The Villager 2020 November by Villager Community News

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November 2020

Lions fundraiser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 jeanpaullogiacco@rogers.com

Township news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11 Parliament moves forward . . . 12, 13 Local business feature. . . . . . . . . . . 18

Sacrifices run deep By Ellen Cohen Canadians have sacrificed so much. In World War I, 68,000 were killed and 172,000 wounded; World War II, 47,000 were killed and 55,000 wounded. In Korea, 516 were killed. Afghanistan, 158. After Afghanistan, 54 soldiers who served in that country died by suicide. More deeply tragic ultimate sacrifice. On November 11th we will pause to remember each one of them. Although the services this year will be different because of COVID-19, the Royal Canadian Legion will confer the honour of Silver Cross Mother, as they have every year since 1919, to the mother of a son or daughter who was killed while in service. This mother represents the mothers of all sons and daughters who have been lost in military conflict while serving on behalf of Canada. There is no representation of sacrifice more stark, nothing possibly more emotional, than to watch a Silver Cross Mother lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Every year, the year’s designated Silver Cross Mother squares her shoulders, takes a deep breath, looks straight ahead, and walks resolutely to the cenotaph. The 2019 Silver Cross Mother was Mrs. Reine Samson Dawe. Her son, Captain Matthew J. Dawe was the Commander of 8 Platoon, C Company, 3 Princess Patricia’s

Canadian Light Infantry Battalion. His company served in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Matthew was killed in action in Afghanistan on July 4, 2007. Matthew grew up in a military family with his 3 brothers. As a boy, he enjoyed sports and music and loved his family. He grew up to become an honourable and respected military officer who, in a blink of an eye was mortally wounded. In that moment, Mrs. Samson Dawe became a grief-stricken mother, a woman suffering a loss so tragic, so deep that time will never forget or heal. Today, the Canadian Armed Forces has 68,000 regular force members and 27,000 reservists. Most are in relatively safe countries and not involved in conflict but rather serve in support roles. But many are stationed where there is political instability, countries such as Ukraine, Kosovo, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

While you take time on November 11th to pay tribute to those who have served and died in all past conflicts, take a moment to think about those who currently serve in the Canadian military and hope and pray none of their mothers will ever be called upon to serve as a Silver Cross Mother. REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONIES 2020 Due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the Royal Canadian Legion is asking the public to pay their respects virtually instead of in person. The event in Ottawa and other communities will be significantly modified and, for the most part, include only active ceremony participants. You can watch the ceremony and take part in the two minutes of silence via the Legion’s Facebook page or tune into Network television.

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Watch for Pine Siskins this winter By Ron Reid

One of the events that brings cheer to the dreary days of November is the arrival of northern finches at your feeder. Some winters it may be redpolls, although they have been absent for the past few years, but more frequently your dull greenish goldfinches are joined by a stripy version called Pine Siskins. At first glance, siskins look like just another of those small brown birds that can be so difficult to identify. But look more closely and you will see that they have brown stripes nearly everywhere on a paler background. When they are sitting quietly, which is not often, you can see a bar of yellow on their wings, and perhaps more yellow at the base of the tail. When they take flight, this bright yellow is much more obvious, providing a reliable identification mark for this species. Siskins love the small black nyger seeds in finch feeders, and will often join flocks of goldfinches swooping and twittering around your neighbourhood. Often they make their presence known by their wheezy calls, which some birders compare to the winding of an old-fashioned watch. They like conifers, so you might see them near the tips of a pine tree, but they tend to fly often as they search for seeds. You very seldom will only see one siskin at your feeders; maybe just a handful early in the winter, but it is not unusual to see flocks of 40 or 50 in the coldest months. Siskins are a true bird of the boreal forest, nesting among the broad band of conifers

