Owen Sound Council Meeting - Regular Meeting Transcript — January 26, 2026

00:00:55 Speaker 01: Good evening.

00:00:55 Speaker 01: This is City of Owen Sound Council, January twenty-sixth.

00:01:07 Speaker 01: So let us call the meeting to order.

00:01:16 Speaker 01: I note Councillor Hamley is unavailable tonight; he's working.

00:01:23 Speaker 01: Councillor Dodd is online.

00:01:26 Speaker 01: Clerk Miss Bloomfield is away.

00:01:32 Speaker 01: Stacy Landry is stepping into the clerk's chair.

00:01:39 Speaker 02: Christine McLean is stepping into Stacy's chair.

00:01:44 Speaker 01: I think everyone else is here.

00:01:54 Speaker 01: Councillor Kukreja has the motions tonight, so I think we're down to number two already.

00:02:05 Speaker 03: Is there any additional business, Councillor Koepke?

00:02:09 Speaker 03: Thank you, Worship.

00:02:16 Speaker 03: I have an item regarding water filling stations and Councillor Farmer.

00:02:23 Speaker 01: Thank you to the Mayor.

00:02:30 Speaker 01: I'll just speak to Roma from last weekend.

00:02:33 Speaker 01: And anyone else?

00:02:35 Speaker 01: Nope.

00:02:39 Speaker 03: Okay, I'm not seeing anyone else's hands going up.

00:02:47 Speaker 03: Declarations of interest, general nature thereof: Not seeing any hands going up.

00:02:58 Speaker 03: Confirmation of council minutes, Councillor Kukreja.

00:03:12 Speaker 01: Moved by myself, seconded by Councillor Merton, that the minutes of the following meetings be adopted as printed: number one, closed session of the regular council meeting held on December 15, 2025; number two,

00:03:32 Speaker 04: regular council meeting held on January 12, 2026; and number three, a special council meeting held on January 16, 2026.

00:03:41 Speaker 04: Thank you.

00:03:43 Speaker 04: All in favor?

00:03:45 Speaker 04: That's carried.

00:03:47 Speaker 04: Councillor Dodd has his hand up.

00:03:50 Speaker 04: I didn't look that way.

00:03:56 Speaker 04: I think that was carried.

00:03:59 Speaker 04: Yes, that was unanimous.

00:04:10 Speaker 04: At number five, motion to move council into committee of the whole: Moved by myself, seconded by Councillor Merton, that City Council now moves into committee of the whole to consider public meetings, deputations, and presentations;

00:04:30 Speaker 04: public forum matters arising from correspondence; reports of city staff; consent agenda; committee minutes; matters postponed; motions for which notice was previously given; and additional business.

00:04:41 Speaker 04: And all in favor?

00:04:43 Speaker 04: That's carried in the room.

00:04:45 Speaker 04: Councillor Dodd put his hand up.

00:04:48 Speaker 04: That's carried.

00:04:51 Speaker 04: So we're in committee.

00:04:54 Speaker 04: The whole number six: public meetings.

00:05:00 Speaker 04: We have no public meetings.

00:05:04 Speaker 04: Number seven: presentations and deputations.

00:05:07 Speaker 04: Mr. Simmonds is giving us his update.

00:05:13 Speaker 04: Thank you, Mayor; members of Council.

00:05:21 Speaker 04: Being the second meeting of the month, I'm bringing you my City Manager's update for January.

00:05:27 Speaker 04: If I could have a slide, please.

00:05:34 Speaker 04: Some of the highlights: we have a few key staff announcements.

00:05:48 Speaker 04: We are welcoming Tulasi Tharin as our Supervisor of Financial Services and David Crane as our Manager of Revenue and Deputy Treasurer, both in the Corporate Services team.

00:06:05 Speaker 04: Really pleased to have both of them join just a few weeks ago.

00:06:16 Speaker 04: We have an upcoming public information center for the Fourth Avenue West Reconstruction Project.

00:06:22 Speaker 04: It's taking place Tuesday, February third, from five to seven p.m.,

00:06:34 Speaker 04: and what I'd like to note on this is Public Works has arranged to have this public information center down closer to the neighborhood that is probably most affected.

00:06:50 Speaker 04: So this is going to be taking place at the First United Church at 21st Street West.

00:07:09 Speaker 04: There'll be further communications that come out on both this public information center and the next one; the next public information center is going to be for the Sixteenth Street Pedestrian Trail.

00:07:28 Speaker 04: That's going to be Thursday, February nineteenth, from four thirty to five thirty here at City Hall.

00:07:38 Speaker 04: Well, as we all know, there's no guesswork in this.

00:07:42 Speaker 04: Winter operations are heavily underway.

00:07:54 Speaker 04: I think now I could probably safely say we have 300-plus centimeters of snow thus far this year; it seems to just never end.

00:08:07 Speaker 04: When we think we have a little sunshine, then it hits us the next day.

00:08:18 Speaker 04: So thanks to our winter control folks for keeping everything running.

00:08:31 Speaker 04: Our water meter replacement project has been handed now back over to staff from Neptune, our contractor that undertook it.

00:08:49 Speaker 04: It's at a ninety-nine point seven percent completion rate; excluding a few properties removed for external factors but again, great work on getting that almost to one hundred percent completion.

00:09:14 Speaker 04: The Art Gallery opened two new exhibitions: Harold Clunder's "The Dance of Life" and also an exhibition titled "Forecast, January to June," both at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

00:09:36 Speaker 04: The City hosted a very successful New Year's Eve celebration; in spite of the weather and snow that day, we partnered with the YMCA Bruce Gray Owen Sound.

00:09:53 Speaker 04: Okay, it's winter—we've been talking about winter—but registration for our 2026 summer camps and programs, including Tom Thomson Art Camps, Sport Camps, and other programming, is opening online on the City's website Tuesday, February seventeenth.

00:10:07 Speaker 04: So we're about three-and-a-half weeks away from that.

00:10:17 Speaker 04: But summer camp registration will be opening again Tuesday, February seventeenth at nine a.m., and there'll be further communications on these forward-looking registration opportunities in the public information sessions.

00:10:38 Speaker 04: Nominations for the 2026 Volunteer of the Year awards are now open at owensound.ca/awards, and submissions for the volunteers will close on March first.

00:10:55 Speaker 04: The Good Cheer Rink at Harrison Park opened in December; we've had a lot of skate days this year.

00:11:09 Speaker 04: I think some people in the past remember from previous years that we've had some weather challenges and also operational challenges where we've had probably more days not open than open,

00:11:19 Speaker 04: but this year has been a great year.

00:11:25 Speaker 04: The weather forecast has been supportive for a great skating season.

00:11:39 Speaker 04: Winter trail maintenance is underway again; people are always looking for ways to get out and exercise and just take part in the outdoors.

00:11:58 Speaker 05: Winter trail maintenance provides residents with those opportunities for outdoor exercise despite snowy weather.

00:12:20 Speaker 05: The Clerk's Department staff have begun preparation for the 2026 municipal election this October, which does have its own landing page within the City's website at owensoundvotes.ca for more information and updates throughout the year.

00:12:47 Speaker 06: I'd also make note that if you go to owensoundvotes.ca, you can do voter registration there as well;

00:13:07 Speaker 05: so there's a link you'll see—you can double-click on that and then register for voting or make sure that you're on the voter registration page.

