Council Meeting June 15, 2026

Council spent much of the June 15, 2026 meeting on three main items: a new municipal brand platform and logo, the Downtown Reimagined infrastructure project and its communications plan, and an application to the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program. Council referred the branding file back to staff and consultants for revisions, received updates on downtown construction and business communications, and voted to apply for the development charge grant program with conditions.

Topics Discussed

BRAND PLATFORM AND LOGO: File DCS26-29 referred back for revisions

Council heard a presentation from Scott Thornley and Company Incorporated on a new brand platform built around five pillars: "inherently friendly," "naturally gifted," "historically rooted," "genuinely open," and "intrinsically innovative." Ryan Moran said, "The direction that we came away with was the brand need to be inherently friendly, naturally gifted, historically rooted, genuinely open, and intrinsically innovative."

The proposed branding included a stylized "G" logo and the tagline "like no other." Councillor Lianne Vardy objected to the slogan, saying, "But we need a slogan that represents that and lets people know exactly what makes us special, why we're like no other." Councillor Nick DiFlavio opposed the logo outright, saying, "I won't be voting in favor of it," and adding that he had received "nothing but negative feedback" since the report was released. Council referred file DCS26-29 back to staff and consultants to incorporate council feedback and return with revised options in July.

DOWNTOWN REIMAGINED: Construction phasing, business impacts and communications

Council received presentations on the downtown infrastructure project, including construction timing, business disruption and public communications. Brandon told council, "Beam is expected to begin the actual construction the week of July 6th after the Canada Day holiday." Phase 1 will include work on streets such as Mountain, Elm, Christie and Rossmore, with Alfred Beam Excavating identified as the contractor.

Project staff said communication with residents and businesses had already started. A staff presenter told council, "So communications are already underway. We issue updates to the community. Uh we've uh we've just launched social media accounts for the project." Ahmed said, "The reality of the project is that it will create temporary disruption. It is construction but our objective as a team is to ensure that residents know that downtown remains open and accessible. That is our top objective."

DOWNTOWN BUSINESS CONCERNS: Dust, patios and access

Council members pressed staff on how construction would affect downtown merchants, especially restaurants with patios. Councillor Reg Freake said, "I can assure you from my communication and meetings with merchants downtown, they are very much concerned about the dust, especially the merchants downtown that have outside patios and restaurants and so on so forth." He added that one merchant feared having to "close down his business completely" because patio revenue represented "60% of his yearly profits."

Council also discussed ways to preserve access during construction. Jacob Baradziej said staff had already spoken with at least one business owner about using rear property access during Phase 2: "So, we have talked to at least one business owner about the potential of using their back property during the phase 2 construction." Freake also said he would support direct help for affected businesses: "I think that this is an excellent opportunity for us to reach out to those businesses. I would actually be okay with us offering grants to those businesses."

DEVELOPMENT CHARGES PROGRAM: File FIN 26-18 application approved with conditions

Council debated whether to apply to the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program. Tony told council, "In an effort to jump start homebuilding, the federal and provincial governments have announced a grant program open to municipalities that reduce development charges by at least 30% for a 3-year period." He also noted the short timeline, saying applications had to be submitted by Friday at 10 a.m.

Councillors focused on the financial risk to the town if grant funding did not fully offset lost revenue. Councillor Delight Davoli said, "So we actually you know by reducing the development charges have absolutely no guarantee that that is this reduction is going to make its way into the hands of the new homeowners." Councillor Nick DiFlavio said, "If that's not the program, then there's really no incentive for the town of Grimsby to do that there." Councillor Lianne Vardy added, "I'm extremely leery of any taxpayers, existing residents paying for growth because that's not the way it was ever supposed to be." Council ultimately approved applying for the program, with conditions tied to provincial funding and future council consideration of financial impacts.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORTS

Council received the 2025 Economic Development Annual Report and updates from advisory committees. Frank told council that "80 to 90% of all the new jobs created in a community come from the existing businesses," as he highlighted the importance of supporting local business expansion. Council also heard committee updates summarized in the record, including work by the Age-Friendly Advisory Committee on transportation, housing and community supports, as well as accessibility improvements and seniors programming.

Motions

• Agenda amendment to prioritize the new brand platform report — Approved
• DCS26-29: New Brand Platform / Logo and slogan — Referred back to staff and consultants for revisions and return to council in July
• Motion to receive the delegation from Scott Thornley and Company Incorporated for information — Carried unanimously
• Downtown Reimagined Communications Update — Received for information
• PA26-07: Amending bylaw for 133 Main Street East — Approved unanimously
• FIN 26-18: Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program — Approved application for the 30% residential development charge reduction option, subject to conditions on provincial funding and future budget consideration
• CAO26-06: Economic Development Annual Report 2025 — Received
• Integrity Commissioner 2025-2026 Annual Report — Received
• Advisory Committee Disbandment Memo — Received for information
• Bylaw 26-39 — First reading approved
• Bylaw 26-40 — Introduced, read a first time, considered and passed unanimously

Attendees

The following council members were identified in the notes as present or speaking: - Mayor Jeff Jordan - Councillor Reg Freake - Councillor Don Howe - Councillor Nick DiFlavio - Councillor Lianne Vardy - Councillor Delight Davoli

Note: Attendance is based on councillors named in the provided notes and councillor list. A full official attendance list was not included in the material provided.