08 SPEAKER_171: Yeah, it's it's a good question.

00:13:09 SPEAKER_171: So one one of the one of the challenges that we've had in Canada is, in whether it's Point Laperro in New Brunswick, the Bruce assets. you're familiar with, Pickering and Darlington,

00:13:22 SPEAKER_171: we've been very focused on refurbishing reactors and life extending them.

00:13:26 SPEAKER_171: So we've invested very heavily in our Candu technology.

00:13:29 SPEAKER_171: But as we're looking at new reactors, clearly Candu is an option that we are considering at Bruce as part of our technology evaluation.

00:13:39 SPEAKER_171: But it's going to be important that we invest in that technology, taking all the lessons we have from the refurbs around future deployment.

00:13:48 SPEAKER_171: Minister.

00:13:49 SPEAKER_171: I don't want to speak for the federal government, but Minister Tim Hodgson, the Minister of Energy, was in Poland last week, actually supporting a Canadian bid for the construction of.

00:14:00 SPEAKER_171: They're called Candu sixes.

00:14:02 SPEAKER_171: They're smaller than the Bruce units, same sizes that have in New Brunswick.

00:14:05 SPEAKER_171: So marketing that, and you also have the the the company that owns the exclusive right to market and use the Candu is a company called Atkins.

00:14:16 SPEAKER_171: You've probably heard about them previously.

00:14:18 SPEAKER_171: SNC Lavalin, and they are designing a product called the Monarch Reactor, and the Monarch Reactor would be the next evolution of that.

00:14:27 SPEAKER_171: And that that Monarch Reactor is the one we're currently evaluating for potential deployment at Bruce, and they're clearly looking at it throughout the world as well.

00:14:38 SPEAKER_171: All right, great.

00:14:40 SPEAKER_171: I'll look around the room.

00:14:41 SPEAKER_171: We'll go to Councillor Keaveny.

00:14:44 Shirley Keaveney: Thank you.

00:14:44 Shirley Keaveney: Madam Warden, and thank you for being here this morning, Mr. Skoaniac.

00:14:48 Shirley Keaveney: I wanted to ask in relation to the expansion at Bruce C. and recognizing, of course, that we have the OPS proposal in front of us in Meaford.

00:14:57 Shirley Keaveney: And the Warden was with me, and we had conversation with Minister Letchay, who suggested something that I found very interesting as he spoke to you know the potential linkage,

00:15:08 Shirley Keaveney: the connection between your expansion and the project proposed for Meaford.

00:15:12 Shirley Keaveney: And I wondered if For Mefford, and I wondered if you could expand on that at all, or share your thoughts in in relation to to that connection.

00:15:20 Shirley Keaveney: That's great.

00:15:20 Shirley Keaveney: Firstly, I'm not used to being called Mister Skomjak; that's my father.

00:15:24 Shirley Keaveney: But anyway, no, no, all joking aside.

00:15:26 Shirley Keaveney: No, good question.

00:15:27 Shirley Keaveney: So, I mean, the the way I would look at it is that, um, my view is energy storage, whether it's pump storage,

00:15:37 Shirley Keaveney: which which I actually think is a great form of storage because it's water and gravity.

00:15:42 Shirley Keaveney: So pump storage or battery storage, any any form of of of storage, you really want to have a strong nuclear baseload, right?

00:15:53 Shirley Keaveney: Because the the concept with storage is always that if you build up your supply base enough, there'll be periods of time where demand drops, and then you arguably have a surplus of power,

00:16:03 Shirley Keaveney: and so you want to use that that that surplus period.

00:16:05 Shirley Keaveney: So I think in order for storage projects like O P S, like battery storage, Yes, like battery storage, to be viable, you need a high percentage of of nuclear in your.

00:16:15 Shirley Keaveney: So, I would say that whether it's ops, whether it's other storage projects, those projects are likely not viable without a large degree of baseload nuclear.

00:16:25 Shirley Keaveney: That that's really that that that link.

00:16:27 Shirley Keaveney: And so, I think if the province wants to achieve its ambitions for energy storage, which is an important part of energy security,

00:16:35 Shirley Keaveney: the continued expansion of the baseload is going to be absolutely critical for that.

00:16:37 Shirley Keaveney: Okay, thank you, and we'll go to Councillor Body next.

00:16:48 SPEAKER_207: Thanks, James.

00:16:49 SPEAKER_207: Two two questions, and one is I notice, Bruce Power, when fully operating, provides about thirty percent of the power in Ontario.

00:16:59 SPEAKER_207: Once all the refurbishments are done, the production is likely to be planned to be a little bit higher than what it is.

00:17:06 SPEAKER_207: Will that in Is well that increase beyond 30 percent.

00:17:09 SPEAKER_207: Second question is approximately how many people are employed over there during the refurbishments, like right now.

00:17:15 SPEAKER_207: Third thing is, I know and we all know around the table how our spouses feel when we're never at home.

00:17:24 SPEAKER_207: You're working for Bruce Power.

00:17:25 SPEAKER_207: You're doing amazing stuff around the world with with isotopes, etc., etc., etc. Thank you for what you do from Gray County.

00:17:33 SPEAKER_207: Thank your wife for putting up with you, like. we all get it.

00:17:36 SPEAKER_207: I let let me reword that for the fact that you're never home.

00:17:42 SPEAKER_207: You know what I mean.

00:17:43 SPEAKER_207: So thank thank you very much.

00:17:46 SPEAKER_207: The first thing I'll I'll give everybody some marriage advice.

00:17:46 SPEAKER_207: Not that I'm good at it, but the the the rule in our marriage at home is the ideal from a relationship point of view is no more, no less than two days a week.

00:17:46 SPEAKER_207: I don't like the no less part, but anyway, so you're right.

00:17:46 SPEAKER_207: All all of us around the table, we can't do what we do without our our family members.

00:17:47 SPEAKER_207: So all joking aside, I appreciate that.

00:17:47 SPEAKER_207: So specifically to your question, the first is related to how much we will produce at peak.

00:17:48 SPEAKER_207: So when we hit 2033, we have all eight units.

00:17:48 SPEAKER_207: We'll produce 7,000 megawatts of peak capacity.

00:17:49 SPEAKER_207: What percentage we we produce will really depend on a lot of the you know given the day, but it'll very clearly be clocking in at close to 35 at that point.

00:17:49 SPEAKER_207: As we have. the refurbs and outages, sometimes we drop down to twenty-seven, then the high thirties.

00:17:49 SPEAKER_207: But we're we're pretty consistently around the thirty.

00:17:49 SPEAKER_207: We'll clock much higher than the thirty when all all all later in operation.

00:17:50 SPEAKER_207: We have a project called Project Twenty Thirty.

00:17:50 SPEAKER_207: We don't talk about this a lot.

00:17:50 SPEAKER_207: It's in the slides, but it's an additional billion-dollar investment program where we're targeting certain pieces of equipment in the plant to get better, really energy conservation, better efficiency.

00:17:50 SPEAKER_207: So before we started our refurb program, our peak was.

00:17:50 SPEAKER_207: Started our refur program.

00:17:51 SPEAKER_207: Our peak was sixty three hundred megawatts.

00:17:51 SPEAKER_207: We're going to be up to seven thousand with this extra billion to get more power out of the same asset.

00:17:53 SPEAKER_207: That's the same as building two new small modular reactors.

00:17:53 SPEAKER_207: So that's very good, low cost.

00:17:53 SPEAKER_207: You know, the ISO gets that that power at a discount as a result.

00:17:54 SPEAKER_207: So that's where we're going to to sort of be with respect to the number of people working on site.

00:17:56 SPEAKER_207: So on a day like today, so we we sit at our forty two hundred base staff.

00:17:57 SPEAKER_207: They're sort of base Bruce Power employees that. are responsible for the operation and maintenance and running of the company.

00:17:59 SPEAKER_207: With on a day like today, in addition to that base 4,200, we will have a thousand people working on our planned outage campaign on Unit Eight today,

00:17:59 SPEAKER_207: and there'll be about 3,300 construction workers reporting for work over a 24-hour two-shift period.

00:17:59 SPEAKER_207: So, and by the way, all the things I'm talking about, I talk about them, but they're making all this happen.

00:17:59 SPEAKER_207: It's pretty incredible.

00:18:00 SPEAKER_207: Okay, we'll go to Councilor Eccles.

00:18:00 SPEAKER_207: Thank you, James.

00:18:00 SPEAKER_207: I'll go with that.

00:18:01 SPEAKER_207: I don't know whether I can talk on the same level as you when you say that a billion dollars is just a small investment.

00:18:01 SPEAKER_207: It's a big number to me, but that is what the Bruce is.

00:18:01 SPEAKER_207: It's yeah beyond.

00:18:02 SPEAKER_207: Where are we at, or we you Bruce Power with the deep geological repository?

