Midhurst/November 21, 2024 – On November 13th, the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services kicked off their 22nd annual Food and Toy Drive. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, 510 toys, 112 lbs of food, and $1,133.65 in monetary and gift card donations have already been received.
Virtual donations, as well as new, unwrapped toys and food can be donated at various locations across Simcoe County until December 20, 2024. For more information, please visit simcoe.ca/toydrive.
This coming week, volunteers will be collecting donations at:
Saturday, November 23:
Midland Walmart ~ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Elmvale Foodland ~ 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Orillia Santa Claus Parade ~ 5 to 7 p.m.
Coldwater Tree Lighting ~ 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Wasaga Beach Santa Claus Parade ~ 5 to 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 24:
Innisfil Santa Claus Parade ~ 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Waubaushene Santa Claus Parade ~ 1 to 2 p.m.
To find donation locations in your community, please visit simcoe.ca/toydrive. Thank you for your continued support in making this holiday season brighter for those in need across our community.
About the County of Simcoe County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
(MIDLAND, ON)- Members of the Southern Georgian Bay detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police kicked off the annual Festive R.I.D.E. program along with all other detachments and police services across Ontario today which runs on into January 2025.
Officers remind drivers in North Simcoe that robust mandatory alcohol screening laws, vigilant citizens and dedicated officers on patrol observing for possible impaired drivers and conducting R.I.D.E. checks they’ll have plenty to worry about if they choose to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or drugs over the holiday season.
Fact is that in the interest of road safety, detachment officers conduct the R.I.D.E. program all year round on detachment patrolled roadways, trails and waterways but at this time of year with more seasonal social events, they will be even more prominent.
So far his week alone, officers have conducted the R.I.D.E. program at eleven separate locations stopped over 102 vehicles checking their drivers for signs of impairment.
On November 18, 2024 officers were conducting a R.I.D.E. program on Brunelle Side Road, Penetanguishene and stopped a vehicle at 10:54 p.m. and spoke with the driver and employing Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) for all drivers entering the program location and using the Roadside Screening Device (RSD) the driver failed the RSD test and further investigation at detachment resulted in the vehicle driver, Meghan BROPHY 36 years of Toronto being charged with Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus) contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada.
The accused was released from custody and will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on December 19, 2024. A mandatory 90 day drivers licence suspension was imposed, the involved vehicle was towed and is the subject of a 7 day vehicle impound in accordance to the Ministry of Transportation (ADLS) guidelines.
Although the OPP runs its annual Festive RIDE campaign during the holiday season, RIDE spot checks are conducted throughout the year, 24/7. The OPP remains committed to taking alcohol/drug-impaired drivers off our roads through enforcement and public education. If you know or suspect that a driver is impaired by alcohol or drugs, call 9-1-1. In doing so, you may save a life. The OPP reminds motorists to plan ahead and to use a designated driver, cab, public transit, or stay overnight. Any amount of alcohol or drugs can impact your ability to make sound judgements. Enforcement and education is essential to save lives and reduce injuries on our trails, roadways and waterways.
Meaford Hall proudly presents Victoria Yeh’s “Timeless” – an evening of music that will lift your spirit out of the darkness of the longest night of the year.
(Oakville, ON) – The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) kicked-off the Provincial Festive R.I.D.E. campaign today, which will be implemented by police services across Ontario during the holiday season. The annual campaign promotes traffic enforcement and raises awareness about the many dangers associated with alcohol- and drug-impaired driving.
The event in Oakville included police services and campaign supporters dedicated to promoting safe driving throughout Ontario this holiday season.
Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs continues to be the leading contributing factor in serious road collisions in Canada. Police services and their community partners are urging drivers not to drive if they have consumed drugs or alcohol that might impair their ability to safely operate a vehicle.
Quick facts:
In Ontario, one in three roadway fatalities involves impaired driving.
A 2022 roadside survey found that one in five drivers tested positive for drugs, alcohol, or both.
The percentage of drivers killed while under the influence of cannabis more than doubled between 2012 and 2020.
R.I.D.E. programs remain an important part of road safety as they are a visible reminder to motorists to not drive impaired. All young drivers, novice drivers and commercial drivers are required by law to have zero presence of alcohol and/or drugs in their system while driving.
Road safety is a collective responsibility. As such, we encourage community members to commit to:
· Planning and arranging for a designated driver or public transportation
· Offering a sober ride to a friend who has been drinking or consuming drugs
· Calling 9-1-1 to report suspected impaired drivers
· Enjoying responsibly
Quotes:
“The OACP and police services across our province are united in their determination to keep our roads and highways safe throughout the year, including during special times of the year like the holiday season. Our message is simple: we want everyone to enjoy the season safely. Impaired driving is never okay.”
