Councillor McCann Meeting Report (June 1, 2021)
Belvedere Heights Board of Management Monthly Meeting
On Wednesday morning, May 26, 2021, with Councillor Borneman I attended the Belvedere Heights Board of Management Monthly Meeting. The Finance Committee report, Life Lease and Community Support Services reports were presented. Plans are now underway for the Annual Information Meeting of Belvedere Heights for the benefit of the public and its stakeholders. It is to be scheduled any time up to October 1st this year. In a letter today to the families and friends, Belvedere has announced it will be hosting a second COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Belvedere Heights on June 8, 2021! More details will follow, however Belvedere can confirm the following; those eligible include essential visitors and care givers who have received their first dose at Belvedere. Also the clinic will be held in the same space as our previous clinic, the Community Support Services Auditorium, at the CSS entrance at the south end of the building. Belvedere staff will be in touch with families with more details this week.
West Parry Sound District Museum Monthly Board Meeting
On Thursday evening, May 27, 2021 the West Parry Sound District Museum Monthly Board Meeting was held via ZOOM. I was not in attendance but would like to report on some of the business conducted. May was Museum Month. Staff has been fundraising to start digitizing the Parry Sound North Star newspapers. To date $3,400 has been raised. Georgian Bay Glass has finished the installation of the Lexan around the model train. The new reopening plan means that the Museum will not be open until August at the earliest. The Corporate Development Committee is continuing to work with Museum staff on an updated Strategic Plan. To date this has consisted of identifying and reviewing strategic plans from similarly sized museums across Canada. The current focus is on defining a vision of the Museum 10 years from now. This will provide the basis for understanding what needs to be accomplished in the intervening years. The strategic plan under development will cover the period of 2021 through to 2026 and provide the necessary foundation to achieve the 2031 vision.
Parry Sound Public Library News
In the midst of the global pandemic Rita Orr and staff are developing ways and means to bring growth and rejuvenation to the children’s area. Rita has spearheaded a portal entrance to the library’s children’s area along with various improvements. Through a Midland company, Keebee Play, Orr told media she was determined to keep the wall portal entrance with a natural environment, water, animals and trees. Plans target the end of June for its opening. Four whimsical early learning stations are to be added to foster intellectual, social-emotional and physical development. Children will learn problem solving, communication skills and acquire the knowledge required to become a successful reader. In 2019, the library’s most successful year, more than 76,000 people visited the space where they hosted 285 children’s programs with 3,800 children participanting and more than 48,850 items circulated. See more at the library’s website at https://www.parrysoundlibrary.com.
