Last week, city council heard some pretty alarming statistics about Orillia's downtown. While most of us can agree we have a unique, quaint downtown with some must-visit retail attractions, most also acknowledge the Mississaga Street strip is experiencing some tough times. That was confirmed by urbanMetrics, the consultant firm that, at the behest of the city, compiled an inventory of existing and available space downtown, analyzing the retail gaps to be filled through future investment-attraction efforts. The analysis found a vacancy rate of 18.4% in an area that includes the downtown and its environs - that's the largest vacancy rate of comparable downtowns they studied. It's important to note those numbers reflect the traditional downtown core in addition to three nearby properties - 70 Front St. N., 10 Western Ave. and 4 King St. E. - which account for a third of that vacant space. So, the numbers may be a bit skewed. But just take a stroll up the main street and you might be surprised by the sheer number of unoccupied stores. It is worrying. [continues 383 words]
Dan Mulligan, like many Canadians, is in favour of legalizing marijuana. Big deal, right? It is to his employer: the Ontario Provincial Police. The 33-year OPP veteran is at the mercy of the professional services bureau, facing two counts of insubordination and discreditable conduct, because he had the audacity to be a speaker at the 2015 Not by Accident conference in London. Technically, he's on "trial" not because of his presentation but because he disobeyed an order from his superior not to speak at the conference. [continues 447 words]
Too often, those in charge of the public purse strings seem to spend like a carefree teenager with his first credit card; it's why governments at every level seem to rack up debilitating deficits. With that in mind, the Orillia Police Services Board (OPSB) deserves credit for showing restraint this week, opting to follow protocol in making a difficult decision to turn down a well-intentioned request for $10,678 to help produce a drug-prevention film. The idea for the film was the brainchild of Twin Lakes Secondary School teacher Leanne Young and Orillia OPP Const. Andrew MacDonald, who pitched a plan for an anti-drug documentary - which would be filmed in familiar area locales - that would be used to educate teens about the perils of drug use. [continues 392 words]