00:18:02 SPEAKER_207: Since some of that has been discussed, and with the expansion, how much I guess the capacity to store until we get to that deep?

00:18:02 SPEAKER_207: Where where is that project at this point in time?

00:18:03 SPEAKER_207: Yeah. it's it's it's a good question, and I shouldn't have said it's a small amount of money.

00:18:04 SPEAKER_207: We're just relative to the other eighteen.

00:18:04 SPEAKER_207: And by the way, you know, you you probably realize this in in your work as well that you know we talk in all these big dollars,

00:18:05 SPEAKER_207: but they tend to be made up of a lot of small dollars everywhere.

00:18:05 SPEAKER_207: So when we track these projects, we're tracking the small dollars, right?

00:18:05 SPEAKER_207: Because the small dollars equal.

00:18:05 SPEAKER_207: I would say if you watch the pennies, the dollars take care of themselves.

00:18:06 SPEAKER_207: So it's a good call out.

00:18:06 SPEAKER_207: The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is progressing. with the Ignis project.

00:18:06 SPEAKER_207: They'll be moving into the environmental assessment for that.

00:18:06 SPEAKER_207: They continue to be on track for that.

00:18:07 SPEAKER_207: Bruce Powers' role is we we basically pay our share of the bill of it.

00:18:08 SPEAKER_207: So so we we've been funding for since 2001 through regular payments to basically fill that bank account.

00:18:09 SPEAKER_207: And and our message is is the bank account's been loading up for. a long time, and we want to see it get that that get invested and that long term solution put in place.

00:18:09 SPEAKER_207: So they're progressing with that.

00:18:10 SPEAKER_207: We're we're clearly supportive of that.

00:18:12 SPEAKER_207: Um, you know, our current our from from a current waste management perspective, that that takes us right to the end of life of our of our assets.

00:18:14 SPEAKER_207: As a responsible nuclear operator, we also do what we can to reduce our volumes of waste.

00:18:15 SPEAKER_207: So on our low level waste, which is really what we'd you know garbage can here, you know. very routine kind of waste that comes at a plant.

00:18:15 SPEAKER_207: Over the last fifteen years, we've reduced that by ninety-six percent by segregating, by sorting, by incinerating.

00:18:16 SPEAKER_207: So while they're looking at long-term waste solutions, it's our job to also reduce the volume of waste as much as possible that we produce.

00:18:18 SPEAKER_207: So we're only sending for long-term disposal the waste that needs to be handled as such.

00:18:18 SPEAKER_207: So that that you know we fund and we minimize, and then it's the end.

00:18:19 SPEAKER_207: And then it's the NWMO's job and OPG's job to manage and store long term.

00:18:19 SPEAKER_207: Okay, thank you.

00:18:19 SPEAKER_207: Looking around the room, well, clearly the impact that Bruce Power has within our county is clear.

00:18:20 SPEAKER_207: But given by the number of questions that have come along with all the information that you shared, I wonder if I might just ask two concluding questions.

00:18:22 SPEAKER_207: Then, one is if you'd like to highlight anything that comes from the the social sustainability aspect. of the way in which you've you've mentioned in the slides,

00:18:22 SPEAKER_207: the way in which you help create impact through our community organizations that deeply affect the residents here in Gray County.

00:18:24 SPEAKER_207: If there's anything you'd like to highlight on that, and then the other is what I didn't see in the slides is the ongoing partnership with Georgian College,

00:18:24 SPEAKER_207: and and perhaps if you'd like to take a few moments to talk about the exciting work that happens between the two, because that deeply affects us here too.

00:18:24 SPEAKER_207: Both really good questions.

00:18:26 SPEAKER_207: So we'll. start with Georgian College and Dave Shori, you know, who leads that institution.

00:18:26 SPEAKER_207: We have a strong partnership with him and the him and the college.

00:18:27 SPEAKER_207: We continue to have a number of programs which are direct feedstock into into Bruce Power.

00:18:28 SPEAKER_207: We're really excited also about looking to how do we expand the partnership with Georgian College.

00:18:28 SPEAKER_207: One one of the unique opportunities for Georgian College in particular, and we've been we've been working with Dave and his team on this, is that. with the literally thousands of people that we bring in,

00:18:28 SPEAKER_207: there's a massive training burden on Bruce Power, and and we believe there is an opportunity to do more partnerships with the with the colleges and Georgian College in particular because of its geographic proximity,

00:18:29 SPEAKER_207: to do more of that training through the college system.

00:18:29 SPEAKER_207: So if if somebody wants to work in nuclear, they're they're they're getting trained, they're getting qualified for a job that allows them a much quicker entry into the into the workforce.

00:18:30 SPEAKER_207: You know, we kind of have this model now where people all take very generic programs.

00:18:30 SPEAKER_207: They get a certain skill set and qualification, and then we train them that on all those specifics.

00:18:30 SPEAKER_207: There's a way for us to work with the college system, so people are much readier to go to work right away.

00:18:30 SPEAKER_207: You know, some of the most effective training there is for workers and education is actually comes from the trades.

00:18:31 SPEAKER_207: When somebody has gone through trade school, they are able to work immediately. you know, with some training, but in the plan, so we want to replicate it.

00:18:31 SPEAKER_207: So I think Georgian College is is absolutely critical, and I think it's been a tough time for the post secondary sector, and so we're trying to position ourselves as how we help with that.

00:18:32 SPEAKER_207: In particular, the facility here known Sound on the community side.

00:18:33 SPEAKER_207: Look, you know, there was a announcement earlier on doctor recruitment.

00:18:33 SPEAKER_207: You all know all of us that live in small town rural Ontario.

00:18:33 SPEAKER_207: We all. just do our part.

00:18:34 SPEAKER_207: Whether it's a small business donating to a hockey team, whether it's doctor recruitment, and so we see our role is exactly the same.

00:18:36 SPEAKER_207: I often say, and we're very proud of our donations and contributions.

00:18:37 SPEAKER_207: Bruce Power tends to get a lot of recognition, and I'm not going to be the ones to write about that.

00:18:38 SPEAKER_207: I'm fine with that, but but we're just doing our part in the community, right?

00:18:39 SPEAKER_207: And people contribute what they can.

00:18:39 SPEAKER_207: A small business can donate a hundred dollars.

00:18:39 SPEAKER_207: Bruce Power can donate a certain amount of dollars.

00:18:40 SPEAKER_207: We're really just doing our part.

00:18:40 SPEAKER_207: That's what we all do in small communities.

00:18:40 SPEAKER_207: I always say that in a small community, every citizen can, or company, organization can do one of three things.

00:18:40 SPEAKER_207: If they're able to, they can donate money.

00:18:41 SPEAKER_207: If they're not able to donate money, they can volunteer.

00:18:41 SPEAKER_207: And if they're not able to volunteer, we we can all help promote.

00:18:41 SPEAKER_207: And so, you know, you know, I always say humility.

00:18:42 SPEAKER_207: You hear Blake Hutchison's speech.

00:18:43 SPEAKER_207: Humility is really important.

00:18:43 SPEAKER_207: And you know, we kind of bring up.

00:18:44 SPEAKER_207: You know, we kind of bring a component of humility to that topic.

00:18:44 SPEAKER_207: Excellent.

00:18:45 SPEAKER_207: Well, I think part of that humility is listening and listening to the needs of the community and being able to respond in the way that you are.

00:18:45 SPEAKER_207: So, thank you very much.

00:18:45 SPEAKER_207: So, thank you.

00:18:46 SPEAKER_207: That has been a wonderful update.

00:18:47 SPEAKER_207: We do appreciate that that you coming here each year to be able to share with not just us but with our communities as well.

00:18:47 SPEAKER_207: I will leave you with a parting thought, though.

00:18:47 SPEAKER_207: It's okay; you don't have to come back to the lectern.

00:18:47 SPEAKER_207: Being a creative soul myself, I see the color gray as a blank, a blank canvas, and as we say here in Gray County, color it your way.

00:18:48 SPEAKER_207: So, thank you so much.

00:18:49 SPEAKER_207: You've got a whole year to think about what colors you want to put on that palette.

00:18:49 SPEAKER_207: Okay.

00:18:49 SPEAKER_207: Thank you again to both Mr. Skanya and Mr. Richards, who are here on behalf of Bruce Power.

00:18:49 SPEAKER_207: At this point in time, we will move on to our items of determination for separate discussion.

00:18:50 SPEAKER_207: And we have, let me see, we have, Madam Clerk, it looks like we have until F. We have six different items on the.

00:18:51 SPEAKER_207: Have I got that right?

00:18:51 SPEAKER_207: My pages are a little upside down today.

00:18:52 SPEAKER_207: Yeah.

00:18:52 SPEAKER_207: Little upside down today.

00:18:52 SPEAKER_207: Okay, all right.

