Student Research Helps Municipal Greening Efforts
February 14, 2012
Twenty Lakehead students have completed research intended to help local municipalities with various greening initiatives. Five groups of students enrolled in the university’s General Science 1000 course working under the supervision of Prof. Christopher Murray were working with partners from the towns of Midland and Penetanguishene, and the Townships of Tiny and Tay on a variety of topics such as green roofs, brownfield redevelopment, and urban trees. The course provided an opportunity for students to become involved in the research of best practices regarding important issues facing municipalities while providing relevant background research for busy municipal staff in the form of a report and a poster summarizing their findings.
The posters will are on display as part of Lakehead Orillia’s Research and Innovation Week taking place February 13-16, 2012. The students will be doing poster presentations on Wednesday, February 15th, from 11:30 to 1:00 at the Learning Commons in the OA Building. The posters can be viewed online, please see links below.
Green Roofs - Brownfields Sites - Urban Trees - Green Parking
- Students researching green roofs present findings to the public at a poster fair at Lakehead’s Orillia campus Feb. 15 2012
Communications and Engagement Strategy Released
Sustainable Severn Sound has just released its Communications and Engagement Strategy. This document will guide how we will communicate and how we will involve partners, other organizations, and local residents. Read the plan, and let us know if you have any comments.
Using a Rain Barrel
A rain barrel is a container above ground that receives and stores rain water to allow for sustainable landscaping. By using a rain barrel, you can:
- reduce the risk of erosion, storm water flow, pollution and flooding
- decrease the amount of water going to the water treatment plant and storm sewers and minimize the amount of water that could be polluted by collecting oil, grease, and sediment on the roads before entering the storm sewers
- decrease residential water consumption, which often increases 40-50% in the summer season due to increased demand for outdoor water
- lower your water bills and save money!
A typical rain barrel is 55 gallons, and includes a down spout connection, a mosquito filter, an overflow spout for excess water, and a tap. A rain barrel can collect nearly 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months, depending where you live. The rain collected in the barrel is not considered drinkable water, but it is safe to use on flowers, the lawn, and non edible plants.
Maintenance
To maintain your rain barrel, you should clean it every now and again by adding a tablespoon of dish soap to the water inside your barrel to kill mosquito larvae (this also provides nutrients for your lawn and garden), and ensuring the screen on top of the barrel is clean so that it collects water properly.
Preparing your Rain Barrel for Winter
Before the winter season, you will need to drain and disconnect the rain barrel from the downspout. Store the barrel in a dry and covered spot like a garage or shed, and store the overflow hose indoors to prevent cracking. If you have to store the barrel outside, place it upside down and leave the water valve open.
April is Earth Month
Ideas to celebrate!
April 1st: With the snow melting and spring blossoming, aim to spend a minimum 5 minutes outside to pick-up trash that settled over the winter months.
April 18-24: Pitch In Week! This year marks the 45th Annual Pitch-In Week in Canada! Contact your local municipality to get involved in cleaning up the community! Severn Sound watershed municipalities with more information:
- City of Orillia
- Town of Midland
- Town of Penetanguishene
- Township of Oro-Medonte
- Township of Severn (PDF)
- Township of Tay
- Township of Tiny (PDF)
Relevant Links
Green Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But beware: the gifts we exchange, the food we eat, and the traveling we do, can all have negative effects on our communities and beyond. The good news is, there are many ways that you can make your (white) Christmas a little greener too!
Food and Drink
- A meat-free meal is one option, but you don’t have to go cold turkey. Instead, try a free-range, organic turkey from a local farm, Farmer’s Market or organic store.
- Our area is blessed with an assortment of nutritious produce: turnip, carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, and apples (and more) can all be found at this time of the year.
- Try out some free range eggs and organic butter. Check with the farmers in your area!
- Consider using local maple syrup, honey, jams and jellies to sweeten your desserts!
- Look for fair trade and organic chocolates in your local businesses.
- Don’t forget about the many delicious Niagara wines that are made closer to home!
- Check the Simcoe County Farm Fresh website to find where to buy your local food this year.
