150magazine

COMMEMORATIVE PUBLICATION

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TABLE OF CONTENTS The Orillia 150th commemorative magazine and calendar is a collaborative project by City of Orillia staff and special contributors to celebrate and honour Orillia's past, present and future.

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL TEAM

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Welcome Messages

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Our Waterfront

Jacqueline Soczka, Managing Editor Parks, Recreation and Culture

6 Our Downtown 8

Orillia Innovates

Keltie Town, Chief Designer Parks, Recreation and Culture

10 A City of Firsts

Laura Thompson, Photography Editor Economic Development

12 Greening Orillia

Darcy Hoover, Marketing Parks, Recreation and Culture

14 A City of Sport

Kendall Wisniewski, Editorial Human Resources

16 Creative Culture

George Bowa, Editorial Engineering and Transportation

18 Experience the 150th

Greg Preston, Editorial Environmental Services and Operations

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada

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Jennifer Ruff, Managing Editor Clerk’s

Dan Landry, Editorial Economic Development Haleigh Fox, Editorial/Events Liaison Parks, Recreation and Culture Robin Cadeau, Boards & Committee Liaison Clerk’s Michael Ladouceur, Editorial & Sport Orillia Liaison Parks, Recreation and Culture Special Contributors Bruce McRae David Town Nathan Taylor Sport Orillia Jordan Leeson Marcel Rousseau

WELCOME MESSAGES The City of Orillia is about to embark upon a very special year.

Starting Jan. 1, 2017, Orillia is officially in its sesquicentennial year – celebrating 150 years since its incorporation. Sharing this important milestone with Canada, Council and City staff are excited to make 2017 a year for the history books.

The City of Orillia has partnered with the community to offer a wide variety of activities, events and engagement opportunities that will help each of you celebrate what it means to be an Orillian and Canadian.

Make sure to hang on to your commemorative Picture Orillia Calendar, which details upcoming sesquicentennial events and more.

This commemorative magazine looks to celebrate Orillia’s past, present and future. It is impossible to capture all of Orillia’s spirit within these pages, but our hope is that this magazine provides you with a sense of pride in calling Orillia home. I know I am proud to be Mayor of such a great city that has a wonderfully rich history and an equally exciting future.

Please join me and the rest of Council in ringing in our sesquicentennial year at the Mayor’s Levee on New Year's Day at the Orillia Opera House. Together, we can create lifelong memories of Orillia’s 150th birthday year.

Sincerely,

Canada became a country in 1867 – the same year Orillia was founded as a village; it has been thriving ever since.

Having grown up in Orillia and starting my career at the municipality, I would have never imagined having the distinct honour and pleasure of leading this organization made up of dedicated and ambitious staff who are motivated by our continuous desire to make our city even better.

Now, as we enter into our 150th year, staff are eager and excited to honour our past by putting in place significant projects that will ensure a bright future for Orillia. Whether it’s the construction of the new recreation facility currently underway on West Street South, the new Orillia Waterfront Centre on track to open for the 2017 boating season, the establishment of a Hydro One Advanced Technology Hub in West Orillia, or the numerous downtown and waterfront revitalization projects on the go, our sesquicentennial year will be one of significant progress in Orillia.

This 150th commemorative magazine and calendar is a staff-led initiative that highlights our pride and dedication to the city we serve.

As you read through these pages and hang the calendar proudly in your home, I hope you will take the time to reflect on just how fortunate we are to live and work in Orillia.

Sincerely,

Steve Clarke Mayor

Gayle Jackson Chief Administrative Officer

YOUR COUNCIL 2014-2018 Ward 1

Ted EMOND

Sarah VALIQUETTETHOMPSON

Ward 2

Rob KLOOSTRA

Ralph CIPOLLA

Ward 3

Mason AINSWORTH

Jeff CLARK

Ward 4

Pat HEHN

Tim LAUER

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OUR WATERFRONT

Orillia’s waterfront spans roughly 24 kilometres along Lakes Couchiching and Simcoe.

This strategic location would be key to the city’s impressive history and transformation over the years.

