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GUEST COLUMN: West Orillia is not right place for the new hospital

OrilliaMatters

24

Fantastic letter. If we keep talking about a "walkable" city then we have to build one and with the fact of Orillia's lower economic average income, more than half the homeless that Barrie has, teen moms; it needs to be downtown. Suburbia is built for the car, Westridge can drive to downtown. The old hospital building can become a new campus; and with other services; social work students can be at the "social work" campus, education students can be close to Harriet Todd, Lion's Oval, Orchard park, Monsignor Lee, OSS. As well it can become a "Heart Hub" as the province has promised but by that time we will have elected a caring provincial government and a new mayor to figure that all out faster and better than the cons can.

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McIsaac relinquishes hiring, firing authority, holds onto other strong mayor powers

OrilliaMatters

29

He's put it on Sidhu to 'fire' himself and step aside to Trevor Lee!?!Way to gaslight the whole situation and undermine our whole city. Unbelievable.

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'People need homes, not handcuffs': New bill panned by local advocate

OrilliaMatters

14

you ask Mcisaac for his comment? when during his regime has he cared about homeless? People illegally removed from behind giant Tiger and Peter st and even on Bay st. Legal obligation is to arrange for somewhere decent for people to move to; that includes staying in their choice city for supports, not separating couples, etc. Basic dignified human things that ford or ford supporters can't grasp.This is just reaping benefits for ford and investors in the prison system; costs taxpayers $200 a day to jail someone vs how much a month in decent benefits? MPPs get $2,000 monthly allowance to live in Toronto. Things are so out of whack now. The cons are really good at duping the public into believing this is sustainable. Don't fall for it!

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Tensions rise as Orillia mayor refuses to explain CAO hiring reversal

OrilliaMatters

29

Couldn't he be ousted earlier? Stuff happens in other cities? A councillor could take over the position and a ward could have an election.

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Orillia reacquires 'landmark' train station property for $1.2M

OrilliaMatters

10

It is time for a structured encampment with tiny homes, garbage pick-up, porta-potties and/or indoor washrooms and a daytime access centre inside the rail station. If no one likes this idea then find another location like parking lot # 6 behind city hall but just do it already. It has been over two years since people were forcibly removed from a city-owned property behind Giant Tiger in contravention of a judgment in early 2023, that it was illegal to do so without finding people a decent alternative. We have come to a point now where outreach is being ticketed and benches are being removed. In between those times another bylaw was instituted saying that people could not shelter themelseves overnight and a question in to bylaw about a person out in the open sleeping on a sidewalk was also stated as being illegal. City could also charge residents rent. It is a win-win for everyone. We all do better when we all do better.

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Council reopens door to downtown outreach services after backlash over tickets, bench removal

OrilliaMatters

25

Unbelievable, as long as Lighthouse Outreach has been available they have been at parking lot #1 and many other locations; they go to the people.But on the flip side, there is nowhere for poor people to exist in Orillia!If they are on private property, they are trespassing.They can be "moved along" from public property after 15-20 minutes.Kicked off of city property behind Giant Tiger, Peter st, Bay st. People balked when the county and the feds offered a rapid rehousing unit; suggested 3 parks for the location and all the NIMByism came out, then it was located downtown. They can't shelter themselves overnight with the new 2023 bylaw against tents nor can they sleep openly on the sidewalk or a bench now. So where to exist legally in Orillia?

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GUEST COLUMN: West Orillia is not right place for the new hospital

OrilliaMatters

19

And the old hospital rooms can become student housing and affordable housing; it's not rocket science, just as the letter says about the economic boost /thrust that repurposing or building on brownfields can be.

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'Frustrating experience': Special council meeting on strong mayor powers cut short

OrilliaMatters

19

The whole procedure she was asking about was to put procedure aside; which can be done if 2/3 agree.Jay Fallis has been a councillor before Durnford has been; if we want to talk about "family"/"entitlement" then look at mcisaac.

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Council to discuss strong mayor powers in closed session, again

OrilliaMatters

17

Yes, it will become what the election is all about next year. Either way, he talks both sides so half of what he says is a lie.

