Wellesley council has agreed to support the 2024 St. Clements Santa Claus Parade to the tune of $300.
During a rapid-fire committee of the whole meeting Sept. 10, council voted to grant the donation request from longtime parade organizer Mark Hergott. Presenting his request as a delegate before Wellesley council, Hergott said the funding is needed to offset the costs of food and other products and services that were once donated to parade organizers.
“The St. Clements Santa Claus Parade has been in existence for 40-plus years. I’ve been an active part of that committee for the last 35 years and in those 35 years, I’ve noticed quite a difference in how we’ve had to operate our business, and how the services and products we used to get free of charge are now costing us money,” Hergott said.
Last year, Hergott said the parade went through more than 400 hotdogs – the supplies and food for which were donated to parade organizers in the past.
“Now we have to buy all of that, we have to buy the buns, we have to buy the apple cider that was all donated – we have to buy all that for money,” he said. “Now our police are asking for money, our bands are asking for another $150-$200 for each band that we’ve got, so our expenses have gone up exponentially. It’s all done through volunteer, so it’s been harder and harder to keep the parade going, and we do want to keep it going for the kids.”
While Wellesley CAO Rik Louwagie said the township suspended its donation policy this year as staff develop a new township affiliation policy, he said council did allocate funding for donations in the 2024 budget, and the $300 requested falls within the amount allocated.
Wellesley recreation update
In a short updated presented to council, recreation director Danny Roth told council the ice is now in at the township’s new Bill Gies Recreation Centre with minor-sports programming beginning fully at the recreation complex this weekend.
He noted staff are working with those interested in leading fitness programs at the rec centre, with fitness programming expected to be finalized this week for October start dates. Other drop-in programs such as pickleball and basketball will restart in October.
Recreation staff will put the ice in at the St. Clements Arena next week with the first day of ice use being Sept. 21. The township’s splash pad is now closed for the season with upgrades set to begin later this month.
Roth also noted that the fall fair had been set up at the new recreation complex and said the fair organizing committee has worked well with staff in organizing the event at the new venue.
“It’s gone flawlessly,” Roth said.
“I’m hearing that the fair committee is really excited about the layout and they think it has far exceeded their expectations as far as the amount of displays and everything,” Mayor Joe Nowak said. “They’re really very pleased, and with staff as well.”
Applications for grant funding
Planning director Tim Van Hinte told council staff has been working on a second application to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund after the township’s first application was denied in the program’s first intake in 2023.
“CMHC recently announced a second round of funding with an application deadline of Sept. 13 … so we’re working on that. It will get in,” Van Hinte told councillors without discussing details of the project the funds would go toward if the township is successful with its application.
Van Hinte also noted the township was successful in securing funding to update its community improvement plan (CIP) – a sustainable community planning tool used by municipalities to revitalize areas of a city or community through programs, grants and incentives. CIPs also address the reuse and restoration of lands, buildings and infrastructure.
“The current plan was developed in 2017 and it now requires an update,” Van Hinte said. “The request for quotation for the project was released last week and the deadline for proposals is Sept. 25.”
Queen’s Bush Road reconstruction slightly behind schedule, but ready for ABC Festival traffic
While public works director Chris Cook was not at Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting, Louwagie told councillors that the ongoing Queen’s Bush Road reconstruction from Catherine Street to Greenwood Hill Road is proceeding slightly behind schedule but still on budget.
The work this year includes the installation of new storm-water infrastructure as well as the installation of curbs and new sidewalks, and new base-course asphalt on Queen’s Bush Road from Catherine Street to Greenwood Hill Road, as well as laying topcoat asphalt over the full reconstructed roadway, a 50-milimetre mill of the asphalt on Queen’s Bush Road between Molesworth Street and Nafziger Road and new topcoat asphalt in that area.
“It’s anticipated that next week there will be some more curbs and gutters going in; the week after, base asphalt out to Village Road from Catherine Street, and on Oct. 11 the topcoat of asphalt will be applied on that stretch and the base coat from Village out to Greenwood Hill (roads),” Louwagie said.
“Although the project will not be completely finished for the (Apple Butter and Cheese Festival), it will be passable and the majority of the asphalt will be done, at least up to Village Road.”
The delay in construction, Louwagie said, resulted from the heavy rains this summer as well as unforeseen work discovered upon excavation.
Township to host public meeting on procedural bylaw
The Township of Wellesley will host a public meeting to review the procedural bylaw on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the council chambers located at 4805 William Hastings Line in Crosshill.
During this public meeting, residents will have an opportunity to provide input on the proposed changes to the bylaw. The procedural bylaw is as much to serve council and staff as it is to serve the public and ensure open, transparent governance. It is expected that council will provide feedback on the bylaw with the intention to pass it during the regular council meeting that evening.
2025 council meeting schedule approved
Wellesley council also approved its 2025 meeting schedule during Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting.
The 2024 meeting calendar scheduled a council meeting on the second Tuesday of each month and a committee of the whole meeting on the fourth Tuesday of each month. This schedule switches in the month of September with committee of the whole meetings on the second Tuesday of each month and council meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The exception to the standard schedule is one meeting per month in the months of July, August and December, which are all council meetings.
The 2025 meeting calendar is consistent with the 2024 meeting calendar with two exceptions. The first exception is an adjustment to the month of September to avoid a conflict with the annual Wellesley Township Fall Fair. The meetings in the month of September are proposed to fall on the third and fifth Tuesday of the month. The second exception to the meeting calendar is the Nov. 11, 2025, committee of the whole meeting that falls on Remembrance Day, which is a municipal statutory holiday. This meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, to remain consistent with the day of the week meetings are scheduled on.
Additional information available on the 2025 meeting calendar includes dates of conferences frequently attended by staff and/or council members and dates of the 2026 proposed budget meetings. More information regarding the 2026 budget meetings will be made available in the fall of 2025.
By: Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
