Clean-up, Burn Permits & Waste Collection

In putting together our last post, I was caught up in the romance of early spring and chose to ignore the rocky moments of the relationship.  We were lucky to escape the damage that our neighbours to the south suffered during the recent ice storm but it did serve as a reminder.  This season that embraces us with warmth and serenades us with birdsong can be a cranky suitor with a practical side too.  Let’s get some of those matter of fact issues out of the way this time around so we can get back to the courtship.  Despite the snow on the ground as I write this morning, it won’t be long until we’re cleaning up our yards and enjoying warm summer evenings around the fire.

We’re foregoing an organized spring clean-up day this year.  Most residents tidy up areas adjacent to their own properties.  Please remember that ditches play a big part in keeping the lake healthy.  Reeds and other natural growth provide a filter for run-off that travels through them on its way to the lake so grab the garbage, but leave the leaves.  To maintain other areas, we ask that you consider taking along a bag and pair of gloves when you head out for a stroll on the warmer days to come.  If even a few of us make a habit of picking up bits of refuse along the way we’ll keep our community litter free year round.

There are a couple of changes to the acquisition of burn permits to pass along.  Effective February 1, 2016, there is a fee for Recreational Burn Permits of $15 per calendar year.  For the first time, permits may be obtained online using a major credit card.  Visit the Springwater Township website to get yours.  Under the Municipal Services menu, click on Fire & Emergency services.  On the left hand side you’ll find a link to the Burn Permits page.  You’ll need to have your property roll number (found on your tax bill) at hand and be sure to click the check boxes beside each of the conditions for recreational fires.  Permits can also be obtained at 2303 Ronald Rd, Minesing (Station 3) or 2231 Nursery Rd, Minesing (Township Administration Building) between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) or at any of the three library branches (Midhurst, Elmvale and Minesing) during regular business hours.  Rural open air burn permits also incur the $15 fee but are not available online and must be purchased at either Station 3 or the Township Administration Building.

There was a bit of confusion in our neighbourhood regarding the County’s Easter weekend waste collection when pick-up was cancelled on Good Friday due to the storm.  This temporarily created the impression for some that there was actually a scheduled one day delay due to the holiday.  By ‘some’, I mean me.  Usually the County’s waste management calendar hangs in the garage but we didn’t receive one this year.  Currently, I’m not sure whether we were simply missed or if the County has discontinued distribution of the traditional paper copy.  However, the situation did lead to all kinds of new discoveries when I checked the County website.  From the home page, I found my way to Waste Management Services through the Services tab at the top.  There, I clicked on ‘When is my collection day?’ in the sidebar menu.  On that page there are a host of options.  Viewers can download and print a copy of the calendar, which was my original intent until I saw that I could sign up for weekly reminders and notifications about changes to collection via email, phone or Twitter.  There’s also an option to add the collection schedule to your personal calendar if you use iCal, Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook.  Technology often drives me crazy, but this is one of its better uses.  For those without access to either a hard or digital copy, please note that yard waste collection will begin April 25, and continues every two weeks until the week beginning June 6.

If the weatherman has his facts straight, we’re in for a week or so of lower than average temperatures but after that we should be seeing real spring in all its glory.  It’s a time of plans and projects, so use the coming days to organize so you’re ready to get outdoors and enjoy when it arrives.

Missed Waste Collection

Waste Collection did not occur on Good Friday due to icy road conditions. There will be a double bag day for the next collection day to accommodate one extra bag. Thanks to Marilyn Husak for passing this info along.

Fresh Start

We’re back after a bit of a holiday hiatus so the first order of business is to wish you all a happy, if somewhat belated, New Year. We hope that you enjoyed a wonderful season surrounded by family and friends.

For some, a new calendar inspires thoughts of change. Personally, I’ve never been one for resolutions since I feel that positive new beginnings are best addressed as the need for them arises. I’m also a terrible procrastinator, and prone to avoiding failure whenever possible. I do have a great deal of admiration for those with more self-discipline though, and we’d love to hear from those of you who followed through with anything that you resolved. Take a moment to comment below and be an inspiration to the rest of us.

Despite my reluctance to that particular type of committal, January does bring a yearning for a fresh start of some sort. This year I’ve been purging the household. While I decided to keep all the members of it, we do come with a ridiculous amount of unnecessary stuff. I’m certain that, if I did the research, I’d find that our family motto is ‘it may come in handy’. Room by room, I’ve been sorting, scrapping and donating. Now I just have to resist the urge to fill up the new-found space with more stuff. When it comes to tossing things to the curb, we do have a bit of Association news. Simcoe County has been doing some filing and sorting of their own, and we received an email asking about the status of our poll regarding a change to our waste collection day. You may recall that we needed a majority vote to make the change and, unfortunately, we didn’t come anywhere close to the required number of responses. Therefore, the County will consider the matter closed and pick-up will continue on Fridays. We remind everyone, especially our cottagers, that raccoon clips are available from the County for installation on green bins and that proper sorting of waste will discourage inspection and destruction by local wildlife.

Although it’s hard to imagine with the amount of snow we’ve been blessed with in recent weeks, it won’t be long before the Association executive meets to organize events for warmer weather. We received great response to last year’s line-up which included a perennial exchange, neighbourhood yard sale, and a bottle drive among other initiatives. Brainstorming new ideas is a great deal of fun for us, but we would also like to hear your thoughts. Perhaps you’ve heard of or attended an event in another community that you would like to duplicate here at home. Maybe you have fond memories of annual occasions you enjoyed in younger years. We can also be of help with communication if you would like to get an organization off the ground – perhaps a snowmobiling club, or a reading group. The possibilities are many and our mission is to offer opportunities that spark community interest so please let us know what we can do for you.

