Category Archives: Uncategorized

Today is Niki Bresee’s last day

Niki has taken a position in Kingston and we are sending her off with our best wishes and congratulations.  She has been a rock for us at the Village, particularly by providing support for the new Council in 2014 and since then with both a new CAO and Treasurer.

If you have a moment today, please drop by and thank Niki for her hard work and loyalty to the residents and businesses owners in the Village.

All the best, Niki.

Westport – the new Hollywood North?

Last fall, Mr Norman Berketa, owner of NMB Productions, met with me at Town Hall and shared that his Canadian company planned on filming a TV series pilot in the Village this year.  He has recently confirmed that the crews and actors will be in the Village filming the week of May 26 and will be poking around this coming week (May 2) making the final selection of where they will be shooting.

The series called “Gentle Bend”, is a quirky dramatic comedy about relationships and redemption.  The story follows a 30-something Ben Dalton as he tries to pick-up the pieces of his shattered life, back where he once belonged, the small Village of Gentle Bend.

Let’s show them what our Westport Home Town Pride is all about.  Because you never know…  Perhaps Steven Spielberg next??

Glen St Pumping Station update – 4:30 Saturday

As of 4:30 this afternoon (Saturday) the blockages (unbelievable what has found its way into the sewage pipes!) were removed and the pumps resumed normal functioning.

The pumps at the Glen St waste water pumping station are not working properly.  Two trucks are keeping ahead of the incoming effluent.  Our service provider is on site and waiting the arrival of the technicians to pull the pumps to assess the reasons for their low performance.

I will keep you updated.  Please call if you have any questions/concerns.  9195

Robin

Outdoor Association busy on Main Street tonight!

I received a couple of phone calls around 9:30 tonight from citizens concerned that  illegal fishing was occurring at the sanctuary on Main St.  Reports included that several men were in the water fishing and 5 or 6 pick ups were parked on the side of the road.  I responded and found several local gents from the Outdoor Association and MNR hard at work, trying to catch the spawning walleye.  And I received a lesson on how they actually accomplish their mission – Charlie Jones – perhaps it was a little too much information!  🙂

For those of you who called, all is legal.  Let’s give pat them on the back for their continued work to protect the fish.  Btw – they will likely be back over the next few nights until they catch the walleye.

Update on meeting with Minister Chiarelli – April 13, 2017

First, thank you to everyone who sent emails or left phone messages of encouragement for our meeting with the Minister.  They were appreciated.
Mr Paul Snider, CAO and I met with Robert Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure for 45 minutes yesterday afternoon at Queen’s Park.  Mr Steve Clarke, our MPP, joined us as well as senior staff from the Minister’s office and one from Minister Leal’s (OMAFRA) office.
The meeting with Minister Chiarelli was very positive.  He was well briefed and his own memory went back to the time when Snowfluent was installed.  He even recalled the design engineer’s name.  He listened and quickly discerned the significance of our situation with regard to the criticality of the project and the impact funding it without provincial government help will have on our Village.
The Minister has made the commitment to find a solution “sooner than later”.  We left the meeting feeling that progress had been made and are moderately optimistic.  Paul and the Minister’s staff will be communicating further over the next few weeks.
We also had the opportunity to encourage the OMAFRA staff to fulfill its commitment to a spring launch date of OCIF4.
We owe our gratitude to MPP Steve Clarke, who continued to work on our behalf with the Ministers, and was the key to arranging this meeting.  Thank you, Steve.