Have Your Say on Orillia’s Downtown and Waterfront

Thursday, April 26, 2012; FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

Public Invited to Help Shape Future of Orillia's Downtown and Waterfront

-ORILLIA - Local residents are being invited to help shape the future development of Orillia’s downtown and waterfront during a public consultation process taking place next week.

The City of Orillia is hosting a Design Charrette for Orillia's Downtown and Waterfront from May 1 to 4 at the Orillia branch of the Royal Canadian Legion on Mississaga Street.

A charrette is an interactive process that brings a community together to plan and design a place.  The goal is to identify opportunities, address challenges and craft solutions in an open, collaborative forum.  The Design Charrette for Orillia will be run by a team of design professionals led by Urban Strategies Inc.

The public meetings will kick off on Tuesday May 1 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. with an evening of inspiring presentations and an exchange of ideas for Orillia's downtown and waterfront.  Five notable professionals with extensive experience in designing, building and promoting cities will show and talk about the great places around the world that offer ideas and lessons for Orillia.  After the presentations, the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions and share their visions for the downtown and waterfront.

On Wednesday May 2, a series of round-table forums will be held. From 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., concurrent sessions will be held discussing topics around living, shopping and dining in Downtown Orillia. There will also be a session discussing how streetscapes and trails can be improved and extended to make downtown and the waterfront more inviting and safe for pedestrians, cyclists and scooters.

Another visioning session will take place from 3:15 to 5 p.m., with topics ranging from recreation, culture and heritage to learning and working downtown.

On Friday, May 4 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. the public will see firsthand the emerging design and proposed initiatives for downtown.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in any or all of the public charrette activities scheduled on May 1^st, 2^nd and 4^th.  No special skills are required.  Just bring your knowledge of the city, your ideas for its future and your enthusiasm!

Full details of the program.

For more information, visit www.downtowntomorrow.ca or contact Dan Landry, Manager of Economic Development,

705-325-4884 or dlandry@orillia.ca