The Villager Magazine - January 2024

J A N UA R Y 2 0 2 4

T R U M P E T E R S WA N S • L I G H T F O OT D AYS F E S T I VA L • WA S H AG O L I O N ’S C LU B

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A Gardener’s Winter G ardening is a practice of managing expectations, anticipating outcomes, and cultivating hope. This resonates in an old rhyme for seeding, “One for the mouse, one for the crow, one for the ground, and one to grow”. Gardeners know that as you invest time and energy into each plant, you will forego some to the small critters, some to the birds, and some to the soil.

We understand that gardening as a process is far more beneficial and therapeutic than outcomes and results. We work with a lot of gardeners, from experts to beginners and we are always learning new ideas to improve our gardens and their resiliency.

There are many types of gardeners and regardless of the style, we all experience our gardens as somewhere growth and hope are nurtured.

We anticipate the next season when the first snowdrops will peak out, and hope for an early summer peony bloom, long-lasting hydrangea and finally embracing fall when the burning bush turns flame red. This growth and perpetual cycle inspires and encourages every gardener to continue each season and year.

A garden, no matter the size, can present a soothing space to reflect and appreciate. The demands on a gardener can be to weed, water prune, and then sit back and enjoy their effort. Spending time with plants and watching them perform through the seasons is restorative.

Gardeners rarely feel guilt or anxiety resting in the winter months as they know Spring is coming. As we walk around our gardens in the low

light of December and January, we can remember what performed effortlessly and what struggled through the seasons.

The gardener embraces the winter months as a time to reflect and plan. The winter offers time to research and consider areas of the garden that might be ideal for a change in purpose, changing lawn areas to mulch with seasonal bulbs, planting a thyme lawn, adding in some trees, or a compost area. Maybe a rain garden, a permeable patio, or raised planters? Gardeners see the winter months as a chance to catch up on reading and learning old and new ideas.

As these winter months descend in our gardens, we remember Spring is coming and we thank all the gardeners out there for your hands in maintaining green spaces, planting trees and shrubs, choosing native when possible, reducing non-permeable surfaces, leaving an area unkempt for wildlife, and participating in a global effort to become more climate resilient enhancing our biodiversity one garden at a time.

Learn how you can design your climate-resilient property with our 5-week mini course starting on February 6th, 2024. Further details at parklanelandscape.ca

The Villager | Jan 2024 3

January 2024 PUBLISHERS Jiun Liao and Mikaila Bolzonello SUBMIT STORIES AND EVENTS We want to hear from you! If there’s anything interesting, a topic you would like covered, or an event you want the community to know, share it with us: villagermagazine.ca FIND THE VILLAGER The Villager is delivered online to subscribers through villagermagazine.ca.

It is also delivered in print throughout Severn, Orillia, Ramara, and OroMedonte locations. Visit our website to find print locations.

ADVERTISING Find the best way to reach your audience through The Villager.

Contact us at 705-712-3237 or email hello@villagermagazine.ca DEADLINE Prearranged editorial contributions as well as advertising space must be received or booked by the 15th of every month.

On our cover: Dominic Bingham, @artbydomobing

© The Villager Magazine All rights reserved. No reproduction by any means or in any form may be made without prior written consent by the publishers.

4 The Villager | Dec 2023

H

From The Publishers

appy new year everyone! We really appreciate everyone that submitted their suggestions for the magazine last month. We are really excited about the direction we are slowly taking the magazine through and will look to incorporate some of the feedback we saw. You guys have some great ideas!

We also hope your break was just what you needed to recharge your batteries and bring in a new year. Every year around December, it feels like there’s a big sigh of relief that finally leaves my body, and that allows me to finally relax and think about what to do next year.

What goals I want to pursue, what challenges I might face. I get all pumped up every time I set a goal and just want the year to end so I can start pursuing it.

It’s a common thing that happens to everyone I think. It’s also very common that goals are quickly put on the backburner by the constant action of daily living. Whether it’s exercising or eating healthier, by the time a couple months roll around, most people have already forgotten to keep up the pace.

