Thursday, Nov. 17th, 2011 10:00 a.m. – 12 noon
South River, Council Chambers, 63 Marie St
Present: Merv Mulligan : Municipality of Monteith
,Don Carter: Municipality of Whitestone, Rosalind Hall: Ryerson Township, Doreen Wood: Almaguin
Highlands Arts Council,
Cyndi Culbert: Great North Arrow, Tara Hamilton: MNDM, Steve Munro:
Westwind, Diane Kirou: Kawartha Credit Union& South Almaguin Community Development, Kay Todd:
Magnetawan & Ontario Trillium Foundation, Jeff Johnston: chair & Kearney Perry Business Association
(KPABA), Karen Insley Stewart & David Stewart: Almaguin Highlands Inc., Andrea Stoppa: The Labour
Market Group, Kara Mitchell: Women's Own Resource Centre
Regrets received: Ron Begin, FedNor, John Michels, University of Illinois
1. Welcome, call to order ~ Jeff Johnston Chair
2. Introductions of Attendees & discussion re AHED membership
3. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest ~ and meaning discussed as relevant to this group:
4. Adoption of Minutes of October 20, 2011
- motion Rosalind 1st, Merv. Mulligan 2nd
Points of Clarification on Minute Process:
Draft minutes will be sent to those who attended meetings. If there are notices of
events that attendees wish to send to wider AHED contact list, send to both secretary
and Chair - send draft minutes as pasted into email vs. as attachment for selfidentifying
members on dial-up.
After minutes are approved at a meeting, they will be sent to all contacts on network
and posted @ Almaguin.org without any charge to AHED
5. Business Arising / Agenda amendments
6. Terms of Reference for 2011-12
- additions discussed – including adding Discovery Routes trail signage project to
accomplishments & Listing communities / municipalities involved
- changes from past Terms of Reference discussed – & decision making -informal network
that does not have formal organization, members represent themselves and separate
organization, opt in to ideas, partnerships proposed at the meetings & through follow-up
communications -examples discussed
- suggestion to include $ impacts of projects discussed and as we are not a formal body
with a bank account to manage funds through and as this terms of reference is meant to
be brief and promotional,
- further discussion on how we communicate to the public deferred to future meeting
5. Reports from Community and Resource Partners ( Round table of updates from attendees )
Merv Mulligan –Monteith Township
- old Hwy 11 to Sprucedale has been refurbished, made wider to allow for bicycles
- internet cell service surveys are being sent out with tax bills
- will be first winter with new completed outdoor rink with boards and glass
- Trail – looking to form a committee to maintain, Discovery Routes Sign is ready to be
installed at the head of the trail in Sprucedale and another beside the Kiosk in Perry
Township (partnership between two townships)
- Have purchased and are installing compactors to compact recycled materials collected at
the landfill, will mean better storage, less shipping and fuel costs and will keep litter
down (eg. plastic bags from blowing around)
Don Carter– Whitestone
- great success with Northern Lights Steel Orchestra, will bring them back for Labour Day
weekend coming up, will expand on it, both recreational committee and economic
development committee
- arranging for a family fun day in February – will be publicity out on this soon
- recently had James Murphy RTO 12 to present to community on growing Tourism
- seeking advice, input from others, in creating a business association within the
Municipality of Whitestone – will bring together local business owners soon
- NHL alumni of Whitestone, seeking ways of linking this history with promoting history
of area and as destination –interest in spreading
Almaguin Highlands Inc. - Karen Insley-Stewart & David Stewart
- done an informal survey with business – want to make sure all of them are represented on
the map – great interest expressed in having a place where all businesses in Almaguin can
be found – are seeking to continue as informal network vs.
