Owen Sound Committee - Tom Thomson Art Gallery Advisory Meeting Transcript — January 13, 2026

00:00:20 Speaker 01: All right, welcome everyone.

00:00:21 Speaker 01: It's two o'clock on January the thirteenth, two thousand twenty-six.

00:00:26 Speaker 01: Doesn't really feel like a January the thirteenth out there today, but thank you for joining us, everyone that's here.

00:00:32 Speaker 01: We are absent from the meeting this afternoon.

00:00:47 Speaker 01: Mr. Hopkins, Ms. McCarroll, and Ms. Coles are not in attendance here, but we do have quorum.

00:01:00 Speaker 01: So, welcome everyone to start of the new year.

00:01:06 Speaker 01: And first item then is additional business.

00:01:10 Speaker 01: Is there any additional business from members this afternoon?

00:01:19 Speaker 01: Not seeing any.

00:01:24 Speaker 01: Any declarations of interest to be made at this time?

00:01:32 Speaker 01: Not seeing any confirmation of minutes and there's two sets here.

00:01:55 Speaker 01: One is the minutes of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery Advisory Committee meeting held on September 24th, and minutes of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery Advisory Committee meeting held on December 3rd.

00:02:14 Speaker 02: We did not have quorum at that.

00:02:21 Speaker 02: My apologies for not being able to make it.

00:02:30 Speaker 02: So there was no conversation or question at council regarding those minutes from September.

00:02:42 Speaker 02: So I'm just looking for a motion to receive, moved by member Tovell, and any questions?

00:02:48 Speaker 02: No questions to those minutes.

00:02:53 Speaker 02: All those in favor, and that's carried.

00:02:56 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:02:59 Speaker 02: We have a few deputations and presentations this afternoon.

00:03:18 Speaker 02: We have our clerk joining us, and I think she would like to introduce item 5A, which is regarding committee structure considerations coming up in front of council.

00:03:33 Speaker 02: So I'll just pass it over to Brianna.

00:03:35 Speaker 02: Welcome, Brianna.

00:03:39 Speaker 02: Thank you, Chair, and through you to the committee.

00:03:47 Speaker 02: In 2024, council directed that staff prepare a report on committee structure options.

00:03:57 Speaker 02: This report was presented to council on December 15, 2025.

00:04:11 Speaker 02: At that meeting, council requested that staff consult with the city's standing committees and the Art Gallery Advisory Committee prior to them making a decision.

00:04:32 Speaker 02: The report and presentation that went to council were linked through this meeting agenda.

00:04:46 Speaker 02: Today, I will present a few background slides and then facilitate the discussion of four questions that were provided to you with the agenda.

00:05:05 Speaker 02: The purpose of this discussion is to receive feedback and insight from public members.

00:05:21 Speaker 02: This feedback will be presented to Council in February, and if Council decides to make changes to the committee structure, they will not take effect until 2027.

00:05:34 Speaker 02: So, what is a committee?

00:05:43 Speaker 02: The Municipal Act says that a committee includes advisory committees, subcommittees, or similar entities established by council.

00:06:06 Speaker 03: The purpose of a committee is to assist council in decision making, policy development, and oversight of specific areas; deeper discussion of issues, and an avenue for public input.

00:06:20 Speaker 03: For Owen Sound, committees are subject to the same procedural bylaw requirements as council meetings.

00:06:33 Speaker 03: Committees are flexible tools for governance, and there is no right or wrong answer for how they should be structured.

00:06:44 Speaker 03: As you can imagine, every municipality has a different approach to committees.

00:06:54 Speaker 03: Council needs to determine what the right fit is for Owen Sound.

00:07:08 Speaker 03: This is a visual representation of our committee structure: we have three standing committees, one advisory committee, and an ad hoc committee.

00:07:25 Speaker 03: Our standing and advisory committees have public members, and our ad hoc committees do not.

00:07:35 Speaker 02: There are five public members and four council members on standing committees; you know how many people are on this committee.

00:07:44 Speaker 02: Council retains decision-making authority.

00:07:48 Speaker 02: Committees may be delegated specific tasks.

00:08:01 Speaker 03: Committees are used by council to deepen discussion, hear deputations, and bring subject matter expertise to council and help them with decision-making authority.

00:08:15 Speaker 03: And council retains decision-making authority.

00:08:24 Speaker 03: Minutes for all of these committees are provided to council for approval.

00:08:41 Speaker 03: When considering committee structure, we are looking at factors such as the number and types of committees, the involvement of public members, and other elements such as the time of meetings.

00:09:02 Speaker 03: Such as the time of meetings to ensure that decision-making processes are transparent, inclusive, and aligned with the community's long-term vision.

00:09:22 Speaker 03: Staff explored a variety of committee structure options, but six were presented to council for consideration: Option one is to maintain the current structure with enhancements; Option two, transition to a two-committee structure; Option three,

00:09:48 Speaker 04: transition to a three-committee structure; Option four, transition to a four-committee structure; Option five, transition to a seven-committee structure; or Option six, transition to an expanded committee of the whole structure.

00:10:12 Speaker 04: Today's discussion at this committee is not about which of these options should be selected, but about obtaining feedback from public members that can help inform council's decision on the structure.

00:10:39 Speaker 04: Now that I've given you a bit of background, I will turn it over to this committee for discussion.

00:11:02 Speaker 05: So the first question I presented is: as a public member, what challenges or drawbacks have you observed with the city's current committee structure?

00:11:13 Speaker 05: Okay, so back and forth we'll go a little bit.

00:11:28 Speaker 05: This was a really good report that went to council late last year, and Councillor Koepke and myself, along with all other members of council,

00:11:54 Speaker 05: were certainly keen on listening to any feedback that we heard back through the committees to inform the decision when it comes back to us.

00:12:19 Speaker 02: So I'm not sure even if something strikes you after the meeting; I think we would certainly want a pathway for you to be comfortable sending correspondence to Brianna.

00:12:33 Speaker 02: I see her nodding.

00:12:42 Speaker 01: So don't think that just because something escapes the thought process here today, it has to pass you by;

00:12:58 Speaker 02: we'll certainly be willing and happy to hear comments that might come forward when you're thinking after the fact.

00:13:07 Speaker 02: But further to Brianna's first comment: there is a first question.

00:13:22 Speaker 02: I'll just open it to members of the committee.

00:13:29 Speaker 02: Is there any thoughts?

00:13:32 Speaker 02: Member Tobah?

00:13:40 Speaker 06: Okay, I'm sorry to ask a really stupid question, but would you mind, Brianna, going back to where this started from and why?

