14 - NORTH SIMCOE COMMUNITY NEWS - April/May 2008

Hawkestone News tunnels and tents

covered in Easter
There will be lots of acts,
musical and otherwise,
by Anna Proctor goodies! The middle to amaze and entertain.
group, ages five to Tickets will be available

S
ince the NSCN came out last, nine years, hunted at the Village Gallery &
HAACA has sponsored two very for special numbered Frameshop from April
successful events: Winter Dun cardboard eggs in the 15th. Call Steve Caston at
Gone and the Annual Easter Egg playground outside 487-5667 for more info.
Hunt. Winter Dun Gone, our annual the Hall. The reward Refreshments will be
Caribbean themed dance, was a sold- when your number available at the event!
out success with over one hundred was found? A box Saturday May 24
people dressing up in their summer full of tasty treats! brings another musical
best, pigging out on Jamaican food and The oldest group,
specialty drinks, and dancing to the ten and up, were photos by Laura Proctor event to the Hall: The
Hawkestone Singers
Rasta DJ in his grass covered booth. carted off to the park Spring Concert. This
Special thanks to Jennifer Alton and where they were split into teams and popular event always sells out early so
her committee of many volunteers for played games- everyone got treats and get your tickets soon from a member of
the great food, drinks, and décor at this the winning team members each got a the choir, or call Julie at 487-0767 for
fun summer flavoured event! Hawkestone T-shirt from HAACA. more information.
The Annual Thank you to our generous treat The Hall spring clean up will be
Easter Egg Hunt and gift donators: Marilyn Holland on May 24 during the day- watch the
went forward (the M&M lady), Hawkestone General yellow sign for more details!
smoothly Store, HAACA, A&P, Jennifer Alton,
despite Mother Amy Gourley, Anna Proctor, and Bill Heather Proctor, stepdaughter of
Nature’s best and Cheri from Northern Dairy for the Anna Proctor, recently became engaged
efforts to thwart “special egg” prizes! to Todd Cornford of Melbourne,
us by piling Australia. The wedding will be in
Also thanks to our wonderful Melbourne in December 2008 with
snow upon volunteers: Deb Hamilton (who braved a reception to follow in Canada the
snow all winter the cold all morning); Sarah-Jane, following spring. Heather has been
and spring! The Tasmine, Mark, and Luke VandenBerg living in Melbourne for the last several
call was made (Tasmine being the cutest Easter bunny
to move the we’ve ever
hunt to the Hall had!); Sarah
mainly so the Gourley for
smallest age group, zero to four years, helping stuff
would be able to navigate the hunt-they boxes; Diane
got the main floor of the Hall, with play Ross for
box stuffing
and lots of
Conservation Authority Kids for Turtles. This project will see the College
provide water quality testing throughout the north play tents
Membership, Federal end of Lake Simcoe as part of the Environmental
Engineering Technology program curriculum. This
and tunnels;
Justin Metras
Funding for Lake Simcoe testing would provide much needed data to LSRCA for being the
best and most
and give students valuable hands-on experience. By
and Rural Character the time this NSCN issue is published we should reliable egg
by Sandy Agnew, Councillor, Ward 3 know if our proposal goes on to the next stage in thrower; Jamie
the application process. Proctor for egg

I
n spite of what you may have read a few weeks
ago in the Orillia Today about Oro-Medonte
council feeling “trapped” as a member of the
conservation authorities, that is pretty much the
opposite to my opinion on the subject. The CAs are
about the only provincial environmental agency left
with any real hope of protecting our environment.
In fact most of the criticisms I hear from residents
are that the CAs are not aggressive enough with
violators. That’s precisely why groups like Rescue
Lake Simcoe Coalition and Ladies of the Lake
were formed. And that’s also why I requested to be
appointed as Oro-Medonte’s representative on both
the Lake Simcoe Region and Nottawasaga Valley
Conservation Authorities. To withdraw from the
CA memberships would leave our environment
even more vulnerable to abuse. Some members of
council apparently feel we spend too much money
on the CAs. I view environmental protection as an
investment in the future so that our grandchildren
can enjoy the same quality of life that we have.
By now most people are aware of the $30 million
(over five years) federal funding to help clean up
Lake Simcoe (Thanks Feds). Letters of Intent for
the first round of funding were due on March
17. I worked with Georgian College to submit a
proposal having the College working in partnership
with LSRCA, Oro-Medonte, Barrie, Orillia, and
Virtually everyone I talk to in Oro-Medonte
likes the “rural character” of our Township and
wants to see it preserved. However the term
rural character seems to mean something slightly
different to everyone. I don’t think we can protect
something unless we can agree on what it is we are
protecting. Last October I attended an excellent
workshop put on by the Simcoe Muskoka District
Health Unit and the Ontario Professional Planners
Institute (OPPI). Both groups made presentations
on healthy community planning. Following up with
contacts I made at the workshop we now have the
Health Unit coming to make a presentation to the
Township Planning Advisory Committee in April.
The Health Unit also passed on to me a report
by OPPI defining rural character from a planning
point of view. In this report “rural character
is defined by the elements that differentiate a
landscape from a city or town. Components of
rural landscape include open spaces, forests, rivers
and stream, farms, small settlements, resource areas,
wilderness and natural landscapes.” The report goes
on to describe each of the above elements. (The full
report is available on the Township website under
the 2/25/2008 Planning Advisory Committee
agenda.) I hope these initiatives will help our
Township protect the reasons why we all appreciate
living here.
hiding; Denise
Gardner for
helping to
deal with the
chaos that is
the middle
age group; Laura Proctor for being the years and Todd is Aussie-born!
official Photographer; Emily Proctor
Marilyn and Bob Gregory are still
for egg throwing and keeping her cool;
and Bill Gardner, Candy Potter, Steve going to Africa- they just aren’t sure
Caston, and Andy McTavish for being when! Difficulties with getting their
the best camp counsellors the older age work visas in Africa have put off their
departure plans, but they do plan to go
group has ever had!
to Africa this spring and hopefully work
Coming up, the annual Pancake out the visa issues so they can continue
Breakfast and Great Egg Race will take to move forward with their plans to
place April 19 starting at 9 am (as long help in Livingstone, Zambia. Let’s wish
as the creek has thawed)! Buy a ticket them good luck so Africa can benefit
for $5 and at 10:30 watch your egg from their hard work and dedication as
race to win some great prizes, including we all have!
a weekday season’s pass to Trehaven
Golf Club, a wrought iron chandelier, Belated congratulations on the first
a $200 cash prize, a wood carving granddaughter to Randy and Marlene
and more! For tickets, please contact Langstaff as son Chris and daughter-
a member of HAACA, pick one up at in-law Belinda welcomed a lovely baby
the Hawkestone Service Centre, or call girl, Jayna, in November.
Tracey McKillop at 487-6822. If you have news you would like
Saturday May 3 at 7:30 brings the to share please call Anna at 487-6724.
Spring Cabaret to the Hawkestone Hall. Happy Spring eventually!