Press Releases - Simcoe County

ONTARIO EMBRACES CULTURE DAYS WITH LOADS OF FREE ACTIVITIES AS PART OF THE NATION’S FIRST WEEKEND-LONG ARTS AND CULTURE PARTY

2010-08-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Toronto, ON (August 30) – Ontario has responded! Hundreds of individual artists, groups and organizations in every province and territory have created and registered free arts and culture activities as part of Culture Days 2010 – the nation’s largest free weekend-long arts and culture celebration.

The inaugural event – taking place September 24 to 26 across the country (under the existing event Journées de la culture in Québec), and on September 17 to 19 in Alberta (under the existing event Alberta Arts Days) – will see creators in more than 500 cities and towns open their doors to Canadians and offer a range of family-friendly activities including hands-on classes, indoor and outdoor excursions, seminars and panels and behind-the-scenes experiences.

Some of the activities planned for Ontario include:

· Sing with KW Glee in Waterloo, where the public are invited to meet its members and learn how to recreate the pop choir sound

· Imagined Spaces: Scenic Design at the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa, where the public will discover the artifacts from the NAC's archival collection of imagined theatrical spaces brought to life through the artistry of top Canadian and international scenographic designers.

· Learn to Make a Stop-Motion Movie in Scarborough, a one-hour workshop where participants will learn how to develop a storyline, capture a photo sequence, select and add audio to images, record a voice-over as well as design credits

Activities are designed to inspire greater participation in arts and culture and are available in a range of disciplines including:

Heritage: venue tours, costumed tours, lectures and demos including how to march like RCMP
Music: sing-alongs, participatory concerts, instrument petting zoos, symphonies, operas and workshops
Dance: Korean, Hip Hop, Bollywood, Indigenous, Flamenco and Argentine Tango lessons
Visual arts: stone and wood sculpting, rug hooking, exhibits, painting and pottery classes
Film or video: interactive documentary screenings, TV network open houses and film festivals
Theatre: playwright readings, open rehearsals, combat workshops, demos and backstage tours
Architecture, design, literary, new media and more!

Culture Days represents Canada’s largest arts and culture public participation campaign. The celebration has resonated with rural and urban communities alike reaching milestone activity numbers in just four months since its launch in April with 2000 events hosted in Quebec, 700 in Ontario, 200 in Alberta and 115 in Manitoba to name a few. Culture Days activities range in both existing and new events that have pooled together to join the national movement.

With four weeks left before the national rollout, Culture Days shows no signs of slowing down. The program is seeing an average 20 per cent increase in activity registrations week-over-week. Canadians can stay on top of what activities are being added by searching for events in their area online.

Visit culturedays.ca, follow us on twitter.com/culturedays or find us on Facebook.

About Culture Days

Culture Days (culturedays.ca) is a collaborative pan-Canadian volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Culture Days was initiated by four Founding Partners: The Canadian Arts Summit, Culture pour tous (producer of les Journées de la culture), Canada Council for the Arts and The Banff Centre. National partners supporting the development of Culture Days include Founding Presenting Partner Sun Life Financial, Power Corporation of Canada and The Government of Alberta. Media partners include The Globe and Mail, St. Joseph Communications and CBC. Provincial partners include Government of Alberta, SaskCulture, Manitoba Homecoming, Government of Manitoba, Ontario Arts Council, Government of Prince Edward Island, Government of New Brunswick, Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, and the Government of Northwest Territories. Culture Days was inspired by Journées de la culture, produced by Culture pour tous in Québec since 1997.

RUN OR WALK TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND OPERATION HERO!

2010-08-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Canadian Home Builders Association – Simcoe County in partnership with the Barrie Construction Association are coordinating their efforts to raise funds for Operation Hero by organizing a Base Borden Run in Support of Operation Hero.

The 5k and 20k marathon run is to take place at Base Borden on Saturday, October 16th. For experienced “marathoners”, the “chip” technology will be available – whether walking or running. It will be a fun-filled day with beautiful scenery and groomed courses.

This is an opportunity to say Thank You to those who serve and to build bridges between the community, Georgian College and CFB Borden, by providing scholarship funding to Canadian Military Families.

The cost of the run is $35 per participant, and sponsorship opportunities are available at various levels. Registration and information is available on-line at www.operationhero.ca.

Media is invited to contact the Base Borden Run Chairpersons at which time interviews and photographs can be coordinated.

Operation Hero assists in education funding for families and dependents of our troops. This will be fully invested by Georgian College to provide scholarships for family members of Canadian Forces Personnel.

County Forests Attain Forest Stewardship Council Certification

2010-08-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

Midhurst/ August 11, 2010 – The County of Simcoe has attained Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, recognizing that the management of Ontario’s largest municipally-owned forest system meets the highest international standard.

FSC certification acknowledges conscientious land stewardship through the independent evaluation of forestry practices around the world.

“On behalf of Council, I congratulate our Forestry staff on this significant achievement,” stated County Warden Cal Patterson. “By attaining FSC Certification we are confirming to the public that our forest management practices achieve the highest possible standard and we are ensuring that the County will have continued access to all available markets for timber sales.”

Forestry staff initiated the certification process in April, 2010. The extensive review included three days of field audits, consultations with stakeholders and a public open house. The assessment report presents findings of an independent team of specialists representing the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance. Results confirm that the ecological, economic and social performance of the County’s forest management system meet the rigorous criteria established by the Forest Stewardship Council.

During the past six months, auditors interviewed staff, forest users, provincial government representatives,loggers, environmentalists and foresters. They also visited over 25 different forest tracts.

“Simcoe County has recognized the importance of healthy woodlands for decades and is regarded as a leader in municipal forestry,” stated County Forester Graeme Davis. “We are proud of our achievements and FSC certification is confirmation that we are doing a good job.”

Most of which were once considered ‘wastelands’, Simcoe County Forests today span over 30,000 acres with tracts ranging in size from seven to 3,500 acres. They provide a multitude of benefits including protection of wildlife habitat and water resources, public education and recreation, scientific research and revenue from timber sales.

In order to maintain forest health, improve timber values and achieve other objectives for the County Forests, approximately 1200 to 1500 acres are thinned annually. Each forest area identified in the operating plan is assessed by Forestry staff and treated according to good forestry practices. Timber identified for removal is sold to the highest bidder, resulting in revenues which are reinvested in forestry operations and the acquisition of additional forest lands. Further, much of the timber is processed locally which contributes to the local economy.

FSC acknowledges good forest managers around the world and has grown to include over 35 million hectares worldwide. Certification allows the County to use the FSC logo, an internationally recognized symbol that identifies the highest environmental and social standards for forest management. The County’s FSC License Code is FSC-C013174.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

From a matchstick house to Buckingham Palace...

2010-08-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Rare dollhouse collection auction to benefit Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Toronto, Ontario (August 5, 2010) – The public is invited to view and bid on fabulous model dollhouses from a world class collection at Bertie Hall in Fort Erie on Saturday, August 14 at 10 a.m. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and other charities.

More than 100 rare, scale model dollhouses and miniature rooms built from 1780 to 1980, with completely furnished and opulently decorated interiors will be on display. The intricate dollhouses range from a Buckingham Palace replica and matchstick house made by convicts, to a French 10th C. architectural form Bird Case of wire with stained glass windows.

Previews of the collection begin on Friday, August 13 from 2 p.m. to 8p.m., and on Saturday, August 14 at 8:30 a.m. Collectors unable to attend the live auction can bid on the top 50 pieces on www.liveauctioneers.com on August 14.

The owner of the collection, the late Mrs. Mildred Mahoney, generously requested in her will that the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation receive a significant portion of the proceeds of the auction.

Cystic fibrosis is the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults. There is no cure. Each week in Canada, two children are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and someone dies from the disease.

“We are so very grateful to the late Mrs. Mahoney, and the Mildred M. Mahoney Foundation, for contributing to the fight against cystic fibrosis,” said Cathleen Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “The money raised will support important CF research and care, dedicated to helping young Canadians with cystic fibrosis live longer, healthier lives.”

Mrs. Mildred Mahoney began collecting dollhouses in 1950, scouring North America and Europe in search of these rare models. When her collection outgrew her home, she moved it into the historic 1835 Bertie Hall. Mrs. Mahoney passed away in 1990 at the age of 72.

Dollhouse enthusiasts are encouraged to come to this special, once-in-a-lifetime auction and take a piece of history home. Members of the public who do not wish to bid on the dollhouses can view these intricate pieces of art – everyone is welcome!

For more information about the auction and to see pictures of the dollhouses, visit www.platoauctions.com. To learn more about cystic fibrosis, visit www.cysticfibrosis.ca.

About the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a Canada-wide health charity, with 50 volunteer chapters, that funds CF research and care. In 2010, the Foundation is supporting more than 50 research projects which are exploring all aspects of the CF puzzle; from investigating new methods of fighting infection and inflammation in the lungs to finding new therapies that target the basic defect at the cellular level.

‘Power Down Your Summer Electricity Costs’Awareness Campaign

2010-07-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Overview
PowerStream’s distribution rates, the portion of the electricity bill that is related to PowerStream and which represents only 21% of the total charges found on the bill, are amongst the lowest in Ontario. Over the past three years, PowerStream has been able to lower distribution rates for its York Region customers by 5% and, since its merger with Barrie Hydro on January 1, 2009, lower distribution rates for customers in Barrie and Simcoe County by 14%. However, there are several factors beyond PowerStream’s control, occurring almost simultaneously, which are expected to increase total bill amounts for customers going forward, especially during the summer period.

The factors that are expected to impact all electricity customer bills in the province and how they specifically relate to PowerStream customers are:
• On May 1, 2010, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) increased electricity prices for all Ontario residential and small business customers on the Regulated Price Plan (RPP). Coupled with the seasonal change in the pricing structure, this increase will add 6% to PowerStream bills.
• The recently implemented Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) will add another 8% to all customer utility bills across the province.
• A small ‘Regulatory’ charge that has been added as required by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MEI) to cover the cost of provincial conservation initiatives.
• Increases in water and wastewater rates charged by municipalities (where applicable, e.g. Barrie, Markham, Vaughan and Bradford West Gwillimbury) and collected by PowerStream on their behalf.
• A projected hotter than average summer.

What are distribution rates (charges)?
Distribution rates (charges) are the only portion of customer bills PowerStream, as a local electricity distribution company, has control over. Embedded in the “Delivery” line of the bill along with Hydro One transmission charges, distribution rates cover the costs for PowerStream to deliver electricity to homes and businesses in its service territory. It includes administrative costs (meter reading, billing, customer service, maintenance of accounts) as well as costs to build and maintain infrastructure (wires, hydro poles, transformers, etc.).

The RPP and why the OEB increased electricity prices?

Both tiered and time-of-use (TOU) prices form part of the OEB’s Regulated Price Plan (RPP). The RPP is designed to ensure the price that residential and small business RPP customers pay for electricity recovers the payments made to generators that supply the electricity customers consume. RPP prices are set by the OEB to recover the total cost of that supply, regardless of which price structure (tiered or time-of-use) is used to bill for the electricity consumed by customers. RPP prices, reviewed and set semi-annually by the OEB, are reflected on the “Electricity” line of all residential and small business RPP customer bills in Ontario, representing about half of the total bill.

Customers who buy their electricity from a retailer pay the commodity price set out in their contracts and are not affected by changes in RPP prices. Retail contract customers have a separate line item on their bills listed as the “Provincial Benefit” (or “Global Adjustment”), while customers of PowerStream and other local electricity distribution companies in the province have the Provincial Benefit already factored in the RPP prices. The Provincial Benefit accounts for the difference between the market price of electricity and rates paid to regulated and contracted generators. On May 1, 2010, the OEB increased electricity prices for all RPP customers in the province as follows:

Tiered Pricing- 6.5 cents per kWh up to and including 600 kWh each month (750 kWh for small business customers) from 5.8 cents per kWh.
- 7.5 cents per kWh from 6.7 cents per kWh for monthly consumption above 600 kWh (750 kWh for small business customers) TOU Pricing
- Off-peak price to 5.3 cent per kWh from 4.4 cents per kWh
- Mid-peak price to 8.0 cents per kWh from 8.0 cents per kWh (no change)
- On-peak price to 9.9 cents per kWh from 9.3 cents per kWh

Primary factors contributing to the overall increase in RPP prices included:• Payments going to renewable generation projects, gas plants, as well as conservation and demand management (CDM) programs;
• New contracts for existing generation, including support payments for fossil fuel plants and for existing generation; more

• Recovery of the RPP variance account managed by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), which tracks the difference between what RPP customers have paid versus what has been paid to generators that supply their electricity as well as the costs associated with certain CDM programs.

What impact will the HST have on electricity bills?
On July 1, 2010, the Ontario Government implemented a change to the Provincial tax system with the HST replacing the Goods and Service Tax (GST) and Provincial Sales Tax (PST). This will have an impact on the bills of all electricity customers in Ontario.

Prior to July 1, PowerStream customers, along with all other electricity customers in the Province, were only charged 5% GST on their electricity consumption in accordance with the previous tax regulations and were exempt from paying the 8% PST. Now electricity customers will no longer have to pay the GST but will be charged the 13% HST in line with the Province of Ontario’s new tax system.

Details and information explaining the rationale for the HST is available on the Ontario Ministry of Revenue's website at www.ontario.ca/taxchange or by calling the government’s hotline at 1-800-337-7222.

What is the charge being added to bills as required by the MEI?
A small increase in “Regulatory” charges was added recently to the bills of all electricity customers in Ontario, as required by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MEI)I, to recover the costs relating to two MEI conservation programs – the Home Energy Savings Program and Ontario Solar Thermal Heating Initiative.

For residential customers, this charge amounts to approximately $4 per year or 33 cents per month. For small business customers, the estimated costs are approximately $400 per year or $33 per month.

Will we have a hot summer?
As late as June 21, 2010, Environment Canada’s senior climatologist David Phillips stated that the forecast for summer 2010 was for it to be “hot and dry”.
“The latest models indicate this will be a summer for wheat farmers, swimming in the lake and having a beer on the backyard patio,” Phillips said.

What is the ‘Power Down Your Summer Electricity Costs’ awareness campaign?
PowerStream is rolling out the ‘Power Down Your Summer Electricity Costs’ awareness campaign across its service territory in an effort to achieve the following objectives:
• Inform customers early enough in the summer of the changes to their bills so that they can adjust their consumption patterns and behaviours accordingly.
• Provide customers with information on how they can better manage their electricity costs over the summer months.
• Ensure that customers are made aware of the various factors contributing to the increases on their bills.
• Educate customers as to what they are paying for on their bills, including distribution rates and how PowerStream’s are amongst the lowest in Ontario.
The campaign includes the use of television, radio and newspaper advertising, a media tour, news releases, email blasts, bills and bill envelopes messaging, internet as well as several other communications strategies to deliver the campaign’s key messages to PowerStream’s customers.

The Government of Canada supports accessibility for all Canadians

2010-07-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Canada’s Economic Action Plan improves access to facilities, activities and services
BARRIE, ONTARIO)— Patrick Brown, Member of Parliament for Barrie, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today invited organizations to apply for grants of up to $75,000 for projects that will improve accessibility for people with disabilities that will enable them to participate fully in their communities.

“Our government supports Canadians with disabilities and their families. Through the Enabling Accessibility Fund, we are improving access to facilities, activities and services,” said MP Brown. “Year Two of Canada's Economic Action Plan builds on the success of this program by increasing investments that remove barriers for Canadians with disabilities.”

Organizations can submit proposals until September 10, 2010, under the Fund’s Small Projects component. Small projects may include renovation, construction and retrofitting of buildings, modification of vehicles for community use, or enhancements to make information and communication technologies more accessible.

The Enabling Accessibility Fund was originally announced in 2007 as a three-year, $45-million program to support community-based projects across Canada. Since the first call for proposals in 2008, over 300 organizations have been awarded funding to improve accessibility in their communities.

The Government of Canada makes a number of investments annually to help address the needs of people with disabilities through such programs as the Registered Disability Savings Plan, the Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program, the Disability component of the Canada Pension Plan, the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities, and post-secondary education assistance measures for students with disabilities.

Canada’s Jobs and Growth Budget has a number of additional measures to support people with disabilities, including enhancing the Registered Disability Savings Plan to provide Canadians with disabilities and their families with more flexibility when saving for the future, and providing $5 million annually for five years to the Canadian Paralympic Committee to build on the successes of our Paralympians and continue to encourage persons with disabilities to actively participate in sport.

To find out how to apply for funding or for further information about the Fund, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/disability or call 1-866-268-2502.

Shawn Bubel running for Deputy Mayor of Essa

2010-07-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

Shawn Bubel (pronounced Bew-bell) is a lifelong resident of Simcoe County and long-time resident of Essa. Bubel lives in Ward 2 with his wife and six year old daughter.
Bubel has years of work experience in government operations, commercial real estate and as a small business owner. He is currently special assistant to Patrick Brown, the Member of Parliament for Barrie.

Shawn is troubled by the number of acclamations in recent Essa elections but does not think it means people don’t care. “Basically, it’s been seven years since the people of Essa have had any say in who represents them. There are great people living in Essa. We are people who care about our community, we care about our environment and we care about our future. If voters are given the choice of moving in a new direction or simply settling for more of the same, I think they will respond optimistically”. – Shawn Bubel

Bubel believes he can make a difference for the residents of Essa as their Deputy Mayor and he is launching a positive campaign focused on transparency, better communication with residents and improving the way of life for his neighbours.

“Over the next few months, I look forward to meeting with voters, hearing the issues that matter to them and talking about how we move Essa forward”. – Shawn Bubel

Bubel encourages people to visit his website and have their say.

City of Orillia Signs on as Supporter of Jazz Festival

2010-07-28T10:48:00.001-07:00

The City of Orillia today announced a $2,000 grant in support of the Orillia Jazz Festival. Now in its 20th year, the Jazz Festival is programmed in venues throughout the community on October 22, 23 and 24.

“The Committee is pleased to add the City of Orillia to the Festival’s roster of supporters”, says Maureen Way, president of the 2010 Orillia Jazz Festival Committee. “It has been a trying year in both the private and public sectors and the Committee appreciates the generous financial assistance of local businesses and the City of Orillia”.

A diverse selection of cultural events adds to the quality of life for Orillians. But further than that, it is important to recognize that any investment the City of Orillia makes in local festivals and events has a positive economic benefit to the community. The Jazz Festival is especially vital to Orillia due to its longevity and its shoulder season scheduling. It is important to create activity in between our major seasons to assist in keeping local business busy.

The City of Orillia joins other sponsors and supporters such as Sleeman, Richards Goldsmithing, Davenport Suburu, Downtown Orillia Management Board, Orillia Pro Net, Paul Blanche, Jazz FM, The Dock 104.1, The Packet & Times, Orillia Today, Hawk Ridge and Stone Gate Inn.

During the event, music can be enjoyed at venues throughout Orillia including Sixteen Front, Brewery Bay, Era 67, Fern Resort, Apple Annie’s,
McCabe’s, Grape & Olive, Portage Italian Bistro, Tux II, Zat’s and St. Paul’s United Church,

A special kick-off event is scheduled for October 21st at Hawk Ridge Golf and Country Club. Check our website for all the updates and information.

The Committee thanks the City of Orillia and looks forward to seeing everyone at the Jazz Festival venues throughout the weekend.

Repatriation Motorcade for Canadian Soldier Brian Collier

2010-07-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Midhurst/ July 23, 2010 – On Friday July 23, 2010 a repatriation motorcade for 24 year-old Sapper Brian Collier of Bradford, Ontario will travel along the Highway of Heroes from Trenton to Toronto.

Residents of Simcoe County are encouraged to pay tribute to Brian Collier and all the troops by lining the overpasses along the Highway of Heroes. The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury will be providing transportation to the 401/ McGowan Road overpass at no cost. Buses will be departing from the Bradford Community Centre at 2:30 PM.

“We owe it to this Canadian hero to honour him when he returns home” stated Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor Doug White.

Collier served with the 1st Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group out of Canadian Forces Base Edmonton.

“The County of Simcoe is saddened to hear of the death of Sapper Brian Collier, a dedicated soldier and young man who gave his life for our country," said Warden Cal Patterson. "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go to Sapper Collier’s family, friends and community.”

The visitation and funeral will take place at Holy Martyrs Church as per the family’s wishes. Details for these services are not known at this time.

County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Additional Emergency Contact Line Open for Residents

2010-06-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

Midhurst/ June 24, 2010 – The County of Simcoe, in co-operation with the Town of Midland, has opened the County’s Customer Services telephone lines to assist in addressing public inquiries with respect to the Midland tornado. Customer Service is open from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM from Monday to Friday.

For information, please contact 705-735-6901:
1. If you require information on evacuation and reception centre information
2. Where to properly dispose of debris or storm damaged acceptable materials
3. Other questions and concerns that residents may have following yesterday’s confirmed tornado in the Town of Midland

The Canadian Red Cross Barrie Branch will continue to act as the main contact for family and reception related inquires. That contact number is 705-721-3313.

County of Simcoe Emergency Management Co-ordinator asks that residents listen to local radio stations for updates, as well as local media websites and the County of Simcoe website. County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Eight candidates vie for five positions on OSMH Board of Directors

2010-06-21T14:25:00.001-07:00

(Monday June 21, 2010 - Orillia, ON) – Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) has released the names of the eight (8) individuals who will be considered for election, or re-election, to the hospital’s Board of Directors at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, June 29, 2010.

The five open positions are a result of one pre-existing vacancy and four terms that will expire at the AGM. Current Board members, John Cameron, Gord Michener, Paul Leskew and Bill Swinimer are at the end of their current 3-year term. All but Swinimer have indicated they will be seeking re-election.

Joining them on the ballot will be Ken Brownlee, Heikki Cox-Kikkajoon, Jeffery French, Ted McCollum, and Allan Scott

At the AGM, each candidate will have three minutes to address the membership in attendance, at which time the corporate members will vote by secret ballot.

The hospital’s AGM is set for 7:00 pm on Tuesday, June 29, 2010 in the Normandy Room at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 34. Business will include the approval of corporate and credentialed staff by-laws along with presentation of the 2nd annual Board Awards of Excellence. Members may obtain the AGM agenda at the hospital’s information desk or online at www.osmh.on.ca

RSM Richter raises $150,000 for children with disabilities and their families

2010-06-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

First event benefiting the new Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation supports specialized care, research and education

Toronto, Thursday, June 17, 2010 – Children with a wide range of disabilities, including brain and spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy and genetic disorders, stand to benefit from a $165,000 contribution raised by RSM Richter, one of Canada’s largest independent accounting, business advisory and consulting firms.

The donation to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, formerly Bloorview Kids Foundation, was generated through proceeds from the 2010 RSM Richter Charity Golf Classic, and will support specialized care, research and education for kids with disabilities and their families. Since it was established in 1998, the charity golf tournament has helped raise more than $1 million for health-related causes across Ontario. It now has the added distinction of being the first event benefiting the hospital under its new Holland Bloorview name.

“RSM Richter is proud to support the invaluable and pioneering work of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and the more than 7000 children that depend on it for treatment every year,” said Jeffrey Tannenbaum, partner in the Audit group at RSM Richter. “This donation would not have been possible without the generous support of our event sponsors, particularly Fabricland, as well as our clients and staff who were integral to the tremendous success of this event.”

As Canada’s largest children’s rehabilitation and complex continuing care teaching hospital, Holland Bloorview is an international leader in childhood disability. Holland Bloorview conducts research focused on enhancing care, developing assistive technologies, and evaluating the barriers restricting the inclusion of children with disabilities.

“Holland Bloorview is committed to helping kids with even the most severe disabilities live ordinary and sometimes extraordinary lives – just like other kids. Funds raised through the RSM Richter Charity Golf Classic will support programs, services, and innovative research that enables children with disabilities to be active participants in their communities,” said Valerie McMurtry, President and CEO of the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. “We are thrilled that RSM Richter is the first event to support us under our new Holland Bloorview name. With the support of donors like RSM Richter, Holland Bloorview has the opportunity to give every child a chance to achieve their personal best.”

Guitars on Parade to be launched June 26 in Orillia

2010-06-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well-known artist Charles Pachter, Toronto musician and artist Kurt Swinghammer, and Six String Nation's Jowi Taylor take part in Orillia's first ever Guitars on Parade!

Orillia, ON - June 14 This summer, the City of Orillia will become home to a 'parade' of 50 giant guitar sculptures, as one local businesswoman's vision for a public art event comes to life in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Mariposa Folk Festival.

Downtown retailer Leslie Fournier has orchestrated an outdoor gallery of 50 larger-than-life guitar sculptures for a summer-long showcase called Guitars on Parade! The seven-foot guitars, each hand-painted with designs by local artists, will be unveiled June 26 in downtown Orillia as part of the second annual Streets Alive! festival. Last year�s inaugural Streets Alive! event served as a kick-off to the successful Festival of Banners, initiated by Fournier three years ago. The Streets Alive! goal is to present Orillia as a vibrant artistic community and bring visitors to the area.

Adding to the draw is the participation and support of nationally known artists.

"When the idea for Guitars on Parade! came to me, I thought it would be a coup to have a well-known Canadian artist take part in the project and help spread the word beyond Orillia," says Fournier.

The first person she thought of was Charles Pachter. An iconic presence in the visual art world, the work of this leading contemporary artist has been shown at the ROM, the AGO and the McMichael Gallery, among others. Pachter has a real connection and affection for Orillia. He cottages on Lake Simcoe and visits downtown Orillia regularly in the summer months. The Pachter guitar will be placed outside his favourite haunt for butter tarts, Wilkies Bakery.

Two other big talents affiliated with the guitar project are Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies fame and Toronto musician and visual artist, Kurt Swinghammer.

"I ran into Ed Robertson in April before the Barenaked Ladies concert at the Orillia Opera House," says Fournier. "Within minutes of hearing about Guitars on Parade!, Ed expressed interest and enthusiasm for the project and wondered if he could sponsor one of the guitars. He mentioned having his buddy, Kurt Swinghammer, design and paint it." The Barenaked Ladies guitar is now the 51st in the project. The group is calling this last one their celebrity guitar. "We sure don't mind surpassing our initial goal of 50!" laughs Fournier.

