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The OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, is a community-oriented broadcast-quality on-line media service that offers a non-judgmental voice to those who are all too often ignored by mainstream news services.
The holiday season is the time of year when people dig deep to help those in need. This centuries-old tradition continues as can be seen in this story about how a senior in Barrie was taken advantage of and how local strangers, all women, stepped up to help her so that she could return to her home with her husband who is currently fighting terminal cancer in a specialist facility in British Columbia.
These women joined forces after Kim Roberts, who runs a local house cleaning service, put out a plea for help on Barrie Families Unite. Then we reported on the background of the story through a video found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F26qmG4aRRY and posted it also on Barrie Families Unite. The response was heartwarming and is an excellent example of the reason for the season.
On Sunday December 11, 2022, Pro North Hockey Training held the 'Skate For Boxes of Hope' fundraiser at the Allandale Recreation Centre. This event was in support of Youth Haven's Christmas 'Boxes of Hope' Program.
This fundraiser is to help ensure each youth who goes to Youth Haven receives 3 healthy meals a day, a warm bed, a winter care package, support, counselling, gifts under the tree and best of all a feeling of belonging, love and the knowledge that someone cared enough to contribute to their well being.
We know this is out of character for us, as we are known for being advocates for tenants, but this video is about supporting a desperate landlord who has been taken advantage of during very dark days.
Why should you care? Well, if you are renting, these scammers are the reason why you are put through so many tests of income, credit, and background checks. Clearly, Barrie Families Unite feel likewise, as it is their team that is pulling in the support.
The townsfolk of Camelot, ruled over by King Uther, are awaiting the arrival of Guinevere, who is betrothed to the King's son, Prince Arthur. However, evil sorceress Morgan Le Fay and her nasty counterpart Valerin the Vicious have other plans - to kidnap Guinevere, imprison her in a castle in the enchanted forest and prevent her from marrying Prince Arthur, but, as in all good pantomimes - goodness prevails.
The show runs from December 8-18, 2022 on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:00 pm, and Saturdays & Sundays at 2:00 pm.
A couple of months ago, our crew attended a celebration and giving of thanks hosted by Glowing Hearts Charity. Their goal that day was to thank the sponsors and volunteers for a great year of service to the community. Glowing Hearts holds the charity seat BNI Spirit Catchers, of which our commercial division, 3B Solutions, is a member.
Today is Giving Tuesday, and this seemed the most appropriate time to share the story of this amazing group as they do so much for the community; specifically children in need. With the holidays coming up fast, it seems appropriate to use this time of generosity to help them raise funds and spread awareness.
The Good Food Box is a community-buying club that is run by Urban Pantry that is a division of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Through their relationship with Sanfilippo Wholesale in Collingwood, ON, Carol Dowsett and Jenna Zardo work with volunteers to prepare the pre-ordered food boxes for the community. Good Food Boxes are packed with fresh, high-quality, seasonal fruits and vegetables. With the box menu changing monthly, each Good Food Box presents a convenient and affordable way to eat good healthy food. Good Food Boxes can be purchased for $20 and is open to anyone in the community.
In November 2022, when faced with the prospect of labour action by school support staff, Premier Doug Ford, leader of the Ontario Conservative Party, invoked the Notwithstanding Clause of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Through its power, the suspected one-time drug dealer who now rules Ontario with an iron fist, tried to force the members of CUPE Ontario to surrender their right to strike, while also trying to force upon them a contract that was dictated by the government.
Chef Bev MacDonald teaches us to prepare a delicious Arugula Salad with a lovely Tahini dressing! This program is a partnership with Urban Pantry/CMHA Simcoe County and the OCANetwork.
On October 29th, 2022, UPlift Black held an event at Meridian Place with the wellness experts at UPlift Black and the Black Artist Collective called Hallowfest! This event was a partnership with the Downtown Barrie BIA for the last Open Air Dunlop of the year! UPlift Black's mission is to UPlift the visibility and socio-economic development of Black people based in Simcoe/Muskoka. Our work is anchored in 2SLGBTQPNIA+ inclusivity with the goal of achieving racial equality through a conscious community.
A lot of people talk about the plight of the poor, and how they wish they could do more to help. Leah Dyck did more than talk the talk, she walked the walk, and became a hero to many impoverished people within our community. Every month, this young woman and mother collects thousands of dollars in small donations through social media, and she works with local farmers and stores to receive donations of food, either for free or at reduced prices. Then, she and a handful of volunteers put together boxes of food and various other essentials of life which they deliver to hundreds of underfunded households in Barrie, many of which are single mothers.
On Saturday, September 24th, 2022, the newly established Kiwanis Club of South Simcoe held their first Teddy Bear's Picnic, defying the rain at the Alliston Fairgrounds pavilion. Our Producer estimates that about 100 children attended, but there could have been more. The event included singing and dancing with live artist Sarah Boyer, games, prizes, arts and crafts, and of course teddy bears. A good time was had by all.
On Saturday, September 24, 2022, our crew travelled to Lampman Lane Park in Barrie where Living Green Barrie was holding the annual HarvestShare event, with special contributions by Urban Pantry Barrie, the Barrie FruitShare, the Barrie Native FC and the Barrie Public Library.
The Kiwanis Club of Barrie, (KCB), was chartered on August 15, 1922. On September 17, 2022, they celebrated their centenary anniversary.
Throughout that time, this group of mostly seniors has provided a wide variety of services, some local and some international, ranging from providing milk, oranges, and cod liver oil to children during the depression, to working to eradicate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus in third world nations. The list of accomplishments throughout the past century has been to say the least extremely impressive.
Candlelighters Simcoe describes themselves as "a support organization for families whose child or teen has been diagnosed with cancer." What they don't mention is that they are also a support group for true superheroes.
On Saturday, September 19, 2022, our crew travelled to the Barrie Waterfront to record the 2022 Candlelighters Superhero Stomp, where caught the activities while talking with organizers and the parents afflicted by childhood cancer.
The Busby Centre provides a vital group of services to those living without proper shelter. Some of their clients are couch surfing or otherwise surviving through the help of family and friends, while others have nowhere to go regardless of how cold it gets or what dangers surround them. To learn more, please visit https://www.busbycentre.ca/
Lost Boys Hope is a dog rescue through which volunteers travel to Northern Manitoba to rescue puppies and dogs from almost certain death as they struggle to live in the often-frozen tundra of the region.
Veterinary services are extremely limited in the region, meaning residents do not have the option to fix or neuter their dogs. This results in large numbers of unplanned and unwanted dogs, that are often killed off by residents to prevent them from forming into packs that would endanger local people, especially the aged and children.
On the morning of February 24, 2022, the invasion of Ukraine and the cruelty of Russian forces shocked the world. Ukrainian men stayed to protect the country, while many women and children fled to protect their families. Here in Barrie, with the help of her sister Helen Ellement, Cathy Locke offered her home to a few of the families, providing respite without cost. With the help of the Kiwanis Club of Barrie, these women and their families have helped dozens of refugees of this terrible war.
Long long ago, (actually on Saturday, July 2, 2022), our production crew of Jedi John Ironside and Padawan Tiffany Scott travelled far far away, or at least on a road trip to the Elmvale Sci Fi Fantasy Street Party.
On Saturday, June 25, 2022, our production team of Producer John Ironside and Associate Producer, Tiffany Scott, met at the Travel Lodge on Bayfield St. to obtain insight from a group of activists who were there trying to protect about a hundred people who are now facing imminent homelessness.
For more than a year, many of our city's homeless population have been housed in hotels such as the Travel Lodge which was financed through a pandemic-motivated shelter system that was intended to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Now that restrictions are being lifted, the program is being brought to an end, but with no alternative means of a safe shelter being put in place for those who will soon find themselves on the street.
This past weekend, people from all corners of Innisfil and beyond joined with organizers of the Innisfil Community Events - ICE Corporation - to party and play at the Innisfil Community Centre, gathering to celebrate the inaugural Innisfil Onion-Fest, 2022.
Entertainment ranged from fairground rides to kids taking pictures with Disney characters, a really good one-man band, and even a ten-foot-tall woman twirling a Hoola hoop. Food was also available in just about every form and flavour.
After two years of separation and isolation, this was a good day for people to just get out in the fresh air and enjoy each other's company.
For most individuals and families, the decision to buy a house is the biggest investment of our lives. So much can go wrong, so when it comes time to take the plunge, we need to know we can trust the broker who will arrange our mortgage, and that they will always have our best interests at heart.
What we do not expect is that the broker will take three times as long as they promised to close the mortgage, that they would disregard multiple dates by which they promised to have everything done, or that they will be cavalier about how their very evident negligence or incompetence is costing their client thousands of dollars. Worst yet, all these issues pale in comparison to discovering that the broker you thought you could trust was charging you usury levels of interest on a loan that is in truth the textbook definition of loansharking. Not only is this practice considered by society to be morally bankrupt, but it is also an indictable offence under Section 347 of the Criminal Code of Canada that will soon be investigated by both police and the provincial Financial Service Regulatory Authority.
All of this and more is what I experienced while entrusting the brokers and management at Verico The Mortgage Station, located at 1370 Killarney Beach Rd. in Lefroy.
It was a pleasure for our team of Producer John Ironside and Associate Producer Tiffany Scott to once again join in on the celebration of love that is Barrie Pride. Downtown was kicking it on Saturday, June 1, 2022, as representatives of all groups associated with the LGBTQ2S+ community came together to celebrate love in its many forms.
Two protesters chose to use the event to spew religious rhetoric at the mostly young crowd, but they were quickly shot down by those enjoying the event who peacefully and without conflict told those who do not know exactly where they can go.
A good time was had by all, and it was great to once again see and party with so many loving friends after being separated for so long.
On Monday, May 30, 2022, Ward 10 Councilor Mike McCann was scheduled to present a motion to the Barrie City Council that appeared to serve only one purpose; to promote a Dickensian-like philosophy of using the police or private security to remove the poor and downtrodden from being seen by wealthy downtown patrons.
Fortunately, Keenan Aylwin, Councilor for Ward 2, and Robert Thomson, Councilor for Ward 5, saw the motion as an attack on our most vulnerable residents. So, they decided instead to turn the action into a political vehicle that they could use to drive through ideas that would help fix or at least lessen the social problems that have been created by all of us and worsened by the pandemic.
On Tuesday, May 10th, our crew was invited by Pekka Reinio Barrie Innisfil Ontario NDP Candidate to attend the provincial election NDP event at Redline Brewery where NDP leader, Andrea Horwath, was to be in attendance.
Unlike many representatives of media, we do not claim to be ‘politically neutral’, as the very concept is impossible. We do not support any specific party, but we openly admit to siding with candidates who show they care about all people in our province or country, and definitely not with those who abuse political trust for personal profit by gouging those less fortunate and passing the money saved by their suffering to wealthy friends.
On Saturday, April 23, 2022, our crew was at The Wilds at Cedar Valley Golf Course with local fundraisers for TRF. The event was "Go The Distance" through which about a hundred participants of all ages rode stationary bikes trying to ride further and faster than anybody else during ten-minute relays.
The TRF provides financial support for families when a child is stricken with cancer. When a child is diagnosed and admitted into a hospital for treatment, one parent has to become a full-time representative and care provider, meaning they usually have to give up their job. This of course puts strain on the family financially. The TRF helps with mortgage or rent payments, car loan payments, and other expenses in order to help ensure the family does not fall heavily into debt due to the diagnosis.
This weekend, on Saturday, April 23rd, you can "Go The Distance" to support the Tyler Robinson Foundation and power pedal to help the families of children fighting cancer.
Registration is at 1:30pm, while the event starts at 2:00pm. Awards will be presented at 3:30pm.
The location is "The Wilds At Cedar Valley" located at 8410 11th Line, in Thornton.
There are only 20 bikes available, so please register now so your team does not miss out!
On Tuesday, April 12th, we were served with notice of a threatened lawsuit, and we couldn't be happier. When a person becomes so desperate as to hire lawyers to try to bully journalists into silence, we know we are doing our job. Instead of scaring us, it fuels our fire and motivates us to keep going and dig further into the truth of the story. From what we can see, this is not a legitimate threat of a lawsuit pertaining to defamation, as all we have ever said about the matter and the slumlord has been backed fully with evidence. This smells more like the threat of a SLAPP action intended solely to suppress the truth.
