The Spring into Action meeting held Saturday in Barrie was a great success. Around 100 people attended, some of whom were representing groups with an active and engaged membership, like the Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations, the Clearview Community Coalition and ROSSCORE. The purpose of the meeting was to start laying the groundwork for citizens’ groups in every municipality of the County to get organized and elect good people to their council next October. A core issue: transparency. People spoke passionately about how they have felt betrayed and shut out by local government. Subcommittees have been set up. The next meeting, set for Saturday May 1, 10 a.m. to noon in a location to be announced in Bradford, will consider recommendations for a name for the new coalition, key issues and a strategy for evaluating candidates.
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I found the meeting to be quite enlightening and exhilarating. To me Keith Wood in his humble way reminded us what we must do as individuals. We must get involved and not leave it to someone else to sort out. Keith reminded us of the Power of One. It was the power of one that approved site 41 which resulted in a long well fought battle by the people. I loved Keith’s view that even though he was in a game with the cards stacked against him, he was pleased that he was at least in the game. We all should take that perspective.
I hope as a group we can stay focused on some key issues such as transparency, fiscal management at the township and county levels and most importantly those key environmental concerns of air, water and the earth.
I look forward to the next meeting.
Excellent Meeting
Congratulations to Letty McNeil, whose vision this was and to Kate and Ann and all who facilitated. We all need that jumpstart periodically and reaching out to all comunities and those who are interested enough in the environment to do what they can is the best thing we can do. A wonderful way to branch out from site41 with never forgetting its importance in getting to where we are and realizing our job isn’t done but we can still gather and give support to other causes. If anyone reading this is from Bradford West Gwillimbury please contact me at elsmac2@rogers.com
I agree with you Bill. I also found the meeting to be very invigorating.
The Site 41 group are a very special group of good, decent, caring men and women who are committed to defend and protect our communities and environment. And Keith Wood exemplifies this so gallantly when he spoke about what we have had to endure at the hands of SC staff and council..but he is not discouraged but more determined than ever to win this fight.
His talk was so motivating and courageous it brought tears to my eyes. He is a great example to us all of someone who will stand up for what is right..no matter what.
I guess Bill you were at another meeting than I attended until I simply couldn’t take it anymore. Kelly Clune Spoke Out and was ignored. You yourself Spoke Out and was ignored. A lady sitting behind me Spoke Out and was ignored. I raised my hand 4 times to speak and try to get the meeting on some sort of sane road and was ignored. This meeting until I left at 11:30 in sheer frustration had absolutely nothing to do with what the meeting was supposed to be about. I have been saying that the election was ours to lose. If this meeting is indicative of how this team??? plans to handle this, then I am affraid the election is already lost. It was a sheer waste of a perfectly good morning, for all I saw achieved which was nothing. The room was filled with confused furrled brows as few if in fact any could follow what was being said never mind why we were there. So good luck folks because you will need it unless there is a big change in how this election is to be fought. Such an opportunity and such a wasted opportunity to make change in our governance. Sad very sad.
jim tolnai
I wish I could have been there…thank you Bill for sharing your experience. Please, would others also share their views on the meeting for those of us who could not be there?
Jim
The comments after the meeting were pretty positive and it may not have been exactly to your liking but at least it was a good start and got many people out from different municipalities. I have not heard about any meetings that you have held that have been better. How about being positive for a change!
It looks like you left too soon Jim!
Maybe you should stop criticizing and give us some credit for what we’re trying to do. This is only the beginning! Hope you’ll come back and join us at our next meeting on May 1.
A good start we met 6 people from our area and plan to get together soon and plan our strategy.
I wanted to attend but had to work, so did any one record the minutes? How is it that Jim came away with such a different impression than the others?
I attended the meeting on Saturday. It did not “get to the point” of what we were told it was all about. I have read some of the posted comments, and Jim Tolnai makes a very good point. If the meeting was to discuss ideas on transparency and honesty, it did not do that. What it did do was pay tribute to the incredible efforts of the coalition group to Stop Dump Site 41, but did we really need to spend 80 minutes on that alone?
The closest we got to discussing transparency in government was a short address from Ray Millar, who made an incredibly good point. If any subject is of interest or will affect our taxpayers directly, then that subject should NOT be discussed ‘in camera’.
‘In Camera’ meetings could be saved for such subjects as staff personnel where privacy is tantamount, but not for subjects such as land development.
WELL SAID SIR. That in itself is a question worth asking every candidate, and hopefully one will get a response that the candidate will stay with, not change their mind at meeting #1 when elected! Putting honesty into politics? Now there is a concept!
Tom Kinnear
Innisfil,Ont
Jim, too bad you didn’t stay to hear Keith Wood speak. He talks softly yet he is a powerful, energizing individual. I am proud to know him! Did you read your print out? The first paragraph states “Note: this is a starting point-far from complete and in no particular order.”
