Councillor Laurie Carr

Our wireless network at the Jack Burger Sports Complex is being upgraded today. The building is open, but our phone lines and email is not available. To reach o...ur staff, call the Town Park Recreation Centre at 905-885-7908 or email [email protected]. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and book your program registrations and reservations. www.porthope.ca//network-interruption-at-jack-burger-sport See more

Check out our Council News, with highlights from the last Council meeting and information about what's happening in our community. Visit www.porthope.ca/news

Council has proclaimed today Heritage Advocacy Day in the Municipality of Port Hope. Part of Heritage Week, which runs from February 15 to 19, Heritage Advocacy... Day is an opportunity to advocate directly to Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) on important heritage issues and highlight the work of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) members, volunteers, and heritage professionals across the province. For more information about heritage and history in Port Hope, visit: www.porthope.ca/en/things-to-do/history-and-heritage.aspx See more

Great opportunities for students!!

Any help to identify this person is appreciated

Stop over for a hotdog and support a great cause

Please remember this today and every day

Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture, taking place annually at the end of September. The Theme for Culture Days 2020 is Find Your Creative Place. What words come to mind when you think of ‘culture’? For more information, visit culturedays.ca/en #MyPHCulture

In support of the British Home Children of Canada

Much like Port Hope, this designer clothing collection, featuring vintage fashions, and off-runway styles, has a lot of history! Glamorous ensembles and more ar...e waiting for you at Thrill of the Find For location and details, visit: https://directory.visitporthope.ca//ChIJvdhVM--51YkRnOecO4 Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce Downtown Port Hope #LocalsSupportLocal #ShopLocalON

Share your voice: Review the recent water and wastewater rate study and provide your feedback to Council. The consultation page is now live at myporthope.ca.

Well, we did it. Thanks to a LOT of hard work by my wonderful team, we came away successful in last night's election. Those are not just words on my campaign collateral - collaboration is so integral to success. My core team of Julie Mavis, Diane Dryden, Derek Hurlburt and Kelly Morgan-Batten were indispensable. Volunteers delivering rack cards were tireless. Thank you so much Linda McClelland, Carolyn Scatterty, Holly James, Karen Scott, Tracey Harrison-Bodashefsky, Mary... Birkett, Sandy and Terry Holmes and all of their helpers. The sign team of Michael Cummings, Rod Stewart and Bob Dodd worked their magic. The hosts of the meet and greets including Diane and Derek as well as Anna Gray and Bruce Bowden - a HUGE shout of thanks. The creative team of Steve Smiley, Adam Sherwin, Jason Rothman and Nicole Audet never cease to impress. And to everyone who took the time to vote in yesterday's election, Thank You. To those who voted for me, I am truly grateful. We have an amazing community and I am proud to serve the citizens of Port Hope. See more

Today’s the day! When you think about the future of your community, think Laurie Carr for Ward 1 councillor in Port Hope. Get out and exercise your right to vote! . . #downtownporthope #porthopepolitics #lauriecarr #porthope #porthopeontario #porthopelife #election2018 #carrforcouncil #electlaurie

On October 22nd remember to vote Laurie Carr for Ward 1 council in Port Hope! . . #downtownporthope #porthopepolitics #lauriecarr #porthope #porthopeontario #porthopelife #election2018 #carrforcouncil #electlaurie