Until then, we hope you’ll find reasons to make the most of our winter wonderland. If you’re a fan of playing on the ice and in the snow, perhaps you could pass along info about conditions in our area such as thickness of ice on the lake or hazardous spots on the trails. We’d be happy to share your observations here. In the meantime, please do be safe, and remember to wear your woollies.

Waste Collection Update

Think of a Friday morning, the sun climbing up over the horizon to smile down on Orr Lake with its sparkling water, lush surrounding forests, and garbage-strewn roadsides.  Well, it was sounding idyllic for a minute or two there, wasn’t it?  Simcoe County’s rearrangement of the waste collection schedule has many property owners plugging their noses.  We can bring the fresh air back but we need your help.  Even if your response to the question of change is ‘I don’t care’, WE NEED YOUR VOTE!

At the AGM, the OLRA carried a motion to apply to have collection day moved to an earlier place in the week.  We are the only waterfront community that does not receive service on Mondays.  Unfortunately, BFI, the contracted waste management company, does not have the resources to facilitate Monday pick-up.  However, they are able to accommodate a change of collection for lakeside properties from Friday to Wednesday.

Councillor Perry Ritchie, along with fellow Springwater Township Council members have been very attentive to our concerns, and will gladly make a request to the County for this change.  However, we’ve been advised by Rob McCullough, Director of Solid Waste Management for Simcoe, that we need a majority vote to qualify for consideration.

In a recent poll conducted by the OLRA, responses were overwhelmingly in favour of making the change to Wednesday.  That said, we heard from only 63 Orr Lakers.  Most of these were seasonal.  At the September 16 Springwater Council meeting, it was decided to defer the matter in order to allow us more time to gain a majority vote.  Mr. McCullough’s justifiable concern, shared by Springwater Deputy Mayor Dan McLean, is that the County will be inundated with complaints should a majority not be in favour.

It is clear that seasonal owners are nearly unanimous in their desire for a change to Wednesday.  Many permanent owners are unaffected, and did not respond to the poll but we offer another opportunity to support our summertime neighbours.  We ask you to remember that there may come a time when year-round residents need a majority vote on a matter of little consequence to cottagers.  It’s likely that they’d be more willing to pitch in if we stand behind them now.

Please cast your vote by answering the poll in the sidebar to the left.  Your participation is greatly appreciated.

WASTE COLLECTION CHANGE - RESPONSE REQUIRED BY SEPT 8!!!

As we are all aware, earlier this year our garbage collection day was changed from Tuesday to Friday. Many of us, particularly seasonal residents, are unhappy with this change.

At the Ratepayers Annual General Meeting, a motion was carried to request that the County move pick-up to a more suitable day. In following through, we have learned that A CHANGE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED UNLESS IT IS THE WISH OF THE MAJORITY OF ORR LAKE RESIDENTS. Please read the proposal and explanation below and choose one of the listed options to CAST YOUR VOTE BY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 for or against the proposal.

PROPOSAL

That the waste collection day for Orr Lake be changed from Friday to Wednesday.

EXPLANATION

The County's contracted waste collection company, BFI, does not have the resources to facilitate the Monday collection suggested at the AGM. A Wednesday pick-up is the earliest day of the week available, and is only one day later than collection occurred prior to changes earlier this year.
A request to the County to make this change must be made by our municipal government. TO ALLOW TIME FOR DUE PROCESS, AND TO GAIN APPROVAL BEFORE THE NEW YEAR, WE MUST RECEIVE YOUR VOTE BY SEPT 8. Please choose one of the following options to let us know whether you agree or disagree with the change from Friday to Wednesday. Whichever option you choose, we ask that you merely cast your vote, and refrain from additional comments. We apologize for the limitations of time and commentary we've allowed. It is unavoidable if we hope to attain County approval before the next Waste Collection calendar is finalized and sent to print.

VOTING OPTIONS

• EMAIL - send an email to orrlakeratepayers@gmail.com with the subject line 'Garbage Vote'.  In the body of your email, state your preference. (Ie. "I approve of changing waste collection day to Wednesday" or "I do not approve of changing waste collection day to Wednesday")
• BLOG POLL - cast your vote by participating in the poll at the top left-hand corner of this page.
• PHONE - Call Lynne Brown at 705-322-7568.  Please leave a short message stating your name, Orr Lake address, and your preferred pick-up day (either Wednesday or Friday).

A final word to those residents concerned with the early morning pick-up time due to wildlife tampering with waste set out the night before collection, we offer these suggestions:

1. Place a waste box at the bottom of your driveway large enough to hold regular waste and your green bin.  Ensure that placement of a box does not interfere with the flow of traffic, or snow removal.
2. Place regular garbage in a standard bin and secure the lid with a bungee cord.  Ensure that all compostable material is placed in the green bin to discourage the interest of wildlife in your garbage can.
3. Place clean materials only in the recycling bins.  Rinse before recycling.
4. A raccoon latch for the green bin is available free of charge by calling the County of Simcoe Administration Centre Customer Service line at 705-735-6901.