Collingwood, ON [28 August 2024] – The Yonnhe’ón:we Indigenous Arts Series returns to Simcoe Street Theatre on Thursday, November 14th, 2024, featuring a dynamic blend of music, discussion, film, and theatre, honouring the power and life-giving spirit of story.
A highlight of this year’s event is the production of the short play, “The Curse of Stolen Seeds,” written by event host and Poet Laureate, Jillian Morris. The play delves into themes of reconciliation and healing as it follows the journey of an estranged mother and daughter, Evelyn and Autumn, as they confront the ghosts of the past to uncover whether truth can lead them to reconciliation.
The Yonnhe’ón:we team is actively seeking Indigenous actors from or near the South Georgian Bay area to bring these compelling characters to life. We are casting for the following roles: • Evelyn (lead): Indigenous Female, ages 46-55 • Autumn (lead): Indigenous Female, ages 32-39 • Sam: Indigenous Male, ages 32-45
This call is open to non-union actors who are available for routine rehearsals in Collingwood and the surrounding area from late September until the opening day on November 14th, 2024. These are paid roles, reflecting our commitment to honoring the talent and dedication of participating artists.
Please submit an expression of interest to Jillian Morris, [email protected], including the role you are interested in playing and any experience you might have by September 20th, 2024.
Yonnhe’ón:we is dedicated to amplifying Indigenous voices and stories. We are excited to bring this powerful narrative to the stage. Join us in celebrating the rich tradition of Indigenous storytelling.
We were pleased to welcome our guests to our Save Georgian Bay Enchanted Evening, August 10 on the Escarpment, Captain’s Court, Meaford! It was indeed an Enchanted Evening! We ignored the bits of rain and drizzle for a wonderful evening together, protecting and fighting for Georgian Bay and the Escarpment we love. We were blessed with four rainbows that evening.
Thank you to all those who supported our efforts to Save Georgian Bay by purchasing tickets or donating to the cause. These generous donations help fund our efforts to educate people around Georgian Bay and throughout Ontario on the very real hazards, risks, misleading claims and implications of this project. The donations of local artists for the silent auction were outstanding and created excitement during the evening, as many of us competed to be able to take our favourites home.
We are grateful to all of our volunteers and sponsors who gave their time, skills and expertise to make this event possible. First among these volunteers are the Enchanted Evening event team listed below, who conceptualized and then produced a fantastic evening for us to enjoy. This team was supported by a couple dozen volunteers, who performed setup and put away duties; they cut grass, raised tents to protect guests and musicians from sun or rain, setting up the speakers’ circle in the “Ancient Forest”, exhibiting local art, monitoring traffic, greeting guests, smart servers providing local beverages at the bar, serving delectable sushi, and international food platters, including Indigenous smoked fish from Saugeen Ojibway Territory, and then, treats of baclava, sundaes and organic blackberries.
It was a team effort!
It was a joyful, active night. Every facet, from the location on the Escarpment, the program, the cuisine, the Art (with a capital A) and the rainbows, WOW! The program included a “Save Georgian Bay Welcome with a View” by Director Tom Buck and comments from Teresa Sorska about our personal responsibilities to sustain and protect our environment. Then the highlight of our program, Annette Sandberg’s moving comments about the special environment of the Escarpment, the experience we have available to us in loving and protecting it. And then, her warning that if it is destroyed by the pumped storage project, it will never recover!
The purpose of our event was to raise awareness and funds to continue the fight to “STOP TC Energy’s PUMP STORAGE PROJECT.” We could not have done this without your spirited attendance, generous donations, awareness raising, participation from near or far, or bringing your friends and neighbours to the Escarpment and its panoramic view. We surpassed our goal for tickets and had over 124 persons in attendance. The participants included: Meaford Mayor Ross Kentner and wife Ruth Ann; Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney; Councillor Harley Greenfield and wife Doris; Tiny Township Councillor Dave Brunelle; Meaford’s Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient for Exemplary Volunteer Leadership Liz Harris; David Scoon, Director of Communications, Escarpment Corridor Alliance (ECA) and Rob Leverty, President of the Niagara Escarpment Foundation to mention just a few.
