Midland Mirror Highlights Laneways

Have you received your copy of today's Midland Mirror yet? We are in the paper again, with a recap of The Love Your Laneways launch event held on May 8th. 

Photo credit: Gisele Winton Sarvis

The article also featured Fanshawe College students Martin Uharcek and MacKenzie King (pictured above), who are working with local businesses on the project this summer.
Hope to see you tomorrow afternoon for the Laneways Stroll! 

Laneways Stroll and New Page Added

Just a reminder that the Laneways Stroll is this Friday, May 24th, from 2 to 4 pm, starting at the south end of Borsa Lane by St. Paul's Church. To assist you as you consider ideas for how to transform your own little part of Midland's downtown laneways, we've added a new page to the blog with visuals from The Laneway Project Executive Director Michelle Senayah's presentation given during the Love Your Laneways launch event earlier this month. To access it, click on the tab at the top of the page labelled "Michelle Senayah's Presentation". In the slides you will find lots of examples and tips that may inspire your own ideas!

Laneway Stroll

This Friday, May 24th, the Love Your Laneways Action Committee is hosting a Laneways Stroll, to have a first-hand, onsite look at Borsa and Bourgeois Lanes. This will be an ideal opportunity for Town of Midland personnel and downtown businesspeople to get some overall perspective on the physical attributes of the laneways; to identify potential issues that need to be considered as improvements are made to the laneways themselves as well as the adjacent private properties; and to discuss opportunities for improvements – public access, aesthetics, rain/storm water management, lighting, and similar. 

The stroll will begin at 2 pm on Friday at the south end of Borsa Lane, just behind St. Paul's United Church. 

Borsa Lane, where the stroll will start at 2 pm. 

Bourgeois Lane, where the stroll will finish
around 4 pm. 

At the Love Your Laneways Exhibition

The Love Your Laneways Exhibition was held Wednesday in the Assembly Room at the Midland Public Library. Representatives from the Love Your Laneways Action Committee, the Town of Midland, the Midland BIA, the Environmental Design and Planning program at Fanshawe College, and permeable pavement companies were there to offer ideas and support for improving Bourgeois and Borsa Lanes, not only for next summer when King Street becomes inaccessible, but also for future years, making the laneways attractive and environmentally-friendly spaces the public can enjoy. Those who attended were also able to share their own ideas for improving the downtown laneways.

Discussing ideas with Martin Uharcek, co-op student from Fanshawe
College, working with the Laneways Project this summer. 

The Town of Midland offered maps, diagrams and information
about the upcoming infrastructure renewal. 

Downtown business owners were able to access
information and ideas. 

The highlight of the exhibition was a presentation by Michelle Senayah, the Executive Director of The Laneway Project in Toronto.  

Michelle Senayah of The Laneway Project.

In her presentation, Michelle highlighted the many upsides of laneway improvement: accessibility, enjoyment, safety and security. She also provided real-world examples of laneway improvements on both smaller and larger scales and how even quick, lower-cost improvements can have a positive impact.

If you weren't able to attend and want to know more about the Love Your Laneways project, please leave a comment below or email your questions to lylacmidland@gmail.com. And watch this space for updates! 

Today!

The Midland Public Library Assembly Hall is the place to be this afternoon! Visit the Love Your Laneways Exhibition for everything you need to know about this exciting downtown Midland project! 

Love Your Laneways Action Committee Hard at Work

The Love Your Laneways Action Committee held its first formal meeting this evening in the Midland Public Library Boardroom. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the committee members for the potential improvements and enhancements the Laneways Project can bring to downtown Midland and its business-owners.  
Don't forget! The Love Your Laneways exhibition takes place Wednesday, May 8th from 1 pm to 8 pm in the Assembly Hall, Midland Public Library. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the Love Your Laneways Project, ask questions, get information about products and services, and share your ideas about improving our downtown laneways.

The meeting comes to order.

A map of the downtown, showing not only King Street
but also the two laneways. 

The committee spent time brainstorming ideas.