MacNeil hangs up his hat

By NATHAN TAYLOR, THE PACKET & TIMES December 22 2010
After nearly a decade of service, Don MacNeil’s time with the Orillia Police Services Board (OPSB) is up.
MacNeil joined the board in September 2001 and has been chair of the five-member OPSB for the past four years. Prior to joining the board, he was an OPP officer for more than 37 years.
After receiving a certificate of appreciation from mayor and council during Tuesday’s OPSB meeting, Mac-Neil commended the board for per-s onifying TEAM — together everyone achieves more.
“We always seem to have hurdles in front of us for some reason. We always seem to get over them,” he said.
Board member George Morano acknowledged Mac-Neil’s support over the years for various police and police board initiatives, including the Children’s Safety Village, Citizens on Patrol and the DARE program, as well as his support for the installation of surveillance cameras in town.
“He’s seen a lot of changes,” Morano said.
Those changes include Orillia OPP detachment commanders. Four have come and gone during MacNeil’s time with the board.
“Don is not an easy guy to get along with,” Morano joked.
MacNeil has, indeed, seen many changes. But the one he wants to see most is the construction of a new Orillia OPP detachment.
“My main objective was to get a new detachment. I thought we were there. I thought we could see the end of the tunnel. Things have changed again,” he said. “That is still my No. 1 priority — to see that get done.”
Earlier in the month, the new council deferred for up to 60 days a decision on whether to issue a call for tenders for the new building. It was to give them the opportunity to learn more about the project and look at their options.
“You really can’t blame them,” MacNeil said. “But it would’ve been a lot easier if it had been approved by the last council.”
A new OPSB chair will be elected at the board’s Jan. 18 meeting.