Barrie Bowls for Brain Health During Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
Submitted by Alzheimer Society, January 21, 2025
January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and the local Simcoe County Society hosted a Bowling for Brain Health promote active living and the benefits of staying socially engaged in one’s community.
On January 19th, 100 participants from ages 4 to over 74, gathered in Barrie to take part the first “Bowling for Brain Health” event. Community Teams, volunteers, Society staff and fans came together and raised over $5,000 for the charity! “We are so grateful for the fundraising support by 14 bowling teams and very generous business partners who donated beautiful prizes for our raffle draw. This was such an enjoyable family-friendly accessible event, thanks to the great organization and support by Tom and his team at Bowlerama Barrie”, says Ann-Marie Kungl, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County.
Teams were encouraged to show off their style by dressing up and bringing friends to cheer them on. The event ended with trophy presentations and medals for each team MVP. Laura, a supporter of the event shared, “Brian and I had a great time being part of Bowling for Brain Health. A satisfying morning spent being active, meeting new people, laughing and supporting a good cause. Can’t wait to do it again next year.” The feedback has been so positive that the Society is already planning to do it again.
Participant Sheri Patfield shared, “I had a great time bowling. Alzheimer’s has impacted my family, so this charity is near and dear to my heart. Families need the support provided by the Alzheimer Society, and I’m always happy to help raise money for our community. Spending time with my friends, keeping active and helping to support a great cause at the same time is a win!”
There are over 11,500 individuals across Simcoe County living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias and support to the Society with donations made locally, stay local. “We wish to thank all those that attended and supported this fundraiser, which will help us fund social recreation programming for individuals living with dementia and their care partners”, says Jaime Grant, Special Project and Program Support Staff.
The Society continues to welcome businesses and residents across Simcoe County, the City of Barrie and City of Orillia, to Light it Up Blue to put a spotlight on dementia awareness. All are invited to shine a blue light on porches and storefronts and share photos on social media with the Society using #LIUB and #BrainHealth in support of dementia friendly communities, which is a cross Canada education initiative. Free training is available through the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County.
Winterfest at The Place
In celebration of winter, volunteers of Georgian Shores Seniors Club decorated the entrance and the main hall with spruce trees, snowshoes, skis and snowmen. Members and guests enjoyed the winter atmosphere indoors with a delightful dinner of schnitzel, potato pancakes and sauerkraut with apple cake for dessert. Dancing and door prizes followed concluding a delightful evening.
For more information visit Georgianshoresseniorsclub.ca.
Ontario Energy Rebate
Submitted on request from office of MPP Doug Downey. Jan. 15, 2025
There is an Ontario Energy Rebate program for upgrades to your home insulation, heat pumps, windows and a few others. There is a link below with more information on how the rebate program works and how to know if you are eligible. You will first need to schedule an initial home energy assessment. This is done by a registered energy advisor and will generate a list of recommended upgrades for your home. You may then choose your own contractor to install your desired upgrades. Once completed, you will then need to schedule a follow up energy assessment in order to receive your rebates. In this, you will be reimbursed the $600 fee for the energy assessment.
https://ontarioenergyrebates.com/#howitworks
https://www.enbridgegas.com/ontario/rebates-energy-conservation/home-efficiency-rebate#section_2
Please see below link for more information on all the new and current energy programs offered in Ontario.
https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1005539/ontarios-new-and-expanded-energy-efficiency-programs
What’s the Rules on Passing Working Snowplows
Submitted by OPP Southern Georgian Bay Detachment, January 21, 2025
(MIDLAND, ON) – Roads in North Simcoe have seen their share of snow so far this winter season and the plow operators have been out doing a great job. How many times have we witnessed an impatient driver pass a snow plow and nearly cause a collision!
Did you know that in September 2023 Ontario passed a law making it illegal to pass a working snow plow. The law was changed to reduce unsafe passing maneuvers and collisions.
What is the law you ask?
- Drivers can’t pass snow plows working in echelon formation on multi-lane roads or highways with a speed limit of 80 km/h or more
- Drivers can only pass if the lane is completely clear of any part of the plow, including its blade
Could I be get a ticket for passing a working snow plow?
- YES! Drivers who pass a working snow plow illegally could face a fine ranging from $150 to $1,000
- Other charges could include stunt driving, careless driving, and dangerous driving
- A driver’s license could be suspended and their vehicle could be impounded.
Bay Shore Seniors Club’s 50th Anniversary
Submitted by Lorri Watson, Jan. 15, 2025.
Bay Shore Seniors Club’s hosted their 50th Anniversary Open House on January 1st, 2025, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. There were guest speakers, Barrie’s Poet Laureate, and our Time Capsule. It was a celebration and a kick off a year for the exciting monthly events.
Health unit immunization clinics open to Gr. 4, 5 and 6 students to help avoid suspension
By SMSDU, Jan. 23, 2025
SIMCOE MUSKOKA – Did you receive a suspension order from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit notifying you that your child in Grade 4, 5 or 6 may be missing required routine immunizations and their record with the health unit is not up to date?
On Friday, Jan. 24, the health unit is offering vaccination “catch up” appointments at its clinics in Barrie, Collingwood and Orillia for students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 to receive any missing immunizations before the Feb. 4 reporting deadline. Additional appointments are also available online or by calling 705-721-7520 or toll-free 1-877-721-7520.
The health unit is also offering several walk-in “catch up” clinics at its Barrie, Cookstown, Collingwood, Gravenhurst, Huntsville, Midland and Orillia from Feb. 3 to 5. Visit our website to find a clinic available near you.
Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA), public health units are required to maintain vaccination records for every student attending school and enforce suspension for incomplete vaccine information. Having up to date records allows the health unit to respond more effectively to prevent and control disease outbreaks in our communities.
For more information, visit www.smdhu.org.
Georgian College and Meta collaborate on intelligent tutoring system using AI
Imagine a personal mentor in the form of smart glasses connected to AI that can help you study throughout your entire college experience, or using a virtual reality (VR) headset to walk through a real-life scenario of what you just learned in class.
That’s what’s in store for Georgian College students through a new, cutting-edge collaboration with Meta. Georgian is among the first Canadian colleges to team up with global technology giant Meta to advance the development of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) using Generative AI (GenAI) and extended reality (XR).
At the forefront of innovative, hands-on learning, Georgian is using Meta’s Llama 3 platform, one of the world’s leading open source artificial intelligence (AI) large language models, to develop an intuitive AI tutor. The first courses in development are anatomy and physiology, with plans to expand to more programs.
“This ambitious model blending ITS with adaptive learning envisions a flipped classroom approach, where educators shift from delivering content to fostering case-based problem-solving and critical analysis,” said Yael Katz, VP Academic, Georgian College. “Georgian’s initiative could be the blueprint for education’s next frontier, where student learning and learning assessment is dramatically enhanced with more visual, auditory and tactile experiences, combined with computer analytics.”
Georgian has a long standing relationship with Meta, and has earned a reputation as an innovative and future-focused postsecondary institution through its unique and immersive programming.
“Georgian College is giving students a new way to experience course content that integrates naturally with their physical world,” said Kevin Chan, Global Policy Campaign Strategies Director at Meta. “We’ve seen Llama deployed across industries, from education and healthcare to start-ups and large enterprises. It’s encouraging to see Georgian College innovate alongside some of the most forward-thinking companies, advancing student learning with AI, and preparing them for the future of work.”
Meta provided Ray-Ban Meta glasses and financial support as part of a three-year collaboration. Now, through Georgian’s Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship department and the Centre for Teaching and Learning, staff, faculty and students, led by Rob Theriault, Immersive Technology Manager, are developing three distinct phases of the project.
In phase 1, students will use the smart glasses with a forward-facing camera coupled with AI and computer vision to study and learn concepts for their courses. For example, a student studying anatomy can ask the AI to identify organs on an anatomical model and how they function. The AI draws on datasets from the course outline, syllabus, an open source textbook specified by the course professor and other open source datasets that have been vetted for validity and reliability.
In phase 2, students can use an augmented reality (AR) headset coupled with AI to ask further questions about course material they wish to understand better. In response, the platform can provide visual personalized material, such as animated graphs within the student’s field of view.
Finally, in phase 3, students might ask a question that requires an auditory, visual and tactile experience. The AI might suggest that the student don their VR headset to view computer-generated 3D content created in real time. For example, an animated patient on a ventilator in the intensive care unit appears and the student can have a conversation with the AI about the patient’s clinical presentation. They would also be able to pick up a stethoscope to listen to the patient’s chest. All of this combined, helps better prepare students for what they’ll encounter in the workforce.
“This uniquely adaptive, interactive learning platform promises to push students through all levels of learning, from basic recall to higher-order analytical skills,” said Rob Theriault. “We’re very excited to embark on this multi-year applied research project to discover and develop Intelligent Tutoring Systems which will ultimately transform the way students learn and the way learning is assessed.”
The Georgian research team for this project consists of students, faculty and staff, including Clinton D’Almeida, Swaroop Sanjeev Ingavale, Laleh Khodaparast, Sanjeev Kumar, Dr. Sean Madorin, Sweta Jitendra Pandit, Dr. Mira Ray, Andrea Vargas, Dacorie Smith, Yash Solanki, Rob Theriault, Alina Viju, and Brunilda Xhaferllari.
Learn more about Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Georgian.
PORT MCNICOLL RESIDENT WINS $183,313 INSTANT TOP UP JACKPOT
By OLG, January 27, 2025
Toronto, ON – Sharon Davidson of Port McNicoll seized the moment, playing INSTANT TOP UP to win the jackpot, which had grown to $183,313.80 when it was won on December 15, 2024!
Sharon, a retiree, is a weekly lottery player with OLG. She enjoys playing a variety of INSTANT tickets, as well as LOTTO MAX and LOTTO 6/49. While the mother of two once won a $1,000 lottery prize, nothing could have prepared her for the thrill of winning the INSTANT TOP UP jackpot!
“I was at the convenience store when I asked the clerk to add INSTANT TOP UP to my INSTANT ticket purchase,” Sharon recounted, while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up her winnings. “When the lottery terminal froze, I couldn’t believe it! The clerk had to convince me that I’d really won.”
“I shared the incredible news with my son, daughter, and siblings,” Sharon smiled. “Everyone was so kind, saying I deserved this win. This has been a surreal experience. I’m proof that regular people do win.”
With her windfall, Sharon plans to share with her children, add to her savings, and treat herself.
INSTANT TOP UP can be added to any eligible INSTANT ticket purchase for $1 more. The top prize is a jackpot that starts at $25,000 and grows with each play purchased across Ontario until it is won. Free Play and cash prizes are also available. The retailer scans the barcode on the back of the INSTANT ticket and collects the $1 to activate the INSTANT TOP UP video on the lottery terminal screen. If the video displays three matching tiles, win the corresponding prize. If a “TOP UP Bonus” tile is revealed, win a Bonus prize.
The winning ticket was purchased at Garrett’s Convenience on Talbot Street in Port McNicoll.
OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game. That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with our globally recognized PlaySmart program.