This is our response:
In March of 2022, our production team was asked to produce a series of COVID-19 vaccine public service announcement for the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle (BANAC). Hector Copegog is an elder in the Indigenous Community that includes within it Simcoe County. As such, he is respected by many. This video was recorded in our new studio using greenscreen, but unlike the original, Hector spoke in Ojibwa and we added English subtitles.
In March of 2022, our production team was asked to produce another COVID-19 vaccine public service announcement for the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle (BANAC). Hector Copegog is an elder in the Indigenous Community that includes within it Simcoe County, and as such he is respected by many. This video was recorded in our new studio using greenscreen.
Finally, late in the afternoon of Monday, March 21, 2022, an anonymous member of Andrea Khanjin’s staff sent to us a reply to our request for information regarding the transparent crime of fraud that has been committed against the taxpayers of Ontario by Jason Hejja. He is the slumlord who owns or operates the house at 306 Innisfil St. in Barrie where our friend Jason (Bear) Marche was found dead on February 26th in an illegal, uninsulated, poorly heated trailer that had no working plumbing, no cooking facilities, and no access to sewage. The slumlord was charging ODSP $700.00 a month for that deathtrap. The response, that was unsigned, could have been just as easily communicated in two words starting and ending with “F”.
Most people don't think about taking a jump in the lake in mid-March, but that is exactly what 32 people in Innisfil did on Saturday, March 19, 2022, to raise money for the Innisfil Food Bank and Innisfil's Christmas for Kids (all year round).
The event, Take The Plunge, was co-hosted by Friday Harbour Resort and the Innisfil Community Events Corporation, the latter of which has held the event in previous years.
The event is reported to have raised $2,930.00 and as one charity organizer told us, the exposure often inspires people to donate after the event, once they have seen something like our video online 😉
Andrea Khanjin, the Conservative MPP for Barrie-Innisfil who is seeking re-election this year, has refused to reply in any way to our calls for an investigation into the fraud committed by the slumlord, Jason Hejja, who rented to our friend Jason (Bear) Marche an uninsulated and poorly heated deathtrap of a trailer that he was found dead in on February 26th, 2022.
So, we took the issue directly to her via social media by posting on her public Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AndreaKhanjinMPP. I have every expectation it will be deleted, which will prove my point quite adequately.
John Ironside, Producer / Publisher OCAN
On February 26th, 2022, a likable Barrie man and father, Jason (Bear) Marche, was found dead in an uninsulated and poorly heated trailer in the backyard of 306 Innisfil St. Bear was not homeless. ODSP had paid the slumlord $700.00 of taxpayer money every month to rent what he claimed was a legal dwelling but was in truth little more than a freezing cold metal box without running water, cooking, or working sewage facilities. So far, no other media outlet in Simcoe County has told the truth of this story, and Conservative politicians are refusing to act regarding transparent crimes. The reason is becoming obvious.
Stephe Lawson (Christie N Stephe Lawson) is one of the long-term COVID-19 survivors who we have all heard about but few have met. Two years ago, Stephe contracted the Coronavirus at work, and for the 24 months to follow, and considerable time still to come, he has been battling the effects of the infection. Once a very healthy man who worked all day on his feet, now Stephe needs to carry oxygen, and he struggles to do many of life's most common tasks.
We met Stephe and his wife Christie back in late 2020 when they took part in our video "The COVID-19 Pandemic - Our Homefront Battle - Barrie and Simcoe County, 2021" found at https://www.fivepointsmedia.ca/the-covid-19-pandemic-our-homefront-battle-2021.html. So, when he told us about his intention to raise money for the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Foundation through a sponsored walk as a way of saying thank you, we were very happy to help.
#justiceforbear - https://www.change.org/justiceforbear
Most of us feel powerless to change the world we live in, but this is one of those times when our collective voice can be heard. Those who follow our page will know the story of Jason (Bear) Marche, a Barrie man and father who on February 26th, 2022, was found dead in an uninsulated and illegal trailer he rented from a slumlord named Jason Hejja. Our stories can be found at:
https://www.fivepointsmedia.ca/housing-landlord-abuse-bear01.html - published February 27, 2022, and
https://www.fivepointsmedia.ca/housing-landlord-abuse-bear02.html - published March 2, 2022
Our production team of Producer John Ironside and Associate Producer Tiffany Scott will be tag-teaming this Saturday recording long-term COVID-19 survivor and activist Stephe Lawson who is taking a long walk in support of the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie. Stephe is significantly weakened by his months-long fight with the virus. Regardless, he is raising money by walking from City Hall to RVH on a sponsored walk.
This is the deepening story of negligence and fraud committed by a Barrie slumlord against a disabled man. On February 26th, 2022, Jay Marche, known to his friends as Bear, was found dead within a poorly heated and uninsulated camping trailer that was rented to him during sub-zero temperatures for the cost of $700.00 per month, paid for by the Ontario Disability Support Program. The original story, viewed by more than 50,000 mostly local people, can be found at https://www.fivepointsmedia.ca/landlord-abuse-bear01.html and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ocanetwork.ca/posts/3123613381214935.
Yesterday, a man named Jason, who went by the name of ‘Bear’, who was known well to our production team, died of as yet unknown causes in the backyard of 306 Innisfil St. That is the house directly next door to our studio.
That is where the mobile summer camper trailer was parked in which this human being endured -30-degree temperatures with nothing more than a blanket for protection. No, this man was not homeless. Bear and public money through Disability paid an absentee and negligent landlord more in rent per month than is true of what some people pay for an apartment.
Founded in 1952, King Edward Choir entertains audiences with a varied and challenging repertoire of choral music from different traditions around the world.
We spoke with members aged 11 to 95 who told us about the great joy of choral singing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has denied most of us many of the simple pleasures in life, including those around family events like Christmas. In Innisfil, the Innisfil Community Events Corporation, in cooperation with many local businesses, created for the second time in as many years a COVID safe Christmas parade event during which the viewers travelled within their cars around floats and exhibitors. This ensured only small groups gathered, with those being mostly families, and the participants remained socially distanced.
Our crew followed the thousands of cars that flocked to the Innisfil Recreation Centre to see Santa and enjoy all of the Christmas celebrations.
Barrie and the area around it are becoming a truly multi-cultural community that is positively teeming with cultural diversity due to an influx of people representing virtually every land, creed, and religion.
Sadly, some small-minded people see this transformation as a threat to a world they covet, and they respond with ignorance, anger, and racial attacks. Recently, within our public school system, some children have become the victims of attack through name-calling, assault, and forms of intimidation that could be interpreted as life-threatening. It is said that love comes naturally, and hatred of this kind is taught. Given the enlightened curriculum of our current system of public education, it is safe to say that these lessons are being taught at home.
Every year, tens of thousands of children within our community enjoy little or no Christmas celebration. This issue is particularly real this year, as COVID-19 continues to disrupt all of our lives. Fortunately, there are groups that work to provide for those who cannot, and in Innisfil, the volunteers of Christmas 4 Kids (All Year Long), roll up their sleeves every year to bring a smile to the face of every child.
On this day, November 11th, we are reminded of the lives lost and the injuries incurred by the brave men and women who defended our country or supported the troops in combat. Our story is about how their commitment to their community carries through during times of peace.
Members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 499, Angus, known as the Edward Macdonald Branch, continue to support their community through a variety of fundraising and charitable acts. Our story is about how they channeled funds earned through “Catch the Ace” lotteries to fund equipment needed by the volunteer-driven Essa Fire Department.
In October of 2021, members of the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle, BANAC, hired our crew at Five Points Media, a division of the Ontario Community Awareness Network, to produce three Public Service Announcements that were intended to motivate people within the Indigenous community to receive vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic. Three non-professional Indigenous presenters were asked to present on camera. Our crew handled all aspects of presenting this information, from recording audio and video to directing the raw talent and post-producing the finished content with titles and credits.
A couple of weeks later, we were asked to produce shorter and simpler versions of these videos of a specific length that were intended for broadcast television.
In 2021, residents of Innisfil called on Town Council to generate a budget that would allow for a zero percent increase in the tax roll. In order to achieve that goal, Innisfil had to make deeper cuts to counterbalance the portions that came from the County of Simcoe and other sources. That meant Operations had to make difficult choices, which resulted in the cancellation of many street beatification services.
In response, a group of citizens came together to clean the streets of overgrown and dying shrubs, grass, and other unattractive plant life and debris. The group is called Clean Up Innisfil, and they meet every second Saturday to clean up different areas of Innisfil. When we caught up with them, the group was pruning the plants and cleaning the sidewalks of the Innisfil Beach Road business section of Alcona.
Innisfil is engaged in a war, and it’s all in support of local small businesses. Everything in our world now is curbside, so why not take marketing to where the customers see your business the most? Thanks to The Fork and Plate Family Grill, Miss Jennie's Performing Arts Studio, The Last Shot Bar & Grill, and The Parlour for letting us tell their story.
This past Saturday, May 2nd, 2021, Tyler Nicholson, the self-appointed leader of the so-called ‘Freedom Rallies’ revealed a lot about his motivation in holding weekly events that countless medical experts have stated are dangerous super-spreader events for the COVID-19 virus.
We know the ‘rallies’ are illegal and why. We also know that the City of Barrie and other communities have had little success in quelling the actions of these delusional ‘activists’. However, beyond the facts of the event are some interesting comments by the organizer.
During the past few weeks, including on Saturday, April 17, 2021, the public space at Meridian Place in Barrie has been occupied by hundreds of unmasked ‘protesters’ who are demanding an end to all public health restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. They are demanding an end to masks, social distancing, retail capacity restrictions, and all other health-focused measures. They are also claiming to have the authority to hold trials and to demand the arrest of Premier Doug Ford and others who have taken measures to end the pandemic.
A little over a year ago, our elected officials responded responsibly to the new crisis by temporarily closing all small businesses and allowing only the retail giants to stay open with capacity restrictions. However, ever since that initial lockdown was rescinded, the same kneejerk reaction has been taken whenever a spike was reported.
On Saturday, March 6, 2021, a group of local entrepreneurs held a respectful and safety-conscious protest at Meridian Place. Their goals was to call upon the government for equal rights and representation. This was not about conspiracies or anger at a situation none of us can control. Businesses are being forced into closure and families are losing everything they have worked years to attain. The message was simply a call by business owners, employers, and taxpayers seeking fairness and equality for all.
COVID-19 has filled our news feeds and dominated our lives throughout the past year. However, most of the stories have been from Toronto, or New York, or even further afield. So, given our local focus, we chose to take a different angle, and bring the truth of the pandemic home.
Groups ranging from the sadly misguided to the dangerously disturbed have spewed unfounded claims and just ridiculous conspiracy theories via the Internet, including fanciful stories of microchips in vaccines, and claims of surveillance schemes funded by billionaires who evidently have nothing better to do than watch us all go shopping.
Many of our long-term friends will remember the story of Lillian Pottage, who two years ago was a five-year-old girl who had just come out of the very long and dark tunnel of childhood cancer. That story can be found at http://www.fivepointsmedia.ca/story-of-heroes-and-dragons-2018.html
A year later, we visited Lillian again, but we found a very different child, who after a year of good health was strong, vibrant, enthusiastic for life, and headed to what we all thought was a bright and brilliant future. That story can be found at http://www.fivepointsmedia.ca/how-you-thank-a-dragon-2019.html
The Community Christmas Dinner made possible by Innisfil Pride was so successful they have extras that they want to share with those in need in the community.
So, if your family or a family you know is in need of a Christmas dinner, please watch this short video and then email InnisfilPride@gmail.com before Dec 23th @ 9pm with
This offer is only open to residents of Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada
Our friends at Innisfil Pride are once again stepping up to help the community through a free Christmas dinner. It is happening tonight, Saturday, December 19th, at Grange Hall, 931 Church Dr. in Lefroy, starting at 5:00 PM.