I see this with businesses fairly often as well, and it happens regularly enough that I’ve actually delved into the science behind goals to figure out the best way to go about it.

Now there’s a huge amount of research being done on this subject, and I won’t be

able to fit everything I’ve uncovered. But I’ll leave you with some of the most interesting facts I’ve found that are actually hugely helpful.

The most interesting fact I realized is that there are two parts to a goal: how we define a goal, and how we pursue a goal. We want to define the goal properly, meaning are we trying to achieve something or are we trying to avoid something? Pursuing the goal however, has more to do with motivation.

It’s impossible to stay motivated all the time, but there are several strategies that can help maintain motivation enough that the goal you’re pursuing becomes a habit.

Like pairing an unpleasant activity with a rewarding one, or shortening the time of the milestones. If you have an annual goal, consider setting weekly or biweekly milestones. That way, all you have to do is one little thing which makes it consistent and more likely to be achieved.

I personally really enjoy having goals. It gives me a journey I can expect. Whether it’s hard or I don’t reach the destination I plan, I get to figure out how to make the journey enjoyable, which makes life more fulfilling.

Mikaila & Jiun

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Artist Spotlight

M

eet Dominic Bingham, an eclectic artist who has made a variety of different artwork throughout his entire life.

While the style of art changes over time, the reason he creates does not. And that is to express himself!

As an educator for the SCDSB, Dominic spends his time teaching primary students valuable life skills which will help prepare them for life’s challenges. He is a firm believer that students have the inner capability to achieve their dreams and to follow their own path. To do this, he models an environment where students feel safe enough to express themselves, whether that is through art, music, dance, literacy, or any other medium. By doing this, he hopes to help all of his students to develop a growth mindset (the belief that taking on new challenges make us more resilient individuals and failure doesn’t define our worth).

Dominic creates unique artwork, each of which are different in their own way, each becoming more and more grandiose as he creates.

By following his own path, he creates art that manifests difficult life challenges he has faced into artefacts worthy of being sculpted as representations of how far he has come. By doing so, he hopes to inspire others to face their own challenges with a similar vigour.

Dominic can be contacted via email (artbydomobing@gmail. com) or social media (@artbydomobing - Tiktok, Instagram, and Youtube).

His work can be viewed on www.artbydomobing.com

6 The Villager | Dec 2023

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, brimming with prosperity, good health and the fulfillment of your deepest aspirations.

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YOU ARE NATURE

By Courtney Baker

I

remember as a child, arguing with another kid at school. I insisted we were animals, more specifically mammals, the other child fought that we were people, and people aren’t animals. I don’t remember who that kid was, but perhaps they had more dignity than me, being convinced they weren’t an animal and all, but I had learned that mammals had hair, I had hair - rock solid evidence in my five year-old opinion.

I don’t remember who won the argument, one of us? Both of us? Who knows, but I do know that I’ve gone through life with the foundational belief, I am an animal. After all, I eat, breath and hibernate a little more than I would like. Still, occasions come up when people seem to disagree, or think it’s an odd, even insulting philosophy rather than fact.

What I’m circling around is fact as well as philosophy; people are animals, which makes us part of the ecosystem, which makes us an integral part of this planet. We are natural, no matter how much electric light, Wi-Fi and branding we throw at the situation, we belong in nature.

We are here to care for this planet and immerse ourselves in its beauty and bounty.

Readers of The Villager largely live in an area that is home to wonderful natural areas, diverse ecosystems and an incredible menagerie of animal life. I implore you to enjoy it!

I want to welcome you, consider this your invitation to spend a good part of 2024 in the woods. Enjoying the beauty of nature, plunge yourself in the fresh air, share in the invigorating change of the seasons and soak up the striking vistas we are privileged to have easy access to. It’s where you belong, it’s where we all belong.

Humans have lived in harmony with nature before, for most of our evolutionary history, and we can again, but it won’t come unless we spend time with nature, visit and get to know ourselves in nature, embrace our inner animal.

