The Villager 2021 July

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July 2021

Another crisis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 7 jeanpaullogiacco@rogers.com

New local business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Severn updates . . . . . . . . . . 11, 16, 17 Community grief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Visit ‘The Door of Hope’

By Ellen Cohen Sometimes it’s just nice to have a symbol to look at, something that helps us express our feelings or to feel at peace. A gravestone.

A flag. A rainbow. Donald Westcott thinks this is true and that’s why there’s a yellow door, The Door of Hope standing tall and proud in the Washago garden at the edge of the village of Washago.

Donald said he was inspired after reading a Mark Cullen magazine article. Mark said yellow blooms were a sign of hope. Well, thought Donald, never before in modern history would feeling hopeful be more important. The idea for a yellow door, The Door of Hope was born.

By chance, a house immediately to the east of the garden was under construction.

There was an old door in the rubble so Donald took a chance and asked for it.

The owner said ‘take it or it will go in the garbage’.

It turns out the door is handmade, probably 150-200 years old. One can imagine an early settler in Washago handhewing the wood and working late into the night to install it properly so that it withstood all kinds of weather and protected his family from danger.

Donald was thrilled to get this wonderful door. He took it home and cleaned it up. His wife, Cathy Westcott painted it a beautiful yellow, and local artist and good friend, Doug Cooper completed the project by adding the lettering “The Door of Hope”.

With the support and blessing of all Washago Garden Club members, and with dignitaries in attendance, the Door of Hope was unveiled on June 10th. It will stay up until the snow flies.

Asked what hope means to him, Donald said his hope is for happiness in the future.

“But,” he added, “Everyone has their own meaning of hope, especially in these times.

Some people have serious health issues, or may be going through other terrible life ordeals. Hope is very personal and individual.”

He then told a great story about a couple from Toronto who stopped by to look at the door. The man was wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. “Now that’s hope!” he said.

Not lost on Donald is the age of the door, the door he got by chance. It is truly a physical representation of hope. We wondered together how many people have walked through that door and what hopes each one of them had. Maybe some simply hoped for a hot meal, a hug from a family member, a warm fire. Others might have hoped for a long life, a job, a sick loved one to be well. Maybe one or two hoped to find the love of their life. We can only imagine but we can hope.

Take a walk and spend a few minutes at The Door of Hope. It’s listened to others for many, many years. It would be happy to ‘The Door of Hope’ stands among flowers and shrubs in the Washago gardens on County Rd. listen to you.

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3

We all belong

By Courtney Baker The Couchiching Conservancy has a strategic plan. It is not, as the name might suggest, a top secret document hidden from the public, but a guide for how best to use our organizational resources to achieve our mission and it represents the input of diverse stakeholders. In fact, it is a beacon of collaboration and consensus within our organization, a well-written plan for 20202025 that reflects the voices of members, supporters, donors and volunteers.

For me, the highlight of this strategic plan is the declaration of shared principles.

One of these principles states “We seek a reciprocal, respectful and protective relationship with the land that provides us health and wellbeing. We recognize that we are of nature, not external to it.”

Despite this declaration that represents the common beautiful thread of nature that binds us, there are current and historical events that threaten to pull us apart, away from being fully conscious of nature and the restorative powers it has for everyone.

Today, Canada reels from the shame and pain of recent events including the shocking discovery of Indigenous children’s bodies found buried adjacent to a residential school in BC, anonymously and secretly; the LGBTQ2+ community celebrating Pride as they continue to strive for acceptance; and a London, Ontario family and community grieves after four lives were taken tragically in an act of terror and Islamophobia.

Although not a solution to these difficult and painful issues, we all have nature. All of us. Any religion, colour, culture or sexual orientation. We all belong and we can all

Diverse flora in the Carden Alvar. Photo by Cam Curran. partake in the peace and restoration nature offers, if only temporarily.

Obtaining and caring for properties that give everyone equal opportunity to nature is the job of The Couchiching Conservancy but conservation efforts do not exist in a vacuum. We do our work and focus on the diverse species found in our region while also focusing on people - those who visit the reserves and all Conservancy supporters, donors and volunteers who come from all walks of life. All are welcomed, valued and safe.