A big thank you goes out to those who supported this community event, including Loblaws Bayfield, Zehrs Bradford, Foodland Stroud, Costco Barrie, Zehrs Cundles, Zehrs Bradford, Food Basics Bradford, Agility with Amanda, Dog-Eh!, the patrons of Davidson's Country Dining, and generous members of the local community.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of issues for our culture, not the least of which is the cancellation of just about every public event and celebration. So, how do you hold a Christmas Parade that if done normally would violate multiple regulations pertaining to both social distancing and crowd size? What was needed was a barrier that would move with the parade to protect both the audience and participants.
As has been done successfully in many cities in Ontario, the Innisfil Community Events Corporation (ICE Corp) switched the roles of the audience and the participants and used the bubbles of the viewer’s vehicles to protect everybody involved. Instead of taking the floats to the streets, they parked them in the back-parking lot of the Innisfil Recreation Centre and let attendees drive around them on a fixed course.
Today, December 8, 2020, marks the third anniversary of one of the saddest days of my (John) life. It was this day in 2017 that my good friend Frank Nelson was taken from us after having fought cancer for six years for the sole purpose of being able to continue helping those in need.
This video, featuring the Barrie Family Unite and Glowing Hearts Charity Free Winter Outerwear Pop Up Shop, is a testament to Frank's intent and goals. Although not everything went to his plan, we feel Frank would be smiling down on this union of two great community groups that came together to help those in need.
Living Green Barrie is offering you a unique opportunity to enjoy the festive season while also supporting this great charity. They are selling live potted Christmas Trees that you can enjoy this season and then plant in your yard to enjoy for many years to come. If you prefer, you can also take the opportunity in the spring to plant your tree where it will help the whole community during one of the group’s tree planting events.
Dress for Success Orillia and Barrie provides clothing, training, and mentoring for women seeking work, training for a career, and those going to family court. They strive to stay in style and to provide good quality professional attire and accessories for women.
They also run seminars and administer peer groups where those women learn the skills they need to find and keep a job in the professional world.
Veterans often sacrifice everything for their country, and it does not have to mean that they are killed or even wounded in battle. Many come home with psychological, spiritual, and emotional scars nobody else can see. The Royal Canadian Legion - National Headquarters was created to provide those men and women who have served our country with a place where they can relax, decompress, and meet with others who understand.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 499 in Angus takes the idea of giving back one big step further by running fundraisers for local charities. Our crew was invited to one such event on Saturday, November 7th, by our good friends at Assisting You Social, where much-needed contributions were made to Youth Haven Canada and Christmas Cheer Barrie.
According to Mi’kmaq fishers, non-Indigenous commercial fishers in Nova Scotia have made threats, cut their lines, and pulled their traps from the water. They are also reported to have formed flotillas in an attempt to intimidate Mi’kmaq boat captains back to the harbour in St. Mary’s Bay.
On October 24th, about fifty people, mostly from Barrie and Simcoe County, were brought together by the Facebook group The Leap Barrie to demonstrate their frustration and anger at the illegal acts of domestic terrorism that they feel are rooted in racism.
Many people talk about the environment, but few can or do commit the time and effort needed to make a difference. On Saturday, November 24, 2020, our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, caught up with about twenty students from the Simcoe County Environmental Youth Alliance who were working with members of Living Green Barrie to plant sixty trees and shrubs along the forested edge of Highland Park.
On Saturday, October 10, 2020, our crew travelled to Grange Hall in Lefroy to check on the Thanksgiving Community Meal being offered to anybody in need by Innisfil Pride. The response by the community was excellent, especially for a first-time event, and the fact that many have the desire to stay home due to recent increases in cases of COVID-19.
The fully donated meals included turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, beets, gravy, stuffing cranberry sauce, and a choice of pie or cupcakes. All of the food was donated by a wide range of groups and individuals, all of which were credited and thanked for their donations.
Community is a term that describes a combination of various common wants and needs shared by a group of people living in the same geographic area. Art is definitely part of that equation. Carolyn M. Boyd and Enrique Bravo Sananes are Barrie artists who differ considerably in their style of art, but who find common ground as partners in life.
On October 4, 2020, our crew was invited to a shared showing of their art at the Barrie Art Club, and although things did not go quite to plan, at least on our end, we hope this video inspires some of you to drop in and take a look at the show, which runs until the end of October.
Today, Friday, September 25th, 2020, the residents and staff of Youth Haven Canada in Barrie are being shown a little love by Klassic Car Wash. Our crew took our production van for some much-needed TLC to the Klassic location at 129 Anne St. S, but we understand this event is also happening at 416 Dunlop St. W, and 560 Yonge St.
Part of the proceeds from today's sales will go to support the youth of our area through this great and essential organization.
On August 22nd, 2020, about 200 concerned members of our community met at Sunnidale Park for Simcoe County Black Lives Matter Peaceful Protest. They were there to listen, to talk, to sing, and to learn about the racial divide that splits our community.
TRIGGER WARNING: Some of the stories recorded in this video are disturbing, as they involve child sexual abuse, acts of violence, and blatant racism.
Events this past week show the need for the Black Lives Matter movement and the subsequent renewal of protests show the likelihood that it is not going to just fade away with time.
On Wednesday, August 26, 2020, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Tiffany Smith of the Serenity Wellness Group will be hosting a free or 'pay as you can' community yoga class at Innisfil Community Church, 1571 Innisfil Beach Rd, Alcona, Innisfil. More information can be found at Yoga 4 SHAK's World.
The event is being held in support of Shak's World, a five-year-old sports and community youth organization that is committed to providing an unparalleled commitment to community involvement and youth engagement. Shak's World offers a variety of community-based activities to empower youth across Simcoe County and beyond.
On August 22nd, 2020, a social media group called Simcoe County- Black Lives Matter Peaceful Protest will be holding a rally from 1:00 until 5:00 pm in the Arboretum in Barrie’s Sunnidale Park. This event is intended to bring together the people of Simcoe County, be they White, Black, or People of Colour.
There are several local groups accepting donations and resources on their behalf, and there are Black organizations and initiatives you can support in Simcoe County. These include Making Change SC, UPlift Black - Share. Support. Show Up, Our Mosaic Lives, and Shak's World. Donations can be made by e-transfer to cassandraamanyangole@gmail.com.
The new school year is rapidly approaching and most parents say they don't know what to do. Children benefit from going to school on multiple levels, and if they return to a normal system of education parents can once again go to work and potentially catch up on six months of back bills.
The provincial government is pushing to open as if all is normal, but teachers, parents, and administrators are quick to note that nothing has changed since we all went into lockdown in February. There is no cure, nor vaccine.
During the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, especially when very little was known about the virus, many heroes emerged. Some wore scrubs, while others wore uniforms. Some drove fire trucks or ambulances, and others stacked fruit in our local supermarkets. Still others stayed home as ‘non-essential’ and yet helped in any way that they could.
That is the story of Tanya Melo, who was brought to our attention by her daughter Kaitie. Instead of gorging on Netflix, this unassuming mother of four sat down at her sewing machine and she made masks. She made a lot of masks. She then donated those masks to nursing homes, children with cancer, families of children with immunocompromised conditions, and just about anybody who asked.
Pride parades and celebrations have been greatly restricted or postponed during 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. So, some local LBGTQ organizations have become innovative in how they can celebrate their community without violating social distancing regulations.
Innisfil lie on the shore of Lake Simcoe, which is a pretty big body of water. So, some of the members and allies of Innisfil Pride, Jake Tucker, Clay Whitney, Amanda Wattie, and Dawn Mucci, decided to take their parade to the waves through a waterborne party they called Pride Paddle. About 30 people joined the event, bringing with them kayaks, canoes, floaties, and paddleboards. Our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, production crew, of Producer John Ironside and Associate Producer Tiffany Scott, jumped on board the flotilla and joined in the festivities on a beautiful evening on Cook’s Bay.
The summer of 2020 has been, to say the least, less entertaining, less culturally diverse, and less intellectually stimulating than what we are used to in Simcoe County and Muskoka. However, in time, all things come to pass and before we know it, we will be enjoying once again sporting events, charitable activities, and cultural events such as are the subject of this video.
During the summer of 2019, we recorded several projects that were lost due to technical issues we could not surpass at that time. We managed to recover the original footage during the COVID-19 shutdown when frankly we had more time than we knew what to do with. The various Indigenous events presented in this video, recorded in the summer of 2019, are examples of some of those projects. They were originally intended to be three different reports, but as time has passed, we chose to merge them together as a longer show of appreciation to our local Indigenous culture.
The York-Durham Heritage Railway is a non-profit community organization that is managed by a team of dedicated staff and enthusiastic volunteers. Their mission is to preserve and promote the heritage of Canadian railways of South-Central Ontario.
Our team of Producer John Ironside and Associate Producer Tiffany Scott answered the ‘all aboard’ to record the fun and thought-provoking adventure that was the York-Durham Heritage Railway Escape Room. This event drew people from all over Ontario, who wanted to study clues, figure out puzzles, and test their wits against each other in an attempt to figure out the final contest and win the day.
COVID-19 has caused the cancellation of many public events, ranging from professional sports to concerts. It has also caused the cancellation or indefinite postponement of cultural events and displays of diversity such as Pride Parades.
Innisfil Pride addressed the lack of a parade in 2020 and came up with a plan to take the celebration to a whole new venue, Cooks Bay, at the east end of Highway 89. Turn east at the Tanger Outlets Cookstown and drive until your feet feel wet ;-) For more information please visit the Pride Paddle Facebook page.
Comfort Keepers Barrie provides a wide range of in-home senior care services for Barrie and the surrounding areas. They also have a commitment to our community, as is seen here as the owner, Erika Rendon, donates a virtual mountain of food and other necessities to the Salvation Army Barrie Bayside Mission Centre.
The Uplift Black - Youth Project is intended to boost the lives of Black youth in our community by supporting their dreams and helping them to have all of the opportunities to be all they can be. Shelly Skinner, a self-identified local activist, and Courtney Peters, a long-time resident of Barrie, joined forces with Shak's World, a local youth group, and Making Change Across Simcoe County to seek support and donations of all kinds from the community. For more information, please email activistshelly@gmail.com
Most people have never heard of Okichitaw, and that included us. When we think of martial arts, most reflect on Chuck Norris or Jackie Chan and 'traditional' Eastern disciplines. Okichitaw breaks that mould as it is an Indigenous Martial Art that has been modified from traditional training of warriors of that culture. In addition to holding classes in Toronto, Sonny Robbins, a Four Feathers Master of the combat arts, also travels to Barrie to teach classes at the Barrie Native FC.
Jennifer Kaplinski is well known within the community for her work with Youth Haven Canada. A few weeks ago, in May of 2020, she posted on Facebook that her son, Triston, had been hit with symptoms that were in line with the Coronavirus and she was at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre where the young man had been admitted for observation.
Mother and son were eventually sent home with instructions for both to self-isolate until the tests came back. So, for several days their lives became consumed with COVID-19 and the care of a sick child.
On June 4th, 2020, at least a thousand people of all ethnicities and walks of life came together at Barrie City Hall before marching to Meridian Place with a simple message: 'Black Lives Matter'. The march, entitled Justice for Black Lives - Barrie was organized and promoted by local residents for the community as part of a wave of similar protests in cities and towns across the United States and Canada. The protests were sparked by the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, by White police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, the issue of black men and women being murdered by white racist police officers has been an issue for countless decades.
Summer is traditionally the biggest time of the year for local charities and community groups as they take advantage of the good weather to entice local residents to take part in fundraisers and awareness campaigns. Sadly, that is no longer possible, or at least for now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, instead of throwing in the towel, many groups, such as Barrie Defeat Depression have become innovative. Normally the Defeat Depression Day event, scheduled for May 30th of this year, is held in a large group in a public park; however, this year it is going virtual. Participants can still take part and help defeat depression, but they will now do so on the street on which they live, in their own backyard, or anywhere that they can honour social distancing and other new regulations intended to slow or stop the spread of the Coronavirus. On May 21st, 2020, our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, Producer, John Ironside, met with top fundraiser Vanessa Quesnel on the waterfront to learn all the details.
Our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, Producer, John Ironside, recently travelled to the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre to speak with Janice Skot, President and Chief Executive Officer, about the new all-weather and sealed 'Pandemic Response Unit' that is being built in the former volunteer parking lot outside the non-emergency Simcoe doors to the complex.