We are incredibly pleased that we could share this evening together and we thank you all.
We are so very grateful also, to our many supporters who were not able to join us for the Enchanted Evening. We cherish your participation in our other events, in reading our emails, spreading the word about the project, joining our efforts at council meetings, sending letters to political leaders and more. You make a difference for Georgian Bay and the people of Ontario.
There is more to do! We persist in seeking an end to the Project in favour of more responsible energy solutions. We continue to need your help in many ways. More to come . . .
It all started in 2019 when I went for a walk one sunny day during the summer. I was approached by a vehicle, where a man named Jeff Malloy emerged & offered a proposition of helping to organize & put on a fundraising event in honour & support of my fundraising efforts for Sick Kids Hospital. Jeff said that he knew my father, Steve Hardisty, back in the day when he was working for the OPP.
Jeff then introduced me to his brother John Malloy & their mutual friend Rob McPherson & together we all devised ideas for this fundraising concert event for me. It all came down to us hosting the event at the Collingwood Legion with a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, and live music (thanks John McNevin) with us performing & myself showing off my singing talents. When the date was officially decided to be scheduled for June 14th, I told the guys that that was just 3 days before my Birthday. So, they decided to make it a joint occasional event with a birthday cake included.
With Rob’s involvement, help & support, the concert event was a huge success & great turnout with us raising an amazing grand total of $1,778.
When the pandemic hit the world in March 2020, certain precautions caused quite a strain on my fundraising efforts from working at the local Dairy Queen in Stayner with my usual selling of the paper balloons to the customers & my temporary leave due to a compromised immune system. Fortunately, both the Malloy brothers & Rob McPherson came to me with a brilliant idea (Rob’s idea says the Malloy bros) of a backup plan to continue my fundraising quest.
From 2020-2022, we raised an amazing grand total of over $29,000 in the bottle drives.
Between bottle drives, Rob McPherson would go around & collect empties from his neighbors, friends, family members, as well as from his workplace coworkers at the Collingwood Brewery & donate the money from them to my fundraising efforts for Sick Kids Hospital.
With Rob’s individual support work towards my cause, he’s helped raised just under $3,300 for Sick Kids.
Overall, I could not have gotten this far in my fundraising if it weren’t for Rob’s good heart, honour, support & dedication into helping me raise so much money for a cause that I hold most dear & close to my heart. Rob’s contribution will most definitely go onto help make a difference, make miracles happen, & above all help put a smile on all the little children’s faces who are sick & suffering right now just waiting for a cure & will ultimately fill each and every one of them & their families with hope; hope that their family will be healed from this pain & suffering of their child family member & hope for their child’s future to be shining bright & free from pain.
Update: Raymond’s fundraising efforts for Sick kids has now raised well over $171,000. Let’s help him to get to $250,000!!! Follow and Support Raymond @ Raymond’s Fundraising Campaign for Sick Kids
The Town of The Blue Mountains is proud to once again host the Seniors Fair in partnership with the Blue Mountains Seniors Network on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at the Beaver Valley Community Centre in Thornbury.
The Seniors Fair will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will feature information on local senior services, transportation, housing, recreation and enhanced well-being.
Local organizations and vendors will also be set up at the event to speak with attendees and provide information. The Seniors Fair is a free event, and refreshments will be provided.
Although the sentences for climate activists are the longest ever for nonviolent protests in the U.K., they’re part of a worldwide trend of cracking down on people trying to save humanity from environmental havoc while supporting those causing the devastation.
British climate scientist Bill McGuire tweeted, “Once again, those fighting to save our world are locked up, while the real #climate criminals stay free and pop the champagne corks to celebrate their recent colossal profits.”
