YIPPEE YAYS I DIDN'T MISS...
THE MISSISSAUGA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT VISIONING CHARRETTE!
SO... There I was on Maui, sighing my head off, about the bitter irony of me being all excited and eager-like back on June 13, 2007 about Mississauga's plans for a major "Community Engagement Visioning Charrette" --and then Mississauga goes and schedules the sucker for February 1 and 2, 2008 when I'm in Hawaii watching humpback whales instead --thus proving that Fate is indeed cruel (a long torturous sentence I know).
Imagine. The Mississauga "Community Engagement Visioning Charrette" was theee opportunity for ALL Mississaugans to have a voice in the future that "'The Future Mississauga" would be. And I was missing it.
SO IMAGINE MY DELIGHT...
From the mississauga.ca website:
"Thousands of Ideas – One Vision Residents and Stakeholders Talk About the City’s Future At Symposium
Feb 11, 2008
February 22 and 23 are the new dates for the "Thousands of Ideas – One Vision" symposium. This public event will provide an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to participate in the next exciting step in developing a new Strategic Plan for Mississauga for the next 40 years. The symposium, originally scheduled on February 1 and 2, was postponed due to severe weather conditions."
While I was doing this on February 1st...
and this on February 2nd...
(Surf here, dudes, to go directly to the clip on Google Video or YouTube)
...I thought I'd missed The Corporate Big One.
Over the weekend, I found out that Mississauga's "Community Engagement Visioning Charrette" was postponed --yes, postponed! "due to severe weather conditions"
--and rescheduled to a time that's perfectly convenient for me!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....
More details for people who I hope to meet there (Those of you who I DON'T, please click here.)
"The symposium continues the engagement process as participants are invited to "think big" about the future of our city, and help transform the great ideas into strategies that will shape the City's new strategic plan. The symposium will be structured as an open house and facilitated workshops.
Program:
Friday, February 22
Noon to 1 p.m. Registration1 to 4 p.m. Conversation starters
(Please note that registration is required for workshops)6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Introduction to "Our Future Mississauga" and update on our conversation
sor far. Community entertainment (public event)Saturday, February 23
9 to 9:30 a.m. Introduction to the facilitated process and objectives (Please note that registration is required for workshops)
9 to 3 p.m. Conversation cafes – innovative workshops to facilitate interactive group discussions
Noon to 1 p.m. Lunch
6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Presentation of symposium outcomes.
Community entertainment (public event)Location: Living Arts Centre
Hammerson Hall
4141 Living Arts DriveRegistration Information: The workshops and events are free. Registration is required and participants are welcome to attend sessions on one or both days, depending on their availability. Evening events are open to the public. Register online at www.conversation21.ca or call 905-615-3200 ext. 2100."
Easy quick Blog today.
Last thing, kiddies, for anyone interested, there's a real-thinker-of-a-commentary by Christopher Hume in The Toronto Star the other day. Title:
We're afraid of everything, for crying out loud
Feb 16, 2008 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume
Three paragraphs in, Mr. Hume writes:
"Welcome to the new Toronto, a city where fear of change is the new reality.
What are we scared of? Here, it seems, anything and everything.
We have reached the point – and Toronto isn't alone – where the mere suggestion of change is enough to set off a collective panic attack."
Good little piece of "homework" to read if you're planning on going to the Mississauga "Community Engagement Visioning Charrette" on Friday and Saturday.
Signed,
The (I wonder why Big Yellow's webcam is --like--not sweeping its programmed sweep...COOL! They're Zamboni'ing the ice!) Mississauga Muse
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"The truth is that we, as a society - all of us - simply don't consider children very important. We talk a good game but we don't think kids are as important as other things, like fixing the roads." - Jim Paul Nevins (Ontario Court Judge October 4, 2001 report)
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" ---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)
Want (or worse, need) to learn more? Link to MISSISSAUGAWATCH.CA
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Comments (2)
All is well, that end's well! (Nice salary increases indeed!)
http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/smuploads/Ratification%20release.pdf
OR
Ombudsman and union reach agreement
TORONTO (February 20, 2008) – Unionized employees of the Ontario Ombudsman
have ratified a new collective agreement, in effect until March 31, 2011. Some 60
employees are members of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees union Local
343, which ratified the contract yesterday in a majority vote after being without a contract
since March 31, 2007.
The new agreement includes an immediate pay raise of 3.5% retroactive to April 1, 2007,
another 3.5% effective April 1, 2008, plus 3.5% in each of the next two years. It also
enhances health and drug benefits.
Effective immediately, the Ombudsman staff work week will increase from 35 hours to
36.25 hours, the same as the Ontario Public Service standard. The agreement also phases
out five days off that were previously given in lieu of overtime, replacing them with
overtime compensation at time-and-a-half for extra hours worked, to be given in cash
and/or time by mutual consent.
“Our investigators, intake officers, administrative and other staff work hard to help the
people of Ontario,” said Ombudsman André Marin. “I’m pleased to have an agreement
that ensures they are fairly and properly recognized for that work.”
The Ombudsman is an Officer of the Legislature, independent of the provincial
government and political parties. His Office investigates public complaints about
provincial government services, ministries, agencies, boards and commissions. Staff
handle more than 20,000 individual complaints per year and have conducted numerous
large-scale systemic investigations that have sparked reforms ranging from improved
screening of newborn babies to an overhaul of the provincial lottery system.
-30-
Aussi disponible en français
For more information, see www.ombudsman.on.ca or contact:
Linda Williamson
Communications and Media Relations Manager
Ombudsman Ontario
416-586-3426
lwilliamson@ombudsman.on.ca
Posted by Anonymous | February 20, 2008 9:08 PM
Posted on February 20, 2008 21:08
No, but now I can fanaticize what the capsized Noah’s Arc underbelly looks like to hanger a “One Time” Gypsy Moth helicopter just for the sake of monitoring candy bar wrappers and Rambo’s poopies when Peel’s "Success by Six" Dental programs for kids were axed to reinvent a new speaker series and Youth Violence plaques that have zero interest in Mississauga Youths carrying revolvers.
Should “we’d skip the lies fandango and did cartwheels across the floor” our Procol Harem for Pink Book anthems would have went “as her face just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale“ because nobody knows “What happened with all PPAG Forum attendance records that was funded by the UW of Peel in March 2001?”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ImbcnhtbAEg
“I'm not sure what you are talking about. Email me at tford@unitedwaypeel.org and I will get you answers to your questions.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qFdOuUB4xk
Posted by Wayne Nagy | February 24, 2008 10:49 AM
Posted on February 24, 2008 10:49