Latest news with #Simcoe
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
No green bin, no garbage pickup: County revisits new strict policy for organics participation
The County of Simcoe is once again pushing to move forward with strict measures to improve resident participate in the organics program. In 2024, solid waste management staff presented council with the tougher measures, and at the time, council encouraged focusing on promotion and education rather than enforcement. In a Tuesday Committee of the Whole meeting, the program was laid out once again, emphasizing how the method is proven to drive increases in organics. What It Means If approved, the County would soft launch on November 1. At that time, collection crews would continue to pick up waste carts with no organics cart at the curb, but a cart hanger would be left behind to inform residents of the changes coming. Then on December 1, the new program would be fully implemented, meaning residents must place their green bin (organics) at the curb for collection if they want their garbage to be picked up. 'The County's curbside organics program has been in place since 2008 and while it has been successful in diverting over 250,000 tonnes of organics from landfill there is still room for improvement,' County staff noted. According to recent audits, 46 per cent of what is being tossed in the trash should have been placed in the organics cart. If the new program goes forward, it's anticipated to increase organics tonnage by 10 to 20 per cent. Backyard Composts Not Enough Door-to-door investigations by County staff reportedly revealed 71 per cent of the roughly 90 households they spoke with threw all organic waste in the garbage, while 23 per cent had backyard composters. 'All residents that had a backyard composter had organics in their garbage cart, indicated that they used the garbage cart for items that did not belong in the backyard composter or were unaware of the other materials that could go in the cart,' the report stated. The remaining six per cent stated other reasons for not using the green bin, including putting scraps in a field for animals to consume. Landfill Woes When organic waste like food scraps is thrown in the trash instead of the green bin, it causes several problems, the County highlighted. It takes up space in landfill runoff and produces methane - a greenhouse gas that is harmful to the environment. The County says its two remaining landfills are almost full. The Nottawasaga landfill will close later this year, and the Oro landfill is expected to reach capacity by 2027. Once that happens, all garbage will need to be exported or sent to a waste energy facility, both of which the County says are costly. If the program is implemented successfully, raising the organics capture rate to 60 per cent by 2028 could save the County around $30,000 per year. Hitting 75 per cent diversion could lead to yearly savings of more than $130,000, according to the report. The County expects promoting the program to educate residents would come with an estimated $125,000 price tag. The County would also offer a reduced fee for organics carts to $25 from October 1 until December 31 for residents needing them. The program would not apply to residents of Barrie or Orillia, which have their own waste collection programs.
CTV News
20-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
County finally nearing completion of record ice storm debris collection months later
Months after Mother Nature unleashed a spring ice storm that coated the region in a thick layer of ice, downed power lines, snapped branches from trees and caused widespread property damage, the County of Simcoe says its finally nearing the end of record brush collection. The ice storm began with freezing rain on March 30 and quickly turned into a region blanketed in an icy glaze, the weight of which turned into weeks and months of cleanup efforts, with the County turning out some incredible numbers - including over 20,000 tonnes of brush material collected, compared to 4,400 in an average year. "Over the past three months, the intake is more than four times the typical annual amount," the County reports. More than two dozen different crews were called on to support the cleanup efforts right across the County and residents were given the thumbs up to drop brush at waste facilities free of charge. The County says it received over 1,200 service calls from all corners as residents requested brush pick-ups. Residents are able to drop off storm-related debris at waste facilities for free until the end of June, regular fees will apply starting in July.