If you feel you need a space to feel the healing properties nature offers, some

quiet time to reflect on the big problems of the world, I recommend a trip to one of the Conservancy’s nature reserves. There, where we ask all visitors to respect nature and each other, you will easily reflect on the common thread of nature that brings everyone to that one place.

I promise, no matter how you identify, nature will not judge.

To access information about the Conservancy’s reserves, visit our website.

Courtney Baker is the Administrative Assistant at The Couchiching Conservancy, a local land trust dedicated to protecting nature for all future generations. www. couchichingconserv.ca

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4 From the Publisher:

Every child matters

Ellen Cohen Publisher

thevillagerpress@rogers.com

705-717-0322 The Villager, a Severn Township community news magazine, is an independently owned and operated publication delivered to households and businesses on or before the first day of every month.

It is mailed through Canada Post north from the Severn Township/Orillia border to Severn Bridge and includes parts of Ramara Township.

In addition to Canada Post delivery, The Villager is distributed each month through high traffic locations along the Highway 11 corridor and in many other select locations in Orillia. For a complete list of locations email thevillagerpress@rogers.com.

Editorial and advertising material is protected by copyright. Reproduction of any article, photograph or graphic is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher. The sentiments of our columnists do not necessarily reflect those of The Villager.

The Villager’s liability to advertisers for errors is limited to the portion of the advertisement in which an error occurs and only if the error is the fault of The Villager.

Community event submissions and prearranged editorial contributions must be received by the 10th of each month for the following month’s publication.

Advertising space must be booked by the 10th of each month in order to appear in the following month’s publication, with 5 business days thereafter to complete the advertising artwork and proof approval process.

The Villager P.O. Box 5 Washago, ON L0K 2B0 Art director: Cathy Cleary

On May 27, 2021 we learned about the gruesome discovery at the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The remains of 215 children were discovered by a ground penetrating radar survey conducted by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation.

They say the records for all of these children in unmarked graves may never be found, a further tragedy that shows us these children, during their short lives, were so meaningless to the church officials running the schools they couldn’t even be bothered to place a simple marker.

Let none of us even try to sugar coat the goal of residential schools. It is welldocumented: take control of Indian children in order to remove their identity and ultimately wipe out the Indian culture from the land. It seems authorities made their best efforts.

Indigenous children were taken from their homes, stolen from the arms of their mothers and fathers and grandparents.

They were transported far away from their home to a government controlled, church-run residential school where their hair was cut and their clothes replaced with uniforms designed by the church.

A memorial for the 215 Indigenous children discovered in unmarked graves in BC has been created and displayed at Severn Shores Elementary School. See page 19 for details.

They were forbidden to speak their own language and were given new names. They were not allowed to honour their traditional teachings and were forced to follow the Christian religion.

In their attempt to destroy an entire culture, the Government of Canada sent 150,000 children to residential schools. It is estimated 6,000 died during the 100 years or so the schools were active. The churches that ran those schools made a colossal, measured and sustained effort to strip away every one of their very souls.

Today we acknowledge the 215 children with no names. We mourn.

I render them irrelevant Years ago, my boss told me that the sure way to be successful in one’s personal life or in business was to be relevant. Or, in other words, if deemed irrelevant nobody listens, nobody cares.

His words came back to me this week as I read the latest Covid-19 vaccine statistics in Ontario. About 75% of Ontarians have their first shot and, as we’re getting closer to the end of June, close to 25% have their second. It may be much higher by the time this magazine is printed.

Less people are getting sick and far less are hospitalized. This is such good news. It’s empirical evidence. And I believe it makes everyone feel hopeful.

To me this means that those who continue to promote scary or silly vaccine conspiracy theories are now completely irrelevant to me. I am not listening.

In the past, whenever I read some of these outlandish conspiracy theories I was afraid that someone I might know would believe them and might become infected. This scared me. But now, as so many of my friends and relatives are protected, I can relax. And, hopefully, as others see the positive results, they can put some of those conspiracies aside, too.

I am forever grateful to the scientists who put their lives on hold to create a vaccine that has made my life and the lives of everyone I love safer. You are relevant.

Letters to the publisher are welcome and may be emailed to thevillagerpress@rogers.com.

Letters may be edited.