We have all heard the stories of the drive-by birthday celebrations during this pandemic when family and friends cannot get together. Well, yesterday we were witness to one such parade of friends held in Minesing, just north of Barrie. Local insurance agent, Kris Hughston, was given a parade and a couple of run-up and drop gift deliveries from colleagues, friends, and business associates.
On April 20, 2020, a group of about twenty local Barrie business owners came together at the Georgian Mall to show their support for Barrie businesses, most of which are run by families.
This was NOT an American styled protest to demand the return to pre-COVID reality but was simply a road rally through which justifiably concerned business owners wanted to show their support for fellow local entrepreneurs in a way that respected the rules of social distancing and abided by the new laws pertaining to isolation. Their goal was to make the point that Barrie businesses, and those in other communities, need more support.
Last week, our Producer, John Ironside met with Karen R Macintosh of KARIT.ca to discuss her new venture of selling and donating cloth masks to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. While there, we also recorded a short piece about a peaceful demonstration she was planning with local small business owners who want to express their concerns to all levels of government. All concerned business owners in the area are welcome, and all COVID-19 related laws pertaining to social distancing etc. will be obeyed.
Earlier this week, our Producer, John Ironside, ventured out to KARIT.ca, a painting a renovations business in Barrie, where the owner, Karen R Macintosh has launched an initiative to produce reasonably-priced cotton face masks for those who want the added layer of personal protection when outside, or shopping, etc.
What caught our interest is that Karen also donates about 40% of her product to many frontline workers in this COVID-19 war who may not have the support of a hospital or other official body that can supply them with Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE.
Our locally-focused and community-oriented media service is primarily a location-based community video production service. So, like most others, there is little our crew can do to help in the ongoing crisis. However, we appear to have found a way to help retirement residences and long-term care facilities across the country in dealing with residents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Staff at these care facilities are overrun and one of the larger issues is having to repeatedly instruct residents about the need for personal care, such as washing their hands and avoiding others. So, we have offered to produce, at cost, customized and branded videos for the hundreds of facilities across our country that can use video for repeatedly reminding residents while putting at ease the concerns of families who cannot visit.
For more information, please visit http://www.educatingresidents.com
Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood was the first to take the plunge on Saturday, March 7, as an active participant in the 2020 Polar Plunge held in support of Special Olympics hosted by the Barrie Police Service. About 70 other polar plungers followed her into the icy cold waters of Kempenfelt Bay, including two Special Olympics athletes.
Back in December, our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, hooked up with the congregation of Foursquare Barrie, a church made up mostly of people from Africa and places where Africans were relocated for forced labour. We don't tend to think of Nigeria as being a place from which assistance is given to Canadians, but that is exactly what these parishioners do, as they go out into the streets to help those who in our culture are less fortunate.
The Barrie Colts (Barrie Colts Official Facebook Page) stepped up to center ice before the game on Thursday, February 27th to donate $5000.00 to Brainstorm Revolution in support of Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Foundation Mental Health and Addictions services.
The donation was the result of efforts by City Councillor Natalie Harris, Heather Ann Down, and Shelley Roberts-Hofer, who together raise funds for various charities. Earlier this month, they held a comedy night fundraiser for which they donated to us tickets for a draw.
Earlier this month, our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, production crew of Producer John Ironside and Production Associate Sarah Bianco visited the drôrs kitchen, bath, and living at 98 Dunlop Street W. in downtown Barrie, where The Gilbert Centre was holding a very unique Valentine’s Day alternative. Not only was it an event featuring great food, it was also a place of learning filled with love and an overabundance of support for those afflicted with HIV.
We cannot say enough about the awesome staff and volunteers at Youth Haven Canada for pulling off a 100%+ result on their annual Coldest Night of the Year Barrie event. Twenty-four hours ago our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, were stowing our gear. Here now is a presentation of what we saw on this amazing night.
On January 27, 2020, Chief Kimberley Greenwood of the Barrie Police Service joined members of the Kiwanis Club Of Barrie to discuss the services provided and the duties performed by officers of her department.
The Chief also provided an overview of the history of growth of both our city and the officers and detectives who have served it. Normally we cut content out to maintain pace, but essentially everything Chief Greenwood said is relevant and interesting, so this video is a bit longer than most we produce, but it is very informative.
If you have been near a TV or the internet during the past few weeks, you will know about the rising tensions between heavily armed militarized police and unarmed Indigenous water protectors at Wet’suwet’en. The issue is one of clean water verses oil, as the government of Canada wants to push a natural gas pipeline through the traditional territories of Indigenous people who say the land was never ceded to the government. The issue is far from new, but now billions of dollars in oil money is at stake, so the government is once again ready to ignore the rights of First Nations families for profit. Where have we seen this before?
Try to imagine being 16 and homeless. Now imagine your son or daughter sleeping under a bridge during the winter, simply trying to survive in a world that has abandoned them.
Youth Haven Canada is, to our knowledge, the only safe place that offers refuge to young adults who are experiencing the worst possible situation. Imagine a reality wherein it is safer and better for a young woman or man to be on the streets than at home. It does not matter if they are facing physical or sexual abuse, or if they are being abused because of who they are. Sometimes 'families' are not what they are supposed to be, and usually it is the smallest and most vulnerable who pay the highest cost.
In northern Manitoba, residents are preparing to shoot dogs and puppies. Lost Boys Hope Adoptable Page, a Barrie dog rescue, wants to save as many as they can. We want to tell their story so we can help them save more.
In December, our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, recorded a video for Lost Boys Hope Adoptable Page about dozens of dogs and puppies being rescued from certain death and brought to live with families and individuals in The City of Barrie, the Town of Innisfil, and the Township of Oro-Medonte. The dogs were abandoned and were barely surviving in the wilds at the edges of towns where the temperatures were consistently colder than -40c. That is cold enough to cause frostbite in people in five minutes.
Every person has the right to feel safe and included in society, regardless of their race, creed, an outward expression of religion, or gender identity and sexual orientation. This is the idea behind the 'Pride Positive Place' movement initiated by Barrie Pride.
This morning, Melissa Ferguson and her team at Beauty & Babes became the first such certified safe space, and a few minutes later, our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, became the second.
Research into and treatment of HIV and AIDS have come a very long way since the disease first came to public light back in the 1980s. Regardless, there are still thousands of Canadians - men, women, gay, and straight - living their lives without knowing they carry and can spread the virus.
The holiday season may be over, but we know of at least seventy-five local kids who will hold memories forever that simply could not have been created without a very large group of true heroes.
A few weeks before Christmas, and very early in the morning, dozens of children started arriving at the Walmart Barrie North. Many of these children had come from homes where the families were struggling in various ways.
Our friends at Lost Boys Hope asked us to drop by their rescue facilities on December 21, 2019 to record the acceptance and fostering of 38 dogs rescued from the ice fields of northern Manitoba. The stories of what some of these dogs have been through is heartbreaking, but the love and appreciation they show after leaving the truck to meet their new friends at Lost Boys Hope is likely going to cause a few tears.
The team of therapists and counsellors at Family TLC pulled out all the stops this holiday season by introducing Barre residents to the concept of "Twelve Days of Kindmas".
During the days leading up to Christmas, Family TLC Owner, Sue Cook, and members of her team visited places like the downtown Barrie Transit Terminal, the Ontario SPCA Barrie Animal Centre facility on Patterson Rd., the David Busby Centre on Mulcaster St, and various stores, bars, and restaurants along Dunlop St. Their mission was to spread good cheer and also some learned advice on how to find balance during the often hectic and overwhelming holiday season.
The holiday season is often the catalyst for businesses and groups to come together to raise money for local charities. That is what happened on November 20, 2019 when the members of the BarterPay Simcoe County business network met at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club to hold a dinner and auction in support of Seasons Centre for Grieving Children. Together, they raised $2,835.00 in trade dollars for this very worthy cause.
Our friends at the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie have had a busy few weeks as they held their second annual Christmas Party for the city, now called Glowing Hearts for the Holidays, and then opened their new store at 80 Bradford St. unit 152. The new store is larger, more spacious, better lit, and offers tons of free parking. It is also still central, and easily reached by several bus routed.
Our good friend Frank Nelson would be proud of his daughter Cindy Thompson and all of the volunteers who are keeping his dream alive.
Candlelighters Simcoe, Parents of Children with Cancer is an amazing volunteer organization that helps in many ways the families of children stricken with cancer.
Our crew at the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, has produced several videos about this group and we have gotten to know many of the members. They are good people with big hearts and they need help from the community.
Please help if you can, or at least share this video so we can spread the word of this very worthy cause.
On Wednesday, December 11th, residents at Grove Park Home - A Commitment to Care in Barrie were treated to a special visit by Margie Shapcott, Lynn Williston, and Janet Murison-Maleganeas, three local women representing Plunder Design, a costume jewelry business that has been in Canada for 6 months and in the US for 5 years.
The event was called the Jewels For Joy gifting program, and their task was to deliver 60 packages of jewellery as gifts for residents in need.
Or crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, was invited to this unique Christmas gifting event.
Our friends at Precious Paws Rescue continue to maintain an open-door policy to any dog that still enjoys quality of life, and they asked us to ask you to help them continue in that mission.
Precious Paws Rescue are working on raising $5000.00 before Christmas so they can continue helping dogs now homeless due to abandonment, abuse, and people who can no longer care for them.
If you follow our page, it is likely because you are a caring person. So, we challenge you to look at the faces of these amazing dogs who have been given a second chance and decide for yourself if the people behind these miracles of survival and love deserve your help.
Our friends at the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie are throwing a party, the "Glowing Hearts Community Give and Get Christmas Wonderland", and you and your family are invited.
This party features lots of activities for the kids, including face painting, games, karaoke, fair type games, a crafts table, and cosplayers from the world of superheroes and Disney. Of course, the big man in red velvet will be there also, taking requests for gifts with Mrs. Claus.
The event is free to the public, and open to everybody. It is held at Mavricks Music Hall in downtown Barrie at 46 Dunlop St W.
Now that winter is upon us, it seemed right to remind us all of the wonders that are summer in Barrie and area. So, for the next few weeks, we will be periodically featuring events that occurred during the warmer weather that are important to our community all year long. We are calling this our 'Bounce Back to Summer' series.
Corey Henderson lost his wife to epilepsy in 2015. In her honour, he joined with Epilepsy Simcoe County by creating The Catherine Jayne For Epilepsy Foundation, through which Cory and his supporters hold various events in an attempt to raise funds for education and research undertaken by Epilepsy Canada.
This skydiving event, held at Skydive Toronto Inc, was one such event.
This year, 331 transgender people have been killed through often violent acts that were fueled by the ignorance and bigotry that is Transphobia. Last year, that number was 269. We like to think that the world is becoming or has become more understanding, compassionate, and accepting of the LGBTQ community, but those numbers say something very different.
That was the message on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at Barrie City Hall when representatives of the transgender community met with Mayor Jeff Lehman and several dozen concerned citizens to raise a flag intended to inspire acceptance for all transgender people within our community.
Now that winter is upon us, it seemed right to remind us all of the wonders that are summer in Barrie. So, for the next few weeks, we will be periodically featuring events that occurred during the warmer weather that are important to our community all year long. We are calling this our 'Bounce Back to Summer' series.
If you are a dog lover you will want to watch this video several times. If you enjoy it please share. The AAC Agility Association of Canada 2019 National Championship was held in August at the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka (Innisfil & South Simcoe) just west of Alcona. It was hosted by the Red Barn Event Centre Barrie. The event drew dogs and owners from across the country, including just about every breed and mix of dogs you can imagine. If you like cute puppies, you will love this event.
Yesterday, November 11, 2019, was Remembrance Day, when we pay homage to those who were lost during combat protecting the security and ideals of Canada, and also those who came home as honoured veterans.
As time rolls on, fewer and fewer World War Two veterans now attend at these events, but there is never a shortage of veterans from the many peacekeeper missions our country has undertaken since the Korean conflict of the 1950s through to Afganistan.
May we never forget.
Now that winter is upon us, it seemed right to remind us all of the wonder that is summer in Barrie. So, for the next few weeks, we will be periodically featuring events that occurred during the warmer weather that are important to our community all year long. We are calling this our 'Bounce Back to Summer' series.
