NEW YEAR’S LEVEE – JANUARY 1, 2018 FROM 2:00 – 4:00 P.M. – TOWN HALL
PLEASE JOIN YOUR NEIGHBOURS & FRIENDS, TOWN HALL STAFF AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TOMORROW FOR SOME SOCIAL TIME AND REFRESHMENTS. I AM SURE WE WILL DISCUSS THE WEATHER!!!!
All posts by robinthemayor
2017 – Canada’s Sesquicentennial Year Looking back at twelve months of celebrations in the Village of Westport
2017 was kicked off at Town Hall with the annual New Year’s Day Levee. MP Gord Brown and MPP Steve Clark joined many Village residents for the raising of the Westport Sesquicentennial flag and the afternoon social. Later in January, “Sir John A and Lady Agnes” came to the Village for “tea” with us “locals”.
We learned in February that we had again been refused the Ontario Community Infrastructure 3 Grant (OCIF) to complete the build of the new waste water treatment system. A strategy was developed to pursue a meeting with Minister Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure and the Premier.
March was the month to celebrate our Irish roots. We packed the Legion to watch the CBC documentary – The Hannah Project, hosted by producer Brian McKenna, and all were left a little in awe that the ancestors of many of our families survived the journey from Ireland to Canada and eventually Westport. We kicked up our heels at an old fashioned Celeigh in early March, which got us ready for an unforgettable St Patrick’s Day parade and party. Whether you are Irish or not, we love to sing Celtic songs and sing them loud!
April was another month for song – our community choir, Some Kind of Choir, gave two performances with a full repertoire of Canadian favourites. The singing was inspiring and the proceeds went to Rideau District High School music instrument repair fund.
The long awaited meeting with Minister Chiarelli took place in April. MPP Steve Clark, CAO Paul Snider and I met with the Minister and his staff at Queen’s Park. Minister Chiarelli seemed well briefed on Snowfluent and listened to our situation. Paul and I left the meeting feeling optimistic that the Minister had heard us and understood that the Village needed financial assistance to pay for this expensive infrastructure.
Victoria Day 2017 was cause to gather for an afternoon at the Lions Club Beach House where a Victorian Tea was served. Many of the guests wore fashions from 1867, which became important when “Queen Victoria” and her Ladies in Waiting decided to drop by for tea. The Heritage Festival in June was another opportunity to reflect on our past. A very successful day!
Canada Day – July 1st. Miss Fanny Murphy was recognized by Council as our “Senior of the Year”. Such a great selection. And when the announcement was made, Fanny was speechless! The Village celebrations continued throughout the day with many family members coming home for the holiday. Our parade included floats and boys & girls and moms & dads and pets and bikes and a whole lot of fun. Branch 542 of the Royal Canadian Legion and Westport Fire Fighters had special treats and games for the boys and girls at the conclusion of the parade. At dusk, the Canada Day fireworks were once again the perfect ending to our National Holiday.
In August, one major summer event that never fails to bring large crowds to the Village is MUSICwestport. With perfect weather, lots of volunteers and incredible bands, the Westport Arts Council delivered a first class music festival. The Manotick Classic Boat Show was held in August and the harbour was filled with vintage boats. Hundreds of people turned out to learn and enjoy their beauty. Harbour Staff were great Ambassadors.
October 28th was a special day for two reasons – “Ducks” roadhouse was demolished under the supervision of over 200 hundred people who watched the process and the Random Act of Pumpkins, “Light Up Lockwood Park 2017” – a fund raiser for Children’s Wish Foundation – took place. A wonderful day to be part of Westport.
Village Council’s Sesquicentennial project was to relocate the Cenotaph. November 11th dawned clear and cold, with the Cenotaph standing proud under a crisp Canadian flag in its new location in Lockwood Park. Joined by a large contingent of soldiers from Kingston, several hundred members of the public paid their respects to those who had given their lives serving Canada. This was one of the highlights of the year for me.
On December 1, after many months of discussions with Ministry staff, Minister Chiarelli made the long awaited announcement in our Town Hall. The federal and provincial governments were contributing $2.2 million to help pay for the new waste water treatment system. Merry Christmas Westport!
I would like to thank those members of Council and the many volunteers who put their shoulders to the wheels to make all of these events possible this year. I have often said that the backbone of the Village is our volunteers and the proof is evident in this long list of accomplishments.
Changes of personnel at Town Hall this year include our CAO/Clerk Paul Snider beginning in January, Kevin Kardash as the Harbour Master, Patti Mueller beginning in July as our Administrative Assistant/Accounting Clerk and Peter Evans, who assumed the new position of Public Works Supervisor in December. I am thankful for the enthusiasm, commitment and professionalism of our amazing staff.
As we move into 2018, Council looks forward to the commissioning of the new waste water system, new growth due to increased sewage capacity and further developments in Lockwood Park. Thank you for your continued support.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Hope to see everyone at the New Year’s Levee, between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. on January 1 at Town Hall.