Feed the lovely Pine Siskin small black nyger seeds and they will delight you with their presence during the winter. that stretches from the northern prairie provinces across northern Ontario and Quebec. They are accustomed to cold – they even insulate their nests with feathers and moss to protect their eggs. If the seed crop on northern conifers is good, they may over-winter in the northern forest, but if food is scarce, they shift to southern Ontario instead. You might remember that small birds such as chickadees survive winter temperatures by huddling together, their feathers fluffed up for extra insulation, and slowing down their metabolism and heart rate to conserve energy. Pine siskins do just the opposite: they boost their metabolism by 40% or more to create extra heat. To provide fuel for this strategy, they draw on extra fat reserves, half again as much body fat as their goldfinch relatives. (Unlike we unfortunate humans, birds can store extra body fat for long flights or cold nights,

and burn it off again in a matter of hours.) Siskins also have large pouches called crops in their necks, which provides another source of fuel. No wonder they are always so busy during cold days making sure those crops are full before nightfall. So those little stripy birds turn out to have some remarkable abilities to adapt to a cold climate. For me, the buzzy call of a flock of siskins high in the conifers is a happy reminder that Canada is dominated by the north, and that we all have to find our own ways to adapt to winter.

A regular contributor to The Villager, Ron Reid is a natural heritage consultant and the co-founder and 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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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

From the Publisher:

This land is my land

From “The top of the world”, near Telford Line and Stockdale Rd., Severn. Photo courtesy of Krista Storey.

I was sitting at my desk thinking about Remembrance Day and how different things will be this year. I won’t be able to watch a parade, clap my hands for the dear old veterans we all love. I’ll be alone and teary-eyed when the bugle plays. Watching the ceremony on television just won’t be the same. Damn Covid, I thought. This isn’t fair. To reduce my pathetic mooning, I took a break from my work and opened Facebook, not that it was likely to reduce stress! But almost always there are some good jokes posted, some news from friends, even some contentious posts that take me away from feeling the anxiety of the pandemic. I opened up Facebook and staring at me was Krista Storey’s photo (above) and it actually caused me to take a sharp breath. This, I thought, is my land and I love it so. This is what Canadian soldiers kept safe for us. They fought, were wounded and died so that fascists didn’t invade our land. Because they did this, today we can all say ‘this is our land’. The scene in the photo is quintessential Canadian. No, it doesn’t show a canoe moving along a pristine Ontario river. There’s not a moose or a beaver in sight.

It’s just a simple and honest view of our land, farmland that has nourished us for generations. You cannot possibly look at this scene and not imagine that inside that barn is a farmer, perhaps a 5th or 6th generation farmer, gnarly hands and muddy boots. Maybe he’s in there cleaning up his farm equipment, checking on his supply of hay and straw, having a quiet word with his beloved livestock. Does the farmer notice the beautiful colour of the leaves on the trees that border and protect his fields, or is he too busy preparing for the cold weather and doing what needs to be done so that he will be well-prepared to plant in the spring and feed us again next year? I think the latter. The blue sky and gorgeous white clouds complete the perfect picture and if I was actually there in person I could start to imagine shapes of animals in those clouds. After my imagination runs dry, I turned my mind back to the anxiety of the day but this time I feel gratitude. This land is his land. My land. Our land. Thank you to the soldiers who saved it from destruction. We will remember them.

Ranked ballots - gone On October 20th, the provincial government announced it will move to revoke the power of municipalities to hold ranked ballot votes for municipal elections. Only the first past the post system of voting may be used. Among their reasons for doing this: it makes voting ‘consistent’ across all levels of government; and, they say, the ranked ballot system adds cost to the process. Advocates of ranked ballots say the flaw in the first past the post system is that a candidate with, for example, 25% of the votes can win an election because she has the most votes in the field of candidates. In this case, this means 75%, the vast majority of the votes went to other candidates. Letters to the publisher are welcome and may be emailed to thevillagerpress@rogers.com. Letters may be edited.

