Mayor Ann Lawlor's September 2024 Message

HALTON HILLS, ON – Originally published in Halton Hills Today.

In other monthly news from the mayor, Doors Open and Culture Days are coming up, with plenty of events for local residents to enjoy.

The council agenda was packed full of announcements and my very dense calendar also reflects the September bustle in Halton Hills. I wanted to share some of the highlights:

Anyone who missed the Georgetown Fair or who craves more spinning around the midway has the Acton Fair on the calendar for this weekend. Our local farms and orchards are also fully into harvest season with pick your own and family fun activities. (Check out VisitHaltonHills.ca for ideas.)

Our Town is full of heart and gives generously, particularly for special health care causes. Terry Fox Runs for Cancer occurred in both Acton and Georgetown and will be staged in many of our schools. We continue to be inspired by the kid whose Marathon of Hope has endured for over 40 years.

Similarly, there is Tour the Hills this weekend for Cancer Assistance Halton Hills and the Georgetown Hospital Foundation Walk on September 29.

Fall registrations are in full swing and new seasons for soccer, swimming and hockey mean that our Town sport facilities – pools, playing fields and rinks - are operating at full capacity!

You’ll want to spend some time online checking out the special cultural experiences that are lined up throughout Halton Hills in the next month. Culture Days is a national celebration offering free and by donation arts and culture events and activities for everyone. Our local musicians, artists, historians and performers are sharing their talents and you will be entertained and inspired!

Doors Open is a province-wide activity whereby the public can visit, for free, buildings that are normally closed to the public. In Halton Hills, it’s being staged on Sunday, September 29. As Halton Hills celebrates its 50th anniversary, come and see some of the incredible locations that make our town unique – from blacksmith shops, to churches and an old town hall. Visit doorsopenontario.on.ca.

Finally, a comment about traffic.

Interest was sparked among local drivers when HaltonHillsToday reported that council is introducing a speed camera in some of our neighbourhoods. (The technical term is Automated Speed Enforcement or ASE.) 

Many other towns have introduced cameras for the same reasons we have: speeding is a serious problem, particularly in school zones and on highly-travelled streets; police do not have the resources to monitor all our roads for aggressive drivers; the ticketing and traffic court system is inefficient and finally, effective deterrents need to be in place because some people seem to have trouble following the road signs!

For now, the Town will only have one camera and it will be set up in early December this year. It will first be on Mountainview Road South for the northbound direction and then it will be switched on Mountainview for the southbound direction. The camera will be at each location for about three months at a time.

Speed cameras can be installed at locations such as school areas where a ‘community safety zone’ is designated. Staff will be reviewing traffic patterns in all our community safety zones and will determine the next location to install the camera after Mountainview Road South. In future years, as we increase the number of cameras, the Town will be able to increase the locations. This will be a future budget ask in 2026 and subject to council approval.

I have been aware of some comments that the cameras are a cash grab and that there is resentment about ‘monitoring’ car movements. The response is simple – no monitoring will occur, and no cash will be requested if people don’t speed and trigger the camera’s shutter!

Enjoy our beautiful September weather and the colours of fall and the harvest!