Baby Beckham For Mayor!
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
Update On The Proposed Development At Ardagh Road And Ferndale Drive – URGENT
Hello,
Last night during City Council, I was finally able to vote on the proposed development at Ardagh Rd and Ferndale Dr. because I no longer live on Ardagh Rd.
I voted NO.
However, the overall vote was a yes. BUT WE CAN STILL APPEAL THIS DECISION.
This is a quote from the Integrity Commissioner, Suzanne Craig, as to why I could not voice my opinion/vote prior to last night:
It is my position that generally on planning issues, if a Member lives on the street affected by the application, the rules of the MCIA are triggered as the Member has a potential pecuniary interest in the matter. Further, even if the pecuniary interest is viewed as ” an interest in common with other electors generally” and covered by the exemption to the requirement to declare an interest, not influence the vote and not vote, there may still be a Code personal interest for which the Member should not vote.
NEXT STEPS:
If you would like to appeal this decision, please contact Director of Development Services, Michelle Banfield, as soon as possible. 705 726-4242 x 5466
I will be filing an appeal as well.
Water Concerns In The Wildflower/Silvercreek Area
I have some information with respect to the water concerns some of you have in the Wildflower/Silvercreek area from Andrea Miller, General Manager of Infrastructure and Growth Management.
I will be working with Ms. Miller to pursue this issue further with staff and to add the necessary costs for data collection and correction of this problem to the 2021 budget.
Please keep in mind that I do not know what the cost of this large project will be yet, and it will need to be passed at city council when we discuss the budget next fall.
In the meantime, I hope you stay well. Please let me know if you have any further questions!
Here are Mrs. Millerâs comments:
âThis area has a history of surface water concerns from the adjacent EP lands.
The area in question underwent drainage improvements, specifically the wildflower area a couple of years ago.
Operations staff attended the site today to gather additional information and to determine what if anything the City can do.
Attached is an air photo. The red circled area below is very wet due to natural emerging ground water. The water is running across the back of the lots of Silvercreek, albeit slowly. The area is also very flat and there is very little fall in elevation to the catch basin (in blue) at the south west corner of 32 Wildflower (32 WF). The catch basin is currently clear and water is draining into it. The drainage path splits here into two â one to the basin and the other to the channel along side 32 Wildflower and into the storm sewer at the end of the court (in blue). It is difficult to determine definitively what goes where here and where the actual split occurs. The entire area is very wet and covered in thick vegetation and watercress.
The new channel along the side of 32 Wildflower has a bit of a flat/high spot. The water does slowly flow to this point, and then infiltrates into the ground. This is a good thing for natural ground water recharge but does not promote consistent drainage as per the original subdivision design. It is causing some pooling along the back 50% or so of the side of 32 Wildflower and potentially back into the red circled swampy area.
The subdivision design drawings donât reflect exactly what staff see on site. That does happen over time. There may reason to put the channel back to original design but we are not sure it will help with the standing water situation in this area.
The area is, for the lack of a better term, a swamp. This area is also designated MNR ANSI land (Area of Natural and Scientific Interest) and regulated by the NVCA. That is one of the reasons it is the way it is and the reason why it is not always the same year over year. There would be some discussions needed to make any changes here.
Our feeling is that a significant amount of work would be needed This work would be costly, involving the removal of existing channel materials and essentially reconstructing it. The fencing would also need to be removed and replaced. This is not work that the City has ever contemplated doing. We are going to need to review it in more detail and make some decisions on next steps.
Andrea (Bourrie) Miller RPPGeneral Manager Infrastructure and Growth Management
City of Barrieâ
PTSD Awareness Day And Upcoming Meeting With Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Michael Tibollo
Yesterday was PTSD Awareness Day, so I searched through some of my blogs and pulled this one out to share for a few reasons. PTSD has many demons; one being addiction. The trauma(s) that causes PTSD can become so unbearable that without professional help the person may need to use mind-altering substances to feel a sense of ease and comfort, to sleep through the incessant night-terrors, and to pretty much survive. The use of a substance often âworksâ for a while, but when the individual develops a tolerance to a substance they need stronger, and often more dangerous drugs to obtain the same effect; poly drug use often also occurs during this time. These people did not CHOOSE to become addicted to drugs. A path of unhealed trauma took them there. This can happen to anyone. And it happened to me.
Tomorrow my friend and fellow advocate Marc Cohen and I will be having a Zoom meeting with Ontarioâs Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, Michael Tibollo, and many other leaders to discuss the effects in which COVID-19 has had on people battling the disease of addiction. We still have a massive opioid crisis taking place, and getting worse, and we must continue the conversation on how to help these individuals get the fulsome help they so deserve and need to recover.
Furthermore, Marc and I are hopeful that Cornerstone Recovery can begin their search for a location in Barrie next month. Stay tuned.
I understand whatâs in your head.
Chaos clatters all around;
Needle piles are on the ground.
Never sure if youâll be sold;
Your youthfulness now turned to old.
Longing, desperate to be free;
No longer hope in unity.
Tough times living in the low;
But then again itâs all you know.
While you exist you seem to fail;
Suffering minds are sent to jail.
Just keep your weary eyes on me;
Donât let addiction make you flee.
Find your courage left to care;
Have faith that help is still somewhere;
Youâre destined always to soar free;
Beyond the night, so much to be.
Live and jump on chandeliers;
Scream for freedom from your fears.
Youâre gorgeous but youâre filled with dark;
Release the pain that left a mark.
Dedicate your life to change;
So many lives to rearrange.
Lift your head up from the ground;
Recovery this time around.