Situated along a network of waterways linking Eastern Ontario to Georgian Bay and the Great Lakes, First Nations used the water with ingenuity and developed an intricate network of routes and portages. An important intersection of these systems was at the Narrows, the channel of water between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. It is here that First Nations developed a system of underwater fences to sustainably harvest migratory fish, known as the Mnjikaning Fish Weirs. For millennia, the Weirs have been an important gathering place for First Nations and eventually drew European settlers to the area, establishing Orillia’s first trading post on nearby Orchard Point in 1802.

Over time, bridges and dredging would enable the Narrows to accommodate the

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passage of steamships followed by the railway en route to Lake Couchiching and Orillia’s waterfront. This would forever change the landscape. As two railways fought over access to the flourishing lumber, wood-processing and boat-building industries, Orillia would find itself with a rail bed built right across the water. Today's Port and Centennial Park are actually located on a part of the lake that was filled in to accommodate the tracks; Front Street denotes where the original shoreline was located.

Over the course of its history, the waterfront has been home to log booms, saw mills, a campground, an asylum, a foundry, steamships, train tracks and much more.

It was also a strategic location for boat building. In the late 1920s truly outstanding yachts were built by Ditchburn Boats for delivery via the Trent-Severn Waterway to its wealthy Canadian and American customers.

Despite the heavy industrialization in the 19th century, water sports and recreational pursuits flourished on Lake Couchiching.

For instance, the first sailing and rowing club was founded in 1870. It is remarkable to note that one of the world’s foremost sporting events, prior to the Olympics, was held in Orillia in 1892. In front of a crowd of 10,000 lining the shore, local oarsman Jake Gaudaur

Sr. defended his World Championship in the double sculls event. With several outstanding athletes from Orillia and area, the community once boastfully claimed itself to be the “city of champions.”

Between 1893 and 1900, the Town acquired the land for Couchiching Beach Park and gradually added amenities like bathhouses, pavilions, and a bandstand for the pleasure of its residents and tourists. When a major fire broke out along the waterfront in 1964, the Town expanded its public space, creating Centennial Park in 1967 followed by the Port of Orillia. This would solidify the area’s transition to a premier tourism and recreation destination within the province.

Connected by a multi-purpose trail system, today’s waterfront boasts two beautiful beaches, playgrounds, green space and even a replica train for residents and visitors to enjoy. Together with the new Orillia Waterfront Centre and the ambitious Downtown Tomorrow Plan, ongoing investments will ensure the waterfront continues to be a source of pride for Orillians for generations to come.

Special thanks to Bruce McRae, of the Municipal Heritage Committee, for his contribution to this article.

Deb Halbot Photography Deb Halbot

REVITALIZING THE JEWEL OF THE TRENT-SEVERN WATERWAY The Orillia waterfront is going through an exciting transformation as we enter our sesquicentennial year.

Currently under construction is the new Orillia Waterfront Centre, which will rehabilitate the cornerstone port building of Orillia’s waterfront following a fire in December 2014 that destroyed the old marina facility.

The new building, set to open for the 2017 boating season, will serve as a beacon for the future of Orillia, built by Orillia’s own Bradanick Construction Services.

DID YOU KNOW? In 2017, Parks Canada is offering free lockage for recreational boaters on historic canals and waterways along with free admission at its national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas.

The Orillia Waterfront Centre project includes: • Replacement of the existing building with washrooms, showers, reception area and office space • A boater's/community lounge • Laundry facilities • Public washrooms • Exterior seating areas and landscaping.

This exciting project is the first step in a broader waterfront redevelopment plan that

will provide much-needed infrastructure to modernize the “Jewel of the TrentSevern Waterway,” which draws in nearly 6,000 overnight stays each year. The Orillia Waterfront Centre will further support enhanced year-round programming and has been designed to allow for future expansion of the building.

The final vision is a landmark destination with a civic square/gathering place for community events, residents and tourists that establishes a strong and vital link between the downtown and waterfront, identified in the Downtown Tomorrow Plan.

Building upon this ambitious plan, the City of Orillia is making important investments into the redevelopment of our beautiful waterfront. The Centennial Drive Environmental Assessment (EA), currently underway, will recommend ways to better align Centennial Drive in order to make the best use of both developable and passive recreation space down at the waterfront.

The EA will lay the groundwork for the potential extension of Coldwater Street to the waterfront in 2017 along with the future private redevelopment of the 70 Front St. N. plaza.