Indigenous land defenders at Standing Rock in the U.S., Wet’suwet’en territory in Canada and San Miguel Ixtahuacán in Guatemala; anti-whaling activist Paul Watson; young people, including Greta Thunberg in Europe; even scientists and many more are being criminalized for trying to safeguard the very systems our health and lives depend on — often under the guise of protecting “critical infrastructure,” such as pipelines. I saw this firsthand when my grandson was arrested for protesting a pipeline.
Meanwhile, the gas, oil and coal industries fuelling the climate crisis not only enjoy government protection, they also receive massive government subsidies, have power to alter and water down regulations through lobbying and are supported by governments, banks and some media, all while raking in record profits.
Why are so many people from all walks of life risking arrest and imprisonment? They can’t ignore the rapidly increasing wildfires, droughts, floods, heat waves, sea level rise, climate-related conflicts, biodiversity loss and migration crises. Global temperatures have hit record highs over the past 13 months, exceeding climate scientists’ predictions. As the Guardian reports, July saw “two consecutive days of heat in excess of anything in human records, and probably also anything in more than 120,000 years.”
Protesting is a powerful tool. It helped end British rule in India, overturn apartheid in South Africa and bring about robust civil rights legislation in the United States. One study found that if just 3.5 per cent of the population gets involved, change is inevitable.
But those in power will invariably go to great lengths to maintain the status quo, even if it’s been definitively proven to be destructive. Resolving something as massive as the climate crisis requires systemic change, and that doesn’t appeal to unimaginative, short-sighted politicians or profit-driven corporate leaders. It can also make the general public uneasy. But unless we change our ways — especially our outdated economic systems and tools for measuring “progress” — we face an uncertain and calamitous future.
Laws and legal systems are important for societal stability. But when laws are unjust or promote destructive or unfair policies and practices, they must be changed. Slavery, apartheid and segregation were once legal in many countries. Not long ago, homosexuality was against the law in Canada and elsewhere and women and racialized minorities weren’t legally allowed to vote.
Sometimes protest, whether it’s marching in the streets, blockading harmful activities or boycotting destructive industries, is necessary to bring about change.
When it comes to climate disruption — fuelled by burning gas, oil and coal and destroying forests and other green spaces — rapid change is needed. We’re already seeing the devastation of global heating. Because greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane remain in the atmosphere for a long time, the impacts will continue to worsen if we don’t stop polluting now.
“As climate change continues, every decade it gets warmer, the impact is larger and the consequences are greater. So in that sense, we are already in uncharted territory with respect to climate and with every decade we go more further out on a limb,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.
It’s insane that those standing up for people and the planet are being punished while those wreaking havoc and endangering all life are not only given a free ride, they’re being celebrated and supported.
Change is long overdue.
David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington.
British climate scientist Bill McGuire recently tweeted:
Once again, those fighting to save our world are locked up, while the real #climate criminals stay free and pop the champagne corks to celebrate their recent colossal profits.
WednesdayAugust 28th – 12 till 1:30 – Romney Getty – with lunch by TNT Taps & Tunes
LOCAL LIVE LUNCH
10 Wednesdays! 10 Concerts! 10 Menus!
Great food, a fun atmosphere and free performances by the area’s top-notch musicians, singers, and songwriters!
Each Wednesday throughout the summer, Local Live Lunch welcomes everyone to drop by our outdoor concert are at Sheffer Court, located at 186 Hurontario Street downtown.
You can purchase your lunch on site from a featured restaurant, sit back in comfy Muskoka-style chairs, relax and listen to great local, live music on the 95.1 Peak FM Stage! Local Live Lunch is a celebration of community spirit paired with culinary treats and music!
Congressman John Lewis: “Get in Trouble. Good Trouble”
Congressman John Lewis was a monumental figure in American history, whose legacy of courage and unwavering commitment to justice resonated throughout his life. Born on February 21, 1940, in Troy, Alabama, he emerged as a force for change during the Civil Rights Movement, exemplifying the principles of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience.
