Midland, Book Your Ride to Balm Beach
By Town of Midland
June 26, 2024 – Based off a Council directive, Midland residents can now book a seat on the public Balm Beach Shuttle, provided by Community Reach, for their Saturday beach trip to Balm Beach in Tiny, ON.
The first service is this Saturday (June 29, 2024), make sure you book by Thursday and secure your spot.
Find all the information you need to know on our Balm Beach Shuttle Pilot webpage.
https://www.midland.ca/en/living-in-midland/balm-beach-shuttle-pilot.aspx
- Must book in advance. Book your spot by the Thursday before the Saturday service.
- Can fit up to five passengers per trip, and comfortably allow one bag per person with no oversized items.
- Rider information needs to be provided at the time of booking.
- Cash only, payment is provided to the driver at time of pick up.
It is important we connect our residents to local services, see where you can go with the Mid-Pen Transit system.
Art Slam Returns with a Bang
By Stephanie Rumball
June 27, 2024 – Quest is thrilled to announce the return of Art Slam, the electrifying art battle that celebrates creativity and artistic talent in a three-round paint-off. This year, the event returns with a bang, featuring a new and inspiring theme: Art Slam: Wanderlust. At this time, Quest is seeking artists who are inspired by the spirit of adventure to compete in this unique and high-energy showdown on the evening of Friday, September 20th, at the Midland Cultural Centre.
Art Slam: Wanderlust is open to artists in Simcoe County, Southern Georgian Bay and Grey County. The submission window is now open and will run until Monday, July 15th, 2024. Submission criteria can be found online at https://www.questart.ca/call-for-submission.
Those selected to participate in the event will be notified in early August.
GBGH Foundation Board Celebrates Retiring Director and Welcomes Four New Members
Submitted by GBGH
June 24, 2024 – At the Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Foundation Annual Meeting (AM) on Monday, June 24, 2024, the board welcomed four new members, announced the retirement of a long-serving director, and celebrated a successful year.
The Foundation is pleased to welcome Colin Aubrey, Portfolio Manager at Connor, Clark & Lunn Investment Management; Danny Davies, recently retired Chief People Officer at AVIVA; John Bai, recently retired CFO & Chief Transformation Officer for City National Bank; and Adele Newton, writer and editor at Profound Impact Corporation, to serve on the Board of Directors.
“We are excited to welcome Colin, Danny, John and Adele to our Board,” says Nicole Kraftscik. “They all bring a wealth of experience leading non-profit organizations and initiatives, and we know their diverse skills and backgrounds will be incredibly beneficial for our community.”
Jennifer Schnier has served a total of nine years on the Foundation Board, and successfully supported the organization through some challenging times. During her tenure, Jennifer served as vice-chair of the Board for three years, and was a key member of the Executive Performance Review Committee.
“Jennifer has been an incredible vice-chair for me personally, and I have learned so much from her,” said Katie Houston, past-chair, GBGH Foundation Board of Directors. “She is a great champion for work-life balance, and has been integral to the Foundation’s commitment to wellness. She embodies kindness, wisdom and will be truly missed.”
Members Joe Rooney and Jenna Dafoe accepted new positions on the board as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively. The Board and staff thanked Katie Houston who completed her term as Board Chair. Houston led the Foundation through three years of organizational growth and significant investment at GBGH, and she will stay on the Board as past-chair.
The GBGH Foundation’s 2023-2024 audited financial statements are available on their website (https://gbghf.ca/about-us/financial-information/).
Georgian Bay General Hospital Breaks Ground on MRI addition
Submitted by GBGH
June 18, 2024 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is proud to announce the commencement of construction on its highly anticipated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) addition, marking a significant milestone in enhancing healthcare services for the communities it serves. GBGH’s MRI will enhance overall patient experience and reduce wait times, improving health outcomes for individuals across the area GBGH serves.
“I am thrilled to share in this announcement and the ground-breaking of the MRI facility at GBGH today,” says the Honourable Jill Dunlop, minister of Colleges and Universities and MPP Simcoe North. “This achievement is the result of dedicated efforts and collaboration between various stakeholders. Our government has worked tirelessly to secure the necessary funding and approvals to make this project a reality, and by investing in advanced medical technology and infrastructure, we are ensuring that our healthcare system can meet the growing needs of our population. I want to thank everyone involved, including the hospital administration, healthcare professionals, and community advocates, for their unwavering commitment and support. This new MRI facility will not only improve patient outcomes but also support our healthcare providers in delivering the best possible care.”
With a total investment of $8 million, this groundbreaking project underscores GBGH’s commitment to providing more diagnostic imaging services closer to home. The new MRI addition will help reduce wait times – both locally and across the region as GBGH’s local patients will not be on MRI waitlists at facilities in Barrie or Orillia.
Matthew Lawson, president and CEO of GBGH, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “The commencement of construction on our new MRI addition marks a crucial step forward in our strategy to grow our services at GBGH to align with current and future needs of our community. This state-of-the-art facility will not only improve patient care by providing an important diagnostic procedure, but also enables us to meet the growing demand for diagnostic imaging services across the region due to population growth and our aging population.”
The event was held at GBGH today with many GBGH team members, community partners and donors in attendance to mark the special day. The GBGH Foundation has been fundraising for the MRI over the past 18 months with the goal of raising $4 million toward the project. The fundraising tally currently sits at $2.3 million.
The MRI addition represents a collaborative effort between GBGH and its surrounding communities. Nicole Kraftscik, CEO of the GBGH Foundation, emphasized the importance of community support in realizing this vision. “It is so exciting to see construction starting on the new MRI addition. Our community has been incredibly generous over the past year, and we would not be moving forward today without their investment. We are immensely grateful to the individuals, businesses and organizations who have contributed, and we continue to work with the community to reach our fundraising goal.”
The hospital looks forward to the completion of construction and performing its first MRI in early 2025.
For more information about the MRI addition project or to make a donation, please visit: https://gbghf.ca/current-needs/mri/