The Villager 2021 December by Villager Community News

December 2021

Mayor’s message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 6

Happy Holidays

Gifts of the season . . . . . . . 15, 16, 17 Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Community Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Permanent closure of two local churches a heartbreak by Ellen Cohen With special thanks to Rev. Jim McKean, I was able to meet with four local congregants of the local United Churches. They came to the meeting to share some memories but the first item on the agenda was the closure of their beloved places of worship. Christmas Eve services will be the last of what has been a 161 year tradition. On that night, Reverend Jim McKean will perform a 7 p.m. service at the Heritage United Church in Washago, and another at 8:30 p.m. at the United Church in Ardtrea. After each service, and he will close the door behind him for the last time. The history of these two churches began more than six decades before the 1925 United Church was formed - the unification of the Methodist Church, Canada, the Congregational Union of Canada, and 70% of the Presbyterian Churches of Canada. About 3 km north of Washago, a Weslyan Methodist congregation was established in 1860, followed by another in Washago in 1879. At the same time there was a nearby Presbyterian church in which Methodists held their services. In 1925, the United Church was formed and the new Washago United Church was formally presented to the community. The name was changed to the Heritage United Church in 1977. In 1860 in Ardtrea, Methodists held church services at the log home of Charles Brailey.

In 1868, a small wood frame church was built and in 1896 this building was replaced by a brick one. During these years, there was also a Presbyterian church, built in 1891 on the west side of what is now Highway 11, north of Telford Line. The present Ardtrea United church was re-constructed in 1951. This brief history tells everyone how long churches have been in the area, but that’s not the important part of the story. The closing of the churches completes not just a chapter in history, but to the four women I met – Glenys Hepinstall, Jean Telford, Bonnie Hewitt and Sharon Cook – it is so much more. It feels as if an entire book has been slammed shut. To understand the impact on them and their community, the following relates some of their thoughts. Jean Telford has been attending Ardtrea United Church since 1952. Back then, she said, Mr. Ray Hewitt would start a fire in the huge basement furnace at dawn but it would still be pretty chilly during church services. There were also 2 wood-burning cook stoves that were used to prepare church suppers, apparently the domain of Mrs. Rose Hewitt and Mrs. Evelyn Thomson. With no running water in the 1950’s, the water was lugged in by hand and heated overnight on the stove. She laughed when she said “The church women would have to

Heritage United Church, Washago, with roots as far back as 1864, will close permanently after the 7:00 Christmas Eve service. wait until Monday morning to make sure there was enough warm water to wash the dishes.” Jean said the stories about the furnace and the stove tell how people worked together. They just did what was necessary. Farmers donated wood and others just showed up to cut 5 cords of 3’ long logs. “Everything we did back then was with and for each other. The work was hard but we rejoiced in our church community. We needed to be together and to worship with our families and friends. It has been so wonderful,” Jean said. Bonnie Hewitt was born and raised in Continued on page 8

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Year-end highlights and season’s greetings from Severn’s mayor by Ellen Cohen In an interview with Mayor Mike Burkett, he covered a number of topics that summarized 2021, a difficult year for everyone. The pandemic and its effects were, of course, top of mind. He said no words can completely communicate the gratitude he feels for the way township residents came together during this past unprecedented year. “We have been so fortunate. Our community has followed COVID protocols and shown such caring for each other in so many ways. I know it’s been difficult but the vast majority have just done exactly what’s necessary to keep their families and their neighbours safe,” he said. One of the highlights of the year was the increased communication opportunities between Severn staff and council, and the residents. More residents than ever tuned in virtually to council and committee meetings. Added to that, the new, highly user-friendly website made for ease of information gathering, and Zoom and You Tube opened up the ability for the township to share news quickly and regularly. Access to the administrative office, however, proved challenging in 2021. Much of the year it was either closed to the public or open by appointment only. Residents sometimes had to have a little extra patience but regardless of whether they were working from home or in the office, the staff teams in every department made sure all residents were looked after. As well as public access issues, staff had their challenges as they worked half-time from the office and half-time from home.

Although there was reduced time together, Mike said that the staff remained dedicated to their jobs and did what was necessary to get the job done. Staff is now back at the office full time. They must be fully vaccinated and all but one is. That person will be tested twice weekly at their own expense. All staff must wear masks when they leave their work areas and all visitors must be masked. Township facilities are now opening. The Coldwater and Washago community centres will open at the beginning of the year with some restrictions, details of which are on the township website or available by calling the administrative office. The community centres at Lake St. George and Matchedash will announce their openings at a later date. They’ve had some challenges hiring someone to be at the door to check the vaccination status of visitors. Perhaps #1 on council’s mind: access to high-speed internet. There are still far too many residents without access. Crucial for anyone working or doing their schooling from home, the mayor said too many residents are left behind. Although the more populated areas of the township are served well by high-speed, many in the very rural areas are not. The township is currently overseeing a professional assessment of every pocket of the township and working with the Federal and Provincial governments to move this issue forward more quickly. A few other major issues staff and council have on their radar for 2022: • Begin the work needed to ensure all

township facilities are accessible by 2025. • Complete the 10-year Recreation Master Plan; • Manage the almost triple number of new builds in every part of the township, both small and large residential projects. They also must address a wrench in their otherwise well laid out plans. The province has mandated significant growth for Orillia. Recently, Orillia started talking about annexation of parts of Severn. There will likely be some very lively meetings between the two municipalities but it is clear what the mayor’s stance is about annexation. “I am hell bent to fight it,” he said. “The province has given a deadline of July 2022 for a plan to be presented to them and we will object to Orillia taking over any of what is almost entirely zoned ‘heritage and ‘green’ in Severn. If the Provincial Government believes it’s suddenly okay to allow Orillia to take over any of our township and change designations of property to residential or commercial, they should allow us to do our Continued on page 6

