Last Friday, May 1, the nomination period for this year’s municipal elections began. As of that day Jennifer Coughlin, our current Mayor, and Matt Garwood, the Ward 1 Councillor both declared their candidacy. As well, Liz Grummett, the current Simcoe County District School Board trustee for our area declared her candidacy for the Deputy Mayor and former Ward 3 Councillor, Wanda Maw Chapman declared her nomination for the Ward 3 member. Alex Saldana has indicated his willingness to stand for the Ward 5 member.
If you live in the Anten Mills / Minesing area, Ward 3, you hopefully are aware that our current Council member is Brad Thompson. Brad was elected in 2022 and has served Springwater and our area with passion, determination and foresight during this term. So you may ask when he will be announcing his reelection? He won’t be for the new term. Brad and his wife Joanne have been selected to assume senior volunteer leadership roles within their faith community. This is a 3 year appointment that will have them working out of Brampton with duties throughout Ontario and the world. Brad and Joanne will begin their duties on September 1 and while he won’t be running this fall, he hasn’t ruled out looking forward to 2030. Thank you Brad for your service to the greater Springwater community.
This week, May 3 to 9 is Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada. The theme is Be Prepared, Know Your Risks. As Spring is here we must remember that the weather will be unpredictable. We live in the Ontario tornado valley. Severe thunderstorms often produce tornadoes and it is important that we heed weather warnings from Environment Canada. It was 1985 when a major tornado struck in Barrie and several have touched down locally over the years including one on the outskirts of Elmvale. In the past as we lived near the county forest, a fire in the forest would be one of our main concerns. As the County has harvested the conifers and replaced them with deciduous trees, those concerns are not that major. There will always be a risk due to the slash left over from the tree harvesting and from the accidental fires that occur. It is important to follow instructions from our local fire officials and remember, only last year we were under a prolonged fire ban and water restrictions.Take some time with your family and create an emergency plan. Think about what you will need to do if there is a situation when a major event happens. Where you will meet, who you will call and who you could stay with if you needed. Consider also keeping a list of your medications on your phone, your insurance information, sharing your contacts and if possible copies of your important documents off site. Being prepared beforehand will assist you in the event of an unexpected emergency.
It’s bear season. While we have not heard of any concerns within the village, there have been some reports in the Nursery Road and Hendrie Road areas. The bears have come out of hibernation and are looking for food. Bird feeders and refuse are prime targets for them. Consider taking the feeders down for now or at least at night and ensure that your compost bin and refuse is secured.
Who doesn’t like a garage sale? Karis has confirmed that the Anten Mills Community Wide Garage Sale will take place on Saturday, June 13. In the past 20 or so families have participated and the response has been positive. More information will be posted on the Anten Mills Community Bulletin Facebook page. If you are interested, our neighbours in Minesing are holding their community garage sale the week before on June 6.
This past Sunday, the Hospice Simcoe Hike for Hospice was held. Held annually this event raises the necessary funds required for Hospice to provide the most valuable services for all who require it. Many in the community have supported Marjan Deller with her quest and once again she was the greatest individual fund raiser raising over $23,000 and her team, the Dutch Connection raised the most with over $32,000 for the cause. Thank you Marjan for your dedication to the Hospice community, you are a force to be reckoned with!
ATV and dirt bike riders are now permitted to ride their vehicles in the county forest. Riders, walkers, hikers and cyclists must be mindful and respectful of each other. The county forest is a recreational area which allows these activities and it is up to everyone to make sure that they are aware of each other.
This is also a good time to remind riders that the community park as well as the Rail Trail north and south of Horseshoe Valley Road do not allow motorized vehicles on them. If you ride an ATV or dirt bike please stay on the approved trails.
That’s it for this week. As always, THANKS for READING, BE WELL and STAY SAFE!