Despite a difficult year, Orillians have a lot of reasons to be proud of the city’s progress in 2020, Mayor Steve Clarke said Thursday during his annual update to the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce.
The Mayor’s Breakfast looked different this year. For one, there was no breakfast. This year’s “state of the city” address was held virtually.
Clarke began by pointing out the number of building permits issued in Orillia had increased in recent years, with 617 being handed out in 2019. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected about 550 will have been issued by the end of 2020.
“In the times of COVID, I think that’s absolutely phenomenal,” he said.
A lot of that can be attributed to the commercial and residential growth in west Orillia, which includes the new Orillia OPP detachment and Hydro One facilities.
That brought Clarke to his next topic, as he spoke of the “game changer” that sold the city on Hydro One: its offer to build a grid control centre here that would serve the province.
Having Hydro One in town will create hundreds of jobs and have a positive effect on the local economy, the mayor said.
Sticking with west Orillia, Clarke said the city will soon be having conversations with surrounding municipalities about “how to add more employment-land inventory to the city’s repertoire.”
He then shifted his focus to downtown Orillia. Matchedash Lofts, he noted, is “nearing completion to the point where there are some people moving in in December.”
He also praised the Couchiching Craft Brewing Co. for opening and thriving during the pandemic.
There are major plans in the works for development downtown and near the waterfront, including a 60-townhouse project on the former Schacter property on Elgin Street. It aligns with the city’s vision to bring more residential development to that area of town.
Clarke also mentioned the affordable-housing hub that’s coming to the former Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational School property at West and Borland streets.
As with many County of Simcoe projects, other municipalities will pitch in funding for the local hub. Orillia has paid its share in the past for projects elsewhere in the county.
“This time, it’s our turn,” Clarke said.
He also hopes the new hub will lead to increased business for the plaza across the road on West Street.
The Orillia 2020 Ontario Winter Games was one of the few pre-pandemic reflections during the mayor’s update.
“We were very fortunate to get the games in,” he said, noting they ended March 1, just a couple of weeks before the shutdown.
The event was “a real economic shot in the arm in the shoulder season.”
The wheels continue to roll on Orillia Transit upgrades, Clarke said. That includes doing away with the “Mickey Mouse” situation with buses at the corner of West and Mississaga streets. A new terminal will be built at what will be the former Orillia OPP property on Peter Street.
He also spoke about the various improvements to the transit system, including a new OWLS accessible bus and the addition of a new route, as well upcoming upgrades like a smart pay-card system and plans to create new bus shelters.
One of the most controversial topics in town this year has been the Champlain Monument at Couchiching Beach Park. Clarke recalled being approached by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, which wanted to see a more educational depiction of the history of Samuel de Champlain’s arrival in the area and the role of Indigenous people during that time.
“Unbeknownst to us, Parks Canada … came and decided that it was time to refurbish the Champlain Monument,” he said.
The statue was taken down at a time when controversial monuments were in the spotlight around the world.
“A lot of people who saw (the Champlain Monument) as nothing but a sign of colonialism … thought, ‘Great. It’s gone,’” he said, but added it’s not gone for good and is expected to return, with a “more wholesome” depiction of history, in 2021.
Clarke also praised the “smart city” initiatives happening in Orillia, including the city’s Pingstreet app, snow plow tracker and a portal where people can track their water usage.
Bell Fibe’s investment of hundreds of millions of dollars to bring fibre-optic service to the city — a project that is nearing completion — will aid Orillia in its smart-city quest by providing “transformational” internet speeds, Clarke said.
That project has helped attract business to town, he added.
Clarke addressed the city’s and residents’ response to the pandemic.
The mayor declared a state of emergency March 20. Since then, there have been about 170 emergency management meetings. In the early days of the pandemic, there were more than a dozen of those meetings every week.
Council had to make some quick decisions, including earmarking $100,000 for social agencies and $1 million to support businesses. It also implemented free parking and transit and deferred property tax penalties and interest.
“Hats off to council for doing that,” Clarke said.
The See You on the Patio program was popular in the summer, attracting people to the downtown core and giving businesses a boost.
“We’ll see where that goes next year, but, hopefully, it’ll come back,” he said, adding options for the winter are being explored.
While Orillia has been “very fortunate” compared to some other areas during the pandemic, Clarke noted there have been 30 COVID-19 cases and three deaths in Orillia and he urged residents to continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We can’t let off on the accelerator,” he said.
There has been some positive news recently about a vaccine with a high efficacy rate, but it’s expected it will be at least a couple of months before it is even “minimally available,” he noted.
The city is financially well positioned to weather the storm, Clarke said, thanks to its reserve funds. He feels that will help with the goal of not increasing taxes in 2021.
The mayor ended his address by discussing the Orillia Recreation Centre, which recently opened.
“The feedback on the facility itself has been unanimously, extremely positive,” he said of the response from those who have been inside the West Street facility.
One of the participants in Thursday’s Zoom conference asked the mayor for an update on the sale of the Nordia property the city acquired in west Orillia. Clarke didn’t have much to reveal, but he did note the city is “entertaining some offers.”
“Is there anything final yet? No,” he said, “but please stand by.”