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Merry Christmas. Happy Holiday Season. Hope rules. From the Publisher:

Ellen Cohen Publisher

thevillagerpress@rogers.com

705-717-0322 The Villager, a Severn Township community news magazine, is an independently owned and operated publication delivered to households and businesses on or before the first day of every month. It is mailed through Canada Post north from the Severn Township/Orillia border to Severn Bridge and includes parts of Ramara Township. In addition to Canada Post delivery, The Villager is distributed each month through high traffic locations along the Highway 11 corridor and in many other select locations in Orillia. For a complete list of locations email thevillagerpress@rogers.com. Editorial and advertising material is protected by copyright. Reproduction of any article, photograph or graphic is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher. The sentiments of our columnists do not necessarily reflect those of The Villager. The Villager’s liability to advertisers for errors is limited to the portion of the advertisement in which an error occurs and only if the error is the fault of The Villager. Community event submissions and prearranged editorial contributions must be received by the 10th of each month for the following month’s publication. Advertising space must be booked by the 10th of each month in order to appear in the following month’s publication, with 5 business days thereafter to complete the advertising artwork and proof approval process.

The Villager P.O. Box 5 Washago, ON L0K 2B0 Art director: Cathy Cleary

‘Hope rules’ is my best friend’s favourite saying. She says it whenever there might be reason to worry. And she’s right to do that because we have come through a brutal 21 months but, because we have hope, we do what we need to do in order to survive and we move forward. Even though we still need to exercise some caution, it is my sincere hope that everyone reading this feels so much better this holiday season compared to 2020; that you’ve put up a tree, made your Christmas cake and are starting to do your dinner planning! This is hope. Let’s hang on to that and move into the New Year with our loved ones by our side. With any luck at all, everyone will hang on to the knowledge that we need so little and have so much.

Thank you! The Villager is moving into its 10th year of publication and it’s because of you we’ve been able to publish, as scheduled, every month from February-December, even during worst of the pandemic. I am so proud to say we never missed an issue. To our readers: thank you for taking the time to read our magazine. We spend a lot of time writing and editing and designing the pages, making everything just right for you. If you’ve enjoyed reading our articles and maybe learned something from time to time, we’ve done our job. And thank you for taking the time to read the advertisements and using the services of our 50+ local advertisers. They are eternally grateful for your patronage. To the advertisers: most of you have advertised in The Villager for the past 10 years. Thank you! We have come to know your business and know how hard you work in order to bring quality, reliable service to our readers. Our readers trust you and will continue to count on you. To our new advertisers – welcome aboard. You are in good company. To Villager contributors: Ron Reid, Courtney Baker, Becky Lennerton, Sandra Crawford, Jill Dunlop, and until September, Bruce Stanton MP, thank you for your monthly submissions. Your contributions

have always been among our readers’ most favourite. They look forward to what you have to say in 2022. There are other key people and organizations that help make The Villager what it is: • Cathy Cleary, our genius art director. Cathy can take a scribble on a napkin and create a beautiful, professional-looking fullcolour advertisement guaranteed to get results, and can turn my Word documents and not always perfect photography into perfectly designed pages. • Cheryl Lawder, our bookkeeper who, thank goodness, creates invoices and sends them to the advertisers; follows up (again, thank goodness) on the rare pastdue client; and generally keeps me in line. • The Washago Post Office, the most accommodating and conscientious group of people, all of whom bend over backwards to make sure The Villager gets into the right trucks and the right mail boxes every month. • Georgian Bay Printers: we have worked with Shirin and Hussein since the very first issue. They never disappoint, producing the highest quality product for us, on time, even during the most difficult months during the pandemic.

Letters to the publisher are welcome and may be emailed to thevillagerpress@rogers.com. Letters may be edited.

Stripey birds at your feeder By Ron Reid As soon as the snow comes, our bird feeders are busy. Some of the visitors are colourful, bringing a bit of welcome brightness to a dull winter day. Others, like the chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers, are year-round residents that keep their same appearance in every season. But a few of the regulars feature only an array of brownish stripes, and at first may be a little difficult to figure out. The first of these is a winter visitor called the Pine Siskin, one of the northern finches that periodically shows up in large numbers in our area. Siskins nest in the boreal forest, but forage southwards depending on their seed supply in twittering flocks. They often travel with Goldfinches; if there are Siskins in a mixed flock, there are easy to detect because of their distinctive call, a rising bzzzzt. These little finches, smaller than a Goldfinch, are super-stripey with brownish streaks on nearly all of its body. They are

very active, but when they come to a finch feeder, you can pick out small patches of yellow on their wings and tail. Another small northern finch that is attracted to nyger seeds in your feeder is the Common Redpoll. Like Siskins, it nests in the boreal forest; some years it spends its winters here in large numbers but some years is missing altogether. When it does visit, it often arrives in large twittering flocks that can descend on your feeder by the dozens. The winter plumage of Redpolls is highly variable; some males have a pinkish breast and some are much whiter. But almost all Redpolls have dark streaks along the sides of the breast and on the back; when you see them up close, they feature tiny yellow conical bills surrounded by a dark patch plus a reddish cap. The last pair of winter finches can be very tough to identify. Purple Finches are a native species that nest in rural woodlands in our area and often winter here as well; House Finches were introduced to North America. Both are larger than Siskins and Redpolls, with noticeably larger bills. Both have blurry streaks on their flanks, and both males have a reddish hue on their heads

Pine Siskin

and bodies. In both species, the females and young birds are streaky all over. So how do you tell them apart? One clue is the reddish hue – Purple Finches are often described as dipped in raspberry juice, while House Finches has a more orangish hue. Female Purple Finches have a dark bar reaching down from the corner of their mouth, which House Finches lack. But an easier clue is their location – Purple Finches seldom appear in urban areas. So there you go: four streaky finches that you might see at your feeder this winter. Sorting out which is which can be a challenge right up there with your crossword puzzle, so bring them on! A regular contributor to The Villager, Ron Reid is a natural heritage consultant and the co-founder & former executive director of The Couchiching Conservancy. He has written more than 30 magazine articles and co-authored three books. He lives in Washago with his wife, Janet Grand.