Renderings of the Orillia Waterfront Centre (Brook McIlroy).

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OUR DOWNTOWN

THE HEART OF ORILLIA Cultural heritage is a bond between history and identity.

Orillia’s downtown radius are bursting with decades of history and stories waiting to be explored.

For the City of Orillia, the downtown core provides the perfect vantage point to truly appreciate the city’s cultural heritage, humble beginnings and years of history.

The famous Mariposa Market is one such story.

Located in a century-old building on Mississaga Street East, Mariposa was once the location of the sales office for a wellknown grain mill and bakery business, Vick and Sons.

In present day, downtown Orillia is the tourism gateway to the Lake Couchiching waterfront, boasting six blocks of shopping, dining and entertainment. It is an extremely important part of Orillia’s everyday life, not only because it is the primary destination for visitors, but it is the place where the community comes together to celebrate numerous events throughout the year.

Over the years, as industries in Orillia have evolved, the downtown core has mirrored the prominent industries of the time.

Mississaga Street has been home to First Nations’ settlements, farmlands, gristmills, saw mills, general stores, illegal drinking establishments, hotels, bakeries and so much more. Ultimately, the streets and buildings in

Orillians have been talking about what lies beneath the downtown streets for years. Underground Orillia is uncovering these stories through an upcoming documentary. Find out more on Twitter @UnderOrilliaDoc.

Looking to the future, and proving there are still stories to be discovered, Mariposa Market just underwent expansion renovations, which led to the discovery of an underground door. This door is rumoured to be part of the legendary tunnels that run under many of Orillia’s downtown retail businesses. The most well-known entrance to these tunnels, which has since been bricked over, is in the basement of one of Orillia’s greatest landmarks — the Orillia Opera House.

Ultimately, downtown Orillia is the heart of the city, representing resilience, adaptability and community pride. The stories and history that encompass the downtown core are endless and with plans in place to improve its connection to the waterfront, it is exciting to think about what the future of downtown Orillia holds.

To learn more about the many businesses that have led Orillia to a prosperous 150 years, visit businessinorillia.ca.

Jordan Leeson, designer with Steenhof Building Services Group, shares his vision of the future of downtown Orillia. His illustration above showcases a vibrant core, complete with trolleys, bike lanes, rooftop patios, buskers, and more. Jordan’s vision contemplates Mississaga Street East as a pedestrian only corridor, allowing cafes and artists to intermingle in the public space.

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WHAT WAS ONCE OLD IS NEW AGAIN Orillia's downtown core has transformed significantly over the past 150 years.

Many of its heritage buildings have been revitalized into new, modern shops, restaurants and businesses, each with a unique story to tell.

One such story is 11 Peter St. S., the current location of Shine Juice Bar and Café – a local restaurant specializing in food and drinks that focus on locally-grown produce and organic products.

Ironically, Shine’s Peter Street location did not always cater to a gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. In the mid-1900s the general location of Shine was once home to Model Dairy, along with Carter’s Candy and Bakery Manufacturing, which supplied the well-known restaurant formerly located at 33 Mississaga St. E. “I held my first job at that bakery in the summer of 1956,” recalled Peter Grey, a born-and-raised Orillia resident. “You had to walk down the alley behind Carter’s Family Restaurant and go up a set of rickety old stairs to get to the bakery. There was a cast-iron stove, hardwood counters, a marble counter top for making toffee, flour and ingredients lined the walls and a large mixer was bolted to the floor in the corner.”

Cherubin. “Shine has become much more than I ever thought it would be,” said Skelding. “At first, we were unsure if Orillia could sustain a restaurant like Shine, but it didn’t take us long to find out there was definitely a demand for everything we offer.”

Alex Cherubin and Laura Skelding, owners of Shine Juice Bar and Cafe.

Skelding and Cherubin were winners of the 2015 Entrepreneurial Initiative Award from the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce.

What started as a lifestyle change in the way the couple ate turned into a successful, growing business. Looking to the future, but understanding the importance of staying in Orillia’s downtown core, Shine Juice Bar and Café is relocating around the corner to Mississaga Street East in January 2017.

You don’t have to look far to find other examples of heritage buildings changing with the times to take on new lives.

Next door, at 15 Peter St. S., is The Shadowbox Art & Framing, once the Orillia Packet & Times. Farther up the road is St.