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Mayor outlines updates on speed cameras, train station, housing

OrilliaMatters

15

he's had almost three years of chances with many empty promises. And he has surprised us in the worst possible ways.

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Ontario should end forced encampment evictions: housing advocate

OrilliaMatters

6

In Orilia, we have instances where local government have treated people in contravention of existing laws and judgements. The illegal removal of people from behind Giant Tiger in 2023; people were not to be removed from city property unless they were given a viable alternative or found housing as decided by Justice Valente in January of 2023 https://www.orilliamatters.com/ontario-news/ontario-judge-denies-request-to-clear-kitchener-encampment-citing-charter-violation-6458102There was a piece of city property off the millenium trail, that was not identified as city property in the roll books and took several attempts before there was an acknowledgment that it was so. It was the most ideal piece (near garbage cans and could have easily had a porta-potty installed there) and well-suited for an encampment. People have lived there since with police and bylaw checking in on them.

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COLUMN: Local commenters should not hide behind false names

OrilliaMatters

12

It still helps to be male, white, establishment in this town. That's why some of us like to use pseudonyms so that our comments might be considered on their own merits.

6

Petition launched to reinstate Trevor Lee as Orillia's CAO

OrilliaMatters

18

if Sidhu was perfect for the job, why not hire him in the first place? how much is it going to cost the city to compensate Lee? how much money and time were spent hiring the guy? wasn’t he “welcomed” by the mayor in March? which time was the lie? then or now?

‘Slap in the face’: Legion launches petition against OSMH decision

OrilliaMatters

14

omg they cared for us, can't they be trusted to have a say/continue to care for us?

4

'What is going on?' Power outages spark outrage in downtown Orillia

OrilliaMatters

16

some compensation for those businesses? level of services lower since Hydro became "one'?

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Ontario should end forced encampment evictions: housing advocate

OrilliaMatters

5

It could be argued that the removal from Peter st and Bay st and other removals since are illegal since people were not provided with a decent alternative; i.e. expected to move cities from where their supports are, splitting up couples, etc. What Barrie has been doing and the way it has been removing people, knowing full well people needed basics like garbage removal and toileting and then blaming people for contaminating the water is also unconscionable. What do you expect people to do to survive otherwise? Especially with the county ready to bring in modular units, just as the county has done in Barrie and offered to do in Orillia. (County of Simcoe manager) Fayez-Bahgat said modular units can be installed in as quick as six weeks, if land, permits and services are available. https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/city-opts-not-to-declare-state-of-emergency-around-homelessness-11310832

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'Calculated decision': City plugging in 8 new EV charging stations

OrilliaMatters

11

Could find a way to plug in some tiny homes...why are cars always more important than people!?!

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City councillors force special meeting to deal with McIsaac's use of strong mayor powers

OrilliaMatters

16

Sidhu would then earn the CAO salary and someone else would then get promoted in-house (would not risk hiring someone from outside again!) No money was saved, only time and money wasted on hiring process and now lawsuit/settlement process. mcIsaac was happy to hire him in March and unhappy now in April. Both these things can't be true.

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Did mayor blow the lid off CAO firing controversy with 'hypothetical' scenario?

OrilliaMatters

10

Why is McIsaac protecting a councillor? Unless it's "dunlopian" Whitney Smith.And what's the financial difference between settling a termination of employment vs. a human rights tribunal? More important to get any "isms" out in the open and deal with that publicly and learn and grow from that than to ruin another person's career.McIsaaac has effectively ruined his and Sidhu's career; the new mayor will be voted in on a promise to fire the CAO because of all the "unknowns".

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COLUMN: McIsaac's dismissal of new CAO is a 'shameful power grab'

OrilliaMatters

14

Our own tax dollars for housing should never be conditional on a mayor behaving like a ford or a trump. Housing is provincial jurisdiction. Look how council is jumping through hoops trying to figure out our own way to get more doctors in the area when it's the province's mandate. We are doing and paying municipally for what is the province's responsibility! We are letting the province off the hook and getting distracted by/paying for this local drama. Enough already!

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