00:13:21 Speaker 06: I'll go into the upcoming committees: Corporate Services Committee.

00:13:29 Speaker 06: I've set up the corporate committee meetings slides.

00:13:41 Speaker 06: The next few slides in this way, the upcoming reports are on the left, and the 2026 committee composition is on the right.

00:14:03 Speaker 01: You'll see some names with a small asterisk by them; those are going to be new members to the committee, as well as newly appointed council members to the committee.

00:14:23 Speaker 01: I'm doing that because you'll notice also as I go through committees: the very first slide on each committee report is "Committee Composition and Election of the Chair."

00:14:38 Speaker 01: So, Corporate Services Committee meeting is going to be February twelfth; the lead director on that's Kate Allan.

00:14:45 Speaker 01: It's the second Thursday of each month.

00:14:51 Speaker 01: The first report coming or information is committee composition, election of chair.

00:14:59 Speaker 01: We'll have committee introduction and work plans: Fire Services Annual Report, a report on fire apparatus purchase,

00:15:17 Speaker 01: a biannual summary of awarded tenders and proposals between fifty to two hundred forty-nine thousand from July one to December thirty-one, 2025, and then an FOI 2025 year-in-review.

00:15:31 Speaker 01: The Operations Committee meets February nineteenth again; you'll notice new committee members on the right-hand side of your slide.

00:15:44 Speaker 01: The reports coming to that meeting again begin with committee composition and election of a chair: committee introduction of work plans.

00:16:03 Speaker 01: We'll have a report on the water annual system, an annual transit report, the Sixteenth Street Tunnel project, and a report on the Fourth Avenue West reconstruction project.

00:16:32 Speaker 01: Next is the Community Services Committee, February eighteenth: committee composition, election of chair; committee introductions and work plans; 2025 end-of-year tourism wrap-up; Ryerson Park renaming next steps report; and then a Team Gray memorandum of understanding.

00:17:09 Speaker 07: In that memorandum of understanding, Team Gray is about economic development work being done at the County and how we work with the County on economic development initiatives.

00:17:19 Speaker 07: Next are the slides: in case you missed it—media advisories issued.

00:17:26 Speaker 07: The first slide covers November nineteenth to December sixteenth.

00:17:38 Speaker 07: Something I'd like to note for people watching: if you go to the City Manager's Update on the website, these "In Case You Missed It" items are all now hot links to those news stories.

00:17:57 Speaker 01: So you can go to the News section and scroll through it and look for them.

00:18:19 Speaker 05: But if somebody is wanting just very quick direct access to a single story that they might see or a media advisory that's come out within the PDF file,

00:18:41 Speaker 05: these will all be hot links—you can just click on that particular hot link; it'll take you right to that media advisory and information.

00:19:06 Speaker 05: The next slide again are more media advisories except these have been issued December seventeenth through January sixteenth over the past few months—a lot of information coming out.

00:19:27 Speaker 05: We've had thirty-three—I'm not going through all of them—but again, I think this is a nice aggregated approach to seeing what's happened very quickly.

00:19:48 Speaker 05: Lastly, because it is winter season and as we start to approach spring—knock on wood, sooner than later—we turn into pothole season; I know Councillor Koepke usually brings this up.

00:20:08 Speaker 05: So just as we're in the midst of winter operations and spring coming, where things start to reveal after the snow is gone,

00:20:25 Speaker 05: I wanted to remind everybody it's not just about snow or potholes—it's about anything: www.owensound.ca/report-a-concern.

00:20:49 Speaker 05: The left-hand image shows how it looks on your phone; so if you pull it up on your smartphone (iPhone), you'll see under the City's website "Report a Concern"—it's circled there on the left.

00:21:12 Speaker 05: And if you go to your main web browser, that's the City's website: how it looks in full-screen mode—and it's one of the icons on the main page, "Report a Concern."

00:21:33 Speaker 02: If you click that, just follow through; it really takes less than two minutes to fill out a report-a-concern.

00:21:47 Speaker 02: You can also add images if you like of what the issue might be.

00:22:04 Speaker 02: And lastly, just stay connected with the City: numerous ways to do so—owensound.ca is the City's website; ourcity.owensound.ca is our engagement platform; and then as I just spoke about, our Report a Concern platform at owensound.ca/report-a-concern;

00:22:22 Speaker 02: for events and other happenings, owensoundtourism.ca and owensoundriverdistrict.ca.

00:22:34 Speaker 05: And Mayor, that concludes my update for January.

00:22:36 Speaker 05: Thanks, Tim.

00:22:41 Speaker 05: I'm just double-checking: is anyone else going to comment?

00:22:44 Speaker 05: Go ahead.

00:22:56 Speaker 08: Just one question: your update referenced a pedestrian trail on Sixteenth Street; the Operations Committee in February references the pedestrian tunnel—I presume those are both the same project you're referencing?

00:23:11 Speaker 08: There—just wanted to be sure that through you, Mayor.

00:23:16 Speaker 08: Yeah, good observation—one and the same.

00:23:20 Speaker 08: Go ahead.

00:23:29 Speaker 01: Through you, Mayor, would it be possible—in a meeting—to actually take us through the process once a report of concern has been entered by the public?

00:23:46 Speaker 01: How does it flow, and what's the timeline?

00:24:03 Speaker 01: It—it would be really informative to see the rest of the picture when someone has identified a concern: how it flows through, who handles it, and who responds.

00:24:15 Speaker 01: So if that's possible in the future, I think it would be quite informative.

00:24:35 Speaker 01: Go ahead—I might just add; I'm not sure if you've ever done a report-a-concern on your own, but I have, and once you've done it, it's quite insightful.

00:24:51 Speaker 01: So I just encourage people to follow the pathway that way as well.

00:24:56 Speaker 07: Your hand back up—through you, Mayor.

00:25:05 Speaker 07: I'm hearing from the public that they're never sure once they've put in a reported concern; I absolutely agree with you,

00:25:20 Speaker 07: Deputy Mayor—but I'm wondering if it would be helpful for people to be sure of the process so it isn't just landing on one place and not going anywhere else.

00:25:34 Speaker 07: Thank you, Councillor Koepke.

00:25:41 Speaker 03: Thank you, Your Worship—perhaps this is something that could be included in committee orientations when new committees start up?

00:26:08 Speaker 01: Well, I was just going to remind Council: right here in our business cards that we all have is a QR code that we can hand out to people;

00:26:25 Speaker 09: it gets you right through to Report a Concern.

00:26:32 Speaker 09: This gets tracked and followed up as you say—there's a whole system there.

00:26:44 Speaker 01: Sometimes you don't need to know how the sausage is made—you just like the sausage!

00:27:02 Speaker 01: Just if we could give out the card to people so they use them: We're getting emails, and we respond saying "I'm going to carbon copy the City Manager," then he's supposed to look after it;

00:27:21 Speaker 01: or you know—we send it off to staff.

00:27:32 Speaker 01: We hope that staff looks at it and doesn't let it fall off a third desk!

00:27:50 Speaker 01: This is more trackable and gets things done than sending emails back and forth to everybody, so please encourage everyone who sends in an issue to use Report a Concern.