00:13:52 Speaker 06: Through you, Chair.

00:13:57 Speaker 06: So basically, council requested that staff do a review of our committee structure.

00:14:06 Speaker 06: That was back in 2024.

00:14:18 Speaker 01: So that is why staff prepared a report about the different options that Council could look at.

00:14:31 Speaker 01: But what were the issues that they had to look at?

00:14:37 Speaker 01: I mean, what was the problem?

00:14:42 Speaker 01: What were the problems?

00:14:49 Speaker 07: What were the issues that you had to actually do this review?

00:15:06 Speaker 07: My understanding is that it had been a number of years since the last review, and also we were doing a new strategic plan.

00:15:32 Speaker 02: So they wanted to make sure that whatever structure we wanted to go with still aligned with that new strategic plan that was approved this or last year.

00:15:58 Speaker 02: Yeah, if I could just add on, that was some good comments, particularly the alignment with the new strategic plan, but certainly Councillor Koepke's vast professional experience here—you've seen a multitude of different committee structures.

00:16:17 Speaker 02: Something that when I started, we used to meet as committees in the basement boardroom, and this is just an opportunity to have consideration:

00:16:41 Speaker 02: Even do we have better conversations around this table than we had around the boardroom table in the basement?

00:16:48 Speaker 02: Things have changed.

00:16:54 Speaker 02: We're on video right now, and some people's comfort levels might be different.

00:17:17 Speaker 02: Speaking to the camera per se, where others I've seen over the years were excellent committee members, but maybe a little bit quieter in this domain as opposed to when we were within the boardroom environment.

00:17:31 Speaker 02: So I think there's just kind of a multitude of different...

00:17:38 Speaker 02: I've seen different structures when I started.

00:17:51 Speaker 08: We were meeting; we had a bylaw committee, we had a fire committee, yeah, many different committees, different structures.

00:18:00 Speaker 08: So this is again reviewing.

00:18:07 Speaker 04: I don't want to say best practices.

00:18:12 Speaker 04: I'm not sure there are any best practices.

00:18:18 Speaker 04: Doing some amalgamation of some of them or separating...

00:18:28 Speaker 04: This is why.

00:18:29 Speaker 02: But yeah, potentially.

00:18:32 Speaker 02: What the thrust of the whole thing is?

00:18:39 Speaker 02: That's what I'm confused about.

00:18:41 Speaker 02: Yeah, potentially.

00:19:00 Speaker 09: I think staff have also brought the report back just listening to comments and concerns from council over the last couple of years in terms of initiating a review to see if this is the best

00:19:16 Speaker 09: format.

00:19:20 Speaker 09: I'll just go to Councillor Koepke next.

00:19:36 Speaker 09: Just to add, I think what might be confusing for particularly this Art Gallery Committee is that it is a board that looks after the art gallery and the operation of it,

00:19:52 Speaker 04: and all the exhibits and programs, etc., whereas the other committees fall into the strategic plan of the city; not that the Art Gallery doesn't, but they're more specific.

00:20:05 Speaker 04: And I think these recommendations may be applied to the other standing advisory committees...

00:20:21 Speaker 03: The operations and community services and corporate services under those three purviews, and the goals of the strategic plan that fit under those.

00:20:34 Speaker 02: Our gallery is in sort of the cultural realm.

00:20:43 Speaker 02: However, it does kind of act as a different animal compared to those other committees.

00:20:50 Speaker 02: So I think that's what's confusing for people around this board.

00:21:00 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:21:04 Speaker 05: It's very appropriate.

00:21:08 Speaker 05: Member Montgomery, go ahead.

00:21:16 Speaker 05: I just want to say that I actually agree with you, Marian, in that being on this committee for about the last year,

00:21:36 Speaker 05: I don't feel like I have as much experience as if I were on any other committee because we only meet four times a year, and it's always in the purview of the public forum.

00:21:59 Speaker 05: And I have some ideas myself about some of these comments, but possibly even more due to other interactions with City Council than being on this committee.

00:22:14 Speaker 10: So... yeah.

00:22:32 Speaker 10: I wonder if I could just ask staff: are you looking for only comments from the Art Gallery Committee with respect to the art gallery, or are you looking at comments from all committees?

00:23:04 Speaker 10: Through you, Chair, we're looking for any feedback you'd like to give to help council decide what is best for a committee structure.

00:23:20 Speaker 10: So yes, if you have ideas for this committee specifically, that's great.

00:23:32 Speaker 10: But if you know...

00:23:50 Speaker 02: Linda, you've been to other council meetings; if you have ideas on things that could help improve our structure, then we want to hear that, and that's sort of what the opportunity today is.

00:24:18 Speaker 04: Or also, as like the Chair said, if something comes up over the next couple weeks that you think, "Oh, I should have mentioned this," feel free to send me an email,

00:24:38 Speaker 04: and we can provide those comments to council as well.

00:24:42 Speaker 04: Okay, thanks.

00:24:45 Speaker 04: Any thoughts then with question one?

00:24:51 Speaker 04: Or I'll just pass it back to Brianna, then advance to the next one.

00:24:58 Speaker 04: Go ahead, Brianna.

00:25:06 Speaker 04: Through Chair, the next question kind of relates to the first one: if there were some challenges that you found while finding issues with this structure,

00:25:20 Speaker 04: is there anything... do you have any solutions that you think could help with those challenges?

00:25:28 Speaker 04: Go ahead, Kelsey.

00:25:31 Speaker 07: Thank you.

00:25:39 Speaker 07: I didn't say that there were any challenges; this is my first sort of term.

00:25:52 Speaker 07: Like I'm relatively new to being on a committee, and also I'm not familiar with any previous ones.

00:26:17 Speaker 11: Like I read the report and everything, but it's sort of all theoretical in my mind.

00:26:28 Speaker 11: Like I have no other experience to compare it to.

00:26:35 Speaker 11: But having read the staff report, I do...

00:26:46 Speaker 11: I am in support of the idea of making all terms the same length and reducing them to two years.

00:27:05 Speaker 11: I just think from an onboarding perspective that is something I can speak to; somebody who onboarded recently thinks it might provide some efficiencies in that area.

00:27:17 Speaker 11: I think it might provide a more smooth transition.

00:27:28 Speaker 03: So, yeah, that was something that I thought was positive.

00:27:32 Speaker 03: Okay.

00:27:33 Speaker 03: Thank you.

00:27:36 Speaker 03: And there's nothing too outlandish to put out there for sure.

00:27:53 Speaker 10: If somebody were to say "meet on Wednesday evenings at seven-thirty inside the gallery," staff might wince a little bit.

