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) justice because you need to read about her.
Growing up, Krista moved around Ontario a bit, living in Moscow, Napanee, Toronto, Huntsville, and Orillia. She landed in Severn and has lived in our North Simcoe region for 30 years. Raising her family and her love of dogs are certainly passions of hers. But, she is also extremely passionate about community and cultural development. This certainly shines through her extensive experiences in the arts community and her involvement with community initiatives such as: the Jazz and Blues Festival, Beatles Celebration, Orillia Comedy Festival, Festival of Banners, Streets Alive, and the Orillia Winter Carnival. She was also involved in the rebuilding of Stephen Leacock’s boathouse where she met her husband! These philanthropic efforts are the tip of the Krista Holmes Storey iceberg.
In her professional capacity, she has served as Manager of Cultural Development & Community Programs for the City of Orillia, General Manager of the historic Orillia Opera House, Manager of Arts and Culture for the Town of Gravenhurst, and most recently, the Manager of Cultural Service for the Municipality of Meaford.
Her career has taken her out of town, but Krista loves Orillia. She comments, “Over the past 30 years in Orillia I have seen incredible community collaborations and quite frankly is the great place it is, because of the good work and dedication of volunteers.” She likens this phenomenon to the Stone Soup story. “If everyone contributes, even in a very small way, then there is enough for everyone, and we all get fed.” Krista certainly has been contributing to her community’s collective ‘soup’…especially concerning youth.
Using her 25 years of experience working in government, coupled with her passion for young people and connection with the Orillia Youth Centre, Krista and a team of dedicated individuals did extensive research over a period of years, and connected with various levels of government and representatives to bring forward the concept of youth rapid housing to our Mayor and Council. They were then able to partner with Elizabeth Fry Society as the best and most suitable housing partner.
Orillia’s youth homelessness is an ongoing issue that was only exacerbated during the pandemic. We are happy to report that recently the team, with support from the City of Orillia and the County of Simcoe, has been successful in creating a facility for 14 youth, who are 16-24 years old. This space is homey, well-constructed and well thought out, and most importantly, safe, offering temporary housing as youth move forward in their lives. It opened and was populated in May of this year.
As a community, we are thankful for the hard work and dedication of Krista and her colleagues for pushing this project to the forefront. But this is just the beginning. She says, “We have dreams of a permanent facility that not only provides supportive housing for youth but also includes a bigger and better Orillia Youth Centre. My dream for this permanent facility would be to ensure that high school age youth are supported through to graduation and then guided to the next stage of success: post-secondary, apprenticeship, a job, whatever they desire. The earlier we can assist, the less likely they will need supportive services later in life and that will keep them out of the shelter system. Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t need shelters in the future?”
Her heart is evident. But she is also full of soul. This comes out in her musicality. She is a talented singer who has performed on many local stages including the Washago Music Festival, Orillia Opera House and the Gravenhurst Opera House to name a few. She is an accomplished author, having published two books “Come to the Garden with Bee and Me” and “A Butterfly named Braveheart”. Both have a focus on pollinators and combine her own photography and love for nature in a heartfelt story.
As a side project, she dabbles in photojournalism, where she takes photos of naturally occurring heart shapes she spots and posts online. Perhaps a heart-shaped pebble, a cloud, or cracks in the pavement. People then often send her photos of when they spot hearts surfacing in nature or they will send her images of butterflies. They take the time to notice and then share with her, which truly touches the Butterfly Lady’s heart.
“I had no idea anyone was even paying attention, but this ripple effect brings me so much joy. On days when I might be struggling, out of the blue someone will send me a photo of a heart rock or something they saw because it made them think of me. It means the world!”
Krista has made her own ripple into the community, which in turn, has brought forth waves of change.
Many people have sensed Krista’s dedication. She has been recognized with the Spirit of the Festival Award by the Muskoka Music Festival, Community Partnerships Certificate of Appreciation by the Simcoe County District School Board, and the Nelle Carter Business Woman of the Year Award, to name a few notable achievements.
Krista has transformed communities through her love of the arts, championed for youth and young people, been an ally and supporter of various marginalized groups, is passionate about nature and eco-stewardship and truly has a heart for her community. For these reasons and more, we want to recognize Krista Holmes Storey of Severn as North Simcoe Life’s Community Hero for our June/July issue!
Do you know someone who is making their corner of the world a better place? Send us an email to nominate them as our next community hero, to info@northsimcoe.life.