5

Thank you Simcoe North

By Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton

As you likely know, I will not be running in the next general election, whenever that may occur. As a retiring member, I was given the opportunity to give my last official address as an MP in the House of Commons on Tuesday, June 15th. I used most of my ten minutes to thank the people of Simcoe North for the privilege of serving them, the people who volunteered in our five election campaigns, and the people I work with in Parliament. What a journey it has been.

As possibly one of my last articles in this fine publication as your member of parliament, I have provided some excerpts of my speech that capture the essence of my remarks in the House of Commons: “The next MP for this amazing riding will be well advised to heed the lessons that Rynard, Lewis, DeVillers and I learned from the great people of Simcoe North. May I take this moment to thank them profoundly for the honour of being their voice in Parliament these last 15+ years.” « Une des choses pour lesquelles je suis très reconnaissant est d’avoir eu l’occasion d’apprendre le français. » « One of the things that I was most appreciative of was to have had the opportunity to learn French” “Since 2011, I’ve had the honour to work alongside the remarkable clerks and table officers of the House. Their learned counsel, their deference to parliamentary traditions and practices, and their untiring devotion to their work, provides a constant source of confidence and integrity to the operations of this House.”

“I could not have done this work without the support of family – especially my wife and best friend in the world, Heather …

Valerie and Lauren were age 10 and 7 when we started here; now they’re off on their own careers. Our older children Stephanie, and husband John; Jason and wife Amanda; have families of their own that we can hardly wait to spend more time with. What a blessing that will be.”

“I want to properly thank the people of my riding who helped me win five consecutive elections. All of us, who run for elected

The fight that Bruce has led to keep the S.S. Keewatin in Port McNicoll is a recent example of his dedication to the Simcoe North community he has served for more than 15 years. office can look back to the volunteers who fundraised, put up signs, helped knock on doors, phoned and got the vote out. I salute the hundreds of them who helped me win. … I am moved, beyond words, for their unfailing support.”

“So let me finish by simply saying what an incredible privilege it has been to serve Simcoe North as MP since 2006. I will be taking my leave when the next election comes; whenever that may be; but I will always remember the friends we’ve made along the way and the special honour it has been to be a humble servant of the wonderful people of Simcoe North.”

Bruce Stanton

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6

Time to pivot from one crisis to another

By Ron Reid

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Ever so slowly, the global pandemic known as Covid-19 seems to be on retreat in Canada, as vaccinations and considerable sacrifice by Canadians work their magic.

That’s good news for many reasons. Perhaps most importantly, it allows political and business leaders to turn their attention to the growing urgency of the climate change crisis.

By now, you probably understand the basics of climate change: human activities largely related to our energy use emit high levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which traps an unprecedented level of heat. As the global climate grows hotter, all kinds of spinoff effects are showing up – sea ice and permafrost melting in the Arctic; hurricanes and other storms becoming more frequent and more severe; some areas becoming too

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Scientists have worked out models of future consequences of growing climate change over the past 30 years. The scary part is that in almost all cases, the reality is turning out to show higher levels of damage, sooner, than those models predicted.

In response to this worsening trend, many countries, especially in Europe, have made great progress in lowering their carbon dioxide emissions. Britain, for example, has trimmed its emissions by 48%.

The U.S.A. has made more modest progress, but in spite of the Trump government has achieved significant reductions. Big business, especially the auto industry, appears to have turned the corner towards electric vehicles, and there are exciting new Continued on page 7

7 Athabasca Glacier with Columbia Icefield in the background. initiatives to reduce emissions in businesses and municipalities everywhere.

As I write this, the weekend gathering of the G7 – the seven richest countries on the planet – has just wrapped up. Climate change was on the agenda, of course, and six of those countries could report positive numbers on their success in reducing emissions since promising to do so at the Paris Accord. Only one member of this exclusive club had to report failure – the Dominion of Canada, with an increase of 21%.

There are lots of explanations for our poor performance, but the central fact remains: at a time when the climate change emergency is clearly becoming quickly worse, we Canadians have failed to pull our weight. In places, we have made good progress, such as the complete closure of coal-burning power plants in Ontario. But that progress

has been outdone by increasing emissions elsewhere, particularly from the oil and gas industry in Alberta.

