Gisele Winton Sarvis

1 week ago | orilliamatters.com | Gisele Winton Sarvis

City council reaffirmed the green light that permits ice cream vending bicycles in the city, and now the search is on for applicants. The issue came back to council for housekeeping amendments but sparked conversation and the call for a recorded vote. The amendments brought forward were to alter business licensing rules to allow for the ice cream bikes. They called for a licence fee of $293 per ice cream cycle, and $40 to replace any licensed ice cream cycle.

1 week ago | orilliamatters.com | Gisele Winton Sarvis

Green Haven Shelter for Women in Orillia is looking pretty stylish thanks to some new furniture and fresh paint. The 10-room, 14-bed shelter received a $120,200 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), that allowed the shelter to be upgraded. "We received $120,200 to purchase furniture, upgrade some of our equipment and to paint the shelter," said Linda Reid, executive director. All the furniture is solid wood and was sourced from Canadian manufacturers, she said.

1 week ago | orilliamatters.com | Gisele Winton Sarvis

Parking at the waterfront parks in Orillia will remain free for both visitors and residents this summer. Last November, council ordered a report about potentially establishing waterfront parking fees for visitors. Staff brought the report to council at the March 25 meeting. Co-written by Michael Ladouceur, director of business development, tourism and modernization, and Shawn Crawford, director of legislative services, transit and parking, the report provided council with two options.

2 weeks ago | barrietoday.com | Gisele Winton Sarvis

Despite heavy damage at local maple syrup producers' bushes and tapping systems from last weekend's ice storm, many went ahead with a simplified version of Maple Weekend this past weekend. Some Simcoe County producers backed out, such as Elsie's Creek, while others carried on with cash-only syrup sales due to a lack of electricity days after the storm hit the region March 29. At Shaw's Maple Syrup, the lights went out March 30.

2 weeks ago | orilliamatters.com | Gisele Winton Sarvis

City councillors say Orillia residents are "universally" angry with Mayor Don McIsaac, who used strong mayor powers — acquired to deal with the aftermath of the ice storm — to cancel council's recent decision to hire Trevor Lee as CAO and appoint Amanpreet Singh Sidhu, the city's current deputy CAO/solicitor, to the position. "I've had quite a few emails last night and this morning and commentary on social media that is universally negative for the mayor's use of strong mayor powers," Coun.