Town of Aurora receives Excellence Canada gold trophy

On Tuesday evening, Aurora Town Council was presented with a gold trophy from Excellence Canada, Canada’s national authority on quality and healthy workplaces. Excellence Canada certifies organizations for achieving continuous improvement and employee wellness standards. In achieving gold-level status, the Town has demonstrated that it is among the best managed organizations in Canada. The Town was recognized for initiatives such as its staff wellness committee, industry leadership in records management, interactive livestreaming of Council meetings, promoting a culture of innovation, and more. Prior to Gold Certification, the Town received the Excellence Canada Bronze Certification in 2014 and the Silver Certification in 2019. The Town is now planning for Platinum Certification, the highest level of certification by Excellence Canada.

Expanded pickleball opportunities coming to Aurora

Town Council approved a plan by the Community Services department to expand pickleball opportunities in Aurora for 2023. The plan also commits to continuing to identify new opportunities in the longer term.

The new plan will see pickleball court lines added to all four tennis courts at Fleury Park for the 2023 season, while also piloting designated pickleball hours at both Fleury Park and Norm Weller Park. The plan also increases indoor pickleball options for residents, including additional hours at the AFLC as well as at the SARC and ACC arenas. A full schedule of all court times will be posted shortly and updated on the Town’s pickleball page.

Food and licensed beverages at Concerts in the Park

A motion put forward by Councillor Rachel Gilliland was also endorsed by Council on Tuesday that directed staff to investigate the feasibility of implementing a pilot project for the 2023 Concerts in the Park series that would allow for the sale of food and licensed beverages, including wine and beer, on the August 23 and August 30 concert dates. The motion also directs staff to investigate a sustainable and equitable plan that could allow for vendors to sell food and drink during the 2024 Concerts in the Park series, and to review the Town’s existing licensing bylaw that regulates mobile food and refreshment vendors. The 2023 pilot is intended to collect data, gather community feedback and measure its success for any future implementation.