Councillor McCann Meeting Report (February 3, 2026)

West Parry Sound District Museum Monthly Board Meeting
On Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 7:00 pm the West Parry Sound District Museum Monthly Board Meeting was held virtually. While I had plans to be in attendance, I found myself stuck on the highway in a significant snow storm coming back from Orillia, which included a round trip to Rosseau.  I telephoned my regrets.  Business of the meeting included reviewing and accepting financial reports. The museum has been using QuickBooks for several years but late in 2025 it had no alternative but to switch to the online (or as some refer to, the cloud) version.  In Business Arising the museum's Key Holder Policy was reviewed requiring no changes. A review of our Health and Safety Policy required no changes either.  There was a review of past maintenance and discussion surrounding what will need to be taken care of in the near future. The review included cleaning and maintenance of the attic which was cleared and putting in new insulation back in 2022, a GeoThermal HVAC system was installed in 2015, with a primary pump replacement in 2019. The elevator is eventually going to need an upgrade. While the office has LED lighting, most of the building has fluorescent ballasts which may or may not be compatible with current fluorescent tubes, and that is something that is being investigated.  The exterior cedar siding is deteriorating and repairs must be completed to the eves to keep raccoons and squirrels from entering.  Plans are underway to re-organize the gift shop for the reopening this month of February 2026.  No new inventory has been added however all current stock is on sale in the hopes of clearing out stock and making room for a planned change this spring.  Finally, staff are working on a series of new exhibitions including, "Built for the Bay: Scoots and Everyday Ingenuity", "The Busty Baits Exhibition" and "The Ranger Cabin Exhibition".  All are to have a soft launch this month of February.



West Parry Sound District Museum Strategic Planning Workshop
On Saturday afternoon, January 31, 2026, I attended the West Parry Sound District Museum Strategic Planning Workshop.  The group worked with the results of the "Museum on Tower Hill Strategic Planning Survey".  Watch for more in the near future.