Even years later, Grey explained that when he had the opportunity to revisit the site of the former bakery, the floor still had the holes in it where the mixer once stood.

The Peter Street location continues to flourish under Shine’s owners, Laura Skelding and husband, Alex

The general location of Shine was once home to Model Dairy and Carter’s Candy and Bakery Manufacturing. For more photos like this, see the 2017 Picture Orillia Calendar.

DID YOU KNOW? Through the Downtown Tomorrow Community Improvement Plan, the City is taking innovative steps to encourage growth in and around the downtown core. Visit: orillia.ca/downtowncip.

James Court. Now a non-profit apartment corporation, it was the location of Orillia’s first YMCA, which opened in 1906; the pool is still used today by Pauline Barratt Aquatics. Another site with a long history of transformation is 21 Matchedash St. S. — the future home of Matchedash Lofts, an urban renewal project that will bring more live/ work spaces to the downtown. This location is where the newly incorporated village of Orillia held its meetings before building a proper town hall in 1874 at Market Square.

Next to the Matchedash Lofts location was the “Hatley Block,” home to a butcher shop and poultry business developed by James J. Hatley in the early 1900s. Today, it is home to Details, Jack & Maddy A Kids’ Store, and Tor’s Fish & Chips.

Downtown Orillia will continue to evolve over the next 150 years as lifestyle trends continue to change. Given its proven resiliency and adaptability, it is safe to say downtown Orillia is here to stay.

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ORILLIA INNOVATES

Orillia has a long and storied reputation as being a truly innovative community dating back thousands of years to the Narrows.

It was there, more than 5,000 years ago, that First Nations people installed a truly innovative technology in the lake to harvest fish. Referred to as the Mnjikaning Fish Weirs, it is constructed of long wooden stakes that resemble fences embedded into the lake bottom. The spacing of the stakes is designed to ingeniously trap larger fish while enabling smaller ones to pass through.

First Nations communities used this ancient technology to sustainably harvest fish and feed their people throughout the year.

As time passed and Europeans arrived

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in North America, explorer Samuel de Champlain and early settlers were sustained by the weirs and knowledge of the First Nations communities who hosted them.

The relationship between these parties would eventually lead to the establishment of Orillia as a settlement area, sharing its founding date with the nation.

With transportation links between Georgian Bay and Toronto, it quickly became a regional hub where industrialists and entrepreneurs flocked. Perhaps most famous of these entrepreneurs is James Brockett Tudhope, who, in 1897, established the Tudhope Carriage Company. A leader in his field, Tudhope envisioned days when a horse and buggy were no longer needed and began producing an early model automobile.

Not long after, Orillia became the first municipality in North America to build its own long-distance hydro-electric power plant in 1902 at Ragged Rapids, replaced in 1917 by Swift Rapids. This energy powered

an industrial boom with sawmills, iron foundries, and a host of manufacturing companies producing farm implements, carriages, and automobiles it shipped across Canada, even North America.

While the city’s industrial boom has quieted, ghosts of the past remain. For instance, Tudhope’s factory has been re-purposed and stands proudly in the downtown as a landmark of Orillia's industrial history.

It is now a designated property under the Ontario Heritage Act and home to the City Centre, Lakehead University and Heritage Place Apartments.

In all, there are 27 designated properties within the city and 50 innovative, creative and transformative people, like James Tudhope, who have been inducted into the Orillia Hall of Fame. Explore these topics further by picking up copies of the "Walking Tour of Heritage Orillia" and "Hall of Fame Book" at City Hall.

GENERATING GENERATINGOPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITY In 1917, In Swift 1917, Rapids Swiftgenerating Rapids generating station (picturedstation here) was (pictured put into here) operation, was put feeding into industry operation, in Orillia to with feed power.

Orillia's growing demand for power.

Don DonMincoff Mincoff

Fast forward to today.

We are proud to say that Orillia remains a centre for innovation and sustainability that keeps it competitive within the global market. Orillia City Council and Hydro One have reached a deal for a new Advanced Technology Hub to be located in the Horne Business Park. This project has the potential to become another catalytic, transformative and innovative development in our community. This deal, which sees Hydro One purchasing the Orillia Power Distribution Corporation, requires Ontario Energy Board approval.