We should be under no illusion that climate change won’t have impacts here; the rate of warming across Canada is twice as high as the global average; in the Arctic, it is three times as high. Every year, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere.

Higher now than for millions of years in the past, and still rising.

Meeting the challenge of climate change is going to require each of us as individuals to make some sacrifices; much less airplane travel, for one. But it is also going to need concerted action by our governments at all levels – action that is largely lacking now.

It’s time to let our elected representatives know that they must address this issue with the urgency it deserves.

A regular contributor to The Villager, Ron Reid is a natural heritage consultant and the co-founder and former executive director of The Couchiching Conservancy. He has written more than 30 magazine articles and co-authored three books. He lives in Washago with his wife, Janet Grand.

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Head to the Washago Farmers’ Market The neighbourhood has needed something like this for a long time. It is especially important to have neighbourhood attractions now that people are safer and feel more comfortable about venturing out. The fact that it is an outdoor event makes it even more attractive and popularity is gaining as it now enters its 5th week.

The Farmers’ Market is open every Friday from 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Lions Hall on Hamilton Street in Washago.

Social distancing and masks are required and, depending on Covid-19 restrictions, the Fresh baking weekly at the market will feature a Lions BBQ Washago Farmers’ Market. and live music.

Vendor inquiries: washagolionsfarmersmarket@gmail.com or call Craig at 795-955-2133.

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Saving a tiny baby chipmunk

A lover of tadpoles, frogs, cats and dogs, Asha Funk has now added chipmunks to her list of favourites.

On Saturday, June 19th, the 13 year-old walked out of the back door of her house and found a very tiny shivering baby chipmunk on the stone patio, so tiny her ears weren’t completely formed.

She picked her up carefully, took

her in the house and warmed her up right away.

Within a few hours, the baby chipmunk now called Loulou May had her own cage, formula, and seeds and had settled in very nicely. In fact, in less than 24 hours, the baby found snuggling into the sleeve or neck of Asha’s hoodie was the perfect place to sleep, much nicer than a cage.

Asha’s mother has explained that chipmunks can be on their own outside once they reach 9 weeks of age but, for now, Loulou May is safe, gaining weight and deliriously happy to be with her kind and wonderful foster mother.

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9

Local entrepreneur an inspiration Dustyn Pilger is a lifelong resident of the Washago area with family roots back to 1902. Remarkably, he became a business owner one day shy of his 20th birthday. At the time, he was still studying landscape design and horticulture at the University of Guelph.

Nuscapes Landscaping was born because Dustyn wanted more than working for someone else for minimum wage. His original investment was only $1,000 for some hand tools. In the first year, Dustyn made barely enough to survive, but referrals from family and friends helped and just 3 years later, with an ever-growing list of clients, he is booked for the rest of the season. This spring, he took the plunge again and launched his second business – an online garden centre that now also offers in-person shopping.

The two businesses are complimentary.

He can maintain a regular supply of fresh, high-quality perennials, bushes and trees that are needed for his landscaping clients while providing the same quality products for local gardeners from spring until fall.

Dustyn stocks over 2,000 garden items, 1,200 he’s grown himself from roots and shoots.

“Sticking with the ‘usual’ is not my style.

I carry the ‘normal’ selection but also like to introduce something different to my customers. And, unlike some other shops, especially the big box or grocery store garden businesses, every plant I sell is suitable for this growing zone and will survive the winter. My customers won’t have to replace their plants every spring.”

Support from his family has encouraged him from the start. He comes from a long line of entrepreneurs who serve as examples and he also had the privilege to spend hours and hours with his grandmother in her garden and loved it.

“By the time I was 8 years old, I knew the names of every plant in her garden. It seems getting into the gardening and landscape business was destined to be in my future.”

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10

Vibrant Ward 3 John Betsworth says he is very proud to represent Ward 3 in Severn and all that it has to offer.

“The residents will tell you they have it all - and they might be right. From Lake Couchiching west to Town Line, there is golfing, beaches, hiking and snowmobile trails, conservancy reserves including Grant’s Woods which is the location of the head office of The Couchiching Conservancy.”

The ward is home to industry, dozens and dozens of home-based businesses, many small-medium sized retailers, and Orillia Square Mall, affectionately known as ‘The Mall’ which is an important part of the township tax base and a major employer.

