Notice: Disposal Site
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Upcoming Council Meetings:
All meetings are held in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Office located at 330 Hwy. 595. Council welcome your involvement and interest in Council meetings.
Welcome to O'Connor Township
Office Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - 9:00 a.m. to Noon, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Fridays - 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Please note that the office will be closed on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 all day to allow staff to attend a training session. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Interim Tax Bills
The Interim tax bills have been sent out. The bill includes two installments with due dates of February 28th and April 30th. The interim billing is based on no more than 50% of your previous years property taxes. Once the 2020 budget is approved and the rates have been finalized, the final billing will be issued. Payments can be made by cash or cheque at the Municipal office located at 330 Hwy 595 or by using internet or telephone banking. For more information, please call the Municipal Office at 476-1451.
Emergency Text Messaging
Stay updated to Emergency Events in the Township of O’Connor; road closures, power failures, floods and other weather related events, Municipal Events and Reminders. This service is provided as an information notice line to the public and is not capable of receiving replies. Messages received will relate only to Social Events hosted by O’Connor Township or service disruptions that will take longer than 1 hour. Text notifications is a voluntary, opt-in service. By signing up, you are responsible for your cellular plan and all associated charges with sending and receiving text messages. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can opt out of attaching your name to the text, however, it will help us direct specific text messages for your area if you give your name. Your contact information will NOT be shared with third parties. For instructions on how to sign up for Emergency Text Messages, please click on the link below.
Disposal Site Recycling Bags
PLEASE NOTE: AS PER THE REQUEST OF GFL ENVIRONMENTAL INC.
The Township of O’Connor will be asking that all recyclables (paper, cardboard, cans, and plastic bottles) come loose and no longer in recycling bags. We thank everyone for your cooperation. We would still encourage people to continue to properly separate their disposable items. Recycling helps to divert as much garbage as possible from our site.
Please note that the pop cans, beer and liquor bottles for the Volunteer Fire Department Fundraiser may still be placed in bags.
Outdoor Skating Rink
Volunteers are always welcome to give a hand. The Township does own a snowblower and there are shovels inside the rink shack. If you would like to be included on the volunteer list please give our office a call at 476-1451. Thank you to our great group of volunteers who have stepped up so far to help with the rink this year.
New LED Lights can be turned on for night skating inside the rink shack, but they are on a timer and will turn off automatically at 10 p.m. Please remember to turn off the rink shack lights before you leave. Thank you and happy skating!
Council Meeting
The next regular meetings of Council will be held on Monday, March 9 & 23, 2020. Council meetings will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers located at 330 Highway 595.
Regular meetings of Council shall be held on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m., except for the month of December, when the meeting will be held on the first Monday of the month. A meeting of Council shall be held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. except during the months of July, August and December. Only during the month of December, a meeting will be held on the third Monday. Where any of the meeting dates fall on a statutory holiday the meeting will be held on the Tuesday of that week at 7 p.m.
O'Connor Community Club
The Community Club will be hosting two fundraiser sales, Mom's Pantry Products and Veseys bulbs. Books for Veseys bulbs catalogue can be viewed at the Township office during regular business hours or from any one of our Community Club members. Order for Veseys must be submitted into the Township office or Diana Bockus by March 27th. Cheques should be made payable to the O'Connor Community Club.
Mom's Pantry order forms can be picked up at the Municipal Office during regular office hours or from any of our Club members. Orders can also be placed on-line at www.momspantry.ca. The order number is 304962 and the passcode is 40737 if you would like to order on-line. Mom's Pantry paper order forms must be handed into Lorna Buob by March 13th. Orders may be made on line until March 18th. PIck up your items Wednesday, April 8th between 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the O'Connor Municipal Office. If this date does not work for you please let us know and we can make arrangements for another date and time. Please make cheques payable to the O’Connor Community Club.
Thank you for your support.
The next scheduled meeting for the Community Club will be April 1, 2020 at 7:00 pm. in the O'Connor Council Chambers, 330 Highway 595. We are always looking for new members and volunteers to help host community events. If you would like to join please come out to the next meeting or call Linda or Lorna for more information at the Township office - 476-1451.
FIRE PERMITS - No permits required between November 1 and March 31
No fire permits are required between November 1st and March 31, however should you have any questions regarding fire safety, please call Fire Chief Henry Mattas at 473-9511.