Meanwhile, Orillia is home to two superb post-secondary institutions, which invest in the education and career development of our residents.

Georgian College provides skilled training in highly sought-after fields such as health care and social entrepreneurship. Its presence

in Orillia has resulted in the creation of the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, which promotes collaboration between students and communities to reach innovative solutions to complex problems.

Lakehead University, which opened its doors in Orillia in 2006, continues to grow, recently adding the Research Centre for Sustainable Communities to its local campus. The centre offers a unique, multi-disciplinary approach to creating community-focused research opportunities that are based on collaboration and partnerships. It is designed to promote research in three core areas of social justice, political economy, and environmental sustainability. The first of its kind in Orillia, the centre will act as a catalyst for community-based research and initiatives.

Together, these institutions are investing in and attracting talent to Orillia. Combined with incentive programs like the Downtown Tomorrow Community Improvement

Plan, the City is proud to be investing in a robust strategy that supports a rich quality of life for residents. In November 2016, these investments put Orillia in the national spotlight, gaining it recognition by Canadian Property Investor as the fifth best place in Canada for real estate investment.

DID YOU KNOW? Lakehead University has teamed up with local manufacturer Polyethics to assist with research on a truly innovative farm product. Currently under development, it could change the agricultural landscape of the future.

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CITY OF FIRSTS

1ST ROAD

1615

3,300 (BC)

Quetton St. George opens a trading post at the Narrows near Atherley.

Parks Canada

1ST HIGH SCHOOL

1902

1886

Power reaches Orillia from its own generating station via the first municipal long-distance lines in North America.

Telephone service reaches Orillia at a cost of $25 per year.

1895

1877 The first high school opens to great opposition, only to serve the area for nearly 140 years.

1ST HOSPITAL

Orillia’s first Opera House opens with a 905-seat auditorium, market stalls and council chamber.

1908 Tudhope Carriage Company produces its first motor buggy.

The first public library opens, one of 2,509 Carnegie libraries built around the world.

Coldwater Road opens from Orillia to Sturgeon Bay.

1802

The oldest of the fish weirs are installed at the Narrows.

1911

1831

The Wendat passed through the Narrows with the first explorers including Samuel de Champlain.

1889 The Red Cross Hospital, Orillia’s first, offers Canada's first medical insurance plan.

1912

1917

1921

Ahead of its time, Orillia adopts “Orillia Time,” a local form of Daylight Savings Time.

Led by Mert Plunkett, the Dumbells perform the first major show at the front lines near Passchendaele.

Soldiers' Memorial Hospital is the first in Canada to offer free medical care to veterans.

1ST POOL

1911 The YMCA opens the only indoor pool north of Toronto; a title it would hold for the next 40 years.

1920 Orillia's Franklin Carmichael and the Group of Seven hold their first public art exhibition.

1ST BRIDGE

1833

1844

The first steamer, the Peter Robinson, passes through the Narrows to Orillia.

The first car bridge is built over the Narrows, an early step in paving the way for Highway 12.

1835

1ST FARMERS' MARKET

Front Street was once named after Orillia's first postmaster, Gerald Alley. appointed in 1835.

1842 The Orillia Farmers' Market is started at the waterfront.

1865

1866

The Victoria Foundry, Orillia's oldest of the heavy industry manufacturing giants, opens its doors.

Sir Sam Steele's first military experience takes him and a company of militia to the Fenian Raids.

1867

1874 Council builds its first town hall near the presentday Orillia Opera House.

Orillia holds its first Council meeting on January 21st as an incorporated village.

1875

1874

1871

With a population of 2,000, Orillia is incorporated as a town.

Orillia holds its first Scottish Highland Games, a precursor to the 40-year old festival.

The Northern Railway beats its competition, the Grand Trunk Railway, to Orillia.

1ST WINTER CARNIVAL

1928 Orillia hosts its first Winter Carnival.

1952 Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Turk Broda and Premier Leslie Frost open the first community centre.

1941 The first Canadianmade WWII Fairmile patrol boat is built by Hunter Boats.

1ST NEWSPAPER

The first newspaper, the Expositor, is published, followed by the Orillia Packet in 1870.

1995 1961 The first Mariposa Folk Festival is held in Orillia.