First on the list is the summer Pride parade that was run collaboratively or participated in by Barrie Pride, Fierté Simcoe Pride, Georgian Pride, and other LGBTQ supporting organizations. This year the parade was held later in the year than is normal, on August 17, and they could not have asked for a better day. Although a little foreboding around the edges, the skies were clear, the air was warm, and rainbows seemed to pop up in all directions.
Autumn is a time of remembrance for those lost in active service, be they combat troops in war, Peacekeepers, or First Responders. The Canadian Walk For Veterans, held on October 19, 2019 in Barrie and other cities, honours those heroes by reminding us of their loss and inspiring us to help those who remain.
We would like to thank the following sponsors of the Ontario Community Awareness Network. These businesses show they care about our shared community by helping us to provide a locally-focused truly local voice to you and your neighbours. They also enable our crew to be able to continue providing donated services to promote local benevolent community groups and Barrie-based charities.
Holidays are commonly used as the catalyst for charity fundraisers, but decaying corpses, vampire bats, broomstick-riding witches, and grotesque guest-grabbing goblins are not usually on the guest list.
That all changed a few years ago when several Barrie and area families decided to use the Halloween season and a lot of initiative and hard work to garner funds, food, and awareness for organizations like RVH New Cancer Centre, Barrie Native FC Hunger to Hope & Grassroots Outreach Programs, Furry Friends Barrie, Hospice Simcoe, the Barrie Food Bank, and other charities.
On September 27, 2019, at least 1,000 people, young and old, came together at Barrie City Hall demanding to be heard. Their focus was the imminent and long-term threats of man-made climate change. They then marched through downtown to congregate at Meridian Place, where a combination of speakers and musicians inspired the crowd to demand immediate change to save our future.
Less than two weeks later, Barrie City Council voted on a motion presented by Councillor Keenan Aylwin and decided uninimously to declare a climate emergency. In doing so, they joined a list of almost 300 municipalities that have vowed to take direct action to limit their community's carbon footprint and to take direct action to fight climate change. The massive march by students and voting age citizens was referred to several times during council's discussion of options.
Can you get much lower than defrauding a young single mother who wants only to find a home for their children, not just once but potentially dozens of times? This seems to be the case in this local Barrie story of alleged rental fraud, the claims of which have been made by as many as twenty local women.
Last week we saw a post by Barrie hair stylist Melissa Ferguson who went on Facebook Live to expose a pattern of fairly obvious deception that had been undertaken by a Barrie woman who claimed to own a home that we are told she wanted to rent specifically to single mothers fleeing abuse.
Earlier this week, we reported on how our friend Heather Marie, owner of Body Language Dance and Aerial Arts and supporting member of the Ontario Community Awareness Network, was preparing to rappel down a nearly 20 storeys building in central Toronto to help raise money for Easter Seals Ontario. The charity has helped her family provide for the needs of her son, Jaxon, who was born with mobility restrictions, and the young mother just wanted to give back.
Well, our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, location crew of Producer John Ironside and Production Associate Tiffany Scott got up entirely too early on Monday morning, and they drove down to the big smoke to record Heather's act of true heroism.
Heather Mitchell is taking the plunge bright and early on the morning of Monday, September 23, 2019, by rappelling down the side of 175 Bloor Street in Toronto in support of Easter Seals Ontario. Our crew will be there to support her courage and dedication to her son. We will try for a live feed but cannot guarantee results.
If you would like to sponsor her superhero bravery, please go to https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=4471317&langPref=en-CA&fbclid=IwAR2YNTa14og7WP7UcA4re_EtRC6C2UXcWGYUYE1ixtxkE0toaQ3sZpdcnXs
The Family Fun Jam Day 2019, held in support of the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children, Candlelighters Simcoe, Parents of Children with Cancer, and the Barrie Food Bank, is being held on Sunday, September 22nd, 2019 at Heritage Park in Barrie.
Participants are asked to bring canned food items for the Foodbank. Bins will be provided.
This is a full family event, featuring music by various artists, a bouncy castle, face painting, a charity barbecue, and an independent food truck offering Jamaican food.
The annual Superhero Stomp, being held in support of Candlelighters Simcoe, Parents of Children with Cancer, is happening again in The City of Barrie at Heritage Park on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 3:00.
Participants are suggested to wear some manner of a superhero costume to fit in with the theme, but it is not required. More participants are needed to help this caring community group raise $20,000.00 with which to help the families of children stricken with cancer.
The Barrie Public Library's BPL Comic Con® is once again ready to introduce Barrie residence to the wonders and pleasures of nerd life, geeksdom, and cosplay ;-)
This is in fact an amazing event focused on inspiring impressionable youth to pick up a book and read. Kids can choose from Dr. Who to the Avengers, it doesn't really matter, just as long as they get into the habit of reading.
The annual event, being held on September 21, 2019, features seminars, photo ops, meet and greets, movies, cosplay, competitions, games, and other features.
Our Producer had a great time on Monday, September 2nd celebrating the Barrie Labour Day Picnic with local union reps, special interest groups, families, and potential politicians for our region like Pekka Reinio NDP Barrie-Innisfil, Dan Janssen - NDP Candidate for Barrie Springwater Oro-Medonte and Lisa-Marie Malcolm Wilson who was very recently chosen to represent the Liberals in Barrie-Innisfil.
It is safe to say that due to the good music, the free burgers and dogs, and access to bouncy castles, a good time was enjoyed by all.
Macbeth, or 'the Scottish play' is one of the most widely read of Shakespeare works by high school students around the world. It is the story of a hero who is driven by his ambitious wife, and witches, and his own desire for power to become a king, but who instead falls to madness and disgrace.
For a short time, until September 8, 2019, Burro'd Theatre, based in Barrie, is presenting this classic play, as performed under the stars in the backyard of a house at 61 Park St, Barrie.
Sometimes when you throw a young person in with the sharks they come out not only holding their own but surprising the 'teacher' who chucked them in. That is the case with this new video by our Padawan Tiffany Scott, who far exceeded the expectations of her teacher, the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, Producer, John Ironside.
This is not Tiffany's first solo venture since joining our team, but it is the first that she did entirely on her own. In her other video, about foster dog Nikki looking for a home, the young documentary producer in training was accompanied by her teacher and left more or less to her own devices with guidance. In this situation, she was dropped off at Camp Blackdown, CFB Borden and asked to call for her ride home when she was done. She shot every frame, and she cut this together all on her own, with only minor training in colour correction which takes anyone a while to understand.
Fionn MacCool's Barrie is holding a golf tournament in support of Epilepsy Simcoe County and it looks like a full day of fun, food, and entertainment for all. Our crew will be there for at least part of the day, which is supposed to have great weather and sunshine throughout.
This event is happening at Innisbrook Golf Course. However, all golfers are meeting at Fionn MacCool's Barrie located at 547 Cundles Rd E, Barrie, as transportation to and from the course is being provided.
The cost is only $100.00 per person and it includes a fantastic steak dinner at Fionn MacCool's
Two Innisdale students, Olivia Oliver and Joshua Andari, are headed to Europe to compete in two ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating events and to launch “Skating for Young Heroes”, a charity that grants wishes to special children. They will compete for Poland in Courchevel, France, from August 21st to 24th, and then in Gdansk, Poland, from September 18th to 21st.
Last season, at her first attempt, Olivia qualified for the Junior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, with her previous partner. As a result of her success, Olivia and Josh have been chosen to represent Poland at these two Grand Prix events.
Olivia was born in Poland but lives with her family in Barrie. Josh is from Chatham, Ontario. Six months ago, Josh moved to Barrie and with Olivia they train full time at the Mariposa International School of Skating.
Sudden Cardiac Arrests happen in Canada on average every 13 minutes. The good news is that there is over a 75% survival rate when an AED (defibrillator) is used within the first 10 minutes. For this reason, public-access defibrillators that anyone can use are the difference to save a life.
SaveStation takes this concept a step further by standardizing the cabinet design and offering indoor/outdoor solutions that can be installed in highly accessible locations.
That was the message from SaveStation this morning that they relayed at Meridian Place in Barrie, where the Kiwanis Club Of Barrie was donating an outdoor defibrilator unit to the city's core.
It was an unexpected pleasure for our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, production crew of Producer, John Ironside, and Production Associate, Tiffany Scott, to record the events of the first every Blackdown Cadet Training Centre anti-bullying day event and Pride flag raising.
The speakers, both senior cadets, dug deep to tell their stories of abuse and isolation as forced upon them simply because of who and what they are. The entire Blackdown Cadets got into the movement, quite literally, as they walked or ran a three-kilometre course to raise money for a fundraiser being managed by Military Police on Canadian Forces Base Borden / Base des Forces canadiennes Borden.
It was a full house of who is who in Barrie - Innisfil on Monday, July 22nd, as our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, joined in the festivities as Innisfil Pride held their first-ever flag raising in collaboration with Fierté Simcoe Pride. In attendance was John Brassard - MP for Barrie-Innisfil, Andrea Khanjin MPP for Barrie - Innisfil, Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin, and various members of council and several representatives of police and fire services.
This flag-raising was the first event of Innisfil Prides inaugural year, with the festivities continuing into this weekend with the Innisfil Pride Festival being held on Saturday and Sunday the 27th and 28th at Arcadia Park and Events Centre at 1263 3rd Line, Innisfil. Please visit the page for more details.
Our friends at Theatre By The Bay currently offer two new and very different productions, and they both look amazing. On Friday, July 19th our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, travelled to Five Points Theatre to record some of the technical rehearsal and blocking for The Cenotaph Project, a play about young people who learn on a very personal level what life was like for people their age during World War 2. It all spawns from a trip to the Barrie Cenotaph as part of a school assignment and develops into something so much more.
Last night, a few hundred residents of Barrie and area got a much needed break from the recent heat wave, as provided by the Barrie Fire And Emergency Service.
The event, that was just around the corner from our studio, at Shear Park, attracted a lot of moms, dads, grandparents, and mostly kids. They enjoyed not only the water spray provided by the boom of a fire truck, but also a plethora of educational and fun events like hose carrying, drop and roll, a water bucket challenge, and others. There were also information booths for both children and adults, and activities like face painting and spin the wheel.
Our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, location crew of Producer John Ironside and Production Associate Tiffany Scott couldn’t put their feet up for the entirety of the long Canada Day weekend, as they joined forces to record some shots from the annual Promenade Days and then much of the Barrie Air Show.
While downtown we caught a few words from MPP Andrea Khanjin, a one-time child refugee from Russia, and also from City Councillor Natalie Harris who as a first responder experienced mental health issues that led to addiction. Both praised our country and how it is only in Canada that they could be now where they are.
The airshow, featuring both an F-18 acrobatics team and the Snowbirds, thrilled thousands who took in the perfect day on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay.
For the first time ever, on Thursday, June 27, 2019, Barrie citizens and groups took part in the National HIV Testing Day.
The event was held at City Hall and hosted by the Gilbert Centre. Deputy Mayor Barry Ward and Councillors Natalie Harris and Keenan Aylwin were in attendance for the event which featured a proclamation from Mayor Jeff Lehman, a flag raising, and multiple booths through which various groups distributed information. Most importantly, confidential testing for the virus was being undertaken on site by medical professionals.
It is safe to say that six of Barrie's City Councillors dropped the ball at the most recent meeting held at City Hall on Monday, June 24th, 2019, and we caught their shame on camera. One of our followers asked us to post the vote details and we are going one step further with this video that clarifies the absolute insanity of the cowardly decision made by those elected council members in whom we have put our trust.
There has been a lot of mainstream media coverage this week about the incident in Aurora when two young children were abruptly introduced to nature in their own backyard. There has also been a lot of sensationalist misinformation posted about this incident with headlines like ‘Caught on Video: Coyote Pounces on Child in Aurora’. This kind of hyperbole is intended to draw in viewers with the shock and awe approach that is now all too common in what sadly passes today for journalism.
We are constantly building on the wildlands that are home to many kinds of animals. In Barrie, we need to look no further than the much needed Harvie Road overpass that although vital to our growth is uprooting many kinds of wild animals. The forests and fields on both sides of that road are filled with life ranging from deer to coyotes and after we take away their feeding grounds where are they supposed to go to eat? Well, the answer is obvious.