Guitars on Parade! is modeled after other successful outdoor art projects like Toronto's Moose in the City and Vancouver's Orcas in the City. "I had wanted to do something different this year for Streets Alive! and became excited when I saw images from these other projects," explains Fournier. "When it came to setting a theme, the 50th anniversary of the Mariposa Folk Festival just seemed to fit perfectly. We're thrilled to be able to help celebrate the amazing 50 years of Mariposa."

All 51 guitars will be unveiled at the Streets Alive! celebration on June 26 in Orillia. The event takes place on Mississaga Street from 10 am to 5 pm and is free. Event-goers can view the giant guitars on a walking tour, take in guitar demonstrations, participate in hands-on activities and competitions, enjoy concerts on the street, and meet Jowi Taylor and his celebrated 'Voyageur' guitar. Taylor is the impresario behind one of Canada's most creative guitar projects "Six String Nation, and author of the book by the same name. The project took Taylor across the country to build the ultimate Canadiana guitar using pieces of our country's historic and geographic icons. Jowi will be making special presentations at Streets Alive!, and the Voyageur will be on hand for photos with members of the public.

Local businesses, organizations and the community at large quickly signed on to support Guitars on Parade! The 50th guitar, 'Reflections' represents participation by Orillia citizens, who are invited to drop off donations to sponsor the sculpture at Apple Annie's Caf. Other sponsors of the event include Downtown Orillia, the City of Orillia, Mariposa Folk Festival Foundation and Larrivee Guitars, whose vintage C-10 acoustic guitar serves as the design template for the super-sized guitars. Funding has also been made available from the federal government's Community Adjustment Fund through the Orillia Area Community Development Corporation.

Select sculptures from Guitars on Parade! will travel to the Mariposa Folk Festival July 9 to 11 and then return downtown to take their place as part of the Orillia streetscape throughout the summer/fall tourist season.

Barb Baguley wants public input as campaign for Mayor continues

2010-06-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release
June 14, 2010 - Innisfil’s first candidate for Mayor, Barb Baguley, is kicking her campaign into high gear by asking residents what they think.

Baguley is directing voters to her website baguley4mayor.com where they can complete a survey and comment on town services and issues.

“I think it is important at this point in the election campaign to reach out to residents and find out what is important to them,” Baguley said. “This is a big town with a variety of issues and as I start campaigning door-to-door, I want to know what people are concerned about and what they expect from their elected officials.”

Early results of Baguley’s survey have confirmed her belief that residents want strong leadership and effective communication from their next Mayor.

Baguley has spent the past four years meeting residents as she volunteers for a variety of organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Innisfil Historical Society, Greater Innisfil Chamber of Commerce, Nantyr Shores Spin 4 Kids, Crime Stoppers, Physician Recruitment and Innisfil Rotary.

“Our town continues to grow and many of the people who will be voting on October 25 didn’t even live here four years ago. I want everyone to know that their opinions matter to me and I want to truly represent them on Council. As mayor, I will always have the best interest of residents in mind as decisions are made to move the Town forward.”

LIVING WITH CANCER? Come as you are. The red door is open! You are welcome!

2010-06-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

Are you or someone you love living with Cancer? Now – there is a place in our community where you can meet people who are also living with Cancer; Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka has opened the RED DOOR. We welcome you to come in and experience the community that is Gilda’s Club!

The mission of Gilda’s Club is to provide free support for everyone living with cancer – men, women, teens and children – along with their families and friends, whatever the outcome. Our innovative Program is an essential complement to medical care providing support and networking groups facilitated by licensed mental health professionals, workshops and lectures plus a variety of social activities. Come in our RED DOOR and meet some people who are living with cancer – just like you.

Our new Clubhouse provides a welcoming home-like, non-residential environment for those living with and affected by cancer. Gilda’s Club and its distinctive program are centered on building community. Located on Quarry Ridge Road in Barrie (across the road from Royal Victoria Hospital beside Tim Horton’s) and serving all the residents of Simcoe, Muskoka, Parry Sound, Grey-Bruce and Dufferin Counties, Gilda’s Gilda's Club Simcoe Muskoka is now open!.

We encourage you to come as you are, to know that you are not alone and to experience firsthand social support, information sharing, friendship, laughter, hope and inspiration. You’ll find attached for your convenience a sample of our Program Calendar for June.

Membership is free – all you have to do is call us at (705) 726-5199 or email program@gildasclubbarrie.org and Ann, our Program Co-ordinator, or one of our trained volunteers will get you signed up for a New Member Meeting. It is that simple.

Please call or email today and take the first step towards becoming a member of Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka. You are not alone ~ our RED DOOR is open.

Looking forward to meeting you,

Kristen Dawson,
Program Director.
Gilda's Club Simcoe Muskoka
10 Quarry Ridge Road
Barrie, ON
Ph: 705.726.5199 Ext. 223
Fx: 705.726.7101
james@gildasclubbarrie.org

NHL Greats Gartner and Leeman confirm for Hockey Night in Barrie III

2010-06-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Barrie - MP Patrick Brown is pleased to announce that Hockey Night in Barrie III will be taking place this summer on August 12, 2010 at the Barrie Molson Centre. All proceeds raised will be going directly to the Royal Victoria Hospital’s Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Care Centre.

“I am very excited preparing for this year’s Hockey Night in Barrie charity game supporting RVH and the Cancer Care Centre” said MP Brown. “We are building on past successes of this event and expect this year’s game will be bigger and better as we continue to increase awareness and raise even more funds for this extremely worthy cause” he added.

This year’s event promises to be even more illustrious than years past with NHL Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Gartner, former Toronto Maple Leaf Great Gary Leeman, NHL Star Aaron Johnson, Canadian actor Mark Day and Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay all confirming their attendance for this year’s game. Many more are expected to confirm in the coming weeks!

“This will now be my third year participating in Hockey Night in Barrie and every year it has proven to be not only a fun filled evening for players and fans alike but also a success in raising much needed funds for the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Care Centre” said Mike Gartner, NHL Hockey Hall of Fame. I am happy to play again this year” he added.

Those interested in attending this year’s game are encouraged to purchase their tickets soon as the event is already twenty-five percent sold out. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.

Orillia Mayor Ron Stevens to receive Lakehead University Orillia Campus Civitas Award

2010-06-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

(June 1, 2010 – Orillia ON) Orillia Mayor Ron Stevens will be honoured with the Lakehead University Orillia Campus Civitas Award at the University’s upcoming June 5 Convocation.

The Civitas Award is presented annually to a Simcoe County resident who has made significant contributions to the community and to the Orillia Campus. The award was first introduced in 2008 when it was awarded to Sue Mulcahy who spearheaded the Simcoe College initiative in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2009, the second Civitas Award recipient was Lloyd Dennis, distinguished for his outstanding contribution to education in Ontario.

Mayor Ron Stevens was nominated for his leadership as Chair of the Mayor’s University Task Force and the role he played in establishing the Lakehead University Orillia Campus.

“I believe that without Mayor Stevens’ conviction and commitment to this initiative, that Lakehead – Orillia would not be the reality it is today,” says Robert Lamb, Simcoe County Manager of Economic Development. Lamb nominated Stevens for the award, and notes how instrumental he was in developing a successful partnership with Lakehead University to establish the new Orillia campus.

Mayor Stevens began his municipal service in 1974 when he was appointed to the Township of Orillia Planning Board. Following positions as Councillor for the Township of Orillia and then Mayor of the Township of Severn, Stevens was elected Mayor of the City of Orillia in 2000. Upon completion of his third term as Mayor this fall, Stevens will have the distinction of being the longest-serving Mayor in the history of the City. He has declared this will be his final term as Mayor.

Stevens acknowledges the development of the Lakehead University Campus in Orillia as one of the highlights of his Mayoral tenure. “The entire experience involved a group of leaders who all shared a similar vision,” Stevens recalls. This vision-sharing experience included Lakehead University President Fred Gilbert. “Dr. Gilbert visited us and made a public presentation, and when I saw the standing ovation he received from the audience, I knew we had clear project direction and ample community support,” Stevens notes.

With the new University Avenue campus set to open this fall, Mayor Stevens says he is proud of what Lakehead – Orillia brings to our community and the region. “At the onset of this project, our interest in attracting a university to Orillia was inspired by a statistic we noticed in a census report,” explains Stevens. The document reported that the Canadian average of those with post secondary education was 27 per cent, compared with less than twelve per cent in Orillia and Simcoe County. “By establishing the Lakehead Campus in Orillia, we committed to improve this statistic and contribute to the long-term social and economic development of the region.”

The Civitas Award will be presented to Stevens at the Lakehead – Orillia Convocation on Saturday, June 5, at which over 200 graduands, including some students from the campus’ charter class, will receive their degrees. The ceremony will be held at Patrick Fogarty Secondary School at 10:30 a.m.

Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Improves ER Wait Times

2010-05-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

McGuinty Government Recognizes Hospital’s Success

May 28, 2010 Orillia: Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) is being recognized for significantly reducing emergency room wait times and improving patient care in its emergency room (ER).

Soldier’s Memorial Hospital has reduced wait times by 50 per cent since April 2008 for patients whohave serious medical issues but who don’t need to be admitted to hospital. As part of its Pay-for-Resultsprogram, the McGuinty government is providing the hospital with one-time performance funding of $495,900 for sharing best practices with other hospitals to help them improve their emergency room
performance.

Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital was able to make this significant improvement by:
• creating a real-time picture of patient flow in the ER – who has been waiting for how long, and for what;
• getting blood work and x-rays started before the doctor arrives; and
• adopting best practices to improve patient flow on inpatient units.
Reducing ER wait times is part of the government’s Open Ontario Plan to provide more access to health care services while improving quality and accountability for patients.

QUOTES
“Orillia Soldier’s Memorial Hospital took real and meaningful steps to drive down ER wait times and improve the patient experience. I’m encouraged that they’re going to be able to share their success and innovation with other hospitals in Ontario.”
- Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

“Congratulations to OSMH on this significant contribution to the North Simcoe Muskoka healthcare system. The LHIN Board and staff are proud of Soldiers’ leadership, physicians and front-line staff, whose hard work and commitment to patient care made this happen.”
- Ruben Rosen, Chair, North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN

“I am very pleased that our team of staff and physicians has been recognized for their tremendous effort on this project. The Pay-for-Results program gave OSMH a kick start to look at process improvement not only in our emergency department but throughout our hospital. Receiving the one-time funding is just an added bonus for doing the right thing and making it successful. It has also been the springboard that has allowed us to take on the challenge of the LEAN methodology for the PIP process. ”
- Elisabeth Riley, President and CEO, Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital

QUICK FACTS
• Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital will be using the bonus funding to teach other hospitals about its successes and lessons learned and to take steps to further improve ER wait times.
• April 2008 wait time data showed patients with complex conditions spent 10.8 hours in the emergency room for treatment, today they are spending 7.2 hours.
• April 2008 wait time data showed patients with minor or uncomplicated conditions spent 3.5 hours in the emergency room for treatment, today they are spending 3.5 hours.

Saving Lives While Protecting the Environment

2010-05-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Midhurst/May 28, 2010 – The County of Simcoe is modernizing its emergency vehicle fleet to ensure they are well equipped to save lives while operating with reduced green house gas emissions.

The County, in partnership with Fleet Challenge Ontario, Simplicity Air and Demers Ambulance, have been working together since December 2009 to develop a prototype ambulance as part of the police and EMS vehicle idling reduction demonstration project.

The project, which is supported by the Ontario government, consists of a Hybrid Idling Reduction System (HIRS), an innovative application of existing green technologies that will revolutionize emergency medical service vehicle operations. HIRS maintains all onboard systems, and cab climate control as mandated by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, without idling and with no compromise in performance. The result is that idling time is reduced along with greenhouse gas emissions.

“The County of Simcoe is committed to taking positive steps toward lessening our carbon footprint,” said Warden Cal Patterson. “This innovative partnership is another example of Council’s progressive thinking and its willingness to invest in a greener future.”

Currently, EMS and police vehicles idle from 35 to 65 per cent of their overall operating time. Vehicles are routinely left idling to prevent drugs, medication and specialized equipment from being damaged and to ensure the patient compartment is kept at normal room temperature. On scene, the vehicles are left idling to provide sufficient power for emergency systems and lights.

The County of Simcoe provided one of their new ambulances for the trial phase of the project. The University of Windsor will conduct environmental testing on the ambulance before it joins the County’s fleet in June. All testing is scheduled to be completed by December 2010.

Fleet Challenge Ontario (FCO) is a not-for-profit program of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance that helps fleet operators reduce their fuel consumption, operating costs and tailpipe emissions through sharing of modern fleet management techniques and proven best management practices.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Government of Canada’s Summer Jobs 2010 provides 67 summer jobs to Barrie students

2010-05-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Barrie, Ontario – May 21, 2010 - MP Patrick Brown is pleased to announce that the Canada Summer Jobs 2010 program through the Ministry of Human Resources and Skills Development has resulted in 67 summer jobs for students in Barrie. This program supports work experiences for students and helps provide important community services.

“By supporting organizations, Canada Summer Jobs provides work for students in not-for-profit and public-sector business enabling them to gain valuable experience and develop important skills for the future.” Brown added “Canada Summer Jobs 2010 is one of many initiatives our government offers to help students.”

Canada Summer Jobs 2010 will create high-quality summer job opportunities for young people 15 to 30 years old who are full-time students and intend to return to school in the next school year.

“There were 63 organizations that applied for funding in the Barrie area under the Canada Summer Jobs program and 33 were successful in obtaining funding.” said Brown. “I am pleased that 67 students this summer will benefit from employment opportunities and our community organizations will be provided with assistance in providing necessary services.”

Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the government increased funding by $10 million in 2009 and again provided an additional $10 million in 2010 for Canada Summer Jobs, to help create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world.

Builder of new Barrie Condos ranked 28th largest in Canada

2010-05-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Barrie Developer gets recognized by prestigious On-Site Magazine
May 12, 2010 Barrie, Ontario – Mady Development Corporation, builder of Barrie’s newest Condo development, MarketTown, is ranked 28th largest in Canada and in the top 40 in Canada.

“Barrie is a business friendly city, which made expanding into Barrie an easy choice. Its location, convenient transportation system and quality of life were important factors in our decision to begin investing in Barrie,” said David Mady, President of Mady Development Corporation. “This new ranking by On-Site Magazine is a privilege and honour.”

The magazine lists Mady Development Corporation’s Construction division in the top 40 in Canada, with $125 million in sales for 2009.

“We are pleased with the ranking and are looking to Barrie for further expansion. It is an exciting time for Barrie and Mady Development Corporation,” said David Mady.

Mady Contract Division’s current projects include Barrie’s newest development, MarketTown Condominiums, located near Georgian College, off Highway 400. The 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condominiums are affordable, beginning at $129,900 with spectacular views of little lake and multiple amenities which include state of the art workout facilities, yoga studio, billiards room, library and party room. www.MarketTowncondos.com Other projects include Wal-Mart expansions in Pickering, Ajax, Owen Sound and Kitchener and work for Rona, the City of Toronto and Canada Post.

Mady Development Corporation was founded in Windsor, Ontario more than 35 years ago by Charles Mady. Offices are located in Windsor, Markham and Dallas.

To view the ranking, see www.on-sitemag.sartech.ca For more information: David Mady, (519) 252 2500

TUNE IN TO SUPPORT RVH

2010-05-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

Larche Communications Inc. (LCI), parent company of KICX 106 (CICX-FM) and 104.1 The DOCK (CICZ-FM), will be hosting the Radio for Radiology radiothon at Georgian Mall, May 26 and 27. This two-day event aims to raise awareness and funds for the Radio for Radiology campaign that is presently underway. Both radio stations will broadcast live from the Grand Court area at Georgian Mall from 5:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. The two-day broadcast will also feature interviews with RVH physicians, patients and volunteers.

LCI announced in December 2008 that both radio stations would work to fulfill a $500,000 pledge to the I Believe capital campaign and the radiothon is just one of several events designed to meet that goal. Other initiatives including a cook book, golf tournaments, a Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings concert and an upcoming Colin James concert at Casino Rama are a few of the ways the two stations are meeting their pledge. Once the pledge is met, the funds will go toward the purchase of a new Interventional Radiology suite in RVH’s expanding Imaging Department. Major expansions and renovations to the Imaging Department are part of the Phase 1 Expansion Project, which also includes the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre

“Our Radio for Radiology Campaign will help to fund a new Interventional Radiology Unit, allowing people in Orillia, Midland, Barrie, and all of Simcoe County and Muskoka to get treatment close to home and we are determined to have KICX 106 listeners and 104.1 The DOCK listeners from across the region get engaged and support their Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre,” says LCI president Paul Larche. “The reality is that most of us, or a loved one, will have to deal with cancer in our lives. It’s a very stressful time. I lost my mother to cancer when she was only 4. It’s critical that residents in our region have the best, most convenient and timely care available. With help from our many listeners and clients, funding a new IR Unit that will support the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre, will do precisely that.”

An Interventional Radiology (IR) unit permits doctors to perform procedures by making tiny incisions, often the size of the tip of a pen, through which small catheters, wires, and other instruments are passed under x-ray guidance to the area of interest within the body. This allows the use of local anesthesia and light sedation rather than the general anesthesia that is required for conventional surgery. In most cases, patients are able to go home the same day, or the day after the procedure. Not only are IR procedures typically less expensive than surgery, patients return to normal activities much faster than and the risks, pain and recovery are significantly reduced. Royal Victoria Hospital currently has the only Interventional Radiology unit in Simcoe County.

About RVH: Royal Victoria Hospital is a 299-bed community hospital in Barrie, Ontario, located 80 kilometres north of Toronto. As the largest
hospital in the region of Simcoe Muskoka, it provides specialty services to almost half a million Central Ontario residents. RVH’s team of over 280 physicians, 2,200 employees and 1,100 volunteers provide exceptional health care, specializing in emergency services, cancer care, surgical services, intensive care, mental health, interventional radiology and rehabilitation. RVH has embarked on a Phase 1 Expansion Project which will double the size of the existing hospital, while adding capacity for 165 new inpatient beds and the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre. For more information, visit our website at www.rvh.on.ca.

OPP PARTICIPATES IN 2010 NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK CAMPAIGN

2010-05-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Making Canada’s Roads the Safest in the World

MIDLAND, ON – All 165 Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments across the province are making preparations to fully participate in the annual Canada Road Safety Week which gets underway from May 18 through to May 24.

This National road safety campaign is in partnership with police services and other road safety partners from across Canada and supports Transport Canada’s “Canada Road Safety Vision 2010” which has the goal of making our nation’s roads the safest in the world.

Chief Superintendent Mike Armstrong, Regional Commander of Central Region has stated “Canada Road Safety Week aims to make our roads the safest in the world by increasing public compliance with safe driving measures and ultimately to save lives “We will be targeting aggressive drivers, those who drink and drive and those who don’t buckle up. We will also be watching for motorists who don’t slow down or move over safely where possible when passing an emergency vehicle parked on the shoulder of the road with its emergency lights flashing.”

Provincial Constable David Hobson Community Services Officer for Southern Georgian Bay OPP Detachment states that for many years our detachment, along with police agencies from across the country, has participated in Canada Road Safety Week. Our increased presence will help raise awareness regarding issues of public safety on our roads,” “We also use this campaign to demonstrate our commitment to public safety and community wellness in the Southern Georgian Bay area.”

In 2009, there were 59 people killed on Central Region patrolled roads, which sadly is an increase of 8 from 2008. In 2008, there were 1783 personal injuries crashes and in 2009, this number increased to 2080.

In 2010, 6 people have lost their lives due to traffic fatalities with Central Region and during the recent Spring Seatbelt Campaign, 188,441 seatbelt and child safety seat related checks were conducted and 1157 seatbelt related charges were laid.

Canada Road Safety Week supports Canada’s Road Safety Vision 2010, a plan to make Canada’s roads the safest in the world by 2010.

ONTARIO’S WATERWAYS: CAUTION - COLD WATER

2010-05-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

(ORILLIA, ON) – A mild spring has opened up Ontario’s waterways and many are eager to get their boating season started. Tragically, in the past week, two fatal boating incidents have been investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

The OPP is cautioning boaters and those working near water that, while air temperatures are warm, water temperatures remain very cold. Cold water immersion is a significant risk that should not be taken lightly. Hypothermia is a serious condition that can be prevented with proper preparation before heading out.

Wear a lifejacket. You will not have the time or the ability to effectively put on safety equipment in a sudden and unexpected man-overboard situation.
Boaters are advised to wear clothing and equipment that protects them against the effects of cold exposure.

Ensure your boat is equipped with the required safety equipment.

Check water and weather conditions before heading out and be vigilant to changes in conditions.

Tell others of your plans and your anticipated return.

Don’t take unnecessary risks with your life of the lives of your passengers. To learn more about cold water immersion visit www.coldwaterbootcamp.com

Contact:
Sgt Karen Harrington
OPP Marine Programs

Office: 705 329-6125
Cell: 705 330-2860

IS THERE A SWEATSHOP IN YOUR HOME? HUNDREDS OF EVENTS PLANNED NATIONWIDE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO “FAIR TRADE YOUR HOME”

2010-04-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Events to Provide Simple But Effective Tips For Creating a Fair Trade Home; Common Household Sweatshop Items That Can be Fairly Traded are Clothing, Home Goods and Chocolate.

WASHINGTON, D.C.//April 29, 2010//Is there a sweatshop in your home? For millions of Americans, the answer is an unwitting yes. People across the country can find out how to replace goods made in sweatshops with fair trade products at hundreds of events taking place across the U.S. over the course of the next two weeks to mark World Fair Trade Day on May 8th (http://www.fairtraderesource.org/wftd-10/). They can also win great fair trade prizes by submitting pictures of fairly traded goods in their homes (http://www.fairtraderesource.org/wftd-10/fair-trade-my-home-contests/).

Most Americans would be appalled to learn of the extent to which the everyday items that they use in their homes are produced in sweatshops or even by slave labor. Widely used household items that fall into this category are all forms of clothing – from t-shirts to dress clothes to jewelry, home goods – including furniture and decorative items, and foods – including chocolate, coffee, sugar and spices. World Fair Trade Day organizers are calling on Americans to get those sweatshop items out of their home and to instead “Fair Trade your home” to support farmers and artisans worldwide.

World Fair Trade Day national campaign coordinator, and Executive Director, Fair Trade Resource Network Jeff Goldman, said: “There are lots of reasons to celebrate Fair Trade as we bring dignity and justice to millions of vulnerable farmers and artisans around the world. By committing to use Fair Trade goods at home, we can enjoy high quality and take action to improve our world.

The Fair Trade system helps producers and suppliers earn a living wage and take steps to protect the environment. It also serves to empower individuals and communities, support women’s and children’s rights, promote dignity and respect, and connect developing nations with developed nations and markets.

World Fair Trade Day is the largest Fair Trade event in North America, with over 65,000 people having participated in 2009. In the U.S., small businesses, high schools, universities, churches, groups and individuals will be raising awareness about the benefits of buying Fair Trade products. The theme of this year’s events is “Fair Trade My Home”. Events across the country include: scavenger hunts, coffee tastings, dinner parties, arts and crafts festivals, and so much more.

Major co-sponsors of World Fair Trade Day include nonprofit and faith-based organizations, such as Green America, Catholic Relief Services, Fair Trade Towns and Fair for Life, as well as retail companies, such as Ben and Jerry’s, Wholesome Sweeteners, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, and Anti-Body.

5 TIPS TO “FAIR TRADE YOUR HOME”

Some of the best ways to get rid of sweatshop items in your home and to go Fair Trade are as follows:

* Purchase Fair Trade Coffee, Tea, Sugar, and Cocoa: When conventionally purchased, these popular food items are often grown in “sweatshops in the fields.” Buying them Fair Trade Certified™ means that farmers are being paid a fair wage and communities are being supported.

* Purchase Fair Trade clothes – from t-shirts, to shoes to dresses, there is beautiful Fair Trade clothing from all over the world made by artisans who are paid a living wage.

* Buy Fair Trade Home goods – plates, tablecloths, and even furniture can be purchased Fair Trade.

* Buy Fair Trade handicrafts – from vases to sculptures to rugs – Fair Trade artisans produce beautiful crafts. And, when you purchase them from Fair Trade organizations, you know that no child labor or sweatshops were involved.

* Gift Fair Trade – You can purchase Fair Trade toys for kids, sculptures for adults, and chocolate for everyone on your list. When you gift Fair Trade, you are giving a high quality product and introducing someone to the value of purchasing Fair Trade every day.

ABOUT WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY

On and around May 8th, people in 80 countries worldwide will hold events to mark World Fair Trade Day in order to highlight the importance and benefits of Fair Trade. Across North America, participants are entering “Fair Trade My Home” contests. Both individuals, as well as organizations, will win Fair Trade prizes for bringing Fair Trade, or deepening Fair Trade, in their homes. Fair Trade supporters will host hundreds of events to encourage the public to take home many Fair Trade items, and enter the contests. Events such as festivals, fashion shows, speeches, food and drink tastings, film showings, sports games, neighborhood crawls, and concerts are being planned to help celebrate the day from May 1-15.

Seeking Child and Youth Mental Health Awareness Day

2010-04-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

May 3rd, 2010. Children are bullied. Parents are ashamed. Communities are divided. That's what life looks like when we don’t eliminate the prejudice of living with mental illness. To help children, parents and communities, Parents for Children's Mental Health* is working with MPPs to have May 7th declared Child and Youth Mental Health Awareness Day!

Not that long ago, a person living with epilepsy would have been locked up and regarded as insane. Fortunately, much work was done to demonstrate that this illness was not the "fault" of the individual but rather a diagnosable illness that could be treated and allow the person to live a successful life. It's time to bring the same awareness and effort to those children and youth living with a diagnosable mental illness.

PCMH and supporters will be at Queen’s Park on Monday, May 3rd, 2010, seeking support from legislature to have May 7th declared Child and Youth Mental Health Awareness Day. This provincial effort is part of a National Consortium working to have the day declared in all the Provinces, as well as have it declared Nationally.