00:18:53 SPEAKER_207: So there are six different items.

00:18:53 SPEAKER_207: We have heard that there is a declaration of interest for item 6F.

00:18:54 SPEAKER_207: So that one, Madam Clerk, we'll look at separately already.

00:18:54 SPEAKER_207: Okay.

00:18:54 SPEAKER_207: Is there anything else from 6A through E that anybody wishes to pull for separate discussion?

00:18:55 SPEAKER_207: Okay.

00:18:55 SPEAKER_207: I'm not seeing any other hands.

00:18:56 SPEAKER_207: So, Madam Clerk, it would be just item 6F that we will pull, in which case. it's recommended that the following consent agenda items be received,

00:18:56 SPEAKER_207: and that staff be authorized to take the actions necessary to give effect to the recommendations in the staff reports, and that the correspondence be supported or received for information as recommended in the consent agenda.

00:18:57 SPEAKER_207: And all of them are listed in the agenda that has been circulated.

00:18:57 SPEAKER_207: May I ask for a mover and a seconder?

00:18:58 SPEAKER_207: Thank you.

00:18:59 SPEAKER_207: That's moved by Councillor Hutchison, seconded by Councillor Debrine.

00:18:59 SPEAKER_207: Any discussion?

00:18:59 SPEAKER_207: All those. in favor, and that motion is carried.

00:18:59 SPEAKER_207: Thank you.

00:19:00 SPEAKER_207: So we will return to item six F at the end of our agenda.

00:19:00 SPEAKER_207: Okay.

00:19:00 SPEAKER_207: So that allows us to move on to item seven, which is our items for separate discussion, and we have four different items on that.

00:19:01 SPEAKER_207: The first one is item seven A. It is recommended that report PDR CW O seven.

00:19:01 SPEAKER_207: W0726 regarding a development charges update be received,

00:19:01 SPEAKER_207: and that staff be directed to continue the work on updating the county's development charges background study and bylaws in order to have a new background study and bylaws for council consideration in 2027,

00:19:01 SPEAKER_207: and that staff be directed to prepare bylaws for council's consideration to extend the length of the current county development charges bylaws 512722 and 51282.

00:19:02 SPEAKER_207: Fifty-one, twenty-eight, twenty-two.

00:19:02 SPEAKER_207: May ask for a mover and seconder to get that on the floor.

00:19:03 SPEAKER_207: We've got it moved by Councillor Kevany, seconded by Councillor Carlton.

00:19:03 SPEAKER_207: It's now on the floor for discussion.

00:19:03 SPEAKER_207: And I oh, I see, Director Taylor.

00:19:03 SPEAKER_207: I see you there online.

00:19:03 SPEAKER_207: You have the floor.

00:19:04 SPEAKER_207: Great, thank you, Madam Warden, and good morning, Warden, members of Council, and those tuning in.

00:19:04 SPEAKER_207: I apologize, I couldn't be with you there in person today.

00:19:04 SPEAKER_207: I've chosen to mark National Chili Day elsewhere today, but look forward to the discussion.

00:19:05 SPEAKER_207: So, what you have before you is. is a report on on the the next iteration of the county's development charges bylaws.

00:19:06 SPEAKER_207: And just as a bit of a refresher, when you go to do new development charges bylaw, one of the key pieces that you need to complete first is a development charges background study.

00:19:07 SPEAKER_207: And essentially, that development charges background study outlines the growth related capital projects and and the costs and helps determine what the county can collect in terms of development charges.

00:19:07 SPEAKER_207: And so after a competitive RFP process, the county hired Hempsin Consulting to complete this work on our behalf.

00:19:08 SPEAKER_207: This is highly specialized work, and something that most counties and municipalities would would choose to seek consulting advice on.

00:19:08 SPEAKER_207: And again, just as a refresher, development charges are crucial at the county and municipal levels.

00:19:08 SPEAKER_207: They do they do collect for different things.

00:19:08 SPEAKER_207: So, our county development charges are collecting for things like our roads and and other county related.

00:19:09 SPEAKER_207: And other county-related services that were legislatively able to collect for under the Development Charges Act, and it helps finance that growth-related capital costs, such that those costs don't come back to the general levy.

00:19:09 SPEAKER_207: And so, essentially, what staff are seeking direction on from from council today is is first to to carry forward with the work with Hempson.

00:19:10 SPEAKER_207: And originally, we had talked about trying to complete this work in twenty twenty six ahead of the municipal election, but in looking at the timelines and the work plan,

00:19:10 SPEAKER_207: we do believe it would be advantageous to extend this this work plan into 2027, which would mean the decision on the future development charges bylaws would be a decision of the incoming county council,

00:19:10 SPEAKER_207: not the current group around the horseshoe.

00:19:11 SPEAKER_207: We're also looking for direction to extend the county's current bylaws into 2027.

00:19:11 SPEAKER_207: Currently, they're scheduled to lapse on December 31st, 2026, such that there would be no. no lapse period in collecting development charges in that regard.

00:19:12 SPEAKER_207: And finally, we're seeking council's blessing on looking at providing strategic direction to this development charges process through committee the whole rather than a separate subcommittee as we've done in in previous iterations of the bylaw.

00:19:13 SPEAKER_207: And so I'll just expand on a few of these pieces just slightly.

00:19:13 SPEAKER_207: So we've already started work on on the new bylaw, and we're actively working with Hempson and between.

00:19:13 SPEAKER_207: Working with Hemson and between a number of of county departments in that regard, if Council were to support the the notion today to to extend this project into twenty seven,

00:19:14 SPEAKER_207: a lot of the background work and and particularly that work that's done by by both Hemson and staff in that regard would still occur in twenty six.

00:19:15 SPEAKER_207: So there'll still be lots going on in in that regard.

00:19:17 SPEAKER_207: It's just we won't quite come to the finish line by the end of this year, and we believe there's there's a merit in in extending this based on on.

00:19:18 SPEAKER_207: Based on not trying to rush things and making sure that we examine both the background study items, the county's current development charges policies, and things like exemption programs sufficiently,

00:19:20 SPEAKER_207: and really get some good discussion going on those items, we do believe it will allow for more time on other projects, which could influence the development charges.

00:19:20 SPEAKER_207: And one of those notable projects would be the ongoing work that our transportation and your member municipalities. are doing with respect to the road exchange projects,

00:19:21 SPEAKER_207: and then we also believe that through through having the incoming council make the decision, it it puts them in the driver's seat, but it also puts staff in a really good position to educate,

00:19:21 SPEAKER_207: particularly those new councillors, if we do get some new faces around council next year, on development charges, because depending on which circles you you find yourselves in,

00:19:23 SPEAKER_207: development charges can either be a dirty word or or an absolutely essential word with respect to municipal and county infrastructure funding.

00:19:23 SPEAKER_207: In that regard, so we see this development charges discussion early in the new term of council as as sort of a key opportunity for for education in that regard.

00:19:25 SPEAKER_207: With respect to how we'd go about extending the current bylaws, there were some changes to the Development Charges Act after we passed our last bylaws in in twenty twenty one,

00:19:25 SPEAKER_207: which now extend development charges out to a maximum of ten. years.

00:19:26 SPEAKER_207: Prior to that, your background studies and bylaws were only eligible to go on for five years.

00:19:26 SPEAKER_207: So the province has outlined a relatively straightforward process whereby we could extend those bylaws without the need for reopening the background study or having an additional public meeting.

00:19:26 SPEAKER_207: Essentially, we're just setting a different end date on that regard.

00:19:27 SPEAKER_207: And then the final item I'll just expand on is with respect to seeking strategic direction through council throughout. this project, we we issued this RFP late last year.

00:19:28 SPEAKER_207: At that time, we had written into the RFP that the Budget and Finance Committee would be would be the committee that we go to to get that strategic advice from council.

00:19:28 SPEAKER_207: As council is well aware, the Budget and Finance Committee was dissolved early in twenty twenty six.

00:19:28 SPEAKER_207: But again, we do think this is this is a relevant discussion to to have with all of council.

00:19:28 SPEAKER_207: So we are recommending on those touch points that that we. go back to to committee the whole in this regard rather than a separate subcommittee, but made up of just some county councilors.

00:19:30 SPEAKER_207: We have chatted with Hemson, and coincidentally, Hemson's online right now for the next report on the growth management strategy,

00:19:31 SPEAKER_207: and they've noted that extending the project into 2026 won't result in in too much to the way of cost differences in that regard, and we can explore those through the the 2027 budget.

00:19:32 SPEAKER_207: I'll say with respect to development charges. the the submission that came in was under the county's budgeted amount,

00:19:33 SPEAKER_207: and I just remind council that this development charges background study and bylaws is largely funded through the collection of past development charges, so it's it's kind of circular in that regard.

00:19:34 SPEAKER_207: With that, Madam Warden, perhaps just before I turn it back to you, the the co-author on this report and and somebody who does a lot of work on development charges, Mary Lou Spicer.

