This year, give the “Best Gift Ever”
The holiday season is traditionally a time for consumers to “buy, buy, buy.” This year, however, is a wonderful opportunity to re-think not only how we will celebrate the season, but also how we can each do our part in the transition to a net-zero lifestyle and economy. Two things—one local and one international—suggest now […]
A 2023 Sustainable Orillia update with Mayor Don McIsaac
Don McIsaac, Mayor of Orillia, recently set aside time to meet with Sustainable Orillia (SO)to talk about sustainability—short and long-term—across our community. It was an opportunity for him to reflect on the past year and to share his perspective on how we are doing as a community and, as well, how SO is doing as […]
Is a heat pump in your future? Some Orillia households are now saying “Yes!”
What if you could save up to $1,000 per year or more on the cost of heating and cooling your home, while also helping the planet? You can—with a new cold climate heat pump. What’s not to like about lower utility bills and reduced carbon emissions? With new rebates, mandates, and tax credits, heat pump […]
“Closing the Gap on Clean Energy for Orillia”—Part 2: New technologies
So what are the most likely technologies for energy production that we can expect to see developed in the very near future here in Orillia and elsewhere? Part 1 of this series reported that Stan Mathewson, on behalf of the “Infrastructure and Energy” sector of Sustainable Orillia (SO), went before the Orillia City Council on […]
Closing the Gap – Orillia’s Alternative Energy Options
Welcome to Sustainable Orillia’s ‘Closing the Gap’ presentation. The attached document represents the entire presentation made to Orillia’s City Council in September 2023. It summarizes research done on a series of alternative energy options to address Orillia’s future energy needs. There are over seventy slides in the presentation and interested readers may click on the […]
Sustainable Orillia’s 2024 Bike Challenge is coming soon! Following on the successful launch of our bike challenge last year, Sustainable Orillia is once again working with the Simcoe-Muskoka Health Unit and local bike shops to present an expanded bike challenge from May 11th to June 8th this spring. This year’s event—”Sustainable Spokes – Healthy Folks”—will […]
Highlighting Youth Leadership in our Community.
We are delighted to introduce the two young leaders who have taken on the 2023-24 leadership of the Sustainable Orillia Youth Council (SOYC): Kate Sontag, a Grade 12 student at Patrick Fogarty (PF) has taken on the role of President. Kate is supported by Vice-President Anna Bivol, a Grade 11 PF student. As students move […]
Recognizing Youth Contributions to Sustainability
Working through the guidance departments in each of Orillia’s local high schools, we are pleased to confirm that the Sustainable Orillia Youth Council Scholarship has been rolled out for its second year. And we would like to thank the Orillia Power Corporation for partnering with us on this very important program. Last year individual scholarships […]
FREE DELIVERY – When you Purchase a 2024 Sustainable Orillia Calendar
This year’s calendar celebrates the nature’s biodiversity – and its importance to the many students who took part in Sustainable Orillia’s 2023 Student Art Competition. Nineteen of the nearly 200 submissions are featured in this year’s calendar, each with personalized captions from the artists themselves. From bats to foxes to herons, this charming and […]
The Little House – Part V: Covering a ‘lot’ of Ground – Sustainably
We are back! And amazingly, work on the ‘Little House’ itself is virtually complete. Only a few bibs, bobs and some tweaking remain to be completed. It’s been quite a journey – but as with all projects on this scale, it is not quite over yet and patience is a ‘must.’ There are still some […]