Are we honouring those who gave everything? By Courtney Baker While writing this month’s article I am enjoying a beautiful sunny day of peak leaf colour. My nieces are raking a pile to jump in, and I can’t think of a more idyllic picture of peaceful life. Of course, with Remembrance Day fast approaching, I am feeling deeply grateful. By the time this is published, we will be close to the day when we formally remember those who fought and gave their lives in past wars. The human toll has been immeasurable, staggering beyond comprehension. But the scars inflicted on the earth also run deep. Traces of human conflict abound on our planet: trenches, fox holes, industrial works, even craters. And there are still many areas where live munitions litter forest floors. Untold millions of animals have been lost. Not only animals used during wars such as horses, pigeons and dogs, but wildlife, too. Scores of species and genetic diversity that had taken countless lifetimes to develop were lost along with our kin. Conflict leaves an ugly legacy. It seems now, that without conflict in our region, our modern lifestyle is waging a war on that invaluable diversity. The 6th mass extinction is happening all over the world, including our region where there are 49 species at some level of risk. Whether it is a risk of population loss or full blown extinction, the number is too high. Do we want to continue on a course that leads to our grandkids never seeing a turtle

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Rock Lookout with beautiful fall colour, at Roehl. Photo by David Hawke. in the wild? Before the loss is irreversible, now is the time to act. Through the work of conservation, we can seize this moment, turn the tide, and repay the natural world for all of our trespass. And one of the best ways to support conservation in our region is through The Couchiching Conservancy’s Heartwood Fund. This special fund was developed by our conservancy’s Past Presidents Council for legacy gifts bequests, stocks and life insurance policies. The goal is to raise $10,000,000 for conservation in your region. The money will go toward supporting natural habitats forever. Forever is a long time and only fitting for the planet that has given us everything we have and hold dear. You don’t have to be rich; you do not have to be a landowner; you don’t have to give

all you have. But if you wish to leave behind a legacy that honours those who came before, one that protects the way of life for which they fought, I personally can think of nothing better. As you enjoy the colour of those last leaves hanging from the forest and roadside trees and the beautiful fall cloud formations, think about the 49 species currently at risk and how you can help them survive. For more information about the Couchiching Conservancy and the Heartwood Fund, please reach out to Tanya Clark at Tanya@couchconservancy.ca or call 705-326-1620. Courtney Baker is the Administrative Assistant at The Couchiching Conservancy, a local charitable land trust, protecting nature for future generations.

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For many, many years, the small but enthusiastic group of women that made up the Lioness Club of Washago would meet regularly at the Lions Hall. Their goal was to be involved and support the community. Sadly, the group disbanded a few years ago, unable to achieve their mandate with the few members who were left. During their tenure in Washago, and for many years, the Lioness Club started the tradition of making dozens and dozens of meat pies that they then sold to the community at large. It was a way to elevate the profile of the club, nurture the community, and raise funds for their organization. As usual, the money they collected from the sale of the meat pies

Lioness famous meat pies are back!

went back into other community initiatives. Although the club no longer exists, past Lioness members and current Lions have decided to bring back the meat pie tradition. One of those Lioness members and now Lion member for life, Donna Duck remembers the great success of the meat pie sales and is excited to be involved with this effort once again. “With the help of the few remaining Lioness members, the Lions Club of Washago will offer our delicious pies once again. They are delicious,” she said.

Here are the details: • 5” meat pies, ground beef and vegetable, will be cooked, frozen and packaged. • They will be available on Monday, November 2, 2020. • All pies must be picked up at the Lions Hall, 4343 Hamilton Street, Washago • $5.00 each, cash only To secure your order before they are gone, call one of the following Lions members: Estelle Ness, 705-325-8698; Jim Rice, 705-627-3638; Karen Mason, 705-689-5919

