Community News

CITY AT A 'CRITICAL JUNCTURE': MAYORAL CANDIDATE

DON MCISAAC CITES HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, AND BOUNDARY EXPANSION AMONG 'SERIOUS' ISSUES

FRANK MATYS fmatys@simcoe.com

Orillia is "at a critical juncture" in its history as the municipality finds itself confronting a number of "serious" issues, says mayoral candidate Don McIsaac.

Mental health, housing, the environment, a potential expansion of the city's boundaries, and the need for a new hospital are among the weighty subjects the next council will face, he said.

"There are lots of things that need to be addressed and we need to focus on good, creative solutions with community involvement," he added.

Born and raised in Orillia, McIsaac worked locally in manufacturing before being transferred to the U.S.

There he spent a little more than 20 years helping turn around companies that were struggling financially.

"I managed to steer companies from fairly turbulent waters to calmer waters and straighten them around," he said.

Most recently, he served as chief financial officer of Cirrus Aircraft in Duluth, Minnesota before retiring last year.

"My wife and I had always planned to move back to Orillia," he said. "Orillia is home and my heart's in Orillia."

McIsaac's political roots in the Sunshine City run

deep — his father, Burt, and mother, Pat, both having served as mayor at various points.

Pat "was more of a conciliatory type who understood that the best solutions were compromise," said McIsaac, who agrees with such an approach.

"My campaign as I run for mayor will be to look forward — I'm not looking backwards," he said, adding the current council "has done reasonably well."

McIsaac said he is running his campaign based on experience and that achieving his vision, were he to be elected, will require

a team effort involving councillors, staff and residents.

He points to the complex, and controversial, matter of Orillia examining a boundary expansion to accommodate provincial growth targets as an issue requiring a thoughtful approach and input from many. "At some point, we are going to be 50,000 people — we need a plan to get there," he said. "If we don't do it, and get our plan and work with Oro-Medonte and Severn, the province, who is the ultimate decider on all things municipal, they are going to make us do it."

MUNICIPAL ELECTION

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2022-06-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281578064340124

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