OPP General Headquarters opens its first permanent location outside of Toronto.

1ST COLLEGE

1969 Mariposa Folk Foundation

1867

Now a city, Orillia attracts its first postsecondary institution, Georgian College.

2006 Lakehead University comes to Orillia.

GREENING ORILLIA

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GO GREEN

Ontario's Lake Country

– GO CYCLING Cycling can often be overlooked as a green initiative.

However, it is one of the cleanest and most energy-efficient forms of transportation.

In Orillia, the development of green transportation initiatives and a focus on cycling infrastructure received official City Council endorsement in 2012 through Council’s adoption of the City of Orillia Active Transportation Plan. Since then, a number of City cycling projects have been completed to expand Orillia’s bike route network and encourage cycling not only as a recreational pastime, but as a means of transportation. Ultimately, the reduction of vehicle use on city roads makes Orillia more sustainable.

In 2014, a historic moment was achieved in Orillia. Coldwater Road was reconstructed,

not only adding new sidewalks, but creating the first “on-road” bike lanes in Orillia. In 2015, bike lanes were approved for a large stretch of Mississaga Street West and a bike route was signed on sections of Matchedash Street and North Street.

The most exciting aspect of new cycling infrastructure is soon to come. Highway 11 has been one of the most evident barriers to active transportation in Orillia. The City applied for and was successful in receiving a significant grant under the Ontario Municipal Cycling Infrastructure Program.

As part of the reconstruction of the Highway 12/Old Barrie Road corridor over Highway 11, a one-kilometre multi-use trail will be provided on the south side of Highway 12, starting at the Mississaga Street intersection and continuing along Old Barrie Road to the University Avenue intersection.

These programs help to keep valuable resources like drywall and compostable organics from being buried in the ground.

The landfill was renamed the Waste Diversion Site in 1999 to reflect that its primary operation is diversion. Curbside programs have evolved as well to offer more diversion opportunities through the City’s recycling and green bin programs. The garbage tag program and every-other-week garbage collection encourage the usage of these diversion programs.

The importance of diversion cannot be

In 2015, the Mariposa Folk Festival was recognized by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario for its green initiatives.

88% landfill diversion rate

12,000 plastic water bottles diverted from the landfill

pedal-powered charging station Reduce your carbon footprint; go cycling!

LEADER IN WASTE DIVERSION Over the past 25 years, the City of Orillia has introduced more than 15 waste diversion programs at its landfill.

OUR FESTIVALS ARE GOING GREEN IN A BIG WAY!

over-emphasized. In the 1980s, Orillia’s landfill life was almost used up, but today its life expectancy has grown to approximately 50 years. This would not have happened without the support of past and present Councils, volunteers (especially those serving on the City’s Waste Management Advisory Committee), dedicated staff and, most importantly, the great efforts of Orillia citizens.

These efforts have been recognized by the Recycling Council of Ontario through its Waste Minimization Awards. Since 1998, the City has been honoured to receive 17 of these awards including seven silvers, nine golds and one platinum (the highest award).

The City is also consistently in the top 10 list of municipalities in Ontario that have the highest residential diversion rates, according

The City now has a waste diversion program to help all of our major festivals go green.

to Waste Diversion Ontario. In 2010, the City had the highest diversion rate in Ontario at almost 60%.

As we enter into our 150th year, the City will continue to look for new diversion and waste minimization initiatives to ensure Orillia remains a waste diversion leader in Ontario for decades to come.

Download the City's Pingstreet App for curbside collection information in your area.

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A CITY OF SPORT

HIGHLIGHT REEL Orillia has been home to a long list of remarkable athletes. Too many to list, here are some of their achievements spanning the years.

Special thanks to Sport Orillia and David Town for providing this extensive list of record holders and records broken.

1892

Jake Gaudaur Sr. and George Hosmer win the World Double Sculls championship in a matched race on Lake Couchiching.

1895

Frank Toogood and George Whiten lead a 10-man team from Orillia to the Canadian team rifle championship.

1914

Gaudaur Sr. wins 1896 the 1896 World Single Sculls championship.

1930

Mamie Shrum wins her first of three Canadian shot put titles.

1932

Orillia’s curling rink, led by AH McLean and JN Harvie, wins the Ontario Tankard.