00:19:35 SPEAKER_207: So perhaps I just see if Director Spicer has anything to add to this topic before we. turn it back to the warden and council for questions.

00:19:35 SPEAKER_207: Okay, so we're getting the nod that she's good.

00:19:36 SPEAKER_207: So what we'll do then is we'll open it up to council members, committee, the whole members for questions or comments.

00:19:37 SPEAKER_207: Okay.

00:19:37 SPEAKER_207: Okay, I'm not actually seeing any hands.

00:19:37 SPEAKER_207: So if there isn't anything further to add from staff or anything further to discuss from committee. the whole, then I'll call the question.

00:19:38 SPEAKER_207: All those in favor, and that motion is passed.

00:19:38 SPEAKER_207: Okay, thank you very much, Director Taylor.

00:19:39 SPEAKER_207: And at this point in time, we will now move on to item seven B. It's recommended that report PDRCW zero six twenty six regarding the final report on the county's growth management study,

00:19:39 SPEAKER_207: growth management strategy update be received, and that council direct staff to incorporate the twenty twenty.

00:19:39 SPEAKER_207: To incorporate the 2026 growth management strategy forecasts into the Gray County official plan via the county's official plan review scheduled to commence in 2027, may ask for mover and a seconder.

00:19:39 SPEAKER_207: Thank you.

00:19:40 SPEAKER_207: We've got it moved by Councillor McKay, seconded by Councillor Bordenjon.

00:19:40 SPEAKER_207: It's now on the floor for discussion.

00:19:40 SPEAKER_207: So I will welcome Senior Senior Policy Planner Liz Buckton to begin, and I understand that we also have Hemson Consulting supporting.

00:19:40 SPEAKER_207: And consulting, supporting you online virtually as well.

00:19:40 SPEAKER_207: Wonderful, thank you very much, Madam Morgan.

00:19:41 SPEAKER_207: Really nice to be here today, and always happy to to see us getting to the finish line with the project.

00:19:42 SPEAKER_207: This one has been on the go for a little while. as data projects tend to do,

00:19:42 SPEAKER_207: but really happy to to be here to provide you some perhaps closing remarks regarding the process we've been through.

00:19:42 SPEAKER_207: So I'll dive right in.

00:19:42 SPEAKER_207: So firstly, I just wanted to give a very brief background.

00:19:43 SPEAKER_207: The last time I was here in December, we had a very lengthy conversation regarding data, and so we're not going to reproduce that today.

00:19:44 SPEAKER_207: Much much more succinct, but we did want to highlight why we are doing this process. to begin with.

00:19:44 SPEAKER_207: So, as an upper-tier municipality, Grey County is responsible to identify and allocate population, housing, and employment projections for the member municipalities.

00:19:44 SPEAKER_207: The official plan for Grey County presently does include population, household, and employment growth forecasts through 2046, allocating that out to the nine local member municipalities.

00:19:44 SPEAKER_207: And an interim update the forecast was last completed in 2021.

00:19:45 SPEAKER_207: The provincial plan The provincial planning statement, which was updated in the end of 2024,

00:19:46 SPEAKER_207: now directs that planning authorities shall base our population and employment growth forecasts on the Ontario population projections published by the Ministry of Finance, and we may modify as appropriate.

00:19:46 SPEAKER_207: So, there are some bounds to the approach and methodology that is used for for this process.

00:19:47 SPEAKER_207: The county had retained Hemson Consulting to complete a growth management strategy update with benefit of the.

00:19:48 SPEAKER_207: Folsom twenty twenty one census and intercensal data.

00:19:49 SPEAKER_207: We have had quite a bit of local municipal consultation at a staff level and here at the county council level, and we have captured various development impairment data to help inform that work,

00:19:53 SPEAKER_207: as well as an understanding of the land supply that is designated in each municipality.

00:19:54 SPEAKER_207: These draft forecast figures were shared to county council in December.

00:19:54 SPEAKER_207: As I noted, we had quite a Folsom data conversation on that. day, and the work has now been finalised by Hansen, and the staff report that is shared today includes an FEX report,

00:19:55 SPEAKER_207: which identifies final forecasts for population, housing, employment, and allocations.

00:19:56 SPEAKER_207: So, just before I speak to the findings, I did want to flag that that we we have had a bit of a curveball as we've been working towards this meeting.

00:19:56 SPEAKER_207: Through and since the last opportunity we had to discuss together, we have had various feedback,

00:19:56 SPEAKER_207: and I've gone in and taken a look at those forecasts to further refine them and align them with the M.O.F. forecasts.

00:19:56 SPEAKER_207: And as part of that work, the model was adjusted, and unfortunately, the links just didn't carry through to every single table.

00:19:56 SPEAKER_207: So we do have an updated table three to be inserted into that report.

00:19:56 SPEAKER_207: That is the employment forecasts.

00:19:57 SPEAKER_207: The overall forecast hasn't changed, but there. because we have increased the population and just created a little bit, the population-related element of that forecast had come up,

00:19:57 SPEAKER_207: and so the accurate and correct numbers are now within the report.

00:19:57 SPEAKER_207: That has been posted on the website as we have identified the draft birth management strategy.

00:19:58 SPEAKER_207: So that updated information is there, as would be relevant to folks who might want to dive very deeply into those numbers, as well as the model outputs in the appendix.

00:19:58 SPEAKER_207: And I think Stefan from And I think Stephen from Hudson would be able to speak further to that if we had questions.

00:19:58 SPEAKER_207: But generally, in terms of the the findings of the study, the expectation is that Grey County will continue to grow over the planning horizon through to twenty fifty one.

00:20:03 SPEAKER_207: Largely, that is resulting due to intra-provincial migration, and so that does fit within the expectations overall for the province as well.

00:20:04 SPEAKER_207: And by twenty fifty one, the county's population is expected. to grow to approximately 148,580 people, and to roughly 6270 jobs.

00:20:05 SPEAKER_207: I think this is where that updated table landed us.

00:20:07 SPEAKER_207: All of the member municipalities are found to have adequate supply of designated lands to support this anticipated growth, with the exception of Hanover.

00:20:08 SPEAKER_207: But we understand that the town's mutual prosperity work with Westbury would be expected to address that.

00:20:09 SPEAKER_207: And I'm concerned.

00:20:11 SPEAKER_207: And each of the member municipalities. are encouraged, you know, although we have done that land need assessment and have broken down the land supply in each of the various designations for each municipality,

00:20:12 SPEAKER_207: we do encourage the member municipalities to continue to monitor that service land supply, for example, in your primary settlement areas over time.

00:20:13 SPEAKER_207: Depending on where the growth does ultimately materialize, which settlement areas it chooses, we may see impacts that will need to be addressed through our planning.

00:20:13 SPEAKER_207: So the recommendation today is that we would be asking for council direction in order to embed that growth management strategy into the county official plan through update work that is planned to start next year.

00:20:16 SPEAKER_207: In the meantime, and as noted in the staff report, it is our suggestion that these figures do reflect the most up-to-date understanding of our growth expectations,

00:20:17 SPEAKER_207: and these would be the most consistent with the provincial planning. statement, and so for planning purposes, it would be our suggestion that these should be relied upon for planning purposes.

00:20:17 SPEAKER_207: In the meantime, until they are formally embedded into the county official plan, and then in terms of next steps, like I say, or explained when we're here in December,

00:20:17 SPEAKER_207: we have had outreach also with various other public sector organizations across the county.

00:20:18 SPEAKER_207: So I will be doing some follow up with those organizations to share the data that we've developed. we will also, and this data will help to inform that development.

00:20:18 SPEAKER_207: Changes background study, where I was thought was just speaking about just before us, and I would note that the GMS is generally updated on a five-year interval.

00:20:18 SPEAKER_207: So, once we do have the next census data available, we will go through this exercise again, and again, I think it's an ongoing cyclical process with the federal and provincial governments both doing forecasting.

00:20:18 SPEAKER_207: We detail into on a periodic basis. so I will leave my piece there.

00:20:19 SPEAKER_207: But we do recognize that Hempson staff, just the way that our meetings have fallen, haven't had the opportunity for some time with County Council, and so I understand that Stephen is available online,

00:20:20 SPEAKER_207: and so we can take him in.

00:20:20 SPEAKER_207: Stephen Krsjanovic is is the project lead with Hempson, and so we'd like to offer him the opportunity for some overarching comments, and then we can certainly address questions if that.

00:20:20 SPEAKER_207: We can certainly address questions at that point as well.

00:20:21 SPEAKER_207: Thank you.

00:20:22 SPEAKER_207: Okay, thank you.

00:20:23 SPEAKER_207: So let me just before I open it up to the committee, the whole members, and let me just look over to Stefan online.

