John MacVicar
26843 
Council seeks answers after pond failures damage trout habitat
OrilliaMatters
27The developer LIV should be held responsible and pay to have the stream restored.
- John MacVicar
Doug Ford triggers provincial election
17We had a doctor shortage before Doug Ford was elected. Mr. ford has done little to alleviate that shortage; in fact by privatizing he has made it worse. The US spends more on healthcare than any other country and are not even in the top 10 countries in the the world for providing their citizens with healthcare; the US is often a model of how not to do things for the social good.
1- John MacVicar
City of Orillia has 87 employees on 2024 Sunshine List
OrilliaMatters 12The measurement should be since inception how have public service wages increased compared to the cities or districts average wage. This would be a good indication if public service wage increases have been fair or not compared to the public they serve; it would be especially true of city and district governing members.
- John MacVicar
Taxpayers group slams Ontario MPPs 'loathsome' new pay raise
OrilliaMatters 9CEOs of hospitals are overpaid. Public sector wages should be in line with private sector wages with defined pensions being taken into account.
3- John MacVicar
Seasonal parking permit program recommended for west Orillia
OrilliaMatters 7I see a conflict in ethics here. The city lets developers provide fewer parking spaces for new builds and now the city charges people because they do not have enough parking where they live; I am referring to row housing and apartment buildings. Row houses, I had one, can only fit one vehicle in the driveway and maybe a compact in the garage if your lucky. Most households today have two vehicles.
5- John MacVicar
'Visibility issues': No-parking zone could come to Atlantis Drive
OrilliaMatters 9Is this a symptom of not providing enough parking spaces? A house and townhouses should have at least two parking spaces in their driveway. It seems the issue is urban planning.
1- John MacVicar
GUEST COLUMN: West Orillia is not right place for the new hospital
OrilliaMatters 7I have on several occasions. The poor in the city living close to the hospital walk to the hospital.
3- John MacVicar
Sunday closures loom for Orillia library amid budget shortfall
OrilliaMatters 8It would seem for an operating budget that a increase in funding matching inflation would keep the library working as it always has providing capital reserves are separate (money to buy new equipment etc.). Having pay increases for employees or increasing taxes above the rate of inflation is not sustainable unless of course the taxpayer base is getting raises equal to or greater than what city cost increases are. Its simple math. It is also a contributing factor why the standard of living is decreasing in Canada.
2- John MacVicar
Doug Ford triggers provincial election
9Parliament can change election laws for those who mentioned changing or saying we can not change election laws.
- John MacVicar
Mayor outlines updates on speed cameras, train station, housing
OrilliaMatters 8Where is all the rental housing being built? 30 to 40 percent of the population are renters. I do not see that a percentage of new building in the city's housing is meeting that need? Shelter is a necessity of life in our climate.
- John MacVicar
City council will not push province to review Greenbelt Act
OrilliaMatters 7Why don't we build our cities like Europe's but with more green spaces? If we doubled our population density green space would really become moot. 40% of Orillia are renters,so build more multi storied buildings to house these people. Not the sardine cans in Toronto but apartments big enough so people can live.
1- John MacVicar
Barrie mayor among those calling on Ford to use notwithstanding clause to deal with encampments
OrilliaMatters 7We use to have Ontario Hospitals that specialized in caring for people with mental illness, these were closed and demolished, for example in North Bay and St Thomas. Now the people with mental illness live in encampments; where are they going to go if the encampments are disbanded? It is a societal problem therefore it is, at every level a government problem to be solved.
- John MacVicar
Fallis, Durnford join growing chorus calling on Ford to not use notwithstanding clause
OrilliaMatters 7I was homeless and there were 5 government agencies essentially doing the same job. Get rid of the redundancies in government and use the huge savings to help and give hope to people. I would have died on the streets if someone had not taken me in; I had a blocked heart and could not walk down a driveway without having to rest. .
- John MacVicar
Doug Ford triggers provincial election
7Ford has a mandate to do as he wishes because he has a majority. This early election is self serving
- John MacVicar
'Bit of a weird thing': New city traffic circle gets mixed reviews
OrilliaMatters 4They have these all over Spain and traffic flows better than having lights at intersections. On main roads they still have lights.
2- John MacVicar
Developer calls on city to make zoning changes to unlock funding for affordable housing projects
OrilliaMatters 6Build up not out
- John MacVicar
Over 4,000 tickets issued in Orillia as speed cameras nab fast drivers
OrilliaMatters 5I set my cruise control so I do not speed.
- John MacVicar
Sparks fly as council opts to shelve plans on Champlain Monument
OrilliaMatters 5Champlain is part of history and he explored a good part of eastern Canada. For that he should be remembered. Champlain treated the Algonquin and Huron-Wendat with respect as strategic partners helping them fight the Iroquois. He was an exceptional man and should be remembered for his accomplishments.
- John MacVicar
Mayor vows to flex strong mayor powers to address housing crunch
OrilliaMatters 5The average median household gross income (half of households make less than 71K) in Orillia was $71,000 In 2021. Guidelines for 30% median household income for housing costs is $21,300 at the median. Half of Orillia households can just about afford a one bedroom or studio apartment or rent a bedroom, they can never afford a house. This sad state of affairs is from past poor governance at all levels of government. Changes in capital gains taxation could have made speculation for corporation buyers less attractive. Government costs, including wages should not exceeded inflation. So far I am still waiting to see affordable houses being built anywhere close to Orillia; I hear lots of noise but little action.
- John MacVicar
'Significant changes': Lauer sounds alarm about future of church properties, pre-zoning issues
OrilliaMatters 3Why is there a meeting about this? Where should eight storey buildings go or a shelter or fourplex...? Orillia needs intensification so what is Lauer's answer? Building a new subdivision of $800,000 homes does not work for most people.
2- John MacVicar