Energy
- If you plan to use lights, use the lower energy output LED lights. You may want to put them on a timer too, so that you don’t risk forgetting them on at night when you go to bed.
- Consider replacing your thermostat for a programmable one. Reduce your temperature to 18C when you leave the house or go to bed. Not only will you reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, you’ll save money on your energy bill too!
- If you have guests staying with you, encourage everyone to keep the showers shorter! If your laundry loads increase, remember to also wash in cold water and use biodegradable laundry soap that is safer for our watershed.
Decorations
- Reuse burnt-out incandescent light bulbs by painting them as reindeers and Santa Claus. Add some ribbon, and hang on your tree!
- Cut holiday shapes out of cereal boxes and cover them with reused aluminum foil to add some sparkle!
Gift Giving
- When you’re out shopping, remember to bring your own reusable bag to carry your items back! It will keep your purchases a secret from curious family members too!
- Gift certificates are well received! Give a unique gift certificate from a local business or restaurant they have yet to try!
- Donate to a charity in the name of your loved one or friend where the money is used locally to help out our communities.
- Avoid using paper to wrap your gifts. Put them in a reusable bag or wrap them up in a second gift like a scarf or hat.
- Make gift tags out of scrap paper or last year’s Christmas cards.
- Minimize your purchases – see the Buy Nothing Christmas website for more ideas!
Green Halloween
Here are 25 great tips from a non-profit organization called Green Halloween. Their goal is to show people that having a healthy, green-friendly Halloween can be easy and affordable, and of course, FUN! Even these small steps can have big impacts for the short and long term.
25 Tips for a Green Halloween
1. Consider your costumes. The truth is, many store-bought costumes and accessories contain toxic chemicals that not only are a potential hazard to your child, but also to the environment and the people who helped to make them. Choose fabrics such as cotton, wool and silk or make costumes yourself from materials you know to be safe.
2. Go au natural. When decorating your home for Halloween, skip the plastic black cats and paper skeleton streamers made in China. Instead, use décor inspired by Mother Earth by choosing fallen leaves, gourds or pumpkins, and 100% beeswax candles.
3. Trim your trick-or-treats. Hand out less ________ (fill in the blank). Preferably your goodies of choice are healthy and/or Earth-friendly, but even if they‟re not, handing out just one (rather than the conventional handful) of something is better for kids, better for the planet and better for your bank account.
4. Apply the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to all of your holiday choices: costumes, décor, goodies, etc. Of the 3 R’s, reducing is the best for the Earth, our wallets and, in regard to food, our waistlines. Rent, borrow, make or acquire used, when possible, to avoid buying new, especially disposables.
5. Choose eek-o-décor. Say “no” to disposables and instead, re-use or re-purpose items you already own. Look also for items from nature and don‟t forget to decorate with food (consumable décor). If you must use disposables, look for products that are compostable and then be sure to compost them.
6. Go kid powered. Give your child a shakable or hand crank flashlight to light his way.
7. Love LEDs. Use decorative Halloween LED and/ or solar lights for trees, outside of your home, and for lighting the path for trick-or-treaters. They come in every shape, theme and color imaginable!
8. Bag it, green style. Instead of buying, make your child’s goodie bag from a pillow case or anything else you already own that goes with the theme of the costume. Or, purchase a keepsake, reusable Green Halloween® trick-or-treat ChicoBag™.
9. Get creative. Turn costume making into a creative and fun experience for your child. Hunt through the house, at neighborhood garage sales, or a thrift store for costume-worthy items. Enjoy the process and the product! Another idea: host a costume exchange as part of National Costume Swap Day (second Saturday in October).
10. Switcheroo. Instead of allowing your child to eat all the candy he collects, ask him to select a limited, pre-agreed upon amount and then leave the rest out for the Halloween Fairy/ Witch/ Great Pumpkin, who will, while your child is sleeping that night, swap the candy for goodies such as books, games or “pumpkin points” redeemable for outings.
11. Green the YUM. Make the party meal using foods that are mostly orange, black and green. Create spooky names for the food, if you can. Shop locally (support local farmers) and choose organic, whenever possible.
