Mayor Don McIsaac is seeking a slice of the province's Building Faster Fund.
He is looking for council's support at Monday's meeting to seek the funding, which supports municipalities tasked with reaching a provincial housing target.
Orillia was not one of the communities given a provincial target, but it should be, McIsaac argues in a report.
The report states that in 2021, Orillia had a population of 33,411 persons, living in 14,420 housing units. The city is planned to grow to 42,200 by 2031, living in about 18,217 housing units.
This is an increase of 3,797 units from 2021 to 2031.
That number of needed housing units puts Orillia ahead of six other Ontario communities that received a target, including Sault Ste. Marie.
The province provides payment ranging from $3,600 to $4,350 per unit. The mayor said if Orillia can get the funding, it will represent $13.6 million — for housing units left to constructed.
That is one of many issues on a lengthy 262-page agenda for Monday's meeting.
The Mayor will also seek his colleagues' support to endorse federal and provincial efforts to "protect Canadians from unjustified tariffs imposed by the Trump administration" and to forward that support to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Simcoe North MP Adam Chambers and Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop.
Physician recruitment and medical clinic
The Orillia medical clinic working group is requesting the $500,000 budgeted in 2025 to establish a private medical clinic be redirected to Orillia & Lake Country Physician Recruitment.
The request includes the development of a business plan, tracking expenditures, and quarterly updates to council.
A report on the subject, written by Rory Bulmer, assistant to mayor and council, said competition for new physicians is steep due to the fact there is a need for 23,000 physicians nationally and 3,500 in Ontario.
Orillia has a population of about 35,000, but the larger Lake Country community brings that total close to 100,000.
"With an estimated 25 per cent of the Couchiching region unattached to a primary care provider, we estimate a critical need for 15 to 17 additional comprehensive primary care physicians," reads the report.
Many jurisdictions in Canada and internationally are offering new doctors financial incentives, while Orillia does not offer any incentive packages, Bulmer wrote.
One of the working group's goals is to create a new medical clinic model that will provide an incentive to attract doctors.
"The doctors shortage in Orillia requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses recruitment, retention, community health partners, and community involvement. By ensuring our recruitment effort has the funds available, Orillia can better compete with other communities vying for skilled healthcare professionals," wrote Bulmer.
Here are some of the other items on the council agenda:
- A staff presentation of the final Downtown Tomorrow Plan update.
- A report about waterfront user fees and tree species signage will be presented.
- Awards and certificates will be handed out to the 2025 Bright Minds Corporate Innovation Challenge participants.
- The Downtown Orillia Business Improvement Area will be requesting street closures for all of the downtown summer festivals including the Delicious Days of Summer Food Festival on June 28, the Mariposa Folk Festival on July 4, the Rotary Classic Car Show on Aug. 16, a new downtown event on Aug. 23, and the Downtown Pirate Party on Aug. 30.
The meeting starts at 12:30 p.m. at the Orillia City Centre's council chamber at 50 Andrew St. S. and is open to the public. Click here to see the agenda.