· Roger Wilkie, Deputy Chief of Police, Halton Regional Police Service & OACP President
“Everyone deserves to reach their destination safely and celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. That is why our government continues to crack down on those who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Earlier this year, our government introduced the Safer Roads and Communities Act, 2024. If passed, the legislation would introduce a lifetime licence suspension for anyone convicted of impaired driving causing death and establish a time-limited zero-tolerance condition for all convicted impaired drivers. There is no excuse for alcohol- or drug-impaired driving under any circumstances.”
· Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation
“We all have a role to play in keeping people safe on Ontario’s roads. As you gather with family, friends and colleagues over the holidays, please devise a plan that ensures no one in your presence gets behind the wheel if they have consumed alcohol or taken drugs. Your actions, combined with robust impaired driving enforcement on the part of the OPP and its valued policing partners, can go a long way towards saving lives”.
· Thomas Carrique, Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner
Collingwood, ON [21 November 2024] – On Monday, November 18, Council approved the Short-Term Accommodation Licensing By-law 2024-078 to implement Phase 2 of the Short-Term Accommodation (STA) Licensing Service. While the By-law has been enacted and passed, it will not come into full force and effect until January 6, 2025.
The STA Licensing Service was developed to better manage the growing presence of short-term accommodation in our community. This initiative seeks to balance the needs of the community, reduce impacts on long-term housing, and address key concerns such as noise, parking, and safety.
Phase 2 will expand the types of short-term accommodation permitted in Collingwood by introducing two new licence classes:
Class B – Principal Residence: Allows residents to rent their entire single-detached dwelling if it is their principal residence.
Class C – Additional Residential Unit: Permits property owners to rent an additional residential unit on the same lot as a single-detached dwelling, provided the single-detached dwelling is their principal residence.
The application process for Phase 2 is scheduled to open on January 6, 2025. Please note, this launch date may be delayed if appeals are filed during the Zoning By-law Amendment appeal period. Should there be any changes to the launch date, updated will be communicated on the Short-Term Accommodation Licensing Service webpage.
Together with White Pine Pictures, Be The Change Film Series is pleased to present the ground-breaking feature documentary, Plastic People, on Wednesday January 15th at 7pm at the Simcoe Street Theatre in Collingwood.
Plastic People investigates our addiction to plastic and the growing threat of microplastics on human health. Acclaimed author and science journalist Ziya Tong takes a personal approach by visiting leading scientists around the world and undergoing experiments in her home, on her food, and her body while collaborating with award-winning director Ben Addelman in an urgent call to action for all of us to rethink our relationship with plastic.
(WASAGA BEACH, ON) – Members of the Huronia West Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are requesting the public’s assistance regarding an armed robbery that occurred in the town of Wasaga Beach.
On November 14, 2024, at approximately 11:00 p.m., a male youth reported being the victim of an armed robbery by two unknown suspects on Mosley Street near 36th Street North, in Wasaga Beach. The two suspects approached the victim and used bear mace on the victim to take the bicycle the victim was using.
The suspects are described as:
Description Suspect #1: Caucasian, late teens to early 20’s, blonde hair, tall and skinny, wearing a red jacket or sweater with fur on the hood, with a baseball cap.
Description Suspect #2: Caucasian, late teens to early 20’s, wearing a dark/black jacket/sweater.
The investigation is ongoing. Officers are seeking the publics assistance in identifying the unknown suspect. Anyone who may have witnessed this or has video surveillance/dash cam footage is asked to contact the Huronia West OPP detachment at 1-888-310-1122.
If you’d like to submit information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit information online at www.p3tips.com.
For safety and crime prevention tips, please visit our website at www.opp.ca.
The Ontario Provincial Police is committed to public safety, delivering proactive and innovative policing in partnership with our communities.
(ORILLIA, ON) – On Saturday, November 16, 2024, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Association of Black Law Enforcers (A.B.L.E.) and the Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA) jointly hosted the 32nd annual A.B.L.E. Scholarship and Awards Gala. The theme for the event was “Passion, Purpose and Persistence: Celebrating Excellence.”
The gala was hosted by emcees Deputy Commissioner Rohan Thompson of the OPP and Carrie John, who retired as the Manager of Probation and Parole in the Ministry of the Solicitor General. The event featured keynote speaker Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis of the Memphis Police Department.
There were more than 800 guests in attendance to witness the presentation of 11 scholarships and nine awards.
