Horseshoe Valley Kaleidoscope
—by Valerie Thornton
This past year really has flown by, or does this always seem to happen, the older one gets? Another Christmas/holiday season is upon us, immediately after the pumpkin and Halloween antics which occur after the relatively calm and relaxing (and, may I add, civilized) fall season.
I must admit I do not rush into the Christmas season and would like a pause after Remembrance Day on November 11th before the “madness” begins. I had noticed that the Memorial bench for Pte. Kevin McKay, on Line 4 near the fire station and adjacent to the entrance to the new school, had been returned to its original site by the Township (thank you Shawn Binns) after being removed a few months ago because of work going on in that area for the new school. The bench wasn’t looking good and was in need of refinishing when it was moved (our winter elements play havoc with wood) and being in storage didn’t help.
Next time I drove by I saw that it had been refurbished. A BIG thank you to Mike Loston of Sugarbush who did this. Mike had originally dismantled the broken old bench that was falling apart and built a new seat and maintained it ever since. I also noticed as I was coming back from Craighurst that a road going into the new development there has been named after Pte. McKay. So heartwarming!
This year is an especially challenging time for so many families and individuals. There is a serious shortage of food at many of the food banks as donations have been down and there is much more demand than ever with the continuing inflation. Saying that inflation is down doesn’t appear to relate to food items and shopping is a challenge, especially if you have a growing family to feed or are experiencing financial issues. The annual CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE (OM Fire and Emergency Services with HVPOA) again is at Fire Station 3 on Line 4, next to the 4th Line Park, just off Horseshoe Valley Road. It is on DECEMBER 8 between 1 and 3 pm. Drive through/drop off. Accepting non-perishable food items/toiletries etc. or monetary donations. Cheques can be made out to either the Orillia Salvation Army or The Sharing Place Food Centre and tap machines will be available.
Regarding the urgent need for food donations, the LON (Ladies of the Night) golf group this year did their fundraising event for The Sharing Place Food Centre in Orillia and the final amount raised was an outstanding $37,885.09. WOW that is amazing! I didn’t have this amount when I wrote in my last column as they were still counting. A heartfelt thank you again to the energetic team under the leadership of Fiona Barrie and Marnie Redmond. Thank you from this group go to the general community for your support in contributing to this successful event (including making donations, shopping on their online auction or providing sponsorship etc. etc.) and the Horseshoe Valley Resort Team and all participants in this group. Golf is finished for the season but there are several gatherings throughout the year to keep in touch. A wonderful group that includes women of all ages, areas and abilities. I didn’t golf this year but am looking forward to being out again next year. I love that I can just pick up my ball if I want to!
There is also the annual Oro-Medonte Fire and Emergency Services/HVPOA/Back Porch Boys CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE for the Salvation Army on DECEMBER 6 between 6 and 8 pm. Drive through/drop off at the same location (Fire Station on Line 4). Unwrapped toys/monetary donations/cheques made out to the Orillia Salvation Army. How difficult it must be for so many people at this time of year when they have children and are continually surrounded by the excessive material demands of this supposedly joyful season.
ON DECEMBER 7 there is the Horseshoe Candlelight Stroll and tree lighting, with Santa, music, refreshments and prize draw (proceeds going to Comfy Shelter of Barrie and the Orillia SPCA). Meet at 6 pm in the Highlands GolfZone parking lot at 85 Highland Drive.
Good news! The new elementary school on Horseshoe Valley Road at 4th Line is nearing completion; the exterior at least and the interior can be completed during the winter and spring. The opening date is proposed for September 2025, which is very exciting. The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) had sought community input through a thought xxchange (from November 7 to 20) to view, rank and engage with the evolving feedback shared by others. This data will be analyzed and used to adjust the proposed attendance area as necessary. A finalized report will be presented to the Board’s Business and Faculties Standing Committee on January 8, 2025. Any questions regarding the attendance area should be directed to School Board Trustee Liz Grummett at lgrummett@trustee.scdsb.on.ca.
Other positive news is that the Railside Park in Craighurst has a new interactive play structure for kids of all ages. Badly needed also are sidewalks to safely walk around the village but no doubt this will come with the other commercial development that is planned adjacent to HQ. The housing development by Georgian (Craighurst Crossing) has been working on the infrastructure that is necessary to be in place before the intensive building of the homes starts. I have faith in this group as they also developed the successful and beautiful Braestone community.
It has been a super year for all the golf courses and being able to stay open for longer with the great weather has been an added bonus. Horseshoe Resort has had a successful year with lots happening at the Resort. Many people are pleased that it is now an 18 hole course, but bringing an old course back is not an easy overnight task. Many improvements were made this year, with more coming in 2025. I look forward to this as I love this course and it is so close to me.
The HVPOA had its Golf Tournament in October and I hear it was a lot of fun, including a marshmallow putt! Hard to picture that! We used to have yearly tournaments with themes so we dressed accordingly; golf, dinner, dancing and prizes. They were a lot of fun.
A reminder that all off-road vehicles, including ATVs and dirt bikes require a license plate if they are on public roads. Please also note that these off-road vehicles are not allowed on Township trails or in parks.
Once again, our local Beamish Honey is a Grand Champion winner at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2024 with several ribbons and awards. Congratulations to Kevin Beamish who has hives on, I believe, five farms in and around Horseshoe Valley in Oro-Medonte. This product is premium craft raw honey; small batch, raw, unpasteurized honey – the BEST. www.beamishhoney.com Their home/store is located on Country Club Lane adjacent to Horseshoe Resort. You can also find this champion product at several Christmas markets that are around at this time of year. Look for the name BEAMISH. Honey is so good for you and the best if you have a sore throat, well for me at least!
Dates to remember:
December 6 Friday Salvation Army Christmas Toy Drive from 6 to 8 pm
December 7 Saturday Candlelight Stroll
December 8 Sunday Christmas Food Drive 1 to 3 pm
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to my fellow citizens of our Township. We are truly blessed and have to work together to keep it a wonderful community. While I live in Horseshoe, I like all the areas of Oro-Medonte, and am especially partial to the Hawkestone Community who are doing such a wonderful job with their delightful community centre. I think it reminds me of my community centre where I grew up all those years ago in England. How lucky I am to find this now here at this glorious stage of my life.
Comments, ideas, questions please email me at vmt4141@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.