A decision hasn’t been made on how the District of Muskoka will get word out about its notices.
During the Jan. 18 Community and Planning Services committee meeting, Chair Nancy Alcock said community newspapers were the go-to for the district and its six municipalities to publish notices but many of Metroland’s community journals, including the ones in Muskoka, are no longer being distributed as Sept. 2023.
District Chair Jeff Lehman called posting notices to newspapers a “legacy” and that discussions about how to better communicate could have been done earlier “but now there’s no chance.”
“Community newspapers are a huge loss to us, but we weren’t getting a tone of people through that communication method,” said Lehman.
Alcock said at the onset of the meeting a decision is not being made about the district’s communications process now.
The meeting was to discuss what options district staff have thought up and hear the community’s feedback on the good and the bad when it comes to the district’s communication methods.
Sarah Campbell, one of the district’s planners, explained when staff thinks up a solution, it will go before council for approval before it’s put into action.
“We’ve kept it very open with the options,” she said during her presentation.
The ideas include using email, an electric newsletter, cell phones, or direct mail, among other options.
Julie Stevens, chief administrative officer, pointed out radio is frequently used by the district too, notably for emergencies, and will continue to be one of its go-to communication methods.
“Any of these options may be utilized alone or in combination,” shared Campbell.
The meeting was well attended at the district’s office at 70 Pine St. in Bracebridge and saw a handful of residents speak their minds about how the district communicates with its residents.
Sid Aldred of Gravenhurst shared how he thinks the websites for the district and its six municipalities “stink”.
“You can’t really understand where to go,” he said. “It’s like a traffic jam every time you go into them unless you’ve been down it 100 times.”
He suggested the district beef up its online presence, adding it’s important they keep it simple.
Part of Campbell’s presentation also highlighted residents’ concerns.
She said some of the residents the district heard from ahead of the meeting complained about the district’s use of public notice signage and the possibility that some residents – notably seniors – may not have access to the internet. Campbell added it was also pointed out that whatever decision the district makes should be cost-effective.
