What a year 2022 turned out to be!
As we saw progress toward ending the pandemic and easing of provincial/federal restrictions imposed due to COVID, we also witnessed a demand for true change at our Town Hall. The electorate voted clearly and decisively for a complete overhaul of Council with six new members joining Councillor Joe Belanger. Our former WBRA President, Faye Ego, was successful in her run for Councillor and we are so proud of her achievement; we know she will work hard to represent the community’s best interests, as will all other members of this new Council. It's a new dawn for Wasaga Beach with renewed hope for real community engagement once again.
While there’s plenty for this Council to sort out and fix, the primary focus will be on the Budget and just how much of an increase taxpayers will need to endure. Inflation will have its impact, the Arena/Library costs kick in for real this year, and neglected or delayed infrastructure costs will need to be factored in as well.
The closed-door deal to sell the town-owned beachfront properties to Bayloc Developments (with Zancor as a partner) fell through, thankfully. We now look forward to a process with more community engagement for the long-awaited downtown and beachfront development.
Our continued focus at WBRA will be to provide factual information to our members and the general public on important and critical issues and opportunities. Our Mission is all about Integrity, Stability, and Community; we will continue to keep those principles at the forefront of everything we do in representing the views of our membership.
We are a dedicated team of volunteers who all work tirelessly to deliver key information, solicit and offer comments, and put forward our opinion where it matters. We welcome additional keen volunteers who want to engage with our community and look out for the best interests of Wasaga Beach taxpayers. Please consider participating and drop us a line if working within WBRA appeals to you. I can say from my own experience over the last few years, it has been a privilege as well as a key learning opportunity for me personally.
A few things about WBRA membership:
While we include people on our mailing list who aren’t members, we want to make it clear that membership does come with the following privileges:
- Preferred Invitations to WBRA Public Meetings
- Voting privilege at WBRA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM)
- Early participation in speakupwasaga.com Surveys
At our 2022 AGM held in November, we announced that the fee for the current year’s membership ending May 31, 2023, was waived. The annual fee is $20 per year per household. Any members who pay from this point on, or who have already paid their fee recently, will have their membership extended to May 31, 2024.
We anticipate lots of action this year, once Council works through the fixes. We feel confident the opportunities that arise will be clearly communicated and the necessary community engagement will be sought. Keep providing your comments and feedback as events unfold. Your suggestions and concerns help us represent your collective voice accurately.
Stay tuned for our newsletters and visit our Facebook page to keep informed on key information affecting our community.
Peter Gribbin
Interim President
Wasaga Beach Ratepayers Association Inc.