Stirling Mayor’s Monthly Message

March 2022

Did you know that Stirling has a bowling alley? A delegation from the Lions Club attended Council this month to inquire about the status of the bowling alley which was closed for safety reasons. Council appreciates residents bringing forward issues and concerns. The costs of upgrading the bowling area to meet modern requirements is prohibitive at this time. In addition, parts and service for the bowling system are no longer available. Council will explore alternative uses for the space and welcomes potential ideas and practical proposals.
Speaking of resident concerns, another delegation brought forward the need for signage and lighting at a dark and potentially hidden corner of a road in our community. Council has directed that signage be ordered and is currently waiting for more information about options for lighting in that area. Fortis owns and operates the street lighting in the community which the Village pays for through a full maintenance lease. (Read this as we need to engage with Fortis on any changes because it is their infrastructure.) Council appreciates residents in the area collectively bringing the issue forward with a united voice and specific request for further action.
Council also received an engineering report this month on the support structure under the pool. The report outlines a number of structural repairs that must be made that were not originally anticipated for our planned upgrades to the pool. While the additional costs will need to be absorbed into this year’s capital budget, the new scope of work should be completed in time for the summer swimming season.
Sgt. Kevin Wright from the Raymond/Magrath RCMP visited with Council this month to review recent crime statistics and discuss Council’s priorities. In the last few weeks we have seen an increase in property crimes as a result of people coming to the Village and going through vehicles and out buildings.
An online survey was posted last month to capture input from residents about the one word that best represents your thoughts on living in Stirling. The word cloud below represents the words that were received from just over 90 individual responses. The larger the word, the more reponses that contained that word. Council continues to explore our “brand” and think about how we might better visually represent that brand in the future. Stay tuned for further surveys and opportunities for more input.
Finally, we continue to see an increase in development permits for new construction in our community. The Municipal Planning Commission recently approved a request for 2 new homes that both included basement suites to help furher diversify available rental options.

Trevor Lewington

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