- involved in Healthy Communities planning committee at new AHSS
- attending Innovation Muskoka gathering at Waterloo Summit Centre in Huntsville
(organized by Muskoka Futures), will report on key learnings next meeting – Nov. 18th ,
8-4, free lunch
RTO 12
- google maps has opened up in Canada to all with a gmail account, businesses and not for
profit intitiatives such as trails can do that – business members encouraged
- google adwords are being rolled out presently with Explorer's Edge,
Cyndi Culbert – Great North Arrow
- soon to be 10 000 in production , 250 subscriber, have requests to expand distribution
– presently available at no charge, will raise to $1 early in new year (will donate 10c of
each addition to local community organization) , in convenience stores, Emsdale Esso,
contributors eg. WORC, in restaurants
– Entire Almaguin Highlands = coverage area up
to Powassson, south to Novar and some Huntsville locations all the way over to Parry
Sound
- advertisers are expressing interest, people read it cover to cover & collect
- needs input: invites all communities to do, write in layman terms updates re
communities, &accomplishments and they will publish at no charge
- focus on good news
- mission – small towns and proud connection communities
- have an Outdoor page that's expanded to 4 pages with partnerships with Rod and Gun
clubs and MNR
- have nostalgic flavour too and want to honour history, through theme each month
Doreen Wood – Arts Council
-strive to advance connections between artists and communities – we have a wealth of artists of
various kinds, visual, literary, music, drama in Almaguin
- on May long weekend, had a showcase in Sundridge @ Caswell
- had a smaller one on Aug. 13th at the Museum in Powassan
- in process of updating the directory that was produced 2 years ago
– striving to have more
email in Sept., deadline for registration is January
–increased costs by $25 –brought list of costs
to register
- last year used Aqui Graphics in past as they produced the P.Sound , using Creative
Impressions in North Bay this year as more accessible
- have website that's been updated info@ahartscouncil.org
Rosalind Hall: Ryerson Township
- Spectrum is installing 2 smaller towers to link with larger local one (Doe Lake) in
Ryerson township on road allowance by Horn Lake through Blue Sky Wireless area
initiative so long as approved by adjacent land owners
-relationships between Blue Sky
and internet providers discussed
- can allow cottagers to work from there and remain in
area for longer periods
- Discussion: Cell and internet service not being available in rural areas and disconnect
with large providers such as Bell who are misinformed about their service being
available, unaware of geographical realities
- Armour, Ryerson and Burks Falls - have museum in an old school house on Midlothian
Rd., has been traditionally run by Historical Society, hired students each summer
– they are
no longer able to do so
– Municipalities will partner to maintain the museum, will hire
summer students and seek to partner to have an Intern to develop plan for and maintain
museum and develop a guide featuring jewels / features of the area, link museum to history
and life in surrounding communities, researching family trees
Tara Hamilton: MNDM
- encourage partnerships at all levels, applaud developing collaborations
- Chetna that was rep in the area will be replaced
- Officer – supports can be provided: process issues, concept development and project
planning (without taking ownership)
- 2 programs
- Northern Ontario Heritage Fund –
- With OMAFRA: Community Economic Development 101 – training program – 1 day– setting one up with CAEDA group in early December - could be run with AHED or
other portion
- CAEDA is applying for intern support
- CED: Intern Program – up to 90% of wage to max of $27 500 for non-profit, private
sector = 50% - one applicant can apply for 2 internships at a time
- guidelines for the program will be sent out with minutes
Westwind – Steve Munro
- announcement made that a pellet plant will be developed in Bracebridge
– will accept
lower grade material from local forestry for this for heat production, good for local mills
and forestry workers
– seems like a growing industry, to replace coal , not at that
efficiency
- update on bugs: Longhorn Asian Beetle: got into Toronto via pellets, has been
quarantined, Canadian Food Inspection agency will announce that it has been eradicated
– recent study found that the beetle that affected forests in west also likes White Pine
- Ontario Wood Branding coming out like food branding
- Westwind still working on Ontario Parks buying local wood – they do
- 1st FSC certified forestry company in Canada – explanation of Forest Certification
Council – it's made great strides in paper industry, Westwind supporting their expansion
into lumber, other products
- Pine market is unfortunately being flooded by that coming from South
- Offer forest inventory tools of GPS maps to community organizations / Municipalities for
trails, planning, etc. & digital overhead photography from 2011
- Potential of Biodiesel from wood discussed
Andrea Stoppa - provided overview of Labour Market Group:
- look at labour market issues, id workforce challenges – every year, they receive databases
from gov. agencies on employment, business, education levels in a region & analyse it
for key sectors in each areas, id areas for growth and development, go to key employers
within sector to verify data with their realities
–id opportunities and challenges with them
– summarize into Local TOP report / Labour Market Plan
– highlight 4 action steps to
focus on, do also provide funding and logistical support expertise to more that other
partners are involved with
- seeking to meet with employers in December
- proposing that in follow-up to January AHED meeting with meeting with Municipalities
- provided last year's TOP report
Diane Kirou: Kawartha Credit Union & South Almaguin Community Development,
-just started new initiative for South Almaguin similar to AHED, wants to be a hub of
economic development, keep separate from politics, look at general issues, communication,
getting messages out, communicate what services available, signage
Jeff Johnston -Kearney
– Sr's Citizens club –looking to develop bussing system, Burk's Falls Council would be
interested in supporting though cannot release the bus that's been donated to them for that
purpose, along with other municipalities. Contacted Hammond transportation, looking at
expanding school bus ridership initially and seeing potential for more comprehensive system
- Seeks municipal members to approach their councils about partnering on expansion
on more comprehensive system
Women's Own Resource Centre – Kara Mitchell
- WORC will be offering an Entrepreneurial Skills Training course Jan-March, 2 hr classes
per week. This course has and offers quality educational support for Almaguin women to
start a new business with feasibly, expand an existing business or explore the selfemployment
option. There will be 2 different locations and times of the week.
- Re Carpool Almaguin – The billboard sign advertising this program between Sundridge
and Magenetewan on #124 is up for renewal – 1 yr is $339 w tax. WORC is willing to
pay half the cost if other municipalities involved are willing to split the difference. An
email will be sent to follow up. Value of other forms of promotion discussed.
6. Correspondence –'TOP' Reports from Labour Market Group Distributed
7. Other Business / Discussion
8. Next meeting date(s):
Monday Dec. 12th ~ Caroline Loiselle keynote on 'Healthy
Communities' , Ont. Min. funding programs for Economic Development
-location:
South River Council Chambers
Thurs. Jan. 19th , 2012 ~ location tbd. @ this meeting – potentially Whitestone with lunch meeting with the Labour Market Group
12. In-Camera (if required)
Adjournment : 12:30
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