Mayor Lowry's Annual Address 2021

December 21, 2021

Mayor Lowry's Annual Address

Once again 2021 has been a year unlike most.  Who could have anticipated that zoom meetings and public health protocols would be front of mind for so much of another year? Although there is no question, we would all like to see the end of COVID and a return to life uncomplicated by masks, distancing and daily public health updates, I must acknowledge how proud I am of the way our community has continued to find ways to adapt, meet challenges and carry on.

Our vaccination rates are some of the highest in the province which is a demonstration of this community’s collective commitment to keeping each other safe. It is also a true testament to the perseverance of Dr. Paula Stewart and her team at the Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit to inform, educate and protect the public.  We are indebted to their dedication.  I’d also like to take time thank everyone on the frontlines, in healthcare, essential workers and support organizations for your continued, incredible commitment and diligence. 

Like last year, the work of the Municipality has continued on despite the pandemic.  Municipal staff have gone above and beyond to ensure service to the public continues as expected and on behalf of Council, I’d like to thank staff for your hard work, your professionalism, and your willingness to do what needs to be done in response to the changing environment due to the pandemic, on top of your regular responsibilities.   We are fortunate to have such talented and knowledgeable staff who work with dedication to the Municipality and its citizens every day.  

Irrespective to the pandemic, Council has seen major projects completed in 2021 and continues to advance others:

• Thanks to a $1M investment from the Eastern Ontario Development Fund, the final phase of the business park has been completed creating 10 serviced commercial lots. These lots are currently on the market with exciting proposals coming before Council.

• We completed Community Official Plan Amendment 22 to expand the urban settlement boundary area and determine where we will grow for years to come.

• The $3M potable water storage facility has been completed to meet water storage demands due to growth and to provide greater assurance for fire protection.
• Thanks to over $1M in provincial and federal funding, the Levi Bridge in Pakenham was replaced and upgraded from a one-lane to a two-lane bridge with new railings and guardrails, making it safer for drivers and pedestrians.

Mississippi Mills has seen encouraging growth and opportunity in 2021. To date, new residential starts are more than double last year’s, and we have seen nearly 30 more permits than in 2020.  New building projects include a retirement home, new subdivisions, and development in the business park.   Our business community is to be commended for their creativity and tenacity in the provision of goods and services to our community, attraction of tourists and in downtown Almonte, safely resuming the much-loved night markets.  Economic development of a different stripe, ten more movies were filmed in Mississippi Mills in 2021 bringing the total in recent years to 32.  Each of these films can inject as much as $100,000 into our local economy through venue rentals, local spending and more. 

In many ways the most significant matter we all faced this year, and will continue to face, is the path of Truth and Reconciliation.  For the longest period of time in Canada’s history, our National Flag remained at half-mast in memory of all Indigenous children who never came home, to honour the survivors of residential schools and their families, and to recognize the extraordinary loss and impact to Indigenous peoples across the country of residential schools.

For the month of September, we flew the Every Child Matters Flag to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.  Council passed motions to waive the administrative fee for commissioning documents for residential school survivors and their families to reclaim their names changed by the residential school system (TRC Calls to Action #17) and to include an Indigenous Bicentennial Working Group as a working subcommittee to the Mississippi Mills Bicentennial Planning Committee.  

We also directed staff to develop an education plan for Council and staff  (TRC Calls to Action #47).  On September 30^th, we worked in partnership with Mississippi Mills All My Relations to host a Vigil for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.  It was a well-attended and meaningful event that I hope is repeated for years to come.  

Looking forward to next year, the Municipality is undertaking several large projects:

• The Downtown Almonte Infrastructure Renewal Project is schedule to commence this spring

• A digital plan with Blackline Consulting to improve the use of technology

• A Community Services Strategic Plan for recreation, culture, and services

• The completion of the Land Evaluation Area Review examining Agricultural Lands in the Municipality

• Planning is getting underway to celebrate Mississippi Mills Bicentennial in 2023.