00:28:17 Speaker 01: If you get multiple complaints on the same thing, they can find them—they can easily track them; they can see that there's more than one-off—that this is an ongoing issue across different locations.

00:28:39 Speaker 01: So it's an expensive system we all agreed we needed but aren't using as efficiently as we should be—and it's pretty easy to use!

00:28:56 Speaker 01: So when you get those emails, ask the people to go to Report a Concern.

00:29:12 Speaker 01: I know their feelings sometimes get hurt for some reason—or maybe not quite—but they think we're shirking our responsibility as councillors.

00:29:28 Speaker 01: But it's really a more efficient way; and we're doing more to help them by sending them to Report a Concern!

00:29:47 Speaker 01: The other thing I noticed: you said something about snow—just while you were talking, somebody sent me a text that apparently if you go into Google and type in "What's the snowiest city in Ontario?"

00:30:05 Speaker 01: the AI answer pops up: Of course, Owen Sound.

00:30:18 Speaker 02: So for everybody who is on a snowmobile, cross-country skis, or snowshoes looking for the snowiest place in Ontario—they're going to find it in Owen Sound!

00:30:30 Speaker 02: So that's good—anything else, John?

00:30:34 Speaker 02: For folks who want...

00:30:38 Speaker 02: Practice, there are not tying.

00:30:46 Speaker 02: Are there still spaces available at the Just Say Yes event in February?

00:30:58 Speaker 02: Through the Mayor to Councillor Farmer, when Leanne talked about it last week, I believe there were still three or four spots left.

00:31:18 Speaker 02: She did have a couple calls left to make, but if you contact Leanne Kazarian, our licensing and marriage coordinator, then she can let you know if there are any spaces available.

00:31:37 Speaker 10: So, Stacy, we'll need a motion to receive items.

00:31:42 Speaker 10: We don't...

00:31:44 Speaker 10: Okay.

00:31:44 Speaker 02: And public forum.

00:31:48 Speaker 02: I don't see anyone else in the room, so we can move on.

00:31:57 Speaker 02: Correspondence received for which direction of Council is required.

00:32:01 Speaker 02: Through you, Mayor Byrd.

00:32:10 Speaker 02: Through you, Mayor Boddy, the draft 2026 River District budget was presented to the River District Board on September 10, 2025.

00:32:21 Speaker 02: At which time, the board directed staff to schedule a public meeting.

00:32:34 Speaker 02: The River District Board held a public meeting on the budget on November 26.

00:32:45 Speaker 02: One member of the public attended the public meeting to provide comments, and no comments were submitted in writing.

00:32:59 Speaker 02: Section 205, subsection 2 of the Municipal Act requires business improvement areas to submit their budgets to Council for approval.

00:33:09 Speaker 02: As such, at their January 14 meeting, the board directed staff...

00:33:14 Speaker 02: Fourteenth meeting.

00:33:26 Speaker 11: The board directed staff to forward the budget to Council for final approval, and it has been included in the agenda package for Council's review.

00:33:54 Speaker 12: If Council is satisfied with the two thousand and twenty-six River District budget, a motion will need to be made to approve the budget as presented.

00:34:05 Speaker 12: Thank you, Councillor Kepk.

00:34:27 Speaker 01: I would move the motion to approve the budget as presented for the River District.

00:34:32 Speaker 01: Any questions?

00:34:36 Speaker 01: Seeing none, call the question on favor...

00:34:40 Speaker 01: You know, in favor, it's carried.

00:34:44 Speaker 01: Councillor Todd, some favor.

00:34:48 Speaker 11: Everyone in the room, some favor.

00:34:58 Speaker 11: Report from City staff, note from Deputy Mayor Greig, with regard to Grey County Council.

00:35:08 Speaker 11: To Council, from the Grey County Council meeting last week,

00:35:23 Speaker 11: I can report to Council that there is currently a survey open until April 19th for the community to contribute to the Grey Bruce Community and Safety Wellbeing Plan.

00:35:36 Speaker 02: Go to greybruce.ca/cswp or BruceCSWBP.ca to participate.

00:35:46 Speaker 02: Council received minutes from the Joint Services Committee, which included a very informational update on primary healthcare collaboration and work being completed locally.

00:35:59 Speaker 02: Approximately eleven percent of county residents, just under thirteen percent provincially, are considered unattached to a primary healthcare provider.

00:36:18 Speaker 02: There is considerable complexity in the systems for delivery of service and the funding mechanisms; in essence, the solution to increasing attachment for rostering people is simple: more patients need to be connected to existing doctors.

00:36:41 Speaker 02: And local physicians have shared how this can be achieved by enhancing the supply of nurse practitioners, nurses, and administrative staff to allow each doctor to see more patients.

00:37:06 Speaker 01: The Grey Bruce Ontario Health team has developed a master plan for achieving full attachment.

00:37:25 Speaker 01: For achieving full detachment in Grey Bruce by two thousand and twenty-nine... an application was submitted in November, referencing the new plan,

00:37:53 Speaker 01: to secure funding of six million dollars approximate during the interprovincial care team funding window, which would add resources commensurate with meeting the goals in the plan.

00:38:20 Speaker 01: The same committee also received a report from staff highlighting the waste management transition in Simcoe County, which notes that efficiencies and cost reductions generated justify the change in structure,

00:38:35 Speaker 13: albeit transitional and transfer costs continue almost thirty years later.

00:38:49 Speaker 13: Staff are starting the draft scope of work for the request for proposal for the waste management study to be done later this year.

00:39:11 Speaker 13: And just before I welcome any questions and ask for Council support of the verbal report, I would say the information in that committee meeting pertaining to healthcare recruitment efforts is tremendous.

00:39:30 Speaker 13: There is a really good slide deck; there are all attachments have been loaded to the agenda as well.

00:39:43 Speaker 01: You have to go back to the December 16th meeting.

00:39:49 Speaker 05: The Mayor has told me as he chairs that committee meeting...

00:40:07 Speaker 05: But for learning more and getting a real in-depth, insightful lens on the efforts locally that are being made and the complexities that do exist, it is an outstanding report to be able to reference.

00:40:30 Speaker 05: That's there for Councillors across the county and for the public who may wish to spend a few minutes going into greydot.ca/county-council-meetings-and-agendas; December 16th is where you'll find those resources.

00:40:45 Speaker 05: But excellent information inside that report.

00:40:52 Speaker 05: So I'd welcome any questions and ask for Council support of the verbal report.

00:41:00 Speaker 05: Councillor Rob, how could I forget your name?

00:41:05 Speaker 05: Councillor Farmer...

00:41:24 Speaker 05: Through the Mayor, I just want to ask some questions to trumpet the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan survey, as that information is also in our agenda package;

00:42:03 Speaker 06: where it highlights that it's anonymous to fill out, that information is going to support the next five-year plan for that plan, which is really important because that shapes the work.

00:42:37 Speaker 06: But also... folks, if you complete that, can enter a draw for one of twenty fifty-dollar gift certificates to local businesses that will be drawn when the survey closes.

00:43:14 Speaker 06: And I'm wondering if in the county conversation there was any discussion of how to amplify the survey or encourage Councillors and staff across the municipalities to help us start to make sure we get really

00:43:35 Speaker 06: good responses there.

