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Created: 07 May 2011

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15th Annual OPP Kids Day
Few would argue that the 2011 spring season has been cold, wet and windy. Even for those who love the great outdoors, it has been a challenge to get outside and have fun. However, on Saturday, April 30, under beautiful sunny skies, more than 250 children took part in the 15th annual OPP Kids Day at Tudhope Park in Orillia.
Best of all, everyone had a blast taking part in various games of skill, chance and even some that tested their fishing knowledge.
Thanks to the OPP, Orillia emergency personnel and local area volunteers, this event was another huge success. Sergeant Frank Kreisz of the OPP, who has coordinated this event on behalf of the Orillia Chamber of Commerce for all of the 15 years remarked, “Everyone involved with this event knows how important it is for kids to take time out from their computer games, social networking and other indoor activities ... and to just get outside and have fun. That’s what the goal of this event has always been, and once these kids start playing in our beautiful lakeshore park- they have a ball.”
Every child received prizes courtesy of the Orillia Chamber of Commerce, the Ontario Provincial Police Association, and the OPP Commissioned Officers Association. Each child also enjoyed a hotdog and drink courtesy of the local Abernathy's Foodland.
The OPP Kids Day is always held the Saturday before closing of the popular Orillia Perch Festival which marked it’s the 30 anniversary this year. Kreisz, who is an avid recreational angler, has definitely left his mark on this, the signature event of the Perch Festival. He has incorporated games where kids have to identify various fish species, lure identification and conservation quizzes into the program. “Even casting for lawn sharks has become one of the many fun games we play with the kids,” says Kreisz.
Many of the kids who participated in this event also take part in the Orillia Perch Festival. Kreisz told us, “Although many these kids fish the Festival with their families this one day is set aside especially for them, and the kids love it. “ So, too, do the OPP volunteers and others who help out. “We have had so many folks helping us over the years and without them also having such a great time this would never happen year after year. It’s a very rewarding experience for everyone involved,” concluded Kreisz.
For more information, visit www.orillia.com.

Article courtesy of Focus On Fishing: www.wilwegman.com

Created: 02 April 2011

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The Citizens' Alliance for a Sustainable Environment (CAUSE) says applications have been filed with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Township of Melancthon to create a 2,300-acre mega-quarry on some of Ontario's best remaining farmland.
The location is in the headwaters of the Nottawasaga and Grand rivers, which supply water to more than one million people.
Plans call for extraction to go 200 feet below the water table.
The first public meeting to discuss the application will take place at the Hornings Mills Community Hall in Shelburne on Tuesday, April 12 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Any stakeholders wishing to file an objection with the ministry must do so by the Tuesday, April 26, 2011, deadline.

For more information, go to www.citizensalliance.ca.

Created: 22 March 2011

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Barrie – April is Cancer Awareness Month, and Topper’s Pizza is making a $10,000 donation to the Canadian Cancer Society at the company’s franchising office in Barrie.
A proud supporter of the Canadian Cancer Society, Topper’s Pizza agreed to donate a portion of all House Dip sales from each of its 35 Ontario store locations for a period of one year, beginning in June 2009.
“We were very optimistic,” said Topper’s Pizza president Keith Toppazzini, noting it marked the first time the company’s famous House Dip would be offered in a bottled format.
“The product was so well-received, we exceeded our sales goals for the first year, leading to a much higher donation than anticipated. We couldn’t be happier.”

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Created: 22 March 2011

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Three quarters of Canadians use toilet as garbage can

Average six to 20 litres of clean fresh water wasted with every flush; most Canadians have “no concept” of the real value of water, says UN water expert