00:20:24 SPEAKER_207: If there's anything that you would like to add, well, thank you, Madam Warden.

00:20:25 SPEAKER_207: I just Liz had asked me to speak for about three or four minutes, just to sort of provide highlights of the findings of the report.

00:20:25 SPEAKER_207: So if I if I may, I'll I'll do that for you.

00:20:26 SPEAKER_207: It might help with the questions. but I did.

00:20:26 SPEAKER_207: I'll also want to preface this with my thanks to both Liz and Scott Taylor for all their work over the last year on this on this job.

00:20:26 SPEAKER_207: This has been a highly consultative exercise.

00:20:27 SPEAKER_207: We've met with staff at all of the local municipalities, both individually and collectively, and there's been a lot of coordination that Liz and Scott have done to to make that work.

00:20:28 SPEAKER_207: And I really appreciate all their their help in in doing that.

00:20:30 SPEAKER_207: Just in terms of the slide that Liz showed about the findings,

00:20:30 SPEAKER_207: I do want to just emphasize that these forecasts are premised on quite a significant amount of growth for the county moving forward in a steady and sustained way.

00:20:31 SPEAKER_207: It's growth of around 1.2 percent annually on the population side, and a little bit lower growth rate on the employment side.

00:20:31 SPEAKER_207: But for the most part, it is quite strong growth, certainly stronger growth than the forecasts that are in your current official plan.

00:20:32 SPEAKER_207: And as Liz said, most of the population growth will be from the movement of people from other parts of Ontario, mostly to the south, into the county.

00:20:32 SPEAKER_207: And the growth allocations are really focused on concentrating the growth in your serviced urban communities, particularly Owen Sound, Blue Mountains, Hanover, Southgate.

00:20:33 SPEAKER_207: These are the communities that have the servicing capacity, the available land, and the urban characteristics that. sort of align with the provincial planning statement that Liz mentioned and and the county official plan already.

00:20:36 SPEAKER_207: In terms of planning for housing, you know, we're already seeing on the ground shifts in the demand for different housing forms in the county, and the forecasts build on that a little bit,

00:20:37 SPEAKER_309: recognize some of the demographic change that's occurring and the change to household size that will increase. the demand for a broader range of housing moving forward, and you know you're already see this, for example,

00:20:42 SPEAKER_309: with the amazing apartment growth that you see in the city of Owen Sound.

00:20:44 SPEAKER_309: And on the employment side, lots of employment growth being forecast, although it's at a slightly slower rate than population growth, and the reason for that is that we are still an aging population,

00:20:44 SPEAKER_309: and and that will continue to be the case right through the period of 2051.

00:20:45 SPEAKER_309: So there will be a small.

00:20:46 SPEAKER_309: So there will be a smaller number of people in the workforce at the end of the period than there are right now, and that's happening everywhere across the province.

00:20:46 SPEAKER_309: But otherwise, lots of job growth is going to be needed to serve the the bigger resident population,

00:20:47 SPEAKER_309: and lots of job growth anticipated on those key employment areas that I know the county is is interested in developing, and and so those are included in the forecast as well.

00:20:48 SPEAKER_309: On the land need side of things.

00:20:48 SPEAKER_309: The only area where you know additional urban lands will be required is likely for the town of Hanover, and I'm sure you're aware of.

00:20:48 SPEAKER_309: Well, you you are of course aware of plans to resolve that matter moving forward.

00:20:49 SPEAKER_309: So that is in hand.

00:20:51 SPEAKER_309: And on the employment side, we think that there's enough land supply to accommodate the the employment forecasts,

00:20:51 SPEAKER_309: but getting the infrastructure servicing right and phasing that properly. and making the right investments will be an important consideration moving forward.

00:20:51 SPEAKER_309: And I know your academic development staff, and as well as senior staff, the county are are are keenly involved in in making that happen.

00:20:52 SPEAKER_309: So, thank you very much for your time, Madam Warden, and happy to answer questions.

00:20:55 SPEAKER_309: Thank you very much to both of you for beginning this conversation.

00:20:55 SPEAKER_309: Okay, so with that, then I will put it out.

00:20:56 SPEAKER_309: I'll look online for any hands going up, and I'll look around the room. and I'm not seeing any hands here.

00:20:57 SPEAKER_309: Though we'll begin with Councillor Devereen, and then we'll go to Councillor Eccles.

00:20:57 SPEAKER_309: Thank you, and good morning.

00:20:57 SPEAKER_309: My one question to either Liz or Stefan is, and I'm sure that it's—I read the entire 79 pages, 76 pages,

00:20:57 SPEAKER_309: but I'm wondering how the how has the slow. in housing starts in 2024 been factored into the forecasts.

00:20:58 SPEAKER_309: Great, and through you, Madam Warden, I'd be happy since we have the benefit of Stephen with us.

00:20:58 SPEAKER_309: We could certainly turn to him to look to that answer.

00:20:58 SPEAKER_309: I'm happy to take a crack at it.

00:20:58 SPEAKER_309: We've got the specialist, so so why don't we go there?

00:20:58 SPEAKER_309: Thank you, Liz.

00:20:58 SPEAKER_309: So through you, Madam Warden, yes, we've had slow. growth in the last eighteen months.

00:20:58 SPEAKER_309: I think the main thing about the forecasts to remember is that these are, you know, twenty-five year projections,

00:20:59 SPEAKER_309: and so we don't see the slow growth that's occurring right now as part of a long-term trend.

00:21:01 SPEAKER_309: So certainly, we have factored in growth in the short term, perhaps. being a little bit slower to reflect the current trough we're in, but over the long term,

00:21:02 SPEAKER_309: all of the key ingredients are there to allow population and household and employment growth to continue in the county.

00:21:02 SPEAKER_309: And so, whatever trough we're in right now is just a trough, and and in the fullness of time, we'll be we'll be back to the kind of trajectory that we've seen,

00:21:02 SPEAKER_309: not quite the same trajectory we've seen during the period of very high growth between 20.

00:21:03 SPEAKER_309: Between 2022 and 2023, but certainly a trajectory that is higher than what we've historically seen over the last two or three decades.

00:21:03 SPEAKER_309: Okay, thank you.

00:21:04 SPEAKER_309: Any other questions?

00:21:04 SPEAKER_309: Councillor Eccles was just pointing in the direction of Councillor Dobrine.

00:21:04 SPEAKER_309: Okay.

00:21:05 SPEAKER_309: Oh, over here we'll go to Councillor Greg.

00:21:05 SPEAKER_309: Thank you.

00:21:06 SPEAKER_309: And through you, I guess my question is a little bit similar to to Councillor Dobrine.

00:21:06 SPEAKER_309: To Councillor Dobrin's, within your slides and so forth, in in the document, you point out growth which is almost unparalleled in the history of Grey County,

00:21:07 SPEAKER_309: other than perhaps percentage wise during the baby boomer years.

00:21:07 SPEAKER_309: Gross numbers of of what are calculated here to about one hundred forty four thousand over twenty five years.

00:21:07 SPEAKER_309: I guess it's fine if we can service that. if if we can accommodate it, and if it happens, I guess I'm wondering what is.

00:21:07 SPEAKER_309: Are there any negative impacts to this council adopting this growth management plan?

00:21:08 SPEAKER_309: And it's easy for you to have in that document that we're going to grow to 144,500 people, but in actuality, we go from 102,000 to 109,000.

00:21:09 SPEAKER_309: Is there any downfalls or what are the impacts of this council?

00:21:09 SPEAKER_309: Of the impacts of this council adopting a growth management study, which is premised on numbers that are almost have never been seen in the history of of the county in terms of growth.

00:21:10 SPEAKER_309: Thank you very much.

00:21:10 SPEAKER_309: So I I think Stephen can probably take in with additional detail.

00:21:11 SPEAKER_309: But what I will note, you know, I think we are we're we're under other umbrellas that are also forecasting that growth.

00:21:13 SPEAKER_309: So out of That growth.

00:21:13 SPEAKER_309: So, at a federal level and provincially as well, we are kind of tagging into the growth that has been allocated to us through those Ministry of Finance projections.

00:21:13 SPEAKER_309: Those expectations are are based on broader trends for the country overall and for the province overall.

00:21:14 SPEAKER_309: So, you know, we are aligned with what is being identified by those other with broader views, and then control over some of the migration elements more closely.

00:21:15 SPEAKER_309: I think in terms of implications, so we do use the figures in the official plan to inform our planning decisions, to inform our infrastructure decisions.

00:21:16 SPEAKER_309: So we do want to be reasonably sure that they they are accurate if we are going to be, you know, accepting development charges on that basis of growth or what have you.

00:21:16 SPEAKER_309: But I think what I would remind you is that we do this process at every census or in a five year interval.