In my opinion the meeting did accomplish what it set out to do. It confirmed that we are a focused group which continues to grow.
In fact, the entire room was full of intelligent, talented individuals who WILL make a significant change in Simcoe County!
Tell us how to proceed. Spell it out, we are open for all positive suggestions. Join the committee- I did.
Sandi
It is wonderful to see all these comments. But unfortunately there seems to be a haze over most eyes. Please read what I wrote again.
Ann Truyens accuses me of being negative. Nothing is further from the truth. Way back in Aug. I started to push the idea of organizing to defeat those who clearly would never shutdown Site 41 permanently. When I continued on that theme Ann Truyen said I should stop being so negative because I said that the election was our’s to lose every chance I had.
Elsie McLaren you say “I have not heard about any meetings that you have held that have been better. How about being positive for a change!” Hope that made you feel better Elsie, but you are wrong. Months ago I appealed to everyone who visits this blog and offered to host an organizational meeting at my home or anywhere else to start things off. I gave my phone number and all contact information. To date I have received no response. Now why do you suppose that is??? I offered my support if someone would just start the process as time was of essence. In reply to you Elsie I heard nothing from you or anyone else to my offer. But more important only people who agree with those who put on this meeting were invited to become the organizing committee. It was organized behind closed doors much like in camera council meetings.
Sandi says. “Tell us how to proceed. Spell it out, we are open for all positive suggestions. Join the committee- I did.” How on earth can I say anymore than what I have already written here for months and months? The organizers knew I was committed and wanted to be involved. Ask why they did not say “Jim we are planning to organize a committee will you join us?” Why not ask them and yourself why you didn’t send me an e-mail and ask “what do you have in mind, and I am interested in joining with you to setup an organizing committee? Yet now you say “Join the committee- I did.”????
Finally if I didn’t think there is hope I would not have written my comments on this meeting. But frankly unless people who seem to be in charge and covet their perceived power take off their rose coloured glasses, hope will fade very quickly.
We left on Saturday because it was time to make a statement. I had hoped others would realize that what was going on was not worthy of staying. Time is of the essence and yet the powers have made maybe their last and fatal mistake. Whose idea was it to have another meeting in May? Did anyone put their mind to this? What should have come out of this meeting was the forming of a number of subgroups with clear mandate to organize locally with help from a central body. E-mail lists and names so coveted by those in power need to be shared with these subcommittees. The month of May is way too late as summer is just around the corner. Nothing will happen in summer because that is the Canadian way. That leaves Sept. and Oct. But the election is in Oct.??
For those of you who do not really read what I have posted here please read and re-read. This is not negativism. Just because I tell you the truth does not mean I am against you. In fact I am more for you than those who want to save your feelings. Truth is Ann, Sandi, Elsie, John and to a lesser extent Bill French are the negative ones. We have County politicians who are already pulling the wool over people’s eyes. The last thing we need now is more wool. Tom Kinnear is the only one besides me who Speaks Out truthfully about this meeting that Kate Harries the gate keeper allowed to be posted. I believe there are more but we may never really know. I have found Kate has a propensity to delete those thoughts she doesn’t agree with. Wake up and smell the coffee folks. Stop misleading and tell people the truth, even if feelings get hurt.
jim tolnai
As expected my post has been rejected by the Gate Keeper. Too bad that she along with the others in this tight knit group can not see the trees for the forest. Most likely this will not make it to this blog either. But eventually people will see just what is going on. Anyway in response to my critics here is the discussion that took place right here Jan. 20 http://stopdumpsite41.ca/?p=3408#comments
So if anyone doesn’t remember that I offered to organize and help here is the proof. We are two months later and still games are being paid.
If I was a suspicious person I would say some one who is working for the Guergis Team is running this non effort. Once again Sad, very sad.
jim tolnai
Jim,
FYI..Kate Harries is away right now for 2 weeks and not looking after this website. And both of your comments have now been posted! I find your comment ‘I would say someone who is working for the Guergis Team is running this non effort’ very disturbing and hurtful. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Your behaviour is like you say ‘Once again Sad, very sad’. I think you need to apologize for that hideous comment! You should have stayed for the whole meeting and spoken to the organizers afterward about your grievances.
A little clarification on the FACEBOOK issue. I just looked up the facebook for site 41 and it was posted by a university student by the name of Timothy O’Brien (Queen’s University) (the creator)in Aug 2009 in service of Site 41 and the site has 37 friends. Most of the posts are by Timothy who also posted the video clips some of which I have seen on You Tube. The number 8900 is from a Facebook petition which was closed last year and the last post was Oct 16 2009. So the people who signed the petition were not what are called “friends” in the Facebook lingo. There was no lively discussion on the site, since most of the people who worked so tirelessly for the cause either have no computer or no access to facebook.
