Back to School – On the Busses

Another school year is about to start and for about a thousand of our children, it will mean boarding a bus every day for a long ride to school. These travellers range in age from five to eighteen. For some of them, it will be their first experience of this kind while many are veterans of this offensive situation. We can keep blaming the Board of Trustees for this mess and they are most deserving of the criticism. We can also blame parents of children who have been silenced by false promises and for not fighting hard enough for their children. The roots of this problem are decades old and linked to political decisions made as far back as 1968.

Former Progressive Conservative Premier Bill Davis was proud of one accomplishment in particular while he was Education Minister. In 1968, he presented the Ontario Legislature with a plan to create a County system of school boards. At the time, each community had its own elected school board which controlled education in their community. Communities that were too small, purchased educational services from a neighboring town. Mr. Davis' plan was based on the belief that “bigger is better”. During the debate about this plan, we heard slogans like “economies of scale”, “lower taxes”, and “more effective use of resources.” In principle, things are supposed to materialize in that manner, but in fact, they never do. Taxes continued to rise at the same or faster rate. Administrators demand more money because they have a “bigger” job and elected politicians (trustees) need greater remuneration because they are obliged to make decisions that have greater impact. And of course, they need to do this in bigger, more beautiful surroundings which line up more accurately with the importance of the people who make those decisions. What followed these painful amalgamations was a competition between school boards as to which one could claim the most beautiful headquarters.

For those of us who opposed these grandiose plans, we did so with the earnest belief that local communities should never give up local control over something as important as our children's education. The fact that we can point to the folly that we are currently living as evidence of the rightness of our position is of little consolation. Our province went through this exercise again in 1998 when the government of P.C. Premier Mike Harris decided to create bigger District School Boards. Since then, education spending has continued to increase at a rate greater than the cost of living. Our fiscally conservative governments continue to just “ charge it up”. There is no doubt that some bean counter could come up with a number showing that we ars saving a few bucks by buying cleaning products in greater quantities. The only problem with that point is that we could have easily established purchasing partnerships without giving up local control.

Currently, trustees drive to Midhurst a few times a month to participate in meetings that generate little public interest or notice. It is at these meetings where they decide where new schools should be built. Most of them have never visited Wasaga Beach and couldn't care less about our community. But that is on them. What is on us is that we tolerate a system that discriminates so blatantly against our community and our children. One trustee asked our representatives why we thought Beach Kids were so special that they should have their own high school. The answer to that is that the Simcoe County D.S.B. has made them special by making them the only students in this province to not have a local facility to attend. Beach Kids matter and they should have a high school in their own town sooner as opposed to later!

Note: Your comments are appreciated. The column on the origins of the term “Beach Kids” elicited responses which confirmed my personal research and observations. Those were gratefully received. Every effort will be made to respond to your letters. (tochuckandrews@gmail.com)

JGP Prowl

In August of last year, these awesome safari hats were offered to me, but I didn't know what to do with them. Recently met a new friend and asked her to help me embroider the hats with my JGP (Jason George Photography) in purple as I had this idea to start a wildlife club with 4 meetings a year, prizes (acrylic prints and other things), and even a membership card for those people that love wildlife an opportunity to th connect. I was then able to add a 5 event, as Wye Marsh donated a st “Kids Get In FREE Pass” to club members. We had our 1 virtual meeting in February, but late May, it had finally come time to meet in person. Unfortunately, the entire group (10 kids) couldn't make it, as life is busy.

Oak Wilt Spreads in Canada: Effective Strategies for Mitigation

Alert: Wasaga Beach tree canopy is in danger Oak wilt, a devastating disease, has recently been identified at three confirmed sites in Ontario –one in Springwater All species of oak are susceptible, but the red oak group is hit hardest. Red oak trees are usually killed within one year, but often more quickly – within 4-6 weeks. Individuals in the white oak group are more resistant, die more slowly, and may even recover There is no known cure.

In Simcoe County Forests red oak represent 8% of the tree inventory, while here in Wasaga Beach these mighty trees are common. Preventative measures are urgently needed.