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Simcoe North strong during COVID-19 By Jill Dunlop, MPP Simcoe North Months ago, life changed with the onset of COVID-19. The impacts across Simcoe North, the province, and the world were felt at every level of daily living, from increased food insecurities to the economic consequences on our business communities. I have been filled with great pride to see communities coming together, supporting one another in true Ontario spirit while doing their part to flatten the curve of COVID-19. Spending my days out in the community, I have the opportunity to interact, engage, and listen to the challenges faced by many and to act on some of those issues. As guidelines were put into place to stop the spread and safely re-open Ontario, I repeatedly encountered groups, and individuals, who have been creatively adapting while seizing opportunities for partnerships and funding. In my role as Simcoe North MPP, I am happy to announce new programs put

in place by the government: the Resilient Communities Fund, investing in projects of eligible non-profit organizations to aid their medium to longer-term recovery efforts; the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) offering cost-share funding to support farmers, processors, other businesses, sector organizations, and strategic partnerships; Ontario’s Main Street Recovery Plan, a funding model to help businesses reopen safer, rehire faster, and recover successfully; and the Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER) which offers most households, farms, longterm care homes, and small businesses monthly energy rebates. And, as of January 2021, households will see savings from the Energy Affordability Program (EAP). Lastly, another example of an ongoing program is the Service Modernization Fund which supports municipalities delivering modern and efficient services. One of

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Ramona’s turkey pie, soup and chili feast is on!

Along with almost every event in the area, most of you know that Ramona’s Fall Bazaar had to be cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions. It was a blow to the Ramona Agriculture Society and all of their enthusiastic and hard-working volunteers. The bazaar and all of their other events have brought nearby communities together for years and the funds they earn through the events ensure they can keep doing their good work. Naturally, since the cancellation was announced, many past patrons of this

annual luncheon commented on how much the event would be missed. The disappointment expressed by the community got the Ramona group of volunteers to thinking: “Why can’t we do something that folks could enjoy at home?” With that in mind, they have sprung into action and are making their famous turkey pies and turkey soup for customers to enjoy at home. The pies will be frozen so you can bake them fresh, and the soup will be freshly made to enjoy at home. As an added feature, they are also making Moma Joan’s Chili which will be frozen and ready to take home and enjoy at any time, a perfect meal to enjoy in the cold weather. Pre-orders are now available by calling 705-689-6101. Leave a message if there is no answer. Pick up your orders at Ramona Hall on November 14th between 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Customers are required to don a mask before entering the hall and numbers of customers in the hall at any given time will depend on the province’s guidelines on that day.

• Mark Your Calendar • Christmas Bake Sale December 12 This annual event at Ramona Hall features a huge array of homemade baked goods. More details will be available in the December Villager.

Township update

Smile Cookies net $54,353.65 Local Tim Hortons, including Severn owners, once again ran the Smile Cookie program. This year proceeds were $54,353.65 and, like last year, they went to the Building Hope project making the total donation to them $101,000.00 over the two years. The funds raised go toward the coffee centre in the new dining room to give comfort to Building Hope participants, staff and volunteers.

PPE Recovery Funds available to business owners Keeping your staff and customers safe during COVID-19 has meant additional expenses, particularly for PPE supplies, but there is a way to recover some of that money if a portion (10% or more) of revenue normally comes from tourists. The Regional Tourism Organization (RT07) has introduced Round 2 of a PPE recovery fund with up to $1,000.00 available to individual businesses as reimbursement (pre-tax) towards the purchase of PPE defined as masks, sanitizer, shields, costs incurred to adhere to social distancing, touchless payments, new technology, increased cleaning, sanitization, etc. The recovery funds are available on a firstcome first-served basis. Business owners, visit www.rto7.ca for complete details.

Severn mayor Mike Burkett shares a smile for the Smile Cookie campaign.

Community Centre will begin. The opening is subject to new or revised provincial orders. The health and safety of all participants and staff is the highest priority. Therefore, protocols are in coordination with user groups and the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU). The township has Coldwater - The ice is in… On November 30th the 2020/2021 hired additional staff to clean the facility, ice season at the Coldwater and District including between ice times.