00:28:09 Speaker 10: But you know... anything is possible in terms of thoughts.

00:28:16 Speaker 10: So not seeing any further comments?

00:28:22 Speaker 10: Oh, go ahead, Linda.

00:28:25 Speaker 10: Thank you.

00:28:31 Speaker 10: I do actually have a question about the same topic: numbers of meetings.

00:28:55 Speaker 02: And I guess you've consulted with a lot of people because two years on one hand seems like a short period of time to get anything accomplished, and four years seems onerous.

00:29:16 Speaker 02: So there does seem to be movement toward bringing it down to a common term kind of thing, and I think that's more representative of modern day...

00:29:30 Speaker 02: Is that where the sort of push for the two-year term came from?

00:29:51 Speaker 02: Through you, Chair, I would say part of it is just to try to change things up to encourage more public participation.

00:30:11 Speaker 08: We typically have a lack of applicants, so we thought maybe the three-year longer term was scaring people away, and perhaps a smaller term might be more enticing for them.

00:30:33 Speaker 04: But like you said, it does take time to learn how municipal government and committees work, so you do sort of need that learning curve to get onto it.

00:30:56 Speaker 04: So we thought two years might just be a better timeframe for a committee member; but also people could reapply if they're enjoying something and it's working for their schedule.

00:31:17 Speaker 04: So it's not to say that they couldn't continue on with the work after the two years.

00:31:26 Speaker 04: Thanks, Brianna.

00:31:35 Speaker 04: And what is the rule on consecutive terms for public members?

00:31:44 Speaker 04: Currently through you, Chair, it's six years concurrently, and then you need to take a break.

00:32:12 Speaker 05: But currently, that could be waived by a two-thirds of council vote if they decided they wanted to; if somebody wanted to go for nine years, they could potentially continue to do that.

00:32:27 Speaker 05: But right now, in our bylaw, it is six years; the maximum.

00:32:33 Speaker 05: Thank you.

00:32:51 Speaker 02: And would you, if the rule changed to being two-year terms, would you change the other rule to being three consecutive terms, or would you bring that down to four?

00:33:00 Speaker 02: Like rather four years?

00:33:04 Speaker 02: Sorry, that's a great question.

00:33:14 Speaker 02: I think right now we're considering leaving it at six, but we're still sort of early days.

00:33:43 Speaker 02: That council may... you know, I'm really not sure where council stands on some of these things because when we brought this initial report to them, they said let's go out to committees first.

00:34:05 Speaker 10: So depending on council's feedback at the next report, there may be changes to that.

00:34:11 Speaker 10: Go ahead, Peter.

00:34:24 Speaker 10: Sorry, I just wanted to actually support Linda's comment because my concern was the fact in going from two to three,

00:34:37 Speaker 03: and my experience is it's very hard to do something in a two-year period in a committee.

00:34:53 Speaker 03: But I feel better now by saying you can actually have like three consecutive terms, and that makes more sense to me.

00:35:04 Speaker 03: So that's okay now.

00:35:05 Speaker 02: Councillor Cepi?

00:35:11 Speaker 02: Again, to staff, I'm a little confused when I look at some of the background material that was given.

00:35:25 Speaker 02: It shows the art gallery as a separate advisory committee; or is it being absorbed with one of the other committees?

00:35:34 Speaker 02: Through you, Chair.

00:35:42 Speaker 02: If you're referring to that original report, there are a couple of options presented where the art gallery would become part of a larger committee,

00:36:08 Speaker 02: or if it were to maintain this—if council decides to maintain the status quo—then there wouldn't be any changes to this committee.

00:36:23 Speaker 03: But it is one of the options presented to council for consideration.

00:36:57 Speaker 03: Thank you; and through the Chair, the only concern that I have with a larger committee amalgamation is with respect to the funding that we receive through the Arts Councils,

00:37:08 Speaker 09: and in particular the Provincial Ontario Arts Council, in their criteria.

00:37:19 Speaker 09: In the past, we've applied through their operating grant stream for public art galleries, and as eligibility criteria, they do mention a dedicated advisory committee.

00:37:35 Speaker 09: They have indicated that some of these eligibility criteria may be changing, and we're just waiting on that update.

00:37:45 Speaker 09: Brianna's aware of it; Tim's aware of that as well.

00:37:58 Speaker 09: But I think from their perspective, they do like to see a certain amount of expertise at that committee level from the public and public involvement.

00:38:11 Speaker 09: So that's the comment that I would make.

00:38:22 Speaker 09: So if I can continue... then I don't know if this fits in with the questions or not.

00:38:32 Speaker 09: And I know the questions are for the public, not council.

00:38:46 Speaker 09: But I just have a concern that the focus of the art gallery is going to get lost in a bigger committee,

00:38:58 Speaker 09: and the interest of the public won't be there the same as if it were specific to the art gallery.

00:39:07 Speaker 09: I'll go to Brianna just for some feedback.

00:39:16 Speaker 09: But I see some heads nodding from the public members here as well, just to support those comments or concerns.

00:39:25 Speaker 09: Go ahead, Brianna.

00:39:27 Speaker 09: Thank you, Chair.

00:39:32 Speaker 09: I can certainly bring those comments back to Council, and I would just speak to the Director's comments.

00:39:44 Speaker 09: We certainly wouldn't be doing anything that would jeopardize the funding.

00:39:54 Speaker 09: We're monitoring that; so depending on where we're at, things may not be able to change.

00:40:06 Speaker 09: But we are monitoring that because if they are relaxed, then maybe it is something council wants to consider.

00:40:13 Speaker 09: Okay?

00:40:17 Speaker 09: And you want to comment or next question?

00:40:19 Speaker 09: Nope.

00:40:20 Speaker 09: Okay, go ahead, Linda.

00:40:30 Speaker 09: Again, supporting Marion's comments: for example, myself, I'm here because this is a committee dedicated to the gallery interests,

00:40:51 Speaker 09: and if I thought that was going to be watered down a little bit—and I'd be obligated to look at other things' interests or issues in a broader committee—then... then if you have trouble already getting

00:41:03 Speaker 09: people,

00:41:07 Speaker 09: this is one place they can hang their hat on.

00:41:12 Speaker 09: Thank you.

00:41:14 Speaker 09: Okay, good comments.

00:41:22 Speaker 09: I think you did an excellent job of actually leading into the next question there; summarized pretty well.

00:41:29 Speaker 09: Back to you, Rena?

00:41:37 Speaker 09: So the third question is: What else should council know to help them with their decision about the city's committee structure?

00:41:45 Speaker 09: Basically just an open-ended question.