Updating Post for The Choate Street Extension After 4 long days of research and reading what seemed like thousands of pages of study reports, I have concluded t...hat this road extension is NOT challengeable and should proceed. I still believe The ‘Save the West Beach’ group is correct in their opposition, just eleven years too late. Our Mayor and Current councillors have NO blame in what is clearly a tragedy for our west beach ( a beach that is the remnant of the last ice age). This is NOT Cameco’s fault either. If blame is necessary, it lies with us - the residents of Port Hope. We do not understand or fully appreciate what is laid before us in the many PIC sessions that have occurred since 2006 - twelve long years ago. True blame lies with the the Public Information Centres (PIC) procedures. There are a number of solutions that could and should be written into Environmental Assessment law that relate to the mandatory PIC’s. But more important Business / Government needs to approach PIC sessions as the means to improve their preferred solution. Not as an obligation. What follows is my analysis of what I (as a citizen of Port Hope) allowed to happen. Read it if you wish or quit at this point. But in the interest of full disclosure, I spent my life as a director of operations in manufacturing. I believe manufacturing and artists are the only true creators of value and I am glad Cameco is here in Port Hope. ********************************************************************************************************************** In the early part of the new millennium Cameco came to a business decision that their manufacturing processes were inefficient and must be improved. After what must have been several years work they proposed what they called Vision 2010 to make them both a more competitive and environmentally cleaner operation. They chose a complete modernization of their existing operation over building a new facility elsewhere. I am sure this was the easier solution. Who would welcome them elsewhere. But good for us. We keep all the economic benefits in our communities and maybe get a safer process for the world out of it. In 2006 Cameco presented a PIC to show the public their plans. It was well attended as were all the subsequent PICs and public meetings that ensued. I love how engaged this town is. Trouble was we were all focused on ‘saving the centre pier’ buildings when we should have seen the Choate Street Extension and asked questions then. About this same time town council was engaged in creating (from nothing) our first ever Official Plan for the town of Port Hope. Out of this work the council of the day developed and presented to citizens our first Master Plan for the Waterfront in a PIC around the year 2008-9. This Master Plan was adopted in late 2009 to guide future development and decisions. The Choate Street Extension is in this plan as clear as day. We chose again to focus (rightly) on the centre pier area. I will now assume that Cameco’s planning got into full gear. Yeah they liked the road. Make no mistake that this small part of their Vision 2010 is integral to the make over and they are now rightly thinking that the extension will proceed. I know behind the scenes they did all they could to make it happen. But it was central to the new construction that will take place. The long wait for everyone (Citizens, Council, and Cameco) now began for PHAI to finalize and begin cleaning up LLRW. Nothing for Vision 2010 or the PH Master Waterfront Plan can really begin until this is done. Cameco applies for a renewal of their license to operate in 2015 (I believe) and it is approved after many PIC’s in 2016 or 2017. It also shows the Choate Street Extension. I think this license renewal finally stirred the Save the West Beach group. I sure wasn’t listening yet. This year (2018) it came time for some actions to occur. Cameco begins cleaning up the south-east corner in preparation for the new Gas Storage facility. They need the road for trucks to service this facility. The current Town Council (unknowingly walking into a minefield) begins preparations for the previously approved (in 2009 Master Waterfront Plan) Choate Street Extension. The ‘Save the West Beach’ ramps up their opposition. I jump on board. After 4 days of reading I believe it is now way too late. We may lose a geological masterpiece that we call the West Beach. What we can do is offer suggestions on how to minimize the encroachment onto the beach but all Cameco’s work and the Town’s work on the Waterfront plan; which we tacitly agreed to (PHWMP), now requires the road reaching the south east corner of Cameco’s property. It is outside their fence for a reason. In this day and age of terrorism, there is no way that you want third party delivery trucks accessing a nuclear facility. The above is why I changed my mind from opposition to pro-active suggestions to mitigate the damage. Read on if you choose! Cameco’s Vision 2010 will remove many of the existing buildings and replace the manufacturing processes in new buildings with all the latest clean and efficient technology available in the coming years. They can be competitive and profitable. The town will continue to benefit from economic activity and perhaps grow as the official plan wants us to. You cannot demolish the old buildings until you have the new equipment running in the new buildings. Look carefully at the plans for tearing down and building up. Cameco needs to construct a new building to replace the 4 or 5 story building across from the VIA train station in the north-west corner. It will be built on the south-west corner; half on existing property (the existing gas facility) and the other half on the north half of the old water treatment facility (where the buildings are) that they bought from the town. Eldorado Way will cease to exist. Hence the road extension need. I expect the elevation of the old water plant to be raised (about 20 feet) to the level of the existing site and some structure of about 2 plus stories will be built. The new parking lot (located on the southern edge of the old water plant property) I expect will be raised in elevation also. I hope it is not around 20 feet as well. To the south of the new parking lot is where the extension of Choate Street will curve around the complex and proceed to the south east corner’s new Gas facility and our waterfront entryway from Lake Ontario. The parking lot and the road will need to be elevated above the level of the so-called 100 year flood plain’s expected depth. The Ganaraska Conservation Authority will not allow the road on a flood plan without mitigation. My guess 5 to 10 feet high. Now I understand the Ainley Group’s so called purpose for the road (and boardwalk) as being to facilitate access to the beach. Eldorado Way is gone. MY SUGGESTION. (which I’m sending to the consultants and the town) I would ask Cameco and the town to consider putting the extension on the north side of the parking lot. Yes employees will need to cross the road to get to work. Install a crosswalk for their safety if necessary. Get Ainley Group Consulting to really work on some innovative ways to transition from the parking lot to the boardwalk to the natural beach-scape that satisfies me, the ‘Save the West Beach Group’ and hopefully most of their supporters and the town. Make them source ideas from the thousands of innovative and creative waterfront solutions that appear along the coastal towns throughout England and France and the rest of Europe for that matter. This can be done after the road is built. Let’s get this transition from road to parking lot to boardwalk to beach-scape more perfect. But the time is past for opposition without compromise. To the Politicians and Business Leaders - who are involved in EA’s; change (in law) how you do PIC’s. Your projects must include interested citizens in all the planning decisions leading up to the first PIC. This PIC must include 3D models of ‘before and after’ the project. There are people who create these models. They are not expensive. Ban the use of the 2D flat maps you currently use to indirectly hide your plans. They must be physical models not digital models. People are tactile learners. Discuss what is good about the project, Discuss what is bad. Explain how you came to the preferred solution. Use the Citizens you included in the project to explain the compromises along the way. Sincerely express that you want improvements to the plan and set up future days for meetings with PIC participants to discuss their ideas. Don’t make the first PIC an end - but a beginning. We as citizens are not stupid. We come with a wide range of knowledge, skills and experiences that will undoubtably make your preferred solution better. Come with the mindset that you want a better plan to come from the PIC’s and we might come prepared to help - not hinder. In my manufacturing days I lived by the rule that Nobody is as smart as all of us , and all of us; the workers, suppliers, customers and managers made it work. Thank you, sincerely, J.F. (Dusty) Miller.

Voting has started but some of you still have questions. Come down to The Social Bar and Table and meet Ward 1 candidate Laurie Carr. She'll be there to answer your questions and address any concerns you have so you can make an informed voting decision.

We need to bring residents, staff, special interest groups and council to the table to make long-term strategic decisions and produce useful results. Community involvement at every level is imperative.

Voted last night on line at 9:30 pm. Pretty straight forward once you complete the "I am not a robot " question.Voted last night on line at 9:30 pm. Pretty straight forward once you complete the "I am not a robot " question.

York Pelham Bell-Smith sits down with Municipality of Port Hope, Ontario Ward 1 councillor candidate Laurie Carr