As users prepare for the season, please note the following: all ice participants must arrive dressed and ready to skate. Dressing rooms and other facility areas will not be available for changing, showers, to put skates on, or to store equipment bags; parents and spectators are not allowed in Continued on page 11

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11 the building; there will be 45-minute ice times with a 30-minute break between groups. Yard Waste Collection Biweekly yard waste collection continues in Severn the weeks of November 9, 23 and December 7. Leaf and yard waste collection doesn’t necessarily fall on your regular garbage day. Place material out by 7 a.m. on Monday of your collection week using paper yard waste bags, cardboard boxes, or rigid containers. No plastic. For information visit www.simcoe.ca/SolidWasteManagement. Please bag your yard waste, do not burn it. close contacts (the people you hug and touch without physical distancing). Do not go to work or school if you are Your role in reducing the spread As local cases of COVID-19 rise sharply symptomatic and remember that your to numbers not seen since the spring, it children who are attending school must is crucial for Severn residents to follow be screened daily. The screening protocol all health and safety protocols. It is is available at www.simcoemuskokahealth. prudent to reduce your exposure within org, as are instructions for what to do if a the community and review and reduce child does not pass the screening on any movement outside of your home that is not given day. absolutely necessary. Lastly, continue to follow these simple If you have returned to work and/or have and critically important health and safety children attending school, you should have guidelines: wash your hands often with paused your social circle and limited your soap and water; sneeze and cough into

your sleeve; avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; avoid contact with people who are sick; stay home if sick; wear a face covering in all indoor public spaces and public transit; self-isolate if you think you have symptoms of COVID-19. Campfires A reminder to Severn residents that only small campfires are permitted at this time. In response to COVID-19, all open-air fire permits are suspended until further notice. Burning of yard waste is prohibited.

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Parliament moves forward By Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton I am pleased to bring this report to readers of The Villager and thankful for the opportunity to contribute to its pages on federal political news. The House of Commons returned to its fall sitting on Wednesday, September 23rd, with a new Speech from the Throne – a speech that broadly conveys the government’s intentions for the coming session of Parliament. With the speech was a considerable amount of speculation about a fall election. As you know, this is a minority parliament where the opposition parties collectively hold the majority of seats. If the NDP, Bloc and Conservatives opposed the government’s plan, the Prime Minister would have to seek a dissolution of Parliament and an election would surely follow. This did not happen because if at least one party supports the government in votes of this kind, they keep the confidence of the House and can continue to govern.

This time, it was the NDP who supported them. The next vote of confidence will come when the government releases its plans for spending, likely in the form of a Budget or in seeking its financial authorities at the end of the year. In my opinion, the government will continue to keep the NDP as allies well into 2021 and perhaps even longer. Several bills have been introduced at this juncture that may be of interest to you. Bill C-4 created new income support programs to replace the CERB program ($500 per week for people unable to work due to COVID-19) that ended on September 27th. Though many workers are now back to work since COVID first hit, there are still about 2 million people out of work and Statistics Canada records 1.1 million less jobs available in Canada than just before COVID restrictions were imposed in March. The new programs will help unemployed people transition to EI, or if not EI-eligible, move to programs for the self-employed, people not returning

to work for need of caregiving at home, or people staying home due to self-isolation or illness from COVID-19. Please contact my office if you need more information about these new programs. A bill to ban conversion therapy, Bill C-6, was introduced. This controversial therapy is already banned in several provinces and a number of medical professions have raised concerns about its use and effectiveness. It is a therapy that attempts to persuade people who may be questioning their sexual identity, or who already identify as gay, lesbian or transgendered; toward heterosexuality, against their will. It is known that many have been harmed by this practice. My party will be supporting this bill, in principle, and will propose amendments to it at the committee stage. Finally, Bill C-7, a bill to amend the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) legislation Continued on page 13

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Local quarries update The Villager published information in the October 2020 issue about residents’ concern over proposals for the Cumberland Quarry and the Fleming Quarry. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is reviewing the Cumberland Quarry proposal while a community action group, the Ramara Legacy Alliance (RLA) is preparing to be heard at an appeal hearing at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT, formerly the OMMB) regarding the Fleming Quarry. To contact the community group involved in the Cumberland Quarry, please use the email address we published in the October Villager - ckapetan@yahoo.ca. Please update the contact information for the Fleming Quarry community action group: ramaralegacyalliance@gmail.com or visit their website www.ramaralegacyalliance.com.