If there is a time this year when something is missing for you, it may be your personal connection to the wider world.

Feeling blue? Share it with the blue sky. Feeling sentimental?

Plan a picnic near the water. Feeling isolated? Delight in the company of birds fliting from tree to tree. Nature is a balm for it all.

One of my all time favourite quotes is from Professor Brian Cox, a physicist and TV presenter I enjoy says, “We are the cosmos made conscious and life is the means by which the universe understands itself.” Perhaps if we can accept our place in the world, live more gently on this planet, with more curiosity and awe, we will learn to be gentler, more curious and awed by ourselves.

Courtney Baker is the Office and Acquisition Coordinator at The Couchiching Conservancy, protecting nature for future generations of all kinds of animals.

8 The Villager | Dec 2023

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The Festival Founders

Lightfoot Days Festival

By John Winchester as told to Dennis Rizzo

T

here has never been a singer, whose career I followed as closely as Gordon Lightfoot. I was fascinated from the first time listening to Dad’s ‘Sunday Concert’ LP (as an 8-year-old). For years after moving to Orillia I anticipated ‘bumping into’ my singer hero, while he was home visiting his mother Jessie, or sister Bev, or nephew Steve (Eyers), of ‘Even Steven’ fame. Never happened. Attended a few Lightfoot concerts at the Opera House, some Mariposa performances.

Still ‘0-fer’.

John with Gordon

10 The Villager | Dec 2023

In 2002 Gord suffered a setback and it took some time for him to get back into the swing. Finally, more than a decade after his recovery, I got to cross ‘Meet Gordon Lightfoot’ off my bucket list. When my very good friend and neighbour, Reverend Karen Hilfman-Millson, announced in February 2013 that she would be conducting her fourth (and ultimately final) interview with Gordon at St. Paul’s I got to sit in.

Karen reached out this past summer and asked if I would help relaunch Lightfoot Days.

It seemed like the best way to help ensure that his music and contributions to Orillia are not forgotten. The person most critical in getting this festival to happen is undoubtedly Karen. Her long-standing connection with the Lightfoot family over the past quarter century resulted in a deep friendship with Gord.

Lightfoot Days 2023 was a miracle of collaboration. Several venues and musicians and other performers gathered Karen Hilfman-Milson holding City Proclamation

Classic Lightfoot Live in a short space of time for such an ambitious undertaking. The list of players read like a who’s-who of Orillia artists. The world’s foremost Lightfoot tribute band, ‘Classic Lightfoot Live’, kicked off the festivities with a 7:30 performance at St. Paul’s Centre on Friday evening. There followed a weekend of Gord-mania.

Mayor Don McIsaac proclaimed Saturday as ‘Gordon Lightfoot Day’ in front of the Orillia Opera House at 11:00 am with musician Steve Porter performing a few numbers. This was followed by a walking tour of Lightfoot-inspired guitars assembled by Leslie Fournier and local artists.

Tribute artists were featured at ten local venues throughout the weekend and the OMAH displayed Lightfoot memorabilia on Saturday.

Never-before-shared audio and video interviews of Gordon, conducted

by Reverend Karen Hilfman-Millson, were played at St. Paul’s on Saturday. A Lightfoot-themed Worship Service took place Sunday at St.

Paul’s, “...where my singing began”, in the words of Gordon, followed by an 85th-birthday cake-cutting ceremony at Mariposa Market.

I assume the rest of the committee (Daphne Mainprize, Brian Hare, Rick Brown, Steve Porter, Mary Hooykaas, and Joe Cornelisse), each with a special set of skills, are looking forward to next year’s festival. Now that the financial impact of this weekend’s activities (very busy restaurants, hotels, and other accommodations) is apparent, we anticipate more success approaching organizations to secure financial support for Lightfoot Days 2024. Collaborations are the key.

Thank you, once again, to all businesses involved, our sponsors (St. Paul’s United Church, In-Store Water Systems, Orillia First Aid, and Mariposa Market), all our outstanding performers, and to YOU, our fellow Gordon Lightfoot fans. Your interest and participation assures Gordon’s place in Orillia history for years to come.