00:43:41 Speaker 05: Is that something that was discussed?

00:43:48 Speaker 05: Is that something we should consider for staff at Owen Sound?

00:44:01 Speaker 05: Because the more voices we have, the better.

00:44:09 Speaker 05: I'll just say at the county there wasn't a lot... there wasn't any further discussion on amplifying it.

00:44:28 Speaker 05: But I will just deflect it to the acting clerk at this time who does have response.

00:44:37 Speaker 05: So through Mayor Boddy to Councillor Farmer Alexis.

00:44:53 Speaker 05: For Farmer Alexis Cook, the coordinator did send out an email to the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan advisory committee members advising of the survey.

00:45:21 Speaker 05: I think it was earlier this month, and they included a whole bunch of information for the municipalities: social media, printed surveys, how to set up the box to collect the survey like for the draw.

00:45:49 Speaker 05: And so our communications team is going to work with that and plan some social media correspondence;

00:46:07 Speaker 05: and they've made copies for Service on Sound counter for people to fill out the paper forms if they'd like to do it that way.

00:46:19 Speaker 12: Anyone else?

00:46:23 Speaker 02: Okay, just before I call the question on Scott's report...

00:46:42 Speaker 02: I think one of the key things for us coming out of that discussion of primary healthcare: what's the word I'm looking for?

00:46:55 Speaker 02: No, not recruitment; we're talking about attachment.

00:47:08 Speaker 02: So getting people attached to doctors and being able to have more attached without necessarily it just being doctor recruitment.

00:47:30 Speaker 06: The province is now allowing Healthcare Connect to look for a provider closer to home if they are attached to a doctor further away.

00:47:55 Speaker 06: So all of us have talked to somebody that has moved here and they've still got a doctor somewhere else and can't get a doctor here if they go...

00:48:24 Speaker 06: into that Healthcare Connect; connect, the more residents getting on the Healthcare Connect will help improve the data, which will help improve the demand for doctor attachment or physician attachment up here.

00:48:42 Speaker 06: So, if you're talking to anybody that has moved in, tell them to make sure they go to that Healthcare Connect.

00:48:53 Speaker 05: So, with that, I will call the question.

00:48:58 Speaker 11: On favor and that is carried.

00:49:01 Speaker 11: Councillor Dodd's hand is up.

00:49:09 Speaker 11: Over to you, Ms. Landry, with regard to the consent agenda.

00:49:20 Speaker 11: And before Sunni, you move them, I'm going to get you to hold the first one.

00:49:48 Speaker 11: Go ahead through you, Mayor Boddy; on the consent agenda this evening is a report respecting the 2026 provincial pre-budget submission, a report on a public member appointment to the Corporate Services Committee,

00:50:11 Speaker 11: and minutes for receipt from the River District Board of Management.

00:50:35 Speaker 11: Business laid: management business licenses were issued to Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services ULC at 1875 Sixteenth Avenue East, and PetSmart has relocated to 2126 Sixteenth Street East.

00:50:56 Speaker 11: Final approval was issued for illumination request for Ink Stained Wretches United Nations World Press Freedom Day.

00:51:13 Speaker 11: The last item on the consent agenda is the information package; a full listing is available at Item 11F.

00:51:23 Speaker 01: Thanks.

00:51:29 Speaker 01: So, can you move all of them except for Item 11A, and we'll do that one separately?

00:51:46 Speaker 12: Most moved by myself: in consideration of the items listed on the January 26, 2026 consent agenda, City Council receives Items 11B to 11F, and approves the recommendations contained in Items 11B except Item 11A.

00:51:59 Speaker 12: That's good; I'll call the question on that.

00:52:06 Speaker 12: On favor, that is carried.

00:52:15 Speaker 12: Going down River District Board: I can't remember who was at Travis.

00:52:25 Speaker 12: And at the report from November 26th...

00:52:27 Speaker 12: Thank you, Worship.

00:52:33 Speaker 12: Largely, that meeting was basically based off the public meeting for the budget which we just recently approved.

00:52:44 Speaker 12: There was a deputation regarding our year-end audit, which came out with flying colors.

00:53:03 Speaker 12: And then finally, we had the Owen Sound Police Services report their foot patrol numbers: 120 in September and 87 hours in October.

00:53:14 Speaker 12: Thank you; good thanks.

00:53:17 Speaker 12: Any questions for Councillor Dodd?

00:53:20 Speaker 01: Seeing none.

00:53:21 Speaker 02: Okay.

00:53:30 Speaker 02: If we can go back to Item 11A, I'm going to ask that something be added to it so we would move it after.

00:53:44 Speaker 02: Have I suggested the addition or is it just approving it leaving it to staff to fix it after?

00:53:52 Speaker 02: Probably that way.

00:54:02 Speaker 02: Okay; if you want to move Item 11A: in consideration of the items listed in the consent agenda, approves the recommendations contained in Item 11A.

00:54:10 Speaker 02: Thanks.

00:54:20 Speaker 02: So, I was looking at this report which is from External Relations and Investment Attraction Senior Advisor regarding submissions to the province on pre-budget submission.

00:54:28 Speaker 02: And the only thing that I noted there that I think could be added is support for proper funding for colleges.

00:54:52 Speaker 02: Tim and I met with Kevin Weaver, president and CEO of Georgian College, the other day, with regard to the importance of Georgian College here in the Bruce region and the city's role: one,

00:55:19 Speaker 02: foreign students were cut back; two, funding has been frozen; three, tuition fees have been frozen for a couple of years for colleges which is putting real pressure on all of them.

00:55:30 Speaker 02: We've got some very specialized programs here.

00:55:51 Speaker 01: Whether you look at power engineering—think of Bruce Power—or the government's project moving towards Bruce C expansion and all the trades that are going to be needed for that,

00:56:11 Speaker 01: plus power engineering for hydrogen-optimized power generation or potential energy projects like Ontario Pump Storage as they move forward...

00:56:28 Speaker 01: If they do move forward, think about the government's advertising regarding the Ring of Fire and getting precious metals out;

00:56:41 Speaker 01: but they're going to have to get them from Thunder Bay or Sioux Lookout to Hamilton to be processed.

00:56:53 Speaker 01: This means Great Lakes freighters which means Great Lakes engineers and navigators—all that goes through this program—plus the nursing program.

00:57:05 Speaker 01: The nursing program will see graduates from our degree program in nursing for the first year, which is pretty impressive.

00:57:26 Speaker 01: Owen Sound Campus is the perfect example of the need for rural colleges because if we don't have colleges here and kids want to live at home,

00:57:48 Speaker 01: they're two hours to Kitchener or two hours to Barrie; we don't have another community college anywhere close so it's pretty important in Owen Sound.

00:57:59 Speaker 01: I'm not even scratching the surface on economic development duties that come in.

00:58:08 Speaker 01: I think Kevin said twelve courses a year about twenty students over the winter: 12 courses and 20 students, or vice versa.

00:58:21 Speaker 01: They're staying at hotels, eating meals, traveling up here; gas, all those things—housing for them, professors who have jobs, graduates able to work in the area,

00:58:31 Speaker 01: and employers that are able to use those graduates—I think Georgian College is really important.

00:58:36 Speaker 01: Proper consistent long-term funding from the province for colleges is important so I'd like to see that added to that letter before it goes out.