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6 Year-end highlights • Continued from page 3

Season’s Greetings As the year closes, Washago Lions members are looking forward to 2022. We are hopeful that our community will be back to normal and we can present the events we so love to work on. For the next few months, we’ll dream of planning our much-loved Canada Day event, Oktoberfest and more! We thank our friends and neighbours for the support you’ve given us in past years, especially during the past 20 months. Have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

own careful development and let us grow as a township, not let Orillia take over.” The 2022 budget was not completed prior to publication of this issue. Details will be available on the township website before the end of the year. As we move into the New Year, Mayor Mike Burkett extends his sincere good wishes to his staff, council members and all residents of Severn. “How do I begin to express how I feel about everyone at the township who worked so hard, and all the residents who contributed to our community and were so diligent in helping everyone get through a second year of a pandemic? I’ll just say I wish everyone the best over the holidays. Stay safe and be well. And thank you.”

THE JAMS ARE STILL HAPPENING Throughout the winter months, the Lions will host two Jams a month. The 2nd Wednesday of each month is the Country Jam; the 3rd Wednesday of the month is Rock. The Jams start at 7:00 p.m. at Lions Hall. Food bank drop offs are welcome. Mark your calendar: Country Jam, December 8th and Rock Jam, December 15th.

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Shop local By Ellen Cohen I’m often afraid to write yet another article that preaches about shopping for Christmas locally. But not this year. The past 20 months have been so difficult for all retailers and especially for the small shops who were closed down for some time during the height of the pandemic and then could only operate under a maximum, often 25% capacity. Imagine. For weeks on end, they opened their doors every morning knowing that there was a potential they’d lose 75% of their normal business while they still paid staff and all other expenses. There were many merchants who were brilliant in the way they handled the COVID-19 restrictions. Some stores took orders over the phone or by email, some had online ordering systems. In either case, staff had to do the shopping, create the invoice, greet the customer at a table outside, take the payment, and pack up the order. In some cases, customers showed up outside and gave their orders in person. All of this was happening as demand for

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been time to properly manage the previous delivery and inventory was a mess. It was exhausting for owners, managers and staff – but customers were always looked after. In the best of times, it is beneficial to shop at local stores. Your money stays in the community and supports the employees. For every $100 spent locally, $73 stays in the region, compared to big box stores where only $43 does. Local business owners take your business personally. They give exceptional customer service. Local businesses support local events and clubs. The list goes on. This year, the list of reasons is endless. Just look around your community. Almost without exception, local business owners were nimble during the pandemic. They adapted. They sacrificed. They looked after you. They have earned your loyalty. Thank them and their incredible staff for looking after you during the most difficult times. Go knock on their door with your wallet open.

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8 Permanent closure • Continued from page 1 Orillia and moved to this area after she married. She has been a member of the Ardtrea church since 1977. She describes the church and its members as her extended family and says it’s been like that from the minute she walked into that wonderful, warm and loving community. “Unlike these past years, in 1977 when I went to the first service, the church was so packed they had to set up extra chairs in the entrance. It was the same at the Sunday school where I was one of the teachers. There were so many children laughing and learning, and we could always hear the wonderful noise of the also very busy nursery, the lovely babies.” Bonnie said when she walks into the church she can see and feel long gone family members. Too emotional and with few words that could describe how she feels about the church closure, she said her faith will continue to be strong. Sharon Cook became a member of the church in 2001, a relative newcomer compared to the other three women at the Heritage United Church pews date back to the meeting. 19th century.

She had stopped going to church as an older teen but after getting married and moving to Washago, she started going with neighbours to play cards at the Heritage United Church. She said, “My husband had been brought up in the United Church and one day he asked if I wanted to go to a church service. I said sure, and off we went.” Since that first service, the Washago church became a fulfilling and necessary part of Sharon’s life. Sharon has been completely involved, attending services weekly and contributing to almost every aspect of the church’s social and fundraising activities, including cooking, baking, selling tickets for concerts, and helping with many events. Sharon will search for another church to attend and has hope to find one that welcomes her and fulfills her as much the Washago church has. Glenys Hepinstall has been a member of the United Church in Washago since 1951. She was raised in Severn Bridge and Continued on page 9

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9 her parents were very involved in the church. She says about going to church, laughing, “My mother made me go.” Glenys has actually been enthusiastically involved in the Washago church her entire life, assisting or leading in every facet of the church. “We had Christmas outreach, bible study, did the procession of the cross at Easter, hosted dinners for seniors, played bridge, line danced, managed polling stations in our hall, and had endless fundraising events,” she said. Seventy years of involvement in her church has left Glenys with far too many memories to chronicle in this article but she has written many of them down and has hundreds of photos and documents that tell the story and demonstrate how important the church has been to her. “I have worked (at the church) with some of the most wonderful and amazing women,” Glenys said. Tears came to her eyes as she adds “Of all those women I worked with all those many years, I am the only one left.” So, this is what the churches mean to Jean, Bonnie, Sharon and Glenys: community, memories, family, love, friends, fun, cooperation, compassion, kindness, security. Closing these two churches doesn’t mean these women will lose their faith, and it doesn’t mean they will lose any of their cherished memories. But it does mean their world has been tipped over. Although nothing can be done to prevent the closure of the two churches, perhaps our community can make a special effort to reach out to the congregants and show a little extra love.