Of note, the new Canadian Tire, one of the mall’s anchors is 140,000 square feet, one of the largest Canadian Tire stores in the country.

Other features of the ward include ODAS Park with the weekly farmers’ market and the storied annual fall fair, and the new Mariposa House Hospice, a new 5-bed residential facility that serves Severn, Orillia, Ramara and Rama.

Residential development isn’t as robust as it is in the fully serviced West Shore, Ward 4 area of the township, but it is very notable.

There is a lot of activity including significant infill and approximately 50 upscale single family new homes planned for an area near ODAS Park.

On another note, Councillor Betsworth knows that there isn’t a resident in any ward or in Orillia who isn’t eager to watch the progress of the work that has begun on a long-awaited project – the replacement of the West Street Bridge. Work is only in the very preliminary stages, starting with the electrical work, but it is an important beginning.

The old West Street bridge will be operational during construction so as not to interrupt travel for residents of Severn or Orillia, and that includes transit. It is a multi-year project and it’s just beginning, but simply getting started on this project is exciting for the area.

“As we watch the terrible impact of Covid-19 subside, as more and more people become vaccinated, we can begin to have hope. Soon residents can more easily travel through the ward and take advantage of all the wonderful things that are at their doorstep,” said Councillor Betsworth.

John Betsworth, Severn’s Ward 3 councillor.

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11

Township update FIRE PERMITS Fees waived for 2021 Permit fees vary depending on the size and type of fire but, in light of COVID-19, the township’s goal is to limit in-person contact at the Administration office and, therefore, the permit fee cost is waived for 2021. Normal fees will resume for 2022: $25 for an annual fire permit and $75 for an agricultural fire permit.

Fire permits are required for all open-air burning in Severn. Township of Severn’s Open-Air Burning By-law regulates the issuing of fire permits, the size of fires and materials you can burn within an open-air fire.

Continued on page 16

Flags at half-mast To honour the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were discovered in unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, the township flags flew at half-mast for 215 hours, one hour for each child, as a sign of collective mourning.

12

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By Jill Dunlop, MPP Simcoe North As summer begins, we continue to do our part by vaccinating as many people as possible to get us back to enjoying the people and the things we love most.

By mid-June, our government reported a majority of Ontario adults had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine with more vaccine doses of AstraZeneca shipped and over three million doses of Moderna to arrive by late June. We continue to accelerate the vaccine rollout by expanding eligibility for second doses ahead of schedule. Delta hot spots were extended to include SimcoeMuskoka, and rapidly expanded second doses were arranged to minimize the risk of this variant spread.

Public Health Ontario continues to provide scientific and technical advice to the Ministry of Health, public health units and health partners to support COVID-19 response efforts. This includes laboratory testing and providing advice on evolving testing technologies, surveillance of cases and epidemiological data analysis, summarizing scientific evidence and best practices, infection prevention, outbreak management, contact tracing training and implementation, and resources to support the execution of vaccine programs.

Ontario’s Roadmap to Re-open, the three-step plan to safely and cautiously re-open the province and gradually lift public health measures, has proven successful. Ontarians have worked hard and as a result Ontario was able to move ahead earlier. Numbers are going in the right direction. I am proud of Simcoe North and the success of our combined efforts.

As of June 18, the numbers are: over 462,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Simcoe Muskoka, including doses by local pharmacies; more than 380,400 individuals living in Simcoe Muskoka had received their first dose, representing over 63% of the total population; 73% of adults 18 years and older had at least one dose; and 51% of youth 12 to 17 had their first vaccine dose. These are all promising numbers for a successful return to school in September. What is most important to recognize is the vast majority of COVID-19 cases in Simcoe Muskoka have recovered from the infection.

Since March 2020, our lives have been affected in so many ways by the pandemic. As businesses re-open under the new norm show your support and shop local whenever possible. Please remember - whether you are fully or partially vaccinated, you are expected to continue to practise public health measures. We all have a role to play in protecting the progress we’ve made together.

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Contact us at 705-717-0322 or thevillagerpress@rogers.com

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At the time of publication, we are allowed 25% capacity or 16 customers in the store at a time. This may increase throughout July.