Today our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, on-location team of Producer John Ironside and Production Associate Tiffany Scott travelled to Barrie City Hall to join in the celebration of Pride month as Barrie Pride once again raised the Pride flag and the Transgender Rights flag for all of Barrie to see.
Those present included Councillor Keenan Aylwin, Deputy Mayor Barry Ward, MPP Doug Downey, and representatives for MPP Andrea Khanjin and John Brassard - MP for Barrie-Innisfil.
Our regular followers will remember how on May 8th, 2019 we reported on a local group associated with the Huntington Society of Canada who had met at City Hall in Barrie to raise their flag in support of those afflicted with the disease, their families, and volunteers who are working to help them find a better life.You can find that video at http://www.fivepointsmedia.ca/huntingtons-disease-city-of-barrie-raises-flag-2019.htm
On May 22nd we met with them again, this time for the main event, their second annual Wild Flower Walk and Forest Tea for Huntington's Disease.
Kempenfest is always a great time in the city of Barrie, and 2019 seems determined to up the ante. On Tuesday, May 28th our crew was invited to attend at a press conference held at Paul Sadlon Motors to hear about what to expect in the 49th rendition of this amazing family event. The annual arts and crafts show will host more than 400 artists and vendors of food and products of many kinds.
Todd Tuckey, President of the Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce and Louise Jackson, the newly appointed General Manager of Kempenfest provided all the details, while Paul Sadlon, President of Paul Sadlon Motors, made a special donation to the cause. Congratulations also to John Derlis of Impact Live, who is taking over the entertainment component of the event.
It was also announced that this year’s entertainment will be . . .
As many of our regular followers know, a few weeks ago we posted the story "Precious Paws - Help Nikki find her forever home" through which we are happy to say the beautiful blonde husky was successfully bonded with a loving partner. http://www.fivepointsmedia.ca/precious-paws-help-nikki-find-her-forever-home-2019.html
While shooting that video we learned that on June 15th, Precious Paws Rescue is hosting one of their biggest fundraisers, the 10th Annual Golf Fore Dogs Tournament. If you play golf you should register by June 9th so you can help this worthy cause while enjoying a great day on the links at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club followed by a gourmet meal.
Our friends at Barrie Pride had one hell of a night last night, Saturday, May 25th, at their Barrie Pride Drag Me To Dinner Fundraiser held in collaboration with the Borden Pride Network at the Officers Mess on Base Borden. Our production team at Five Points Media, comprised of Producer John Ironside and Production Associate Tiffany Scott, were very happy to lend our services to record their big night.
This video is not the the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, / Ontario Community Awareness Network production about the night. We were contacted today by David Bradbury, the President of Barrie Pride, and asked if we could quickly cut together a short synopsis of the night. We were happy to do what we could, and this is what we came up with.
A more comprehensive production including interviews and more detail is in the works and should be online later this week.
Frank Nelson was a man of great compassion and vision. He was also a very dear personal friend. During the last six years of his life, after being diagnosed with colon cancer, this selfless man engaged in a mission to help others and to improve the lives of thousands of people he did not know.
In addition to raising and donating tens of thousands of dollars for needy families and individuals, Frank also opened the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie, through which those in need can receive clothing, household items, toys, shoes and other items, all for free.
On May 8th, 2019, a local group associated with the Huntington Society of Canada met at City Hall in Barrie to raise their flag in support of those afflicted with the disease, their families, and volunteers who are working to help them find a better life.
Huntington’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that manifests at first as uncontrollable twitching in hands and face. Other symptoms include loss of balance and clumsiness. Dementia eventually develops and depression is common. Feelings of isolation and denial are common. Those afflicted often die of complications caused by Huntington’s and the life expectancy after diagnosis is now about 20 years. Stem cell research offers new hope for Huntington’s patients as do new drugs and treatments.
Nikki is a six-year-old blonde husky mix who is in need of a forever home. Precious Paws Rescue approached us asking for help in finding the right match. Our crew travelled to the north of Orillia to meet this special dog, and to record her story.
This production is the first to go online that was produced by our Production Associate Tiffany Scott. This is a big step forward for this young professional in the making who came to our team at the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, with little experience but big hopes and enthusiasm just two years ago.
Barrie’s own Moonwalk Entertainment Inc has taken up the cause of helping a charity in Peterborough that works to help reptiles of all kinds, most of which have been abandoned or have become too much to care for to those who used to love them as pets.
Karen Roy, of Moonwalk Entertainment Inc. came up with the idea of merging her company’s inflatable entertainment business with dinosaurs from the Indian River Reptile Zoo to provide Barrie residents, and those of other communities, with an educational and fun day for children and parents of all ages.
We had a little fun with this one, and we highly recommend you catch the show the next time the Dinosaurs Live shows comes to town.
When we were approached by Chris Sheridan, we had never heard of the Georgian FoodLocker Barrie, and we were set on a path to have our eyes opened as to the reality of post-secondary education in the 21st century.
According to their statistics, two out of every four students at Georgian College live at some level of need in regards to buying viable and healthy kinds and quantities of food, and one in four is too proud or afraid to ask for help.
This program, that is run by and mostly financed by students, helps to ensure that those who cannot afford food get what they need so they can concentrate more on their studies than where they will find their next meal.
The King Edward Choir is joined in its May concert by the Valen Ensemble. Cellist, John Trembath founded the Valen Ensemble in 2002. The members come from the major ensembles in Southern Ontario. They may be seen in concert and heard on recordings with the Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo and Hamilton symphonies, Esprit Orchestra, Trillium Brass, Stratford and Shaw Festivals as well as in major musical theatre productions.
Saturday, May 4th, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
It is that time of year again when the staff and management at Connect Hair Studio pull out all stops to help a local charity to raise funds for a worthy cause. This year, the recipient of their Women's Connection 5 Flower Power is Habitat Huronia & Restore, an amazing organization that helps financially challenged families to find good homes they can afford, partly because they helped build them with many dedicated volunteers.
This year's event, being held at the Casal Catering & Lion's Gate Banquet Hall at 366 Blake St. is being promoted with the theme of 60's flower power. All participants are requested to come dressed for that era.
Our newest video is in support of Furry Friends, a no-kill cat sanctuary that provides for the needs of hundreds or more cats each year, but which now finds itself looking for a new home. Details can be found at Save Furry Friends Animal Shelter.
This all-volunteer driven organization finds, accepts, and takes in wild, injured, abandoned, and sick cats, totally about 100 currently, and they provide them with a safe place to regain their health while waiting for adoption. They also refuse to euthanize any cat for non-medical reasons and they have in some cases provided a home to a Furry Friend for several years.
Giving back to the community is kind of our thing, and that is exactly what real estate agent Alicia Linklater at Century 21 B.J Roth Realty LTD and Mortgage Broker Alana Myers did this weekend when they held a community Easter egg hunt on the grounds of St. Marguerite D'Youville Elementary School.
Although the event was targeting residents of the east and west Bayfield subdivisions, all were welcome and kids ranged from babies to twelve. An estimated 300 children attended this sixth annual rush for chocolate.
Butterfly Model Brought To Barrie, 2019
Brightening the lives of dementia residents at Barrie Seniors Home
It has been our pleasure these past eight weeks to drop in at different stages of a massive and frankly loving upgrade of services for dementia residents at the IOOF Seniors Homes Inc. in south Barrie. Our thanks to Micheline Robichaud, the Manager of Revenue Development for asking us to cover this story.
The project uses bright colours and simplistic imagery to help orient and calm the residents as they tour down country lanes and city streets past familiar sights to find their home door by its unique appearance.
Many of our followers will remember from last year the mini-documentary we titled "A Story of Heroes and Dragons"
It was the story of Lillian Pottage, a then four-year-old little girl who at the age of less than two had been stricken with leukaemia. We also reported on how her family had received help from both their community and a very unique charity.
The Tyler Robinson Foundation was founded by the popular music group Imagine Dragons, and they named their benevolent cause in honour of a young fan who had died suddenly of childhood cancer after it was believed he had beaten the disease.
This year we went back for the fifth such special day at St. John Paul Catholic Elementary School here in Barrie where we recorded the celebration of a very fun fundraiser held in support of the TRF that raised more than $8,300.00 to help Canadian families fighting childhood cancer.
This past Sunday, March 17, 2019, marked the fifth anniversary of Barrie’s own unique Hope City Church. Our crew was not able to attend the festivities, but we were happy to present the congregation with this small gift of an inside look at this unique local house of worship.
Many of us think of religious services as stained glass, hard pews, and long dry sermons, but the ‘word of God’ as taught at Hope City Church, is very different. Instead of just passing the plate and calling on parishioners to help them, Pastor Kevin Mast and his team of mostly volunteers reach out to help those at the lowest levels of our society; the homeless, the addicts, the mentally ill, the despondent, the depressed, and others in the greatest need of help and hope.
It may not be the coldest days of the winter, but across Ontario, tomorrow, Saturday, February 23rd, is the Coldest Night of the Year. The event here in Barrie, Coldest Night of the Year Barrie, starts and ends at City Hall, and it is run in support of Youth Haven Canada. In addition to good times, this yearly event features a free hat and a chilli dinner for all participants.
First Nations culture is a mystery to many people in our country, and sometimes those who are not familiar with Aboriginal traditions do not know how to learn more about those who occupied and cared for this land before any others. The Barrie Native FC is a great place to learn, and they are always looking for volunteers.
This Winter Round Dance, held at the Barrie South Shore Centre on February 11th, was all about saying thank you to the volunteers who help make the cross-cultural community group possible.
Winter starts feeling a little less welcome this time of year, so our crew decided to go out and find the fun of this season. First, we visited MPP Andrea Khanjin's community skate at the Innisfil Recreational Complex, and then to Barrie Winterfest 2019, co-hosted at Heritage Park by the City of Barrie and the Barrie Native FC Friendship Centre.
myTEAM TRIUMPH Canada (MTT Canada) is a registered Canadian charity operating entirely through the efforts of faithful volunteers and donors. Their goal is to enhance the lives of disabled children by merging their youthful enthusiasm with the physical abilities of able-bodied runners at events like marathons. To do this, they must raise money to buy specialized chairs that are designed specifically for the task.
The MEC Barrie Runninjas is a local running club who meet regularly to stretch their limits on different courses around our city. Heather Morgan arranged to borrow some of the running chairs from My Team Triumph Canada in Toronto. Then she recruited two enthusiastic local boys, Jaxon and Mathew, to be ‘Captains’ and for the MEC Barrie Runninjas to be their ‘Angels’.
We all met on a cold and snowy day in November of 2018, and this is what happened.
The Barrie Public Library holds educational and entertaining events throughout the year for both children and adults. For more information please visit https://www.barrielibrary.ca/programs-events/bpl-events
ZooTek is a business based in Innisfil that specializes in exotic animal shows for entertainment and displays.
The holidays are a time of family, friends, and feasting. However, for a growing portion of our community that time of good will to all does not extend to them.
Fortunately, in our City of Barrie, we have Rose Romita and her dozens of volunteers who every year collect food and funding from local businesses, caring people, and anonymous donors so they can provide a feast for our city's homeless, hungry, lonely, and lost.
If you have children, you need to schedule a visit to Mavricks Music Hall on December 2nd from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm where a kid's day of activities and fun is happening as presented by the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie.
The Let's Give a Kid a Christmas Event is a party featuring face painting, games, kid’s karaoke, popcorn, a fun photo booth, cosplay and cartoon characters, and of course, Santa.
Santa Claus was the most wanted man in Barrie
Today, our Producer, John Ironside, met with Al Quigley of Mavricks Music Hall and Ian Churchward of the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie to discuss final preparations for the 'Let's Give a Kid a Christmas' event, being held on Sunday, December 2nd from 11:00am until 5:00pm. While in the old theatre, John noticed more fully the country and western motif of the venue. So, tonight he decided to play with his new toys and came up with this
Santa Claus was the most wanted man in Barrie
It was an absolute pleasure yesterday for our Producer, John Ironside and Production Associate, Tiffany Scott to work with truly energetic and fun on-camera talent like Reg Howard, aka Santa (http://onsantasknee.com), and young cosplay artist Kearstin Reckzin, of Cosplay with K. Please thank them by sharing this video.