00:21:16 SPEAKER_309: So you know, this is our our best understanding based on the trends and what. we're seeing at this point in time, with all of those other pieces in play,

00:21:16 SPEAKER_309: but I think the recognition is that you know we we are revisiting this, so we aren't getting too far down any path on the basis of a single occurrence of these numbers,

00:21:20 SPEAKER_309: and and I think too with the servicing element of that, which often is kind of the most perhaps expensive piece that goes with arises from some of these forecasts,

00:21:21 SPEAKER_309: oftentimes there are phasing considerations with that. too, so it's not.

00:21:22 SPEAKER_309: I realize it's ambitious, and I think I had that same kind of sticker shock when I looked at the overall numbers.

00:21:22 SPEAKER_309: But it really does tie into the broader framework of forecasts, federally and provincially,

00:21:22 SPEAKER_309: and so we do have good processes around making sure that we're not getting too far with those numbers in terms of impacts.

00:21:23 SPEAKER_309: To Matt Morden, and if we did want to ask them to speak to that as well, happy happy to do so.

00:21:23 SPEAKER_309: Okay, Stefan.

00:21:23 SPEAKER_309: Anything else that you'd like to add to that?

00:21:24 SPEAKER_309: Maybe just one thing, because Liz's point about you know the opportunity to update—these are long-term projections—but there's lots of opportunity to update, and you regularly regularly do so.

00:21:24 SPEAKER_309: I—I mean, the Ministry of Finance population projections, which is sort of anchors a lot of what's going on here.

00:21:25 SPEAKER_309: I mean, we do think those are sound and realistic, and they do not represent the the trajectory of growth. that you've actually been incurring over the last five years,

00:21:26 SPEAKER_309: so they are lower than the level of growth that you've been seeing.

00:21:27 SPEAKER_309: You know, twenty twenty four slowdown aside, so it's not quite as fast as what what's already occurring in the in the county.

00:21:28 SPEAKER_309: And I just on the question, the council's question of risk, just because you adopt the forecast doesn't mean they're going to happen.

00:21:28 SPEAKER_309: And I think sort of Liz was going to saying, you know, there's a lot of controls you still have in place, land use plan.

00:21:29 SPEAKER_309: Still have in place land use planning controls with respect to the phasing of of of bringing lands into play,

00:21:29 SPEAKER_309: and controls over the servicing of lands as well that that still need to be undertaken in order to make this a reality.

00:21:32 SPEAKER_309: So, you know there are still gates there to clear in order to make this happen.

00:21:32 SPEAKER_309: This just very much sets the high level stage for things.

00:21:32 SPEAKER_309: Thank you.

00:21:33 SPEAKER_309: Okay.

00:21:34 SPEAKER_309: Thank you.

00:21:34 SPEAKER_309: One more look around the room.

00:21:35 SPEAKER_309: Well, we'll go to Councillor Nielsen.

00:21:35 SPEAKER_309: Thank you very much.

00:21:35 SPEAKER_309: We're mattress off.

00:21:35 SPEAKER_309: Councillor Greg's comments has kind of had my brain stirring.

00:21:36 SPEAKER_309: We just had discussions about the DC study that's coming.

00:21:36 SPEAKER_309: Obviously, this impacts the other.

00:21:37 SPEAKER_309: Just quickly, if Hemson, who is actually doing both, if they could speak to just a correlation between this growth study and what its effects may be on the DC study coming forward.

00:21:37 SPEAKER_309: Okay, so let's direct that question to Stefan.

00:21:39 SPEAKER_309: Yes.

00:21:39 SPEAKER_309: Yeah, so it it will play directly into the development charges work to the extent that you know the development charges are there to pay for growth related infrastructure needs,

00:21:40 SPEAKER_309: and you will be looking at growth related infrastructure needs in the context of these growth forecasts.

00:21:40 SPEAKER_309: So you know, Scott mentioned that the the the transportation work that's being done on. the roads transfers, but I think there's also work being done on transportation needs long term.

00:21:40 SPEAKER_309: So they they will need to consider the fact that the county has been growing very quickly and is planned to grow very quickly moving forward, and size infrastructure accordingly.

00:21:41 SPEAKER_309: So that that will play a role in the way we think about development charges.

00:21:41 SPEAKER_309: Okay, thank you.

00:21:42 SPEAKER_309: Any other questions or comments?

00:21:42 SPEAKER_309: Not seeing any further hands online or here, so thank you.

00:21:42 SPEAKER_309: And yes, it was a hefty read, but good data helps make good strategy, helps us make good decisions.

00:21:45 SPEAKER_309: So thank you very much for all of that work, and thank you for that update.

00:21:46 SPEAKER_309: So with that, I will call the question.

00:21:47 SPEAKER_309: All those in favor?

00:21:48 SPEAKER_309: And that motion is carried.

00:21:51 SPEAKER_309: Thank you.

00:21:51 SPEAKER_309: We're going to take a break at this point in time.

00:21:51 SPEAKER_309: We're aiming to do a lunch break at 12:15, so let's do a 10-minute break if we can be back in our seats ready to. go at 11:20.

00:21:51 SPEAKER_309: That'll allow us to continue with the rest of our agenda.

00:21:52 SPEAKER_309: As lunch will be honoring National Chili Day, so we want to make sure that we we hit it when it's hot and warm.

00:21:52 SPEAKER_309: Thank you.

00:21:52 SPEAKER_309: If I could please invite our committee, the whole members, to come back to their seats.

00:21:52 SPEAKER_309: Thank you.

00:21:52 SPEAKER_309: Okay, we're just waiting for Nod.

00:21:52 SPEAKER_309: Okay, we're just waiting for a nod from technology that we're back from our break.

00:21:53 SPEAKER_309: Okay, we've got a big thumbs up.

00:21:53 SPEAKER_309: Excellent, thank you.

00:21:53 SPEAKER_309: So we are back from our break, and we are going to look at item seven C at this point in time.

00:21:53 SPEAKER_309: And there are a number of items on it that are received for information, recommended received for information from the committee, and it is recommended that the community services meeting minutes dated February fifth,

00:21:56 SPEAKER_309: twenty twenty six, be adopted as presented, and the following resolutions contained therein be endorsed.

00:21:56 SPEAKER_309: One is that. we had the election. of the chair and the vice chair.

00:21:57 SPEAKER_309: So Councillor Nielsen as chair and Councillor Dickert as vice chair, and that we received staff report CS CSR CSO five twenty six regarding the updated housing and homelessness plan to be received,

00:21:57 SPEAKER_309: and also to receive report CSR CSO eight twenty six regarding short term housing and homelessness update for February two thousand and twenty six and. report CSR CSO six twenty six regarding an update on Rose

00:21:58 SPEAKER_309: Lane redevelopment,

00:21:58 SPEAKER_309: and finally that the correspondence we received from the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association regarding their submission for the Ontario's for the Ontario's consultation on poverty reduction strategy also received for information.

00:21:59 SPEAKER_309: May I ask for a mover and a seconder?

00:21:59 SPEAKER_309: Moved by Councillor Debrine, seconded by Councillor.

00:21:59 SPEAKER_309: I'll take Councillor Dickert there online. and it is now on the floor for discussion.

00:21:59 SPEAKER_309: So, welcome, Director Shaw.

00:22:00 SPEAKER_309: Thank you, Madam Warden, and good morning, County Council.

00:22:00 SPEAKER_309: The Community Services Committee meeting started with Councilor Nielsen elected as chair and Councilor Dick elected as vice chair.

00:22:00 SPEAKER_309: We had a delegation from Lily Clark from the Bean Group.

00:22:00 SPEAKER_309: Gray County engaged the Bean Group to do a review of our special needs resourcing program.

00:22:02 SPEAKER_309: The goal is that everyone has access and inclusion. for childcare for children with special needs in our community.

00:22:04 SPEAKER_309: The review had a number of recommendations and service improvements, including streamlining some processes.

00:22:05 SPEAKER_309: And we will have a report brought back to the community services committee for based on these recommendations.

00:22:06 SPEAKER_309: We had another delegation of Colleen Trask Steeman from the.

00:22:06 SPEAKER_309: She's the executive director of O Share.

00:22:06 SPEAKER_309: She provided an update on some of their new services that are available at at O Share.

00:22:07 SPEAKER_309: Available at Up at Oshare, they have a Gray Bruce Food Share Program, and they've partnered with 28 other community agencies and are able to distribute food throughout Gray County through this program.

00:22:08 SPEAKER_309: And they also have opened up three offices on site and are able to provide medical and other community services to people accessing Oshare.

00:22:08 SPEAKER_309: We had a number of reports.

00:22:08 SPEAKER_309: Our first report was on our Gray County Ten-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.

00:22:10 SPEAKER_309: Every service manager and.

00:22:11 SPEAKER_309: Every service manager in Ontario has to have a housing and homelessness plan.

00:22:12 SPEAKER_309: The plan was until 2024, but the province had put a hold on the plan so that they could determine their provincial directives on on.

