Dave Godward

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'Heartbreaking': Layoff notices given to 99 teachers: union

OrilliaMatters

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To Joe Who. Based on your numerous anti-teacher perspectives, I sense you have a jealous side whereby you wished you had taken the professional path to be an educator. Well Joe, that opportunity either presented itself or it didn't for you back in the day. You had a choice to go to university spending four years of your life in pursuit of a degree. From there, you would have had to spend at least a year attaining a Bachelor Of Education. But alas, apparently you did not rise to the occasion Joe.So many people harp and complain that, 'teachers have so much time off.' During my 28 years in the classroom, most summers were spent either upgrading my credentials or teaching summer school. I may have had 4 to 5 summers off during this time. Joe, I strongly suggest that if you have or have had children in school, you thank your lucky stars they had the teachers they had. Chances are, they were very dedicated professionals that cared each and every day for your kids.

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'Disheartening': Retailers in Orillia facing bold, frequent thefts

OrilliaMatters

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Most here would agree Canada's judicial system if far too lax when addressing criminal behaviour and passing sentences. Perhaps we should consider something found south of our border and that is the, Three Strike Law. If a person is convicted of a third criminal offence, he or she is automatically incarcerated to an lengthy term of imprisonment. Upon a third conviction, if they've not learned their lesson by that time, then when?

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Local retailer under the gun as frustration about buyback program mounts

OrilliaMatters

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Why is everything the government does involve so much red tape and bureaucracy. Kudos to the Federal Government for implementing this amnesty to keep unwanted guns off the streets. By the same token, if they truly want the public's assistance and co-operation, provide the resources in making this a smooth and easy transition.

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'Heart and soul' of Orillia Home Hardware set to greet new chapter

OrilliaMatters

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It is great that Orillia Matters has written about Mark on at least a couple of occasions. Just wondering if anyone at Orillia Home Hardware has contacted television outlets such as CTV, CBC or CITY to cover his retirement. No doubt, this would warm the hearts of many people throughout the province if it were to be aired.

Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital appoints interim president and CEO

OrilliaMatters

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My wife and I have had numerous experiences at OSMH, all which have been extremely positive. From the surgeons to volunteers, I can honestly say every individual we have encountered has been helpful and very professional. Mr.Stumpo brought much of his experience from what was Toronto East General Hospital (now Michael Garron Hospital) and employed it throughout Soldiers. His leadership will be missed and Tom Roberts will have large shoes to fill.

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'Another milestone': Province says Bradford Bypass will 'relieve gridlock'

OrilliaMatters

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I agree the Bradford Bypass is long overdue. As homes and businesses continue to expand just north of the GTA, drivers should welcome any and all newly designed roadways to provide them with alternative route options. My only concern at this point is the initial plan calls for a 4 lane highway. Why not make it an 8 lane highway now rather than later. Construction costs are only going to increase in the future. People and businesses will undoubtedly continue to rise in the bedroom communities north of Toronto. Hence the need andreason for making it 8 lanes now. Look toward the future Mr. Ford.

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'Chilling effect': Organizations say paramedic firing impacting freedom of expression

OrilliaMatters

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So pleased this story has been revived. Paramedic Katherine Grzejszczak expressed her views not as a employee of York Region, rather, as an individual with freedom of speech in Canada. This is her complete right, so long as it does not infringe upon hatred or terrorism views. If you read Katherine's post objectively, there is neither hatred nor terrorism implied in her statement. Rather, it is an observation and a very accurate observation at that as to what Israel had done to Palestine during the last 18 months. Day after day, week after week and month after month, there has been a constant barrage of: missile, drone, artillery, bombing and sniper attacks all in the name of decimating the people of Gaza and Hamas. It appears as though the government in Israel will not be satisfied until every single stone is turned to rubble. Someone posted here that, "She is a public employee and should act like one." How does a public employee act? Reinstate Katherine Grzejszczak now please!

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VIDEO: Orillia honours veterans with new crosswalk near Legion

OrilliaMatters

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Thanks to those that spearheaded this verterans' crosswalk. Equally as important was the very appropriate location adjacent to the legion. My dad was a WW2 airforce vet, my father-in-law served on the front lines during the Korean War, my grandfather enlisted during WW1 and we have a cousin that was stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan for three tours. I am very proud to call each one of these men, family. Recognitions such as this crosswalk go a long way to ensuring those who served are not just remembered one day a year.

Local Catholic school board grappling with $7.1M budget deficit

OrilliaMatters

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Interesting point by Brad Matthews in that he states, "...the ability to socialize within the school facility will still give them that sociability." The sad thing Brad is that students identified with special needs or that are in special education rarely have friends to socialize with outside of their own circles. Most of these students never get invited to birthday parties, sleep-overs, or the prom. They want to be included, but never are. The upper mainstream students are too busy keeping their own life on track, let alone mingling with those in special education. I wish it were different Brad, but this is the sad truth.

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COLUMN: Conservancy building lifeline to help wildlife cross road safely

OrilliaMatters

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This is such a wonderful initiative. As the article above mentions, these eco-passages can be found right across Canada. Some are built to accomodate smaller varieties of animals, while others are erected for larger species such as; bears, moose, lynx and deer. Many thanks to Alysha and her crew for their care in constructing the eco-passages. For those looking for more information, here is a link to what is currently happening in Canada. https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/on/bruce/nature/conservation/rtr/ecopass

The province has ‘taken over’ school boards. What does that mean and why should you care?

