What is AWARE Simcoe and what do we do?

AWARE Simcoe January 1 2012

AWARE Simcoe. was founded in 2010 in the wake of the Dump Site 41 victory, with the aim of starting or uniting active citizen watchdog organizations in all of Simcoe County’s 16 municipalities and two separated cities. We are committed to transparency and accountability in government, and to protecting water, the environment and health.

In 2011, AWARE Simcoe participated in the consultation process over the Simcoe County Growth plan and Amendment 1, making submissions and, later, meeting with the Provincial Development Facilitator

We organized several public meetings in 2011, including two on the proposed Highland Companies mega-quarry, which threatens a large area of Simcoe County that is within the Nottawasaga Watershed. We worked with NDACT and First Nations partners to advance the issue. Significant achievements in that battle were the Ontario government’s decision to have a comprehensive environmental assessment of the project, and the Liberals’ undertaking in mid-election campaign to review the antiquated Aggregate Resources Act.

Our members participated in the Aki Kchide (Earth’s Big Hearts).ceremony held in Melancthon by our Anishinaabe allies and volunteered in the highly successful FOODSTOCK.

We participated in the provincial election campaign by organizing three all-candidates meetings, in York-Simcoe, Simcoe-Grey and Simcoe North. 

We helped raise public awareness of the massive expansion of Midhurst that had been approved in October by Simcoe County Council and called on the provincial government to stand by their policies and appeal the plan to the Ontario Municipal Board – which they did.

AWARE Simcoe and affiliates have through public meetings, letters, presentations to council and website postings sought to inform the public about the loss of local control that is presented by the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement – CETA – being negotiated between Canada’s federal and provincial governments and the European Union.  

AWARE Simcoe worked to promote participation in local government with a public meeting on monitoring local councils and later a workshop led by a Simcoe County journalist. We monitor the meetings of Simcoe County Council and several local municipal councils.

We maintain this website so residents can easily find out what’s happening across the county on the issues that we consider vital. Click on the ‘Council Watch’ button to find information specific to your municipality. Email aware.simcoe@gmail.com to alert us to issues that you are concerned about. 

More information about our organization can be found under the AWARE /About Us button on the menu. Our board meets on the second Thursday of the month and meetings are open.

For a list of contacts for each municipality click the ‘Contact’ button on the menu (not all municipalities are represented). 

If you wish to join AWARE Simcoe, click the ‘Membership’ button.

If you wish to receive AWARE Simcoe updates, email mrcinc@interlog.com and ask to be added to the AWARE Simcoe email list.