For optimum safety, we have Plexiglas barriers, as well as hand sanitizer and masks stationed at both entrances.

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14

BBQ’d Frenched Rib Eye Steak

By Chef Becky Lennerton, Proprietor of Black River Food Company and a teacher in our region for Loblaw Companies Limited.

For a very tasty meat lovers dinner, this is for you. Special order the steak from your local butcher. The number of servings will depend on the appetite of your dinner guests!

INGREDIENTS: • One 32-40 oz. Frenched Rib Eye • ½ cup favourite BBQ dry rub. Dry rubs are a mixture of ground herbs and spices, usually sweet, savoury and spicy. Use your favourite brand or make your own by mixing spices together. Example: salt, black pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cayenne, dark brown sugar and cloves. Add or subtract ingredients to your own taste.

METHOD: Massage both sides of the steak applying the dry rub liberally, pressing it in all the crevices of the steak. You can let this sit overnight in the fridge.

• Preheat grill to high or sear temperature. Place steak on grill, sear on high for 2-3 minutes. Rotate a quarter turn, sear for another 2-3 minutes. Flip over and repeat.

• Shut down half of your grill and place the rib eye on the side you have shut down. Reduce the other side of grill to medium heat. Check for doneness at the 10-minute interval. Cooked rare-medium rare for best flavour. When desired doneness, remove from grill and tent with foil.

• Let sit for 5 minutes until the juices get reabsorbed into the meat.

• Cut off the bone and slice diagonally and present on serving board.

• Enjoy with your favourite bevvy and side dishes.

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We are open for business!

Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm As the province opens for business, and in order to keep our customers and staff as safe as possible, we continue to follow all COVID-19 protocols that health experts advise.

We ask you to participate and wear a mask when you enter our store.

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Water and sewer charges Villager readers reached out to as us to explore what appears to be multiple increases to their water and sewer charges in the West Shore area of Severn.

Severn’s Director of Finance/ Treasurer, Andrew Plunkett explained that there are annual increases only. He said that each increase only happens once per year starting at the first quarter billing in March and it is uniform

across the Township.

The water rate and wastewater rate study that was presented to Council in March of 2021 will be on the website soon at severn.ca.

If you have concerns about your personal water and sewer billings, please call 705-3252315 or email aplunkett@ severn.ca.

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Township update

you can sign up at severn.ca/taxes; online or telephone banking; or by cheque Continued from page 11 mailed to PO Box 159, Orillia, ON L3V 6J3.

If you wish to pay in person, please call the Fire permits are available at severn.ca/ Administration Office at 705-325-2315. firepermits. For those who don’t have internet access, you can contact Severn Fire PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS and Emergency Services at 705-325-9131 to In response to COVID-19, the Ontariorequest a fire permit. wide assessment update has been You can only burn tree branches or clean, postponed. Assessments for the 2021 and dry wood with either type of fire permit. 2022 tax years will continue to be based You are not allowed to burn leaves or on 2016 property values which means your garden waste in an open-air fire. Dispose property assessment for 2021 and 2011 will of yard waste through the yard waste and be the same as 2020, unless there have been leaf pick up program. Supervise the fire at changes to your property. Visit mpac.ca and all times and keep a pail of water or garden log onto About My Property for details. hose nearby.

Always keep fire safety in mind. Check WATERFRONT PARKING the fire rating before starting a fire. Signs Waterfront parking permits are required are placed throughout the community this year to combat COVID-19 health and to show the current fire rating. Burning is safety related issues at Washago Centennial not permitted during a fire ban. You can Park. Only vehicles with valid resident subscribe to receive updates when the fire parking permits will be permitted to park rating changes at severn.ca/firerating. and use the accompanying boat launch.

Severn residents can get their parking PROPERTY TAXES permits for Severn, Ramara and Orillia at Due in two installments on August 8th severn.ca/parking. For those who don’t and October 8th. Options for payment Continued on page 17 include automatic withdrawals for which

MUSKOKA DENTURE CLINIC MARK J. FANTUZ, D.D. Denture Specialist

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17 Katie Mandeville, Severn’s Senior Planner, helping a turtle cross the road.

TURTLES It’s turtle season! Turtles may be encountered along or crossing roadways and trails, which is very dangerous for them.