1934

Orillia Terriers lacrosse team wins the first of three consecutive Canadian championships.

1950

Marjorie Shedd wins her first of 23 Canadian badminton championships, becoming known as “Canada’s Lady of Badminton.”

Library and Archives Canada JAKE GAUDAUR SR.

1898

Orillia's Lacrosse team becomes the first and only Ontario Intermediate Lacrosse champion to also win the Ontario Senior Championship.

1900

Harry Gill wins the North American All-around Track & Field championships.

1901 1905

Harry Gill breaks the world record for discus.

Jack Johnstone and Jack Anderson win the first of three Canadian tandem canoe championships.

Walter Knox wins the Track & Field All-around world championship.

1964 1973

Boxer, Walter Henry represents Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.

Orillia Terriers Senior A team wins the Allan Cup — the Canadian Senior Hockey Championships.

WALTER HENRY

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1984

Figure skater, Brian Orser, wins the Olympic silver medal.

1985

The Orillia Travelways win the Centennial Cup — the Canadian Junior Hockey Championship.

1987

Brian Orser wins gold at the World Figure Skating Championships.

1994

Orillia Jr. B Kings win the first of consecutive Founder’s Cup Canadian championships.

1998

2010

Toben Sutherland wins the World Cup Grand Prix championship in freestyle skiing.

Rick Ley is inducted into the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame.

Lisa Avery the 2014 wins Canadian women's marathon championship.

RICK LEY

2015

Claus And erse n/A thletics Canada

1979

Toyin Olupona wins the first of her five 2005 consecutive Canadian 100m sprint championships.

Rick Ley wins the Dennis A. Murphy trophy as the WHA’s best defenceman.

Stephen Graham wins the Special Olympics Ontario Male Athlete of the Year award.

TOYIN OLUPONA

Rendering of the Orillia Recreation Facility (MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects).

RECREATION CENTRE A REALITY The new Orillia Recreation Facility is currently being constructed at 255 West St. S. and will be a game changer for athletics and recreation opportunities in Orillia. The new building will feature the following amenities: • 25m, 8-lane lap pool with a movable floor • Therapeutic pool • Leisure pool with play features • Gym with 2 FIBA-sized basketball courts

• Preschool and multi-purpose rooms • Fitness centre with a studio fitness room • Walking/jogging track • Local art feature wall • Orillia Sport Hall of Fame lounge • Outdoor walking trails and connecting bridge to the Lightfoot Trail system.

The Ontario Winter Games are coming March 2018 with four days, 25 sports and 3,000+ athletes. training today preparing for tomorrow

Visit orillia.ca/recreationfacility for more.

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CREATIVE CULTURE

CREATE, PARTICIPATE, SHARE

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Vicki Pavis takes part in Orillia Culture Days, an annual event celebrating Canada's creative culture.

Christina Petsinis

CULTIVATING A CREATIVE LIFESTYLE Orillia is known throughout Simcoe County as a regional hub for arts and culture.

With festivities occurring year-round, artists and Orillia’s cultural community not only drive the city’s economy, but also give life and vibrancy to the spaces we live in.

Local creative forces, including nationally and internationally recognized artists, such as Franklin Carmichael, Stephen Leacock, Gordon Lightfoot and Elizabeth Wyn Wood, continue to shape the cultural landscape of the city.

The youngest founding partner of the Group of Seven, Carmichael is one of Canada’s most famous artists. Here at home, his work has inspired the Orillia Museum of Art & History’s annual Carmichael Canadian Landscape Exhibition along with the name for their second-floor gallery. Recognized for its cultural significance, his childhood home on Scott Street has been protected under the Ontario Heritage Act. An Ontario heritage

DID YOU KNOW? The Orillia Museum of Art & History has curated a year-long exhibit on the life and work of Gordon Lightfoot, Elizabeth Wyn Wood, Stephen Leacock, and Arthur Shilling.

plaque stands in front of the Orillia Public Library in his honour.

and performances showcasing the city’s contemporary talent and arts scene.

Leacock’s legacy is another that has gained Orillia national attention, not only through his characterization of Orillia in his book “Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town,” but through the Leacock Medal for Humour and Leacock Summer Festival. A source of community pride, his house was designated a National Historic Site in 1992.