Chicago Tribune
06-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Breweries in St. Charles to launch collaboration beer to aid charity
A group of six St. Charles breweries called the STC Six is launching its fourth annual collaboration beer to support a local non-profit organization, with this year's effort benefitting Support Over Stigma. The STC Six is made up of 93 Octane Brewery, Alter Brewing + Kitchen, Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium, D&G Brewing, Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling and Riverlands Brewing, according to a press release. The breweries invite everyone to a celebration including the first opportunity to taste the new beer at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, at Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling at 106 S. Riverside Ave. in St. Charles. Eric Bramwell, head brewer and co-founder of Riverlands Brewing, said in the release that this year's collaborative brew should be a hit with beer fans. 'The STC Six 2025 is a West Coast Pilsner – a true beer lover's beer that combines the hoppiness of a pale ale with the crisp drinkability of a pilsner,' said Bramwell. 'Brewed with lager yeast, and hopped with Simcoe, Krush, Riwaka and Rakau hops, one can expect notes of citrus, tropical fruit and a bit of pine.' The 2025 STC Six collaborative beer will be available at five breweries in St. Charles while supplies last – 93 Octane Brewery, Alter Brewing + Kitchen, Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium, Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling and Riverlands Brewing, according to the release. One dollar from every sale of the STC Six collaborative beer and the limited-edition glassware will go towards Support Over Stigma, a local non-profit that provides essential services for military personnel, veterans and first responders to help them overcome the mental health and service-related challenges they encounter, the release stated. For more information on the beer collaboration, go to Geneva's Natural Resources Committee will spotlight Illinois' prairie ecosystems during its next lecture series presentation at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28, at the Geneva Public Library, 227 S. Seventh St. During the program, a Geneva Park District naturalist at Peck Farm Park will explore common characteristics of Illinois prairies. The presentation also will take a deep dive into the different plants and animals found in prairies, as well as the methods land managers use to preserve this valuable landscape, event organizers said. Registration is recommended for the free presentation. For more information, go to the Geneva Public Library District's website at The Batavia Public Library at 10 S. Batavia Ave. has partnered with Music and Potlucks, a non-profit organization, to present a concert to support The Interfaith Food Pantry and Clothes Closet in Batavia. The event is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at the library and will feature folk singer and songwriter Mark Dvorak performing on guitar, five-string banjo and 12-string guitar, according to a press release about the event. The Interfaith Food Pantry and Clothes Closet is at 431 N. Raddant Road and has served families in Batavia Township since 1981, according to the release. Those attending the concert should bring one or more grocery bags of non-perishable food items, toiletries and in-season clothing items to donate to the pantry, organizers said. For more information, call the Batavia Public Library at 630-879-1393 or go to Art historian Jeff Mishur will discuss the work of artist Gustave Caillebotte and the story of Impressionism during a program at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles. Mishur is vice president and co-owner of Art Excursions, and holds a master's degree in the history of art from Northern Illinois University, according to a press release about the June 17 event. To register for the free program, call 630-584-0076 or go to Anderson Humane is looking for teens and young adults to take part in its summer volunteer program. Open to anyone age 16 to 25, volunteers help care for, feed and socialize with animals and assist staff at animal adoption events, according to the nonprofit's website. Volunteers can choose to work with dogs, cats or wildlife at shelter locations at 1000 S. LaFox St., South Elgin; 412 W. Army Trail Road, Bloomingdale; and 45W061 Route 38, Elburn. The time commitment is 20 hours per week. A $35 registration fee includes the cost of a volunteer T-shirt. For more information, go to
Globe and Mail
26-05-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
Second World War scrapbooks bring memories back to life for Globe readers
The black and white photograph has faded over the years, but it's not hard to make out the nine Canadian soldiers smiling for the camera, many with their arms draped across each other's shoulders. They're standing in a field somewhere in Italy near the end of the Second World War. There's a tiny 'x' above one of the men, with an arrow leading to a flowing signature – 'David Lloyd Ferris 64 Victoria St., Simcoe Ont Canada'. His son, David Ferris, saw the photo for the first time this month – 80 years after it was glued into a scrapbook by Klaas Nieborg, a 25-year-old school teacher in Groningen, the Netherlands. Mr. Nieborg compiled two scrapbooks in the spring of 1945 as Canadian soldiers drove the German army out of Groningen. The books – comprising 250 pages of photographs, signatures and mementoes from hundreds of Canadian servicemen – were donated to a local archive a few years ago by Mr. Nieborg's son. This month, the archives posted digitized copies online as part of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. A recent Globe and Mail story about the scrapbooks led many readers to scour the pages to learn more about loved ones who served in the Netherlands. For some, just seeing the signature of their father or grandfather brought memories back to life. Others, such as Mr. Ferris, got to see images of their dads as young men, frozen in time. 