Ardtrea is part of a local church history back to 1860. This United Church will close permanently at the end of the 8:30 p.m. Christmas Eve service.

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Share hope and help reduce death by suicide Submitted by the Simcoe County Suicide Awareness Council According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 11 people die by suicide every day in Canada, which equals approximately 4,000 deaths per year. Also, approximately 20-25% more will make an attempt on their life. This equals 275 people daily, many of whom may end up with permanent injuries as a result. These are tragic statistics. However, we can have hope and be part of the solution in an attempt to reduce those numbers. We can learn to talk about suicide and reasons to live. We can connect with each other, share resources, and encourage each other to push through to a better place. Our upcoming 11 Second Challenge and social media campaign is all about sharing hope and we invite you to be part of it. Our launch date is December 10, 2021. We ask you to view our solution focused 11 second videos of encouragement and connection, and then make your own video and post it while tagging us. In 11 seconds you can make a difference. In 11 seconds you can let someone know they are valued, respected, important, cherished and encouraged. In 11 seconds you can project hope and help to reduce those terrible and tragic statistics quoted above. Our challenge to you is to record an 11-second act of kindness, hope, inspiration, caring, or mindfulness then upload it to your social media and tag us on Twitter (@HopeEqualsLife), Instagram (hope.equalslife), Linkedin (hopeequalslife) or Facebook (SimcoeCountySuicideAwarenessCouncil). The Simcoe County Suicide Awareness Council has resources, grief recovery groups, projects and caring professionals who are here to help survivors of suicide loss or those challenged by suicide ideation to build the capacity they need, one day at a time, to face life with hope. Visit our website hopeequalslife.ca.

Celebrating our thriving nature reserves With thanks to our staff, volunteers and donors By Courtney Baker

Conservancy volunteers participate in an Indigenous led bioblitz in Washago. October 2021.

As 2021 comes to a close and we look forward to ringing in 2022, The Couchiching Conservancy has an incredible bounty. We invite you to share in our feeling of gratitude. This year, The Conservancy was able to continue its essential work despite the ongoing challenges brought on by the pandemic. The Citizen Science program continued to turn out incredible amounts of high-quality data on the health of lands and waters in our region, thanks to our volunteers. The Nature Reserves in our care continued to thrive and house species at risk, with the next generation of birds, reptiles and mammals appearing in the spring. And, my fellow staff have remained as dedicated as ever to the cause of conservation, despite the challenges of working from home, and the shifting sands of pandemic policies coming at them thick and fast. All of this is to say - we did it! We continued our work through it all. Our sterling volunteers, our thriving nature reserves and our staff brought another successful year to a close thanks to the support of our members, donors and partners. This year, more than most, it gives me hope. I know that The Couchiching Conservancy is only one of dozens of land trusts in Ontario, and well over a thousand in North America alone. Moreover, the land trust movement is one of hundreds of different movements that fight for the earth. There are groups fighting for clean air, clean water, and stopping deforestation across the globe. There are people dedicated to improving the lives of specific animals, like turtles. There are associations facing down the complexities of improved environmental legislation and enforcement. Multitudes are working in environmental education and so much more! The ripples of our combined work reach around the earth and will be the reason humanity is successful in facing down the climate crisis. Next year can be better than this one, and the year after; better still as world leaders have agreed at Cop 26 that 1.5 degrees of warming IS the target cap for global warming. They have

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also agreed to meet annually around the climate crisis, rather than merely every five years. Their meeting was not perfect, or enough, but it gives the one species that can save the world a real foundation to build on and speed forward into the coming year with renewed vigor to protect our precious home. As the drama of essential international meetings, targets and agreements play out on the world stage, The Couchiching Conservancy will be here protecting the special natural places in the Couchiching region, forever. Please, join me in celebrating the success of this marathon year, the dedication of our land trust community, the work of our volunteers, the generosity of our donors and members, and the bright future we have to look forward to this holiday season. Courtney Baker is the Administrative Assistant at The Couchiching Conservancy, a local land trust dedicated to protecting nature for future generations. www.couchichingconserv.ca

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TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN NOTICE OF PROPOSED BY-LAW TO INCREASE BUILDING PERMIT TAND OWNSHIP OF S EVERN POOL FENCE FEES THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN P.O. Box 159, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6J3 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN P.O. Box 159, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6J3 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN P.O. Box 159, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6J3 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN P.O. Box 159, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6J3

