Community Hero: Leslie Fournier by Hillary Handy Teacher. Entrepreneur. Artist. Community Minded. Community Hero. These are just some of the titles we can attribute to our latest Community Hero, Leslie Fournier. Leslie is originally from Napanee, Ontario. She had the...
Your Mom Goes to College: Part 2 — by Hillary HandyIn a previous issue, I had written about my decision to pursue further post-secondary education as a 30-something-Mom. I had grand dreams of taking you along with me and documenting my learning to share with you all....
Toddler TouristGoes South — by Hillary HandyOccasionally, the Toddler Tourist and Entourage likes to venture outside of the North Simcoe region. Sometimes it's an hour drive away and sometimes it's a three-hour flight. And while it is certainly easy to spend money...
WarminsterWrite-Up — by Hillary HandyWarminster survived the lingering effects of the several snowmageddons this winter season. What a time to be alive. Snowbanks towering on the streets made for tricky driving and reduced visibility, but great tobogganing for the...
Community Hero —by Hillary Handy This issue’s Community Hero comes to us from Orillia. You probably have met her in your travels, as she is involved in so many aspects of our community. Meet Pamela Paylor. By profession, she is a Registered Nurse. But it is entirely...
Warminster Write-Up —by Hillary Handy Warminster, Warminster. What can we say about you in this issue of North Simcoe Life? It’s hard to believe we are in 2025. What a time to be alive!This winter has been strange. The six snow days of December leading into Christmas...
The Toddler Tourist —by Hillary Handy It’s our Valentine’s Day issue at North Simcoe Life! Time is flying in this new year.The Toddler Tourist is always on the hunt for new fun ideas to keep the chaos alive. But what about keeping the romance alive? I love being able...
Community Hero: Ted Markle —by Hillary Handy Another year is wrapping up. It has been a pleasure to connect with and celebrate some of the incredible people in our community. North Simcoe is home to some fantastic humans who teach us new things, celebrate diversity,...
Toddler Tourist —by Hillary Handy More often than not, I get Disney songs stuck in my brain on repeat. They are so catchy and little earworms that never really go away. One song is “Do you want to build a snowman?” from Frozen. Like, in all seasons. It probably sticks...
Warminster Write-Up —by Hillary Handy We left the last issue with a brief update that we have finally received our stop light! It is such a wonderful addition to our community. With mixed opinions and reviews on the situation, the safety improvements are quite...
Your Mom Goes to College —by Hillary Handy In the 2004 indie comedic film “Napoleon Dynamite”, one of the characters Kip, throws, a diss at his brother Napoleon, saying “Your Mom Goes to College.” It was meant to be an insult like a classic “Your Mom” comment and...
Warminster Write-Up —by Hillary Handy Stop the presses! The long-awaited traffic light in Warminster is here! Hooray! Please drive and walk with caution as everyone gets used to this important safety measure. Thank you to everyone who was instrumental in making it...
Community Hero: Rylin —by Hillary Handy Our community is so blessed to have some incredible members who do remarkable things. Thus far, we have told the stories of adults who have an extensive resume and significant community involvement over time. We love that and...
The Toddler Tourist: East Coasters —by Hillary HandyOccasionally, the Toddler Tourist heads north or south in the summer months to explore our province. This year, we were fortunate to head East to explore Prince Edward Island! For our Thanksgiving issue, I felt it...
Community Hero:Bruce Chappell —by Hillary Handy Bruce Chappell is a dad, grandfather and a lifelong farmer. You’ve driven past his family’s farm, aptly named Chappell Farm, many times. Located on Penetanguishene Road where Barrie blends into Oro-Medonte, this family...
The Toddler Tourist The Lemonade Stand —by Hillary HandyThe lazy days of summer are in full swing. It has been a fun summer this far, traveling across the province doing all the fun and free things we can! But when we are homebound for a few days, one thing that my...
Warminster Write-Up —by Hillary Handy It feels like school just was let out for the summer and now we are inching closer to fall. How does that even happen? There were lots of fun activities that happened at Warminster Elementary before the school year wrapped up....
Community Hero Krista Holmes Storey —by Hillary Handy A Jill of All Trades with a passion for the arts and her community is our most recent Community Hero at North Simcoe Life. Krista Holmes Storey is a fascinating human. We hope that we can do her story (and Storey)...
Warminster Write-Up School News, Summer BBQ and Silent Auction —by Hillary Handy Warminster sure has WARMed up! There’s been quite a bit happening in these parts.The whole town came out to play for the school’s Spring Vendor Sale at the end of April. A lovely...
Toddler Tourist Orillia Public Library’s Makerspace —by Hillary Handy Makespace is a happening place! If you haven’t been or don’t know what I’m talking about, this is your sign to head to the Orillia Public Library. Located on the second floor, it’s a designated...
Community Hero: Eric Watkin by Hillary Handy Our community is filled with terrific people. You pass them in the street and may never know their names. But they are making their own corner of the world a better place. These are our community heroes. This issue, North...
Toddler Tourist: Spring Cleaning With or Without Your Kids by Hillary Handy Spring is in the air! We survived a strange winter with uncharacteristic weather and warmer temperatures have us coming alive once more. We have emerged out of hibernation! There is a definite...
Coldwater Spring Events and Happenings Communique by Lois Rooney-Giurin Coldwater has been busier than you’d expect during the early part of 2024. The Frosty Funfest on October 17 was a fun event as promised and the weather was somewhat frostier this year than last....
The Toddler Tourist: Exploring Hidden Gems in Your Own Backyard
Winter has many perks. We do love the outdoor time. We love to skate, sled, create with snow, and do all the things. But sometimes we can’t get outdoors…
I have always enjoyed writing letters. Maybe it’s a love of writing, in general. Diaries as a kid, postcards to friends from camp, passing notes in history class or putting notes in my friends’ lockers; all ways to express myself and show others that I care. When the...