While the majority of Canadians (55 per cent) continue to believe that fresh water is the country’s most important natural resource and say they are trying reasonably hard to conserve it (78 per cent), almost three quarters (72 per cent) admit to flushing items down the toilet that they could dispose of in another manner.
Left-over food, hair, bugs and cigarette butts lead the list of items discarded in toilets across the nation, wasting an average of six to 20 litres of fresh, clean water with each flush.
According to the fourth annual Canadian Water Attitudes Study, commissioned by RBC and Unilever and endorsed by the Canadian Partnership Initiative of the United Nations Water for Life Decade, Albertans (83 per cent) are most likely to admit to flushing items they could dispose of in another manner, and Quebecers least likely (65 per cent). And young Canadians, 18 to 34, are much more likely than those aged 55 plus to engage in the offending behaviour (84 per cent vs. 63 per cent, respectively).
Yet, Canadians’ knowledge of the quality of the water in their toilet, and the volume wasted, is high. Eight in 10 (80 per cent) know the water in their toilet is just as clean as the water coming out of their faucet, and three quarters (76 per cent) are aware that nearly half (45 per cent) of water used in the home is flushed down the toilet.
“This data highlights, once again, that Canadians are not making the connection between their personal water use and the true value of water,” says Bob Sandford, EPCOR Chair, Canadian Partnership Initiative of the UN Water for Life Decade. “They claim to care about conserving it, yet knowingly engage in water wasting activities, including using fresh, clean water to dispose of garbage. Canadians need to understand that water is a finite resource and there are significant social and economic implications related to wasting it.”
Canadians use, on average, 329 liters of water a day (Footnote 1). According to the survey, nearly seven in 10 (67 per cent) Canadians underestimated this amount. Canadian’s water wasting habits such as leaving the water running when doing the dishes (46 per cent) and hosing down the driveway (17 per cent) are contributing to high water usage.
Canadians don’t know what they pay for water
According to the study, Canadians are in the dark when it comes to the cost of water. While six in 10 (61 per cent) admit they do not know how much their household currently pays for water, they actually have a strong opinion about its cost: seven in 10 (70 per cent) believe that the unknown price is high enough to ensure water is treated as a valuable resource.
“Water is a real bargain in Canada, which is another reason Canadians have no concept of its value,” says Sandford. “Compared to other developed nations, Canadians pay very little to have water delivered to their homes. In France, water costs four times more, and in Germany, almost seven times more. Not surprisingly, average daily domestic water use in these countries is less than half of what it is in Canada. Until Canadians make the connection between personal use of water and its true value, our water wasting habits will continue.”
2011 Canadian Water Attitudes Study: Additional Themes /Regional Trends/Tracking Data
Following are additional highlights from the 2011 Canadian Water Attitudes Study, which has tracked Canadians perceptions and attitudes towards water quality and conservation for the past four years.
1.   Canadians try a bit harder to save electricity than water
•   Only four in 10 (40 percent) Canadians make the connection between water and electricity, understanding that it requires energy to treat and pump water; one-third (32 per cent) don’t think at all about the connection
•   Nine in 10 (86 per cent) Canadians say they try at least reasonably hard to conserve electricity, while only eight in 10 (78 per cent) say they try at least reasonably hard to conserve water
2.   Confidence in Canada’s drinking water growing
•   Canadians’ level of confidence in the safety and quality of Canada’s drinking water has increased significantly over the past two years, from 72 per cent in 2009 to 86 per cent in 2011; Confidence is highest in British Columbia, at 92 per cent, and lowest in Quebec, at 69 per cent
•   Nine in 10 Canadians (91 per cent) who drink tap water in their home are confident in its safety and quality; confidence is highest in Ontario at 97 per cent, and lowest in Quebec at 83 per cent
•   When it comes to the source of water they “typically” drink, almost half (48 per cent) drink water directly from their tap; one-third (28 per cent) drink filtered water; two in 10 (21 per cent) drink bottled water and 14 per cent drink water from a large-jug cooler
3.   Confidence in Canada’s long-term supply of water has also Increased
•   Canadians’ level of confidence that Canada has enough freshwater for the long-term has increased over the past two years, from 70 per cent in 2009 to 77 per cent in 2011; confidence is highest in British Columbia, at 84 per cent; Quebecers are disproportionately less confident at 63 per cent
4.   Canadians increasingly concerned about the quality of water in Canada’s lakes
•   Almost nine in 10 (87 per cent) Canadians are concerned about the quality of water in lakes where they swim; Quebecers are most concerned (90 per cent), followed by Ontarians and Maritimes (both 88 per cent)
•   Most Canadians (63 per cent) believe that the quality of their swimming lakes is getting worse
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1.   Environment Canada. Topic 6. Water Conservation – Every Drop Counts! http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=en&n=E85F9FC8-1. Accessed March 2011

Created: 18 March 2011

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It’s easy to remember the essentials when packing for the family camping trip, but there are a few secret items that will not only make your vacation more fun but also much easier.
“These simple tips may not turn you into Survivorman but they will make you look like a campground hero to your friends and family” says Mark Bingeman, of Bingemans Camping Resort in Kitchener.

1. A bar of regular soap – Other than for the obvious reason, you can also use a regular bar of soap to stop the bottom of your pans from getting burned on an open flame. Just rub the bottom of the pans with the soap before using and after you’re done, any black scorching will come off with no hassle.

2. Pita bread – Pita bread packs much better and stays in better shape than regular sliced bread. You won’t have to worry about how you can keep your sandwich fixings from getting crushed and at the same time, save on space.

3. Cardboard tubes and newspaper – Before going camping save up all of your cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet paper. Before the big trip stuff them with newspaper to create handy fire starters. Once you’ve stacked your firewood in a fire pit you can light the fire starters and place under the firewood.

4. Garlic – Most people that take garlic to the campground use it just for cooking, however you can finely chop the garlic and mix it with water to create a natural insect repellant. Use a spray bottle to spray the garlic water mixture around your site to help keep insects away in a more natural way.

5. Glow sticks/bracelets – Glow sticks or glow bracelets are a cheap way to make your campsite safer without ruining the camping ambiance. Glow sticks and bracelets can be wrapped around tent pegs, fallen branches or other objects that you might want to highlight in the dark. You can also use them to light a path to your tents if your fire pit is a little ways away or just give them to the kids as flashy nightlights. Glow sticks are a great subtle light that won’t ruin the fire or block out the stars.

Tips courtesy of Bingemans Camping Resort, Kitchener