A key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, John Lewis stood alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as one of the “Big Six” leaders, advocating for racial equality and human rights. He epitomized bravery during the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, where his leadership and sacrifice on “Bloody Sunday” spotlighted the brutal realities of racial segregation, galvanizing support for the Voting Rights Act.
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986, Lewis served Georgia’s 5th District for over three decades, earning admiration as the “Conscience of the Congress.” In Washington, he fought tirelessly for voting rights, healthcare, and social justice, always reminding us of our responsibility to stand up against injustice and “get into good trouble.”
Even in the face of adversity, Lewis maintained his hope and faith in the fundamental good of humanity. He inspired generations to continue the fight for equity and to push for a more inclusive and fair society. His life and works remain a testament to the power of resilience, humility, and the enduring impact of advocating for what is just.
John Lewis passed away on July 17, 2020, but his legacy lives on, driving us to pursue a world where freedom and equality are available to all. His words and actions serve not only as a reminder of the struggles of the past but as a beacon guiding us toward a more just and inclusive future.
Here are some resources where you can learn more about John Lewis’s life and contributions:
Collingwood, ON [27 August 2024] – Just ahead of the new school year, Council continues their commitment to community safety and safer streets by implementing a new reduced speed limit for both School and Community Safety Zones, to 30 Km/hour. An exception to the School Zones affected is the location on Highway 26 West in front of the Pretty River Academy due to it being on a Highway.
The speed limit reductions are to ensure consistency which may result in a positive impact on driver behavior. The key focus of a 30km/h school zone implementation is to provide extra emphasis in the most vulnerable areas which are the local school zones. Specifically, within 150m around the school property, where students and guardians are more concentrated. These are to be coupled with enhanced pavement markings to further define their special characteristics. Staff will continue to take steps to implement tools that improve safety by focusing on the most critical areas with plans to monitor, assess, adjust, and/or expand as required.
Some new community safety zones are also being implemented including Pretty River Academy, National Ski Academy, and Riverside Park. Speed limits will be reduced in front of all schools, to help promote pedestrian and student safety.
With school starting for most students in Collingwood on September 3rd, in addition to lowering your speed through these Community and School Safety Zones, please be mindful of all pedestrians who are choosing active transportation as their method of travel, whether walking, biking, scooting, etc.
We all deserve to get to school, work, and home safely!
About Community Safety Zones (CSZ) and School Safety Zones (SZ) The implementation of CSZs and SZs are an important safety enhancement measure. CSZs and SZs are a special designation of a roadway section, as defined under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA). CSZs are sections of roadway where fines for traffic violations are increased by the implementation of the special designation through municipal by-law adoption. SZs in Ontario can be identified by a yellow sign with two pedestrians walking together and typical speed limits in a SZ are between 30 km/h and 40km/h. These decisions are based on industry best practices associated with CSZs and SZs as well as OTM Standards.
As the Internet in its various digital forms arrives on your smart phone screen or tablet, conjuring up random violence, bursts of drama, vanity and narcissism, surprise pornography, disturbing images of war, beheadings – do you ever say to yourself: “Enough”?
Emily says that it was reading about the Kardashians which started her journey to becoming a digital minimalist. “One day I was aimlessly going through my Facebook feed and there was some story about Kim Kardashian and I thought: what is the point of scrolling through this type of celebrity culture Instagram garbage?”
Inspiration to go on a digital diet also came from parenting a seven-year old daughter: “I was already strictly limiting the tv she could watch and not allowing her to go on YouTube. Most of her friends already have their own tablets and are probably a year away from getting their first smartphones. As I started to worry about her exposure to online content, I needed to consider what I myself was watching.”