THE CORPORATION THE TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN NOTICE OF PROPOSED BY-LAW TO OF INCREASE BUILDING PERMIT P.O. Box 159, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6J3 AND POOL FENCE FEES BUILDING PERMIT NOTICE OF that PROPOSED BY-LAW TO INCREASE TAKE NOTICE the Corporation of the Township of Severn will hold a public POOL FENCE FEES meeting in accordance withAND the BY-LAW provisions of theINCREASE Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. NOTICE OF that PROPOSED TO PERMIT TAKE NOTICE the Corporation of the Township of SevernBUILDING will hold a public 1992,c 23 Section 7(6) and Division C Part 1.9.1.2 of the 2012 Building Code to meeting in accordance withAND the provisions of the Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. POOL FENCE FEES TAKE NOTICE that and the Corporation of the Township of permit Severnand willpool holdfee a public consider amending increasing the current building schedule 1992,c 23 Section 7(6) and Division C Part 1.9.1.2 of the 2012 Building Code to meeting a: in accordance with the provisions of the Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. through consider amending and increasing the current building schedule TAKE NOTICE the Corporation of the Township of permit Severnand willpool holdfee a public NOTICE OF that PROPOSED BY-LAW INCREASE PERMIT 1992,c 23 Section 7(6) and Division C PartTO 1.9.1.2 of the 2012BUILDING Building Code to through a: meeting accordance with the provisions of the Building CodeatAct, 1992,to S.O. POOL FENCE FEES Virtual in Public Meeting onAND Wednesday December 8,permit 2021 be held consider amending and increasing the current building and9:00 poolAM fee schedule 1992,c 23 Section 7(6) and Division C Part 1.9.1.2 of the 2012 Building Code to during the Planning & Development Committee Meeting through Virtuala: Public Meetingincreasing on Wednesday December 8, 2021 and at 9:00 AM toschedule be held consider amending the the current building pool TAKE NOTICE that and the Township of permit Severn will holdfee a public during theCorporation Planning &of Development Committee Meeting through a: Details of the feeMeeting review and justification fee at increases be meeting accordance with provisionsfor ofthe theproposed Building Code Act, S.O. Virtual in Public onthe Wednesday December 8, 2021 9:001992, AMwill to be held posted on the Township website or&will be made available by contacting the during theand Planning Meeting 1992,c Section 7(6) Division CDevelopment Part 1.9.1.2 ofCommittee the 2012 Building Code Details 23 of the review and justification the proposed fee increases will beto undersigned infee advance the meeting. for Virtual Public Meetingofon Wednesday December 8, 2021 at 9:00 AM to be held consider and increasing building permit and pool fee posted onamending the Township website or the will current be made available by contacting theschedule the Planning & Development Committee Meetingwill be Details ofa:theduring review and the proposed fee increases undersigned infee advance of thejustification meeting. for will through The Planning Development be physically presentthe but will posted on the and Township websiteCommittee or will be madenot available by contacting conduct virtually over Zoom with several options Public Participation Details ofthe themeeting review and for the proposed feefor increases will be undersigned infee advance of thejustification meeting. The Planning and Development Committee will not be8,physically present but willheld Virtual Meeting on Wednesday 2021 at 9:00 AMthe to be as follows: posted onPublic the Township website or will be December made available by contacting conduct the meeting virtually over Zoom with severalCommittee options for Meeting Public Participation during the Planning & Development undersigned advance of the meeting. The Planninginand Development Committee will not be physically present but will as follows: Phone-in conduct the meeting virtually over Zoom with several options for Public Participation Submit in writing Details of comments the fee and justification for will the not proposed fee increases Thefollows: Planning andreview Development Committee be physically presentwill butbe will as Phone-in posted on the Township website will bewith made available by for contacting the Submit comments in writing conduct the meeting virtually overorZoom several options Public Participation Virtual attendance through the Zoom application undersigned as follows: in advance of the meeting. Phone-in Submit comments in writing Virtual attendance through the Zoom application The Planning and Development Committee will not be physically present but will Phone-in Submit comments in writing Due to COVID-19 members of the public are strongly encouraged participate conduct the meeting virtually Zoom with several options for PublictoParticipation Virtual over attendance through the Zoom application as follows: via phone-in or virtual attendance. If you feel you are unable to adequately Due to COVID-19 members of the publicthrough are strongly encouraged to participate Virtual attendance the Zoom application participate by one of the above methods, please contact the Township Clerk as soon via phone-in or virtual attendance. If you feel you are unable to adequately Phone-in Due to COVID-19 members of the option. public are to participate asSubmit possible to discuss anwriting additional Anystrongly individualencouraged wishing to attend virtually comments in participate by one of the above methods, please contact the Township Clerk as soon via phone-in virtual attendance. If you feelbyyou are unable to adequately can request anorinvite from the Township Clerk writing via email to as possible to discuss an additional Anystrongly individualencouraged wishing to attend virtually Due to COVID-19 members of the option. public are to participate participate by oneatofleast the above methods, please contact the Township Clerk as soon clerk@severn.ca two (2) days in advance of the meeting. Virtual through the Zoom application can phone-in request anorinvite from theattendance Township Clerk writing via email to via virtual attendance. If you feelbyyou are unable to adequately as possible to discuss an additional option. Any individual wishing to attend virtually clerk@severn.ca atofleast two (2)methods, days in advance of the meeting. participate by one the above please contact the Township Clerk as soon Registration advance of Township the meeting virtual can request anininvite from the Clerkisbyrequired writing viafor email to and phone-in as possible to discuss an additional option. Any individualencouraged wishing to attend virtuallybe participation. Questions associated with participation in the meeting should Due to COVID-19 members of the public are strongly to participate clerk@severn.ca at least two (2) days in advance of the meeting. Registration ininvite advance of Township the meeting isbyrequired virtual can request anor from the Clerk writing viafor email to and phone-in directed to the Township Clerk. via phone-in virtual attendance. If with you feel you are unable to meeting adequately participation. Questions associated participation in the should be clerk@severn.ca at two days in advance of the meeting. participatetoby one ofleast the above methods, please contact thefor Township as soon Registration inTownship advance of(2) the meeting is required virtual Clerk and phone-in directed the Clerk. Inquiries regarding the proposed fee increase should be directed to Nick Ippolito, Chief participation. Questions associated with participation in the meeting should be as possible to discuss an additional option. Any individual wishing to attend virtually Building Official, at 705-325-2315 228 or nippolito@severn.ca. Registration inTownship advance of theext. meeting is required for virtual and phone-in directed to the Clerk. can request an invite the Township Clerkshould by writing via emailtoto Inquiries regarding thefrom proposed fee increase be directed Nick Ippolito, Chief participation. Questions associated with participation in the meeting should be Building Official, at ext. 228 or nippolito@severn.ca. clerk@severn.ca at705-325-2315 least two (2) days in advance of the meeting. directed to the Township Clerk. Inquiries regarding the proposed fee increase should be directed to Nick Ippolito, Chief Dated this 10th day of November,ext. 2021. Building Official, at 705-325-2315 228 or nippolito@severn.ca. Registration in advance of the meeting is required for virtual phone-in Inquiries regarding the proposed fee increase should be directed to Nickand Ippolito, Chief Dated this 10thQuestions day of November, 2021. participation. associated withorparticipation in the meeting should be Building Official, at 705-325-2315 ext. 228 nippolito@severn.ca. directed to the Township Clerk. Nick Ippolito Alison Gray th Dated this 10 day of November, 2021. Chief Building Official Clerk Nick Ippolito Alison Inquiries regarding the fee2021. increase should be directed to Gray Nick Ippolito, Chief 705-325-2315 705-325-2315 ext. 232 Dated this 10thext. day228 of proposed November, Chief Building Official Clerk Building Official, at 705-325-2315 ext. 228 or nippolito@severn.ca. nippolito@severn.ca clerk@severn.ca Nick Ippolito ext. 228 Alison Gray ext. 232 705-325-2315 705-325-2315 Chief Building Official Clerk nippolito@severn.ca clerk@severn.ca Nick Ippolito ext. 228 Alison Gray ext. 232 705-325-2315 705-325-2315 DatedBuilding this 10thOfficial day of November, 2021. Chief Clerk nippolito@severn.ca clerk@severn.ca 705-325-2315 ext. 228 705-325-2315 ext. 232 nippolito@severn.ca clerk@severn.ca Nick Ippolito Alison Gray Chief Building Official Clerk 705-325-2315 ext. 228 705-325-2315 ext. 232 nippolito@severn.ca clerk@severn.ca

