Mayor speaks of year past, future projects at annual levee

On the day of the Golden Globe Awards, Deputy Mayor Dave Beres presented Mayor Deb Gilvesy with a miniature version of an Oscar for doing a good job representing the town, after saying he couldn’t find a Golden Globe award. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A new town hall, repairs to the clock tower, new pickleball courts and addressing homelessness were a few of the many topics touched on by Mayor Deb Gilvesy in her annual address at the Mayor’s New Year’s levee.

Hosted by the Tillsonburg and District Historical Society, the event at Annandale National Historic Site drew 84 people on Sunday afternoon.

“It is hard to believe that this council is now entering the final stretch of its four-year term,” Gilvesy said. “It has truly been an honour to represent our beautiful town—locally, provincially, and at upper levels of government.”

She mentioned some of the highlights of the past year, including the 200th anniversary of Tillsonburg’s founding, the 100th anniversary of Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital and the 70th anniversary of Community Living Tillsonburg, before tackling more serious matters.

“Residential growth has slowed considerably, while industrial and commercial growth has reached record highs,” Gilvesy said. “This shift is encouraging, as a stronger commercial and industrial tax base helps better balance the overall tax burden. While we are not there yet, we are clearly moving in the right direction.”

She backed this assertion, showing that residential building permit values slid from $63 million at the end of the third quarter of 2024 to $22 million for the same period in 2025. At the same time, industrial building reached $50.7 million in 2025, surpassing $14 million a year earlier.

However, she said the trade war with the United States “continues to cloud the future of the industrial sector.” More than $2 billion in local goods cross the border each year, which is close to 50 per cent of the local economy

“Realistically, these markets cannot be replaced in the short term,” Gilvesy said. “A loss of trade with our neighbour to the south would be extremely detrimental to our local economy.”

She asserted alternative shipping options to other markets will require new infrastructure that would take years to develop.

Moving to the recently passed budget, Gilvesy said the budget focused on land sales and asset management, with the latter a major challenge.

“These funds help address the tens of millions of dollars needed for facility and infrastructure repairs—costs that, unfortunately, were not adequately planned for decades ago,” she said.

The fire hall was mentioned as one future expenditure, as upgrades or expansion will soon be needed.

With the weir on Lake Lisgar repaired last year, it will enable draining or partial draining of the lake for remediation work. Some of this is planned for 2026.

Other town projects planned for 2026 mentioned included repairs to Verna Drive, Pine Avenue from Verna to Earle, and Duncan Street, and streetlight pole replacement in the Annandale subdivision. As well, the Kinsmen Bridge and Cranberry Road reconstruction are on track.

Gilvesy spoke about the court-mandated retroactive policing costs, which added 1.84 per cent to this year’s tax increase. She said it originally came in at 18.3 per cent, but was capped at 11 per cent by the province, saving Tillsonburg ratepayers $735,000.

“Everyone has to say thank you to the Province of Ontario for giving us a $735,000 break,” Gilvesy said.

The mayor maintains the per-household cost for OPP policing is still competitive compared to municipalities with their own police forces. It also provides “no borders” support, including access to helicopters, search teams, and specialized investigations at no additional cost. Municipal services are billed for these costs.

Social services, which include homelessness and community supports, are a county responsibility, but it is still “a significant concern for Tillsonburg residents.” Gilvesy provided some positive news on this front, including a HART Hub at Woodstock hospital providing 60 beds - 40 treatment, 10 transitional, and 10 crisis. It is expected to open in 2026.

The county also provided funding for a shelter in Tillsonburg from Nov. 1 to May 1, and planning is underway for a 24/7 low-barrier regional shelter in Woodstock.

“We must be mindful that individuals cannot be forced into treatment or shelter,” Gilvesy said, adding she believes a solution is moving forward, although it will take time.

She paid heed to the United Way’s Light House in Tillsonburg. This transitional housing program opened in 2023 and is funded through the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser, the last Saturday in February. Of the 31 clients who entered the program, 21 have moved into permanent affordable housing, seven into rent-geared-to-income housing, five received rent supports, and three were discharged.

“Congratulations to United Way on achieving such meaningful success in a very short period of time,” Gilvesy said.

The mayor spoke of updates to the town’s recreational and cultural facilities, including a new $250,000 elevator at Annandale House, clock tower repairs, a new dressing room in the community centre, three new pickleball courts, and playground equipment.

This year will see the removal of the overhead roof on Library Lane, plus concrete and drainage work on the walkway. Pillars will remain at each end.

The big news was, pending adoption at the following day’s council meeting, renovations will move ahead on the Customer Service Centre at 10 Lisgar Ave to make it the new town hall.

“To summarize, it is a good financial story which will in fact save $76,000 annually compared to amount of rent the town was paying at the mall,” Gilvesy said. (See story on this elsewhere in today’s Post)

“As we look ahead to 2026, this is very much a year of finishing well—strengthening essential assets, advancing important community projects, and positioning the next council for success,” Gilvesy concluded. “We are addressing long-standing challenges, managing our resources responsibly, and continuing to build a town that is resilient, welcoming, and forward-looking.”

Deputy Mayor Dave Beres, who is also on the board of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, spoke about changes to the province’s Strong Mayor legislation and the issues it created in some municipalities.

“Not with Deb Gilvesy,” he said. “Deb Gilvesy has given input back to council.”

The one exception to this was the budget, which he said was prepared by the mayor with staff input and approved by council after only 5.5 hours.

Commenting after the levy, Gilvesy said, “It was encouraging to see such a great turnout. The feedback has been very positive, and many attendees told me they found the information shared to be helpful and engaging.”