Together we worked as a true team to produce a second promotional video for the ‘Let’s Give a Kid a Christmas’ event being held by Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie at Mavricks Music Hall on Sunday, December 2nd from 11:00 - 5:00.
The Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie is holding a party for some special guests, including Santa Claus and a whole bunch of characters from Marvel, DC, Disney, and more.
This is a great event for kids and parents alike, as it includes all kinds of entertainment, raffles, draws, silent auction items, and more.
Best of all, at the low cost of just $10.00 for adults and $15.00 per couple, it is a cost-effective way to get that professional picture of your children with Santa Claus while avoiding the high cost of doing so at the mall.
Last night our Producer, John Ironside, spent a chunk of his evening grabbing a bite and chatting with a local wounded veteran who now finds himself homeless in Barrie. He is not alone. Current statistics estimate there are more than 2,000 men, women, and children are experiencing Episodic, Transitional, or Chronic Homelessness within our beautiful and prosperous city this very day and night.
There are groups helping, such as the David Busby Centre, the Salvation Army Barrie Bayside Mission Centre, the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie, and Friends of the Homeless Living in Barrie, but we can each also help in our own ways.
Yesterday it was our honour to take part in the Remembrance Day ceremony in Barrie, which we recorded in full for those who could not make it, or for those who know somebody who was participating. Hundreds of veterans, soldiers, cadets, band members, and others participated, so it is likely you will see a face or two you know.
Please share this video as a way of thanking all those who committed themselves to showing respect to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our safety and liberties. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War One, and we thought it was important to focus on not just the ceremony, but also those in the audience who remembered those who had been lost.
On Saturday, October 27th, our team got down with the dogs at Flourish Vitality Centre, a yoga studio that was holding an event called Puppy Yoga in support of C.O.P.E. Service Dogs.
The people of The City of Barrie are truly caring and philanthropic.
One way they show just how much they care about their community and those who live in it is by watching, liking, and sharing our stories that are all about them and those in our city who have no voice through mainstream media!
We have received quite a few requests recently for information about what is coming down the production pike at Five Points Media. So, Producer, John Ironside and Production Associate Tiffany Scott stepped out from behind the camera to provide some details.
Last Saturday, October 27, our crew dropped in on the Barrie City Hall Rotunda, where the Barrie Latin Resource Centre was celebrating the fifth annual Latin American Heritage Celebration. It was a festival of music, dance, and food for all ages.
While there, we spoke with BLRC President, Nina Donayre, and also MPP Andrea Khanjin and John Brassard - MP for Barrie-Innisfil; both of whom are strong supporters of Latino culture.
They could not have asked for nicer weather when Living Green Barrie joined forces with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority - LSRCA and the Conservation Foundation to host the Barrie Community Tree Planting at the Sandy Hollow Disc Golf field beside the landfill in Barrie.
About a hundred individuals and families registered to help plant 300 trees of various kinds that will provide a windbreak and improve our city's urban canopy. We spoke with organizers and with Barrie-Innisfill MPP Andrea Khanjin, who mucked in to plant a few trees with help from one of her staff.
On Friday, October 12, our Producer, John Ironside, ventured to Georgian Mall, in Barrie, to record the Idle No More Flash Round Dance at Georgian Mall, Barrie, where Indigenous members of our community were speaking out against prejudice, biased legal rulings by the judiciary, a lack of respect shown by by all levels of our government, and the lack of action regarding the thousands of Indigenous women who have been murdered or who have been reported missing since the 1970s. Through a combination of song and dance, these peaceful protesters drew quite a crowd while handing out helpful and insightful information.
For most people, Thanksgiving is a time for family. However, not everybody has family nearby, or still in their lives. So, for about 23 years, Rose Romita, aka City Councillor Rose Romita Ward 2, has held a come one come all Thanksgiving dinner where everybody is welcome to grab a plate and enjoy a great holiday meal with friends and strangers alike.
The meal is free to all, and all the fixings are donated by local businesses and residents. Rose estimated this year she and her volunteers would serve about 350 people, and make about 800 meals.
Our production crew of Producer John Ironside and Production Associate Tiffany Scott got fully into character for this shoot, and we mean that literally, before recording the BPL Comic Con ® event held on September 22nd at the Barrie Public Library.
This event, held yearly, is a combination of science fiction, fantasy, character cosplay, technology, geekdom, fandom, gaming, and a whole lot more. The purpose of the event is to promote imagination while also inspiring young and old to come to the library.
What would make five-year-old Jaxon Mitchell say "I felt . . . like nothing I guess"?
We found out when Micheline Robichaud, Micheline For Ward 6 - Barrie candidate for City Council in Ward 6, relayed to us the story of Keith Mitchell, a father who had reached out to her to see if she could help him gain access for his son to a public path in the Ardagh Bluffs.
Every year hundreds of superheroes from every comic book universe descend upon the Barrie waterfront to participate in the annual Candlelighters Simcoe Superhero Stomp. Together, they unite for a better world, to kick cancer’s butt, and to help the families of those facing the longest and darkest periods of their lives.
Kids with cancer in Barrie need you to be their superheroes.
Are you up to the challenge?
Fierté Simcoe Pride raised awareness of diversity across Simcoe County during their annual Pride celebration that this year ran from July 30 through August 12, 2018.
Our crew at the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, was happy to support our local LGBTQ community by reporting on various events, including flag risings at the offices of the County of Simcoe and the Township of Springwater, and also the Niizh Manidook Pow Wow, held at Springwater Park as a celebration of Two-Spirit youth by the Chimnissing (Beausoleil First Nation).
Those who are not driven enough to start their fitness plan might become motivated when they see our story about Heather and Trevor Morgan.
This couple from Barrie has faced a lot of struggles, but now despite a crippling medical condition that restricts Heather to a wheelchair, the dynamic duo has entered themselves as contestants in the upcoming Barrie Triathlon.
On July 27th, 2018 The Michael Stuart Webb Team held a fundraiser at the Barrie Country Club for the Women and Children's Shelter of Barrie. Our team was hired to record the events of the evening, including comments by guests and a live performance by Jully Black, who is most famous for her song ‘Seven Day Fool’.
As most know, the new Progressive Conservative provincial government has dictated a politically motivated decision to withdraw the current health and sex education curriculum in favour of one that was written in 1998. This action was promised by Premier Doug Ford during the campaign as a transparent capitulation to the demands of a very few hardcore social conservatives who supported his pitch for the leadership of the party.
We try to stay out of politics, but we believe this decision is antithetical to the best interests of our children, of any student, and of our society in general. According to the many experts and concerned citizens who we interviewed, the rollback syllabus is so out of date as to actually endanger the health, safety, and very lives of the children it is meant to educate.
On Thursday, June 28, 2018, a cross-section of Barrie citizens met at the new Meridian Square to express their concerns about the changes in environmental policies being implemented by Premier-designate Doug Ford and his Conservative government. Speakers included Keenan Aylwin and Bonnie North, both Candidates of Record for the Green Party in the most recent provincial election, and Erïch Jacoby-Hawkins of Living Green Barrie, who has also run several times for the Green Party in Barrie.
It was a pleasure for our crew at the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, to record the dinner theatre presentation of 'Bloody Tuesday', held on May 10, 2018, in support of We Are The Villagers. The Midland-based charity works with Canadian Tire Jumpstart to help kids enjoy extracurricular activities that their families may not be able to afford. This short overview video features local talent, including Mary-Ellen O'Neill-Madeley, Greg Smith, Jennifer Armstrong-Lehman, Angel Vizza, Angela Baker, James Aubé, Leanne Page, and Amanda Trinacty.
The women of Barrie will unite once again this May 7, 2018, as Connect Hair Studio hosts their annual Women's Connection fundraising event. This year is the fourth in the series, and the supported charity is Epilepsy Simcoe County, represented here by Board Chair Diane FitzGerald.
Our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, will be there to record the fun.
It was our pleasure to promote and then record the highlights of the Jammin' for Jamie concert held on May 11, 2018, at Mavricks Music Hall in downtown Barrie, as presented by Impact Live Events. The concert, held in support of the CMHA- Simcoe County, featured local bands One Knight's Stand and Fish Head who opened for the Northern Pikes and then headliner Sass Jordan. It was a great night with an important message.
If you have ever seen the movie The Notebook, you will love this story.
Casey and Regina Kesseler had been together in life and love for almost six decades when Alzheimer's suddenly changed everything in their lives. Nonetheless, through the assistance of the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County, they strive on hand in hand, determined to remain together and to take on all battles.
Tonight is a big night in the City of Barrie as Sass Jordan headlines the Jammin' For Jamie 2018: Sass Jordan and The Northern Pikes! concert in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario and their services to prevent suicide.
The concert event, now in its fifth year, was spearheaded by the wife and children of Jamie Turner, a highly respected nurse who took his own life, apparently due to trauma. The services that have been inspired and funded by this series of concerts focus on suicide by adults, and especially those experiencing mid-life.
There is only one day left to buy a ticket for the Youth Haven Canada prom night! Please purchase a ticket to send one of Youth Haven's past or present residents, or an outreach client, to their first annual prom night event. The once-in-a-lifetime event includes fabulous hair and make-up to add to the magic of the night.
Our crew at the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, were drawn into the mystery while shooting this promo video for the Bloody Tuesday Murder Mystery Dinner, a Mardis Gras murder mystery held in support of We Are The Villagers.
The dinner theatre production is being presented on Thursday, May 10, 2018 at Ferndale Banquet Hall and Catering, 10 Ferndale Industrial Dr., Barrie. Doors open at 6:00pm.
On Saturday, May 5, 2018, the King Edward Choir is holding two concerts at the Collier Street United Church; one in the afternoon at 2:00, and the other in the evening at 7:30. This performance is called 'Time Travel', as it features a range of pieces from different time periods. Tickets can be purchased at the MacLaren Art Centre or at the door at a cost of $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for students.
The women of Barrie will unite once again this May 7, 2018, as Connect Hair Studio hosts their annual Women's Connection fundraising event. This year is the fourth in the series, and the supported charity is Epilepsy Simcoe County, represented here by Board Chair Diane FitzGerald.
Our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, will be there to record the fun.
Our crew were delighted earlier this month to be invited by St. John Paul II Catholic Elementary School in Barrie to record a very special day when children united behind one of their youngest and most vulnerable classmates who had just returned to school after more than two years of treatment for leukaemia. This day was all about fundraising and saying thank-you to a charity called The Tyler Robinson Foundation, that was created by the well-known musical group Imagine Dragons. The TRF helps pay the bills of the parents of children facing the life-threatening challenges caused by cancer.
Those wishing to help the Tyler Robinson Foundation can do so at:
http://www.trf.org/donate
On Saturday, February 24, 2018 our crew was out on the streets of Barrie recording the Coldest Night of the Year Barrie in support of Youth Haven Canada. The event drew a reported 222 walkers, 33 teams, 507 donors, and has raised so far $37,851.00. The goal was $100,000.00 and donations can still be made.
Youth Haven provides an invaluable service to youth and young adults who for whatever reason now find themselves living on the streets. Often the reason is physical, verbal, or sexual abuse, but issues also include mental health and addictions within the family.
On February 22nd, Team Wishes held a fundraiser at Retro Planet for the Starlight Children's Foundation Canada in honour of our mutual friend, the late Frank Nelson. They are holding two more fundraisers in Franks name.
The 'Tree of Love' fundraiser honoured Barrie's late philanthropist Frank Nelson during January and February of 2018 at the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie.
The 'Tree of Love' fundraiser that honours Barrie's late philanthropist Frank Nelson continued until the end of February at the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie.
For only $2.00, patrons and supporters were able to buy a heart and post it on the tree that was painted on the front window of the centre. That heart could include their name or that of a loved one. Frank's never-ending commitment to those in need and the community continues through the efforts of his daughter, Cindy Thompson, and CEO Sean Stephen. The tree was painted by Sean's wife Lori.
The late Frank Nelson had a dream, to raise funds for the Glowing Hearts Community Give and Get Centre - Barrie and increase public awareness of poverty by riding an e-bike from Charlottetown PEI to Barrie via Southern Ontario.