Sarah Cannon, Executive Director of PCMH points out that “families and those affected with mental illness are forced to deal with discrimination and judgment that largely comes from stigma and we believe this stigma is grounded in fear. To combat this stigma we must raise awareness around the real issues, and the fact that these illnesses are claiming children and youth lives more than any other physical illness, yet still go ignored.” Sarah Cannon believes that “that the only way to stop stigma is to stand firmly in front of it, and we believe May 3rd is one step in that direction.”

Join us on the south lawn of Queen's Park on May 3rd at 10:00 a.m. and hear Valerie Pringle and other prominent citizens speak out on behalf of children and youth living with mental illness. We will be calling for this special day for children and youth living with mental illness and ensure that shame and fear no longer hold them back.

* Parents for Children’s Mental Health is a non-profit, Provincial, parent-led organization dedicated to raising the voice of families and children who face the daily struggles and challenges when dealing with child and youth mental health issues. One in five children suffer from a mental illness. Suicide is the leading cause of non-accidental death in youth aged 10-19 years. The Child and Youth Mental Health system has been plagued by stagnant funding for over a decade. Currently, 656,000 families in Ontario are dealing with the stigma, isolation, and debilitating effects of dealing with child and youth mental health issues. The World Health organization recently released that by 2020 Depression will be the second leading cause of disability.

Children’s Mental Health is EVERYONE’S Business.......

Contact Information: Sara Cannon Executive Director 1-(416) 220-0742 or (416) 921-2109 Email: admin@pcmh.ca PCMH – Simcoe County Chapter, Yolanda Gallo 705-728-5488 Email: simcoecounty@pcmh.ca

Hit, run & throw contest on Sunday, May 2. Winners advance to regionals, possibly Rogers Centre, maybe even Anaheim!

2010-04-26T08:10:00.001-07:00

St. Marys - Boys and girls aged 7-14 will be given a chance to show their wares on the Rotary Field at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in the Aquafina Hit, Run & Throw competition on Sunday, May 2nd at 3:00 pm with the champions from four age categories advancing to a regional showdown, possibly the Rogers Centre and who knows, maybe even Anaheim for the North American Championship Finals at the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

St. Marys' own Hayden Moore won the all-Canadian competition at Rogers Centre a few years ago, so don't think it can't happen to you.

There is no cost to participate, but players must pre-register by calling 519-284-1838 or emailing baseball@baseballhalloffame.ca. Players should check-in on Sunday, May 2nd at 2:30pm at the Hall of Fame's Rotary Field, and must hand in a photocopy of their birth certificate.

As a new initiative, the players are divided by gender, and four age categories are 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14, as determined by the child's age on July 17, 2010.

The three competitions involve the players' ability to throw strikes, a timed running segment, and hitting for distance and accuracy.

The winners advance to the regional showdown, which also is slated for the Hall of Fame, on Sunday, June 6th. If they make it through that sectional, they will be invited to compete at the Rogers Centre on Saturday, June 19th.

"Pepsi continuing to return to the Hall as the host for these two events further demonstrates that we offer so much more beyond a wonderful baseball museum," said president & CEO Tom Valcke.

Simcoe County Museum hosts the Simcoe County Regional Heritage Fair April 28, 2010

2010-04-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Minesing/ April 23, 2010 -- The Simcoe County Museum hosts the eighth annual Simcoe County Regional Heritage Fair on Wednesday, April 28, 2010. Students from across the County have placed among the top in their School Heritage Fair for projects highlighting Canadian heritage and culture. These students will now showcase their projects at the Regional Fair on Wednesday April 28.

The Heritage Fairs program creates an active learning environment giving students in Grades 4 to 9 an opportunity to explore Canadian history and culture. Students are encouraged to create projects on the heritage topic of their choice using information and imagination to bring history to life.

Staff and volunteers from Huronia Historical Parks, the Historical Construction Equipment Association and the Simcoe County Museum are just some of the community groups that will conduct interactive workshops for the students at the day-long event. Opening ceremonies for the students begin at 10:00 am., and project adjudication begins at 10:15 a.m. The Fair is open to the public from 12:15 to 2:00 pm.

Regular Museum admission rates apply: Adult $6, Student/Senior $5.00, Child $4.00, Preschoolers - free. The Simcoe County Museum is located at 1151 Highway 26, minutes north of Barrie. For more information, please phone 705-728-3721.

Take the Infinite Journey with Simcoe County Museum, a cultural exploration of our historical past and exciting future. Simcoe County Museum is owned and operated by the County of Simcoe and offers year round exhibits, events and educational programs for visitors of every age. Visit our website at museum.simcoe.ca for further details.

While other Teams Struggled with Open Water, Eric Larsen and Save the Poles Team Will Reach the North Pole on Notorious Earth Day

2010-04-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Renowned explorer, Eric Larsen, today announced he’ll reach the second leg of his Save the Poles Expedition, the North Pole, to tell his story on climate change

GRAND MARAIS, Minn. (April 20, 2010) — After a grueling 490 miles and 50 days on the ice and open water, Polar explorer Eric Larsen announced today that his three-man expedition team will reach the North Pole on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, 2010. This arrival will mark the second leg completion of Larsen’s “Save the Poles” first-ever expedition to the South Pole, North Pole and summit of Mt. Everest in a continuous 365-day period. In January of 2010, Larsen and his team successfully completed a 750-mile, 48-day jaunt to the South Pole on skis. If he completes the entire expedition, Larsen will be the first person to accomplish this incredible feat. His purpose? To travel to the “front lines” of global warming to document the changes occurring in these last great frozen places. Larsen will also use the expedition as a platform to advocate strategies for reducing carbon emissions and collect relevant scientific data. The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by Microsoft’s decision engine, Bing, along with other sponsors.

“This expedition will tell the story of these remote places so we can better understand how our actions affect the poles and ultimately the planet,” Larsen says. “We all need to be reminded that we must act now to stop global warming.”

To help tell the story, Larsen is partnering with the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center and the Protect Our Winters Foundation to produce 12 hours of climate change curriculum to provide teachers with the tools needed to prepare the next generation of students for what will be the defining issues of their time. Larsen will also team up with the Center for Biological Diversity to petition the Senate and President on the need for stronger climate legislation.

A member of The Explorer’s Club, Larsen isn’t new to the world of polar exploration. Larsen completed the first-ever summer expedition to the North Pole in 2006 where he pulled and paddled modified canoes over 600 miles of shifting sea ice and open ocean. In January 2009, Larsen successfully led an international team to the geographic South Pole becoming one of only a few Americans to ski to both poles.

The Save the Poles Expedition’s objectives are:
• Complete the first-ever expedition to the summit of Mount Everest, the North and South Poles in a continuous 365-day period

• Create awareness of global warming, advocate strategies for reducing carbon emissions and collect relevant scientific data

• Produce a documentary film, book and educational curriculum that focuses on the science of climate change, teamwork and the spirit of adventure

• Develop a post expedition multi-media lecture series for education in schools and organizations

Mount Everest and the North and South Poles represent the harshest and most extreme environments on the planet. Yet as inhospitable as these places are to humans, they are also the areas most affected by people. Scientists estimate by summer 2030, the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free. Recently, the 1,250 square mile Larsen B Ice Shelf collapsed off of Antarctica and disintegrated into the Southern Ocean. A report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts that if current trends continue, 80 percent of Himalayan glaciers will be gone in 30 years. While we are seeing the most dramatic changes in the polar and higher altitude regions, global warming is an issue that affects us all.

About Eric Larsen
Larsen has spent his entire life in pursuit of wilderness. A polar explorer, dog musher and educator, he has spent the past 15 years adventuring in some of the most remote and wild places left on earth. Totaled, Larsen has traveled enough wilderness miles to circle the globe nearly two and half times. Larsen’s history-making expedition, One World Expedition, was the first-ever summer journey to the North Pole. Larsen's other expeditions include a successful summit of Mt. McKinley, a 41-day expedition to the geographic South Pole, 700-mile dog sled journey through Northern Ontario, a six-week dog sled journey in the barren lands of the Canadian Arctic, several training trips to Hudson Bay and countless dog sled races. He has also ridden his bike across the United States, been a back country ranger in Alaska, a white water canoe guide in Colorado and wilderness trip leader in Hawaii. Larsen was recently voted one of Outside Magazine’s Eco All Stars for his Global Warming advocacy work. A gifted communicator as well, Larsen travels the country giving motivational and educational lectures to K-12 schools, universities, nonprofit organizations and corporate groups. To see more about this modern-day explorer, visit www.savethepoles.com.

Country rock musical closes TIFT’s current season

2010-04-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

Barrie, ON – Today Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak announced casting and members of the creative team for Red Fightin’ Blue, the last production of TIFT’s current Season. In the spirit of TIFT’s previous triumphs with site specific theatre, this production will be staged at the Foxx Lounge as part of the Roxx Niteclub in Barrie. Guests will be welcomed to a Tennessee country bar for this licensed event.

Red Fighin’ Blue is written by ensemble member Grant Tilly (currently in the Toronto cast of Jersey Boys). Based on his earlier Toronto Fringe Festival hit, The Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton, Tennessee, this expanded version is about a group of left-wing activists who, posing as the band, God's Country, have infiltrated the Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton, Tennessee. Armed with only "three chords and the truth," they are intent on having their opinions heard. Red Fighin’ Blue is a musical about country music, politics, and the values that can bring together even the most disparate groups.

Red Fighin’ Blue stars Jason Chesworth (Shaw Festival) and features Rod Campbell (Shaw Festival, Livent), Jayne Collins, Greg Gale, Natasha O’Brien and Patrick Rose (Canadian Stage, Arts Club Theatre).

It will be directed by Richard Ouzounian (Director of TIFT’s Napoleon, Anyone Can Whistle and Emily), musical director is Mike Camilleri (Toronto’s The Toxic Avenger), Set and Costumes are designed by Brandon Kleiman (Napoleon); Lighting Designer is Gareth Crew (Assassins, The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan, Trees Die Standing Tall); Sound Designer is Justin Stadnyk (Mirvish Productions, Stage West) and Stage Manager is Pamela Craig.

Red Fighin’ Blue will preview on Thursday, May 6, officially open on Friday, May 7 and run to May 15, 2010. Single tickets are $29.50. 4-ticket passes are also available for $105 which also includes a $20 gift certificate to Il Buco Ristorante. Please contact the Box Office at (705) 792-1949 or visit www.tift.ca for more information. The Foxx Lounge/Roxx Niteclub is located at 46 Dunlop St. West.

Talk Is Free Theatre acknowledges with gratitude the support of Rob Hamilton.

National Immunization Awareness Week: Take Control of Your Health! Public Health Agency of Canada

2010-04-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

By Dr. David Butler-Jones MD, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada

National Immunization Awareness Week takes place from April 24th to May 1st, serving as a reminder to take some time to review your family's immunization status and take the necessary steps to ensure that you and your loved ones are protected.

Last fall, the Government of Canada secured enough H1N1 flu virus vaccines to immunize every Canadian. What followed was the largest immunization campaign in our country’s history, with approximately 45 per cent of Canadians receiving the H1N1 vaccine. This momentum to protect ourselves against the threat of the H1N1 outbreak, or any flu virus, should not be lost, but rather built on as a long term strategy for positive health outcomes. The success of the H1N1 vaccination campaign illustrates the positive effects of immunization, which protect not only our own health, but also the health of our friends, our family and our community, against the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Immunization rates in Canada are high and occurrences of diseases such as polio, diphtheria, hepatitis, mumps and measles are low, however, the risk of exposure remains. Many of these diseases are still common in other parts of the world and can unknowingly be carried from country to country. The World Health Organization estimates that immunization saves 3 million lives each year worldwide and , proving immunization to be the safest and most effective way to protect yourself and your family from these diseases.

Before the introduction of mass childhood vaccination programs, Canadian parents were living with the fear of their children catching crippling and often deadly childhood diseases such as polio, measles, Hib meningitis, and diphtheria. In the last century, vaccines have saved more lives than any other health measure,
and is one of the best tools we have to protect the health of our children and avoid large-scale disease outbreaks.

The Public Health Agency of Canada recently launched an immunization awareness campaign to increase immunization rates in children under the age of two. Parents of infant children up to two years of age can now easily access the information they need to make informed decisions about their child’s health. Parents can visit www.publichealth.gc.ca/immunization, where they will find important tools including provincial and territorial immunization schedules and factual information on vaccine safety. Additionally, “A Parent’s Guide to Immunization”, which provides information on the 13 serious diseases, such as rubella, mumps, whooping cough, influenza, and pneumococcal disease, that can be prevented by vaccinations can be downloaded from the website or by calling 1 800 O-Canada.

While routine childhood immunizations begin at two months of age, it’s important to remember that immunization is not just for children. Recommended immunizations should continue into adolescence and adulthood to provide ongoing protection throughout the lifecourse. Additionally, adults whose immunization schedule is up to date may require vaccines before travelling outside Canada and should consult with their physician when making travel plans.

National Immunization Awareness Week provides an opportunity for each and every one of us to play a part in maintaining Canada's strong immunization history and preserving good health for future generations.

For more information, please visit the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/.

Dr. David Butler-Jones is Canada's first Chief Public Health Officer and is head of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

WORLD RENOWNED SPEAKER, EXPERT ON SACRED GEOMETRY AND AUTHOR.... PHIL GRUBER... IS COMING TO TOWN!

2010-04-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

HE'S ALSO A NOTED WORLD-WIDE AUTHORITY ON THE SECRETS OF THE MAGDALENE AND THE HOLY GRAIL!

From May 20th to June 2nd, this gifted autoharp player, spiritual genius, and entertainer will present a veritable plethora of delightful seminars, workshops, and casual gatherings.

Where: The Reiki Centre, 19 Victoria St. West, Alliston, Ontario - 705-434-4446 www.thereikicentre.ca

Official Book Signing/meet & greet - Thursday May 20 - 6pm to 8 pm

Phil Gruber is acknowledged world-wide as an authority and one of the foremost teachers of Sacred Geometry, the Secrets and Mysteries of the Magdalene and the Holy Grail, Advanced Healing Systems, the more esoteric aspects of The Wizard of Oz, the World of Angels, and a host of other subjects. His ability to teach highly detailed and sophisticated information with grace, ease, patience and most of all, humor, is legendary, and he has been called a 'magical genius' with a heart of pure gold!

Phil is regarded the world over as a healer, for his healing touch and for his angelic harp music. He is a licensed acupuncturist, a registered lymphologist, and is well versed in a variety of traditional and holistic healing modalities. He has been astonishing audiences worldwide with his extensive knowledge of the Indigo phenomenon. Phil's passion, enthusiasm, kind spirit, sparkling wit and intelligence has made him a much-loved and highly respected speaker worldwide. He has spoken at the United Nations and his beautiful debut CD, the exquisite "Song of Indra" is now available, as is his first book, a collaboration with James Twyman entitled "The Kabbalah Code", published by Hay House. Phil is featured in the film "The Indigo Evolution", and a full interview with him can be seen in the Special Edition DVD.

# # #

If you'd like more information about these events, or to schedule an interview with Phil Gruber please call Rev. Christine or The Reiki Centre Team at admin@thereikicentre.ca

PowerStream recognized again for being ‘Business of the Year’

2010-04-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Utility wins Vaughan Chamber of Commerce award for second time in five years

VAUGHAN, ON – PowerStream Inc., an electricity distribution company jointly owned by the City of Vaughan, the Town of Markham and the City of Barrie, was named “Business of the Year” Thursday evening at an awards banquet held by one of the Chamber of Commerce organizations that operate within its service territory.

The award, for companies with over 25 employees, was one of 11 presented by the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce during its 21st Annual Business Achievement Awards extravaganza held at La Primavera Hospitality and Convention Centre in Vaughan. It was the second time in five years PowerStream has won the award.

“It is a tremendous honour to win this award just once,” Peter Meffe, PowerStream Chair said after receiving the award on behalf of the utility’s 500 employees. “To win it a second time in five years is an accomplishment that can be attributed to the vision of our shareholders, the leadership provided by our Board of Directors and most importantly, the hard work and dedication of our staff.”

The Business Achievement Awards are presented each year by the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce to organizations/individuals that have “demonstrated superior business acumen, social awareness and an economic contribution to the community of Vaughan.” Selection criteria for the ‘Business of the Year’ award include customer service and reliability, contributions to the community, leadership and entrepreneurship, sales growth, productivity and quality improvements, product innovation and technology and employee labour relations.

Some of the achievements and factors contributing to PowerStream’s selection as ‘Business of the Year’ this time around included its merger with Barrie Hydro, donating more than $130,000 to the United Way, contributing $60,000 to ‘Winter Warmth’, raising $28,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, being recognized by the Ministry of the Environment as one of Ontario’s Environmental Leaders, named ‘Smart Commute Employer of the Year’ for North Toronto/Vaughan, winning the Ontario Clean Air Alliances’ ‘Peakbuster Award’ for utilities, developing an employee vanpool program, being seen as an industry leader in the installation of smart meters and the migration of customers to time-of-use rates, educating and delivering conservation programs to customers that helped save 45.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity, having a 2.2 percent increase in the number of customers served, developing a commercial solar PV program and consolidating assets as well as inventories to drive further efficiencies

About PowerStream PowerStream is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing service to more than 320,000 customers residing or owning a business in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario. The communities served include Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Beeton, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Markham, Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan. PowerStream is an incorporated entity, jointly owned by the City of Barrie, the City of Vaughan and the Town of Markham.

WINNERS ALL AROUND IN 5 TH ANNUAL ICE FISHING TOURNAMENT!

2010-04-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Barrie, ON: Three community organizations “netted” rewards beyond expectation as part of the Canadian Home Builders` Association – Simcoe County 2010 Ice Fishing Tournament held in February.

At a Dinner Meeting held April 15 th – the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children, the Barrie Rotary Club, and the Barrie Kinsmen Club shared in a cheque for $35,000 – the proceeds from this year`s event.

"We`re blown away – absolutely thrilled" said Patricia Copeland, Executive Director of the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children which was the recipient of $25,000 from the Tournament. "The team that runs this Tournament should be so very proud – and we are so grateful! "

More than 80 people attended the regular monthly dinner meeting which featured Bryan Mackell, Director of Planning for the County of Simcoe, as well as the community cheque presentation.

The Barrie Rotary Club, who cooked breakfast for the 860 participants received $8,200. "It`s a great event – and a terrific way to give back to the community! " said Rotary Representative – Barry Ward.

Rick Hintzen from the Barrie Kinsmen was all smiles as his group received $1,800. "We want to be involved again next year – what a fun day." he added

Matt Pryce, one of the Chairs of the Tournament, asked everyone in the room who was involved with the event to stand up – more than 80% of the room did. The success of the Tournament has grown in the 5 years since it began. All told - $130,000 has been given to the Community from this event – including the $35,000 from this year which was the largest to date.

"We couldn`t do it without our Sponsors, or the more than 80 volunteers who work together before and during the Tournament," said Deirdre Lennon, President of CHBA - Simcoe County.

"When you think of the Tournament winners who shared more than $50,000 worth of prizes and the community recipients – there are winners all around! "

For further Information: Canadian Home Builders` Association – Simcoe County Sheila Hissa – Executive Officer (705) 728-5030 Office@chbasc.com

Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Fashion Designer? Turn Trash to Glam!

2010-04-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Barrie, ON - The National Youth Week Committee is challenging the youth of Barrie to design and model an outfit using recycled materials as part of our upcoming National Youth Week events May 1-7, 2010. Brandon Dwyer from Project Runway will be onsite to judge the outfits! The top 5 of each age category will be given the opportunity to advance to the Trash Fusion event happening on June 12, 2010 as part of Eco-Fest Barrie and the Winner of each age category will win dinner with Brandon Dwyer at Kelsey’s on Bayfield Street to discuss the is and outs of the fashion industry.

Pre-register to take part in this one of a kind event by contacting the Holly Youth Centre at 705-792-7925 (7) or email hypc@barrie.ca. There will be two categories: 11-14 years of age and the 15-19 years of age category. Participants will also have the opportunity to take advantage of hair and makeup being created by the Barrie Collage of Hair & Esthetics; please remember to indicate your interest in this at the time of registration.

Come out and be see if you have what it takes to be a fashion designer and showcase your talents!

For more information please visit the City of Barrie’s website www.barrie.ca or follow us on Facebook.

Additional funding to support Lake Simcoe Clean-Up

2010-04-13T06:57:00.001-07:00

(April 13, 2010 – Orillia, ON) Lakehead University – Orillia has received a second research grant for $78,000 from Environment Canada’s Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund (LSCUF) to evaluate a new and innovative method of measuring phosphorus levels in Lake Simcoe.

Dr. Sreekumari Kurissery, a professor and researcher at the Orillia campus, leads the one-year project. Kurissery is also involved as co-investigator with the University’s first research project funded by the LSCUF, which studies the role of local wetlands as a nutrient buffer. The project team for the new research also includes Lakehead researcher Dr. Nandakumar Kanavillil, along with faculty from the University of Victoria.

The project is based on Kurissery’s proposal, “Human mediated phosphorus input into Lake Simcoe: An evaluation using caffeine as an anthropogenic marker.” Kurissery explains: “We know that the contributors to increased levels of phosphorus in the lake are human waste, animal waste, and agricultural, but in order to help prevent this pollution effectively, we need to more accurately identify the source.”

Why caffeine? Previous studies have shown that there is a correlation between levels of caffeine and phosphorus. This study will evaluate how well the measurement of caffeine levels can help determine the source of phosphorous in the water.

“This is the first time this type of research has been conducted in Lake Simcoe,” says Kurissery, and if our findings are conclusive, it will represent a significant scientific advancement.”

In addition to providing benefits to the scientific community, the Lakehead project will greatly enhance the community’s collective efforts to keep Lake Simcoe clean. A number of local organizations, including the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, Kids for Turtles Environmental Education and the North Mara Beach Residents Association, are project partners. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment is also a partner. The project will employ two university students during the summer and one or two part-time students during the school year.

“Lakehead University – Orillia, with its academic research capabilities, is ideally located in the Lake Simcoe watershed, so we feel it is our responsibility to help prevent pollution and keep the lake clean,” says Kurissery.

In addition to her ongoing research and teaching, Kurissery will be taking on a new role at the University this fall – that of academic coordinator for Canada’s first interdisciplinary Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science degree with a major in Environmental Sustainability. The program will be offered at the new Orillia campus, which itself will become a hallmark of environmental sustainability, as Canada’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum university campus.

Young Math Enthusiasts Show Competitive Edge

2010-04-12T08:51:00.001-07:00

Hundreds of students participate in annual high school competition

(April 12, 2010 —Thunder Bay, ON) The 8th Annual TD Canada Trust Northwestern Ontario High School Mathematics Competition takes place in Lakehead University’s Ryan Building at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 28. The contest has two components including an individual contest (to be held in the morning) and a team competition (to be held in the afternoon). A substantial number of high school students from across the region have signed up to participate. For the first time this year, event organizers are also pleased to welcome Orillia high schools to participate in the contest.

“Mathematical applications are important to a broad spectrum of fields,” says Dr. Fridolin (Fred) Ting, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Lakehead University. “Math is the backbone of our technological and scientific advances, and it is becoming increasingly clear that math makes an impact in many areas, such as economics, business, and related avenues.” Dr. Ting emphasizes the role math plays in giving industry the edge.

The TD Canada Trust Northwestern Ontario High School Mathematics Competition tests students’ abilities to solve challenging problems related to their educational curriculum. Winners of the contest receive medals and cash prizes. An entrance prize for the top Grade 12 participating student who plans to attend Lakehead University in September 2010 is also available. Last year, the competition welcomed more than 170 student participants, including those from Geraldton, Terrace Bay, Wawa, and Atikokan.

“The purpose of this particular contest is to stimulate and develop the mathematical talents of students, boost their confidence, and invigorate mathematical interest,” explains Dr. Ting. Math can be both a group and social activity, and this competition highlights teamwork via team-based problem solving. Dr. Ting notes that in his experience, participants have seemed to thoroughly enjoy the team-focused aspect of the contest.

In preparation for the contest, tutorials are held every Wednesday from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in Lakehead University’s Ryan Building, room 2023. All young math enthusiasts are welcome to attend – free of charge.

Northwestern Ontario has been home to many talented young people who, over the years, have excelled in established mathematics contests, run both nationally and internationally, and who have later gone on to enjoy successful careers in fields related to mathematics.

Lakehead University’s Department of Mathematical Sciences thanks major sponsor TD Canada Trust for making this contest possible. The support provided by Thunder Bay Hydro, BMO Nesbitt Burns, Thunder Bay Ventures, NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada), Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS), Lakehead University, TBT Engineering, Engineering Northwest Ltd., and Thunder Bay Chinese-Canadian Association is also greatly appreciated.

To learn more about the 8th Annual TD Canada Trust Northwestern Ontario High School Mathematics Competition, please contact Dr. Ting via 807-343-8469.

BIC assists Costco Canada in launch of premium beef program

2010-04-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

Beef Information Centere highest grade of beef Canada has to offer. Selected for most marbling, Canada Prime provides outstanding flavour, juiciness and tenderness. Less than two per cent of all Canadian graded beef in 2008 qualified to be of Canada Prime level.

Traditionally found at only the finest of restaurants, Costco’s Prime program is currently being tested in a number of strategically chosen Costco stores in western Canada with plans to roll out to additional locations nationally over the next six months.

Costco Canada has a long-standing commitment to Canadian AAA beef and is a market leader in the Canadian retail sector. All Costco outlets in Canada display the Canadian beef brand logo on-pack, and on the wall above the fresh meat case. With the new program in select Costco locations, the Canada Prime beef packages display the Prime designation in a specially designed logo, with the Canadian beef brand mark.

These initiatives, along with the new premium beef program, illustrates why Costco Canada leads the market in leveraging the value Canadian beef provides and the positive image Canadian beef has with Canadian consumers.

“The strong commitment by Costco for Canadian AAA beef demonstrates to the entire retail industry that carrying Canadian beef and labelling it with the Canadian beef brand mark offers a competitive advantage in the retail meat case,” says Judy Nelson, BIC’s chair and a cow-calf operator at Lundbreck, Alta. “This initiative allows the industry to capture additional value for the carcass by identifying and selling Canadian prime carcasses at a premium versus AAA where they normally would have been sold.”

