My View: Supporting the Springwater News

By Bill French Springwater News

It was great to see the many letters of support for our fine local community paper in the last edition. It is nice that letters were sent to the paper, but I encourage those that wrote the letters to also send them or email them to the Township and address them to Council. I say that as our two current heads of council have a knack at reaching out to there supporters soliciting letters supporting their position and they may become the only reference for some future motion.

As you know the Mayor and Deputy Mayor did not support retaining the status quo and were in favour of cutting the Springwater News portion of the budget in half. If you do not send your letters to Council supporting Springwater News, there will not be an official record of support, and in the next term someone could argue that they only have opposition to supporting our local paper, so why not cut off advertising.

Supporting Township Business During COVID

It was good to see the province adjust their restrictions on our local eateries under the Red designation. I encourage you to get out and support our restaurants in Midhurst, Elmvale and Hillsdale and don’t forget the Fry Guy in Anten Mills. They can use the business and they employ many local people. My wife and I specifically frequent a local restaurant once a week and do so in a low volume time. I feel very safe doing so as the precautions they have taken are above and beyond in my view. It would be good if possibly the Township could develop an Eat Local and promote our local eating establishments.

COVID Spread

As mentioned before, I believe research will confirm most of the spread is coming from the large retailers and pharmacies. They are permitted up to 75% capacity. Did you know that most retail and big box stores never achieve more than 25 to 30% of their actual safe occupancy capacity even during Christmas in non-COVID times? In other words, with big retail there are no restrictions! When this started, there were lineups, the counting of people as they entered and control, and now nothing. There should be hard and fast restrictions in these stores of no more than 50 people at a time and that would reduce the spread. In the meantime, lets do what we can by Wearing a Mask, Keeping Physical Distance and Sanitizing and consider seriously taking the vaccine if you are able.

Bill French served as Mayor of Springwater and a County of Simcoe Councillor from 2014 to 2018 and has taught business at the college level for over 15 years.