FRESH CHRISTMAS TREES Choose from Fraser Fir or Balsam Ask our sales associates to help you choose the perfect gift for the handyperson on your list.

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The gifts of health, food and shelter Tis the season of giving and the time of year non-profit charitable organizations receive the majority of their donations. This year, with the vast increase in the number of people terribly impacted by the pandemic – illness, unemployment, housing challenges and more - they are hoping that those most fortunate will find it in their hearts to be a little more generous than in past years. The Villager will focus on only three charitable organizations, those that provide the greatest number of Severn residents with the very basics of life: health, food and shelter.

Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Foundation Hospitals, sadly, do not get everything they need by way of government funding. Mark Riczu, the executive director of OSMH Foundation explained that government funding is for hospital salaries and operations costs but not, for example, the replacement of equipment/ capital improvements. The OSMH Foundation does not take a generic approach to fundraising. Mark explained, “We like to get down to the nitty gritty and give donors a sense of pride about their philanthropy. They can, for example, direct their donation to a specific piece of equipment, or a ward, or even an initiative.” The following are three examples of the 6 pillars to which the foundation is directing funding: 1) Early diagnosis and faster turnaround: they have invested

in a new CT scanner and are now funding a second MRI. Additional investment in their cancer diagnosis lab is also a critical piece to this pillar of fundraising. 2) Improved surgical emergency and critical care: a $4 million target will fund care such as additional emergency department mental health rooms, additional surgical equipment that will increase the number of possible surgeries, and an increase in ventilators, allowing for improved and increased care in their ICU’s. 3) ‘Soft assets’ - people. Funding will improve professional development opportunities such as leadership training or the creation of an endowment to help a PSW to become a nurse; investment in on-call sleep rooms; and the recent complete renovation of the

Mark Riczu, Executive Director cafeteria which has made a significant difference to the people who work at OSMH. The current fundraising goal is a whopping $20 million, a goal that can be reached by donations from large donors, smaller contributions, even from initiatives such as events and their 50/50 draw. Every donation, no matter the size, counts. Continued on page 16

honouring every moment of life

Angel Tree Looking for the perfect gift? Sponsor an angel ornament in memory of a loved one or in honour of a living angel! Minimum donation is $10 per angel, but larger donations are much appreciated. All proceeds go directly to support residential hospice care in our community. In person:

Online:

Friday, Nov. 19 - Thursday, Dec. 23 Daily from 9am–5pm Mariposa Market | 109 Mississaga St E, Orillia

mariposahousehospice.com/fundraising Follow the link to our donation page and enter message in the “notes” ﬁeld to accompany your angel on the tree.

Sharing Place

Continued from page 15 Visit the foundation website at www.soldiersfoundation.ca to get details about one-time or monthly donations. If you have questions about the Foundation and/or want to direct your donation to a specific area or program, call the Foundation office at 705325-6464.