As part of the new program, BIC worked with Costco to develop an information sheet for consumers, available at the meat case. This promotional sheet describes the attributes of Canada Prime and the exceptional eating experience consumers can expect from this premium product. The promo sheet also directs readers to BIC’s consumer website (www.beefinfo.org) for recipes.

BIC’s efforts to maximize demand for Canadian beef and optimize the value of Canadian beef products is funded in part by cattle producers through the National Beef Check-Off, and through beef industry market development funds provided by the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada.

Stevenson Memorial Hospital takes proactive approach to support new moms through breastfeeding

2010-04-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

(Alliston, Ontario – April 5, 2010) For any new mother, learning how to breastfeed their new baby can be a challenging and emotional experience. Overtired and adapting to their new babies, moms are faced with a new challenge of learning, along with their baby, how to properly breastfeed; an experience that, without proper support, can leave many moms frustrated and force them to give up breastfeeding in the early stage.

A recent report by Toronto Public Health that surveyed 1,500 new moms revealed that 39 per cent of first-time mothers left the Hospital with free infant formula. This, despite strong support from the World Health Organization, Health Canada, and the Canadian Paediatric Society promoting exclusive breastfeeding up to six-months of age as a way to ensure long-term health benefits for both mom and baby. The report also identified moms who were given formula stopped breastfeeding sooner than those women who were not given formula, and those who do not receive formula samples were three times more likely to remain exclusively breastfeeding after two weeks.

Stevenson Memorial Hospital has taken a proactive approach to support breastfeeding mothers since re-opening its Birthing Unit in April, 2008. New moms are encouraged and assisted to breastfeed by the Birthing Unit staff within the first hour of giving birth as early support and education can contribute to a successful breastfeeding experience. Babies are not fed with formula while in the Hospital unless a mother cannot nurse or has expressed a desire not to nurse.

“As a clinician, I recognize first-hand the positive health benefits breastfeeding provides to both mom and baby,” said Sherry Guchardi, Clinical Coordinator, Maternal Child Program. “At Stevenson, we feel passionately that proper support is a key ingredient to ensuring new moms feel comfortable when breastfeeding, and as long as they are able, can continue to do so after they leave the hospital.”

Since the birthing unit re-opened, the Hospital has delivered 500 new babies. Statistics on new moms who delivered at Stevenson between April 2009 and March 2010 revealed that upon discharge, almost 80 per cent were exclusively breastfeeding, while seven per cent were breastfeeding in combination with formula supplement. Thirteen per cent of mothers chose to formula feed immediately following birth.

Proper support and education is important to successful breastfeeding long-term. Upon discharge, moms are encouraged to return within 48 hours to the Maternal Child Program at SMH for a follow up to obtain additional support and education on how to properly breastfeed. In addition, the nursing staff can assist moms in identifying issues that may be leading to a poor breastfeeding experience, including babies who won’t latch, blocked milk ducts, thrush and cracked, painful nipples.

The benefits of breastfeeding include more robust immune system, less chance of asthma, gastrointestinal and ear infections, and less prone to childhood diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome.

“New moms are inundated with information about how breastfeeding is the best nutrition for their babies,” said Lorrie Reynolds, Director, Maternal Child Program at Stevenson. “Our team is dedicated to ensuring new moms and their partners feel confident while breastfeeding and are armed with the proper tools and support for a successful breastfeeding experience”.

The Maternal Child Program has identified breastfeeding education as a top focus over the next year. The Hospital is hopeful that, with increased breastfeeding support and education, the rate of mothers who exclusively breastfeed while at Stevenson will continue to increase.

For more information about Stevenson Memorial Hospital, please visit www.smhosp.on.ca.

Springwater Reduces Energy Use 24/7

2010-03-22T12:09:00.001-07:00

SPRINGWATER TOWNSHIP / March 22, 2010 – Once again, the Township of Springwater will be joining municipalities across Canada in participating in Earth Hour.

In an attempt to fight global warming and promote environmental awareness, the Township of Springwater will be joining other municipalities across Canada in participating in Earth Hour 2009.

In addition to participating in Earth Hour, the Township of Springwater Council contributed to environmental awareness through the design and building of their 21,000 square foot Administration Centre in 2009.

The Administration Centre helps to serve as an example for responsible, sustainable buildings. During the day, sensors detect when sufficient natural light exists, and overhead lighting is shut off. Existing trees were preserved, where possible, to provide natural cooling and protection of the building. The facility is heated and cooled by an in-floor heating system. This system is very energy efficient as it delivers heat where it is most effective and useable.

Built to accommodate growth until 2040, the Administration Centre is expected to be certified LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) Silver.

Policies such as the Reduced Use of Bottled Water policy, the Green Purchasing Policy and the Carpool Policy demonstrate Council’s commitment to protecting the environment, and setting a green standard to future growth within the Township.

The overall objective of Earth Hour is to fight global warming and promote environmental awareness takes place on Saturday March 27, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

This Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when more than two million Sydney businesses and households turned off their lights for one hour. That hour sent a powerful worldwide message that it is possible to take action.

Between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on March 27th, the Township of Springwater is encouraging residents and businesses to turn off (or reduce) their lights as a symbolic recognition of the fight against climate change. Businesses that are not in a position to turn their lights off completely due to operational requirements are encouraged to reduce and conserve power between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

The Township of Springwater supports those municipalities that have already committed to participating, and would like to encourage participation by all municipalities.

For further information or to register as a participating organization or as an individual visit the Earth Hour website at: www.earthhour.org.

Springwater is a municipality of approximately 18,000 residents located in the heart of Simcoe County. The Township is governed by a seven-member council with a complement of 60 full and part-time staff. In 2009, the Township celebrated its 15th anniversary of the amalgamated Township of Springwater, and the opening of their first Administration Centre.

First Ever Kidney Cancer Patient Education Conference Highlights Advancements, Education and Hope

2010-03-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Kidney Cancer Canada Brings Together Our Country’s Leading Medical Experts

Kidney Cancer Canada (KCC) is hosting the first Canadian Kidney Cancer Patient Education Conference on April 10, 2010 in Toronto. At a time when there is more hope for the disease than ever before, KCC is bringing Canada’s leading kidney cancer experts together with patients and caregivers to share the latest in clinical trial research, treatment advances and self-care and support services.

“As few as five years ago, a diagnosis of advanced kidney cancer left few options for patients or physicians. Little was known about the disease and patients found themselves with nowhere to turn for support,” says Deb Maskens, co-founder of KCC. “But Canada has made remarkable progress in the area of kidney cancer and hope for the disease is growing. The conference will bring patients and medical professionals together for the first time, to recognize and explore these achievements.”

The KCC Kidney Cancer Patient Education Conference will also create a forum for patients and caregivers to meet others facing similar challenges, share their experiences and build their individual support networks.

WHAT: KCC Kidney Cancer Patient Education Conference
A one-day conference for patients, family members, caregivers and healthcare professionals:
- Learn about new advancements in kidney cancer research and treatment
- Hear the inspirational stories of patients and their advice for battling the disease
- Ask questions and get answers from Canada’s leading kidney cancer experts

WHERE: CNIB Centre
1929 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, ON

WHEN: Saturday, April 10, 2010
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

RSVP REQUIRED: 1-866-598-7166 / info@kidneycancercanada.ca

Kidney Cancer Canada
Kidney Cancer Canada is the first Canadian-based, patient-led registered charity established to improve the quality of life for patients and their families living with kidney cancer. Kidney Cancer Canada advocates for access to new treatments, provides support and information to patients, and works to increase awareness of kidney cancer as a significant health issue. For more information please visit: www.kidneycancercanada.ca.

Beware of Online Scammers

2010-03-19T07:18:00.001-07:00

The development of the Internet has been among the most important technological innovations of the past twenty years. Millions of Canadians use the Web daily to get their news and to connect with their communities. At the same time, the Web has provided fraudsters with new ways to defraud us with new online scams and online versions of schemes that have been around for decades.

Online fraud costs the economy millions of dollars each year and puts everyone at risk regardless of age, education, income or where they live.

Every year in March, over 100 private and public sector members of the Fraud Prevention Forum support Fraud Prevention Month to remind Canadians to be on the alert for fraud and to report incidents to the proper authorities.

Scammers routinely use online services to make offers to prospective victims or to draw individuals and businesses into fraudulent transactions. Here are a few tips to help you avoid scams and better protect yourself online:
• Never provide details about your bank accounts or credit cards by e-mail before doing background checks.
• Always seek independent advice if an offer involves time pressure, providing personal information, or sending money, particularly if it is for a job or an investment opportunity. If the offer is legitimate, they can wait a day or two for a response.
• If you receive a letter with a cheque after you posted your resume online, saying you are hired as a secret shopper to test the services of a money transfer company…Beware! The cheque might be counterfeit.

For more tips, or to report a scam, contact the Competition Bureau at www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/fraud or call 1-800-348-5358, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Catching these criminals is critical. That is why Fraud Prevention Forum members urge you to recognize it, report it, and help stop it.

Online scammers- Recognize it, report it, and help stop it.

2010-03-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

By Melanie Aitken, Commissioner of Competition

The development of the Internet has been among the most important technological innovations of the past twenty years. Millions of Canadians use the Web daily to get their news and to connect with their communities. But it has also provided fraudsters with new ways to defraud us with new online scams and online versions of schemes that have been around in other forms for decades.

Every year in March, over 100 private and public sector organizations support Fraud Prevention Month to remind Canadians to be on the alert and report incidents of fraud. The members of the Fraud Prevention Forum carry out this important work because, despite the diligent efforts of law enforcement, scammers continue to prey on Canadian citizens, robbing individuals and companies of their hard-earned dollars.

This year, the organization I head, the Competition Bureau, and its Fraud Prevention Forum partners, are raising awareness of Internet fraud because it has become a primary vehicle for fraudsters. Online fraud now costs the economy millions of dollars each year and puts everyone at risk regardless of age, education, income or where we live. Indeed, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (formerly PhoneBusters) has detected a dramatic rise in online scams in recent years – a 77 per cent leap since 2005.

While Internet fraud is fairly new and provides us with certain novel challenges, our fight remains the same and we need your help. It is important that we all learn how to recognize the signs of fraud, protect ourselves, and know how and where to report it. With your assistance, law enforcement agencies and my colleagues at the Competition Bureau will be able to crackdown on fraud even more effectively.

Scammers routinely use online services to make offers to prospective victims or to draw individuals and businesses into fraudulent transactions. Online scams are designed to appear that they come from familiar and trusted places. The following scams are among those we are highlighting this year:
• Job scams that often promise high income for little effort, or ask you to send a cheque in order to pay for materials or information that allow you to work from home.
• Health claim scams often involve bogus products that make “breakthrough” health claims on the Internet or promise to cure illnesses, such as cancer or the H1N1 virus.
• Business or investment opportunities can appear to be lucrative but may, in reality, be illegal pyramid schemes.
• Supply and merchandise scams may involve buying products over the Internet–for business or consumer use–that are never sent, or receiving a bill for merchandise that was never ordered or received. For businesses, toner cartridge, paper and business directory scams are particularly common.
• Identity theft happens when someone tricks you into providing personal information to commit fraud.

Some of the following tips can help you avoid scams and better protect yourself online:
• Never provide details about your bank accounts or credit cards by e-mail, over the phone or by fax, before doing background checks.
• Always seek independent advice if an offer involves time pressure, providing personal information, or sending money, particularly if it is for a job or an investment opportunity. If the offer is legitimate, they can wait a day or two for a response.
• If you receive a cheque and are asked to return an “overpayment” portion using a money transfer company…Beware! The cheque might be counterfeit.

Catching these criminals is critical, and that’s why Fraud Prevention Forum members urge you to recognize it, report it, and help stop it.

For more tips, or to report a scam, contact the Competition Bureau at www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/fraud or call 1-800-348-5358, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

This Thursday, March 11, is World Kidney Day

2010-03-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

This Thursday, March 11, is World Kidney Day and Alliston's Baxter Corporation is encouraging area residents with diabetes to talk to their doctor about kidney disease and treatment options.

As a key partner in kidney health and managing chronic kidney disease, Baxter Corporation encourages people to learn about their risk factors, to get screened and to learn about prevention and treatment options.

Why is World Kidney Day important?

Chronic kidney disease is growing in Canada, fuelled largely by diseases associated with an aging population, hypertension and increasing rates of diabetes

More than 240 million people worldwide have diabetes, including more than three million Canadians, and this global figure is projected to rise to 380 million by 2025

About 40 percent of people with diabetes will develop chronic kidney disease

The Kidney Foundation of Canada estimates that approximately two million Canadians have kidney disease or are at risk

As the incidence of diabetes continues to grow – and increasing numbers of
patients progressing to kidney disease and kidney failure require healthcare resources – the need for early patient education about kidney disease and treatment options, including home-based treatments, has become critical.

As well-respected nephrologist Dr. Jeffrey Perl (St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON) states in Baxter’s release, early detection can dramatically affect options that people have, how long they can preserve their kidney function and the quality of life they will experience while living with the disease.

Peter Van Loan Celebrates Canada’s First Gold at the Vancouver Olympic Games

2010-03-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

On February 23, 2010 Peter Van Loan, MP for York Simcoe and Canada’s Minister of International Trade joined Alexandre Bilodeau to celebrate Canada’s first Olympic Gold medal won on Canadian soil.

Minister Van Loan congratulated Bilodeau on his historic win as the Canadian gold medalist in men’s moguls. Bilodeau accepted a commemorative gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint.

“Alex Bilodeau is an inspiration for Canadian athletes and young people in communities across our country,” said Minister Van Loan. "His is a remarkable story of hard work, determination and achievement. It is a story of a special family, supporting one another, to do great things. It is fitting that it was someone like Alex, who was the first Canadian to win Gold on our soil."

“As Canadians we can be proud of our athletes and their accomplishments throughout these games. I am honoured to be here to celebrate our athletes on behalf of the people of my riding of York Simcoe and all Canadians enjoying these winter games.”

Minister Van Loan joined athletes, sports fans and representatives of the Royal Canadian Mint at a special event to celebrate Bilodeau’s gold winning performance at the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion in Vancouver.

THEATRE BY THE BAY SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

2010-03-02T07:52:00.001-08:00

Theatre by the Bay is seeking volunteers to help in a variety of areas such as with sets, publicity, box office, ushering, wardrobe, props, fund raising and general labour. If getting involved with theatre interests you, please attend our VOLUNTEER INFORMATION NIGHT, on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 7pm, Huronia Room, Barrie City Hall .

The Theatre by the Bay line up for 2010:

Stars Come Out Event, April 26
The Taming of the Shrew, August 5 to 21
Aladdin and Jasmine’s Summer Adventure, August 7 to 27

Anyone interested in volunteering with Theatre by the Bay is urged to contact the Theatre by the Bay office at 705-735-9243, or drop in to Theatre by the Bay at 55 Dunlop Street East Unit 1 in Barrie .

Supporters of Breaking Down Barriers Rocked the House at the 4th Annual Curling Bonspiel fundraising event!

2010-03-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

The Curling Club of Collingwood was packed with players and spectators as Breaking Down Barriers held its 4th Annual Rockin’ the House Curling Bonspiel on Saturday, September 27, 2010. Town Officials, local business leaders and residents came together in support of people with disabilities throughout the Georgian Triangle.

At this event, teams consisting of people of all abilities received two games, a continental breakfast, and lunch compliments of Boston Pizza, medals, trophies, prizes, silent auction, 50/50 draw, free massages and a day full of fun.

Cal Patterson, Warden of Simcoe County and Mayor of Wasaga Beach and Town of Collingwood Councilor Norm Sandberg, brought greetings to the participants.

The entire event was filmed by the Ministry of Community and Social Services to promote Breaking Down Barriers commitment to accessibility. Breaking Down Barriers thanks staff member Catherine Sholtz for all her hard work behind the scenes to make this possible.

In draw one; the gold medals went to the Benson Bombers, silver to the Toyota 4 Runners and Bronze to Ainley’s Les Bon Spielers. In draw two, the gold medals went to The Ainley Stone Throwers, Silver to the Wasaga Rockers and Bronze to Ready to Go. The tournament trophy went to the Benson Bombers. Prizes for best team name were awarded to members of “The Brave Attempters.” The best team costume award was won by CC Tatham’s Sweeping Beauties.

The Marie Banks Memorial Award for top individual fundraiser was awarded to Derek Bowers of the Wasaga Rockers who raised $632. The top team fundraisers were the Wasaga Rockers who raised a total of $1350. What a great way to honour Marie’s memory! The total amount raised by this event was $12,690; the funds will help the organization continue to provide programs for its consumers.

This event was made possible through the generous support of our event sponsors, food sponsors, media sponsors and silent auction donors as well as the staff and volunteers of Breaking Down Barriers. We thank each and every one of them for their role in the day’s success.

Since 1985, Breaking Down Barriers has been providing programs and services to promote the independence of people with disabilities in the Georgian Triangle. They encourage anyone with a disability to contact them at 705-445-1543 for more information on the programs and services available through their office.

PowerStream announces its continued support for Earth Hour

2010-02-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

Utility marks third year of participation in annual symbolic global event

SIMCOE COUNTY & YORK REGION, ON – PowerStream, the utility which delivers electricity to several communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario, is once again asking its customers to join the company in participating with millions of others around the world in Earth Hour, scheduled this year for Saturday, March 27, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

In addition to turning off the lights at its own work locations in Vaughan, Markham and Barrie during Earth Hour, PowerStream will once again be sponsoring a number of events in its service territory including the Barrie Earth Hour Music Festival and the Woodbridge Earth Hour Lantern Walk.

The Barrie Earth Hour Music Festival, an all ages free concert, will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in downtown Barrie (outside of Barrie City Hall), and will feature a mix of contemporary country and rock music. At 8:30 p.m. sharp the lights will go out and the Earth Hour concert will continue with acoustical performances. The Woodbridge Earth Hour Lantern Walk will begin at 8:30 p.m. from various locations in the community and will end with a celebration at the Woodbridge Pool and Arena.

“PowerStream is pleased to once again be participating in Earth Hour” said Brian Bentz, President and CEO of PowerStream. “It is a symbolic global event that our customers continue to show their support for by reducing their electricity consumption. It is our hope that participation in Earth Hour will serve as a catalyst to promote further efforts in conservation and protecting the environment.”

Earth Hour is a global climate change initiative run by the World Wildlife Fund, which calls on individuals and businesses to turn off non-essential lighting for one hour. The aim of the campaign is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better.

During last year’s Earth Hour event, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on March 28, 2009, PowerStream’s System Control reported a service territory-wide 10 percent electricity reduction. The reduction represented a savings of 88.3 megawatts in peak demand, or enough electricity to power 1,471 average-size homes over a 24-hour period.

More information about the Barrie Earth Hour Music Festival, the Woodbridge Earth Hour Lantern Walk and other Earth Hour events across Canada can be found at www.wwf.ca/earthhour.

About PowerStream PowerStream is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing service to more than 320,000 customers residing or owning a business in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario. The communities served include Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Beeton, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Markham, Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan. PowerStream is an incorporated entity, jointly owned by the City of Barrie, the City of Vaughan and the Town of Markham.

About Earth Hour Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour. In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

2009 Shinerama campaign breaks records! Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

2010-02-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

Students shine the way to success in 45th year of Canada’s largest post-secondary fundraiser

Toronto, Ontario – (February 19, 2010) – Canadian post-secondary students set a new Shinerama record last year by raising more than $990,000 in support of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“We are so excited to have met and surpassed our 2009 fundraising goals – especially in Shinerama’s 45th anniversary year,” said Serena Hartl, National Shinerama Chair. “This is a testament to what can happen when students from coast to coast really come together for a great cause!”

Shinerama is Canada’s largest post-secondary school fundraiser, involving students from more than 65 universities and colleges. The campaign, which began in 1964, has raised nearly $20.6 million in support of Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-funded research and treatment programs.

“We are tremendously grateful to all participants in the 2009 Shinerama campaign,” said Cathleen Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “This has been a huge success, and it could not have happened without the dedication of thousands of high-spirited students across Canada.”

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults. There is no cure. When Shinerama began 45 years ago, most children with cystic fibrosis did not live long enough to attend kindergarten; today half of all Canadians with cystic fibrosis are expected to live into their 40s and beyond.

The CCFF is grateful to schools and volunteers who participated in 2009. Special thanks to the campaign’s generous national sponsors: Best Buy, Breakaway Tours, Domino’s Pizza, Mac’s Convenience Stores Central Division, MuchMusic and studentawards.com.

For more information, visit www.shinerama.ca.

About the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a Canada-wide health charity, with 50 volunteer chapters, that funds cystic fibrosis research and care. In 2010, the Foundation is supporting more than 50 research projects, which are exploring all aspects of the CF puzzle; from investigating new methods of fighting infection and inflammation in the lungs, to finding new therapies that target the basic defect at a cellular level. For more information, visit www.cysticfibrosis.ca.

4th annual Rockin’ the House Curling Bonspiel

2010-02-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Breaking Down Barriers Independent Living Resource Centre’s 4th annual Rockin’ the House Curling Bonspiel will take place on Saturday February 27th, 2010 at the Curling Club of Collingwood.

24 teams of curlers of all abilities will compete to win the tournament trophy. The Georgian Bay Breakers Wheelchair curlers will be out to show off their skills. Prizes will be presented for best team name and best team costume. The Marie Banks Memorial Award will be given to the top individual and the top team fundraiser so be sure to pledge your favourite curler now!

Teams will play two ends each and will have a continental breakfast and lunch provided by Boston Pizza. There will be a silent auction and a 50/50 draw. Cost is $50 per person or $200 per team. Curlers of all abilities are welcome.

Twenty teams have registered to date so there are only 4 spots left. The deadline for registration is February 19th, 2010. Contact Breaking Down Barriers at 705-445-1543, ext. 305 or visit their website at www.breakingdownbarriers.org for more information OR to register on-line.

VIP guest will include local mayors and a representative from the office of the Honourable Helena Guergis.

Since 1985, Breaking Down Barriers has been promoting independent living by encouraging community support and active participation of people with disabilities. The funds from this event will support the efforts of Breaking Down Barriers while they continue to provide and expand programs offered to people with disabilities in the Georgian Triangle area.

Please contact Andrea Abbott-Kokosin at 705-445-1543, Ext. 300 if you would like information on sponsorship opportunities for this event.

A Canadian Way To Spend Family Day

2010-02-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

Canadian hockey fans are boiling with anticipation as Olympic fever takes hold, and this was very evident on Family Day at the Niagara Ball Hockey Club. On Monday, February 15 a few hundred men, women and children came to play some free hockey, cheer on the Canadian Women hockey team and enjoy Canada’s pastime – a little ball hockey.

Rink General Manager Mike Thompson was impressed with the participation, “lots of people came out with the goal of having fun, grandfathers with grandsons, dads taking the time to work on the slapshot with their kids, and a couple of good games of shinny.”

Families enjoyed numerous free activities and including a hardest shot competition hosted by A Television’s Brandon Fitzgibbon and saw a blistering 94 mph by John Wilcox for the men and Amber Randell replied with 52 mph for the women. Thompson saw a lot of passion in the players in attendance and said “I would dare say that we saw a few Sidney Crosbys and a few Hayley Wickenheisers dreaming of the hockey action about to unfold on the International stage in Vancouver, and scoring the winning goal for gold.”

Most guests at the Dunlop and Ferndale street facility also received a ballot to enter a chance to win a family Orlando Theme Park Adventure 4-night package with airfare for (4) valued at over $6,000. The draw will take place on March 8th and there are more ways to get ballots including an upcoming Heart & Stroke Charity tournament this Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 20th & 21st) at the Barrie Ball Hockey Club. There are a few team and individual spots left and interested people should call 721-0198 or visit www.ballhockey.com

Ball Hockey Ontario owns and operates eight rinks in Barrie, Brampton, Hamilton and Niagara locations and entertains members from ages three to 65. Membership annually exceeds 25,000 registrations and ballhockey.com has become the number one website for Ball Hockey in the world.

Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness

2010-02-16T11:25:00.001-08:00

Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness Optimistic over New Affordable Housing Units
The County of Simcoe in conjunction with the Federal and Provincial governments has recently announced the creation of 108 new affordable housing units to begin construction in 2010 in Orillia and Angus. “These are steps in the right direction from all levels of governments towards reducing the housing and homelessness crisis in Simcoe County” says Trevor Lester, Chair of the Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness. “We are certainly encouraged by these new units and continue to encourage our local political leaders at all levels to advocate for additional units for this area.”

To that end, the County of Simcoe’s Warden Cal Patterson recently directed senior housing personnel “to urge the Province to recognize the significant need in Simcoe County for affordable housing when it is considering future allocations”. “The Alliance is very pleased by Warden Patterson’s continued commitment to affordable housing for our County, he has been a friend of the Alliance as mayor of Wasaga Beach and now we are thankful of his efforts as Warden”.

“As the Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness, we are Simcoe focused” continues Lester “and we do recognize that the other municipalities that are experiencing high growth are also dealing with a crisis in housing and homelessness. We are not calling for extra housing in Simcoe County at the expense of other high need areas; we are advocating that all future housing be focused on the parts of the Province that need it most and Simcoe County must be in that category.”

The need for Social Housing originated in 1946 when the Federal Government was challenged to house returning soldiers from World War II and their families. During the following 50 years, public and social housing was developed, funded by the Federal and Provincial governments. In 2002 the responsibility for social housing was transferred to the municipalities from the Provincial government.

“The problem of transferring social housing to the municipalities is that housing in almost all other major countries is a federal program. Canada is the only major country without a national housing strategy. The creation of additional housing being borne by property taxes alone is unrealistic” says Lester. “We need the Federal and Provincial governments to continue to contribute the capital funds to add more needed housing for low income families. We join with Warden Patterson in the call for future funding to be provided to the areas of highest need – and we certainly list Simcoe County as a high need area.”

Sheila Storey, Executive Director of Shelter Now in Midland echoes that need. “We opened the doors to our 20 unit transitional housing complex in July. We are now full to capacity and all of our programs are working well as we hoped but the hardest part is still to find affordable housing for our clients to move into once they leave the program”.

Dude, Where’s My Dad?

2010-01-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

New GPS Technology Can Help Prevent Silver Alerts

It’s a growing problem with a growing solution – elderly dementia patients go missing every day – so much so that 18 states have created programs called Silver Alerts to help find missing elderly people before they fall into harms way.

