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This is our final e-newsletter for the year.
On behalf of council and staff, I want to wish you all the best this holiday season.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, I hope you find time to gather with family and friends.
These past few weeks have been particularly trying for our community as we navigated our state of emergency.
We declared the emergency on Sunday, Dec. 1 because of the substantial snowfall and the extended closure of Highway 11, which kept the municipality from being able to properly deploy its snowplows and keep roads open.
The highway closure kept snow removal contractors from accessing our community, too.
We also had to deal with downed hydro lines, trees, and limbs.
It was a challenging time but we had a great team in place and we worked diligently to resolve the situation.
On behalf of council, I want to thank everyone who played a role in helping us navigate the emergency period. I encourage you to read our news release below, where we highlight the many people who stepped up and got us through a challenging stretch.
As I've said on a few occasions, I want to thank residents for their perseverance, their tenacity, their patience and the caring way they looked out for each other. And again, I want to acknowledge the people who are frustrated. We hear you.
We ended the emergency declaration on Dec. 16 and returned to normal winter operations. Early in the new year, a full report on the cause of the emergency and the town's response will be presented to council.
In other news, I am happy to share that on Dec. 10 council approved the 2025 budget.
Through the budget, we will make important investments in infrastructure, programs, and services.
Please see the budget news release in the e-newsletter for full details.
As I noted in the release, the budget is about making sure Gravenhurst can continue to grow and thrive. The budget represents a balanced approach to addressing our community's needs while preparing for tomorrow.
On a personal note, as the year draws to a close, I want to say what a privilege it is to serve as your mayor. Representing our community at the local level and at the district council table is an honour.
Again, I hope you have a great holiday season and best wishes for 2025.
I look forward to touching base with you in January.
Until then, please take care.
Heidi Lorenz,
Mayor.
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