Chris Peacock, the executive director of Sharing Place quotes a shocking number. “As much as 13% if the community is food insecure,” he said. “A portion of those people will access the food bank but some will not. Those who don’t are invisible to us but we know for sure they will continue to have difficulty. Most certainly all of them will have difficulty managing a consistently healthy diet,” he said. Chris points out that income is the entire reason why people are food insecure. Low income part-time jobs are common. Wages have not kept up with inflation and childcare is expensive. For Chris Peacock, Executive Director those on social assistance, they are most often unable to keep up with rent and also buy food. The largest demographic of those using Sharing Place services are single 18-30 year-olds, and almost as many clients are families with children. They are so close to the line financially, just one emergency such as a car repair or a leaky roof, will mean they will not be able to afford food. Another shocking statistic: 60% of the people who access Sharing Place are, as Chris puts it, ‘attached to the labour market’. In other words, they are working. Some more than one job. This is a clear definition of the ‘working poor’. Serving Orillia and surrounding townships, over 1 million pounds of food is brought into Sharing Place in a year. It is sorted and packed up by an exceptional volunteer force of 70 local people. Approximately 1,300 members pass through the doors of the food bank monthly. Some use the service regularly, a couple or a few times a month, while others show up very occasionally. In addition to the food bank, Sharing Place supports two other programs: the ‘School Fuel’ program, at an annual cost of $100,000 New Patients Welcome! for which Sharing Place pays 50% for healthy daily snacks to 1,600 children in 21 regional schools; and ‘Meals for Change’, 500 complete nutritious meals prepared by volunteers every week distributed to agencies who work with people in poverty. Dr. Debra Shoniker Although Sharing Place would never turn down a donation of 8291 County Rd. 169, Washago • 705-689-6600 food, Chris explained why cash donations serve the community • Exams • Bonding • Cleanings • Veneers better. Cash allows them to purchase more food because they • Sport Mouth Guards • Crowns receive wholesale pricing; enables them to shop regularly and buy Cou • Night Guards • Bridges nty fresh, healthier food; and it pays for gas for their trucks. Rd 169 Muskoka

Street

Rama Rd

Hamilt on

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• Whitening • Implants • Mild Sedation • Dentures (nitrous oxide/laughing gas)

Continued on page 17

AND

A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Email: Adam.Chambers@parl.gc.ca

Midland: 705-527-7654 504 Dominion Avenue

! Orillia: 705-327-0513 575 West Street South Suite 12

17 Go online to www.sharingplaceorillia.org. You can choose a Visit their website for a virtual tour of the facility and find ways to one-time donation or pick a day of the month for a monthly donate, including how to become a Lighthouse Keeper, a monthly contribution. Call 705-327-4273. donor. www.orillialighthouse.ca or call 705-329-2265.

• 7 0 5-71 7-03 2 2 •

The Lighthouse Linda Goodall is the executive director of The Lighthouse. She works with a professional inhouse team and community partners, all of whom have the primary goal of helping the less fortunate. For this article, the communications manager, Lynn Thomas spoke on behalf of the Linda Goodall, Executive Director organization. The Lighthouse reaches into the broader community of approximately 150,000 people, including in the Washago and Coldwater areas. The needy people are not always as easy to see. Homeless or precariously sheltered people in this region might be camped out in tents in rural areas, sleeping in a car on an out of the way road, in a friend’s garage, or maybe lucky enough to couch surf occasionally. The job of The Lighthouse is to help those people and, since their new facility has opened, the ways to do this has grown. Currently, they have the capacity to offer emergency shelter to 37 people. Post-Covid that number will grow to sixty. They also have 20 supportive units, complete with kitchens, for qualified candidates who can live there for up to 4 years while they access community services that will improve their future. Lynn says that The Lighthouse is a ministry of love with its mandate as “housing first’ but people also count on them for a weekday lunch and often will pick up clothing. There is also wide variety of complimentary services including spiritual, professional addiction and mental health support, housing resource specialists, even medical support from volunteer local medical professionals. “We do nothing on our own,” said Lynn. “We can help the needy because of the generosity and professionalism of our many community partners who offer so much to our clients.”

• th

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a g e r p r ess @ r o g e r s. c o

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Checking the Pulse of our Real Estate Market Here is the beat in SEVERN! The average sale price for a residential free-hold, non-waterfront property sold in October 2021 vs October 2020 increased by 39% to $881,048. The monthly number of total sales decreased by 6 for a total of 29, 15 of which were waterfront.* *Data provided from our Matrix MLS System.

For a confidential consultation on your real estate needs, please call upon me at any time.

Stay Positive & Test Negative

Leah C. Cavanaugh Sales Representative

705-325-1366 or 1-800-498-8775 www.LeahCCavanaugh.ca leah.cavanaugh@century21.ca Not intended to solicit properties for sale or buyers under contract.

Health policies and diligent residents result in great success By Jill Dunlop, MPP Simcoe North The holiday season is once again upon us, and simple words cannot express my sincere appreciation for efforts made by our communities dealing with the challenges of this past year. I commend students, families, and educators for their commitment to keeping schools safe and open. Our success in following the advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health with an approach that aligns with the best advice of the Ontario Science Table is evident. As a result, Ontario has one of the highest vaccination rates and lowest case rates for youth in Canada. The new testing measures implemented in November will allow families to detect COVID-19 over the holiday season and includes: • Test kits for school children to use over the Christmas break. • Pop-up test clinics in shopping malls. • More testing options at pharmacies.

In preparation for a safe second half of the school year, the government provides school boards with access to the remainder of the $1.6 billion in COVID-19 resources announced in May 2021. Additionally, school boards will have access to up to two percent of their reserve funds to support safety measures further. The approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 last month was also exciting news for families and a significant milestone in Ontario’s fight against COVID-19 in advance of the holiday season. The paediatric Pfizer vaccine offered is a lower dose that is safe and effective at protecting this age group and will help Ontario’s progress in the fight against COVID-19. While the vaccines are highly effective, the province will continue to expand eligibility for a booster dose to all Ontarians over time. Based on the previous vaccination

rollout, expansion of eligibility for booster doses was first established on age and risk, with an interval of six to eight months from the double dose. As we continue rolling out the Last Mile Strategy to vaccinate as many Ontarians as possible, providing an extra layer of protection starting with our most vulnerable is critical as we continue to reopen and manage COVID-19 for the long term. I look forward to working hard on your behalf, providing support to residents of Simcoe North into 2022, and encouraging you to reach out to my office on any provincial issues. From my family to yours, I wish everyone a very safe, healthy, and happy holiday season.