The Alzheimer’s Association warns that more than 60 percent of elderly patients afflicted with dementia will wander and become lost at some point in their lives. One solution many advocates are promoting is the use of personal GPS tracking devices to help locate dementia patients within minutes of the realization they have gone missing.

“Personal GPS devices that can be tracked via an online dashboard can literally be lifesaving devices,” said George Karonis, CEO of LiveViewGPS (www.liveviewGPS.com) and a former law enforcement officer with 15 years on the street. “Some devices are so small, they can fit on a keychain, in a pocket or they can even be sewn into clothing if need be.

Having been in law enforcement and having dealt with missing persons cases, I can tell you that the first few hours that an elderly person wanders is the most critical, as many dementia patients suffer from other ailments and are on strict medication regimens. If they are without their medication for too long, they can collapse, suffer a cardiac arrest or worse. These devices can be tracked online, meaning you can actually log onto your dashboard online and get an exact position of the GPS holder that is accurate up to the last 20 seconds if they are on foot.”

Karonis said that caretakers of elderly dementia patients should look for devices that have feature sets designed to help them track and locate people fast, including:

• Online tracking via the Internet
• Rapid updates, so the location reported is accurate
• Long battery life, and a motion-activated power button, so the unit is only using the battery for power when it is in motion
• Portable, capable of fitting in your hand or on a key chain
• Memory that stores tracking points for future reference

“A portable GPS monitoring system can be an invaluable aid for law enforcement and rescue workers trying to locate missing elderly people before they can be hurt and providing peace of mind for family members,” Karonis said. “When used correctly, it can act as a safeguard against tragedy because it enables family and police to find a missing person within minutes.”

About George Karonis

George Karonis, CEO of LiveViewGPS, is a 15-year law enforcement veteran with years of experience in security and surveillance.

MISS CANADA TO TAKE PART IN 5TH ANNUAL ICE FISHING TOURNAMENT!

2010-01-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

Barrie, ON Bridget Nickerson, 2010 Miss Canada will be a guest at the CHBA – Simcoe County Ice Fishing Tournament taking place February 13th at the South Shore Community Centre. “She’s really excited to get involved, fish, and sign autographs after the Tournament,” says President and CEO of Miss Canada Sylvia Stark.

Miss Nickerson, a Halifax native, will be on site all day and folks can meet her in person. She’ll also be touring the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children, the recipients of the proceeds of this year’s Tournament.

“There’s still space available to fish,” says Chair Matt Pryce, “and the $50,000 in prizes make participating very worthwhile. In addition to the prizes to be won, participants receive their breakfast and lunch – it’s a great day!”

Holes for this Tournament cost $80.00 each and can be purchased online at http://www.icefishingbarrie.ca or by calling the office (705) 728-5030. Tournament organizers are looking to break the record attendance of 680 this year.

What about the ice? “There’s always ice on Kempenfelt Bay, “assures Pryce, “but should something happen – we have a plan for that as well!” He refers to the rules which outline the chance of no ice. All 50 prizes will be drawn from the participants names – and arrangements will be made for prize delivery or pick-up. Participants do not have to be present for the draw should a draw become necessary.

And as if that weren’t easy enough – there’s no need for a fishing license – it’s the family fun fishing weekend!

This year marks the 5th annual Tournament which, to date, has raised over $95,000 for local groups such as Gilda’s Club – Barrie, Habitat for Humanity, Learning Disabilities Association and the RVH Cancer Care Centre…Quite an accomplishment for a volunteer group. This year’s proceeds go to the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children.

He also acknowledges the importance of the Corporate Sponsors. “Direct Energy is on board as our Corporate Sponsors – for the 5th year and with them their team of Redmond Williams, and Rheem Canada.” This Tournament would not be possible without them, or our Corporate Partners and Tournament Sponsors and Partners. A complete list as well as registration information can be found on the event’s website:http://www.icefishingbarrie.ca

ALZHEIMER'S FOUNDATION FOR CAREGIVING IN CANADA UNVEILS LATEST STRATEGY TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY AGING

2010-01-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

New Web Site Focuses on Being Proactive, Reducing Risks for Dementia

RICHMOND HILL, Ontario, January 27, 2010 – When was the last time you went for a brisk walk, ate dark leafy vegetables or toured a museum with a friend?

With growing evidence showing that these are the types of lifestyle choices that can pay off now and in the future, the Alzheimer’s Foundation for Caregiving in Canada (AFCC) has introduced a new interactive Web site http://www.alzfdn.ca/prevention. The Web site encourages Canadians to be proactive about their mental and physical health by highlighting strategies promoting healthy aging, which may reduce the risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

“Our new web site serves as a wake-up call for people of all ages to be proactive about making smart life choices. We must pay attention to the health of both our bodies and our brains as we age, especially in light of the projected groundswell of Canadians facing Alzheimer’s disease” says Taras Rohatyn, AFCC President.

Dementia is the leading cause of disability among Canadians over the age of 65 and the numbers will increase as baby boomers get older. While advancing age and genetics are the greatest known risk factors, evolving research emphasizes that other factors may be controllable.

“We need to start taking care of ourselves and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Exercise, socializing and eating well are important for cognitive function as we get older,” explains Dr. Sharon Cohen, a behavioural neurologist and director of the Toronto Memory Clinic.

The Prevention Web site includes advice, research updates, a bulletin board and guest columns, as well as information about dementia and the importance of early diagnosis of memory problems. The initiative forms part of the AFCC’s ongoing strategy focusing on the importance of being proactive about memory health.

For many people, getting screened is the first point of addressing brain health, and on June 15, 2010, the AFFC will once again hold its National Memory Screening Day in which qualified health care professionals will offer free confidential memory screening clinics at sites across Canada.

About the AFCC
The Alzheimer’s Foundation for Caregiving in Canada (AFCC) is a national not-for profit charity headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario and provides programs to meet the educational, emotional, practical and social needs of its caregiver member organizations who service families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses. For additional information visit their web site. http://www.alzfdn.ca.

Survey: Canadian consumers have healthy attitude towards new products Product of the Year Ltd.

2010-01-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

According to a recent survey, three of the top five most important considerations for Canadians when purchasing new products are health-related. Consumers say they’re looking for new products that are more nutritious, have simple/natural ingredients, and improve health. These considerations rank higher than new products that save time or make life easier.

The Consumer Survey of Product Innovation was conducted last December by global research giant TNS on behalf of Product of the Year, a consumer-driven award that recognizes new product innovation worldwide. A representative sample of over 12,000 consumers across Canada voted on products based on innovative design, function or packaging. As part of the survey, respondents also weighed in on purchasing behavior, attitudes towards innovation, and new product preferences.

Among the survey findings:

• Canadian consumers are Innovators. Eighty-six per cent of Canadian consumers indicate they like to try new products, with 93 per cent recommending new products to others if they like them.

• Canadian consumers like home-grown. Nearly one-third of Canadian consumers confirm that having a product made, grown, or produced in Canada plays an important role in their purchase decision.

• Canadian consumers listen to others and their mothers. Recommendations from other consumers positively impact purchase intent among close to half the population. Fifty-one per cent of Canadians indicate they like to seek out opinions from others before trying a new product, and approximately one third of Canadians say that recommendations from a friend or family member influence their purchase decisions.

• Canadian consumers are label-conscious. Seventy-three per cent of consumers indicate that the package information with the most positive impact on their decision to purchase is the nutritional information and/or list of ingredients.

• Canadian consumers want best bang for buck. Value for money is the most important consideration when purchasing a new product. Conversely, 70 per cent of Canadians say they’d be prepared to pay more for a new product if they were satisfied with it.

For more information on the survey and a list of this year’s Product of the Year Canada winners, visit productoftheyear.ca.

Lakehead University Increases First Choice High School Applicants:

2010-01-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

More students list Lakehead University as first choice on university applications

(January 22, 2010 – Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead University has seen a 7.9% increase in the number of high school students who have listed Lakehead as their first university choice for the 2010-2011 academic year compared to last year at this time. Additionally, overall applications from high school students to Lakehead are up 6.2%. According to data recently released by the Ontario Universities Applications Centre (OUAC), universities across the province have comparatively lower average application increases of 2.7% and 2.1% respectively.

"Lakehead is Ontario’s smallest comprehensive university, and we offer a breadth of academic programs that provide a more personalized educational experience," says Dr. Fred Gilbert, President of Lakehead University. “We are continually growing recognition of our name and reputation through successful branding and awareness campaigns, recruitment efforts, scholarship opportunities, and research activity. I am not surprised at this increase in applications because Lakehead is a great choice – for first-year undergraduate students as well as mature, international, and graduate students. Lakehead truly is Canada’s number one value-added university.”

Robert Perrier, Manager of Undergraduate Recruitment, notes various recruitment-based initiatives that have further attracted incoming students to Lakehead University this academic year. Lakehead has expanded its outreach efforts to incorporate a more aggressive approach across Ontario, as well as a wider geographic span that includes high schools in Western Canada. Prospective students have also learned more about Lakehead through the institution’s recent branding campaign which included a social media component, as seen on Facebook and other web-based media. Additionally, various campus events geared to senior high school students, recently revamped to include more flexible schedules and improved, hands-on activities, have drawn a record number of attendees from Thunder Bay and Southern Ontario. Lakehead also ramped up its visibility at the 2009 Ontario Universities’ Fair by greeting potential students and answering their questions at a new, visually attractive information booth that was well received by students and parents attending the Fair. “There are more students coming into the university system than ever, but this is also a time of greater competition among universities across the province and the country,” Perrier explains. “A number of smaller and medium-sized universities are receiving better returns because students are realizing that a more personal university experience is right for them, and Lakehead continues to be a prime contender on that list. Bigger is not necessarily better anymore – students want a quality education and a quality of
life that Lakehead has been recognized as providing for years.”

Lakehead University was one of the first universities to offer a Free Tuition Scholarship to students applying directly from Canadian high schools with an average of 95% or more. The first recipients of the top scholarship entered Lakehead last fall and quadrupled those students entering Lakehead with grade point averages of 95% or higher. Amid ever-rising tuition costs, Lakehead continues to offer this incentive and other entrance scholarships to attract and retain the best and brightest students from Thunder Bay, Orillia, the rest of Ontario, and Canada.

Lakehead is still accepting incoming applications. Additional information can be found at www.mylakehead.ca.

One Person's Opinion on How to Handle the Situation in Haiti

2010-01-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

Following is a letter that we received via email. It is one person's opinion on how Prime Minister Harper should have taken steps to handle the disaster in Haiti. What are some of yours?

Minutes ago there was a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. We can not make contact with any Haitian officials as their infrastructure appears to be inoperable. We know the devastation a 7.0 earthquake can have on a population. Hundreds or thousands will be trapped under rubble, and many will need immediate medical attention in order to survive. Sadly many will already be dead. We must render immediate assistance as any delay will cost lives.

All Nurses, Doctors, Paramedics, First Aiders that are willing to volunteer and travel to Haiti are to meet at Toronto International Airport. The Canadian Government will bear all costs of transportation, keep all your receipts and you will be reimbursed.

Jets have already been sent to scatter drop medical supplies, rations and rescue kits over the affected area. Simple illustrated instructions will show how to dress wounds, use tourniquets, operate the hydraulic jacks etc. These emergency supplies will be hitting the ground within next few hours.

There could be thousands trapped under rubble. We need several thousand strong Canadian volunteers to help rescue trapped survivors. These rescuers will be required to parachute into the affected areas, and there will be much heavy lifting. You will receive training and instructions on route to Haiti. Parachuting is the only way to get to trapped survivors in time to make a difference. All people and packages will be dropped in with a Canadian Flag parachute. There is risk involved in parachuting, especially for the inexperienced. Please listen and follow all instructions from your trainer, lives are on the line.

All rescuers are asked to meet at Toronto International Airport. The first flight will be leaving in thirty minutes, and as needed after that. Keep all your travel receipts as you will be reimbursed.

Employers of volunteers are asked to keep paying them as if they were still working, this will reduce the burden on the volunteer's family. The Canadian Government will reimburse all employers for these salaries if requested. All those on employment insurance will continue to get benefits.

All Armed Forces personnel are to immediately report to duty, that haven't done so already, as they will be coordinating the effort.

A plane with bulldozers and other construction equipment is already on route to Haiti. This equipment will be airdropped into Haiti, with priority to clear or establish a runway for aid shipments and other equipment to arrive..

In the next couple hours our jets will be begin scatter dropping rescue kits and medical supplies across Haiti.

A few hours after that our volunteers will be parachuting in with more hydraulic jacks, picks, shovels, medical supplies, rations and Jaws-of-life. They will immediately inform the Haitians that we are Canadian and we are here to help and to assist them in the rescue efforts. They will then check in via satellite phone, so we know they have arrived safely.

Volunteer health care workers have the option of parachuting in, or arriving when a runway is established.

Once the runway is clear, we will begin evacuating all those that are Canadian or in need, partly to avoid congestion at the airport.

DART has already been deployed with a full compliment of aid and personnel.

We have the ability to help and it is our obligation as Canadians to do so. The first hours of a disaster are the most critical, as that is when the most lives can be saved. We can not wait for them to ask for help for help, as we don't know if they can.

I will be addressing the nation tomorrow morning with an update on the rescue mission.
Good night.

Well, that is what he could have done....maybe next time he will be ready :-(
When there is a disaster, our Nation should jump into action like caffeinated Fire Fighters, and we could restore our standing as a Nation on the world stage.

Just imagine the relief a Haitian would have seeing a Canadian flag parachute float down with a rescue kit including a hydraulic jack, so he can rescue his children from beneath the rubble. Then hours later the sky would be dotted with Canadian flag parachutes as thousands of rescue personnel float down with more tools and helping hands...Maybe then, I too would glow with Canadian pride...just for a couple minutes.

City of Orillia to Launch Biz Pal

2010-01-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

BizPaL Simplifies Permits and Licences for Canadian Businesses

BizPaL is an online service that benefits Canadian businesses by helping them identify which permits and licences they require and how to obtain them. Entrepreneurs simply answer a series of questions on the type of business they want to start or expand and the activities they plan to undertake. BizPaL then automatically generates a list of all required permits and licences from all levels of government, along with basic information on each, and links to government sites where the entrepreneur can learn more and, in some cases, apply online.

BizPaL also benefits governments by making it easier for them to provide accurate information on permits and licences to business. Although the service is offered online, it can also be used through other service channels (i.e., telephone and in-person centres) to extend services to more clients.

To date, 11 provinces and territories are participating in BizPaL, with more than 300 municipalities offering the service. Visit bizpal.ca for a complete list of participating jurisdictions.

Industry Canada is the lead federal department for the BizPaL initiative, supporting the centralized functions of the project. The Government of Canada is fully committed to creating a competitive business environment that supports innovation and reduces red tape. BizPaL is a complementary measure in the government’s success in reducing the paperwork burden on small
businesses by 20 percent.

The success of BizPaL is due in part to the multi-jurisdictional partnership among federal, provincial, territorial, regional and local governments. The partnership operates under a shared governance and costing model with collaborative decision making. Each jurisdiction is responsible for adding and maintaining its own information in BizPaL. Service Ontario, part of
Ontario’s Ministry of Government Services, is entrusted with engaging local governments to make this important service available across Ontario.

This interactive, smart permit and licence tool is featured at: www.city.orillia.on.ca/cityhall/EDC/business_bizpal.htm

Confident exporters: It's All Up From Here

2010-01-12T08:20:00.001-08:00

OTTAWA, Jan. 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Canadian exporters are confident that sales will improve over the next six months, according to Export Development Canada's (EDC) semi-annual Trade Confidence Index (TCI).

"The improvement in the TCI is in line with recent trade performance, and reflects a strong sense that international sales are set to improve in the coming months," said Peter Hall, EDC's Chief Economist. "Trade is definitely in growth mode, but we can't forget the starting point. Canadian exports took a 20 per cent hit in 2009, six times greater than any annual decline in recent memory. What exporters are saying is that they expect to start climbing out of that chasm."

EDC's TCI moved to 77.4 in the fall 2009 from 68.5 in the spring 2009. The survey results followed a similar 7.5-point jump in the spring of 2009. This is the TCI's largest rebound in the post-9/11 period, and is in keeping with movements in other business outlook surveys over this period. The TCI is now above its historical average level.

The fall survey showed a continued rebound in exporter perceptions about global economic conditions. Nearly half of Canadian exporters now expect global conditions to improve, up dramatically from just 11 per cent one year ago. This is expected to translate into higher near-term international sales.

After tumbling in three of the last four surveys, the share of exporters expecting international sales to increase in the next six months rose 11 percentage points to 48 per cent of respondents. Exporters also sense that their international trade opportunities have improved in the past six months.

Faced with sharply lower international sales over the past year, exporters have capitalized on relatively strong sales inside Canada. A sharply higher share of those surveyed believes domestic economic conditions to improve. Sales into the domestic market are likewise expected to rise. Exporters expecting increased domestic sales in the coming months rose to 46 per cent of those surveyed, up from 30 per cent last fall.

"Canada's resilient domestic economy has had a marked impact on the improvement in exporter confidence. Exporters who are able to sell within Canada are clearly expecting to enhance overall performance by harnessing domestic strength," said Mr. Hall.

For more information about EDC and the Trade Confidence Index, visit www.edc.ca/english/docs/ereports/tradeconfidence/country_information_index_e.htm.

EDC is Canada's export credit agency, offering innovative commercial solutions to help Canadian exporters and investors expand their international business. EDC's knowledge and partnerships are used by more than 8,300 Canadian companies and their global customers in up to 200 markets worldwide each year. EDC is financially self-sustaining, a recognized leader in financial reporting and economic analysis, and has been recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for nine consecutive years.

PowerStream spreading ‘Winter Warmth’ to other parts of service area

2009-12-23T06:08:00.000-08:00

Financially-strapped customers in Barrie, Simcoe County now eligible to receive help in paying bills

VAUGHAN, ON – PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution is pleased to announce the expansion of its ‘Winter Warmth’ bill payment assistance program to include residential customers who live in Barrie and Simcoe County communities, currently served by the electricity distribution company, that are facing financial difficulties.

The utility, which delivers electricity to more than 320,000 customers residing or doing business in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario, also increased its funding of the initiative to $50,000 from the $30,000 allocated the previous two years, prior to the company’s merger with Barrie Hydro, when the program was only offered to PowerStream customers in York Region. The Winter Warmth program is a province-wide initiative, funded by several electricity and gas utilities, that helps financially struggling families and individuals pay their energy bills during the cold months. The program is coordinated by the United Way through a network of more than 60 community agencies. Since the program’s launch in 2004, more than 9,000, Ontario households have received assistance.

“As a company concerned about the well-being of individuals and families in our service territory, we have a responsibility to provide assistance as best we can for those facing financial hardship, especially in these difficult economic times,” said Brian Bentz, President and CEO of PowerStream, pointing out that the $50,000 being contributed to Winter Warmth is in addition to the $130,000 the company announced last week it was donating to the United Way organizations in York Region and Greater Simcoe County.

The expansion of PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution’s involvement in Winter Warmth also coincided with an increase in the number of electricity and gas utilities in Ontario now participating in the program. In addition to PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution, Burlington Hydro, Enbridge Gas Distribution, Enersource Hydro Mississauga, Horizon Utilities, Hydro One, Hydro Ottawa, Toronto Hydro-Electric System Ltd., Union Gas Ltd. and Veridian Connections Inc. are now assisting families and individuals in need of financial assistance to pay for their energy bills during the winter months.

“We’re thrilled by the increased support for the Winter Warmth program across Ontario,” said Manny Sousa, Chair of the Winter Warmth Provincial Steering Committee. “The increase in participation means that Winter Warmth will be able to reach even more families and individuals in need this winter and underlines the important role this program plays in communities across the province.”

Call centres at participating utilities advise customers on where and how to apply for Winter Warmth program funding by directing them to the appropriate United Way agency in their area. After successful completion of the application process, the agency applies the funding directly to the applicant’s utility bill.

Eligible grant recipients include residential customers that, due to reduced income levels or extenuating circumstances, are in arrears or at risk of going into arrears on their utility bills and have exhausted all other sources of financial support.

PowerStream donates more than $130,000 to the United Way

2009-12-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

Successful employee campaign sees total contribution increase for fifth consecutive year

VAUGHAN, ON – Following another successful employee campaign, PowerStream, the electricity distribution company which provides service to over 320,000 residential and business customers who reside in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario, made a donation today to the United Way of more than $130,000, an increase of almost 9.5 per cent from the previous year.

In an official ceremony held at the utility’s head office, several PowerStream officials, including Brian Bentz, President and CEO; Dennis Nolan, Executive Vice President Corporate Services, who also served as employee campaign co-chair and Bill Schmidt, Vice President of Information Services and campaign cochair, presented a cheque to Rickesh Lakhani, Campaign Director for the United Way of York Region and Dennis Terry, Director of Investor Relations and Resource Development for the United Way of Greater Simcoe County.

The funds donated by PowerStream will be shared between the United Way of York Region and the United Way of Greater Simcoe County. “In a year when the economic conditions have resulted in so many more individuals and families in our society requiring the support of others, I am proud of what our company’s employees, management and Board of Directors have been able to achieve in this year’s campaign,” Peter Meffe, Chair of PowerStream’s Board of Directors said pointing out that the total amount raised in this year’s campaign was an increase of more than $11,000 from the previous year.

“It’s another example of our ongoing efforts to make a positive difference within the communities we serve,” he added. The 2009 PowerStream campaign themed “The Choice is Yours”, was certainly understood by all those working for the company. The PowerStream contribution this year was achieved through a combination of an internal employee payroll deduction drive that brought in $17,534, along with employee-run external events and a corporate donation, which provided $74,063, and $39,305 respectively to the total.

“Once again our company and employees have responded to the challenge of giving to others when the need is great,” Bentz added. “This is a testament to why we continue to be a character business with character employees.” In accepting the donation on behalf of the United Way, both Lakhani and Terry commended PowerStream for its tremendous work though the years in providing support to residents within the utility’s service territory. Over the past six years, the company and its employees (including the former Barrie Hydro) have donated, more than $450,000 to United Way organizations in York Region and Greater Simcoe County.

About PowerStream PowerStream is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing service to more than 320,000 residential and business customers who reside in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario. The communities served include Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Beeton, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Markham, Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan. PowerStream is an incorporated entity, jointly owned by the City of Barrie, the City of Vaughan and the Town of Markham.

About the United Way of York Region United Way of York Region supports 100 programs delivered by 39 member agencies in the Region focusing on five priority areas: • Supporting those who have mental health challenges; • Providing services for newcomers and immigrants; • Preventing domestic violence and abuse; • Addressing issues of affordable housing and homelessness; and • Promoting literacy. About the United Way of Greater Simcoe County For the past 50 years, the United Way of Greater Simcoe County has been providing funding to enable communities to become stronger, more caring and healthier neighbourhoods. Through its 22 member agencies, one in three people living in Greater Simcoe County are being touched by United Way funded programs.

Simcoe County Connects

2009-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

Rural Connections Program will enhance Internet Service across region

Midhurst/ December 16, 2009 – The County of Simcoe, together with municipal partners, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Bell Aliant, has launched an initiative to bring reliable, high speed Internet service to rural communities across the region.

Rural Connections Broadband Program (Rural Connections) is a program designed to reduce broadband infrastructure gaps in rural southern Ontario. Broadband, also known as high-speed Internet, combines telecommunications infrastructure and service, allowing end-users to use the Internet at speeds far greater than traditional dial-up service allows.

“Faster, more reliable Internet access will stimulate the economy of Simcoe County and serve as a catalyst for bringing new business to the region and creating jobs in our towns and rural communities,” stated Warden Cal Patterson. “We need to provide access to high speed Internet in our rural communities so they can compete both nationally and internationally.”

The County of Simcoe was awarded $1 million under the provincial government’s Rural Connections program in December, 2008. Bell Aliant has invested $2.6 million and the County’s funding contribution is $80,000. The first phase of the Rural Connections wireless infrastructure deployment project is now complete and it is expected that service enhancements will be completed by April, 2010, making high speed Internet service available to 95 per cent of residents and businesses.

Warden Patterson attended the official launch ceremony and information session on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at the RecPlex in Wasaga Beach. Public information sessions were also held on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at the Coldwater & District Community Centre in Coldwater from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and at the Thornton Arena in Thornton from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

“A reliable high-speed broadband network is an important infrastructure asset for our residents and the County is grateful to the provincial government and Bell Aliant for their tremendous financial support for this project,” concluded Warden Patterson.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Family Fun at the Simcoe County Museum! December 28, 29 and 30, 2009 and January 2 and 3, 2010

2009-12-16T07:23:00.000-08:00

Minesing/December 15, 2009 – Are you looking for something to do other than skiing or shopping during the Winter Break? Drop by the Simcoe County Museum for games and activities for all ages! Have you ever challenged someone to a Crokinole or Tiddly Winks match? Do you know how to play Shoot-a-Loop and Skittles? We’ll show you how - maybe you’ll find a new favourite!

While you’re here, take a tour of our galleries and as you wander through keep your eyes open for the Artifact Cart. Explore these artifacts close-up with our Education staff as they share some great stories and information with you and answer your questions.

The games and activities will take place between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on December 28, 29 and 30, and January 2, 2010 and from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday January 3.

These activities are all included with the cost of regular Museum Admission: Adult $6, Student/Senior $5.00, Child $4.00, Preschoolers - free. The Simcoe County Museum is located at 1151 Highway 26, minutes north of Barrie. For more information, please phone 705-728-3721.

Take the Infinite Journey with Simcoe County Museum, a cultural exploration of our historical past and exciting future. Simcoe County Museum is owned and operated by the County of Simcoe and offers year round exhibits, events and educational programs for visitors of every age. Visit our website at museum.simcoe.ca for further details.

First Century Burial Shroud and Disease Found in Jerusalem Tomb

2009-12-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

Research poses great promise for future molecular understanding of ancient remains

(December 16, 2009 – Thunder Bay, ON) Dr. Carney Matheson, Scientific Officer of the Lakehead University Paleo-DNA Laboratory as well as Anthropology Professor at Lakehead, is involved in another investigation of ancient DNA that could have significant implications. Dr. Matheson co-authored a new research paper that has just been published in PLoS ONE, a scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science. The paper presents scientific research conducted on “The Tomb of the Shroud,” – a tomb found in Jerusalem dating back to the time of Jesus.