'I was absolutely amazed to see that photo,' said Mr. Ferris, 73, who lives in Simcoe. He also spotted the signature of another soldier from the community: his father's buddy, Stan Frankis. 'He was their sergeant,' Mr. Ferris said. 'They remained friends after the war.' His father, who died in 2009, never mentioned serving in the Netherlands. He'd joined an artillery regiment and was among the Allied troops who landed in Anzio, Italy, in January, 1944. Mr. Ferris said his father spent several months in Italy before his regiment was attached to the American Fifth Army, which made its way through France and Germany. Mr. Ferris has no idea how a photo of his dad ended up in Mr. Neiborg's scrapbook. 'I never heard him say that he was in the Netherlands, but once they convoyed out of Germany, I suppose they could have touched up there.' The scrapbooks brought back complicated memories for Dara Legere – that of an unexpected phone call in 2002 informing him that he had a half-sister in Rotterdam. The caller, John Boers, was from the Association of Liberation Children. He shared that Mr. Legere's dad, Philip, had fathered a daughter while stationed in the Netherlands in the summer of 1945. The organization estimates that as many as 7,000 Dutch children were conceived by Allied troops during that period. 'We didn't know anything about her,' Mr. Legere said from his home in Joggins, N.S. Philip grew up in Joggins and joined the army in 1942 at the age of 18, largely to avoid working in the local coal mines. He spent a couple of years in England and landed in France just after D-Day in the summer of 1944. His regiment was among the Canadian troops that liberated the Netherlands in April, 1945. After coming home, Philip worked at an aircraft factory in nearby Amherst, married Patricia St. Peters and raised three children. He died in 1977; his wife passed 20 years later. Mr. Legere said it was only through the Dutch organization that his family learned of their sibling, Yvonne Fraaye, who was born in March, 1946. They were told that Philip got into an accident while driving a military truck and spent time in an Amsterdam hospital run by the Canadian Forces. While recovering, he had a romantic liaison with a nurse, Huibredina van Gurp, before he was shipped back to Canada in August, 1945. Dutch family's WWII-era scrapbooks keep the names and exploits of Canadian soldiers fresh on the page According to Mr. Legere, Ms. van Gurp had no way of contacting Philip. All she had was his name scribbled on a matchbook, along with a mailbox address in Ottawa that was used by the Canadian Army. Philip never spoke about the truck accident or his relationship. 'Nobody knew. Not even his best friends who were all in the war together,' Mr. Legere said. He and his brother were introduced to Ms. Fraaye on a Dutch television show in 2004. In an e-mail this week, Ms. Fraaye said she was seven years old when her mother, nicknamed Dien, told her about her Canadian father. Philip had wanted to take Dien to Canada and marry her. 'This was not approved by Dien's father, and Phil went back to Canada alone,' Ms. Fraaye wrote. 'After that, Dien had no more contact with Phil, but this could be because Dien's father intercepted Phil's mail.' She added that, 'I have been searching for my father ever since.' She and the Legeres have met several times, and they keep in regular contact. 'I don't see the resemblance, but other people who have met her say, 'My God, you can tell she's your sister,' ' Mr. Legere said. There's another faded photograph in the scrapbooks that Jan Davis spotted. It's a shot of her father, William Briant, leaning against a tree next to another soldier identified as V.H. Perry of Toronto. 'I've not seen that one at all,' Ms. Davis said from her home in London, Ont. 'Seeing my dad's signature and photo was lovely.' Mr. Briant grew up in Indian Head, Sask., a small town 70 kilometres east of Regina. On July 20, 1940, he joined the 17th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery, Fifth Canadian Armoured Division. He was 17 years old. After training in Canada and England, he was part of the Allied force that landed in Naples, Italy, on Nov. 8, 1943. His regiment moved through Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, where they spent V-E Day after Germany's surrender on May 8, 1945. Mr. Briant was discharged in November, 1945, in Regina. He moved to Toronto and worked as a draftsman. Ms. Davis said her father, who died in 2000, hardly spoke about the war. 'He didn't want to relive all the stuff that happened. They saw a lot of garbage, and then they never got any help afterwards. So I think it affected them quite a lot.' She did come across a notebook where he'd written down some wartime memories. In one passage, he recalled heading off with another soldier named Bansecu to repair a radio wire that had been severed during a battle in Italy. As the two men fixed the wire, Mr. Briant noticed a German patrol heading their way. The pair hid in a thicket of trees. 'Bansecu whispered, 'What do we do?' ' Mr. Briant wrote. 'I said, 'Not a Goddam thing.' ' The Germans passed by without noticing them. 'I'll tell you I am sure glad that clump of trees grew where that break in the wire was,' he wrote. Then he added, 'I'm sorry to say Bansecu was killed later on in the war.' The Dutch archives have heard from other Canadians wondering whether their relatives are among the hundreds of soldiers mentioned in the scrapbooks. Business operations manager Anniek van Dijk-van Leeuwen said archivists are hoping to work with an Ottawa-based non-profit group called the Canadian Research and Mapping Association to develop a searchable database of the names. 'It's not going to end here,' she said. 'We really want to make a project out of this.'
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
New Medical Officer at Simcoe County District Health Unit
Lisa Simon has been named the new Medical Officer of Health at Simcoe County District Health Unit.