12. Recycle the unexpected. Compost all leftovers, jack-o-lanterns, natural décor and unconsumed candy – remove wrappers unless they‟re compostable. In some places of the country, you can add compostables to your yard waste bin.
13. Celebrate others. Host your Halloween party at a retirement home, children’s hospital, organic farm or similar.
14. Say “no” to toxic chemicals. Make your own face paints. Here’s the recipe.
15. Choose eco sweets. If buying candy, choose organic – you’ll be surprised at how affordable some brands are! If buying chocolate, look for triple certified: organic, shade grown, Fair Trade.
16. Think outside the conventional candy box. Instead of giving out conventional candy: give away healthy and/or Earth friendly treats and treasures.
17. Make décor to DIY for. Make your own Halloween décor by visiting craft sites and swapping conventional materials for eco-supplies. For example, if you are going to make some paper ghosts for your window, be sure the paper is reused, recycled or tree-free.
18. Invite sustainably. Use e-invitations or make your own from reused, recycled or tree-free sources. Kids will love Mr. Ellie Pooh’s Elephant dung paper! It comes in gorgeous fall colors (all scent-free!). The orange cardstock is perfect for Halloween invites, place cards and more. Supporting Mr. Ellie Pooh means supporting the Elephants in Sri Lanka, who are losing their lives because without profit associated with them, they are seen as liabilities to local farmers.
19. Reclaim wrappers. Collect candy and bar wrappers and turn them into picture framed, purses, jewelry and more. Tweens and teens especially love this activity. Contact Terracycle.net for a collection box.
20. Trick-or-treat for good. When tweens and teens are too old to trick or treat, but still enjoy the traditions, encourage them to take a look at how they can turn trick or treating into an activity that benefits others such as: Reverse Trick-or-Treating, trick-or-treating for cell phones, or of course, UNICEF’s program.
21. Start small and build your confidence. Start simply by having (and using) a recycle bin at your party or by going bottled water-free. You can green up each of your next celebrations a little bit at a time until celebrating green-style becomes old hat.
22. Plan ahead to avoid costly impulse buying. You’re less likely to invade the local super party store at the eleventh-hour when you make food, gift, décor and activity decisions in advance.
23. Get the family involved. Ask your kids to come up with three ways to give Halloween a green makeover. Write all of the viable ideas down on paper, toss them in a bowl and select three to try this year.
24. Don‟t drive to trick or treat. Encourage your neighbours to go green and then go door-to-door near you. It’s good for you and the planet and builds community.
25. Learn more. For more great tips and tricks sign up for the e-newsletters from www.GreenHalloween.org and www.celebrategreen.net. And don‟t forget to buy a copy of Celebrate Green!. It features ideas, recipes, crafts, gift suggestions and more.
Municipal Election 2010
LAST UPDATED – Oct 26 2010 at 8:45am
Unofficial results of the Municipal Election are in for the Severn Sound municipalities:
City of Orillia
Mayor: Angelo Orsi
Councillors (Ward 1): Patrick Kehoe, Donald Jenkins
Councillors (Ward 2): Linda Murray, Pete Bowen
Councillors (Ward 3): Michael Fogarty, Paul Spears
Councillors (Ward 4): Tony Madden, Andrew Hill
Town of Midland
Mayor: Gord McKay
Deputy Mayor: Stephan Kramp
Councillors (Ward 1): Zena Pendlebury, Patricia File, Jim Attwood
Councillors (Ward 2): Mike Ross, Bob Jeffery, Jack Charlebois
Councillor (Ward 3): Glen Canning
Town of Penetanguishene
Mayor: Gerry Marshall
Deputy Mayor: Pat Marion
Councillors (Ward 1): Debbie Levy, Helen Luzius, Erin Chappelle
Councillors (Ward 2): Jamie Robitaille, Brad Saunders, Daryl O’Shea, Michel Mayotte
Township of Georgian Bay
Mayor: Larry Braid
Councillor (Ward 1): Louise Rivett (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 2): Pat Edwards (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 3): Bruce Hanson
District and Area Councillor (Wards 1 & 2): Paul Wiancko
District and Area Councillor (Ward 3): Mike Kennedy
Township of Oro-Medonte
Mayor: Harry Hughes (acclaimed)
Deputy Mayor: Ralph Hough