OrilliaMatters

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What has troubled me for years and years, is that both the Provincial and Federal governments allow themselves to run up immense deficits in the millions of dollars, yet when school boards and hospitals experience a shortfall, they are under the microscope big time. Sounds to me like Paul Calandra is taking a page out of former Minister of Education, John Snobelen (under the Mike Harris government) to, 'create a crisis.' Further, I cannot believe Rohit Gupta has been appointed to oversee the TDSB. Gupta was a Metrolinx advisor and most people know how much difficulty Metrolinx has had in the past in continues to have trouble. The TDSB will not benefit from this Provincial takeover unless there is a slash and burn approach to cutting expenses and in the end, who is that going to serve. Certainly not the students.

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Orillia among OSPCA centres welcoming rescued dogs, cats from up north

OrilliaMatters

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Traumatized rescue dogs can and do come from all types of communities far and wide. 8 years ago we adopted a 20 pound ball of fluff and rescue dog from Kentucky. Shortly after she arrived we took her to the vet for an examination which included xrays. When the xrays were done, the vet put the image on the screen for us to view and referred to a small dark object located in her abdomen saying it was a lead pellet from either a shotgun or pellet gun. This furry love of our life will be turning 11 on her given birthday, February 14th, Valentine's Day.

Trustees grappling with 'dramatic increase' in school violence

OrilliaMatters

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Ontario's Conservative government, recently passed Bill 33. Part of its contents include assigning police officers to act as liasons in schools.Relying on towns and cities to provide officers from their own detachments could be a logistical nightmare to organize. Further, it would take these officers off the street to address serious crime issues. Instead I suggest the following. The OPP Headquarters in Orillia trains and educates new recruits. Between 2023 and 2024, nearly 1 000 individuals were hired. As part of their training, could these recruits not be sent to schools to act as the liason officer? Taking this approach would give these "rookies" valuable face time and experience while in a school environment while not placing any extra stress on existing community police services.

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Are new school board support offices the death knell for trustees?

OrilliaMatters

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Student and Family Support Offices is such a nice, soft and user-friendly name. However, very little is known about who will staff these offices. There are currently five school boards in Ontario being supervised by our provincial government. Come January 2026, each of them will have the aforementioned, "Student and Family Support Offices." My take on this is that they will act as intermediaries between school boards and provincial government. Basically, they will be responsible for reporting to the Minister Of Education and/or the Premier. Their focus will not be on serving students and families, far from it. Rather, their purpose is more likely to be fiscal oversight. In addition, you can bet your bottom dollar those hired will be paid vastly more than the $ 6000 honorarium trustees are given. In going just one step further, positions in this office will be reserved for those in education wanting to be on the fast track to administration. More tax payer money and bureaucracy wasted.

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City of Barrie cancels tonight's New Year's Eve celebration

OrilliaMatters

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I guess we'll still be wondering:"Who was gonna beWho would be the first to kissUnder those patio lanterns"...at midnight tonight.

Local mom faces barriers accessing benefits for disabled adult sons

OrilliaMatters

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Is there not a lawyer or advocate that could take on Maureen's fight, pro bono, to get what is right for her two boys? No doubt Maureen has had to cut through countless government red tape from the moment Alexander and David entered this world. She has dedicated her life to raising her sons and now at 74 years of age, needs a hand up and not a hand out. Enough of the road blocks and speed bumps in slowing this process up for people like the Cosme family. There should be an express lane for those with disabilities and special needs.

Demolition of downtown building begins in wake of roof collapse

OrilliaMatters

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Just wondering if any thought had been given to selling the bricks that once made up the corner of Peter and Mississauga. This could be a fund-raising effort and the money could go toward...who knows what. Perhaps it could be split between those that lost their business. I just thought it could be a cool way of owning just a little piece of Orillia that was over one hundred years old.

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Invasive species kept Ramara crews busy in Lagoon City

OrilliaMatters

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We live on the Talbot River in Bolsover, which is essentially part of the Trent-Severn Waterway connecting Lake Simcoe to the West and Canal Lake to the East. Weeds have been an issue for 20+ years and each year it is becoming increasingly worse. As this is deemed a national waterway it is supposed to be maintained by the Federal Government. Years and years of pleading to elected officials in Ottawa to address the weed issues have fallen on deaf ears. The Kawartha Lakes were once considered to be the jewel of Ontario tourism. Current conditions make it nearly impossible to enjoy a day's outing on a boat, fishing is oh so frustrating and swimming...Who wants to be surrounded by the slime and discomfort of a weedy environment?. It is time to restore the Kawartha Lakes to the glorious waters they once were.

Orillia OPP nabbed 53 impaired drivers in fourth quarter

OrilliaMatters

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53 impaired driving charges over the span of roughly 90 days. On average, this equates to more than one arrest every second day. When are drivers going to get it? What if you or someone you cared for was hit and injured, or worse yet, killed by someone drunk at the wheel? Would you change you mind then? Thank goodness for the efforts of MADD in continuing to put their message forward and for the valiant successful attempts of Orillia's OPP to curtail this. In today's day and age there is simply no tolerance or acceptance of such behaviour. Designated drivers, taxis, public transportation or a call home to pick you up are all at your disposal.

'Wonderful' Huronia Ride for Dad rumbles into region (9 photos)

OrilliaMatters

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Many thanks to those that took part in this year's, "Huronia Ride For Dad" and to those that have contributed in the past. It cannot be over-stated just how important getting screened for prostate cancer is. Few things bother me more than hearing of someone being diagnosed in the latter stages of this disease due to not having taken earlier action. One month after retiring, ten years ago, I was told I was classified as a grade group 4 with a Gleason score of 8. Those that have gone through this ordeal will most likely understand that terminology. Fast forward to present day, yearly blood tests indicate my total PSA is and has been at 0.008. Anything under 4.0 is deemed to be absence of anything malignant. So do yourself a favour guys, for the sake of your family and friends, book that appointment and if nothing comes of it, your mind will at least be put at ease.