The Villager | Jan 2024 11

Scone!!

The Eclectic Lemon Blueberry

Ingredients

Method

3 cups of all purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

1/4 cup of white sugar

2. Add all dry ingredients and lemon zest to a medium size bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk.

4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp cinnamon 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter 1 whole egg 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg yolk 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

3. Using the coarse side of a box grater, (cheese grater) grate the cold butter and add to the dry ingredients. Using your finger tips or a pastry cutter, incorporate the butter in the flour mixture by making pea size crumbs. If the butter is not incorporated properly the scones will seep out butter and you won’t get the rise you’re looking for.

4. Once the butter is incorporated, in a separate bowl combine the vanilla, eggs and butter milk and whisk together. Then add to the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon mix the dough until it comes together. On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough onto the counter. It may be a bit sticky, use your hand to work the dough 3-5 times until it comes tougher in a ball.

5. Again, lightly flour the work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to approx 1/2 inch thick and a rectangle of approx 6x10.

6. Sprinkle the fresh or frozen blueberries on top of the dough. Press them gently into the dough with your hands, some may roll out, that’s ok!

7. Fold over and bring the right side of the dough on top of blueberries to about 1/3, take the left side of the dough and place on top of the other half creating 3 layers, a book fold.

Pinch or fold the ends of the dough under slightly to keep the blueberries secured.

Then lightly roll the dough to about 1 inch thick.

8. Using a sharpie knife- cut a Center line down the dough and alternate triangles on each half of the dough.

9. Place the scones on a lined baking tray, alternation base & tip to allow room for the rise. Bake for approx 20-25 min from fresh, by lifting the point up slightly you can see if baked through or is the top sponges back from a gentle poke.

10. Enjoy!

Chef Melanie is the owner of Eclectic Café and Catering in Orillia.

They use high quality seasonal ingredients from local farmers to produce their amazing dishes.

12 The Villager | Dec 2023

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Washago Lion’s Club H

By Mary Bouchard - Washago Lions Secretary

ello Washago residents and lovers of the area. Here are a few highlights from your Washago Lions Club- Looking after local community needs and national initiatives as well.

We wanted to express our appreciation to those who attended our events in 2023 and to extend a thank you for the support.

Some of the highlights were our continued support of the Guide Dogs of Canada campaign, where we sell Calendars for $20.00. All of the profits go to support the cause. Last year our club sold the most calendars! If you are looking for a 2024 calendar, please reach out to us via our Facebook site and we will make the appropriate contact to reach you.

Canada Day Celebration 2023 was our best yet. We served over 200 pancake breakfasts in the morning and moved to sausages and hotdogs for the afternoon and evening. We had a total of 8 bands who entertained everyone all day while the patrons were enjoying some cold beverages and the hot weather. Be sure to join next year too! The music was great and we had a lot of fun.

We continued with the 2023 Country and Rock Jams Open Mic on the halls, every second and third Wednesday of the month. We have been hosting

this event for 15 years according to Doug Shakell who gets the event organized for everyone. Our charity is the local food bank where we ask for a donation of a non perishable item.

The Octoberfest, which we held at the Washago Community Centre was very successful as well. We were a well oiled machine and all of our tables and chairs and goods were shuttled across the parking lot to make this work. A big thank you as well to our Lions members and volunteers that make these things happen. We couldn’t do this without you. That being said though, we really would like to canvas for some new associate members/volunteers as the work is getting a bit heavy for some of us. If you are able to give us a few hours at an event or in preparation we would really appreciate it. Reach out to a Lions member you may know or again via our Facebook group.

The Villager | Jan 2024 15

VILLAGER VENTURES:

The Trumpeter Swans of Washago

By Hillary Handy

N

ew year, new you! I say, new opportunities for fun and frolic.

Winter in the North Simcoe region can be tricky to navigate.

We have the most beautiful of idyllic winter landscapes. We also have the worst snowmageddon weather that makes us never want to leave the house.

