By Ron Lane, Mayor Gore Bay
 
As the days grow shorter and the evenings become cooler it is time to reflect on the past summer and what lies ahead for the remainder of the year.   
 
It was a very active summer again this year around town with many community events including our 1^st annual Harbour Days weekend.  The intent was to make this an affordable community event that all ages could enjoy and that did not require extensive effort or financial support from the municipality.  Although town staff did assist with the planning and the co-ordination of the weekend, it was our service organizations and volunteers who truly made the weekend the success it was and by all accounts it was a great success with events well attended, excellent community spirit and a financial boost for the Legion, the Lions and the Rotary Club.  The card board boat race was a hit and I understand would be mariners are already planning their designs and strategy for next year.   The Town will continue to work closely with these groups and individuals on a repeat performance for next summer as well as on other events throughout the year.
 
I had the privilege of receiving some invitations to other events this summer and these included the International Lace Camp on July 9 at the basement of the Gore Bay Legion, the MacMan Sailboat Race on July 20 and the K-W Power Squadron Rendezvous on August 18 at the marina.  I was pleased to attend these events and to welcome participants to our community and to encourage them to take advantage of the wide variety of things to do including shopping and dining while they were here.   Most of the people in these groups live in various parts of Canada and beyond and it is a great opportunity for me to promote Gore Bay and the many things we have to offer our visitors.
 
With regard to public works we have been able to finish most of the road repairs that we had planned for in our budget this year and road maintenance will continue based a plan we currently have in place which establishes priorities based on current road conditions.  We were also able to improve upon some of our drainage issues with ditching occurring on several streets and the dredging and widening of the creek leading from Meredith St., next to McQuarrie Motors to the bridge on Water St.   This has been an area that has seen significant flooding in the last couple of years and we hope this work will alleviate that.   In addition,  a complete replacement of the sidewalk in front of the Community Hall just finished up and this will not only provide for an improved appearance, but as well and more importantly, the safety of that well travelled area.
 
Looking towards this fall, the Town has some major projects underway including renovations to the Community Hall, the ongoing work at the Wharfbuilding on the waterfront and the preliminary public consultation and related work required in advance of the proposed construction of a breakwater for the harbour.
 
With respect to the Community Hall renovations, the hall is an historic building situate in the centre of town and like all town halls is the heart of the community.  However it is a very old building and although it has had its share of maintenance throughout the years it is now time for a significant makeover.  Designs are in place and tenders have been advertised for construction this fall which will see the issue of access resolved by the addition of an elevator that will service both floors.  Along with this the washrooms will be completely renovated with full handicap facilities available.  The Friends of the Hall group have worked hard over the last couple of years to raise funds for upgrades to the kitchen area and that work as well will be included in the current project.  A new fire exit door will be added to bring the building up to Code and some re-modeling of the upstairs will permit a larger bar area for licensed events.  It is expected that construction will take about 4 months with a grand opening sometime early in the new year.
 
I would also like to mention the work that has been done to restore our tennis courts this summer to good playing condition and to thank in particular Jack Clark and Paul Flanagan for all of their hard work.  These courts are a key part of our recreational facilities and in past years have been allowed to deteriorate.  It is great to see them back in good form and I have already noticed more people using them.
 
The final issue I would like to address and which I mentioned in my last report is the subject of water meters for our municipal water system.  Council has set Sept. 19 as the date for a public meeting at the Community Hall to provide information relating to this project and to receive public input. As I mentioned previously the town has received a substantial government grant that will cover most of the cost of the installation and setup of this system but council has not yet made a final decision to proceed with it.  I know there are various views among our residents about this issue and I would encourage everyone who wishes to make these views known to council to attend this meeting or if you wish send your written comments to the Town Office.  This will be your chance to have your say on whether we should proceed with this project at this time. You can be assured that council as the elected representatives of the residents of this town will be listening intently to what our residents have to say on this issue before any final decisions are made.
 
So for another month, I am pleased to provide you with this report and remember your comments and suggestions are valued and appreciated.