00:41:52 Speaker 09: If you have any feedback that I could share with them... and just mention particular interests speaking exactly to that.

00:41:58 Speaker 09: Go ahead, Kelsey.

00:42:05 Speaker 09: Yeah, this is actually just sort of a piggyback on Linda's comment.

00:42:21 Speaker 09: In the report there was—it read that by specifically looking at option three—the idea was that it was expected to generate greater public interest, making participation more meaningful and relevant.

00:42:45 Speaker 09: I sort of disagree with that premise, to be honest, because I think once you expand the scope of committees, it sort of muddies the focus and therefore muddies the interest.

00:42:58 Speaker 09: Just like Linda said; she's here specifically for art gallery business, and that's what interests her.

00:43:18 Speaker 09: And I also wonder about... sort of the advisory committee wanting one of its mandates to have artists—like be comprised of a certain number of dedicated artist seats.

00:43:35 Speaker 03: Like, what happens to those opportunities for specific voices to be amplified or given that direct chance?

00:43:48 Speaker 03: And I don't know; maybe that's something being considered in this new structure as well.

00:43:57 Speaker 03: But I do think that is important.

00:44:04 Speaker 09: You hit on something that does exist: the certain requirements.

00:44:12 Speaker 09: So I'll go to staff just to explain what those requirements are.

00:44:16 Speaker 09: Perhaps...

00:44:19 Speaker 09: I see Brian.

00:44:21 Speaker 09: I see Brianna respond?

00:44:29 Speaker 09: Through you, Chair, that's a great comment; and that was something we put in our board and committee bylaw.

00:44:46 Speaker 09: I think in the last few years, actually, there's been a requirement that there be an artist, and certainly something we could flow through to any new committee structure if that's the wish of council.

00:45:00 Speaker 09: Okay, Marion, next.

00:45:15 Speaker 09: Just generally on the committee structure and reducing it to two committees plus a finance committee concerns me greatly because staff are being pulled because of these strategic priorities.

00:45:32 Speaker 09: The same staff member may have to attend them all because the different priorities are there, and I'm just concerned about that.

00:45:48 Speaker 09: I can't see how this is reducing staff time; to me, it's putting more pressure on staff and more demand for reports from staff at each of these committees as well as at council committees.

00:46:05 Speaker 09: So that's just a kind of general observation.

00:46:20 Speaker 09: And the one thing I don't know if this is the time to talk about or not: when they have a committee of the whole structure and a council structure, years ago we did that.

00:46:42 Speaker 09: One meeting of the month was committee of the whole; the next meeting was council, and it took at the second meeting to confirm all of and ratify all of the decisions from the first meeting,

00:46:57 Speaker 09: so it took longer for the process.

00:47:08 Speaker 01: So I really don't see going backwards in that way as how it's going to help things move along.

00:47:18 Speaker 01: Okay, thanks, Marion.

00:47:19 Speaker 01: Linda, next.

00:47:20 Speaker 01: Thank you.

00:47:35 Speaker 01: This is not pertaining particularly to the last question, but I did notice back in the report on page eight and nine that the number of meetings being compared for all of the different committees;

00:47:56 Speaker 01: I'm just curious where the four meetings a year for this committee came into being, and if there's any thought that it's going to change.

00:48:04 Speaker 09: Thank you.

00:48:09 Speaker 09: I'll go to the Director for a response there.

00:48:22 Speaker 09: And you know, just looking at the Clerk and the Director to my left: we had meetings that were canceled and maybe had agendas that were light.

00:48:42 Speaker 09: So when the committees were restructured to align with the three departments—corporate services, operations, and community services—and then the Art Gallery, there was a time where the Art Gallery was independent and more arm's length,

00:49:05 Speaker 09: and then when it came back into the city just to make sure we had enough content and meaningful agendas, we went to a four-times-a-year sort of format.

00:49:29 Speaker 09: All committees take a break in August; it does sometimes feel like a long time between meetings, but I think it was just to try to have full and meaningful agendas four times a year.

00:49:45 Speaker 09: But certainly if there's a better number, we're open to that feedback.

00:49:57 Speaker 09: That's just going from memory, and we might be able to go back and find it in a report.

00:50:17 Speaker 09: It's good question challenging us in terms of our memory recall or recollections on how it was structured; we needed Councillor Dodd at her fingertips because he sat in the committee for many years.

00:50:32 Speaker 09: He would have recalled pretty quickly.

00:50:35 Speaker 09: So any other questions, comments?

00:50:37 Speaker 09: Not seeing them yet.

00:50:39 Speaker 09: Oh, Kelsey.

00:50:41 Speaker 09: Okay, go ahead, Kelsey.

00:50:52 Speaker 09: And maybe this is what Marion was touching upon a little bit, and maybe this is my own ignorance around committee structures and bylaws—all that great laws and all of that stuff.

00:51:14 Speaker 09: I have a hard time understanding if there were to be an option where there would be council but also this governance and finance committee comprised entirely of council members.

00:51:34 Speaker 09: I don't really know if I fully understand what that means because I don't know the difference between just like a council meeting as council and a council meeting as the governance and finance committee.

00:51:48 Speaker 09: So I don't know if there's room to explain that through you, Chair.

00:51:54 Speaker 09: That's a great question.

00:52:07 Speaker 09: Basically, how that would work is it would be all of council; they talk about things and make decisions on similar committees, then those minutes go back to council as a formal council body for approval.

00:52:28 Speaker 09: They would make decisions, but since everyone was there at the original meeting, likely everything would probably go through at the council meeting as well.

00:52:48 Speaker 09: But it's just to have all the players at that meeting because a lot of the information pertains to sort of internal matters relating to staff;

00:53:03 Speaker 09: so that was sort of the idea behind having it more focused on having all of council members present.

00:53:14 Speaker 09: Also, we do struggle with corporate services typically getting public members on that committee.

00:53:21 Speaker 09: I'll go to Peter next, then Marion.

00:53:25 Speaker 09: Now there we go—now we got it.

00:53:30 Speaker 09: What's my question going to be?

00:53:39 Speaker 09: I just have a little concern about the members of those two committees being total council members.

00:54:00 Speaker 09: My experience is now there are larger boards among the University of Toronto where actually finance and governance are broken down by people who actually have expertise, they report back to the whole,

00:54:19 Speaker 01: and seems to be more effective way of doing it because otherwise other people waste time; others might have some interest or expertise but not necessarily useful.

00:54:28 Speaker 01: Go ahead, Mayor.

00:54:31 Speaker 01: Thank you.

00:54:39 Speaker 01: On the topic of this finance and governance committee: I see that would deal with all financial matters.