Parliament moves forward Continued from page 12 was tabled and will be debated in the weeks ahead. It arises out of a Quebec court decision overturning the constitutionality of the current MAiD law. It seeks to expand the eligibility for people who may consider having MAiD as part of their end-of-life care, by removing the requirement that a natural death be reasonably foreseeable. It effectively creates two paths for MAiD, each with their own criteria; one for those whose death is reasonably foreseeable; the other for those for whom it is not. Members of the Conservative caucus are free to support or

oppose bills or amendments on matters of moral conscience and sexuality, such as bills C-6 and C-7. I support the party (Shadow Minister) position in both cases. If you have an interest in knowing more about this bill or any of the other topics I’ve commented upon today, please contact me at 705-327-0513, or bruce.stanton@parl.gc.ca. Heather and I hope that you’re coping as well as possible in this unusual time for us all. Please stay in touch, stay in good health.

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Giving during hard times In the past four months, The Villager has featured non-profit organizations that you might consider when deciding where to send donations. We have written about The Orillia Youth Centre, Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, The Terry Fox Foundation, Mariposa House Hospice, the Salvation Army Thrift Store, and the Alzheimer’s Society of Simcoe County. As the COVID-19 virus continues to have stress on our economy and many people are still not back to work, non-profit organizations continue to struggle to maintain the level of service they normally provide our community. Some of those organizations are very small and completely run by volunteers. And although they cannot raise funds through their normal events, raffles and bake sales, they still have to pay for building maintenance and repairs, taxes, insurance, and utilities. For those reading this, if you are considering a local donation, please get in touch with any one of the Lions or Legion volunteers you know. LIONS CLUB OF WASHAGO The Lions Club in Washago owns a building on Hamilton Street that serves as a meeting hall as well as an event venue for the many community events the club hosts. An entirely volunteer-run organization, among other things the Lions Club fund raises for Dog Guides and are well-known for their leadership and involvement in community events. For example, there would not be the large Washago Canada Day every year and for many, many years past, had it not been for the hard work and enthusiasm of the Lions Club. The day includes a pancake breakfast, a BBQ and live music. The money raised at all events they host throughout the year goes directly back into

the community. None of their events was able to take place in 2020. ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 270 Like the Lions Club, the Coldwater Legion is also run entirely by volunteers, local men and women who are devoted to maintaining a venue for veteran recognition, comradery and entertainment for the community at large. They are an important resource for veterans and their families. Since July, they have been able to offer limited bar and canteen service but COVID-19 restrictions has meant the 2nd floor hall, normally available for community meetings, wedding showers, memorial services, etc., has been vacant thus generating no revenue.

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Laughter, music and Christmas cheer at Orillia Opera House It’s been a very long 8+ months. Community events and festivals cancelled and live performances of any kind unheard of – until recently when the Orillia Opera House presented new productions in their 700 seat Lightfoot Auditorium. Mariposa Arts Theatre, Orillia Silver Band and the Orillia Opera House are teaming up to bring you some Christmas cheer with a Norm Foster comedy, The Christmas Tree, starring local performers, Gayle Carlyle and John Challis, or Stacey Schat and Doug Ironside. Seasonal music will be performed by members of the Orillia Silver Band. The play: a Christmas tree lot on Christmas Eve; one man; one woman; one tree. Who should get the tree? Each gives reasons why they are the most deserving and each seems unaffected by the other one’s dilemma! It’s a story filled with laughs, heartache, and good old-fashioned holiday spirit. Filled with festive cheer, The Christmas Tree is sure to put you in the mood for the holiday season. Combined with the music from the Orillia Silver Band, you will be