TOWNSHIP OF O'CONNOR - OFFICIAL PLAN
January 30, 2019, the Township of O'Connor's new Official Plan was approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with some modifications and has come into effect as of January 31, 2019. A Office Consolidated copy will be made available in the near future, on-line, as well as hard copy from the office, if requested.
TOWNSHIP OF O'CONNOR - ZONING BY-LAW
The Township of O'Connor Zoning By-law will now be updated to incorporate the new Official Plan. A Public Meeting will be held in the near future for review of the proposed Zoning By-law. A draft copy of the document will also be available in the near future.
Council
Council for the 2018-2022 term has been set. Congratulations to our new Council members.
Mayor Jim Vezina (middle), Councillors (from left to right) Jerry Loan, Wendy Handy, Alex Crane and Bishop Racicot.
2018 Election results for Council
Thank you to everyone who came out and voted and to Jonathon Hari for also putting his name forward.
Thank you also to Kevin Foekens, the outgoing Councillor, for 4 years of dedication and service to the Township of O'Connor as a Council member.
For School Board results please go to www.elections.ontarioschooltrustees.org or go to the City of Thunder Bay website.
In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, the Clerk as Returning Officer conducts elections for the offices of one Mayor and four Councillors. The term of the new office commenced Monday, December 3, 2018 and serves for four years.
O'Connor Township News
O’Connor Community Centre Blessing Box
Ashlee Burton of Giant Hearts Thunder Bay with fellow volunteers, Eric Klages and Darcy Penasie, came out on November 4th to install their 15th blessing box at the O’Connor Community Centre.
The "Blessing Box" is a community pantry. It is open for anyone struggling with food insecurity and everyone is welcome to donate supplies. Giant Hearts are looking for non-perishable foods, hygiene products and baby items as supplies for the box.
Thank you to Shelley Thorne, O’Connor resident, for arranging the placement of O’Connor’s Blessing Box.
Lake Superior Scottish Regiment
On September 21st, Mayor Jim Vezina attended a Memorial Dedication, located at Current River Park, for the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment (LSSR) to honour the 52nd (New Ontario) Batallion. Please note that on the monument are names of residents from the Township of O’Connor. Please click on the links below to see pictures and watch videos of the dedication and why this memorial was built.
Clean Water Waste Water Fund (CWWF)
The Township of O’Connor was fortunate this year to receive funding from the Clean Water Wastewater Fund (CWWF), through both the Federal and Provincial governments, to replace several road culverts throughout the Township. This fund covers 50% of the total cost of the project.
To cover the Township’s share of the project we will also be using funds from the Federal Gas Tax Fund (FGT) and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) to change approximately 60 culverts in our road system.
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has developed communications material to promote awareness of the change to income thresholds under Seniors Co-Pay Program (SCP) and encourage eligible seniors to apply.
Updated income thresholds:
- Single senior - an income of less than or equal to $19,300; or
- Senior couple - a combined income of less than or equal to $32,000.
Patient benefits:
Eligible seniors:
- Can save an average of $130 per year in out-of-pocket drug costs
- Pay no annual deductible and a co-payment of up to $2 for each prescription.
To find out more go to Ontario.ca/SeniorDrugSavings
NorWest Community Health Centres – Mobile Health Services
New Hours for the Norwest Community Health Centres - Mobile Health Services
Please note: The New Hours for the Thursday Clinics at the O'Connor Community Centre - 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The clinics are every second Thursday at the O'Connor Community Centre - 330 Highway 595. They are also here on the third Wednesday of the month by appointment only. See events calendar for dates. For more information or to make an appointment please call 626-8474.
A video produced by the Canadian Institute for Health Innovation and funded by the Ontario Government was filmed in the Township of O'Connor and surrounding area. This video details the need for their mobile service and the services they do provide. To view this video please click on this link. Password is "thunderbay".
Service Ontario Launches Not-For-Profit
Service Ontario has launched a new section for not-for-profits in Ontario making it faster and easier for organizations to get the services and information they need to start, operate and grow their NFPs.
The new site features information on government open call programs for funding, ideas on how to start and manage a not-for-profit organization, a section to help organizations understand the laws that affect the sector, research about the sector, government initiatives that support the sector, and much more.
Please follow the link to visit this new resource: www.ServiceOntario.ca/NotForProfits