00:58:36 Speaker 01: Councillor Farmer through the Mayor: I would certainly support that.

00:58:37 Speaker 01: In chatting with folks from Georgian College at Rama,

00:58:37 Speaker 01: we had a conversation about how our campus ends up bringing more people here from away who end up staying and become net importers of talent building the local community.

00:58:37 Speaker 01: Also there was a question about colleges at one of the Ministers' forums where the Minister certainly sounded sympathetic to the importance of rural colleges saying something to the effect that losing 1,000 students in Toronto

00:58:37 Speaker 01: has less impact than losing 100 students for a rural college or university;

00:58:37 Speaker 01: and I think if that's the sentiment there then this is well timed.

00:58:37 Speaker 01: Good thank you.

00:58:39 Speaker 01: So can I call the question?

00:58:39 Speaker 01: Go ahead sorry three everybody.

00:58:39 Speaker 01: Just procedurally I would suggest that the recommendation be to direct staff to submit the pre-budget consultation addressing one, the three proposed recommendations outlined in the report: two support for proper long-term funding for colleges.

00:58:40 Speaker 01: Councillor Craig is that okay with you?

00:58:40 Speaker 01: She has indicated yes though her microphone didn't go on so everyone understands that motion we're all good with it; all in favor?

00:58:40 Speaker 01: That's carried.

00:58:41 Speaker 01: Councillor Dodd, in favor?

00:58:41 Speaker 01: On to number twelve committee correspondence:

00:58:41 Speaker 01: oh you got something there go ahead thank you Mayor I've got a couple of things I want to pull out of the correspondence package first Item 4A from the county requests municipal endorsement for the

00:58:41 Speaker 01: resolution in opposition to the province's unilateral prohibition on automated speed enforcement.

00:58:42 Speaker 01: The letter is late but I think there's value in adding Owen Sound support to the motion and underscoring again for the province that there's widespread opposition to these kinds of sweeping changes made without consultation

00:58:42 Speaker 01: reaching over into municipal jurisdiction.

00:58:43 Speaker 01: The letter is from November but I think it's responding to a request so worth responding to the request for support now.

00:58:43 Speaker 01: I've got two other things but I would move that we formally support that; any questions seeing none call question all in favor?

00:58:43 Speaker 01: That is carried.

00:58:44 Speaker 01: Item three is a letter from the province announcing they're expanding municipalities' ability to support tailgate permits allowing people to bring their own alcohol to events the municipality labels as community or cultural event and I've

00:58:44 Speaker 01: got concerns about expansion of these permits.

00:58:44 Speaker 01: As an aside also how letting people bring their own supports local businesses but it strikes me we'll need a policy or process to establish when how and why Owen Sound will issue those permits so

00:58:45 Speaker 01: I was hoping to ask staff since these powers come into effect at the end of April do we currently have a project or report plan to articulate Owen Sound's approach to our newfound magic powers?

00:58:47 Speaker 01: Good Miss Coulter thank you Worship.

00:58:47 Speaker 01: You had shared the letter from the ministry about changes Councillor Farmer right they come into effect April 30th as staff understands them;

00:58:47 Speaker 01: organizer would have to apply to municipality and you're absolutely right we'll need a policy or process at least because it requires council resolution.

00:58:48 Speaker 01: So we anticipate bringing a report forward to council, likely through committee.

00:58:48 Speaker 01: So, excuse me, I'm confused.

00:58:48 Speaker 01: When event organizers apply for a license permit, they have to have a fenced-in area.

00:58:48 Speaker 01: However, this legislation allows them to be in a parking lot and flip their tailgate down and go crazy.

00:58:49 Speaker 01: Yes.

00:58:49 Speaker 01: Just to follow up, Pam, I remember the rules changed around renting halls a few years ago.

00:58:50 Speaker 01: That also took it from wild, wild west into more controlled.

00:58:50 Speaker 01: So I suspect that we've got the best part of a bylaw to look at that you put together a few years ago that we can use to spread a little bit more into this.

00:58:51 Speaker 01: Thank you, Worship.

00:58:51 Speaker 01: You're right.

00:58:51 Speaker 01: We do have a municipal alcohol policy.

00:58:52 Speaker 01: We had developed that in conjunction with public health, consistent with the provincial rules.

00:58:53 Speaker 01: Also with ONSA police, we had shared this letter with police.

00:58:53 Speaker 01: It was also news to them, and certainly their input will be important in developing any new rules for the municipality.

00:58:53 Speaker 01: I know don't want to speak for the police, but I think like staff and perhaps Councillor Koepke, they had raised their eyebrows at what does this mean for us.

00:58:54 Speaker 01: So another provincial decision that lands on the municipal desk.

00:58:54 Speaker 01: Go ahead, your next one.

00:58:54 Speaker 01: And lastly, I just want to draw attention to the connection between item 1B and item nine.

00:58:55 Speaker 01: So item 1B from AMO is their updated provincial report on homelessness and Item Nine is the announcement from Safe and Sound about the fact they've secured funding and will be opening a proper overnight shelter.

00:58:55 Speaker 01: AMO updated their two thousand and twenty-five homelessness report, and the latest data shows that eighty-five zero people in Ontario were homeless in two thousand and twenty-five,

00:58:55 Speaker 01: which is an eight percent increase from the prior year.

00:58:56 Speaker 01: AMO continues to call for appropriate provincial investment and coordination across levels of government to meaningfully boost the supply of supportive transitional and community housing and increased prevention programs that could end chronic homelessness in Ontario.

00:58:56 Speaker 01: There were calls for this again at Roma as well.

00:58:56 Speaker 01: I think we're really lucky to have organizations, volunteers, and the county working locally to support our unhoused neighbors.

00:58:57 Speaker 01: But it shouldn't be up to the vigor of local organizers to address systemic and province-wide issues like homelessness, poverty, and access to care.

00:58:57 Speaker 01: And I just wanted to draw folks' attention to that report.

00:58:57 Speaker 01: There is a link to the full report in the agenda package, which as always is on the website for those watching at home.

00:58:58 Speaker 01: Thanks.

00:58:58 Speaker 01: I had a discussion with Josh about this, but Grey County.

00:58:59 Speaker 01: Grey County is doing a really wonderful job on housing and on homelessness, and we are ahead of so many others in the province.

00:59:00 Speaker 01: However, we're losing ground, and there's people that have been in their own residences and been doing okay.

00:59:00 Speaker 01: That the wheels are coming off.

00:59:01 Speaker 03: They've just gotten behind, further behind, and it seems to me once again municipalities trying to find housing for people is not solving the problem.

00:59:02 Speaker 03: Clearly, there's a problem before people lose their housing that isn't on municipalities or Grey County's ability to fix,

00:59:02 Speaker 03: but it seems to me that the picture is we're putting a band-aid on something that needs to be fixed before it became a blister.

00:59:03 Speaker 03: Another one of my frustrations, but we're doing a great job, but we're not keeping up and it's getting worse; we're falling behind further.

00:59:03 Speaker 03: Don't have the answer anyway.

00:59:04 Speaker 03: Thanks.

00:59:06 Speaker 03: Committee minutes recommended for approval: 12A Corporate Services.