00:55:00 Speaker 01: Sometimes council or committees will see the same presentation a few times, and then by the time it gets to council they've seen it maybe a third or fourth time;

00:55:09 Speaker 01: that may be something they're trying to avoid.

00:55:17 Speaker 01: So dealing directly with council... however, I do have a concern that the public is not participating in finance or governance.

00:55:39 Speaker 01: I know council is the be-all and end-all of decisions but it's very valuable, I think, to have public input into those committees or topics because they are taxpayers;

00:56:14 Speaker 01: often community services for instance when we do service analysis type things there are lots of good ideas come from committee members on what we should be doing next or where finance focus should go in

00:56:24 Speaker 01: the community and I would hate to see those lost.

00:56:25 Speaker 01: Okay, I'll go to Linda next.

00:56:26 Speaker 01: Oh, I think she's just collecting; the pen is working hard.

00:56:26 Speaker 01: So I'll go in opposite order to what my original question was: but with what you brought up Marion, wouldn't public members on committees have had a chance to state some of those great ideas?

00:56:27 Speaker 01: And then shouldn't they bring forward those ideas to council?

00:56:28 Speaker 01: But you're saying there's more weight put upon those ideas if the council or public member is actually there.

00:56:28 Speaker 01: Yeah.

00:56:28 Speaker 01: Okay.

00:56:28 Speaker 01: Thank you.

00:56:29 Speaker 01: I did have one other question, Brianna: in what you described regarding the finance meeting, is that basically an in camera meeting?

00:56:29 Speaker 01: Through you Chair: No, it would not be in camera.

00:56:29 Speaker 01: It would be an open public meeting like our other committees unless they needed to look at an HR matter relating to negotiations.

00:56:29 Speaker 01: Perhaps they would go into closed session but it would still be an open meeting where the public could view it on our website or attend to ask questions or watch the meeting.

00:56:29 Speaker 01: Okay, I think we went around on that one.

00:56:29 Speaker 01: And if you want to introduce the fourth question Brianna, go ahead through Chair: and the last question is are there ways committee structure or processes could better support participation from public members?

00:56:30 Speaker 01: Thoughts from any other members?

00:56:30 Speaker 01: Okay, I guess we're doing a good job right now.

00:56:32 Speaker 01: Go ahead Kelsey.

00:56:32 Speaker 01: Well I think that thing like we're here sitting on a committee so you've already sort of reached us.

00:56:32 Speaker 01: I think the question is really how do you encourage public participation in the folks that are currently feeling unheard, and the folks who are not showing up or volunteering to be on committee,

00:56:33 Speaker 01: or don't really understand?

00:56:33 Speaker 01: So that's kind of a hard question I feel to answer; in a way, you know.

00:56:33 Speaker 01: Yeah, I'm not sure what Briana wants to say.

00:56:34 Speaker 01: I know just in my time I've seen a multitude of different personalities and some excel in this format and others are much more introverted.

00:56:35 Speaker 01: Perhaps I can think one member of operations committee many years ago.

00:56:35 Speaker 01: I don't think he'd say a word in this setting, but he was an excellent committee member just in a less formal context so made some great contributions,

00:56:35 Speaker 01: but they might not as been as valuable in this type of environment.

00:56:35 Speaker 01: So I'm just I think we're just listening to any thoughts pros and cons of how we're currently structured and what we can do better or consider doing in a little different fashion.

00:56:35 Speaker 01: But go ahead Briana through your chair we're just going to give some ideas of things that you know we've thought about but you know like we received a lot of positive feedback about our orientation

00:56:36 Speaker 01: that we held last turn or last year which was a larger orientation down at the Bayshore so not something we've typically done but we did receive some positive feedback about that.

00:56:36 Speaker 01: I don't know if that helped any of you sort of kick off your committee terms and this committee meets during the day.

00:56:38 Speaker 01: You all seem to be able to manage that.

00:56:38 Speaker 01: But if you know if like Deputy Mayor Greig said is seven o'clock a better time for these types of meetings?

00:56:38 Speaker 01: You know feedback like that also is beneficial so I'm not seeing anything further and I think you've provided exactly what staff were hoping to get out of this.

00:56:38 Speaker 01: It's just some general comments and they've been making notes and it'll just all be collected and considered when they're bringing the report back before council.

00:56:39 Speaker 01: So I'm glad that everyone's being engaged and providing their thoughts so it's helpful and that's speaking on behalf of all council for sure.

00:56:39 Speaker 01: So thank you Briana and we will go to item 5B which is to the director Aidan to look back at fall highlights from 2025.

00:56:39 Speaker 01: From two thousand and twenty-five is going to come to the podium for this presentation.

00:56:41 Speaker 01: Thank you and through the chair it's my pleasure to provide you with an update on the many successes the galleries had since our last committee meeting and of course we didn't have Aidan at that

00:56:41 Speaker 01: meeting so we're going to go over some of the great things that happened during the fall.

00:56:41 Speaker 01: And so this presentation really is intended to provide you with some visuals and an overview of some of the highlights which are more detailed in the update report you will have received previously and which

00:56:41 Speaker 01: was republished with this agenda.

00:56:41 Speaker 01: And I just want to really start by acknowledging you know the excellent work of the gallery staff throughout the year their commitment and professionalism their creativity professionalism their creativity it really and truly is at

00:56:41 Speaker 01: the heart of all of the gallery's successes so many thanks to them.

00:56:42 Speaker 01: So looking back we really do have a lot to celebrate this year.

00:56:42 Speaker 01: And one of those great things was the welcome reception at Cobble Beach for the Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance which had an attendance of 140 including many international guests who were there to participate in this

00:56:42 Speaker 01: annual celebration of art and automobiles.

00:56:42 Speaker 01: The welcome reception led into a weekend of automobile appreciation throughout the city and included Concord Lemon which took place just outside the gallery on First Avenue West and that typically attracts hundreds of people.

00:56:43 Speaker 01: On Saturday the twenty-fifth of September we welcomed art experts Perry Tong and Patrick Staheli from Cali Abbott for an appraisal day at the Tom.

00:56:43 Speaker 01: Fifteen patrons participated in this event and all of the proceeds went towards the gallery and in early October we bid farewell to the LEGO Chichimán installation as it pulled out of port.

00:56:43 Speaker 01: Created by local LEGO enthusiast Ken Reed this incredible model was over nine feet long and built from more than 92,000 LEGO bricks.

00:56:43 Speaker 01: Ken started this project in February of twenty-five and spent over six hundred hours recreating the big canoe.