If you stop to help move a turtle across a road, always be aware of your own safety. If it is safe to do so, help the turtle across the road in the direction it was headed. Many turtles can be gently picked up with two hands, but snapping turtles require special handling because they have a long neck and may snap at you.

The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (@ontarioturtlecc on Instagram) has information on all 8 native turtle species, how to help an injured turtle and what to do if you have found a nesting female turtle.

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Muskoka

Cou nty R

Street

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Hamilt on

have the capability to print their permit, municipal staff will mail the permit. Permits are non-transferable and limited to two permits per Severn household. Renters in Severn are eligible to receive a parking permit.

In Ramara, Severn residents can get a free parking permit for Bluebird Park, Lagoon City Beach and Park, Lovely Day Park and The Steps (on-street parking).

Ramara residents may park free in Severn.

Those without a parking permit will be ticketed and/or towed.

In Orillia, Severn residents can purchase an annual parking and boat launch permit for $50 plus a $5 administration fee for parking Friday-Sunday at Couchiching Beach Park, Centennial Park, Veterans’ Memorial Park and J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park lots and surrounding streets and the Couchiching Beach Park and Collins Drive boat launches. Parking is allowed free Monday-Thursday, except for public holidays.

Parking passes must be clearly displayed on the dashboard of your vehicle with the corresponding licence plate number. Visit severn.ca/parking to learn more and apply for a parking permit.

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A rare sight

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Thank you to Villager reader Pina Burdo for sending us this photo of a Luna moth.

Luna moths are not rare in Ontario but they are rarely seen because of their very brief 7-10 day adult lifespan, and they are nocturnal.

Remarkably, Ms. Burdo spotted 3 Luna moths on one day in close proximity, one on wood siding and two on a nearby plant. She also saw the moth in flight.

Adult Luna moths have one purpose – to reproduce. They don’t even have a mouth for feeding. They survive on stored

fat from when they were a caterpillar.

Although Luna moths do feed on the leaves of shrubs and trees, their population is not large enough to cause significant damage or destruction.

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Gypsy moth caterpillars. © Can Stock Photo / digoarpi

Gypsy moths: female (white) and male (brown). © Can Stock Photo / ca2hill

This year’s blight Severn residents probably don’t need much detail in this article. They’ve been dealing with and hiding from this hairy fivecentimetre-long caterpillar that has been dropping from tree branches onto decks, crawling up siding, and messing up cars for weeks. It is the gypsy moth caterpillar and it’s been the nightmare of late spring and early summer.

It’s an invasive species that arrived in Ontario about 50 years ago from Europe, Asia and north Africa. About every 7-10 years there is an outbreak although this year follows last year that saw, according to an Ontario government website, nearly 590,000 hectares of defoliation, up from about 47,000 acres the year before. They don’t appear to have a discerning appetite and will eat most tree and shrub leaves.

The last time there was such a large outbreak of these pests was in 1994. The good news is that somehow these caterpillars rarely eat themselves out of their host. They’ll eat voraciously but move on to another tree when their food supply – the leaves – diminish in numbers. They will eventually cocoon and turn into gypsy moths.

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Facing grief together People who live in Severn’s West Shore, aka Cumberland Beach mobilize when there’s a community need, including the desperate need to mourn together upon hearing about the discovery of the unmarked graves of 215 Indigenous children in Kamloops, BC. Rosanne Irving and Angela Foster had an immediate and visceral reaction.

Rosanne, a Simcoe County School Board Indigenous student advisor, supports Severn Shores Public School and the approximately 30 students who selfidentify as Indigenous, including Inuit and Métis. There she creates a safe space for students to learn and talk about their culture and customs and some of their most difficult challenges. They read books together, do art projects and learn about the 7 Grandfather Teachings.

Angela Foster is an involved community member, well-known for her volunteerism and her ability to bring people together.

Her husband is Indigenous, originally from the Magnetawan Reserve. They have two children, aged 9 and 13 who are both very

proud of their heritage and also familiar with the work that Rosanne does.

The very day the news broke about the horror found at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, Rosanne contacted Angela to discuss the idea of setting up a memorial. It all came together very quickly.

Within an hour they had permission from the school to set up a memorial adjacent to the school’s front entrance.

