March E-Newsletter 2023

March 2023

2023 Town Budget

Following a series of special budget meetings held by Council in early February, the updated Town budget was released on Tuesday, February 14. The updated budget incorporates the direction provided by Council during the special budget meetings. As a next step, residents are reminded that a public meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, 2023, beginning at 9:30 am. The public meeting provides the opportunity for members of the public to address Council directly or to submit an email or letter that will be read aloud by the Town Clerk.

Following the public meeting, Town Staff will present a report at the March 13, 2023 Committee of The Whole Meeting, outlining comments received during the public meeting. The feedback provided is considered by Council through their review and while making changes to the budget. It is anticipated that Council will adopt the 2023 Budget along with the revised Fees & Charges By-laws at the March 27 Council Meeting. To view the draft budget and the proposed Fees & Charges By-laws, please visit the Town's Budget web page.

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The Town of The Blue Mountains is pleased to announce that the 2023 Volunteer Recognition Awards event will be held this year on Saturday, April 22, as part of National Volunteer Recognition Week. Launched in 2022, the Town's annual Volunteer Recognition Awards event recognizes individual volunteers and community groups in seven different categories for their contributions to the community.

The nomination period for the Volunteer Recognition Awards will be open from March 7, 2023 to March 21, 2023.

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FIS Ski Cross World Cup Coming to The Blue Mountains

The FIS Ski Cross World Cup is coming to The Blue Mountains from March 16 to 18! Watch the world’s best ski cross athletes compete in adrenaline-pumping, side-by-side racing at Craigleith Ski Club. The weekend includes qualification runs, a World Cup race, and concludes with the World Cup finals on March 18. The event will also feature a spectator village with live music, food and refreshments.

This event is free for spectators to attend with daily events running from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. There will be parking on site and on the community roads in the area. Attendees are encouraged to carpool and a complimentary shuttle will be running on both Friday and Saturday from the street parking to Craigleith Ski Club and back starting at 10:00 a.m. and running until 4:00 p.m.

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Town Receives Grant for Little River & Moreau Park

On February 14, the Town announced that the municipality has received a non-repayable contribution of $562,500 through the Government of Canada’s Canada Community Revitalization Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). The funds will be used to construct a new pavilion, concession stand and accessible washroom facility at Moreau Park and to replace washrooms and improve beach access at Little River Park.

Through the announcement, Mayor Matrosovs shared that “these funds will go a long way towards improving these facilities with an important focus on accessibility for all residents and members of the public who use them every day. We thank the federal government for helping to improve these spaces, and I especially want to congratulate staff on their successful funding application.”

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Ontario Senior of the Year Award

The Town of The Blue Mountains is seeking nominations for the Province of Ontario Senior of the Year award. The Senior of the Year Award honours one outstanding local senior in each municipality in Ontario. The nominee must be over the age of 65 and have enriched the social, cultural or civic life of the community.

To be considered for the award, all nominations must be submitted to the Town Clerk by Friday, March 24, at noon.

To submit a nomination, contact the Town Clerk.

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Featured Projects

Upcoming Planning & Development Updates

The Planning & Development Services Department will have four items at the Committee of the Whole Meeting on March 14, 2023. The first is a Planning decision on the Wakeboard and Waterski Park (formerly Bayou Cable Park/Cedar Run) application. Reports requesting Public Meetings to be held to consider the Municipal Tree By-law and an Official Plan Amendment regarding Short Term Accommodations will also be brought forward. Finally, a report will be presented on consultation with the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority regarding service delivery agreements.

The Committee of the Whole Meeting will begin at 9:30am on March 14, 2023. Members of the public can attend in person at Town Hall or watch a live stream of the meeting here.

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Master Drainage Plan

The Town is undertaking a comprehensive Town-wide Drainage Master Plan to serve as a long-term strategy to help manage stormwater in existing and new growth areas of the community. As the next phase of the project, the Town will be hosting two facilitated Question and Answer Sessions that are scheduled for late March. The dates for the sessions will be confirmed and hosted following the Town Council meeting on Monday, March 6.

To learn more about the Master Drainage Plan project, visit the project web page.

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Water Tower Rehabilitation

The Victoria Street Water Tower in Thornbury is scheduled for rehabilitation this year to ensure it’s able to continue providing reliable service to residents of the community. While work is being completed, scaffolding and plastic shrouding will be erected around the tower. The Town has engaged CIMA+ to provide consulting engineering services on this project. CIMA+ has been in business for more than 30 years, and has consulted on similar tower rehabilitation projects across Ontario.

To learn more about the Water Tower Rehabilitation project, visit the project web page.

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