00:56:43 Speaker 01: It was such an honor to have it at the Gallery and Tourism throughout the summer months and on October the eighteenth we celebrated the opening of Bianca Nam's exhibition where the willows weep and orchids

00:56:44 Speaker 01: dream which was recently just featured in a CBC article.

00:56:44 Speaker 01: If you haven't had a chance to see that do look that up.

00:56:44 Speaker 01: And this opened alongside Convergence historically very popular juried art exhibition that the gallery brought back this year.

00:56:45 Speaker 01: And the Tom's juried exhibition is dedicated to contemporary artwork with a renewed focus on environmental themes and it just actually ended up closing.

00:56:45 Speaker 01: We are now in installation mode for the next set of shows which will open on January the twenty-fourth from two to four.

00:56:47 Speaker 01: But the Convergence exhibition really showcased the work of both emerging and established artists from across Ontario.

00:56:47 Speaker 01: We'll be presenting it every two years and it offers artists the opportunity to exhibit in a professional gallery setting and connect with diverse audiences.

00:56:47 Speaker 01: We received just under three hundred submissions this year which was absolutely outstanding and a lot of work for our jurors who included Owen Sound artist Christine Moran Jennifer Norman who's the executive director of the

00:56:48 Speaker 01: Durham Art Gallery and Martin Pierce who's the associate professor studio art at the University of Guelph.

00:56:48 Speaker 01: So I'm just going to flip through some really nice pictures of those openings there.

00:56:48 Speaker 01: And the gallery piloted a trivia night at Boston Pizza in Owen Sound while we didn't have a large crowd they did have a very wonderful time so we're looking at trying this again and maybe

00:56:48 Speaker 01: hosting it at the gallery in 2026.

00:56:48 Speaker 01: Our much-anticipated paddle art contest returned this year once again in partnership with Algonquin Outfitters.

00:56:48 Speaker 01: This initiative celebrates Tom Thomson's love of the outdoors while encouraging community creativity.

00:56:49 Speaker 01: Paddles were made available for purchase at the gallery with the online auction of those designed paddles occurring in November.

00:56:49 Speaker 01: This initiative particularly supports the Huntsville Festival of the Arts and the Huntsville Art Society.

00:56:49 Speaker 01: Since its inception the project has raised more than 104,000 dollars and the gallery received six thousand dollars in two thousand twenty-five.

00:56:49 Speaker 01: And the proceeds of that went towards supporting the Convergence exhibition.

00:56:49 Speaker 01: You can see some of those great paddles here.

00:56:50 Speaker 01: On October the twenty-eighth the gallery was featured on the CBC Morning Show live in Owen Sound with Heather Hiscox and she managed to profile the exhibition all calm and calamity as well as the conservation

00:56:50 Speaker 01: work that was being undertaken by Georgian Bay Art Conservation on the gallery's recent acquisition of three Tom Thomson paintings so this was quite special for us.

00:56:50 Speaker 01: The following day we welcomed twenty-six people to the Tom from the Mary Morton Tours in London Ontario for a special guided tour of our exhibitions and there you can see them all just outside below

00:56:51 Speaker 01: the sign on our ramp.

00:56:51 Speaker 01: And just a few days after that we celebrated Palette to Palette a fundraiser.

00:56:51 Speaker 01: Palette to Palette a fundraising event in support of the Tom it was an absolute standout success for the gallery.

00:56:51 Speaker 09: There are a few more pictures in the next slide deck that I'll be presenting on behalf of our fundraising coordinator despite coinciding with Game Seven of the Toronto Blue Jays playoffs the event saw excellent

00:56:52 Speaker 09: attendance and strong community support.

00:56:53 Speaker 09: We had all eight tasting station tables sponsored and guests enjoyed an evening celebrating all things Canadian art food culture and the net proceeds for this event are anticipated to be just over ten thousand dollars.

00:56:53 Speaker 09: And then here are a few pictures of some of the tours and things that we have East Ridge School Make Art on November the eighteenth.

00:56:54 Speaker 09: We had an artist talk with Bianca Nam which was really incredible to hear such a young artist talk about her practice and where she's been and where she's going.

00:56:54 Speaker 09: And finally, just thank you.

00:56:54 Speaker 09: It's been a tremendous year for the Tom.

00:56:54 Speaker 09: Two thousand and twenty-five was a tremendous year for the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

00:56:55 Speaker 09: We have so much to be proud of.

00:56:55 Speaker 09: We extend our appreciation to all of the volunteer teams and the advisory committee for your support and for your continued belief that art matters and that it can change lives.

00:56:55 Speaker 09: Thank you.

00:56:56 Speaker 09: Okay.

00:56:57 Speaker 09: Thank you very much, Eden.

00:56:57 Speaker 09: And looking back at those slideshows, it has me smiling.

00:56:57 Speaker 09: That one night, the launch of the first exhibition, the hall was quite full, and I think it was Heather encouraged people just to move a little tighter and away from the wall.

00:56:57 Speaker 09: Which it was; it was kind of funny how she would speak softly to the crowd to keep the collection secure where it was.

00:56:58 Speaker 09: So, and it was great that night to see the two gentlemen from Algonquin Outfitters as well in the building that night.

00:56:58 Speaker 09: So any questions from committee members regarding the presentation?

00:56:58 Speaker 09: Not seeing any.

00:56:59 Speaker 09: So thank you very much, Aidan.

00:56:59 Speaker 09: And I think you are standing there; you've got a follow-up presentation as well.

00:56:59 Speaker 09: So back over to you.

00:57:00 Speaker 09: Thank you through the chair.

00:57:00 Speaker 09: It's my pleasure to provide a brief presentation on a fundraising update on behalf of our fundraising coordinator, who couldn't be here today but will hopefully be at our next meeting.

00:57:00 Speaker 09: There is also a report from the fundraising team chair attached to the agenda for this meeting.

00:57:01 Speaker 09: Palette to palette; I touched on that held on November first.

00:57:01 Speaker 09: Such an amazing success for us.

00:57:02 Speaker 09: We had great sponsorship despite the Blue Jays playoff game series seven.

00:57:02 Speaker 09: Lots of people.

00:57:02 Speaker 09: We managed to stream it on the screen, and everyone just had a great time watching that.

00:57:02 Speaker 09: We featured a totally Canadian menu to pair with all of the Canadian art and the Canadian theme.

00:57:03 Speaker 09: of the evening, and I really believe like the energy reflected; you know, this deep appreciation for Tom Thomson's role in the community,

00:57:03 Speaker 09: and the event success really underscored the strength of our partnerships and our continued dedication from sponsors, volunteers, and they really do make initiatives like this one possible.

