Category Puqosn

Midland’s Waypoint Chigamik Health Hub receives $615,000 from county

The County of Simcoe has provided $615,000 toward the new Chigamik Waypoint Community Health Hub being built on Lakeshore Drive in Midland.

“We don’t see that as a grant. We see it as an investment in our communities and an investment in our health care,” said Marshall. “I really do believe that if we don’t have proper health care, including mental health care, our communities suffer.”

The will house Waypoint outpatient services and all of what Chigamik currently offers at its 845 King St. location. It will also , which will offer walk-in access to a variety of mental health services for those aged 12 to 25.

“We are going to see and our patients and clients are going to see so many benefits from us being co-located in this building. There will be a multitude of services under one roof,” said Carol Lambie, Waypoint CEO.

The funding is part of a $45-million, 15-year commitment the county has made to funding area hospitals.

Lambie says officials are working through the approvals process with the Ministry of Health and hopes to move in to the new facility in the spring.

Clearview aviation business park gets extension for planning conditions

The proponents of an aviation business park will be able to keep their subdivision approvals until 2033.

Clearview Township councillors approved granting Clearview Aviation Business Park (CABP) an extension on the draft plan of subdivision for all three phases of the 285-acre project located beside the Collingwood Regional Airport.

The proponents had been looking for 15 years from the current lapsing date of the approvals, taking it until 2036 for Phase 1, and 2037 for the second and third phases; municipal staff recommended extending the draft approvals for Phase 1 for another two years, and one year for Phases 2 and 3, to 2022 and 2023, respectively.

After the decision, CABP spokesperson Paul Bonwick said the extension provides the project with stability.

“I think council understands the uniqueness of the project. There’s really one driving theme behind the request: to create a long-term stable environment to attract industry,” he said.

Several council members spoke in favour of extending the lapse date until 2033, notably Deputy Mayor Barry Burton. Burton noted that although he is typically loath to approve draft plan extensions to projects, he would be willing in this case because, he said, “I realize five years is not enough time” to develop the property.

Bonwick said CABP remains committed to its investment in the property, which he said is in “the millions of dollars.”

“It has taken us four years to go through the official plan, the draft plan, zoning. I appreciate the comments and concern about the long-term implications, but there has been many millions of dollars invested in the property,” he said. “At every turn, when the development group has been asked to make actions, they’ve done so.

“They’re not doing this to keep it rented out to the farmer who’s growing corn on it right now. That’s not the intention of investing that many millions of dollars.”

Bonwick said if the draft conditions lapsed in 2022, there could be a new provincial government in place by that time, “and a whole new set of rules and regulations and changes in planning policy.

“How do you spend $20 million in servicing on that risk?”