What you can do. Implement the following preventative measures recommended by the Canadian Food InspectionAgency (CFIA).

Prevention is up to 100x more cost effective than disease management.

• Don't prune oak trees betweenApril and November, when sap beetles are active. If wounding cannot be avoided, treat wounds with latex spray paint where possible.

• Don't move firewood - it could contain oak wilt spores.

• Report suspected infections: o By email to OakWiltReportingOntarioFletrissementduchene@inspection.gc.ca; o At the website www.eddmaps.org; or o By telephone to the Invasive Species Hotline (1-800-563-7711).

• Check oak trees for signs of oak wilt.

The signs of oak wilt include: dull green, brown or yellow leaves; early and sudden leaf drop; cracks in the trunk; and white, grey or black fungus.

The pathogen, Bretziella fagacearum, is a fungus of uncertain origin that invades the tree's vascular system, blocking water and nutrient flow An important pest in the USAsince 1944, it is now confirmed in 24 US states.

I had set up a special event for our group with Sydney at Birds Canada, for the group to meet a knowledgeable guide and learn about the Piping Plovers at Wasaga Beach 1. When I arrived early that morning I was rd informed that a 3 bird, a female was in the area which I knew meant we would see some potential excitement for the kids. The kids started to show up with their smiles, and awesome attitudes plus most had their hats on. I introduced Julie the guide to the group and she explain to us about the plovers, their life cycle, where they migrate to, mating rituals and so much more. We found out that one of the birds was 13 years old!! Older than everyone in the group here today, except me.

Then we went to use the scopes, one donated by Sofia H. in remembrance of the late John H., for the kids to enjoy. The plovers were moving around and then they decided to come within a few feet of the JGP Prowl. It was awesome that the 3 of them put on a show for us, so close no scope needed! Some territorial stuff even mating ritual activities entertained us for a while. Thank you, Piping Plovers! You never know with wildlife, sometimes you plan things and see nothing, other times they decide to show up. The smiles on the kids' faces as they learned and watched the plovers were awesome.

While we were there, a few locals and some very talented photographers showed up and said hello to us; Barb who I saved the loon with, Ken the Field Naturalist and Jason with his McLaren car (a really nice car with doors that go up) showed up as a surprise for those interested in cars to be able to see.

The day it ended with a group picture and a draw for prizes. It was awesome the kids came just before 10 a.m. as strangers and left later that morning, as friends.

After the meeting, a bunch of them played in the water for another 30 minutes.

Until next time, Stay safe, have fun, and enjoy the wildlife!

Jason George

Disease spread naturally occurs in two main ways. Below-ground, transfer of the fungus occurs via root grafts, where the roots of (usually) like species have fused. Frequency of oak root grafts depends on various factors, including soil composition (more common in sandy soil) and forest composition (less frequent in diverse stands).Above-ground, native sap beetles are the main vector in Ontario. They carry fungal spores from an infected oak to a wound on a healthy tree. There, the fungus enters and starts the infection cycle.The sap beetles do not create the wound; nor does the fungus. Over longer distances, disease transmission is believed to be the result of human activity, especially moving firewood.

Oak wilt could be here next week or it might take decades.The best we can do is hope that our ongoing efforts will keep it away, and still prepare for its arrival. Different levels of government have an important role to play They need to inform the public about the threat of oak wilt. If there is an occurrence, it would be prudent to have a protocol already in place, especially addressing sanitation, waste handling, and spread to adjacent oaks.To monitor our oaks, we need to know where they are, meaning that we need to conduct at least an oak tree inventory And we need to start preparing now for potential damage to the tree canopy by pro-actively planting more diverse tree species.

WBCAT has been in contact with theTown and local agencies (Simcoe County Forests, NVCA, WB Provincial Park) to hear their thoughts and to learn how we can be of service. WBCAT believes that community engagement and coordination between government agencies, conservation groups, towns and townships, and concerned citizens is key to an effective response. By acting now, we can protect our forests, so they are there to protect us through climate change.

wasagabeachclimateaction.com

Info@wasagabeachclimateaction.com