Barrie has been named one of the best places in Canada in which to start a business (GD Sourcing) and I believe that! Why? Because there are so many people and organizations here with a helping attitude for the new entrepreneur. One of our true business nuggets in this community is Anne Dorsey, business librarian…
It takes an incredible group of people to keep perspective and not toss in the towel. The folks at Central United Church (all 250 of them) have had one of those years… you know, the kind when you’re really glad to see New Year’s Day and put it all behind you. 2011 was one of…
It really affects your self esteem if you let other people tell you you’re no good.” That is the premise that pushed Mackenzie Oliver start the “I Love Me” Club when she was seven years old. Now, this wisdom-packed 11 year old is focussing her energy on a better universe and heading to Kenya, to…
Crunch! I’d just bought a single Courtland apple, to munch while out on a walk with my friend Barb. 1978 and we were both very pregnant; walking was a great activity. I will never forget the taste and smell of that apple. I’d bought it at Cancilla’s Fruit and Vegetable Market. When Anthony Cancilla turns…
Call it your first, best bargain of 2012, if you like. Or your ticket to international dining. Or the chance to welcome the new year as part of a great community. Or the mayor’s levee. Mayor Jeff Lehman launches his inaugural New Year’s Day Brunch & Levee this Sunday. Barrie’s City Hall Rotunda will offer…
When Rayner McCullough and Dr Al Scarth were called to the Lieutenant Governor’s quarters at Queen’s Park, it marked a lifetime of achievement. Both were nominated for Senior Achievement Awards by the Province of Ontario. The lapel pins are one of the province’s highest awards, given in the morning last week for charitable effort in…
It’s really hard to think about Christmas when it’s not snowing. C’mon snow!!! We live in a neighbourhood with a great mix of shut-ins, people like ourselves who are empty-nesters, and young families with swings in the front yard and trikes in the driveways. I love going for walks and seeing the handcut paper snowflakes…
As Mayor Jeff Lehmann cut the ribbon at the official opening of Shimmering Smiles Dental Hygiene Clinic last Thursday, he remarked that attending official business openings is a high point. It makes sense. After all, the economic tendon of our community is the small entrepreneur who lives, works, contributes, and hires here. And you can…
If you live at the cul-de-sac end of Mountbatten St, off Rodney, you live in an old fashioned neighbourhood. It’s the kind of place where people know each other, know the names of each other’s kids. And dogs. Built in the 70’s, these homes are undergoing quiet renovation as families hunker down to stay. We…
Road hockey. Down at Poyntz and Dunlop Street. With boys who grew to men who owned businesses and contributed greatly to this city. School. Prince of Wales and later BCI (Barrie Central). Music and BCI went hand in hand. Trombone. Marching bands. Time together. With friends. Bill Caldwell was engaged in whatever he did. With…