00:59:06 Speaker 03: Councilmember Middlebro'.

00:59:06 Speaker 03: Thank you through you Chair.

00:59:06 Speaker 03: The Corporate Services Committee met on January fifteenth, twenty twenty-six.

00:59:06 Speaker 03: Committee received a presentation from the City Clerk on committee structure discussion.

00:59:07 Speaker 03: We had two public members in attendance at that meeting who provided constructive feedback to the clerk and she will take that feedback and incorporate it into her report that will be coming back to council

00:59:08 Speaker 03: in February.

00:59:09 Speaker 03: And committee received a report CR 26-04 from the Manager of IT regarding information technology AF 017 acceptable use policy.

00:59:09 Speaker 03: This policy consolidates, updates, and replaces three legacy policies from the early two thousands on computer and internet use that were very outdated, and the new policies conform to current cybersecurity, privacy, and operational standards.

00:59:10 Speaker 03: HR and IT departments will coordinate the rollout of the policy and ensure over a six-month period that all city staff review and acknowledge their responsibilities under this new policy.

00:59:11 Speaker 03: There were no recommendations for approval so with that I move receipt of the Corporate Services Committee minutes of January 15th.

00:59:12 Speaker 03: Any questions?

00:59:12 Speaker 03: Seeing none, call the question.

00:59:12 Speaker 03: All in favor?

00:59:12 Speaker 03: Carried in the room.

00:59:13 Speaker 03: Councilor Dodds' hand is up as well.

00:59:13 Speaker 03: Thank you.

00:59:13 Speaker 03: Then to Tom Thomson, our gallery.

00:59:14 Speaker 03: And through you, I would note the January committee meeting contained business of the December meeting moved due to quorum issues.

00:59:14 Speaker 03: And the City Manager stole a lot of my thunder there in his December update and he stole a little bit more of my thunder earlier this evening in the January update but the December update

00:59:14 Speaker 03: which was received detailed fundraising success of the Pallet to Pallet fundraiser once again being planned for November 2026.

00:59:15 Speaker 03: Gallery night at the movies has been solid with just over 900 patrons for fall attendance and year-to-date attendance numbers for the exhibitions are strong, noting the gallery closure earlier this year.

00:59:15 Speaker 03: This past Saturday saw the reveal of new gallery exhibitions.

00:59:16 Speaker 03: Councilor Merton and Councillor Koepke joined Mayor Boddy and myself to see the stunning collection of works over seven decades from Harold Clunder who was in attendance.

00:59:16 Speaker 03: This exhibition is showing until mid-April alongside a history of reverence consisting of a collection of works spanning six decades,

00:59:16 Speaker 03: and Forecast featuring works of Tom Thomson showing until June invites you to attune your senses to weather patterns and awareness of their disruption in the context of climate change.

00:59:17 Speaker 03: I welcome any questions and ask for council's endorsement of the committee minutes.

00:59:17 Speaker 03: Any questions?

00:59:18 Speaker 03: Seeing none, call the question.

00:59:18 Speaker 03: All in favor?

00:59:18 Speaker 03: That's carried.

00:59:20 Speaker 03: Thank you.

00:59:20 Speaker 03: So that gets us through twelve, thirteen.

00:59:20 Speaker 03: There's no postponed matters at fourteen.

00:59:20 Speaker 01: Motions for which notice was previously given.

00:59:21 Speaker 01: Councillor Merton.

00:59:21 Speaker 01: Through you, Mayor.

00:59:21 Speaker 01: Municipal Ambassador Awards recognize individuals, groups, and organizations who significantly enhance local civic pride and specifically promote the municipality by fostering positive change, economic and business development, promote and support tourism initiatives, and community engagement.

00:59:22 Speaker 01: They are outstanding community champions.

00:59:23 Speaker 01: Municipalities can apply Ambassador Awards to engage and acknowledge specific demographics, ages, or promote particular initiatives.

00:59:23 Speaker 01: These awards effectively acknowledge and engage citizens as community advocates, strengthening the municipality from within and beyond.

00:59:24 Speaker 01: The motion before council this evening, supported by Councillor Kukreja, is as follows: Whereas awards and municipalities recognize the individuals, groups, or businesses for their significant contributions and impact to the community,

00:59:24 Speaker 01: and whereas these community recognition awards acknowledge contributions which have represented the municipality positively in areas of arts, philanthropy, economic and business development, education, entertainment, and athletics,

00:59:24 Speaker 01: now therefore be it resolved that City Council directs staff to bring forward a report in two thousand and twenty-six, prior to the consideration of the two thousand and twenty-seven award recognition nomination and selection process,

00:59:25 Speaker 01: regarding potential components of community ambassador award.

00:59:25 Speaker 01: Thank you.

00:59:26 Speaker 01: Comments?

00:59:29 Speaker 01: Discussions?

00:59:29 Speaker 01: Deputy Mayor Greig.

00:59:29 Speaker 01: It's really interesting timing that you raise this.

00:59:30 Speaker 01: No, it's the timing that you raised this motion at the last meeting, because I was considering raising similar conversation,

00:59:30 Speaker 01: and this is something that I had just brought forward during one of our strategic planning meetings last I think early summer,

00:59:30 Speaker 01: but one of the ideas I had placed during that meeting was in the development of a new strategic plan and new theme.

00:59:31 Speaker 01: and so forth, and we're talking community partnership enhancements.

00:59:32 Speaker 01: I had just been thinking: is there something that we could like consider rotationally over four years?

00:59:32 Speaker 01: And one year we would be recognizing arts and culture, and the next year we would be recognizing heritage preservation in our community, or something similar to that.

00:59:33 Speaker 01: The next year might be an environmental stewardship consideration for a real champion in that realm brought forward, and then the fourth year could be community groups,

00:59:33 Speaker 01: so the Owen Sound Garden Club or the Kiwanis or the Rotarians.

00:59:33 Speaker 01: I hadn't yet brought it up, and the timing is really great because you raised this notion.

00:59:34 Speaker 01: But I want to offer that as part of the discussion for council, and perhaps a report back that would look at what does our future awards program look like as a whole,

00:59:36 Speaker 01: or how do my thoughts get perhaps included in the consideration as opposed to it just being specific to a community ambassador.

00:59:36 Speaker 01: So at this time, I just wanted to put that before council as well for consideration.

00:59:37 Speaker 01: Marian, thank you.

00:59:37 Speaker 01: Your Worship.

00:59:39 Speaker 01: Just a few other comments.

00:59:39 Speaker 01: I think this is a great thing.

00:59:39 Speaker 01: Councillor Merton and I chatted about it earlier, and just kind of went through some different scenarios.

00:59:40 Speaker 01: But it gives us an opportunity to recognize youth if they're outstanding in the community and working towards ambassadorship.

00:59:40 Speaker 01: Seniors, as well as community groups like Councillor Greg has said, but I think it's a great idea.

00:59:40 Speaker 01: And again, looking at the awards recognition program.

00:59:40 Speaker 01: Anyone else?

00:59:41 Speaker 01: Councillor Farmer?

00:59:41 Speaker 01: Through the Mayor.