This rock-hewn burial cave, originally discovered by an archaeological team led by Shimon Gibson, Boaz Zissu, and James Tabor, belongs to a cemetery known as Akeldama or “Field of Blood,” as described in the Bible (cf. Matthew 27:3-8; Acts 1:19), and located in the lower Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem. In comparison to more than 70 other tombs in the Akeldama area, this particular tomb is unique as it contains remnants of a burial shroud and evidence of leprosy (Hansen’s disease) and tuberculosis in the shrouded male remains within it. This is the oldest known case of leprosy with confirmed dates and molecular evidence. Some of the other individuals in this multi-chambered tomb showed signs of tuberculosis, and ancient human DNA was detected to piece together the family relationships.

The molecular investigation of the first century shrouded man was led by Professor Charles Greenblatt of the Hebrew University, first conducted at the Hebrew University’s Kuvin Centre for Tropical and Infectious Disease and later replicated at Lakehead University’s Paleo-DNA Laboratory. Additional work was conducted by Helen Donoghue at the London -based University College’s Centre for Infectious Diseases and International Health.

Remarkably, no other first century tomb from Jerusalem had hitherto been examined by molecular methods. “The discovery of the presence of M. tuberculosis and M. leprae in the individuals buried within the "Tomb of the Shroud" is significant in understanding the geographical and temporal distribution of tuberculosis and leprosy in antiquity,” explains Dr. Matheson. “This research is evidence that molecular pathology clearly adds a new dimension to the archaeological exploration of disease in ancient times, and it showcases the world-class forensic work on ancient human DNA undertaken at Lakehead's Paleo-DNA laboratory.”

The successful genetic analysis of unique archaeological sites such as "Tomb of the Shroud" poses great promise for future investigations into host-pathogen relationships and evolution, geographic distribution, and epidemiology of disease and social health in antiquity.

This research paper can be viewed in full at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0008319.

Lakehead Researcher Awarded CFI Funding:

2009-12-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

Laboratory upgrades foster research to protect Canada’s waterways

(December 16, 2009 – Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead University researcher, Dr. David Law, has been awarded a Leaders Opportunity Fund valued at $171,621 by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Funding will offset costs associated with upgrading equipment and aquatic facilities in the Lakehead University Aquatic Research Laboratory, where Dr. Law and his colleagues conduct research to help protect the health of Canadian waterways.

Collectively, Dr. Law and his fellow researchers are interested in identifying compounds in wastewater from pulp and paper and mining operations – compounds that can reduce the reproductive abilities of fish. “By monitoring fish behaviour and gene expression, we can determine the critical concentrations of these compounds in the aquatic environment,” Dr. Law explains. “The impacts of these compounds on fish and other species living near industries that discharge wastewater into Canadian waterways can then be identified, reported, and dealt with accordingly.”

In welcoming this investment, University researchers and Administration recognize the very prominent role the CFI plays in supporting the continued growth and improvement of Lakehead’s various research facilities, and the impacts that arise as a result of the funding the CFI provides. “The work that Dr. Law and his colleagues are conducting in the Aquatic Research Lab will be extremely helpful to many widespread industry-based organizations as they embrace more environmentally accountable approaches in their respective operations,” says Dr. Rui Wang, Vice-President (Research), Lakehead University. This research will be especially valuable to the region given the high number of mills and plants operating in Northwestern Ontario.

The CFI continues to support cutting-edge research infrastructure that helps stimulate various sectors of our economy associated with such capital projects. It is estimated that every dollar invested directly in research yields over $7 in economic benefits including spin-off jobs.

“The investments being announced today at Lakehead University will further enhance our country’s reputation as a destination of choice for outstanding researchers,” says Dr. Eliot Phillipson, President and CEO of the CFI. “They will make our universities even more competitive when it comes to attracting the best and brightest researchers from around the world.”

Bruce Hyer, MP for Thunder Bay – Superior North, recognizes the leading role Lakehead University plays in developing and commercializing innovative technologies that contribute to the local economic diversification. “We are especially fortunate to have an aquatic research centre of such excellence in our region, one that has developed tools for both improving productivity and protecting the environment,” Hyer notes. “Having pioneered the acute test, now used across Canada for monitoring environmental discharges, this new funding will help Lakehead facilities maintain the lead in aquatic research.”

The CFI announced a total of $59,394,902 in new funds to support 262 projects at 40 institutions across Canada. The investment was approved by the CFI’s Board of Directors in November 17, 2009, following a rigorous merit-review process. A total of $45,688,386 was awarded under the Leaders Opportunity Fund, which provides infrastructure support to Canadian institutions so they can attract and retain the very best of today and tomorrow’s leading researchers at a time of intense international competition for knowledge workers. The remaining $13,706,516 was awarded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, a complementary program that assists research institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with new infrastructure projects.

For a complete list of the projects awarded, please visit www.innovation.ca.

Original stories written by Canadian families announced as ‘Munsch at Home Contest’ finalists

2009-12-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Ten Canadian families from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec selected as finalists; winner to be selected by Robert Munsch on national teleconference December 16, 2009.

(Toronto, ON, December 14, 2009) – ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation today announced the top 10 ‘Munsch at Home Contest’ finalist story entries: “Stinky Soup” by Kym Duncan and family of Winnipeg, MB; “Bella and Her Crazy Excuses” by Tricia Gage and family of 100 Mile House, BC; “Henry’s Troubles” by Andrea Haynes and family of Raymond, BC; “Cockadoodle Moo” by Bethany Klassen and family of Abbotsford, BC; “Jack Sings We Will Rock” by Jane Lavineway and family of Kanata, ON; “Penelepoop” by Karen McCallum and family of Edmonton, AB; “The Funky Fruit” by Pina Pinizzotto and family of Kirkland, QC; “The Talent Show Song” by Karen Ronquist and family of Pass Lake, ON; “Myles the Rockstar” by Christine Walker-Jordan and family of Scarborough, ON; and “The Biggest Argue Ever!” by Kevin Wilson and family of Mount Brydges, ON. Canadian families were challenged to write, learn and win together by writing a 250-word original story to enter the ‘Munsch at Home Contest.’ More than 600 story entries were submitted.

“I am looking forward to spending a day with the ‘Munsch at Home Contest’ winning family,” said Robert Munsch, best-selling Canadian author and honorary chair of Family Literacy Day®, who will attend the winning family’s home in January 2010 for a personal reading of their story, and a public reading at a local public library, school or literacy organization of their choice. “I am delighted that there are so many aspiring Canadian writers, and I hope that this contest encourages more great stories to be written and told.”

The winning story will be selected and announced by Robert Munsch live on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 1 p.m. EST via national teleconference.

“We commend and congratulate all of the families who took the time to write and learn together to practice and celebrate literacy,” says Margaret Eaton, President, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation.

The winning story will also be published in spring 2010 issues of B-Zone and Today’s Parent magazines, alongside an illustration created by renowned artist Michael Martchenko. The ten finalists’ stories are now posted online at http://www.abc-canada.org/munschcontestfinalists.

The ‘Munsch at Home Contest’ is part of national celebrations to encourage Canadians to participate in Family Literacy Day on January 27, 2010. Family Literacy Day is an annual initiative developed by ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and founding sponsor Honda Canada to celebrate parents and children reading and learning together and to encourage Canadians to spend at least 15 minutes enjoying a learning activity every day. Thousands of Canadians across the country participate in this initiative with their families, and in their communities every year.

To register or find a local Family Literacy Day event, go to www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca

About ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation:
ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation is Canada’s private-sector voice championing adult literacy. The national charity’s initiatives and campaigns are focused on bringing about meaningful change to raise Canadian adult literacy skills. It envisions a Canada where individuals, regardless of their circumstances, are provided the opportunities to increase those skills that prepare people for realizing their full potential at work, at home and in the community. For the latest news and information on adult literacy please visit www.abc-canada.org, follow us on Twitter or join our Facebook page.

Coca-Cola UNVEILS VANCOUVER 2010 Olympic TorchBearers for Barrie AND SURROUNDING AREA

2009-12-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

Coca-Cola uses Olympic Games sponsorship to motivate Canadians to live positively

BARRIE (Ontario) December 14, 2009 – Today, Coca-Cola Canada named some of its Olympic Torchbearers for Barrie and the surrounding area. These Canadians will carry the Olympic Flame between December 28th and 30th as the torch relay makes its way to the Opening Ceremony for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on February 12, 2010.

These Canadians were chosen through Coca-Cola’s torchbearer nomination program because they have chosen to ‘Live Positively’ by committing to a more active or environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

They have made simple, small modifications to their lives that incrementally amount to bigger and better changes – for themselves, the planet and their fellow Canadians.

Coca-Cola is also part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay’s 189 city celebrations. The Coca-Cola experiences attendees will enjoy include:
• Being mystified by the extraordinary world of Zero Gravity Circus where acrobats will dazzle the crowd
• Seeing rare Olympic Torches dating back to 1948
• Taking a picture with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch
• Enjoying an interactive drummer to get the crowd all jazzed up for Coca-Cola’s Open Happiness stage show

WHO:
Hilary Fletcher – resident of Barrie; avid runner who completes a 10km run almost every morning; motivates both family and friends to get active because she believes that living a healthy, active life makes people happier; recognized for her commitment to active living; carrying torch in Alliston on December 29

Katelyn Sander – resident of Barrie; day camp counsellor who has inspired campers aged five to 12 to live healthier by being active on a daily basis; has been a counsellor for the last four years; recognized for her commitment to active living; carrying torch December 30 in Rama

Coralea Kappel – resident of Barrie; high school student who has made it her goal to reduce the amount of water consumed by her family; has taken initiative in her home and life to achieve this goal from changing all toilets to low-flow dual flush and converting shower heads to low-flow to fixing leaky faucets and replacing water bottles with filtered water; has also planted several trees, purchased solar panel lights for backyard and uses her bicycle more frequently to reduce both CO2 levels and water consumption; has decreased her family’s water footprint by about 70 per cent to 172,388 litres yearly; recognized for her commitment to environmental sustainability; carrying torch in Blue Mountain on December 29

ACTIVATE (Group Torchbearers) - The ACTIVATE program is a national, not-for-profit, youth-led program which facilitates youth engagement and leadership through the development and delivery of sports and active recreational programs in communities across Canada; the program provides participants with non-threatening and supportive environments where they can realize their own leadership potential, build positive social interactions with their peer groups and share their personal experiences with others while making decisions on what is needed in their community; some ACTIVATE group torchbearers include Mark Sluban, Megan Sutherland and Kyle McLellan; group carrying torch December 29 in Midland

Jason Harris – resident of Elmvale; hardworking business owner in the sports and recreation industry; has played competitive squash and golf throughout his life; has inspired his family and community to live actively; regularly encourages his guests and members to get involved in recreational leagues as a way to ensure they both enjoy themselves and stay active; his leagues for kids, seniors, men and women have more than doubled since Jason took over his business four years ago, resulting in more than 250 people coming out a weekly basis to be physically active; is also a volunteer board member with his local curling club and Lions Club in roles that encourage active lifestyles; recognized for his commitment to active living; carrying torch December 29 in Elmvale

Clean Air Champions (Group Torchbearers) – a national charity incorporated in 2002 with its head office in Ottawa; the mission of Clean Air Champions is to improve air quality by working with respected athletes to motivate and educate Canadians to adopt practices and lifestyles that enhance both environmental and personal health; some Clean Air Champions group torchbearers include Deirdre Laframboise, Helen Stoumbos and Melaine Banville; group carrying torch December 30 in Huntsville

Edwin White – resident of Huntsville; believes that life is too short to stand still, so participates in a basketball league, the Canadian National Pond Hockey championships and shinny hockey; bikes 30km a day to work; encourages his family to live actively by organizing family outings including hiking, snowshoeing and kayaking; lead his company to join the David Suzuki at Work Nature Challenge; recognized for his commitment to active living and environment responsibility; carrying torch in Barrie on December 29

Robert Piggot – resident of Collingwood; avid runner who completed his first marathon on his sixteenth birthday this past April with his brother; despite the challenges, Robert and his brother motivated each other throughout the 42km race through Waterloo and the extremely hilly countryside to make it to the finish line; recognized for his commitment to active living; carrying torch in Collingwood on December 28

County of Simcoe Council Elects New Warden for 2010

2009-12-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

Wasaga Beach Mayor Cal Patterson becomes146th Warden

Midhurst/ December 8, 2009 – County of Simcoe Council today elected Cal Patterson, Mayor of the Town of Wasaga Beach, to serve as Warden for 2010.

Upon his swearing in at Council’s Inaugural Meeting, Warden Patterson became the 146th County of Simcoe Warden and the first ever from Wasaga Beach. He will serve the last one-year term of office as head of Council. Beginning in 2011, wardens will serve for two years, as directed by Council earlier this year.

“Today Council put their faith and support behind me and I am truly humbled to receive this tremendous honour,” stated newly elected Warden Patterson. “I assure everyone here today that I will fulfill the role of Simcoe County Warden with respect, commitment and integrity.”

“Strong leadership is based on inclusiveness, effective communication and the ability to work with others, ensuring all stakeholders are involved in the process and decisions are made for in the best interest of the entire County of Simcoe.”

County Council is comprised of the 32 mayors and deputy mayors of Simcoe County’s member municipalities. Councillors elect the County Warden each December from amongst their peers.

Council also elected the chairs of the County’s standing committees for 2010. Severn Township Mayor Phil Sled was elected Chair of the Performance Management Committee; Penetanguishene Mayor Anita Dubeau was re-elected Chair of the Human Services Committee and Doug Little, Deputy Mayor of Adjala-Tosorontio, was re-elected Chair of the Corporate Services Committee.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Simcoe County Council Moves Forward with Separated Cities

2009-12-07T09:47:00.001-08:00

Midhurst/ December 7, 2009 – Simcoe County Council took a giant step forward last Thursday, bringing together 16 member municipalities and the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia in order to discuss growth issues and potential partnerships for co-operative service delivery.

Simcoe County Warden Tony Guergis called the meeting a monumental event that ignited a new spirit of co-operation for all municipal leaders in Simcoe County.

“This was truly a watershed day for Simcoe County,” stated Warden Guergis. “It was tremendous to have all 18 municipalities together in our Council Chamber working to find efficiencies. It is very significant for us to meet and talk about ways we can all work together for the greater good of all our residents.”

The meeting included a question and answer session with provincial representation during which Councillors voiced concern over delays in the approval process for the County’s new Official Plan. The document was submitted to the province in November 2008.

Councillors unanimously supported a resolution recognizing that the Barrie/Innisfil boundary issue has been concluded and it is time to move forward. In June 2009 the Province of Ontario released its decision to shift Barrie’s border to the south, annexing 5,664 acres of land from the Town of Innisfil.

The resolution went on to state that the County of Simcoe supports the population allocations to Barrie and Orillia and requests an additional allocation of 40,000 people for Simcoe County “in order to ensure the viability of small urban and rural communities.”

“It is time to put the animosity of the Barrie/Innisfil decision behind us,” affirmed Warden Guergis. “We are prepared to move forward and we ask the cities of Barrie and Orillia to support the County and our growth plan.”

In addition, a second unanimously supported resolution directed County staff to work with staff from member municipalities, the separated cities and the development community to report on existing water and waste water systems, future requirements including long term solutions for the co-ordination of service delivery across this geographic area.

“When we all agree to move forward together, I believe success will follow,” concluded Warden Guergis.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

WOMEN SNOWMOBILE TO HELP FIGHT BREAST CANCER

2009-11-30T10:09:00.001-08:00

Huntsville, Ontario – November 30, 2009 - The anticipation builds, as the 11th annual Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run is a few short months away! This all-women snowmobile event raises funds to support women with their fight against breast cancer. The 11th annual event takes place in Huntsville, Ontario on February 6, 2010.

Response has been phenomenal for the 2010 ride, be sure to register early to ensure your spot! This fun packed day will take place at the wonderful Hidden Valley Resort in Huntsville, Ontario. There are choices of trails depending on each participant’s preference and skill. Everyone is encouraged to come and be a part of this magnificent event. Space is still available but the resort is filling up quickly, we encourage any participants to register as early as possible. Special thanks to all our sponsors for their support with special mention to our platinum level sponsors – BRP Inc., Choko Designs, FXR Racing, Factory Recreation in Midland, Ontario, Royal Distributing and The Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show. With special surprises planned all weekend, this is one event you will not want to miss! Come out and enjoy a wonderful experience for a great cause.

To help raise additional funds this year, a raffle will be held on February 6th, 2010 with prizes including a 2010 MXZ SPORT 600 Ski-Doo (donated by Factory Recreation, Midland & BRP Inc., a $500.00 Royal Distributing gift certificate (donated by Royal Distributing) and a stay for two at Hidden Valley Resort (donated by Hidden Valley Resort). Tickets are only $10.00 each and can be obtained by contacting our office at 1-877-436-6467.

The theme behind the Snow Run is women helping women. The ride is designed to raise these needed funds in financially assisting women with their fight against breast cancer. Participants are encouraged to raises pledges for the charity. Everything from the pledges to raffles and live/silent auctions are done to help raise funds for these women who need it. The Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run is a registered Canadian charity that raises money for the women who need it. Helping to financially assist women diagnosed with breast cancer, as there are many unforeseen expenses faced which health insurance programs may not cover. The trust provides this assistance to women in these circumstances in order to make their fight with cancer a little less challenging.

We are excited to advise that the Quebec Chapter will be hosting its fifth annual Quebec Randonee de Neiges de Kelly Shires contre le cancer du sein will take place on February 28, 2010 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Quebec City.
For more information on the event or to apply to the trust:

1-877-436-6467 WWW.BREASTCANCERSNOWRUN.ORG

Suzy Stenoff, Co-founder & Director of Media Relations, mediarelations@breastcancersnowrun.org

Conservation program’s success earns award for PowerStream Electric utility recognized for high percentage increase in peaksaver ® sign-ups

2009-11-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

VAUGHAN, ON – PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution earned recognition from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) recently for dramatically increasing the number of households participating in its peaksaver® conservation program. Over a six-month period, the company increased customer participation in the program by 282.8 percent, the highest percentage increase recorded by any utility in Ontario during that time.

PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution was one of three Ontario electricity distribution companies identified by OCAA in the organization’s annual PeakBusters Utility Challenge, a peaksaver competition which recognizes utilities that had the largest percentage increase in program participants within their respective service territories between March 31 and Sept. 30, 2009. Complete results from the competition are available online at http://www.peakbusters.ca/utility.php .

According to figures provided by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution on April 1 of this year had 2,152 registered OPA-funded participants in the peaksaver program. By the end of September that number had been increased to 8,238, an increase of over 6,000 in just six months.

The peaksaver program continues to be one of the PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution’s most successful conservation initiatives. Since the end of the contest period, another 1,650 households have been added. Including customers who signed up prior to the OPA’s funding of the program, PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution now has a total of 11,643 peaksaver participants in its service territory.

“We are extremely pleased to be recognized for our efforts to encourage PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution customers to participate in the peaksaver conservation program,” said Patrick Guran, PowerStream’s Chief Energy Conservation Officer. “By signing up for peaksaver our customers will not only help to reduce electricity demand during critical peak periods of restricted power supply but will also be contributing to a cleaner and greener Ontario.”

The peaksaver conservation program helps to ensure a reliable power supply in the province by providing the local electricity distribution companies the ability, during high peak demand times over the summer, to remotely cycle down central air conditioning units of participating customers, for a short period of time, through a peaksaver programmable thermostat installed at their homes at no charge. By reducing the amount of electricity needed when demand for electricity is very high, peaksaver participants reduce the need for the province to use coal-fired generating stations to meet the electricity shortfalls. These plants release greenhouse gases and contribute to air pollution.

For questions regarding the program, or to enroll, visit www.powerstream.ca/peaksaver or call 1866-323-0206.
About PowerStream Inc. PowerStream Inc. is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing service to more than 315,000 residential and business customers in Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Beeton, Markham, Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan. It is an incorporated entity, jointly owned by the City of Barrie, the City of Vaughan and the Town of Markham.

About Ontario Clean Air Alliance The Ontario Clean Air Alliance is a diverse, multi-stakeholder coalition of approximately 90 organizations including cities, health associations, environmental and public interest groups, corporations, public utilities, unions, faith communities and individuals, representing more than six million Ontarians. OCAA’s short term goal is to achieve the complete phase out of Ontario’s four coal-fired power plants by 2010. The organization’s long term goal is to achieve a 100% renewable electricity grid by 2027.

County of Simcoe Supports Community Partnerships

2009-11-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

Midhurst/ November 27, 2009 – County Council approved the County of Simcoe 2010 operating budget this week, including funding for Georgian College’s Health and Wellness Centre, Lakehead University in Orillia, the Banting Homestead restoration project in New Tecumseth and a $3 million contribution to the Simcoe County Hospital Alliance.

“When two parties work together it’s good. When all parties work together, it’s great,” stated Warden Tony Guergis. “The needs in our communities are growing and the available dollars are limited in all sectors; all the more reason to bring together our community partners whenever possible. By joining our resources, we can all be more effective and realize greater goals.”

Throughout 2009, Council received an increased number of requests from community groups asking for funding of services and initiatives that are not mandated to the County of Simcoe. In response to the identified need, a policy was approved in September allocating $54,000 to cultural and historical grants. Successful applicants in 2010 include the Banting Homestead, MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie and the Coldwater Canadian Heritage Museum.

However, effective partnerships are about more than just funding. The County has recently participated in local events alongside the Child, Youth and Family Services Coalition of Simcoe County, the Food Partners Alliance of Simcoe County and Hospice Simcoe.

The County believes that collaboration is an effective approach to achieving community goals for the greater good of agencies and residents across the region.

Child and Youth Coalition member Brenda Ingersoll, Rama First Nation Councillor and Simcoe County District School Board Trustee, spoke at the Charter launch, representing native communities in Simcoe County. She agrees that when governments and community agencies develop and maintain partnerships, residents benefit.

"I feel honoured to represent First Nation peoples in Simcoe County and wish to congratulate the County of Simcoe for its progressiveness,” said Brenda Ingersoll. “Truly the rest of Ontario could learn from Simcoe County on being innovative, inclusive and forward thinking."

The County believes that collaboration is an effective approach to achieving community goals for the greater good of agencies and residents across the region.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Heart and Stroke Foundation’s new CPR campaign challenges Canadians to put their hands to good use

2009-11-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Heart and Stroke Foundation’s new CPR campaign challenges Canadians to put their hands to good use: just 22 minutes can last a lifetime

November 24, 2009

Ottawa– A new public service campaign from the Heart and Stroke Foundation challenges Canadians to learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) during November – CPR month – to see that they have what it takes to save a life.

“CPR can be a vital link in saving a life and almost anyone can learn it,” says Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada CEO Sally Brown. “We’re urging Canadians to put their hands to the test and learn CPR. It’s easier than you think, doesn’t take long to learn, and could help save the life of someone close to you.”

The Foundation’s national TV and radio campaign aims to raise awareness of the need for increasing bystander CPR. “Canada’s rate of bystander CPR is abysmal. There’s simply no good reason not to learn how to do CPR” says Dr. Laurie Morrison, spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. “I hope that everyone gets the message: it takes very little of your time to save a life.”

The creative campaign features a man collapsing and his distressed wife crying out for help, as she pleads, “Does anyone know CPR? “ Listeners are then asked how much time it took to learn how to use that new fancy cell phone and to straighten up their golf swing – finally reminding them that it takes as little as 22 minutes to learn the core skills of CPR.

The PSA for TV and radio runs coast to coast.

“Our PSA packs a punch but the fact is that, although cardiac arrest is frightening, it doesn’t have to be a death sentence. The Heart and Stroke Foundation urges all Canadians to learn CPR,” says Brown. “If we have time to devote to this skill, we ultimately have the tools to save a life.”

Boosting bystander CPR rates across the country is a priority for the Foundation. And making noise on radio and TV extends beyond November. As Canada and the world count down to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games in February, the Heart and Stroke Foundation will support the cardiac safety of the games by providing 10,000 Family & Friends™ CPR Anytime™ personal learning kits to train 10,000 volunteers in the life-saving skills of CPR.

CPR Anytime™ Family&Friends™ enables Canadians to learn the core lifesaving skills of CPR in 22 minutes in the comfort of their own homes or in the workplace. It can be ordered online at www.heartandstroke.ca/cpranytime

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, up to 85 per cent of all cardiac arrests occur in homes and public places. About 40,000 people experience cardiac arrest in Canada each year. The odds of survival for an out-of hospital cardiac arrest are approximately five per cent. This is often because CPR is not started soon enough by bystanders or not performed at all.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada sets the Canadian guidelines for CPR, defibrillation, and other aspects of emergency cardiovascular care in Canada.

Awards Recognize Geology Student's Dedication to Academics and Community

2009-11-24T08:55:00.000-08:00

(November 24, 2009 - Thunder Bay, ON) Third-year geology student Katarina Bjorkman has recently received two awards totalling $5,500 in recognition of both her academic and community-based achievements.

A one-time award of $4,500 as a Laureate of the esteemed 2009/2010 Millennium Excellence In-Course Award Program is a marvellous gift. The award recognizes, supports, and encourages talented Canadians who make positive and significant contributions to the betterment of their communities. It showcases those who demonstrate a capacity for leadership, and commit themselves to the pursuit of academic excellence and innovation. In addition to undertaking various leadership and community service roles during her high school years, this high-achiever also adopted a nurturing role in her hometown, located in the Sapawe area – approximately 30 minutes northeast of Atikokan. Here, Katarina took care of her neighbours and those in need. She gardened, shovelled snow, raked leaves, split wood, and completed general household chores for widows and elderly couples who needed a helping hand. “These folks have come into my life because they’ve trusted me enough to make me an important part of their lives. It’s great to feel like I’m really making a difference. I enjoy helping people. They are part of my life – I love them and they know it.” This award also recognizes Katarina’s role in organizing, coordinating, and leading staking and prospecting contracts.