Angela sent a note to the community asking them to collect 215 rocks, and to volunteer as rock painters. In very short order, neighbours brought rocks to Angela’s driveway, some already painted. Others brought paint, tarps and other supplies and soon the paint station at Angela’s was a hive of activity.

The rocks were formed into a heartshaped display at the school where it stayed for 215 hours. They were then taken into the school and laid out around the perimeter of the library. Some will be taken into classrooms. All will be used for continuous learning about Indigenous life.

“The discovery of those unmarked graves

9 year-old Madeline Foster works on memorial rocks with Rosanne Irving, Indigenous Student Advisor at Severn Shores PS. made my heart stop. My grandmother was at that residential school and never talked about it. We need to talk and to share this information with everyone. This community has made that possible,” said Rosanne.

CHECKING THE PULSE OF THE REAL ESTATE MARKET SEVERN TOWNSHIP SALE PRICES INCREASED AN AVERAGE OF $495,598.

May 2021 vs May 2020* The monthly number of freehold residential properties sold increased by 18 for a total of 29 sales of which 12 were waterfront.

*Data provided from our Matrix MLS System.

THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING? NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME? Contact me for a confidential consultation.

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Is there something special about your community?

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We publish 5,000 copies every month and deliver to every home, business & farm from Severn Bridge to the Orillia boundary.

Call or email us for details: 705-717-0322 thevillagerpress@rogers.com

23

Beautiful art in Washago As Villager readers know, the Washago Art Club has had some challenges since the pandemic was declared. In spite of this they have been working individually to complete three new art projects: the Washago Letters; the ice cream chairs; and the preparation of work to be displayed at the new art gallery. The Villager has reported on each of these projects in previous issues.

Because of loosening restrictions, they are happy to say each of those projects can move forward albeit with some changes to their original plans.

The ice cream chairs will not be displayed along the edge of Muskoka Street but will be installed at private businesses throughout Washago as well as in the yard of the new art gallery.

The new gallery is located at 3380 Muskoka Street. That location is behind the Century 21 Real Estate office, entrance at the open side of the building.

The club’s other project, the ‘Washago Letters’ has also been delayed twice because Covid-19 restrictions changed based on active cases. The letters, each a piece of art, are large, weatherproof and brightly coloured. They will be a permanent outdoor art installation in Washago.

If the current maximum 5 people gathering rule still applies, only that number of club members will attend at the site. Interested residents can view from the adjacent sidewalks, social distanced.

This lower-key than hoped for unveiling will take place on July 1st

This is a sneak peek of one of the large ‘Washago Letters’ that will be unveiled at 2:00 p.m. on July 1st at Washago Home Hardware. at 2:00 p.m. at Washago Home Hardware Regarding the new art gallery, at the time of publication work was being done to make ready the inside of the building. The expectation is to open early July and there will be posters put up throughout Washago to notify the public of the exact date.

Provincial capacity restrictions will be followed and masks will be required.

Looking for ways to support Mariposa House Hospice?

Check out these three opportunities that are currently underway!

Patio Stone Engraving

Virtual Golf Tournament

Join the Butterfly Club

A wonderful opportunity to honour a loved one.

Deadline for 2021 engraving is July 31st at midnight.

Throughout the month of August at a golf course of your choosing. $50 per player (charitable donation) plus green fees.

Our annual budget is partially covered by government funding (about 50%) and we rely on contributions from our community for the rest. By becoming a monthly donor, you can "join the club" and help to ensure our sustainability.

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Order now at https://www.mariposahousehospice.com/tc-events/patio-stone-engraving/ Register for Virtual Golf Tournament at https://www.mariposahousehospice.com/tc-events/virtual-golf-tournament For more information please visit https://www.mariposahousehospice.com/get-involved

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Canadian Top Tier AAA CUSTOM ORDERS OF BEEF, CHICKEN & PORK We will cut to order any meat we carry. Call ahead to place your order.

• FRESH SALMON AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER •

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Pies • Squares • Cookies Dinner Rolls • Bread Buns • Specialty Rolls

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CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: in order to help keep everyone as safe as possible, please sanitize your hands when entering our store, wear a mask and practice social distancing. We are grateful for your efforts.