humming your favourite Christmas songs from the time you enter the theatre to when you leave. The play opens on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 7:30pm and runs until Sunday, December 6, 2020. Tickets for The Christmas Tree are on sale now and will be limited to 50 people per performance. Following COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, seating will be set up in household clusters and each cluster will be situated two metres apart or more. To order your tickets, visit orilliaoperahouse.ca or call 705-326-8011. COVID-19 Safety Measures The Orillia Opera House’s priority is the continued good health of our patrons and colleagues. Please rest assured that they’ll be following the safety protocols set forth by Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit allowing you to return to our popular theatre. Ticketholders will be given information about the safety measures before arriving. © Can Stock Photo / valbunny

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Local business – the backbone of our community The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted far longer than any of us had expected. Although ever hopeful, we still need to exercise caution and limit our exposure. Thankfully, for those who live off the highway along the Westshore community, or anywhere within a short drive to Washago, there are many choices for consumers who choose to stay close to home and out of large stores. In fact, if you have a cell phone, tablet or home computer all it takes is a Google search and you’ll find just about anything you could possibly need right in your own community. In this issue we feature two businesses you should consider when you need to get out for a little treat

The Log Cabin

If you ask anyone on the main street of Washago where to go for a quick, good bite to eat the answer is always The Log Cabin. The restaurant is built with logs and inside has the feel of an old-time diner. Nothing fancy but always clean and the service is friendly and prompt. The menu doesn’t change from month to month, not even year to year - and it doesn’t have to. Burgers, sandwiches and, especially bacon and eggs are favourites. The daily special is always an ample serving and the soups are homemade. The Log Cabin is only open for breakfast and lunch, from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. but please, during Covid restrictions, call ahead to confirm what service is available. 705-6896522.

Hooper’s

Their giftware is always interesting and appears to be chosen for their appeal to Coffee, gifts and gallery those who appreciate unique choices and Several years ago, the owners of Hooper’s good quality. bought and restored an old, decrepit Check out their Facebook page or call building on Muskoka Street in Washago them at 705-689-4984. and transformed it into a modern, funky, welcoming coffee and gift shop, complete with paintings from local artists. For now, during Covid, the tables are not filled like they normally are, but Hooper’s is definitely the community meeting place, a sanctuary for locals to sit and get caught up on all the local gossip. As you would expect, the coffee is fresh Is there a community concern or and high quality and the food is freshly happy story you’d like to share? made. The deserts are among the best in the region, including their daily scones and Call us at 705-717-0322. pie selection.

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And the nominees are… The Orillia & District Arts Council (ODAC) and the Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) are pleased to announce the nominees for the 2020 Orillia Regional Arts & Heritage Awards (ORAH Awards). A record number of nominees were submitted in this pandemic year, proof that the arts and heritage sector is near and dear to the hearts of so many.. The ORAH Awards were established to recognize the valuable contribution of educators, historians, and event organizers and supporters. On November 25, 2020, at the second annual ORAH Awards, the sector will come together virtually to celebrate its achievements and honour this year’s nominees. This year’s winners will be announced at the Orillia Regional Arts & Heritage Awards Night event. Proudly supported by Accutrac Capital Solutions and the City of Orillia’s Community Services Department, the virtual event will be filmed and shown on social media at 7 p.m. sharp. Go to either https://www.facebook.com/ orilliamuseum or https://www.facebook.com/OrilliaArtsCouncil. Together, OMAH and ODAC serve the communities of Severn, Rama, Ramara, Oro-Medonte, and the City of Orillia. Be sure to join us on November 25 for a night of celebration. Media inquiries: Anna Proctor, annaproctor111@gmail.com. • 7 0 5-71 7-03 2 2 •

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