Councillor McCann Meeting Report (April 7, 2015)
On Wednesday, March 25th, my wife and I had the pleasure and the honour of attending the Parry Sound & District Horticultural Society Potluck. This was their first meeting for 2015. I was happy to bring greetings and best wishes from the Mayor, Council, Staff and Town of Parry Sound. I had an opportunity to extend a note of thanks to the group for all the work they have done and continue to do in beautifying our town. The guest speaker for the evening was Anne Bossart. She spoke on the composition of soil and how to manage good use and plant rotation.
I would like the town to know that in the previous year this organization chalked up 2,129.5 volunteer hours. Their new President, Irva Stewart, in her speech thanked the Town of Parry Sound for all of its support. It should also be noted that in this year they are announcing some changes including the location of their meetings. They are now being held upstairs at the Bobby Orr Community Centre in the Hart Room and the time is 7:00PM. New members are always welcome. We felt very comfortable and welcomed by this great group of people. Show me a gardener and I'll show you a kind-hearted, caring individual. Contact the organization on line here http://www.gardenontario.org/site.php/psdhs or by calling (705) 746-8556. Write to 65 Parry Sound Road, Parry Sound, Ontario, P2A 2M7.
Photographs by Gord Stewart
On Tuesday morning, March 31, 2015 at the Fire Hall, I attended AODA Training conducted by Tammy Purdy. We identified general types of disabilities and who may possess such disabilities. What constituted a barrier, our responsibilities as mandated by the AODA (Accessibilities for Ontarians with Disabilities Act). Principles of Accessible Customer Service, Training, Customer Service Feedback, policies on Assistive Devices, Service Animals, Support Persons and Communication were covered. It was very informative, helpful and productive!
For more information on the Ontario legislation, please visit http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/understanding_accessibility/aoda.aspx
I would like to offer a note of congratulations to Tim McWhirter of Parry Sound on being named one of Kraft Canada’s Top 100 Unsung Hockey Heroes. Mr. McWhirter is coach of the Parry Sound Auto Parts Minor Novice/Atom Mixed Team. Tim was awarded a $2,000 prize to donate to a Hockey Canada program of his choice in his name and he selected female hockey. Jason and Rebecca Cutler took the initiative to nominate Tim.
It's important to recognize the efforts of people like Tim. Whether it's hockey, literary, theatre, youth groups, service and benevolent organizations, it is so important to say "thank you"! The Cutler's took the initiative to nominate Tim and it is worth passing along two other opportunities in which citizens can nominate individuals for their time and contributions. From the Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs, comes an invitation to nominate an outstanding deserving senior citizen through the 2015 Senior Achievement Award Program. There is more information at http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/citizenship/honoursandawards.shtml.
And from the Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade the public is invited to nominate a young person from our schools or community who has made an important contribution to eliminating racial discrimination in Ontario. The winning nomination will receive the Lincoln M. Alexander Award of 2015. Again, go on line for more information at http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/citizenship/honoursandawards.shtml.