But I found something that makes me want to leave the house.

Now I struggle with sharing this “hidden gem” with everyone because once the gems become unearthed, these places can become so popular and they lose their magic. But I also want to share insight into this particular opportunity to offer a chance to encourage discussions with your children around eco-stewardship and animal conservation.

In the winter, Washago tends to get special visitors around Centennial Park and the Washago Docks. They are big, white and feathery majestic creatures…it’s the Trumpeter Swans! The swans love the northern waters of Lake Couchiching as they are shallow, ice-free and offer plenty of vegetation to consume in the winter. They are migratory, but migrate to these parts when the white stuff falls! These beautiful birds were once on the brink of extinction as they were hunted for meat and feathers. It is now illegal to hunt Trumpeter Swans as a result.

Taking it back to the 1980s, local biologist and research scientist with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Harry Lumsden, began the recovery program for the Trumpeter Swans in Ontario. He literally hatched swan eggs from Wisconsin and Alaska and released the birds across Ontario to grow the population today of around 3000! His work continues today, even after his passing in February 2022 just shy of the age of 99.

Now being able to see these magnificent birds is a privilege. It’s very special. As such, the opportunity needs to be treated with respect. If you plan to take your little ones, please educate them that there are not many of these birds in Ontario. You don’t need to get too close and you don’t chase them away (why do kids love to chase animals away?)

They should NOT be fed, especially bread. Inappropriate feeding is a threat Swans face and we don’t want to be a part of the problem, we

16 The Villager | Dec 2023

need to be part of the solution. Many volunteers with the Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario spend countless hours banding birds and registering the tag numbers to assess migration patterns, mating, and nesting. This also allows birds to be tracked that are injured or unwell. They even have Family Trees created! How cool! This is a great opportunity to educate your children about respect for nature and our wildlife, especially those that are endangered.

As the largest waterfowl native to North America, it is really something to see these birds up close and personal. If you are able to check out the Swans of Washago, as I call them, you are in for a treat. I find January to be the perfect time to see them in action. They tend to go once the ice does. Once you take a peek at the swans, you can swing by Centennial Park to play in the snow for a bit! Make a family outing out of it.

To learn more about this restorative project, check out the work of the Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario registered charity. If this speaks to your heart, and perhaps your children’s, you can contribute a financial gift to support this work.

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January A HIGHLIGHT OF COMMUNIT Y EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS PUBLIC SKATING Jan 2,3,4,5,14,21,28 Coldwater Community Centre For updated times and pricing contact 705-686-3322 for more information. Many of these dates are sponsored and you can attend for free!

SEVERN OUTDOOR ICE RINKS: Bass Lake Woodlands Park (1956 Pine Ave) Washago Community Centre

CHILI LUNCH AT SEVERN BRIDGE COMMUNITY HALL Monday, January 8: 12 Noon Severn Bridge Community Hall Chili Lunch, including beverage and dessert. $12 per person.

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TRIVIA @ QUAYLE’S January 11, 2024 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Quayle’s Brewery $12.50 Per Player Doors open 5:00PM, Trivia Starts at 6:30PM Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL January 12, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Orillia Opera House – G.L. Auditorium Join us as we bring films and stories of adventure and exploration from around the world to the Orillia Opera House! All seats: $28 PASSPORT TO NATURE: CHILDREN’S STORY WALK January 27, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Scout Valley Orillia Public Library and Couchiching Conservancy invite you to a unique walk in the woods! For Family Literacy Day, the library staff have chosen a special nature story for you to read page by page, as you hike through beautiful Scout Valley. You will also enjoy time with your family as you look for unique natural features along your walk. Follow our scavenger hunt to look for evidence of animals passing or to identify and learn about natural features of the forest. Finish your walk at Regan House with a warm cider, a craft and place your entry into our scavenger hunt prize draw.

Winter Activities OUTDOOR SKATING RINKS Visit Severn, Oro-Medonte and Orillia websites for updated information on community rinks and when they are open.