Bjorkman was also awarded $1,000 from the Women's Association of the Mining Industry of Canada. This award is presented annually to a third or fourth-year undergraduate student enrolled in programs including mining, metallurgy, geology, geophysics, geological engineering, or related studies in earth sciences at an accredited Canadian university. The successful awardee must also have attained an average mark of 85% or higher.

In her final year of high school, Katarina was in line for some highly sought after scholarships, including the Governor General's Medal for Academic Excellence and a substantial entrance award from Lakehead University. But, life took her down a different path and she decided not to enrol in higher education immediately after graduating high school. "I've always loved learning and being involved in the academic environment," explains the 27-year-old award recipient. "But, when it was time for me to decide what to do with my life after high school, I just wasn't ready to enrol - in anything or at any school. I knew Geology was the right fit for me, and I couldn’t wait to get out into nature to start working."

Years ago, Katarina’s father left his career in the Hydro field to pursue contracting work, subsequently became interested in prospecting, and soon started a family tradition as Katarina also flourished in her role as a prospector and claim staker for seven years following her high school graduation. She was contracted by various exploration companies around Northwestern Ontario, and even the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Sweden, and Norway. Bjorkman loved her line of work from the onset. “I love our land – the rocks, blue lakes, forests, the physical exertion, and I love the search for minerals.”

Katarina couldn't be happier now that she's back in the academic realm - studying a subject she is so passionate about. She may explore future academic goals, but plans to work in exploration once again immediately following completion of her undergraduate degree. She eagerly awaits the arrival of spring 2010 when she’ll have a chance to get back to nature – full-time. For now though, Katarina is happy to have received this recognition and the financial support that accompanies it, and will use the money from both awards to cover this year's tuition costs.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,900 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

JASON HARRIS TO CARRY OLYMPIC TORCH IN ELMVALE!

2009-11-17T12:32:00.000-08:00

SPRINGWATER TOWNSHIP / November 17, 2009 – Jason Harris will be a part of Olympic history on Tuesday December 29th, as he carries the Olympic Torch in Elmvale on its way to the winter games in Vancouver.

Jason is co-owner of Orr Lake Golf Club in Springwater Township, and was named a Torchbearer by iCoke, after making a commitment to be more physically and environmentally active.

“I’m excited to be a part of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay,” said Jason. “Carrying the torch in my own community will make it even more memorable.”

While Jason is preparing for his turn with the historic relay, Elmvale will be buzzing with pre-Torch Relay activities, including:

INTERNATIONAL LUNCH SPECIALS with foods from countries around the world, served up by the Elmvale restaurants you know and love!

WARM-UP STATIONS around the community with hot chocolate, coffee and snacks

“AMAZING RACE” Olympic Edition, multi-generational and family-oriented (9am – 11am)

KID’S SPEED SKATING RACES at the Elmvale Arena (9am – 10am)

CELEBRITY SLEDGE HOCKEY GAME at the Elmvale Arena (10:30am – 11:00am)

FUTURE OLYMPIC STARS HOCKEY GAME at the Elmvale Arena (10:00am – 10:30am)

FAMILY CURLING with World Champions at the Elmvale Curling Club (9am – 11am)

BOB SLEIGH RACES at Homer Barrett Park (10am – 11am)

Come out and participate in the pre-torch events, and find a great spot to watch the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay make its way into Elmvale.

Springwater is a municipality of approximately 18,000 residents located in the heart of Simcoe County. 2009 celebrates the 15th anniversary of the amalgamated Township of Springwater. The Township is governed by a seven-member council with a complement of 60 full and part-time staff. The NEW Township of Springwater Administration Centre is located at 2231 Nursery Road in Midhurst, and amalgamates the Parks and Recreation staff as well as Council Chambers with the rest of the staff.

Mary Walsh to Younger Canadians: COPD is on the Rise – Get Tested! The Lung Association

2009-11-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

The earlier COPD is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.

COPD is no joke to Canadian comedian Mary Walsh.

“It’s shocking that so few Canadians know about COPD considering it’s the fourth leading cause of death in this country,” says Mary Walsh, spokesperson for The Lung Association. Walsh, best known for her work on This Hour has 22 Minutes, is helping raise awareness about COPD, a serious breathing disease that has affected three of her family members along with hundreds of thousands of other Canadians.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is still on the rise in Canada. COPD , the new term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is growing in prevalence among younger Canadian baby boomersi and is emerging as a leading health issue for women. In fact, according to research by The Lung Association, one in seven Canadians aged 45 to 49 may currently be living with COPD,ii and many more may be unaware they even have it.

“People may think that feeling short of breath is a normal sign of aging, but it's not,” says Walsh.
COPD symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, fatigue and frequent lung infections. “If you have any trouble with your breathing, go to your doctor and insist, insist on a breathing test.” COPD is diagnosed by spirometry, a simple test that measures how much air you can hold and move out of your lungs.

While there is no cure for COPD, the disease is treatable. “There are many treatments that will help individuals with COPD,” says Dr. Roger Goldstein, notable Toronto respirologist and Ontario Lung Association spokesperson. “The earlier the diagnosis, the better chance of reducing the longer term effects of the condition. High risk people (smokers over the age of 40 years) should be actively screened, so that COPD can be caught earlier and better managed.”

Early treatment can reduce the decline in lung function and improve quality of life.iii A recent study published in The Lancet found that treatment of COPD should begin at an early stage of the disease to slow down its progression.iv

About COPD
COPD is a serious respiratory disease that causes lung damage and obstructs, or blocks the airways. The main symptoms of COPD are shortness of breath and having a hard time doing regular activities. COPD is sometimes referred to as emphysema or chronic bronchitis and is primarily caused by smoking; however, about 10-20 % of COPD cases are caused by other factors e.g. air pollution, lung infections and genetic disorder. It is a progressive disease, which means it gets worse over time. People living with COPD experience flare-ups – times when symptoms get significantly worse. These flare-ups, or “lung attacks” are just as deadly as heart attacks.

World COPD Day in Canada
World COPD Day 2009 is on November 18 and this year, Mary Walsh has joined forces with the Canadian Lung Association to help raise awareness of COPD and the importance of early diagnosis.

Coast 2 Coast Challenge for COPD: Nov. 1 –18
The Lung Association is organizing its second annual Coast 2 Coast Challenge, a virtual trek across Canada to raise awareness about COPD. The Lung Association is inviting people with COPD, their supporters and all Canadians to join the Challenge. Our goal is to cross the country from coast-to-coast in time for World COPD Day, November 18th. Participants will follow a virtual course that takes them from Victoria, B.C. to St. John’s Nfld. to Iqaluit, N.U. and then back to Victoria, B.C., an entire round trip of 14,000 kilometres! Last year, participants in Ontario tracked nearly 10,000 kilometres alone.

Visit www.teamcopd.ca for more information or to sign up to participate in the Coast 2 Coast Challenge. The site brings together photos from Flikr, videos from Youtube, and tweets from Twitter, to show COPDers and supporters doing Coast 2 Coast Challenge and talking about life with COPD.

Visit www.teamcopd.ca to:
Learn more about COPD, View Mary’s video message. Find out if you’re at risk – take The Lung Association’s COPD Quiz. Participate in the Coast 2 Coast Challenge

Help for People with COPD
The Ontario Lung Association offers support for people with COPD and their families. Call the BreathWorks™ Helpline at 1-888-344-LUNG (5864) and speak to a certified respiratory educator or visit us online at www.on.lung.ca to download free COPD resources.

About Ontario Lung Association:
The Lung Association is one of Canada's oldest voluntary, not-for-profit health-promotion organizations. The Lung Association is concerned with the prevention and control of asthma, chronic lung disease caused by smoking and with air quality and its effect on lung health.

The Ontario Lung Association was incorporated in 1945, and has community offices across the province. Visit the Ontario Lung Association online at www.on.lung.ca, or call 1-888-344-LUNG for more information.

When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.

Majority of Canadian women define themselves as financially successful

2009-11-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

TORONTO, Nov. 12 /CNW/ - Despite the impact of the recession, 62% of Canadian women define themselves as financially successful, compared to 58% in 2008. But, for women, 'financial success' is not about being able to buy designer duds and diamonds. According to TD Waterhouse's 9th Annual Female Investor Poll, Canadian women's most popular definitions of financial success are very practical: paying bills on time, being able to deal with unexpected emergencies, being debt-free and having enough money saved for a comfortable retirement. Interestingly, 'having money for the finer things in life' was selected by only 20% of survey respondents.

"Canadian women have a very pragmatic view of financial success, which is very interesting, but not surprising given the recent recession," says Patricia Lovett-Reid, Senior Vice President, TD Waterhouse. "It is unrealistic to define 'financial success' as the ability to buy diamonds when your priority is paying down the mortgage. Whether it's being concerned with the financial responsibility of raising children, to supporting aging parents, we take a very practical view of financial success."

How do Canadian women define being "wealthy"?

It takes an average of $542,000 in household investible assets to be considered "wealthy" by survey respondents, but this figure varies significantly by region and is affected by existing asset levels. For example, Alberta tops the country with $668,000 in assets required to be considered wealthy while Quebec women cited the lowest number in the country at $393,000.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the more women already have, the more they think they would need to be wealthy-this figure ranges from $345,000 among those who currently have household investible assets under $50,000, to $978,000 among those with investible assets of $300,000 or more.

"Being wealthy means very different things to different people, but what remains consistent is the need to define financial success on your terms and then figure out what you need to do to get there," says Lovett-Reid. "For many women, that might not be as hard as they think because there are many easy steps they can take towards ensuring financial success, such as automatic savings plans and monthly RRSP contributions. Those steps start with getting advice on how to create a sound financial plan that will help ensure a comfortable retirement-however that level of 'comfort' is defined by you."

Achieving financial success

To achieve financial success, Canadian women take some very disciplined steps:

- follow a budget to manage spending (47%)
- pay off credit cards in full to avoid interest charges (45%)
- participate in an employer-sponsored group pension plan (38% of employed women)
- contribute regularly to an RRSP (36%)
- save through an automatic saving or investing plan (24%)
- contribute to a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) (21%)

Advice from Canadian women on how to be financially successful

Practical advice from women who consider themselves to be financially successful is consistent with those who do not, and is also consistent among both higher and lower household incomes. The top three recommendations are:

1. live within your means (28%)
2. start investing as early as possible (20%)
3. keep out of debt (14%)

Canadian women and financial independence

Sixty-five per cent of survey respondents agree that women should be completely financially independent from their spouse, the majority (55% in total, or 84% of women who are married or in a common law relationship) share financial planning and investment decisions. Women who are not married are more likely to say they manage the household investments than women who are married (76% vs. 45%). Seventy-one percent of married women, however, do have some savings or investments in their own name. Forty-eight percent of married women who have their own personal investment portfolio are fully responsible for making decisions about their investments, while 38% make decisions jointly with their spouse or partner and 14% defer to their spouse.

Financial success - a practical approach

Canadian women are practical when it comes to financial success, defining it as:

- being able to deal with unexpected emergencies (67%)
- paying bills on time (67%)
- being debt-free (65%)
- having enough money saved for a comfortable retirement (64%)
- affording to buy whatever they want beyond the basic necessities (62%)
- helping children or other family members (47%)
- being able to buy a home rather than renting (31%)
- being financially independent from partner/spouse (24%)
- having money for the finer things in life (20%)

About the TD Waterhouse Female Investor Poll:

The ninth annual TD Waterhouse Female Investor Poll examined Canadian women's investing and financial planning behaviour. Respondents are members of TNS Canadian Facts' online panel. 1,432 interviews were conducted with women 45 to 64-years-old who have sole or shared responsibility for household financial planning or investment decisions. Interviews were conducted between September 1 to 7, 2009.

About TD Bank Financial Group:

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Financial Group. TD Bank Financial Group is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves approximately 17 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in key financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Insurance; Wealth Management, including TD Waterhouse and an investment in TD Ameritrade; U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking through TD Banknorth and TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD Bank Financial Group also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 5.5 million online customers. TD Bank Financial Group had CDN$545 billion in assets on July 31, 2009. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

BMO Retirement Institute Report on Giving: Canadian Boomers Gave Less In the Recession - But Plan to Make Up for it in the Next Five Years

2009-11-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

TORONTO, Nov. 12 /CNW/ - While most Canadian boomers - 82 per cent - plan to increase or maintain their level of charitable giving in the next five years, with the majority saying they would do so regardless of the economic climate, half are only 'somewhat satisfied' with their current way of giving, according to a new report released today by the BMO Retirement Institute entitled The Evolution of Giving: From charity to philanthropy.

Boomers today want to be involved and want to have a level of control over how their contributions are utilized. Unlike their parents, who have tended to bequeath their donations, boomers are giving during their lifetimes, so that they can see what impact their donations are making. But only 1 per cent of respondents said they involve a financial advisor in charitable giving planning.

"To make the impact boomers crave, giving requires as much planning as does saving," said Tina Di Vito, Director, Retirement Strategies, BMO Financial Group. "A financial advisor can assist in making informed charitable decisions and to ensure that those dreams are realized - during their lifetime and in perpetuity."

"Boomers are telling us they want more transparency in their philanthropic giving," said Marvi Ricker, VP and Managing Director, Philanthropic Services, BMO Harris Private Banking. "They told us they would be more satisfied if they knew the impact of their contributions, and that the money was spent wisely and effectively. They have become more involved on a personal level and want to see results."

This is a definite shift in attitude, according to Di Vito. "Boomers - who represent nearly one in three Canadians - could be the generation who lead the way to social change: spearheading the transition from a nation of charitable givers - that is, from just writing cheques to worthy causes - to a nation of engaged and long-term philanthropists."

The report revealed a number of other key findings:

- The number one reason for donating for 68 per cent of respondents is
"To make a difference in a cause I believe in"
- Majority of respondents, 94 per cent, indicated it is important for
them to give to charities that serve local causes
- Almost one in three who donated money to charity within the last 12
months also raised money or volunteered for a charity.

BMO's podcast features Tina Di Vito and Marvi Ricker discussing findings from the Institute report, along with examples of how some Canadian families approach charitable giving:

http://www4.bmo.com/vgn/images/podcasts/en/?RYW20

About The BMO Retirement Institute

The BMO Retirement Institute, launched in April 2008, provides thought provoking insight and financial strategies for those either planning for or in their retirement years. The Institute was launched to help pre-retirees simplify the complex dynamic between personal finances, personal relationships and retirement lifestyles. Contact the Institute by email at bmo.retirementinstitute@bmo.com or visit www.bmo.com/RetirementInstitute for a copy of the report.

About the BMO Retirement Institute Study

The survey was conducted in late August 2009, among respondents who are over 45 years old, have household assets worth more than $50,000, and have donated money to charity in the last 12 months.

Yahoo! Rock Paper Scissors World Championships

2009-11-13T06:34:00.000-08:00

TORONTO, Nov. 5 /CNW/ - Next Saturday, contestants from around the world will come together for one night only to prove they are worthy of champion status in the ultimate duel - the Yahoo! Rock Paper Scissors World Championships.

With global bragging rights and $10,000 in cash prizing on the line, the World Rock Paper Scissors Society (http://www.worldrps.com/) and Yahoo! Canada (http://ca.yahoo.com/) are pleased to announce that this year's flock of Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) players will compete head-to-head at the 2009 Yahoo! Rock Paper Scissors World Championships on Saturday, November 14 in Toronto, Canada.

Event organizers welcome back current World Champion, Monica Martinez of Toronto, Ontario to defend her crown and to battle with seasoned RPS players and newcomers spanning all parts of North America, and from far-reaching destinations like Australia, New Zealand and Norway.

Who: Anyone over the age of 19 who thinks they have what it takes to
compete at the World-Class level

Seasoned RPS competitors from around the globe

Last year's World Champion, Monica Martinez

Spectators and fans who just want to be near the RPS action

What: Plenty of photo and interview opps with competitors from around
the world, as well as last year's champ

Photo and interview opp with this year's new champ once they
have been crowned

The chance to experience or witness what it's like to become a
world renowned professional athlete for one night

First, second, and third place prizes of $7,000, $1,500, and
$500. Plus, a $1,000 prize for the winner of the Street RPS
competition

Where: Steam Whistle Brewery, The Roundhouse
255 Bremner Blvd., Toronto, Ontario

When: Saturday, November 14, 2009
7 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Registration
8 p.m. to midnight: Qualifying rounds until the Champ is crowned
For more information and to buy tickets: www.worldrps.com

Barrie – 2009 Barrie Business Awards Recipients

2009-11-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

The Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce and the City of Barrie, in partnership with OLG, OLG Slots at Georgian Downs, and PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution Inc., are pleased to announce the 2009 recipients of the Barrie Business Awards.

Retail Business Excellence Award
Glen Martin Ltd.
Glen Martin, (705) 721-8800

Manufacturing Business Excellence Award
Ontario Gold Beverage
S. Reynolds, (705) 728-2005

Service Business Excellence Award
R& F Construction Inc.– Disaster Kleenup
Trevor Walker, (705) 734-3326

Hospitality Business Excellence Award
Laurie’s Sweet Treats & Café
Laurie Warwick, (705) 725-0600

SOHO Business Excellence Award
Pal’s Computer Tech & Training
Al Doucette, (705) 726-1568

New Business Award
Razzlewood Business Solutions
James Henderson, (705) 797-4923

Marketing & Promotions Award
Fix Auto Barrie North
o/o by Roberts Collision
Kim Roberts, (705) 737-5560

Green Community Award
RePower Canada
Iain Robertson, (705) 321-5032

Green Project Award
Bodystream
Bailey Burke, (705) 726-2004

Mayor’s Employer of the Year
Canadian Mental Health
Association Barrie/Simcoe
Sheri Scaini, (705) 726-5033

Community Award
United Way of Greater Simcoe County
Seija Suutari, (705) 726-2301

Also presented during the gala event was the Arch Brown Entrepreneur Award of Excellence. This year’s recipient is: Donna Douglas of GO VENTURE, (705) 727-0789

Initiated by the Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce and the City of Barrie in 2003, the Barrie Business Awards program recognizes the contribution of local businesses to the continued growth and success of our community. Each year the program begins with a call for nominations in April, nominees are interviewed throughout the summer, the panel of judges meets in September, and finalists are announced in October. The awards are presented in November, during a gala that has come to be known as Barrie's premier business networking event. The list of previous award recipients and finalists is impressive; Barrie residents should be proud to have such diverse and compassionate businesses within their community.

New Surgical Centre Gives Barrie Area New Options

2009-11-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

Barrie, ON – Those in need of surgical care can now get treatment sooner than they might expect—and not in the setting they might expect. Barrie’s new Lakeview Surgery Centre offers a wide variety of surgical procedures, and its presence will provide some much needed relief to the resources at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

“I think it’s a great step forward in taking the pressure off hospitals,” said Dr. Rod Kunynetz, a local dermatologist, who is already referring patients to the centre for skin cancer surgeries.

“This is a big boost for us, because we’re able to have our patients access the much needed procedures, such as cancer surgery, in a timely manor and in a safe environment.”

The new centre’s staff is proud to announce that the facility was recently recognized as a fully accredited surgery facility by the Canadian Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (CAAASF).

“Our centre was tested vigorously for proper ventilation, sterilization, lighting and things of that nature. In the end, all of our preparation paid off as the CAAASF recognized us as a fully functional and accredited surgical centre,” said Dr. Emad Guirguis, owner of the centre.

The Lakeview Surgery Centre's certified and trained staff is now here to help area residents with procedures like skin and thyroid cancer surgeries, hernia repairs, carpal tunnel decompression, removing moles, cysts and lipomas, LAP-BAND adjustable gastric banding, cosmetic surgery, and UltraShape.

“The staff really goes above and beyond,” said Jackie LeSarge, a former patient. “When I was recovering from my surgery, they actually brought a phone down to me and gave me a headset so I could talk to my dad and let him know everything went well.”

Dr. Guirguis served as a practicing general surgeon for 17 years, before having a vision of working in a different kind of medical building. Originally from Barrie, he wanted to give the area a surgical centre of excellence surrounded by the serenity of nature. After an exhaustive search, they found a sprawling residential home overlooking beautiful Kempenfelt Bay, centrally located and bordering Barrie’s downtown core.

“It took a lot of work to turn a home into a functional, equipped, and accredited surgical centre. New lighting, ventilation and air purification systems, a new elevator, and numerous other changes, “said Dr. Guirguis.

“But the end result is exactly what we envisioned. We give our patients a bright and inviting, yet professional setting. They’re calm, they’re comfortable.”

Ritalin Side Effects Now Include Sudden Death

2009-11-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

Expert Says Drugs Aren’t Solution to Learning Disabilities: Nutrition, a Healthy Environment and Good Parenting Are Key
By Tony Panaccio

After years of speculation and rare case reports, a recent FDA-funded study by The National Institute of Mental Health claims that drugs such as Ritalin – widely used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder in children – increase the risk of sudden death by five hundred percent among children and teens.

“Drugs are not the answer,” said Etta Brown, a licensed educational psychologist, veteran social worker and author of Learning Disabilities, Understanding the Problem and Managing the Challenges from Langdon Street Press (www.understandingld.com). “Doctors and pharmaceutical companies are quick to tell parents there is a pill that will fix their kids, but it’s a false bill of goods. In many cases, these drugs – like Ritalin – will serve only to dull their kids’ senses and create health risks the parents could never have imagined.”

The irony of Ritalin, Brown added, is that it actually damages the neural connections needed for learning. While it may calm a hyper-active child, so that he is less of a problem in the classroom and can sit still for longer periods of time, it does not create the ability to learn.

“Another well-documented side effect of Ritalin is that it may cause a permanent tic of the face, head and neck,” Brown said. “There is a long fifty-year history of false advertising by drug companies that sell drugs with known side effects that are more damaging to the developing nervous system of children than the condition they are designed to treat.”

Between two to18 percent of American children are thought to be affected by ADHD, and Ritalin remains one of the most prescribed drugs for the behavioral disorder. This suggests that the medical approach to poorly nourished children who aren’t getting enough exercise is to dose them with a drug that is known to interfere with the development of their brains, cause permanent ticing of the face, head and neck, and increase the likelihood of sudden death by 500 percent. And the FDA is not looking.

“As with ADHD, the incidence of learning disabilities has also been growing at a rate of 10-20 percent every 10 years since WWII,” said Brown. “The difference between a learning disability and attention deficit disorder, she says, is the professional who diagnoses it. The Department of Education refers to the condition as a learning disability, and the American Psychological Association looking at the same set of symptoms labels them Attention Deficit Disorder. Add these two percentages together and 12 to 38 percent of the nation’s children have learning problems.”

Kids live in a world full of toxins, limited exercise, a lack of sleep, fast foods, and loads of time alone caused by the need for parents to work two jobs to make ends meet. The consequence is severe allergies to a toxic environment, obesity from a lack of exercise, an inability to learn due to a lack of sufficient nutrients to keep the brain functioning properly, and limited emotional security in 38 percent of our children.

Brown says that proper diet, exercise and adequate sleep are the key to helping a child overcome learning disabilities and improve his ability to attend.
“There is no easy solution, no pill, no magic wand, or special education program that is going to make a child a better learner,” Brown said. “Learning disabilities and ADHD are not the fault of the children, or failure of the school. But, the schools have to teach each child that comes to them. “

Learning disabilities should become as much a concern for public health as it is for education, according to Brown.

“Instead of medicating kids into oblivion because they can’t sit still, parents should be encouraged to cut the sodas and junk food, provide opportunities for their kids to exercise, ensure they get 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night, and take the time to interact with them on occasion,” she added. “There is no substitute for parenting, and there is no replacement for proper diet, exercise and good sleep habits to enhance a child’s readiness for learning.”

(Tony Panaccio is a staff writer for News & Experts Syndicate.)

2009 Lakehead Shads Continue Success Story: FiberGel Inc. Places First in Two Cup Categories

2009-11-11T07:56:00.001-08:00

(November 11, 2009 – Thunder Bay, ON) HaemAssist, a product designed and developed by the 2009 Lakehead Shads’ company FiberGel Inc., has won Best Application of Scientific Principles and Best Business Plan at the RBC Shad Entrepreneurship Cup, held in mid-October in Waterloo, Ontario.

The theme of the 2009 competition asked Shads to look to nature and natural fibres, tasking them with finding an innovative way to use the fibres: through first use (manufacture with new materials); repurposing (reuse of existing material in a new manner); recycling (creating new product from old); or retirement (converting existing natural fibre materials to a final use). Shads explored the development of HaemAssist while considering the boundaries of science, design, and art, while thinking innovatively and using bottom-line principles to develop a product that encapsulates economic value, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability.

HaemAssist is an entirely new product for use in the emergency response and healthcare industries. Currently, many Canadian emergency response services do not have means to provide fast and effective treatment to patients suffering severe blood loss. In response, HaemAssist provides care workers with a natural-based product that aids in the retention and coagulation of blood using the natural fibre Hagfish Exudate.

“Our Shads faced a tough yet reputable judging panel this year and we’re extremely proud of their achievements,” says Dr. Sultan Siddiqui, Lakehead’s Shad Valley Director. “Through their time with the Shad program and in preparing their final projects for the Cup, our students learned a great deal about engineering, entrepreneurship, information technology, medicine, and science as well as about themselves and how they work alongside their peers. They fared very well in several areas overall this year. They set some high standards for themselves, and in working as hard as they did, they are all more prepared to face the challenges and opportunities that life, schooling, and work will bestow upon them – now and in years to come.”

The annual RBC/Shad Entrepreneurship Cup is a national competition that unveils Shad-designed products that are well-positioned to be the next business success story. The Cup showcases the best in entrepreneurship, science, and technology, and demonstrates what senior high school students are capable of creating.

Barrie Celebrates With WinterLights

2009-11-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

(Barrie, ON) With Halloween behind us, it must mean that WinterLights is upon us! Just weeks after collecting top honours at this year’s national Communities in Bloom competition, the City of Barrie is pleased to be welcoming back the second annual Winterlights competition. Last year Barrie residents embraced this ‘bright’ new initiative and received top honours with a 5 star rating.

“WinterLights encourages communities to showcase their winter activities, festive celebrations, visual decorations and goodwill programs,” says Mayor Dave Aspden. “This community initiative is another example of the many events going on in our city, and why so many return to visit.”