MUSKOKA DENTURE CLINIC MARK J. FANTUZ, D.D. Denture Specialist

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During the holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our success possible. It is in this spirit that we say

Holiday Ceviche No cook appetizer or Christmas Eve treat

December Specials Get ahead on holiday planning!

By Chef Becky Lennerton Proprietor of Black River Food Company and a teacher in our region for Loblaw Companies Limited. INGREDIENTS: • 1 lb. scallops, or uncooked shelled & cleaned shrimp • ½ medium diced white onion • 2 plum tomatoes, diced • ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded & diced • ½ cup chopped cilantro (or parsley & mint, if preferred)

• • • • • •

Juice of 1 orange and 4 limes 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. chopped garlic 1 additional lime Tortilla wedges Radish slices and herbs for garnish.

METHOD: Put everything into a large bowl. Toss and cover. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally. Plate the seafood mix. Squeeze on lime juice. Use the sliced radish and herbs to garnish. Serve with tortilla wedges. Classic tequila, craft beer or cider will be a perfect beverage to accompany this dish.

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ORILLIA FOOT CLINIC & WELLNESS CENTRE Your One Stop Spot for Head-To-Toe Health

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Phone: 705-327-7900 x 300 Fax: 705-327-0597 Email: Kim.Barron@td.com Westridge Place, 3300 Monarch Dr. Downtown Orillia: 39 Peter St. N.

Pop up Christmas Market • Lions Hall, Washago Sunday, December 5, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hosted by By-the-Rock Farm • Sweet trays, fudge, cookies, gift crates and frozen meals. Jewellery, toys, Infinity scarves, Christmas crafts and sewing, and local artists. Hot chocolate and coffee available with proceeds from this and table rental fee to the Lions Club of Washago. Social distancing and contact tracing in effect. For more information, call Teresa Mount 705-321-9585. Huge Christmas Baking Sale and a Visit from Santa Ramona Hall, 2212 Fairgrounds Rd., Washago December 11th, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. The Ramona Hall Christmas Baking Crew has been busy making loads of goodies: pies, mini-pies, tarts, cookies, squares and more. Don’t miss this event. Visit the Ramona Hall Agricultural Society Facebook page to see the variety of baked goods and to pre-order. Santa Claus will be there from noon until 2:00 p.m. Don’t miss a great ‘Covid style’ safe photo op with Santa. Bring the kids and your camera.

Community Events

Christmas Market • Quayle’s Brewery, Coldwater 4567 12 Line N., Oro-Medonte December 4th and 5th, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. This brand new Christmas Market promises loads of flavour, food and family fun. Held at Oro-Medonte’s favourite farm brewery located at 4567 12 Line N, this open-air festive event will feature over a dozen local vendors each weekend. Quayle’s will have their beer garden set up with an outdoor bar and tap room serving farm fresh craft beer and hot chocolate for the kids. Outdoor kitchens will feature delicious home-style comfort food. Visit Quayle’s Brewery website or Facebook page for more details. Christmas in Downtown Orillia Don’t head to the big smoke. Stay local. Downtown Orillia stores open late Fridays on December 3rd, 10th and 17th. Free parking 7 days a week until January 2, 2022. Visit the Downtown Orillia website for more details and keep your eyes open for pop up markets.

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UPDATE

Volunteer Firefighter recruitment The township is currently accepting applications for volunteer firefighters. Submit your application by December 17. Minimum qualifications include: capability of handling intense and sustained physical effort to complete a variety of tasks; be able to speak and read in English; be willing to participate in and successfully complete all assigned examinations and tests (i.e. written, oral and physical agility tests); acquire a class D (Z) driver’s licence, at your expense within six months of successfully completing our recruitment course. An agility test may be required and, prior to that you will need: certificate of medical fitness from a doctor, three-year driver’s record, criminal record and vulnerable sector check (issued within the last 12 months), and proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Interested applicants please visit severn.ca for more information and to apply.

Notice of proposed by-law To increase building permit and pool fence fees. See details in the Township of Severn advertisement on page 8. Stay informed You can get the latest news, follow the township’s municipal newsfeed, and view the community calendar for upcoming events and news. You can view council agendas, minutes and the council calendar. Never miss a news update by subscribing to one of the township’s news outlets. After you subscribe, you’ll receive an email notification any time a new post is added or the page is updated. Lastly, you can “Have Your Say”. If you have an opinion, this is your chance to share. Visit severn.ca and become familiar with your township or keep in touch through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. New communications officer Tracy Roxborough has been hired to replace Lynn Racicot who has moved to another city and a new venture. Tracy started in her new position on November 22nd. Among her many qualifications, she is a project management professional with more than 10 years of experience working with local government leaders, municipal staff, and their communities. Tracy has digital and print content management skills, a strong eye for design and consistency, is a successful grant writer and enjoys identifying opportunities that can help advance municipal and community priorities. In her message to the community, she said she is excited to join the Township of Severn as the new communications officer. She is looking forward to supporting council and staff in strengthening existing relationships and in building new, beneficial connections that contribute to the unique character of the municipality.

Dustyn Pilger

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