Sadly Frank succumbed to his illness in December 2017, before he could start the C4CRide
Now the torch has been lifted by Frank's daughter, Cindy Thompson, and she, and Frank's friend, Sean Stephen, are going to pick up where Frank left off and complete his final wish. This video, shot on February 13, 2018, is the first training session with their new Personal Trainer, Amy Watts, at the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka.
Every year teens and young adults die alone on the streets of our cities. Some leave home due to violence, addictions in the house, or sexual and mental abuse. Youth Haven is working to help them by getting them off the streets and on the path to a better life. The Coldest Night of the Year event is Barrie is run to raise funds to support this worthy cause.
It's cold out there, and nobody should have to face it alone
We are happy to be able to present the completed Collaborate Nottawasaga project, which involved our crew producing about twenty individual videos about various social agencies, and also the Nottawasaga Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. Collaborate Nottawasaga is a situation table focused on dealing with ‘acutely elevated risks’ within Adjala Tosorontio, New Tecumseth, York County, and Simcoe County. It incorporates more than 30 local support and advocacy groups that work in areas ranging from law enforcement to housing, food security to mental health, and security for women and children to emergency services. Representatives meet once a week to present cases that require immediate attention. The idea of a series of informative videos was the brainchild of OPP Constable Kirsten Buligan, who sits at the table. She had heard about the Sy-STEM Links project to help the homeless and others in need that our crew helped to spearhead earlier this year. According to Constable Buligan, that was exactly what they wanted for the Collaborate Nottawasaga Situation Table videos.
It was our pleasure last Saturday, September 16, 2017, to work once again with the staff and volunteers of the Women & Children's Shelter of Barrie as they once again raised public awareness and much-needed funding through the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes 2017 event. While there we spoke with local representatives of all levels of government, including City Councillor Rose Romita Ward 2 and Ken Weatherill, Deputy Chief, Barrie Police Service, MPP Ann Hoggarth and Alex Nuttall MP, as well as Presenting Sponsors at Meridian Credit Union and Royal LePage Canada in Barrie, and of course the staff at the Shelter who make it all happen. Entertainment featured the Cairo's Jewels BellyDance performers and Dale and Charlie from 107.5 Kool FM.
Pole fitness is a popular form of personal empowerment for many women, both young and seasoned. However, in September 2016 the London Abused Women’s Centre caused considerable controversy when they withdrew from the 'Take Back the Night' women's march and demonstration because the organizers had agreed to welcome a demonstration by 'The Pole House', a local Pole Fitness club. This action, and several statements made by the LAWC sparked a war of words on-line between advocates for and against Pole Fitness, which in some cases became quite heated. Lori Graystone, the owner of Barrie's 'Rock n Pole' was one of the most outspoken voices in support of Pole Fitness, so we worked with her to get to the bottom of the question for women: does pole fitness represent empowerment or exploitation?
On Tuesday, August 22, 2017, our good friend Frank Nelson, the founder of the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie, asked if we could drop by and record an event that he and Executive Director Victoria Potter had arranged for a group of young people who had taken part in a painting day at the centre. The youth, ranging in age from very young to teenagers, were to be rewarded for their efforts with a knapsack filled with school supplies, and also personal items just for fun.
Frank Nelson, the founder of the Glowing Hearts Community Give & Get Centre - Barrie, asked us to drop by on Saturday, September 2, 2017, to record a few short videos. Subjects included recent changes to his health, the C4C Ride, the art wall painted by childrent at the Give and Get, and other matters. We have currently posted the first two videos and will be adding others shortly.
On Friday, August 18, 2017, as many as 300 people representing a cross section of our mixed culture came to Barrie City Hall to protest the concept of white supremacy. The event also included a vigil in honour of Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old American woman who was killed when a 'white nationalist' ran his car into a crowd of civil rights protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.
About a week before the 'Move-It For Young Minds event' our producer went to St. Vincent Park, were he met with Amber Sitara McAuley, the founder of the event, and Errol Lee, a local singer and entertainer who is one of her strongest supporters. Their shared goal was to put together a handful of short promo videos that could be shared on social media during the next few days to boost interest. They had to be short, to the point, energized, and visually interesting.
Please visit mfym.ca for more information.
Our crew had a barking good time on Friday, August 4, 2017, working with the organizers, trainers, and puppy fosters of C.O.P.E. Service Dogs as they celebrated the raising of their flag at City Hall.
COPE is 'Canine Opportunity, People Empowerment'
Every year the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie asks the men of their community to not just talk the talk, but to walk the walk. Hundreds of men rise to the occasion, and put on women’s shoes, or if need be their own shoes decorated for the occasion, and they walk a mile in support of the women and girls in their lives.
Our crew, for the third year in a row, has shot, cut, and as was appropriate updated a promotional video for this event, and every year we have attended, camera in hand, shooting new footage for the year to come.
A few weeks ago our good friend Amber Sitara McAuley approached us to record a promo for the charity Move-It for Young Minds. So, we recorded some comments with participants and volunteers at St. Vincent Park and then did some magic in the edit suite to come up with this short but visually potent promotional video.
Move-It for Young Minds is a charity event in support of children and youth who are living with mental health challenges.
The Move-It for Young Minds event is taking place on August 27th from 9:00 am -12:00 pm. It will feature a combination of walking with active stretching in a 5km migration around St. Vincent Park Pavilion, in The City of Barrie.
A new play has started at The Mady Centre for the Performing Arts about the downtown culture of Barrie, and it is coincidentally entitled "The Five Points". (No relation, just friends :)
The reason we are reporting on this play is that it is a documentary style production based verbatim on the words of some of our city's most interesting people; ranging from business people to the homeless, from sex workers to a city councillor, and from a strip club bouncer to a music promoter. The play also has a very strong social message . . . which you can learn about through this short video we produced about the production. The play, produced by Theatre by the Bay, is showing until July 29, 2017.
One thing we like to support at the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, is philanthropy. No matter if it is by a company or an individual, as long as it is real, we are happy to support their cause. Sharon Smith and her team at Connect Hair Studio are the real deal, as they get behind a cause and make it happen to help whatever charity or group they feel needs their help. Through this event, entitled Women's Connection 3, Sharon and her team raised $4501.00 for Youth Haven Canada, an organization that is dedicated to helping youth who are facing homelessness; a situation that is truly one of the most horrifying prospects for any person at any age, but especially so for these more vulnerable members of our society.
Since it opened about six months ago, the Glowing Hearts Community Give and Get Centre has helped thousands of Barrie’s residents by providing free clothing, household items, and other necessities of life. So, Frank Nelson, the Founder, and Victoria Potter, the Director, used the opportunities provided by the annual Promenade Days event to promote the centre. All labour provided for the event was donated by volunteers, as were our services in the production of this simple promo video.
The ‘Walk A Mile’ fund-raiser for the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie is one of their most important days of the year. It is a combination of community involvement, support for women, and comic relief, as for one day men try to walk in women’s shoes.
Often very large women’s shoes!!
It has been absolutely our pleasure these past few months to be working in collaboration with St. John Ambulance Barrie Simcoe Muskoka to produce for them this ‘Who We Are” video that illustrates so well the various community support services provided by their more than 200 local volunteers. Like many, we thought their services stopped at First Aid, but we could not have been more wrong. In addition to that vital role, volunteers at St. John Ambulance Simcoe Muskoka provide upwards of 22,000 hours of voluntary community service in areas ranging from education and training of young parents and children through to service dogs for seniors and students.
Randy Aylwin, the owner of the Grilled Cheese Social Eatery, helps to feed the homeless by providing about 2,000 sandwiches a year to those in severe need. He accomplishes this by offering his patrons the opportunity to buy discounted sandwiches and coffee, that are then put into a suspension program, for distribution to the homeless and needy.
We thought his story was very deserving of public support
On Wednesday, May 10, 2017 our crew met with Frank Nelson, the creator of the Community Give and Get centre, to record him test driving an recumbent ebike at Ebike Universe in Toronto. We could not have asked for a nicer day, or better cooperation from the business. Frank is a 60-year-old former businessman who is currently undergoing treatment for stage four colon cancer. Despite his terminal diagnosis, Frank is planning a long journey on that bike, starting in Charlottetown and ending in Barrie; taking the long route around Ontario. His goal is to raise enough money to open Community Give and Get centres in various cities across Ontario, just like the one he and his team have opened in Barrie.
It was our pleasure on Friday, April 28th to work with organizers Diane and Michelle Woolfrey of the Barrie Visions Gala team to record this promotional video featuring chef Nicole Meehan preparing a salad, boiling vegetables, and defrosting and broiling a chicken breast.
And all while blindfolded
SY-STEM Links Promo Video, 2017
The project was originally entitled 'STEM Interface' - View the SY-STEM Links Introductory Video
Homelessness is a growing problem that will not be resolved by people blaming the afflicted for their suffering. SY-STEM Links is a web and kiosk based information system intended to help those suffering through both episodic and chronic homelessness. The original concept came from Tom Chapman of the CMHA and Patching the Past who has worked with homeless persons for many years. He needed a system that could reach everybody suffering through both episodic and chronic homelessness, and our skills in video production and responsive website design were what was needed to accomplish that goal. Many homeless people sustain a cell phone for personal communications and job searching, so our system will be completely mobile accessible.
Each year since 2015 Sharon Smith, the owner and Master Stylist at Connect Hair Studio, has organized and run a fund-raiser called Women's Connection in support of a local charity. In 2016 we worked with the team at Connect Hair Studio to support the Women and Children's Shelter of Barrie, and this year our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, will be there to help Sharon and her stylists support Youth Haven.
Do you know how much Social Return on Investment is generated by your donations? It is important to understand the Social Return on Investment provided by the charities we all support. In this short video, Frank Nelson, a thirty year veteran of the business world in Canada, explains how much good is done for the community in general by the donations being given to the Glowing Hearts Community Give and Get.
During the first six weeks their volunteer staff helped more than 1,000 people and the gave away more than 9,000 donated items to those in need. Frank Nelson, the creator of the Community Give and Get, wanted to tell his supporters of the success, and our crew at the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, were happy to help him do so.
In this comedic rant video, Barrie comedian Andrea Murray looked a little out of her element as she tried to figure out what gadget did what in the tool belt that was almost as big as she was, while wearing workman’s coveralls that were so much more stylish and form-fitting than her usual flair.
Andrea met our the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, crew at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club on Saturday, March 25th to shoot a short video in support of the Home Sweet Home fund-raiser that is being held on March 29, 2017 at that location.
On March 21, 2017, Frank Nelson, Barrie philanthropist and creator of the Community Give and Get centre, received a cheque from Walmart Canada as presented by Barrie South store Manager Vincent Caruana. Our crew from the OCANetwork, also known as Five Points Media, was there to record the event.
The 80 km/h winds made for some interesting challenges, but if you missed the International Women’s Day event but wanted to go, here is your chance to catch some of the highlights. International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8, at which time women and men come together to celebrate the power, the spirit, and the many accomplishments of women and girls around the world. In Barrie in 2017 the festive meeting was led by the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie. Our production crew has a long history of working to assist the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie and as such we were more than happy to record the event for them.
Although February 25, 2017 was not in reality the 'Coldest Night of the Year', the thermometer did drop quite a few degrees in recognition of the event and snow and wind picked up considerably for the occasion. Our crew were in Orillia recording on behalf of our friends at The Lighthouse Soup Kitchen and Shelter, shooting a crowd of more than 500 participants. Our role was to record the event and cut from it a short video featuring the high-points of the 'Coldest Night of the Year' 2017 event.
Kelly Scaglione is a woman of incredible heart and compassion. Every day, often seven days a week, downtown residents of Barrie Ontario see her in her white SUV waiting outside the bus station; however, she is not there for work or to meet a loved one. Kelly Scaglione is there to meet a van coming in from the local jail that is loaded with released prisoners she does not know but wants to help. The prisoner transport is coming from the Central North Correctional Centre located in Penetanguishene in Central Ontario. When they are released Kelly will meet them and offer them seasonal clothing, Tim’s cards, toiletries, and other necessities to maintain them while they get back on their feet and reoriented to the world some of them left years ago. Kelly calls her cause, Restoring Dignity and Hope.
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