00:22:13 SPEAKER_309: And now that that has been determined, as a service manager, we have until May of this year in order to have a plan in place.

00:22:13 SPEAKER_309: Staff presented a draft plan to the community services committee, focusing on three pillars.

00:22:14 SPEAKER_309: We're focusing on creating new. and affordable and supportive housing, supporting a vibrant community housing sector, and strengthening our homelessness system and reducing chronic homelessness.

00:22:14 SPEAKER_309: Finished product will be brought to Committee of the Whole in May.

00:22:15 SPEAKER_309: We also had a report on the short-term shelter program for 2025.

00:22:16 SPEAKER_309: In 2025, the county provided approximately 1,000 more nights of shelter compared to 2024, and the average length of time that a person stayed in program with us increased from 21 days to 25.

00:22:16 SPEAKER_309: The operating costs of the program we were able to lower to 49 dollars a day compared to the 57 dollars a day in 25.

00:22:16 SPEAKER_309: And we have a number of people in our buy names list.

00:22:17 SPEAKER_309: It did fall slightly from 177 to 156.

00:22:17 SPEAKER_309: So we feel that it's a sign that we're actually kind of stabilizing our homelessness increase right now.

00:22:17 SPEAKER_309: We had a report on.

00:22:18 SPEAKER_309: Rose Lane.

00:22:18 SPEAKER_309: We continue to work with Grand River Conservation Authority as to what we can build and where on the site.

00:22:18 SPEAKER_309: We enlisted the assistance of Crozier's and Associates to look at a number of options for the site in Dundalk.

00:22:18 SPEAKER_309: And since that report, we've actually met with Crozier's, and we meet as a group with our architect and with Grand River Conservation Authority on March 13th for further discussions.

00:22:19 SPEAKER_309: And we will continue to update the Community Services Committee as. as we progress, correspondence-wise, the poverty reduction strategy, Ontario's poverty reduction strategy, ended in twenty-five, and they're looking at extending and revising the strategy.

00:22:19 SPEAKER_309: OMSA and AMO partnered together to provide a response to the consultation, and they recommended that the province expand the supply of deeply affordable non-market housing,

00:22:19 SPEAKER_309: that we improve social assistance and employment programs. continue to invest in childcare and invest in transportation.

00:22:19 SPEAKER_309: And I'd be happy to answer any questions.

00:22:20 SPEAKER_309: Okay, thank you very much.

00:22:21 SPEAKER_309: I'll look around the room in case there are any questions.

00:22:22 SPEAKER_309: We'll go to Councillor Dobrin.

00:22:22 SPEAKER_309: Thank you, Warden, and thank you, Anne Marie.

00:22:22 SPEAKER_309: With regard to the Rose Lane development and the upcoming meeting on March 13th with Grand River Conservation Authority, provided they look at the. plan and give it a blessing.

00:22:25 SPEAKER_309: Is it possible to begin in 2026, or are you anticipating?

00:22:25 SPEAKER_309: What are you anticipating as far as completion and occupancy, provided everything goes well?

00:22:25 SPEAKER_309: So, if we get the blessing to move ahead, then JPM Architecture would need to finalize drawings,

00:22:26 SPEAKER_309: and we would continue to work with Southgate in order to get. to site plan approval and to have drawings where we could go out for tender.

00:22:26 SPEAKER_309: The other part of that is funding because it's taken so long.

00:22:26 SPEAKER_309: The National Housing Strategy is no longer doing their funding, but in saying that, build housing, build Canada housing, is a new program that the province or sorry the feds have come up with,

00:22:27 SPEAKER_309: and they're looking at accepting applications now with funding coming out at the end of the year.

00:22:27 SPEAKER_309: So we do intend on applying for that funding. and I have a report coming into the next council on that too.

00:22:28 SPEAKER_309: Okay.

00:22:29 SPEAKER_309: Any further questions?

00:22:29 SPEAKER_309: Not seeing any here or online.

00:22:29 SPEAKER_309: Looks like we're good.

00:22:30 SPEAKER_309: I'll call the question.

00:22:30 SPEAKER_309: All those in favor?

00:22:31 SPEAKER_309: Excellent.

00:22:32 SPEAKER_309: Thank you very much, Director Shaw.

00:22:32 SPEAKER_309: And next, we'll move on to item 7D.

00:22:32 SPEAKER_309: It's recommended that the Planning and Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting minutes dated February.

00:22:32 SPEAKER_309: Stated February nineteenth, twenty twenty six, be adopted as presented.

00:22:32 SPEAKER_309: And the following resolutions contained therein be endorsed.

00:22:33 SPEAKER_309: The first two were the election of Councillor Kieveny as chair and Councillor Hutchinson as vice chair.

00:22:33 SPEAKER_309: Then we received several reports: CAORP Doc zero five twenty six regarding the update on the green development program.

00:22:33 SPEAKER_309: We also received EDTCP Doc zero three twenty six regarding the twenty twenty.

00:22:33 SPEAKER_309: Six regarding the 2025 Economic Development and Tourism and Culture Annual Report, and number and item five, the 2025 EDTC Annual Report was distributed, and that the report EDTC PDC 0426 regarding the 2026 Economic Development,

00:22:34 SPEAKER_309: Tourism, and Culture Priorities be received for information.

00:22:34 SPEAKER_309: May I ask for a mover and a seconder?

00:22:34 SPEAKER_309: Move by.

00:22:35 SPEAKER_309: Moved by Councillor Coulthard, seconded by Councillor McKay.

00:22:35 SPEAKER_309: It's now on the floor for discussion.

00:22:35 SPEAKER_309: So, oh, okay.

00:22:36 SPEAKER_309: You're not Director Myers.

00:22:36 SPEAKER_309: Good morning.

00:22:37 SPEAKER_309: Thank you.

00:22:37 SPEAKER_309: And I'm just going to speak briefly to item three.

00:22:38 SPEAKER_309: So, the green development program update that was presented to PDEAC.

00:22:38 SPEAKER_309: So, we brought a discussion report about the voluntary green development program that's currently under development.

00:22:39 SPEAKER_309: We will be bringing a full report to council for discussion and debate. in the next couple of months.

00:22:42 SPEAKER_309: The PDC report really focused on the economic development aspects of this program.

00:22:42 SPEAKER_309: This is a program that would allow local developers in Gray County and also our neighbors, Jefferson and Wellington, to apply voluntarily for recognition for the high performance, energy efficiency, resilient design,

00:22:43 SPEAKER_309: and sustainability elements of the residential construction happening.

00:22:43 SPEAKER_309: We'd like to be able to recognize and celebrate these developments through this program.

00:22:43 SPEAKER_309: Currently, we're engaging directly with developers and builders to find out what kind of supports they need and what kind of work they're already doing through an online survey and also some focus groups.

00:22:43 SPEAKER_309: We have good support from the Grey Bruce Home Builders Association and also the Grand Highlands Home Builders Association in Dufferin and Wellington.

00:22:44 SPEAKER_309: We want to understand both how we can be delivering efficient and long-term affordable housing to our residents, while also positioning our development and.

00:22:45 SPEAKER_309: So positioning our development and construction industries to really take advantage of the shift to higher efficiency and more sustainable construction practices.

00:22:45 SPEAKER_309: So we're doing that by by having those conversations and this report focused on that.

00:22:45 SPEAKER_309: So with that, I will hand it over to Director Myers to talk about the balance of the agenda.

00:22:45 SPEAKER_309: But we'll be happy to take questions if there are any.

00:22:45 SPEAKER_309: Thank you.

00:22:46 SPEAKER_309: Good morning, County Council.

00:22:46 SPEAKER_309: We had another lively PDAC meeting.

00:22:47 SPEAKER_309: I just love these meetings. so much.

00:22:48 SPEAKER_309: Lots of great conversation.

00:22:48 SPEAKER_309: So on your desk this morning, you have a copy of the 2025 annual report.

00:22:49 SPEAKER_309: I do have a package here to send home with all of the mayors or deputy mayor, whoever is the representative today,

00:22:49 SPEAKER_309: so that all of your councilors who do not get to sit around this table will also have a copy of it, and your CAs and your economic development staff.

00:22:50 SPEAKER_309: So it was really,

00:22:50 SPEAKER_309: I love this document because it enables us to put all of the reports that we bring every quarter together in one place and sum it all up. and to realize the good work that is

00:22:52 SPEAKER_309: being done right across Gray County.

00:22:52 SPEAKER_309: So I hope that everyone will take some time to take a look through and see what was accomplished in year two of Master Plan implementation.

00:22:52 SPEAKER_309: And there is a little Where's Waldo fun for you because well, doesn't matter if you look at it ten or fifteen times.

00:22:59 SPEAKER_309: There's always going to be a little mistake somewhere.

