FORD OFFERS TO HELP PAY FOR A PORT SYDNEY RAPIDS LIFE GUARD
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
BRACEBRIDGE — Doug Ford said he’s willing to help pay for a life guard at the Port Sydney rapids where two young swimmers died yesterday afternoon.
The premier said called the deaths men “heartbreaking.”
He said “I live just down the road … and I wouldn’t even mind pitching in for a life guard.”
Even it’s a “few thousand dollars throughout the summer,” he said, without elaborating on whether he would personally offer to help pay or if he was speaking a premier.
Ford was in Bracebridge this afternoon —after a visit to a vaccination clinic in Orillia — with $16 million provincial funding for the town’s $57 million arena/library/community centre to break ground this fall.
It is due to open in the summer of 2023.
Ford said afterwards he would speak to Huntsville Mayor Karin Terziano about what he can do to help at the rapids where he and his family have gone down for years at their nearby cottage.
“I’ve gone down there for years,” he said.
“It’s dangerous, people don’t realize how strong that current is. But it’s heartbreaking — two young people. It’s terrible.”
“If you’re going down, please wear a life jacket.”
Ford said he did not know the two who were 20 and 23 and were with a 25-year-old who is in hospital.
Police have not released their names.
Premier Doug Ford, whose cottage is “just down the street” from where two swimmers died in Port Sydney yesterday, says a summer life guard is needed at the rapids.
Ford was in town with Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith, MPP Norm Miller and District of Muskoka chair John Klinck to “toss some dirt” at the site of the new complex off Wellington Street deep behind the Monck Public School and YIG.
According to the town, the $16,862,234 comes through the province’s Strategic Priorities Infrastructure Fund (SPIF) – Priority Local Infrastructure stream.
The remaining $42.8 million of the estimated cost for the Multi-Use Community Centre MUMC will come from taxes, reserves and community fundraising.
A number of announcements on the latter are forthcoming soon, including on naming rights, excited, relieved and proud town officials confirmed.
Federal funding as part of a three-way partnership previously fell through.
The MUMC project, in the works for at least eight years, will house a single pad 1,000-seat arena, community hall, public library, multi-sport field house, concession/café, outdoor playground, trails and open spaces.
At the same time, to meet future community needs, an area for a second ice pad is being retained to allow for its construction to be integrated directly into the facility.
The town’s 70-year-old arena will be torn down once the new rink is built.
Already a road has been built to the site where foundations will be poured this fall amid a forested area a distance from the intersection near the Tim Hortons plaza in The Flats west of town.
Email [email protected]
28 years of ‘Local Online Journalism’
Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1
Leave comments at end of story
SUBSCRIBE for $25 by e-transferring to [email protected]
Or go online to https://muskokatoday.com/subscriptions