I went to the meeting on Saturday too, I had actually planned – as announced by email – to join the Waterday Celebration at the Council of Canadians in Toronto – but I felt it was important not to miss this meeting, and I joined the celebrations in Toronto afterwards. We did have an excellent turnout, people were engaged, some shared problems in their areas, such as the gravel pit, and all seemed to agree that it was important to get together and plan to get people elected this Fall who would foster transparency. Hindsight always has 20/20 vision and I would remind us all that this is an amateur endeavor – we are all learning – and good advice is always welcome, I am sure. As far as pressure of time is concerned – well – slow might be better than push and shove. Something is trying to get born here – namely a new way to work actively with those we elect to govern us – and a natural birth might just be right. As I can see – Site 41 also had a long time in coming – 25 years of it, as Stephen Ogden so well knows, so let us each take the time review our priorities and act accordingly. I felt on Saturday that most people see the situation quite clearly so there is no need to wake up and smell anything. Good luck to all and keep up the good work….
Marianne Else contact person for the Council of Canadians Simcoe Region Chapter
Don’t know what FB you went to Marianne because your information is all wrong. The FB group was started by Sarah Morgan from Wilfred Laurier. I am surprised at your information because you say you are the Simcoe Region contact person for the Council of Canadians. Mark Calzavara of the council is actually an officer of the group. Here is the link for your information.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=2343037814
I don’t understand why you say the site has only 37 friends when there are well over 8,000 albeit most inactive for last many months. You might want to go there and check it out. And I stand by what I wrote which is not what you quoted. “If I was a suspicious person I would say someone who is working for the Guergis Team is running this non effort”. Leaving out the first six words and then using quotations on the rest is just a tad dishonest. If you bothered to read what I have been writing about the facts surrounding this meeting and how it was poorly run along with the closed door policy of the inner group, you might see the light. But unfortunately you won’t.
The item above from the Barrie Examiner suggesting that this group should be working with the current council to get rid of the C of A followed by Marianne Else suggesting that “As far as pressure of time is concerned – well – slow might be better than push and shove”. speaks volumes to me.
The Guergis group is very worried about a challenge to their hold on power. It wouldn’t be the first time that moles were placed into opposing organizations and will not be the last. The good part is they are worried. The bad part is that time is running out if there is to be a credible challenge by those who want reform of our governance. Keeping to a script which keeps people ill informed of what is actually going on is a recipe for defeat. If defeat is what you want then be honest and say so. But please don’t inject false statements and false information which the previous 3 comments have done. My hope is that this bit of controversy will open the flood gates pro and con. At least there are two sides being discussed. Discussion and exchange of ideas is what will bring change. I hope we can agree that it is change we are all after. Now we need to make sure that we use all the tools and energy to do it. But as each day slips by the time gets shorter. That is why we should have begun back last Sept. But we didn’t and here we are still at the starting gate.
jim tolnai
oh dear!
Taking on Simcoe county council has been a frustrating experience, even for a late comer like myself.
We must not allow these frustrations to come between us.
Agreed Mr. Wilson – divide and conquer has been an effective means to destroy many public efforts so we must maintain strong and united and in their face!!
Onwards and upward Eeryone! Ignore the negatives and focus on the positives
People interested in obtaining one of the posters seen at the meeting should contact:
Chiefs in Ontario
Suite 804-111 Peter Street
Toronto, ON M5V 2H1
TEL: 416.597.1266
TollFree: 1.877.517.6527
I think that the meeting was excellent for mobilizing people towards using the elections in October as an effective step in changing the way that we are governed. There was a lot of good feeling, good energy, many spontaneous contributions. The chair women encouraged people to speak freely and exerted a minimum of control. I myself was inspired to get going on forming a group in Oro Medonte. I believe that a number of other people were equally inspired and are now working on groups in other municipalities. I believe that this was the purpose of the meeting. This is what democracy is really about. It serves as a sharp contrast to the meetings of the Simcoe County waste management steering committee. In those meetings the chairman maintains strict control and pretty well prevents anybody from saying anything of which he does not approve. I try to slip a few comments in but it is very hard work. This is government control which attempts to stifle all public opinion that does not agree with its policy. This sort of thing can slide quietly into dictatorship.
As a member of the group [yet to be named] that met on Saturday I would like to offer my services as a consultant freely of course to anybody in Simcoe County who is sympathetic with the cause — stop dumpsite 41. I am at the end of a phone willing and delighted to dialogue about this fascinating process of reestablishing democracy in our county. Phone number 835-2107, e-mail — Englishopening@Gmail.com.
Nickolas Rowe
Yeah Nikolas! So glad to have you on our side and on the committee for waste management strategy. I can feel your frustration at the meetings
but at least you get to speak.