00:22:59 SPEAKER_309: But we do want to just in the written version because digital is being fixed.

00:22:59 SPEAKER_309: Entrepreneurship and innovation, as lovely as it would have been to have sixty-four businesses purchased. 64 businesses purchased.

00:23:02 SPEAKER_309: It was six, so that that is the real number.

00:23:03 SPEAKER_309: But the exciting one on the next page, where it says 28 short-term rentals for Sydney campus, was actually 287.

00:23:03 SPEAKER_309: So a little number, a number challenge there.

00:23:03 SPEAKER_309: But just wanted to highlight, like we had over 20,000 people go through Sydney campus last year, and over 27,000 go through Great Roots last year, participating in all of the good work that is happening.

00:23:04 SPEAKER_309: So this document really does highlight the culmination of everything in year two. right across our department.

00:23:05 SPEAKER_309: Looking at 2026 priorities, we also introduced the lean-inspired departmental restructure that we went through.

00:23:05 SPEAKER_309: This is a project that we've been undertaking for the past two years, assessing all of the roles within our department, where we needed to maybe reprioritize our focus,

00:23:05 SPEAKER_309: where we needed to better balance what we were doing and who was doing what.

00:23:06 SPEAKER_171: So we're really excited to be able to share with the PDAC committee that we now have a new. structure that is under five different headings.

00:23:07 SPEAKER_171: So we have Manager of Museum and Archives, which you know is Jill Patterson.

00:23:08 SPEAKER_171: Business Development Manager, which used to be Business Enterprise Center Manager, but people don't really understand that development is what they do.

00:23:08 SPEAKER_171: So we have fixed that title.

00:23:08 SPEAKER_171: That is Courtney Miller.

00:23:09 SPEAKER_171: Kalina Sanford is heading up our newest departmental area in Economic Development, Tourism, Culture, which is Strategic Marketing,

00:23:09 SPEAKER_171: and that handles all of our data and all of our long-term marketing strategy. that goes into the work that we're doing.

00:23:10 SPEAKER_171: We also have Lynae Catalan who's taken over economic development, so she's the economic development manager, and then Stephanie Stewart is in community transportation manager.

00:23:10 SPEAKER_171: So we did all of this restructuring to better align ourselves, making sure that we have the mindset, the tools, the resources, and the processes in place,

00:23:10 SPEAKER_171: so that we are taking care of our team while we are working through the master plan to take care of you and your municipalities.

00:23:10 SPEAKER_171: And I think what is so you know exciting about having done this work and assessed it is that. we made all of these changes for a net neutral budget change.

00:23:10 SPEAKER_171: There was no difference at the end of the day, and what that cost was to us.

00:23:10 SPEAKER_171: So we're really excited to have this new structure.

00:23:11 SPEAKER_171: We also talked about the theme of market because 2026 that's where we're heading into the theme of market.

00:23:11 SPEAKER_171: So we have been on a strategic maturing journey since the implementation of our master plan.

00:23:11 SPEAKER_171: Year one was foundational.

00:23:13 SPEAKER_171: That's where we built internal and external capacity, developing core tools, frameworks, and systems so that we can. enable collective action. 2025 was the year of study,

00:23:14 SPEAKER_171: where we were deepening our understanding through research and analysis of our customers and assets, along with trends, challenges, opportunities at the local, provincial, national, and global levels.

00:23:14 SPEAKER_171: So, 2026 market.

00:23:14 SPEAKER_171: What that means is that we are heading into a real focus on communicating and informing.

00:23:14 SPEAKER_171: So, drawing attention to everything that now exists and what we know, the tools, the templates, the opportunities across our region, so that we can advance a unified voice on. priority areas.

00:23:16 SPEAKER_171: So it's not about doing anything new and shiny.

00:23:17 SPEAKER_171: It's about telling the story of what we already have and making sure that we're doing it in a very strategic way.

00:23:18 SPEAKER_171: That starts with every person on our team making sure that we are well informed, we are well aligned, and we are communicating with all of your staff who are member municipalities.

00:23:19 SPEAKER_171: So we just had our economic development working group last week as well to make sure that we are all aligned, and then bringing it to digital, print reports, anything that is that we're going forward,

00:23:19 SPEAKER_171: making sure we're well aligned.

00:23:19 SPEAKER_171: So, lots of information in the report, but I won't go through it all.

00:23:20 SPEAKER_171: If you have any questions, I am happy to provide an answer.

00:23:20 SPEAKER_171: Thank you.

00:23:20 SPEAKER_171: Okay, thank you.

00:23:21 SPEAKER_171: I'll look around the room to see if there are any further questions based on what you've shared and what was in the agenda package.

00:23:21 SPEAKER_171: Okay, excellent.

00:23:21 SPEAKER_171: I don't see any hands raised.

00:23:22 SPEAKER_171: So, with that, I'll call the question.

00:23:22 SPEAKER_171: All those in favor?

00:23:22 SPEAKER_171: And that motion is carried.

00:23:24 SPEAKER_171: Thank you.

00:23:24 SPEAKER_171: We'll now. give Councillor Carleton a moment to excuse herself from the chamber, as we are going to return to the item that she declared an interest for, item six F. Six F. Okay,

00:23:24 SPEAKER_171: it's recommended that report CCR CW zero five twenty six regarding an appointment to the Gray County Agricultural Advisory Committee be received,

00:23:26 SPEAKER_171: and that Emily McQuigg of Gray Gray Agricultural Services be appointed as a member. to the Agricultural Advisory Committee for the remainder of 2022-2026 appointment term.

00:23:26 SPEAKER_171: May I ask for a mover and a seconder?

00:23:26 SPEAKER_171: Thank you.

00:23:27 SPEAKER_171: Moved by Councillor Kevaney, seconded by the Deputy Warden.

00:23:27 SPEAKER_171: It's now on the floor for discussion.

00:23:29 SPEAKER_171: So, Madam Clerk, this is just because there has been a retirement over at Grey County Ag Services, so we need a replacement.

00:23:30 SPEAKER_171: Correct?

00:23:30 SPEAKER_171: Okay.

00:23:30 SPEAKER_171: She is agreeing that that is the reason why we're looking at it this late in the term, and.

00:23:32 SPEAKER_171: I will say that I have had a chance to work with Emily McKeig both McKeig both through the Gray County Agricultural Advisory Circles, but also through the Beaver Valley Fall Fair as well.

00:23:32 SPEAKER_171: And so we will we will have an excellent conduit of information back and forth and input from the Agricultural Services.

00:23:34 SPEAKER_171: So with that, I'll call the question.

00:23:35 SPEAKER_171: Unless there is any questions, don't see any hands up for discussion.

00:23:35 SPEAKER_171: All those in favor?

00:23:35 SPEAKER_171: and that motion is carried.

00:23:35 SPEAKER_171: Thank you.

00:23:35 SPEAKER_171: And with that, thank you.

00:23:35 SPEAKER_171: The deputy CAO is hearkening back, Councillor Carleton.

00:23:35 SPEAKER_171: And at this point in time, we will turn our attention to close close meeting matters.

00:23:36 SPEAKER_171: So it's recommended that the committee, the whole, does now go into closed session pursuant to section two thirty nine two of the Municipal Act two thousand one as amended to discuss a position, plan, procedure,

00:23:37 SPEAKER_171: criteria, or instruction to be applied to any. negotiations carried on or to be carried on on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board, and this is with regards to investment readiness.

00:23:37 SPEAKER_171: May I ask for a mover and a seconder?

00:23:37 SPEAKER_171: Moved by Councillor Patterson, seconded by Councillor Nielsen.

00:23:37 SPEAKER_171: All those in favour, that we go into closed.

00:23:38 SPEAKER_171: Thank you.

00:23:38 SPEAKER_171: That is carried.

00:23:40 SPEAKER_171: We'll give a moment to set up the room.

00:23:40 SPEAKER_171: Okay.

00:23:40 SPEAKER_171: Thank you.

00:23:40 SPEAKER_171: We have come back out of closed session, and I can. report that the committee, the whole, proceeded into closed session to discuss a position, plan, procedure, criteria,

00:23:41 SPEAKER_171: or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality local board regarding investment readiness.

00:23:44 SPEAKER_171: And with that, we move on to other business.

00:23:44 SPEAKER_171: Seeing no hands raised for other business, we'll all put a call out.

00:23:44 SPEAKER_171: Are there any notices or motion to serve today?

00:23:45 SPEAKER_171: Looking around the room. and online, not seen any.

00:23:45 SPEAKER_171: In that case, then we'll look for a motion to adjourn.

00:23:46 SPEAKER_171: We've got it moved by moved by the deputy warden and seconded by alternate councillor Allwood.

00:23:46 SPEAKER_171: All those in favor?

00:23:46 SPEAKER_171: And this meeting is adjourned.

00:23:47 SPEAKER_171: Thank you very much.