00:57:03 Speaker 09: Here you see some of the silent auction items and the sponsors that were involved with the event.

00:57:04 Speaker 09: Some pictures from the event.

00:57:04 Speaker 09: People genuinely seemed to have a wonderful time, and the feedback that we received was just tremendous from that event.

00:57:05 Speaker 09: She's included another slide on Trivia Night with a nod to the fact that we'll try it again in 2026.

00:57:05 Speaker 09: And our fundraising calendar campaign: there's more of an update in the report from the chair of the fundraising team.

00:57:06 Speaker 09: But we're so excited that we are wrapping up 2025 at this point in time.

00:57:06 Speaker 09: A lot of the calendar money and leftover calendars are coming back to Tom Thomson from over forty regional businesses that host the calendars for us and sell them on our behalf.

00:57:06 Speaker 09: It's a great fundraising initiative for us, and so we're excited to get that wrapped up for 2026.

00:57:06 Speaker 09: And believe it or not, we are working on the 2027 calendar, and the theme for that one will be "150 Years of Tom Thomson."

00:57:07 Speaker 09: Tom Thomson; it's his 150th birthday, so it's going to be a very special calendar, and it will feature all works from the collection that are by him.

00:57:07 Speaker 09: And just a nod to some of the fall locations that we had.

00:57:08 Speaker 09: We did a membership drive towards the end of the season as well.

00:57:08 Speaker 09: We've taken a look at our annual giving programs and our membership programs and redesigned them to make them a little bit more accessible for different needs.

00:57:08 Speaker 09: So if someone wants to become a member and get certain discounts on certain things, including admission to other galleries, that program is available to them.

00:57:09 Speaker 09: But if they want to be an annual donor and receive a tax receipt, that's another program that we can offer them as well.

00:57:09 Speaker 09: And so, thank you; just thank you for all the work that you know you've supported throughout the year.

00:57:09 Speaker 09: Thank you very much, Aidan.

00:57:09 Speaker 09: Certainly, it was a lot of fun to be part of some of those events that were screened through there.

00:57:10 Speaker 09: Any questions from committee?

00:57:10 Speaker 09: Not seeing any, so I guess you can briefly move away from the podium following the wrap-up of 2025, and we'll give you a moment to get comfortable before speaking to December update.

00:57:10 Speaker 09: That's going to look forward into 2026.

00:57:11 Speaker 09: Item six is public forum; of which we have no one joining us this afternoon.

00:57:11 Speaker 09: We've got no correspondence items being presented, so we're through item seven.

00:57:12 Speaker 09: Into reports from city staff, and that is once again back to Aidan regarding a December update.

00:57:12 Speaker 09: Great, thank you.

00:57:12 Speaker 09: And through the chair, I'm trusting that everyone's had a chance to read this report, probably back in 2025.

00:57:12 Speaker 09: So what I'll do is just hit on some of the highlights that we have here.

00:57:13 Speaker 09: Our year-to-date attendance summary report is included there, but we'll have final numbers actually going to the next committee meeting; so we'll be able to take a look at the whole year from that perspective.

00:57:13 Speaker 09: But you can see here: attendance remains very strong as we entered the last section of the year.

00:57:13 Speaker 09: We touched on tours and workshops and special projects in that section, and then tried to outline where visitors were coming from as well.

00:57:13 Speaker 09: So it's interesting just to see from a perspective like this: about 43% are from Owen Sound; 28% were first-time visitors; 16% were from the GTA; 34% were seniors; 35% were adults,

00:57:15 Speaker 09: and 16% were under the age of eighteen.

00:57:18 Speaker 09: So it just gives us some perspective on who's coming into our doors and who we might want to engage with more or promote to more.

00:57:18 Speaker 09: So I'll just move ahead a little bit to awards for exhibitions.

00:57:18 Speaker 09: I mentioned that we're currently in an installation for next week, but I'm so thrilled to say that we will be unveiling—some really incredible exhibitions.

00:57:19 Speaker 09: Harold Clendenin has a local connection through living in Fletcher's Town and also being based in Montreal.

00:57:20 Speaker 09: He is a national icon; I would say—and so well respected.

00:57:20 Speaker 09: We are absolutely thrilled and honored to be able to have an incredibly curated retrospective at the art gallery.

00:57:20 Speaker 09: It will open on January 24th from two to four.

00:57:21 Speaker 09: So we hope lots of people can come to see his really impressive paintings: they're abstract experiments, bold, charged—you know, he's—and we have new work coming from him as well.

00:57:21 Speaker 09: So I think people will be very excited to see that.

00:57:21 Speaker 09: And alongside that, we also have "Forecast," which is an exhibition.

00:57:22 Speaker 09: It's going to be a two-part series that explores our bodily resonance with the cycles of weather.

00:57:23 Speaker 09: So if you think about how weather makes you feel, that's really how I interpret this exhibition: Thomson's keen observations of weather reveal a deep engagement with nature's rhythms.

00:57:23 Speaker 09: Alongside so we've really been thinking about this concept—you know, you see him painting in all types of weather and seasons; it's winter, it's windy, it's barren, or it's stormy.

00:57:23 Speaker 09: And so the emotive quality of the weather is really what this exhibition is about: how it makes you feel.

00:57:23 Speaker 09: So we are inviting visitors to attune their senses to familiar weather patterns and consider how awareness of our disruption has grown in the context of climate change.

00:57:23 Speaker 09: So taking that work and bringing into the context, like: are winters longer?

00:57:23 Speaker 09: Are they shorter?

00:57:24 Speaker 09: Are they warmer?

00:57:24 Speaker 09: Are they colder?

00:57:24 Speaker 09: How does that make us feel?

00:57:24 Speaker 09: Does it make us feel part of nature, or does it make us feel like we're in a cycle of disruption?

00:57:24 Speaker 09: So I think those two shows will be really impactful and should generate lots of conversations.

00:57:25 Speaker 09: So again, opening on January 24th from two to four; it's free to attend.

00:57:25 Speaker 09: All are welcome.

00:57:25 Speaker 09: There'll be a cash bar and some snacks there as well.

00:57:25 Speaker 09: We had lots of programming happen—I've outlined that fairly well through the presentation I provided—but in my report, there is also much more: a full list of everything that happened.

00:57:26 Speaker 09: All the tours, Appraisal Day, Baby Time, Art Explorers, Active Living Groups; our openings after hours; Chamber of Commerce event, which was very well attended—and the commentary that I heard from that event was "Oh,

00:57:26 Speaker 09: it's been so long since I've been in here!

00:57:26 Speaker 09: It's such a gem.

