Update · October 11, 2026
Green bins, a new playground, and council news from October 7
A few things landed on the municipality's website on October 9 that are worth passing along. The biggest one: council directed staff to proceed with a Green Bin pilot for Ilderton, Komoka, Kilworth and Delaware, starting April 1, 2027, pending budget approval. It's an urban-areas pilot to begin with, and the details are in the October 7 council meeting highlights. Organics collection is one of those services people ask about often, and starting with a pilot is a sensible way to learn how it works here before going further.
If you run a business, there's a change coming for you too. Industrial, commercial and institutional properties will pay $160 per bin per year for recycling collection starting in January 2027, billed on the tax bill. Letters are going out by mail, and businesses can opt out or reduce their number of bins, so it's worth opening that envelope and taking a minute to check how many bins you actually need. The municipality's notice has the particulars.
Council also moved the $300,000 Clear Skies Playground forward from the 2027 budget. Base work is tentatively set for this fall with installation in late spring 2027. Playgrounds are small projects that make a big difference to a neighbourhood, and getting the groundwork done early so families can use it sooner is good planning.
The 2027 budget survey results came back as well: 384 responses, with 82 per cent rating the value of their tax dollars fair, good or excellent, and 84 per cent satisfied, very satisfied or neutral on service delivery. That's a solid base to build on, and it tells you our staff are doing good work. I'd love to see even more neighbours take part next round, including folks on the concessions, so the picture is as complete as it can be.
The next council meeting is Wednesday, October 21 at 5:30 p.m. And a reminder that voting in Middlesex Centre runs online or by phone from Monday, October 19 at 9 a.m. until Monday, October 26 at 8 p.m. Your Voter Information Letter with your PIN arrives in the mail and can look like junk mail, so please don't recycle it. Everything official is on the municipality's 2026 election page.
— Sean