• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Kate Harries – Blog

In Blog
Jan 10th, 2017
3 Comments
6561 Views
I’ve spent some time thinking about the Freele Tract recently, as I considered a response to the questionnaire the Rainforest Alliance is asking community members and stakeholders to answer. This is part of the process of evaluating  the County of Simcoe’s decision to locate its organics ...
In Blog
Nov 27th, 2016
2 Comments
3361 Views
Here’s an ancient idea: trees are sentient, social beings that communicate, recognize family members, learn and remember, adjust their behaviour and support each other through hard times. It’s an idea that speaks to the mystical within us, an idea we once learned, through myth, fable or aboriginal sp...
May 3rd, 2016
2 Comments
4667 Views
As the county councillors with the most intimate understanding of the implications of the bonus population allocations being sought by Midhurst developers, you would expect Springwater Mayor Bill French and Deputy Mayor Don Allen to play an important role at the county’s upcoming hearing into the app...
Mar 1st, 2016
0 Comments
4889 Views
Our bees – both the domesticated honey bee and the 400 species of wild ones that are native to Eastern Canada – are in serious trouble and the Ontario Beekeepers Association’s response to Ontario’s Pollinator Action Plan is a wake-up call. It emphasizes that the need for actio...
In Blog
Jan 17th, 2016
1 Comment
3032 Views
The news, revealed by Martin Regg Cohn in the Toronto Star last week – that provincial cabinet ministers are assigned fundraising quotas, and are in trouble if they don’t rake in enough money for the Ontario Liberal Party – was very shocking. It showed how much the representative system of democracy ...
In Blog
Nov 30th, 2015
1 Comment
5456 Views
Simcoe County Warden Gerry Marshall kicked off Tuesday’s debate about recovering $5,000 in legal costs from AWARE Simcoe with a rant. Here it is: Marshall: Council of Canadians references administration attempts to sue, I guess, and lawsuits being perceived or pursued. My understanding, my investigat...
Mar 7th, 2015
1 Comment
7515 Views
You’re buying a forest? That’s wonderful! What a privilege, to own a natural space where you can withdraw from the stresses of modern life and enjoy something that’s becoming increasingly rare. You want to get value from the forest? You’re so wise. I’m sure you will buil...
Feb 20th, 2015
0 Comments
2394 Views
In October, 2012, the Conservative government brought forward an Omnibus Bill that changed dozens of laws, including the ancient Navigable Waters Protection Act. Under the new Navigation Protection Act, federal protection of citizens’ right to navigate our country’s waterways was withdrawn from all b...
Jan 23rd, 2015
0 Comments
2140 Views
You may have noticed we have added some new bloggers to this site. It is a real pleasure to welcome Gary Christie, a passionate angler from the GTA with a particular attachment to the Nottawasaga River. He’s also a scientist who explains with great clarity what’s happening to the lifeforms in the wat...
Nov 17th, 2014
0 Comments
3039 Views
I attended more than my fair share of all-candidates’ meetings during the recent municipal election. Here are a few good ideas gleaned from the campaign trail around the county. -Recorded votes: Make every council vote a recorded vote. This is an example of how electronic voting can serve democ...