WinterLights is made up of five categories including; Visual Presentation, Winter Pleasures, Festive Season Celebrations, Goodwill Programs, and Tourism Promotion. Some of the many benefits from participating in the WinterLights program include; increased winter tourism, enhanced civic pride and community involvement, participation from all ages and walks of life, mobilization of citizens, and the involvement of community groups, and businesses.

“WinterLights is another way that residents and businesses can get involved with our community. This is something that is fun, festive and an opportunity where the whole family can get involved. I hope that everyone takes the opportunity to participate,” says Councillor Lynn Strachan, WinterLights Committee Chair.

Gearing up for this exciting new initiative, the City is collecting information from Barrie residents, community groups, service clubs, schools, churches and businesses that are involved in projects and/or activities relating to the WinterLights categories.

To find out more about this new winter program and to register your projects and/or activities please visit www.barrie.ca.

Celebrate the power of technology with the human touch Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists

2009-11-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

November 8 – 14th is Medical Radiation Technologists’ Week

Have you ever wondered who was operating your CT scan, x-ray equipment, nuclear medicine scanner, MRI unit or radiation therapy equipment?

The answer is medical radiation technologists or therapists, key members of the health care team with highly specialized clinical skills. There are over 11,000 registered medical radiation technologists (MRTs) in Canada. MRT Week is the occasion to celebrate the contributions of these dedicated professionals to the health of Canadians.

Medical radiation technologists are highly trained health professionals with specialized skills, knowledge and competences who carry out diagnostic imaging and a number of treatment procedures in hospitals and private medical clinics. The profession is composed of four disciplines: the radiological technologist, the radiation therapist, the nuclear medicine technologist and the magnetic resonance technologist. These dedicated health care professionals also function as patient advocates, educators, health care researchers, technical and therapy specialists, and interdisciplinary consultants.

Radiological technologists produce images, such as chest x-rays, back x-rays, CT scans, and mammograms. These images (or x-rays) of a body part or system help the physician make a diagnosis.
Radiological technologists use their excellent patient care skills and expert knowledge of anatomy and pathology to monitor and correctly position the patient. They utilize their technical expertise to operate the equipment properly, and ensure radiation protection methods are followed, in order to protect the patient and their family, as well as staff.

Nuclear medicine technologists use equipment that acquires images such as thyroid, cardiac, bone and kidney scans. These images enable physicians to diagnose and monitor a patient's response to various treatments.
Nuclear medicine technologists use their excellent patient care skills to monitor patients during procedures. Their technical expertise in the use of radiopharmaceuticals and radiation physics combined with their expert knowledge of anatomy and physiology allow them to produce images and perform diagnostic imaging procedures. Technologists also ensure proper radiation handling and protection techniques are followed, keeping patients, their families and staff safe.

Radiation therapists are responsible for accurately planning and administering the radiation treatment for cancer patients, using radiation treatment units. They have expert knowledge in care of the patient and anatomy, as well as radiation physics and radiation protection for the safe operation of the equipment. The radiation therapist counsels patients on possible side effects from treatment and provides advice on how to minimize and manage them. Because the course of radiation treatment often takes several weeks, a special supportive relationship usually develops between the therapist and the patient and family members.

Magnetic resonance technologists, or MRI technologists, produce diagnostic images using equipment that generates radio waves and a strong magnetic field. They apply their extensive knowledge of anatomy, pathology and physiology as well as their patient care skills in order to obtain the necessary images and monitor patients during scans.

MRI technologists employ their technical expertise and understanding of magnetic resonance physics to produce images, and to ensure that the required protocols are followed within the area of the magnet in order to protect the patients, their families and hospital staff.
For more information about the medical radiation technology profession and its role on the health care team, along with details about the challenging career opportunities the profession offers, visit the website of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists, at www.camrt.ca.

MPP DUNLOP WELCOMES NOMINATIONS FOR LEADING GIRLS/WOMEN

2009-11-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

(Orillia) Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop is encouraging local
schools and community and volunteer organizations to identify nominees
for the Leading Girls and Women / Building Communities Awards.

The Leading Girls Building Communities Award for females under the age
of 18 recognizes and celebrates girls who demonstrate exceptional
leadership in working to improve the lives of others in their schools or
communities.

The Leading Women Building Communities Award is for those aged 18 and
over. Nominees will have demonstrated exceptional community leadership
to improve the lives of others.

"I would be pleased and honoured to nominate girls/women in my riding
for these most prestigious awards," said Dunlop. "I encourage local
schools and community groups to contact my office in Orillia or Midland
for the list of criteria and necessary forms. I will gladly forward them
to the Minister Responsible for Women's Issues."

The deadline for nominations for the Leading Girls and Women / Building
Communities Awards is January 8, 2010.

PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER WELCOMES 2015 PAN AMERICAN AND PARAPAN AMERICAN GAMES TO CANADA

2009-11-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today welcomed the announcement that the 17th Pan American and Parapan American Games have been awarded to Toronto and the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. The decision was announced today at the Pan American Sports Organization meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“This is an exciting day for all Canadians. We are all looking forward to welcoming the Games in 2015,” said the Prime Minister. “On behalf of the Government of Canada, I want to thank and congratulate the Toronto 2015 Bid Corporation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, the Government of Ontario, municipal leaders, the volunteers and everyone who was involved in bringing these Games to Canada.

“After the Winter Games of 2010, the Pan American and Parapan American Games of 2015 will ensure that Canada continues to be a leader in sport on the world stage.

“Canadians love sports and we are known for our hospitality, an unbeatable combination for successful Games.

“Sports fans in Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe area are known for their passion and commitment. I am confident they will give a warm welcome to athletes from across the Americas.”

The Pan American and Parapan American Games are an international multisport event held every four years. The Games host competitors from all nations in the Americas. The last Games were held in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the next will be in 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Warden’s Gala Dinner Raises $85,000 for United Way

2009-10-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

Funds will support individuals and families across Simcoe County

Midhurst/ October 26, 2009 – The third annual Simcoe County Warden’s Gala Dinner was held at the Nottawasaga Inn in Alliston on October 22 and was a major success this year raising $85,000 for the United Way of Greater Simcoe County.

“This was a truly successful event we hosted this year and our gratitude goes out to all those generous donors who came out to support this cause,” stated Warden Tony Guergis. “This year, the United Way of Greater Simcoe County celebrates it 50th year of service to our communities and residents.

“Over 150,000 people in Simcoe County alone access the vital services that the United Way supports. We greatly appreciate the many sponsors that recognize the tremendous value of the United Way and its work in our communities.”

Highlights of the evening included the auction of a 2010 Honda Civic DX-G as well as the evening’s entertainment, Derek Edwards, an award winning comedian who frequents the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival. The evening was emceed by A Channel’s Lance Chilton.

The Gala brought together elected officials of Simcoe County, community leaders and key members of Ontario’s building and land development communities.

“We are so grateful to Warden Tony Guergis and County of Simcoe staff for organizing this event on behalf of United Way of Greater Simcoe County for the third year in a row,” said Seija Suutari, Chief Executive Officer for United Way. “The proceeds from this class act event will go a long way in supporting our community fund and will be directly invested in Simcoe County. “

The County of Simcoe manages social services programs for residents throughout the region including the cities of Barrie and Orillia. Programs for youth, seniors, families, people with special needs and the homeless are currently operating at capacity level and with extensive wait lists.

United Way of Greater Simcoe County, a volunteer-based organization, distributes funds to support local non-profit agencies. The services these agencies provide build a brighter future for children, enrich the lives of the elderly, give hope to those in need and strengthen families.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Simcoe County Museum Presents ‘An Evening of Hallowe’en’

2009-10-26T06:19:00.001-07:00

Minesing/October 26, 2009 - On Wednesday, October 28th and Thursday October 29th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Simcoe County Museum presents An Evening of Hallowe’en. Bring your friends and celebrate Hallowe’en with us as ghosts, goblins and ghouls come alive! There will be games, activities and treats for all ages. Race against your friends in Which Witch Wins?, test your accuracy at Ring the Cats Tail, practice your aim at Skeleton Toss, and play our all-time favourite Bowling for Tombstones.

If you dare, join us for an outdoor Haunted Adventure and be prepared to be scared! This year’s haunting promises to be spooktacular! For the not so brave, there’s always our Boo Barn, perfect for younger Trick or Treaters. There will be games and activities both inside the Museum and on the grounds. Be sure to dress for the weather and enjoy some great Hallowe’en fun! Admission is only $2 per person.

The Simcoe County Museum is located at 1151 Highway 26, minutes north of Barrie. For more information on An Evening of Hallowe’en, or the Simcoe County Museum, visit museum.simcoe.ca or call (705)728-3721.

Take the Infinite Journey with Simcoe County Museum, a cultural exploration of our historical past and exciting future. Simcoe County Museum is owned and operated by the County of Simcoe and offers year round exhibits, events and educational programs for visitors of every age. Visit our website at museum.simcoe.ca for further details.

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA

2009-10-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement today on the occasion of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s appointment as member to the Order of Merit:

“On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I congratulate Jean Chrétien on his appointment as member to the Order of Merit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

“The Order of Merit is a mark of honour conferred by the Queen to individuals of distinction in the arts, learning, sciences and public service. Created in 1902, appointment to the Order is the Sovereign’s personal gift.

“Born and raised in a small industrial town in Quebec, Prime Minister Chrétien lived the Canadian dream and rose to the highest elected office in the country through hard work, determination and dedication to Canada. His warm relationship with the Queen of Canada is a reflection of this.

“This is truly an honour for former Prime Minister Chrétien and his family, and an occasion about which all Canadians can be proud.”

County of Simcoe Recognizes Child Care Workers and Early Childhood Educators

2009-10-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Midhurst/ October 20, 2009 – County of Simcoe Warden Tony Guergis has proclaimed Wednesday October 21, 2009 to be Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day in acknowledgement of the actions and efforts of those in the Child Care field.

“Each year we take this opportunity to celebrate those who dedicate themselves to the education and care of our children,” stated Warden Tony Guergis. “Early Childhood Educators and child care workers play a vital role in the lives of countless children and families across our region. It is an honour to recognize their efforts on behalf of the County of Simcoe.”

In recognition of this day, the County of Simcoe’s Children and Community Services Department sponsored the fourth annual Flag Contest. This contest was open to children 6 years of age and under attending licensed child care programs in Simcoe County, and challenged participants to draw pictures highlighting the qualities that make their teachers special and the things that they like best about attending Child Care. Once again, the theme of the contest was “Quality Educators Create Quality Child Care.” The winning drawing, selected by a Committee of community partners in the Child Care field, will be re-created in a full size flag to be flown at Georgian College YMCA Child Care, which is the centre where the child with the winning submission attends.

The County of Simcoe is the Child Care System Service Manager for the County of Simcoe and the cities of Barrie and Orillia. The County provides wage subsidy to support approximately 656 child care workers working in 137 licensed child care programs throughout the County. To date, there are approximately 6318 licensed child care spaces in Simcoe County.

Media are invited to help celebrate “Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day”, by joining Warden Guergis, County staff and child care workers at the following media event:

EVENT:
What

Childcare Workers and Early Childhood Educators Appreciation Day

Where

Georgian College YMCA Child Care
1 Georgian Drive, Barrie, Ontario

When

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 3:00 PM

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Hospice House Races for the Finish Line

2009-10-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hospice Simcoe took a giant leap toward the capital campaign finish line this week when an anonymous donor doubled a pledged bringing it up to $200,000.

“This is tremendous news,” said Faith Orlando, Manager, Resource Development at Hospice Simcoe. “Simcoe County residents, businesses and service groups have been extremely generous and they are making the dream of building, furnishing and operating a Hospice House a reality for this region. Donors who are stepping up and closing the gap are ensuring there will be access to exemplary compassionate care for those in need during the final days of their lives.”

Hospice House Simcoe County, located at 366 Penetanguishene Road, is a 10 bed residence designed to provide high quality end of life care to residents and support to families. Officials recently announced that the first residents will move into the facility on December 1.

The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care granted Hospice Simcoe $2.8 million in 2008. Hospice Simcoe Board of Directors approved the construction of Hospice House believing Simcoe County residents would embrace the project.

“That is exactly what has happened in a huge way,” said Orlando. “This is the community’s project, the community’s house. People are donating for their neighbours, their friends and their family members. Simcoe County residents are making Hospice House a reality and we are truly grateful for that community commitment.”

This facility is the first of its kind in Simcoe County and will serve residents from across Simcoe County’s 18 municipalities who are in need of end of life care. Outreach programs operated by Hospice Simcoe for the past 20 years will continue for individuals who continue to live at home in the community.

“Brick by brick, curtain by curtain residents of Simcoe County are working together to finish this home,” Orlando concluded. “Thanks to our donors we are closer to our ultimate goal of making Hospice House a place where residents will be at home with their families during a very difficult time.”

There are many ways to build a house. Here are a few examples of recent fundraising efforts:

· Anonymous donor knew the type of kitchen furniture that would fit the house and he wanted to have it created in his parent’s memory. The donated furniture was crafted specifically for Hospice House.
· Another generous donor provided hospital beds, armoires and Murphy beds.
· The kitchen countertop supplier toured Hospice House, said his parents own a quarry and the end was result was an installed countertop from India.

We invite your group, business or neighbourhood to help us cross the finish line of the capital campaign. For more information or to book a tour of Hospice House, please call Faith Orlando at 722-5995 or visit hospicesimcoe.ca.

Hospice Simcoe is a charitable, volunteer-based organization, providing client centred support for those living with life threatening illness or grieving the loss of a loved one. The 10 bed residential hospice, scheduled to open December 1, 2009, will provide care to Simcoe County residents who are dying and their families in a home-like caring environment.

Bus Safety Awareness Poster Exhibition

2009-10-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

To increase awareness of Bus Safety Week, Sinton Transportation, in partnership with the MacLarenArtCentre, is hosting a student art exhibition that informs people about Bus Safety.

Posters by school children in Simcoe County will be on exhibition during Bus Safety Week, October 19 to 23, in the Bus Gallery parked outside of the MacLarenArtCentre on Collier Street.

To make the exhibition more accessible to the public, the Sinton Bus Gallery will be traveling to The Good Shepherd Catholic School to be viewed by students that submitted posters, staff and members of the public interested in viewing the exhibition.

THE TRAVELING GALLERY WILL BE AT THE GOOD SHEPHERD SCHOOL FROM 9:30 AM TO NOON ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, FOLLOWING WHICH IT WILL RETURN TO THE MACLAREN ART CENTRE FOR THE BUS SAFETY AWARENESS RECEPTION FROM 6 UNTIL 7:00 PM.

GENERAL INFORMATION
The MacLarenArtCentre is a not-for-profit, public art gallery located in downtown Barrie, Ontario. Our mission is to integrate the visual arts and culture within our community. The MacLaren promotes understanding and awareness by creating accessible means for the visual arts to be an intrinsic part of everyday life.

Gallery Location: The MacLarenArtCentre is located at 37 Mulcaster Street, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3M2, 90 km north of Toronto. From highway 400 north, take the Dunlop Street East exit to Mulcaster Street and turn left. We are one block north at the south-east corner of Mulcaster and Collier Street.

Gallery Hours: The MacLarenArtCentre is open Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday noon to 4:00 pm. The MacLarenArtCentre is closed statutory holidays. Suggested gallery admission is $5.

Gallery Tours: Guided tours of the gallery for groups and schools are available by appointment. A free public tour of the current exhibitions is scheduled for Sunday, November 1 at 1:00 pm. The Family Sunday Workshop is offered each Sunday from 1:30 to 3:00 pm in the Rotary Education Centre. Materials are provided. Admission is $5 per child/Family Membership holders free.

Contact Information: For more information on exhibitions and educational programming, please email us at maclaren@maclarenart.com or telephone 705-721-9696. Our website is www.maclarenart.com.

Acknowledgements: The MacLarenArtCentre gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of its members, benefactors and donors, the City of Barrie, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts and Sinton Transportation.

2009 Warden’s Gala Dinner Benefits United Way

2009-10-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

Midhurst/ October 19, 2009 – Simcoe County Warden Tony Guergis will host the Warden’s Gala Dinner in support of the United Way of Greater Simcoe County on Thursday, October 22 at the Nottawasaga Inn, Alliston, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM.

Building on the success of last year’s event, the 2009 Warden’s Gala offers great food, entertainment and a chance for one guest to drive away in a brand new Honda Civic.

Gala guests will be invited to bid on the new Honda Civic prior to the evening’s entertainment feature. Derek Edwards, an award winning comedian who has headlined at the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, promises to keep to guests laughing.

“As community leaders, it’s important for us to do what we can to ensure that the United Way has the necessary resources it needs to help families and individuals across this region,” stated Warden Tony Guergis. “We are proud to partner with many businesses and organizations to help build stronger communities.”

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Simcoe County Museum presents The Last Blast October 17, 2009

2009-09-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Minesing/September 24, 2009 - Start your engines and head to the Simcoe County Museum for one of the largest displays of working historic construction equipment in Canada! The Simcoe County Museum and the Historical Construction Equipment Association present our 10 th annual Last Blast at the Simcoe County Museum on Saturday, October 17 th, 2009. Ride out to the gravel pits on a people mover for a guided tour. See live demonstrations of steam powered equipment, vintage road building, rock crushing, grading, hoisting and much more. Wander through the displays of vintage tractors, classic trucks and other historic equipment set up around the Museum grounds. Each year we power up pieces of our heritage equipment for one last blast before the winter, and you are invited to come see it. This is a family event guaranteed to rev up the inner child in everyone!

Visitors are invited to spend the day, stroll through the Museum grounds and visit our permanent displays. The Friends of the Simcoe County Museum will be on site all day, serving delicious hot food at our refreshment stand. Event hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission rates are: Adult $4, Senior/Student $3.50, Child $2.50, Preschoolers free.

The Simcoe County Museum is located at 1151 Highway 26, minutes north of Barrie. For more information visit museum.simcoe.ca or call (705)728-3721. Take the Infinite Journey with Simcoe County Museum, a cultural exploration of our historical past and exciting future. Simcoe County Museum is owned and operated by the County of Simcoe and offers year round exhibits, events and educational programs for visitors of every age. Visit our website at museum.simcoe.ca for further details.

County of Simcoe to Move Forward

2009-09-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Site 41 Voted Down - Council to Refocus Priorities

Midhurst / September 22, 2009 – Simcoe County Council today passed a motion directing that the construction and all future development of the North Simcoe Landfill Site be discontinued.

“The debate over the future of Site 41 has overshadowed many other important issues in our County. Today, County Council has spoken and we will move forward to gather the information we need to redevelop a forward looking waste management strategy for the region,” stated Warden Tony Guergis.

The County remains a leader in reducing and diverting waste destined for landfills. It is currently diverting approximately 60 per cent of its residential waste, a number that has more than tripled since 2003. These efforts alone place Simcoe County amongst municipal leaders in waste management in North America. The County continues to raise the bar by regularly exploring and implementing new waste management initiatives.

“With the Site 41 notice of motion vote now over, it is time to refocus our attention. The County is committed to good governance and sound environmental, economic and social stewardship. Managing the collective growth of our region is a significant priority for the County. I want to remind residents of the many superior programs and services we provide each and every day,” added Warden Guergis.

The County’s Recent Accomplishments:

Residents of Simcoe County have made huge strides in improving the programs and services available to our 16 member municipalities and the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. County Council and the 1,600 hard working municipal staff remain committed to supporting the County’s residents. Below are just some of the County’s recent key accomplishments:

· Committed $30 million to the Simcoe County Hospital Alliance with $20 million geared to the Royal Victoria Hospital’s new cancer care centre and hospital expansion

· Worked with Health Unit partners, school boards, Local Health Integration Networks and other regional partners.

· Provided over 160 defibrillators in County public areas through the Public Access Defibrillation Program. Almost 1,800 people have been trained in defibrillation and CPR

· Developed a new Official Growth Plan with a vision rooted in sustainable growth, responsible stewardship and creating a diverse economic base

· Administered $1.4 million to the Homeownership Program allowing the County of Simcoe to help 175 households move from renting to owning

· Supported people who were at risk of being evicted from their rented homes through the Rent Bank program

· Offered low income families suitable housing with rent geared to 30% of their gross income

· Provided over $30 million in infrastructure improvements including over $6 million in funding through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund:
- $ 500,000 for the Rehabilitation of Avening Bridge
- $1.6 million for Improvements to Highway 400 detour routes
- $1.37 million for municipal buildings archives expansion
- $1.15 million for local road infrastructure improvements to Highway 400 detour routes
- $1.66 million for County Road 44 improvements - Rama Rd.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca

Major power outage planned for Penetanguishene/Midland area

2009-09-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Work by Hydro One, local utilities on September 27 will improve system reliability

PENETANGUISHENE & MIDLAND, ON – Hydro One, in co-operation with
PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution and Midland PUC, is planning a power outage from 5 am to 1 pm on Sunday, September 27 in the Penetanguishene, Midland and Tiny Township areas in order to conduct major refurbishment work on its distribution system that will improve power reliability.

The area affected includes the Town of Penetanguishene (served by PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution), parts of Midland (Midland PUC customers along Highway 93 between Highway 12 and Vinden Street) and approximately 8,600 Hydro One customers in the area north of Highway 12, west of Highway 93, Midland Point/Sandy Bay area, and Christian Island.

Hydro One crews will be replacing approximately 70 poles, and upgrading conductor and associated equipment. PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution crews will be taking advantage of the Hydro One planned outage to complete upgrades to its distribution system including pole and conductor replacements in several areas as well as addressing other required improvements that were identified during a recent infra-red scan of PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution’s equipment within the Town of Penetanguishene.

“No one likes to have their power off, but it’s better to do this preventive maintenance workunder planned and managed conditions than risk an unplanned outage that could last much longer,” said Hydro One Penetang Customer Operations Manager, Alex Turpin. “Hydro One staff will be doing a tremendous amount of preparatory work with the equipment in advance in order to minimize the duration of the outage. However, some of the work is extremely hazardous so we have to take the power off to protect our workers.”

Turpin said the company is bringing in crews from other areas, and should have about 100 Hydro One staff involved in the project. “By taking a cooperative approach to this, both Hydro One and PowerStream are refurbishing our respective distribution systems simultaneously thereby necessitating only one major planned power outage for the town of Penetanguishene rather than two,” PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution Lines Manager, Leo McGinty, added.

Hydro One and the local utilities will be working in conjunction with the Towns of Penetanguishene and Midland to provide advance notification to the residents and businesses within the affected area. Hydro One customers with questions can call the company’s Customer Contact Centre at 1-888-664-9376. PowerStream Barrie Hydro Distribution customers seeking additional information can contact the utility’s Customer Service department at 1-877-963-6900, Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

About Hydro One
Hydro One delivers electricity safely, reliably and responsibly to homes and businesses across the province of Ontario and owns and operates Ontario’s 29,000 km high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 123,000 km low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.3 million enduse customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.

About PowerStream
PowerStream is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing service to more than 315,000 residential and business customers in Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Beeton, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Markham, Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan. It is an incorporated entity, jointly owned by the City of Barrie, the City of Vaughan and the Town of Markham.

Residents eager to see walking, cycling opportunities increase: survey

2009-08-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

SIMCOE MUSKOKA – People in Simcoe and Muskoka may not be familiar with the term “walkable community” but they certainly want more chances to walk to meet their daily needs.

A survey conducted by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reveals that more than 70 per cent of respondents felt it was either very important or somewhat important that sidewalks and pathways connect to their homes, their schools, and to stores and other places in their community.

Among other findings, the respondents felt desirable communities were those that had:

• parks and amenities within a five to 10-minute walk from their homes,

• well-lit streets and sidewalks at night,

• sidewalks and streets in good condition.

“These are all conditions that make walkable communities; places that feature a mix of housing, stores, businesses, schools, and destinations interconnected by paths, trails and sidewalks that make it easy to walk,” said Brenda Marshall a public health promoter with the healthy lifestyle team at the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “If the infrastructure is there to make it possible to walk to work, school, shopping or to run errands on a daily basis, people will become more physically active and healthier as a result.”

Among the many benefits, daily physical activity helps to maintain a healthy body weight and reduces the risk for illnesses like heart disease, colon cancer and Type 2 Diabetes.

There are environmental benefits as well, in reducing air pollutants caused by vehicle exhaust.

Findings from this survey will provide direction for the health unit programs.

“The survey results show clearly that a well designed community encourages people to use their cars less and to choose walking or cycling more often,” Marshall said. “The next step is for community partners and citizens to take action and speak out for change that will make our communities more walkable.”

For more information to assess how walkable your community is, and how you can add more physical activity into your day, visit the health unit’s website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or call Health Connection at 721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 4:30.

Government of Canada announces $5.5 million for 44 new projects to clean up Lake Simcoe

2009-08-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Jackson’s Point, ON – August 27, 2009 – On behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety and Member of Parliament for York Simcoe, announced today the third and fourth groups of projects under the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund.

“We’re investing in Lake Simcoe because it is a critical resource that provides safe drinking water for eight municipalities and, through recreational activities, generates more than $200 million a year for the local economy,” said Minister Van Loan. “These projects represent an investment that will help to ensure Lake Simcoe has a healthy future.”

“Environment Canada has a strong, comprehensive, approach to ensure clean water for all Canadians, and the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund is an important part of that plan,” said Environment Minister Jim Prentice. “It is a great example of how we collaborate with stakeholders to take concrete and measurable actions that improve water quality.”

Initiatives funded by the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund are designed to preserve and protect the environment of Lake Simcoe. Forty-four projects will receive a total of $5,504,231 as part of an overall investment of $30 million over five years, which was announced in February 2008.

“Through our previous Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund funding, we’ve engaged our partners to undertake 23 projects that have helped to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the lake by 15 kg annually. We’re proud of the fact that we’ve been able to restore 3.5 km of urban and rural stream banks and planted over 6,500 trees and shrubs,” said Gayle Wood, Chief Administrative Officer of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.

This investment to clean up Lake Simcoe is part of the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Clean Water, which includes projects like the Health of the Oceans initiative to protect Canada’s three oceans, the clean-up of contaminated sediment in Great Lakes Areas of Concern, and action on pollution in Lake Winnipeg.