JANUARY

2015

Happy New Year from all of us at HCIA!

2014 was full of activity and action as per our name. Our annual road trip to all the municipalities in the fall was met with warm welcomes all round. The council delegations are a chance to connect with our local politicians and keep them up to speed on what we’re doing as well as emerging issues. For this particular round, the focus was on hitting our 10th anniversary and our list of accomplishments until now. As mentioned in our previous newsletter, the Annual General Meeting held in October was an opportunity to kick off a refresh of our Community Well-Being report. The turnout was terrific and we had several politicians attending as well. Stay tuned for developments in Community Well-Being as the year unfolds. Be sure to connect with us if you can think of any emerging issues.

Here’s to a year of Happy, Healthy Communities!

Every Town Needs a Doc

A great way to kick off the New Year - here is an article by Sylvia Cheuy celebrating the work of Doc Gillies that captures the spirit of community building: "10 Lessons of a Successful Community Builder"

Be sure to check out the accompanying video "Every Town Needs a Doc" by Drew Morey Productions. Narrated by Bernadette Hardaker of Lifestories

Trillium Update
Event: Tuesday January 27th, 2015

And along that line of thinking, and as mentioned in our August newsletter, Trillium Foundation has released a new video on their change in approach.

Super HCIA vice-chair Sylvia Cheuy who is with Tamarack (similar mission to HCIA, but on a National scale) is delivering a One-Day Workshop in Brampton on January 27th that reflects both the principles of HCIA and the strategy of Trillium: Accelerating Community Change with Collective Impact. Check it out and be ahead of change strategy thinking.

Beating the Cold with Chili

A group of enthusiastic chefs, packers and drivers answered the call from Director Nancy Stallmach at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin & District on November 28 and delivered almost 500 lunches of chili to hungry supporters throughout Dufferin. All that food was in support of a United Way fundraiser as the agency funds BBBS and others in our community.

The sloppy weather didn’t slow anyone down and almost all of the orders arrived on a timely basis. Smoking ovens added to the fun for the volunteers – pictured right – who showed up to work and had a lot of fun and camaraderie in the process. Nancy Stallmach received an award from United Way for her fundraising efforts. The announcement came on Thursday Dec 18 at the campaign closing and volunteer appreciation event, where over 250 members of the community came together to celebrate their part in the organization’s record-breaking fundraising campaign.

HFFA Annual Food Event

On November 25th Headwaters Food and Farm Alliance (HFFA) celebrated the accomplishments of the past year along with some good local food and over fifty engage people who interested in what is happening in Headwaters. This third annual food event was held at Amaranth Town Hall and focused on celebration food from Headwaters, updating HFFA’s activities and gathering information. Read more for the full story...

Farm Food Project scores a win!

The CST Inspired Minds Learning Project is a twice yearly competition that encourages, inspires and funds new learning activities for children in communities across the country. Thanks to Jessie Steinburg who brought this fundraising project to our attention. The HFFA – ELA committee submitted an idea which consisted of the Farm 2 School and the Food Club projects that will help change the way local children learn and develop.

Let’s not forget Food Access
Event: Wed. February 4th, 9:30-11:00 am

One of the subgroups of the Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance is the Education Literacy and Access group – and from that has sprung a small group focusing on Access, particularly with reference to poverty. They are hosting an event in February aimed at those involved in issues of food access across the region. Sign up if you’re interested or forward to someone you know who should be part of that discussion. Details | Register

Do The Math Challenge
Event: April 29 - May 5 2015

The "Do The Math Challenge” is a way to help Ontarians understand that current social assistance and minimum wage levels do not allow people to meet their basic needs and lead a healthy and dignified life. Our expectation is that 10-12 Dufferin County community members will Take the Challenge and eat a typical food bank diet for 3-5 days to help experience what it is like to not have enough money to make ends meet necessitating the need to access emergency food.

Food Entrepreneurs: Preserving Our Heritage; Creating Our Future.
Event: Wednesday, 25 February 2015 from 9:30AM to 4:00PM

This free seminar will focus on helping local food and beverage entrepreneurs and aspiring artisan food producers understand how to cultivate a successful food business. The event will include a showcase of local food and beverage entrepreneurs who have launched a successful product or concept, an expert panel, an entrepreneur panel, special guest speakers, facilitated networking and a catered lunch.

Find A Ride

Listings about existing transportation options available in Headwaters, learn about eligibility requirements, hours of service and cost.

Trail Maps Listing

Over 20 trail descriptions, details and maps in the Headwaters region. Take a hike, enjoy a meal and browse our local shops!

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