00:59:41 Speaker 01: I'm curious either to Councillor Merton or staff; hearing the comments, I'm wondering if even within the framework of the themes of the Vision 2050 pillar, if there are pillars,

00:59:41 Speaker 01: is there a way to also in the report think about aligning different scopes of awards around a different rotation to reflect those themes and encourage the kind of activity that we've said in our Vision

00:59:42 Speaker 01: Two Thousand and Fifty plan that we want.

00:59:42 Speaker 01: I don't know if that's an amendment or if that's just for staff's consideration.

00:59:43 Speaker 01: Councillor...

00:59:43 Speaker 01: Through you, Mayor; all of these ideas are great, and staff I'm sure will sort of take them and review them.

00:59:44 Speaker 01: The idea is for us as a council to start to promote through an award,

00:59:44 Speaker 01: moving the negative narrative to a place of being grateful and thankful for the wonderful city that we have in the municipality, and all of the ideas can certainly be aligned.

00:59:44 Speaker 01: For example, we have many individuals who spearhead conferences that come to our area, educational events.

00:59:45 Speaker 01: The senior center certainly is actively involved in that.

00:59:45 Speaker 01: The arts community; so I think if staff could bring back a report,

00:59:45 Speaker 01: and that way they can look at various ways to recognize how we are enhancing our program and contributing positively to being our best representatives as groups and organizations and individuals.

00:59:45 Speaker 01: I'm hearing a bunch of different things, but we've got a motion on the floor that doesn't cover all those things, Deputy Mayor Greig.

00:59:46 Speaker 01: I'm just wondering before moving an amendment if we could hear from staff in terms of what they've just heard and what they might envision the report looking like coming back,

00:59:46 Speaker 01: before I make any specific amendments to the motion on the floor.

00:59:46 Speaker 01: Thanks for that question.

00:59:46 Speaker 01: We've been thinking a little bit about this, and at this point assuming council asks for something it's reflected in next year's work plan.

00:59:46 Speaker 01: What staff had anticipated was developing and bringing back; I think the comments about making sure that it reflects and integrates Vision Two Thousand and Fifty is really important.

00:59:47 Speaker 01: But bringing back a report through committee that would lay out what awards do we have now: Volunteer Senior and Youth Volunteer of the Year, then the Jan Chamberlain Volunteer of the Year Award,

00:59:47 Speaker 01: then the Arts and Cultural Award.

00:59:47 Speaker 01: So what do we have now?

00:59:47 Speaker 01: Also the Sports Hall of Fame; and then looking at this Ambassador Award and working with committee and council to present some draft criteria,

00:59:48 Speaker 01: looking for input on that whether through committee or if there's public input required in council, and then bringing it refining that creating the application form.

00:59:48 Speaker 01: What how is it recognized?

00:59:49 Speaker 01: Is it part of those other awards?

00:59:49 Speaker 01: All of those things would be developed and brought back.

00:59:49 Speaker 01: So does that mean it's in the work plan?

00:59:49 Speaker 01: It's being done already, or do you need a motion to move ahead with that broad look?

00:59:49 Speaker 01: Sorry anticipating that knowing that this notice of motion was there we've put it in the draft work plans because we're working on those reports now.

00:59:50 Speaker 01: So we've done it; so we'd done it assuming it was going to be requested.

00:59:50 Speaker 01: So we're okay.

00:59:50 Speaker 01: Okay, that's okay.

00:59:51 Speaker 01: So go ahead.

00:59:51 Speaker 01: I just wonder if I could make an amendment after community ambassador award.

00:59:51 Speaker 01: So it would read regarding potential components of a community ambassador award and Award Program Review which is aligning to Strategic Plan or Vision Two Thousand and Fifty.

00:59:52 Speaker 01: If that wording is reasonable; is that motion to amend?

00:59:52 Speaker 01: So it's a motion to amend.

00:59:53 Speaker 01: Okay so motion to amend is now priority.

00:59:53 Speaker 01: Any discussion on the motion to amend?

00:59:53 Speaker 01: Call the question.

00:59:54 Speaker 01: All in favor.

00:59:54 Speaker 01: Call the question on favor, that's carried.

00:59:55 Speaker 01: Can I just proceed then?

00:59:55 Speaker 01: So we'd move call the question on the original motion with that amendment; all in favor and that is carried.

00:59:55 Speaker 01: And Travis voted for both so that covers off number fourteen.

00:59:55 Speaker 01: Additional discussion of additional business Councillor Kepkay.

00:59:56 Speaker 01: Thank you Worship.

00:59:56 Speaker 01: I know that we have a program in place and a reserve for water filling stations around the city,

00:59:56 Speaker 01: and I'm wondering I think there's a need for one in the upper concourse of the Bayshore for the people who are walking or running around.

00:59:56 Speaker 01: They walk around the track for the people attending any events there now.

00:59:57 Speaker 01: Given that there's no refreshments allowed to be brought in to the Bayshore, given that all the seating is from the upper concourse and people have to go downstairs to fill their water bottles,

00:59:57 Speaker 01: then come back up.

00:59:57 Speaker 01: It's difficult for a lot of seniors, so I'm wondering if staff could have a look at that and see if there's a possibility of placing a water filling station in the upper concourse.

00:59:57 Speaker 01: Through your worship, we're happy to take a look at that.

00:59:58 Speaker 01: Need a motion?

00:59:58 Speaker 01: Probably.

00:59:59 Speaker 01: Marion, get you to make a motion.

00:59:59 Speaker 01: I move a motion.

00:59:59 Speaker 01: Sorry, through your body procedurally, we would need a motion to waive the notice provisions since this is under additional business, and that would just require two thirds vote of council.

00:59:59 Speaker 01: So, just to waive the notice provision in the procedural bylaw, and then if that passes, then Marion could bring a subsequent motion.

00:59:59 Speaker 01: Sorry, Councillor Koepke.

01:00:00 Speaker 01: And for that reason, Your Worship, that's why I didn't move a motion because staff said they would have a look at it anyways, and it's probably already in the work plan.

01:00:00 Speaker 01: It is yeah, I guess it's a capital expenditure.

01:00:00 Speaker 01: That's what Scott just pointed out.

01:00:00 Speaker 01: So it is there.

01:00:01 Speaker 01: I'm always leery about we don't move motions and it falls between the cracks, goes away to never-never land, and then we wondered what happened.

01:00:01 Speaker 01: Okay, was there anything else in your list?

01:00:01 Speaker 01: No, Councillor Farmer.

01:00:01 Speaker 01: Councillor Farmer.

01:00:01 Speaker 01: Thank you.

01:00:02 Speaker 01: Through the mayor, I just wanted to report back.

01:00:03 Speaker 01: The Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference was last weekend.

01:00:03 Speaker 01: The deputy mayor and I were there personally.

01:00:03 Speaker 01: I attended sessions about strengthening rural vitality through arts and culture, gathering accurate information for residents, and municipal financial planning, as well as supported a deputation the Georgian Bluffs made advocating for an Ontario Digital Library.

01:00:03 Speaker 01: And attended the minister's forum where I was able to ask a question from the floor about modernizing funding for police services;

01:00:03 Speaker 01: AMO and Roma reps continued to advocate for the province to conduct a social and economic prosperity review to update the financial relationship between our levels of government.