18 The Villager | Dec 2023

ORO-MEDONTE OUTDOOR ICE RINKS: Ramey Memorial Park 5464 Line 8 N

​Danny McHugh Memorial Park Horseshoe Valley Memorial Park ​3387 Line 4 North

Sweetwater Park 3353 Line 6 North

​Shelswell Park Shanty Bay Park 1950 Ridge Road West

​Hawkestone Community Hall ​3 Allen St, Hawkestone

Ravines of Oro-Medonte 8 Blackcomb Drive - Medonte Sideroad 2

ORILLIA OUTDOOR ICE RINKS: Couchiching Beach Park Clayt French Park Cornerstone Baptist Church Hillcrest Park Homewood Park Kitchener Park Murray Street Park WINTER CAMPING & HORSEBACK RIDING AT GLEN ORO FARM This rural eco-retreat offers winter glamping and guided horseback trail rides. Spend an unforgettable night in a stylish prospectors tent (yes, there is heat!) and recharge in the midst of a peaceful forest. Take a relaxing horseback ride through Glen Oro Farm’s scenic wooded trails and learn about horse care and riding techniques from expert guides.

(705) 326-7244

TRY ICE FISHING WITH A BREATH OF FRESH AIR Picture yourself out in the fresh air all day with your friends, enjoying a hot beverage and taking in the view. Conveniently located just offshore on Lake Couchiching, known for its abundance of perch and pike, ice hut rentals by A Breath of Fresh Air Sports allow for ice fishing in comfort. A heated hut and all the gear is supplied by A Breath of Fresh Air. 705-345-0814

LEARN SNOWMOBILING WITH SMART ADVENTURES Get your adrenaline pumping on a guided snowmobile ride through the forest. SMART Adventures offers snowmobile lessons and guided snowmobile tours. Kids and beginners are most welcome! Choose from a one and a half hour tour or a thirty minute kids ride. Booking a lesson means you’ll get step by step learning experience designed to equip riders with essential skills and confidence. O ​ n guided tours, you’ll explore the forest and stop for photos along the way.

705-835-2790 ext. 1288

SKI OR SNOWBOARD AT MOUNT ST LOUIS MOONSTONE Hit the slopes at Mount St Louis Moonstone for an awesome day of skiing or snowboarding. The family-friendly ski hill can accommodate skiers and snowboarders at all levels, from beginner to expert!

Snowboarders have the option of three awesome terrain parks.

1-877-835-2112

GO SNOW TUBING, SKIING, SKATING OR FAT BIKING AT HORSESHOE RESORT Play all day at Horseshoe Resort and choose from a range of outdoor activities designed to get your heart pumping! Hit the alpine slopes on ski or snowboard and choose from 29 runs. If cross country is more your style, explore 30kms of groomed double track set Nordic trails. Take the kids snow tubing and watch their faces fill with delight, try your hands at a fun fat biking experience, or lace up the ice skates for a twirl around the rink.

This place has something for everyone.

705-835-2790

SKI, SNOWSHOE, FAT BIKE OR RIDE A GROOMER AT HARDWOOD Cross country ski, snowshoe or bike through over 100 km of beautiful, rolling trails at this renowned ski and bike centre. Looking for something really special? Book a special winter groomer tour which allows members of your household to tour the grounds of Hardwood Ski and Bike in the comfort of a climate-controlled bubble cabin. It’s heaps of fun!

1-800-387-3775

Custom Orders Available BEEF, CHICKEN & PORK

FRESH SALMON AVAILABLE!

Fresh Vegetables & Fruit Create a great meal with a variety of produce!

Take-out Sandwiches

Freshly prepared • Ask for panini press

Also PIZZA & SALADS!

Freshly Brewed!

Serving only our Premium

Muskoka Roastery Coffee Espresso, Cappuccino, Latte, Shag Fog, Chai Tea Latte, Green Tea Latte All take-out cups are biodegradable.

CANOE BAKERY & CAFÉ

• Breads, rolls, pies, butter tarts, squares, muffins, bagels, meat pies and more!

• Enjoy a coffee and sweet take-out.