I got home from holidays on Monday night and had a wonderful time.  Thanks for all  your kind thoughts and emails.

Now … here in the Village there is lots going on.  Let’s start with the progress on the build of the new waste water system.  You have likely seen lots of Tackaberry trucks on County Rd 42 over the past 6 or 7 days.  They are moving 77,000 tons of sand from their quarry in Seelys Bay to the waste water site.  Although the contractor got off to a slow start,  Paul Snider and I met with him on Tuesday and he is confident that the project will be finished on the contracted completion date of November 21, 2017.

Lots of work done by FOTA at the Arena this summer.  You won’t recognize it when you go inside.  The east wall has been insulated and painted, the seats have been painted and raised so that every seat has a good view of the ice, new zamboni door installed and press box is being built next week.  The Rideaus Alumni held a fund raiser on Saturday night and through the generosity of so many people, with special mention to Jimmy Howard, raised enough money to buy a new scoreboard that will sit above centre ice.  Come out and support the Rideaus this year .. first home game is next Friday.

Lockwood Park – second phase – is well under way.  Josh Doornekamp and his crew are moving the cenotaph from the fire hall parking lot to inside the Memorial Gates at the George St entrance and building the children’s playground with the help of volunteers.  And speaking of the Memorial Gates, the left pillar was straightened today – seriously!!  The cement pad for the cenotaph is in place so we get an idea of how the cenotaph will look once it is moved.  Definitely a place of honour for those who gave their lives for the freedom of our country.   The  hole has been dug for the natural playground and I hope that the structure will be built in the next couple of weeks.

I feel it is important to remind you that no tax dollars are being spent on the improvements at the arena or park.  The volunteers who make up the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Friends of the Arena spend hours fund raising and rolling up their sleeves to get the work done.  It takes vision, commitment and love of our community to accomplish what has been achieved at the arena and park.  Thank you to ALL of the volunteers who work on behalf of the Village and to those of you who give so generously when asked to buy a ticket, bid on a silent auction, attend a fundraiser and so many other events.  Working together, members of  Council and the public, we can accomplish whatever we put our minds to.  I am so proud to be your Mayor.