The 2024 A.B.L.E. Scholarship recipients are:
Isabella Bedoya-Romero, Niagara College
D-yana Bommier, Concordia University
Vanessa Budimunda, University of Windsor
Maheep Grewal, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Benjamin Harvey, University of Guelph-Humber
Ranisha King, Brock University
Reine Ndome, University of Windsor
Success Ogboe, Osgoode Hall Law School
Oraydo Poyser, Niagara College
Alexis Remekie, Ontario Tech University
Aiyana Thomas, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
The 2024 A.B.L.E. Award recipients are:
Nicole De Roché, Outports and Postal Operations District – Community Leadership Award
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Surrey Detachment – Teamwork Award
Enyinnah Okere, Edmonton Police Service – Program Innovation Award
Tennyson Ramsay, Toronto Transit Commission – Leadership Excellence Award
Gelila Geremew, Black Youth Rising Project – Rising Star Award
“The OPP was proud to partner with A.B.L.E. and the OPPA to co-host this year’s Scholarship and Awards Gala. The Gala provided a wonderful opportunity for the OPP to recognize the important contributions of our Black officers and the OPP’s commitment to representing the diversity of the communities that we serve. We were delighted to work with A.B.L.E. and the OPPA to honour the work of our current and former law enforcement leaders and celebrate a new generation of outstanding professionals.” – OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique
“A.B.L.E. was formed in 1992 to address the needs and concerns of Black and other racialized minorities in law enforcement and the community. Each year, A.B.L.E. works to provide scholarship opportunities to Black and minority youth studying to be our future public safety professionals. It is with great pleasure that A.B.L.E., the OPP and the OPPA partnered to host the 2024 A.B.LE. Scholarship and Awards Gala. This year’s theme was ‘Passion, Purpose and Persistence’ with an emphasis on celebrating excellence in law enforcement, as we continue to build strong relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities we serve.” – Jacqueline Edwards, President, Association of Black Law Enforcers.
“The OPP Association was honoured to be the first police association to co-host the A.B.L.E. Scholarship and Awards Gala. A.B.L.E. has a long history of celebrating and supporting law enforcement and being inclusive of all. We are grateful to all the organizers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the evening was a resounding success.”
Saying the U.S. election result is a blow to climate policy is a massive understatement. It could also spell trouble for the U.S. and global economies. Are there any flickers of hope?
After winning his first presidency in 2016, Donald Trump immediately committed to withdrawing from the international Paris climate agreement. His administration also rolled back more than 100 environmental rules, covering air and water pollution and emissions, drilling and extraction, wildlife protection and more. This time, the president-elect has vowed to reverse even more climate progress and “drill, baby, drill.”
From his statements, it’s clear the incoming president doesn’t understand climate or science and that he prioritizes coal, oil and gas billionaires over the people he was elected to represent.
There’s no doubt he could seriously hinder the already inadequate efforts to head off catastrophic global heating.
Climate isn’t the only thing he and his party seem determined to worsen. If he’s able to follow through on just some of his promises, life will get more difficult for women, people of colour, immigrants, working people, anyone who doesn’t identify as heterosexual, the global community and more.
Meanwhile, as countries gather for the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, climate scientists say this year will be the hottest on record, igniting more costly extreme weather events, droughts, floods, heat domes, wildfires, intense storms, increased human migration, animal and plant extinctions, water shortages and potential changes to ocean and air currents.
It’s insane that so many people in power not only fail to heed the indisputable scientific evidence, but also ignore the proof staring them in the face. For decades, researchers from around the world — including those working for the fossil fuel industry — have been warning that we face an existential crisis like nothing humanity has ever seen. As predicted, the costly and visible consequences are growing by the day.
What hope is there?
Governments move slowly at the best of times, relying as they do on brief electoral cycles and short-sighted economic solutions. With constant electoral changes, it often seems we’re moving two steps forward, one step back — or worse, one step forward, two steps back.
We can’t ignore the role of governments, and many are working to resolve the climate crisis and other issues — although few treat it as the emergency it is. The current U.S. government has implemented many sound climate policies that also benefit the economy (while simultaneously ramping up fossil fuel production), as has Canada’s. But those are constantly under threat from state and provincial governments and opposition parties that seem more inclined to protect massive oil and gas industry profits than the citizenry they’re supposed to represent.
There’s reason for optimism, though. In the U.S., the clean energy boom has benefited those in “red” states even more than in “blue,” creating jobs and opportunities. Repealing some recent climate and clean energy policies could push US$80 billion of investment to countries such as China and cost the U.S. as much as $50 billion in lost exports, recent analysis shows. It will be tough to roll back policies that are helping so many people. Globally, the renewable energy boom is unstoppable.
Just as some provincial and state politicians are fighting against sensible, effective climate policies, others are implementing their own. California, which has the world’s fifth largest economy, representing 15 per cent of the U.S. economy, has vowed to continue efforts to protect people and the planet.
Renewable energy is booming even in oil-rich Texas, with a “70-fold increase in the amount of electricity it gets from the sun and a nearly 95-fold increase in battery capacity since 2014,” Environment Texas reports, adding, “Last year, wind and solar energy produced 31% of the state’s electricity” and it “has also seen a 40-fold increase in the number of registered electric vehicles.”
We can’t rely entirely on governments to get us out the mess we’ve created. It will be up to all of us to demand progress, to learn and create better awareness among ourselves, our friends, colleagues and families and those who aspire to represent us in government.
I’ll never give up and neither should you. The next few years may look grim, but that means our efforts are more important than ever.
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.