Emily is part of a growing population which either restricts or eliminates their use of media platforms as a result of concerns over mental health, developing psychopathic personality traits and keeping a life off-screen. Emily is a single mother in Toronto working as a human resources specialist. “I have to use a computer and go online a lot at work, which is why I try to reduce screen time as much as possible when I get home.”
It is not a way of life everyone understands: “Sometimes I don’t check my texts for a day and people react like you have ghosted them.” In a world where everyone has a supercomputer in their pocket, there is a great expectation to be both available and responsive to texts, phone calls and emails. Emily mentions how she recently almost lost a friend who works as a real estate agent: “She had taken great offence at me for not responding to a text within an hour of the weekend morning she had sent it. She couldn’t understand that I am not plugged in all the time like that; I don’t check my phone constantly like she does.”
Minimizing the time you spend on-screen can lead to missed social opportunities, missed updates on one’s social circle and cause a fear of “missing out.”
Teenagers seeking belonging with their peers are especially glued to their devices. A Gallup survey found that U.S. teenagers spend an average of approximately 5 hours a day on social media. Older teenagers and girls spend even more time, or about an hour more. Teenagers spend a greater amount of time on social media than on doing homework or being with family and friends. The time is spent on seven different media platforms, with TikTok and YouTube being (by far) the most popular.
Digital Minimal
Interestingly, if a parent disapproves of the extensive screen time, the teenager will reduce their social media consumption by about 1.8 hours a day. This demonstrates the importance of active parenting and the role of family life in preserving mental health and well-being.
It is adults – rather than teenagers – who are more likely to want to minimize their digital footprint. There is sometimes resentment with how technology companies are manipulating people with algorithms designed to keep them online and clicking, and with how spending time online can negatively effect both physical and mental health. Many adults disapprove of platforms like Instagram and are aware of how it invites comparisons that create feelings of inadequacy. There is a concern especially for girls, as they compare themselves to idealized and edited images of beautiful women presenting a curated (and ultimately false) presentation of their lives.
There is also a kind of “burn out” with all these media platforms vying for attention. Such a broad saturation of offerings is available, that you can make yourself sick just trying to keep up with favourite online newspapers, event postings, zooming friends and family or watching videos. There is ready-made drama, doom scrolling, a sense of localization of distant events and wars, and information presented in the most controversial or biased ways on multiple fora.
An over-emphasis on clothing and appearance has led to celebrities known only for their clothing and appearance. It is all clutter to the mental hygienist.
It has become necessary to really pick and choose what to focus on, prioritize the more meaningful and to develop mindfulness on how online consumption can affect the psyche. Some users are at risk of social media addiction and have had to reduce screen time to recover from low self-esteem, body image dissatisfaction, depression and anxiety.
In terms of mental hygiene, the best cure for the ills of media platforms is to avoid them or limit them. When you do go onto these platforms, make it work for you. People who are digital minimalists are choosing to use social media in the most positive and useful ways, like to connect with distant family and friends and to join supportive social groups. They use these platforms in a way that promotes a sense of connection and in order to broaden their knowledge and development.
Digital minimalists have educated themselves (or have learned through experience) on what media platforms to avoid.
Life is hard enough without cluttering or burdening your mind. It is important to avoid seeing things which undermine your mental health or distort your view of the world.
From a mental hygiene perspective, consider avoiding the following types of sites which focus on:
frivolity and gossip (eg. TMZ),
vanity and self-obsession,
cults of personality and celebrities,
pornography,
gratuitous or decontextualized violence,
angering and divisive sites,(eg. Newsmax)
Home decor perfection which may make you feel inadequate or resentful (e.g. Martha Stewart),
alcohol, drug-use or crime,
body and appearance (and not enough on healthy habits), and
over-emphasis of decadence, luxury and wealth (eg. Selling Beverly Hills)
It is easy to get lost in the click bait; self-awareness is key. Instead, try to focus on what keeps you informed, realistic, productive, secure, grounded and content. 🏆
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