01:00:03 Speaker 01: As municipalities continue to spend billions of dollars across the province to address areas of provincial jurisdiction like healthcare and social services,

01:00:04 Speaker 01: there were also several speakers on stage and from the floor advocating for the province to respect municipal jurisdiction and end what is becoming a pattern of provincial overreach into municipal decision making.

01:00:04 Speaker 01: I'll plan to share relevant presentation resources with staff and council.

01:00:04 Speaker 01: They got an email with those links, so I'll upload those for reference.

01:00:04 Speaker 01: But I'm happy to chat with anyone who wants to reach out about the takeaway messages from the conference and cool things that I heard.

01:00:05 Speaker 01: Thanks.

01:00:05 Speaker 01: Anyone else?

01:00:05 Speaker 01: I don't think I said when I was calling for additional business that I had a couple things to speak to, but...

01:00:06 Speaker 01: I don't think anyone's going to be surprised.

01:00:06 Speaker 01: Saturday morning, I went down to Harrison Park, and it was the most beautiful blue sky without a cloud, sun, and snow on the trees.

01:00:06 Speaker 01: It was fabulous.

01:00:06 Speaker 01: Looking out the window of the car, I was there because this was the sixty-first time the Scouts were hosting their annual winter campout,

01:00:11 Speaker 01: and apparently it hit minus twenty-seven and a half in the middle of the night, and they were camping.

01:00:11 Speaker 01: Unfortunately, because of snow on the road, they had a few scout troops that couldn't get here due to road closures and things, and didn't want to risk the drive.

01:00:12 Speaker 01: However, coming in Thursday night were three car loads from our Twin City, Miami'sburg, Ohio, that made it all the way and stayed with us.

01:00:12 Speaker 01: And I had a great visit, and I'm going to post one of the pictures with them.

01:00:13 Speaker 01: Sixty-one years.

01:00:14 Speaker 01: These kids have been there.

01:00:14 Speaker 03: Potentially, their parents' generation, their grandfather's generation, and almost their great-grandfather's generation; almost potentially, they have camped out at Harrison Park, and it's just a great achievement for them.

01:00:15 Speaker 03: I think they earned their badge.

01:00:15 Speaker 03: I then attended the Alzheimer's Society soup on event at the Bayshore Community Center.

01:00:15 Speaker 03: Ten soup vendors served up to eighteen different varieties to approximately six hundred and thirty people.

01:00:15 Speaker 03: This raises funds for local programming and is lots of fun for everyone that attended.

01:00:16 Speaker 03: The soup vendors really put together stuff and really try to win that thing, and the flavors were amazing.

01:00:17 Speaker 03: Judging it, I believe if you go to Alzheimer's Society, there's still the live auction or online auction up for another day or so.

01:00:17 Speaker 03: I think.

01:00:18 Speaker 03: And there's some really neat things there that you can go and bid on and help them raise money.

01:00:19 Speaker 03: I too went to the art gallery.

01:00:19 Speaker 03: Scott pretty well covered it off, but in three rooms of the art gallery, I think it's been one of the best in years.

01:00:19 Speaker 03: As I was leaving, of course, always wanted to be the last one to leave.

01:00:20 Speaker 03: I don't think for some reason Harold Clunder was sitting with a family member on a bench looking at his own painting just smiling and saying nothing for a while.

01:00:20 Speaker 03: It was really fun to watch because the piece of art is fabulous.

01:00:20 Speaker 03: He is a very nationally renowned abstract painter.

01:00:20 Speaker 03: His pieces are really intriguing.

01:00:21 Speaker 03: There's so much depth; you can sit there and look at them forever.

01:00:21 Speaker 03: Forecast Scott mentioned, it's all collection from permanent collection.

01:00:21 Speaker 03: Looking at the change of seasons anchored by Tom Thomson sketches and paintings, I think there's twenty-six of them that are up, and how often you get to see twenty-six Tom Thompson paintings in one room,

01:00:22 Speaker 03: and then the one wall is really magnificent; that traces the seasonal progress, and I know there's George McLean's in there, A.Y. Jackson's, Lauren Harris, Franz Johnson's, Lauren Wagman...

01:00:22 Speaker 03: I forget who all else.

01:00:22 Speaker 03: Like this wall is fabulous, and I could sit on the bench and look at it for hours.

01:00:23 Speaker 03: And a couple of them are there; one by Franz Johnson.

01:00:24 Speaker 03: I don't know if I've ever seen even the two pieces just inside the front door would knock your socks off that I'd never seen.

01:00:24 Speaker 03: They've been in the collection for a while.

01:00:24 Speaker 03: So if you're stuck inside, you've got the winter blues.

01:00:25 Speaker 03: It's cold.

01:00:26 Speaker 03: It's gray.

01:00:26 Speaker 03: You're looking for something to do.

01:00:26 Speaker 03: Plan to go to the art gallery.

01:00:28 Speaker 03: Do something a little bit different.

01:00:28 Speaker 01: Maybe go and spend some time there.

01:00:28 Speaker 01: I know that you're going to enjoy your afternoon if you go to the gallery.

01:00:28 Speaker 01: So, with that, I think that completes additional business.

01:00:29 Speaker 01: So, sixteen, Councillor Kukreja, motion that the committee of the whole rise and report.

01:00:29 Speaker 01: Moved by myself that the committee of the whole rise and report.

01:00:31 Speaker 01: All in favour, and that is carried.

01:00:31 Speaker 01: Seventeen, back in the formal session, motion to adjourn proceedings in committee of the whole.

01:00:31 Speaker 01: Moved by myself, seconded by Councillor Merton, that the action taken in Committee of the Whole in considering public meetings, deputations, and presentations, public forum matters arising from correspondence, reports of city staff, consent agenda,

01:00:32 Speaker 01: committee minutes, matters postponed, motions for which notice was previously given, and additional business be confirmed by this Council.

01:00:32 Speaker 01: Thank you.

01:00:33 Speaker 01: All in favour.

01:00:33 Speaker 01: That is carried.

01:00:33 Speaker 01: Councillor Dodds, hands up.

01:00:33 Speaker 01: Notices of motion.

01:00:33 Speaker 01: Any notices being given tonight?

01:00:34 Speaker 01: Seeing none.

01:00:34 Speaker 01: We have no closed session so that's nothing.

01:00:35 Speaker 01: Point nineteen or point twenty-two here.

01:00:35 Speaker 01: Ms. Landry, the bylaws.

01:00:35 Speaker 01: Through you, Mayor Boddy.

01:00:35 Speaker 01: The by-laws listed for approval on tonight's agenda include the confirmatory by-law; a by-law to appoint or amend terms of office for members and establish boards and committees;

01:00:35 Speaker 01: a by-law to amend the traffic by-law to amend certain on-street parking restrictions, stop controls, and yield right-of-ways;

01:00:35 Speaker 01: a by-law to amend the water management by-law to prohibit the creation of new water accounts without the installation of a new meter or the inspection and approval of an existing meter.

01:00:35 Speaker 01: And a by-law to amend the fees and charges by-law to amend fees related to water meter charges. Move by myself, seconded by Councillor Merton, that the by-law numbers 2026-007 through to and including 2026-011 be passed and enacted. And all in favour. That is carried. That completes our business for tonight. It is six thirty. Travis, hope you're feeling better soon. Thanks everybody. We'll see you in a couple weeks.