Happy Holidays from Mayor Wilma Wotten

The trees are heavy with snow, and long icicles shimmer in the sunlight. Winter has arrived early in Scugog, yet the roads remain wonderfully clear. I am reminded of how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful community and am deeply grateful for our essential workers, our dedicated staff, and the residents of Scugog.

As 2025 draws to a close, it’s a time to reflect on the year behind us and look forward to the opportunities ahead.

This year brought many successes, including:

• Completion of the bridge on Line 4
• Rehabilitation of the Bell Tower at Town Hall 1873
• Purchase of a new ice resurfacer
• Opening of the four-season washroom
• Development of the new splash pad
• Arrival of a new pumper truck for Fire Station 62

We also celebrated community achievements:

• Congratulating Mr. Ken Koury as Senior of the Year
• Welcoming Leanne Ashbridge, Jack Owen, and the 1973 PWSU Provincial Champions Port Perry Ladies Softball team into the Sports Hall of Fame
• Recognizing and thanking volunteers from over 20 committees and boards

Community engagement continued to grow through budget open houses, public meetings, pop-in sessions, and online surveys. We are proud that our Communications Team earned a Gold Award from the MarCom Awards for the Scugog Communications Strategy Campaign.

In addition, we received over $4,261,000 in funding from our Provincial and Federal governments to support key projects and continue to pursue grants as they become available.

We passed by-laws allowing accessory dwelling units to help address housing needs and introduced on-farm diversified and agricultural-related uses to preserve our agricultural landscape.

Looking ahead to 2026:

• Updates will be shared on streamlining planning and development processes
• Roads and bridges remain our residents’ top priority, and we have committed over $11 million to address these needs
• Work will begin on developing a vision for the fairgrounds, and I encourage all residents’ to share their ideas at my.scugog.ca/yourvoiceyourfairgrounds
• Construction continues on the Scugog-Uxbridge Animal Shelter, with a grand opening planned for fall 2026

Your elected Council remains committed to working collaboratively and respectfully to meet strategic priorities and build a progressive, sustainable, and inclusive community.

I am excited about the opportunities 2026 will bring for us all. Serving as your Mayor continues to be my greatest honour. I wish you a year filled with renewed hope, optimism, good health, and happiness.