These are but a few examples of the impact our creative culture has had on the City of Orillia. We encourage you to visit the many cultural sites, exhibits and events within the Orillia community to learn of and meet the creative minds of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Legendary singer/songwriter Lightfoot continues to leave his mark on his hometown, with appearances at events like the Mariposa Folk Festival. As a lasting tribute, the large auditorium in the Opera House was named in his honour in 1997 and more recently, he was immortalized in bronze by artist Timothy Schmalz. The 13-foot sculpture titled "Golden Leaves" is located on Barnfield Point in J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park. Smaller busts of Leacock and Wyn Wood are located in the Orillia Public Library.

Less known, perhaps, is a hidden treasure located within the tranquility of Victoria Park. It is a sculpture of a leaping deer crafted by Wyn Wood. Commissioned in 1992 in honour of Canada's and Orillia’s 125th anniversary, it marks the source of the spring that once supplied the town with fresh, clean drinking water. It is also the inspiration for a celebration honouring the city's creative culture.

Dubbed the “Art Park,” Orillia’s cultural community will come together in Victoria Park on May 20, 2017, to celebrate our creative past, present, and future. On the steps of Wyn Wood’s sculpture, the park will be full of artistic displays, booths,

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EXPERIENCE THE 150

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FESTIVALS • EXHIBITS • THEATRE • TOURS • SPEAKERS • CONCERTS • PUBLIC ART

Next year will be a milestone for Orillia, Ontario and Canada. Join in the activities, new and old, celebrating our rich culture, heritage and traditions.

More on these and other sesquicentennial experiences is available in the 2017 Picture Orillia Calendar and at orillia.ca/150.

RING IN THE 150

LEGACY ITEMS

FREE NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH

150 MERCHANDISE

MARIPOSA EXPOSED

A free family event on the eve of the City’s sesquicentennial at Rotary Place from 4 to 9 p.m. with fireworks to follow (weather dependent).

Orillia150 keepsakes will be available for purchase at the Leacock Home Gift Shop and at select 150 events throughout 2017.

These pop-up locations will be listed on our website as they become available. The Orillia 150 line includes mugs, plush bears, beanies, and more.

For more on life in Orillia, pick up a copy of the book, Mariposa Exposed, at Manticore Books. In it you will find 116 stories, anecdotes, family lore, memories and historical facts by more than 60 local residents along with illustrations by area artists.

MARIPOSA SKETCHES

OFAA CALENDAR

The Orillia Silver Band is releasing a sesquicentennial CD, featuring new work composed by Len Ballantine — Mariposa Sketches — inspired by the short stories of Stephen Leacock. It will also include Robert Redhead’s arrangement of Gordon Lightfoot’s Canadian Railroad Trilogy.

Available this December at OMAH.

The Orillia Fine Arts Association (OFAA) is releasing a 2017 Calendar in honour of its own 20th anniversary. Three editions featuring the original work of different artists will be available this December for $20 at OMAH, Manticore Books and Soldiers' Memorial Hospital Gift Shop. For details visit orilliafineartsassociation.com.

• Skating • Face painting • Rock climbing • Junior C Terriers game (new!)

• Carnival games (new!)

• Illusionist, Ray Chance (new!)

• Fireworks by Pyroworld Canada (new!)

MAYOR’S LEVEE A cultural extravaganza heralding 150 years since the City’s date of incorporation at the Orillia Opera House on Jan. 1, 2017, from 1 to 4 p.m. Seating is limited. Reserve yours at orillia.ca/150.

• Birthday cake • Tributes • Opera House exhibit opening: "A Century of Memories" • Special guest Joe Roberts of the Push for Change

CANADA 150 TULIP Inspired by our nation’s flag, the Canada 150 tulip will be showcased across Canada in honour of the sesquicentennial. The City is proud to be partnering with our local Home Hardware to beautify our flower beds with the red and white streaked blooms.

THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT IS IN STORE. Stay connected with the 2017 Picture Orillia Calendar and #Orillia150.

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Jamie McCaffee (modified)

Orillia Packet & Times

SHARE YOUR MEMORIES WITH US Residents are invited to share your memories with us for the Sesquicentennial Time Capsule project. More details on this exciting initiative will be announced in the New Year on the City's website and via our social media channels.

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