Sincerely,
Mayor Robin Jones
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM COUNCIL & STAFF
NEW YEAR’S LEVEE. PLEASE MARK JANUARY 1ST FROM 2:00 – 4:00 P.M. AT TOWN HALL
Westport in Bloom has Christmas gift suggestions….
From
Janette Auer
and the Westport in Bloom Tree Sale Committee
Last year for the first time we opened our tree sale before Christmas as an experiment and were overwhelmed by the immediate response of our customers. It might have been the suggestion that “the Christmas gift of a promise of a tree in spring” was embraced so enthusiastically, or perhaps it was just that we have such a collection of tree lovers among us that people couldn’t wait to get their orders in!
Whatever the reason for our phenomenal success in 2017, our greatest tree sale ever, we have decided to open up the sale early again – today, to be precise. And this year is very exciting for us because for the first time we are dealing directly with our supplier instead of as a sub-group of another tree sale. We now have much greater control over what we order and direct access to the supplier. More work for us, but even greater excitement than before about the whole process. We are offering 25 absolutely gorgeous tree varieties, some repeats from earlier sales, some we’ve never offered before.
Westport in Bloom is a small volunteer group dedicated to keeping the village beautiful with flowers in summer and decorations during the Christmas season. Everything we do costs money and every penny raised by the tree sale, our main fundraiser, goes to doing just this. We also like to think of the tree sale as a public service. We are providing beautiful, very high-quality trees to our customers at excellent prices, much lower than garden centre prices, allowing people to enhance both the value and the enjoyment of their properties.
Take a look at our catalogue here on the Westport in Bloom website: https://westportinbloom.com/trees-3/ or click on the document attached below, which you can save and browse on your computer,
and contact me at janette.elaine.auer@gmail.com (or just reply to this email) or 613-273-8760 for more information or to place an order.
And watch for regular tree sale updates by Betty Jo MacDougall on Facebook sites such as Westport Ontario and the various Buy, Trade and Sell sites for nearby towns and regions.
Please keep in mind that many of our trees sell out early, particularly the fruit trees, so if you’re interested in any of our offerings, don’t hesitate with that order! Trees will be delivered in late April, and pickup day is usually Saturday of the last weekend.
If you wish to order a tree as a gift for someone else, we can make available a Westport in Bloom gift card (not a gift certificate) for you to send to the recipient of the gift tree.
with all best wishes, and hoping to hear from you soon,
Minister Chiarelli announces $2.9 from CWWF for Westport waste water construction
Please read the news release below.
Many thanks to all of you who showed up at Town Hall today, including our MPP Steve Clark. It was fabulous to hear the announcement together.
I think it is timely to say, “Merry Christmas!”
Please relax and enjoy the read!!!!
News Release
Upgrading Water and Wastewater Services for Westport Residents
Large Sub-Surface Disposal System Will Provide More Reliable Year-Round Service
The governments of Ontario, Canada and the Village of Westport are supporting upgrades to water and wastewater infrastructure in the Village of Westport to ensure families have access to modern, reliable services that meet their needs. These investments safeguard the health and well-being of residents, protect waterways and preserve local ecosystems, while also laying the foundation for new economic opportunities.
Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure and Robin Jones, Mayor of the Village of Westport today announced funding for a large sub-surface disposal system in the Village of Westport through the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.
This new system will manage the distribution of treated effluent through pumps and valves controlled by an integrated supervisory control and data acquisition system. This project will ensure residents benefit year-round from more reliable wastewater treatment and distribution.
As part of this $2.9-million project, the federal government is providing $1.45 million, the provincial government is providing $725,000 of total eligible costs, with the Village of Westport funding the remaining $725,000 of the project costs.
Providing reliable water and wastewater services is part of Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.
Quick Facts
- Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in the province’s history—$190 billion over 13 years. To learn more about what’s happening in your community, visit Ontario.ca/BuildON.
- This investment is part of an agreement between Ontario and Canada announced on September 14, 2016 for the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.
- The Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities. $21.9 billion of this funding will support green infrastructure projects, including $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Additional Resources
Quotes
“High-quality water and wastewater infrastructure is an essential part of building liveable communities. Our government’s $725,000 investment in Westport will enhance quality of life and make the village a more attractive place to start a family or small business. The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund is a testament to the fact that the people of Ontario are best served when all orders of government work together.”
“Investing in water and wastewater treatment infrastructure is essential to maintaining a healthy environment and providing access to clean, reliable drinking water. The Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories and municipalities across the country to support important projects like the wastewater treatment and distribution system in the Village of Westport, which ensure that Canadian communities are healthy and sustainable now and for years to come.”
Amarjeet Sohi
“The investments by the federal and provincial governments for the construction of a large sub-surface disposal system in the Village of Westport ensure that a reliable wastewater system will provide for the present and future needs of its residents and business owners. I would like to thank both orders of government for stepping up to help address the needs of my community and following through in such a positive, timely way.”
Robin Jones
Robin, The Mayor 
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