00:57:27 Speaker 09: It's so beautiful.

00:57:27 Speaker 09: I'm definitely coming back.

00:57:27 Speaker 09: I'm bringing my family."

00:57:27 Speaker 09: So the more events we do like that, I think you know—it's just so good for us.

00:57:27 Speaker 09: So we're excited to do more of that in 2026.

00:57:28 Speaker 09: I think everything else: The only thing I'd really like to highlight at this moment is the collection because we do have a couple of loans that are outstanding.

00:57:29 Speaker 09: Two sculptures by Tim Upton have been returned following their inclusion in the Art Gallery of Ontario's exhibition "Tim Upton: A Little Bit of Light," and that was on view last year until mid-August 2025.

00:57:29 Speaker 09: And we have a loan to the National Gallery of Canada, Sarah Robertson's Blue Sleigh, which is going to be included in an upcoming exhibition titled "Winter Count: Embracing the Cold."

00:57:30 Speaker 09: It will—it is now on view until March 22nd.

00:57:30 Speaker 09: So if you're out that way, you might want to go and check out Tom Thomson's piece there.

00:57:30 Speaker 09: The collection relocation and organization project following the HVAC replacement is ongoing but we are approaching the end of that project.

00:57:30 Speaker 09: I'm so proud of the team behind it: Shannon Bingaman, our Curator of Exhibitions and Collections; Ian Dickey, our Engagement Assistant; volunteer Chuck Dickey—they just did an amazing job rethinking where pieces should go,

00:57:31 Speaker 09: which pieces are more robust, and where they should be housed because we're using some studio space.

00:57:31 Speaker 09: Several years ago, we carved off part of that to hold parts of the collection,

00:57:32 Speaker 09: so we had to really think about the space we have and organize it such that we could fit everything in the best possible way—and hopefully create a little bit more room—but at this point in

00:57:32 Speaker 09: time,

00:57:33 Speaker 09: it doesn't look like we're able to create greater capacity for collecting.

00:57:33 Speaker 09: But things are very well organized in the best spot they can be right now.

00:57:34 Speaker 09: So many kudos to them for undertaking that enormous project: location coding, condition reporting, all kinds of updates in our management software—it is quite detailed.

00:57:34 Speaker 09: And I think with that—that's everything I would want to highlight at this time.

00:57:34 Speaker 09: I don't think there's anything further to update until our next committee meeting.

00:57:34 Speaker 09: Okay; thank you very much, Aidan.

00:57:35 Speaker 09: Quite a fulsome review back over probably the last six months and looking forward into the first four months certainly of 2026.

00:57:36 Speaker 09: I know I'm looking forward to "Forecast" and all three of the upcoming exhibitions.

00:57:36 Speaker 09: But it made me think: a year and a half ago, I was in Whistler, and people were groaning about like -13 degree weather and drizzle; and I was like, "What are you?

00:57:36 Speaker 09: This is what it's supposed to be like."

00:57:37 Speaker 09: Our expectations are so much different now—and we talk about climate change—but then the next sentence is all about how disgruntled we're when maybe it comes back to normal.

00:57:37 Speaker 09: So there'll probably be a lot of intrigue out of that exhibition I expect to see.

00:57:37 Speaker 09: Any questions from committee members?

00:57:38 Speaker 09: Okay; not seeing any.

00:57:39 Speaker 09: All right—well, it looks like an exciting start.

00:57:39 Speaker 09: I think it starts on January 17th; the 24th is really the kickoff.

00:57:40 Speaker 09: So yeah—we're looking forward to a lot going on at Tom Thomson's Gallery this year as opposed to last year with the prolonged shutdown and even Gallery Night at the Movies (which was in the report).

00:57:40 Speaker 09: But you've had a great year in terms of attendance, so that's great to see—and hear from people in the community who were there enjoying it.

00:57:40 Speaker 09: So they're supporting the gallery because that's part of what I hear from people.

00:57:41 Speaker 09: And this does have a recommendation attached to the report.

00:57:41 Speaker 09: So if I could get a mover that the city council receive the report as the Director and Chief Curator update in the gallery's program.

00:57:41 Speaker 09: Update in the gallery's programming and operations for information purposes.

00:57:41 Speaker 09: Member Montgomery is so moved.

00:57:42 Speaker 09: Any further questions to the report?

00:57:42 Speaker 09: Not seeing any.

00:57:43 Speaker 09: All those in favor, and that's carried.

00:57:43 Speaker 01: Thank you very much.

00:57:43 Speaker 01: We've got one item of update from the fundraising team.

00:57:43 Speaker 01: You largely touched upon this.

00:57:44 Speaker 01: Was there any questions from committee members specific to this piece, not seeing any.

00:57:45 Speaker 01: Congratulations and thank you very much to all the volunteers supporting the gallery and supporting the fundraising endeavors.

00:57:45 Speaker 01: And this demonstrates one of the key ones through the years.

00:57:46 Speaker 01: So certainly, on behalf of committee, thank you very much for all the work that's been done by volunteers and the various members of the subcommittees, Aidan.

00:57:46 Speaker 01: I'll go to Councillor Koepke next.

00:57:46 Speaker 01: Just a question on the leftover calendars.

00:57:47 Speaker 01: Do you still keep them at the gallery and sell them at a reduced rate, or what happens with them?

00:57:47 Speaker 01: Through the chair.

00:57:47 Speaker 01: Thank you so much for that question.

00:57:48 Speaker 01: It's a good one.

00:57:48 Speaker 01: We will continue to sell some calendars at the gallery, and the artist co-op has taken some calendars to sell there as well for the first few winter months.

00:57:48 Speaker 01: But we actually collect back all of the leftover calendars and distribute them to seniors' homes throughout the region and to schools.

00:57:48 Speaker 01: And it's been a really nice partnership for us and great opportunity for us to highlight the collection in those places.

00:57:49 Speaker 01: Okay, great response.

00:57:50 Speaker 01: Thank you very much.

00:57:50 Speaker 01: So we have, well, I'll just go through the list.

00:57:50 Speaker 01: We have no other business in front of us.

00:57:50 Speaker 01: But under item ten, we've got no matters postponed.

00:57:51 Speaker 01: Most postponed motions for which notice was previously given.

00:57:52 Speaker 01: There is none.

00:57:52 Speaker 01: No correspondence being presented for information.

00:57:52 Speaker 01: We had no items of additional business.

00:57:52 Speaker 01: However, we should allow an opportunity for notices of motion. Is there any notices of motion? None being shown. So at this point, it's item fifteen, and at 2:57, we are adjourned. So, thank you very much, everyone.