Waterfront Development, Medical Recruitment at Mayor’s Breakfast

Content of the article

This year’s Cornwall Chamber of Commerce Mayor’s Update and Breakfast focused on Cornwall’s strategic plan, adopted by council earlier this year, as Mayor Justin Towndale and CAO Mathieu Fleury each spoke about elements within its pillars.

Content of the article

Although work on the plan has been underway in some capacity since the start of the council’s term in November 2022, last November council and staff members met for a day behind closed doors to hash out the details. The plan was presented to the council in January, with a final set of changes adopted in March.

“I may be biased, but in my personal opinion it was the most productive strategic planning session I’ve attended in my 10 years on the board,” Towndale said, explaining that work on it was focused, led by a great facilitator and had great participation from the board and staff members.

Under the housing-for-all pillar, Towndale noted that transitional housing temporarily set up at the former Parisian mansion will remain there, its lease continued, until the Massey Commons site is open and ready. He also noted the recent federal-provincial housing funding announcement, which he pledged to get Cornwall door-knocking to make sure the city gets its fair share.

Content of the article

Content of the article

Fleury explained one of his first meetings after starting as CAO was with Walmart Canada, Cornwall’s largest private sector employer, which operates two large distribution centers in the city. While the company’s challenge before the pandemic was finding employees, he said its challenge now is finding housing for the people it hires. The city can help by growing up, not out — Towndale noted significant developer interest in taller buildings in Cornwall — and getting more aggressive with divesting federal waterfront land.

“Some of the federal government lands that have just been tolerated as unused — they have to stop,” Fleury said. “Transport Canada waterfront land has so much potential. We want to protect the parks and pathways…but there is amazing land that needs to be developed along the waterfront.”

Content of the article

As for community connections, Towndale referred to the medical recruitment task force approved by the council last week, repeating some information released when it was announced. Beyond the commitment to maintain current programs, he referred to the partnership with neighboring communities on the file.

“A physician recruited to SDG benefits us all; we can travel 40 minutes to an hour if needed,” said Towndale. “If we can pool our resources and work together, we can have more success … and it can also lead to more clinics nearby.”

Future-ready and an employer of choice, Fleury referred to various initiatives underway in the city to improve staff retention, noting work on talent identification and ongoing training so staff can see concrete ways Cornwall is investing in their own future, regardless of whether they remained. with the city or pursued other opportunities.

Content of the article

“You could take one of our employees and grow, we could take one of your employees and grow, and we all benefit,” Fleury said. “We help the local economy by supporting the existing workforce and creating the potential for people to think of the city as an employer of choice.”

Towndale said relations with employee unions have changed in recent years, noting that the city is not currently experiencing any grievances.

The two answered questions about housing services, service club involvement, the arts, welcoming services and promoting the city from members of the public. Notable responses included the admission that the 2012 arts and culture study should probably be updated as the town’s own center is about to open, and that Port Lands / harbor commissions have met with Cornwall’s river cruise lines, becoming a potential shutdown.

The breakfast was sponsored by Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien, whose president Jean Lemay took the podium to kick off the event.

“Together we are stronger and we can accomplish great things for our youth and our community,” Lemay said, hinting that the school board might have some big announcements coming up that he couldn’t really elaborate on. “There are big projects coming our way.”

[email protected]

Content of the article