Councillor (Ward 1): Mel Coutanche (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 2): Kelly Meyer
Councillor (Ward 3): Marty Lancaster
Councillor (Ward 4): John Crawford
Councillor (Ward 5): Dwight Evans
Township of Severn
Mayor: Mike Burkett
Deputy Mayor: Judith Cox
Councillor (Ward 1): Mark Taylor (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 2): Jane Dunlop (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 3): Ian Crichton
Councillor (Ward 4): Ron Stevens
Councillor (Ward 5): Rob Ferguson
Township of Springwater
Mayor: Linda Collins
Deputy Mayor: Dan McLean
Councillor (Ward 1): Dan Clement
Councillor (Ward 2): Perry Ritchie
Councillor (Ward 3): Rick Webster
Councillor (Ward 4): Sandy McConkey
Councillor (Ward 5): Jack Hanna
Township of Tay
Mayor: Scott Warnock (acclaimed)
Deputy Mayor: Bill Rawson
Councillor (Ward 1): Nelson Baumgardner, Rick Black
Councillor (Ward 2): James Pearsall, David Ritchie
Councillor (Ward 3): Heinrich Naumann
Township of Tiny
Mayor: Ray Millar
Deputy Mayor: George Lawrence
Councillors: André Claire, Nigel Warren, Gibb Wishart
Green Thanksgiving
The fall colours are in full swing and Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend! We hope that you take time to enjoy family and friends and give thanks for this beautiful Severn Sound area.
Here are some suggestions to help you have a green Thanksgiving:
- Clean your home
- If you’re sprucing up the house, consider using cleaning products that are safer for the environment and less harmful to your health. By making your own cleaners from common household products, not only will you breathe easier but you’ll save money too.
- Reduce Waste
- Rather than using disposable plates, utensils and napkins to serve dinner, use the real dishes and cutlery. If cleaning up is a hassle, have some nice dogs help out with the pre-wash cycle or look into biodegradable disposable options.
- Save all of those leftovers for delicious sandwiches or use scraps to throw together a delicious soup for a cold fall day.
- Remember to save all of those scraps rather than tossing them into the garbage. Put them in the composter and they will turn into rich soil.
- Sustainable Dinner
- Consider purchasing an organic free-range turkey, which are fed grains that are pesticide and chemical-free.
- Shop local and support your farmers! You’ll find the freshest and tastiest food from the farm or head to your closest Farmer’s market before preparing the big dinner.
- If you’re serving wine, look for organic wines or ones that are made closer to home. For example, wines from the Niagara region don’t have to travel as far as wines from other parts of the globe, which saves on greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
- Get Outside
- Did you know that the average person consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day? That’s about 2-3 days worth of calories needed! Why not get the family out for a post-meal walk to enjoy some fresh air and fitness.
- If you’re feeling extra ambitious, take time to plant a tree and make the world a little greener.
Update: Spring 2010
Great things are happening in all of the Severn Sound communities.
Here are some of the highlights:
Town of Penetanguishene
- The Town of Penetanguishene offers a Façade Improvement Program for businesses located in their Downtown Improvement Area.
Town of Midland
- The Town of Midland recently passed approval of a secondary suites policy to ensure safe and affordable housing for residents.
Township of Georgian Bay
- The Township of Georgian Bay is developing Master Plans for three of its communities: Port Severn, MacTier, and Honey Harbour.
Township of Oro-Medonte
- The Township of Oro-Medonte recently initiated a tourism and economic development strategy.
Township of Severn
- The Township of Severn recently approved the Business Improvement Area for Coldwater.
Township of Springwater
- The Township of Springwater is creating their 1st Economic Development Strategy to help create jobs and improve their local economy.
Township of Tay
- The Township of Tay has a Water Efficiency & Inflow Rebate Program for its residents to provide an additional incentive to reduce their household water use.
Township of Tiny
- The Town of Tiny has a project underway to re-develop and improve the popular Balm Beach area.
City of Orillia
- The City of Orillia just finalized their Affordable Housing Action Plan.