We can learn a lot about how to Save Our Planet from our parents and grandparents. Their "waste not, want not" philosophy contains many Save Our Planet lessons...I am reaching back for this old family staple, Homemade Stock. My grandmother, who lived with us, would never throw away kitchen leftovers and scraps without first considering whether she could make something from it. I can clearly remember the big stock pot full of a mixture of meats and vegetables slowly cooking on the back of the stove.What I love about homemade recipes now is that you can tailor the recipe to your own families specific tastes and control specific ingredients based on personal tastes and/or dietary requirements. Some general stock tips are: for the clearest stock, maintain a gentle simmer over low heat (heav... 07/24/2011

When the weather warms up and our weekends are greeted with blue skies, thoughts all across New Tecumseth turn to picnics, whether it be a quiet romantic picnic for two - like Helen and I would have B.A. (before Alec ;-), taking the children to Earle Rowe Conservation Area or Tottenham Conservation Area, or the full-blown family picnic that I remember so vividly having several times each summer at various destinations across Southern Ontario. In the 1960's and 1970's, these family picnics were tradition and a well-planned event. As few as four families to as many as eight or nine full families, grandparents et al, leaving early on a Saturday morning and driving to destinations as close as Boyd Conservation just north of Woodbridge, Heart Lake, Albion Hills, Glen Haffy, Earle Rowe, Jacks... 07/17/2011

Looking for something interesting to do this weekend?  Soak up some local history with Alliston's Museum on the Boyne guided tour of a New Tecumseth cemetary on July 16th, 2011. The tour of St. Peter's Anglican cemetary will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Learn about the history of the first families that settled in the area, tombstone architecture and Victorian tombstone symbolism. The cemetary is located on the corner of Banting Rd and 5th Sideroad Essa. Call the museum @ 705.435.0167 or visit www.townnewtecumseth.on.ca for more information. The fee (for people over the age of fifteen) for the guided tour is $12 for non-members and $8 for members. 07/15/2011

I received a call from an area I work heavily and made a 4:00 pm appointment to list a home.  I was prompt and came prepared.  I shook hands with Erika and Bob, thanked them for calling me, and sat with Bob, Erika soon joined us. We started with some small talk and discussed the beautiful weather today.  I asked some probing questions about their purchase and their expectations.  They had underestimated the value of their home by almost 10%.  I asked them why they wanted to sell and where they wanted to go.  Even though I had not ever met Erika nor Bob, they seemed to completely trust me.  I have a good reputation in the community, and had made a good impression on people they have known for a while and trusted. I could have taken the listing at the price they thought their home was wor... 07/13/2011

I work a number of adult lifestyle communities and am often in the "neighbourhood".  Being a gregarious person by nature, I will often stop and talk to people I see.  Waiting to meet a couple from out of town interested in seeing my listings, I saw an older lady, in her front yard, that I have talked to often over the years.  Something about the way she was acting seemed off... She seemed to be fretting about something.  I wandered over and said hello and started to talk about nothing in particular.  As we talked, I definitely felt that something was on her mind.  I found out that she wanted to go to the pharmacy in Tottenham, but her daughter was not going to be visiting her until Sunday, and she did not want to wait that long. I knew she doesn't drive anymore... I told her that I was ... 06/24/2011

There was adequate warning about the implementation of Time of Use Price Periods and incenting Ontario Hydro Customers to use off-peak electricity. We were told that if we were to consume hydro-electric power wisely, that we would realize savings. However, when October 1st , 2010 rolled around, and the meters installed in Alliston, Beeton, Tottenham, and the rest of New Tecumseth went "smart", and many consumers starting putting in practice off-peak consumption, an interesting thing happened.  Many of us did not see a drop in our Electricity Bills. It seems to be general consensus that the reason we are not seeming to be realizing a noticeable benefit for our efforts is because Delivery, Regulatory Charges, Debt Retirement Charges, HST seem to dwarf the actual electricity charges. The f... 05/02/2011

Rapini, also known as Broccoli Rabe, Broccoli Raab, Broccoletti, and spring Broccoli is not really related to Broccoli at all! Actually a turnip, the entire upper plant - stem, leaves and buds (which can resemble miniature broccoli) are all edible.This "super vegetable" packs a powerful nutritional punch and is a good source of Pantothenic Acid, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, and Manganese. Rapini contains Lutein, an antioxidant that is thought to help prevent both cataracts and macular degeneration, two serious maladies that can affect the eyes as we age. Additional nutritional information can be found on these great sit... 04/07/2011

Last year, due to the participation in Beeton, Alliston, Tottenham and the rest of New Tecumseth in the 2010 Earth Hour, Power Stream, our local electricity provider reported a 7.4% drop in consumption for this one hour period. Earth Hour might be great for raising awareness, but its overall effectiveness, if just for one hour, is minimal. The key to Saving Our Planet is to make better choices in the way we consume energy and our finite resources. I challenge everyone to make more environmentally friendly choices in their daily life. Make a game out of it, rather than seeing it as a "chore"! To get you started, here are some tips that anyone can choose to do: reduce your phantom electricity usage!!! Unplug appliances and adapters and chargers when not in use. Try to re-use or re-purpose... 03/26/2011

Although the windchill was -15C this morning and there are a few inches of snow on the ground here in New Tecumseth, Spring is here for good!!! Here are some steps you can take now or in the very near future to ensure a healthy lawn  Deeply and thoroughly rake your lawn Check for grass compaction - aerate if necessary Test soil for nutrient content and pH levels Add fertilizer, top dressing or lime as necessary Check and service your lawn mower - if you need to replace consider a more environmentally friendly model (two stroke gasoline engines are notorious polluters) Ensure that your first cut is a very light one to reduce damage to existing ground cover If your lawn is beyond redemption, and you feel that you need to replace it, why don't you consider re-seeding with an environmentall... 03/24/2011

Open House Sunday February 27th, 2011 Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Follow the signs from Highway 9 to this lovely home.  Upgraded with attention to detail, this bright two bedroom bungalow is located on a quiet court and backs onto a treed ravine featuring a large pond. Are you thinking about downsizing? But do not want to feel "crowded" in as you move forward to the next stage of your life? ... This home just might be perfect for you! Quality and Comfort with a Million Dollar View Overview Maps Photos Features Neighborhood $224,000 Single Family Home Main Features 2 Bedrooms2 Bathrooms Location 4 Hickory CourtNew Tecumseth, ON L0G 1W0Canada To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Our recent listings Quality and Comfort with a Milli... 02/26/2011

Looking to retiring in comfort? Want to enjoy breathtaking views? This two bedroom, two bathroom home with main floor laundry and a garage has a family room with a walkout to a patio overlooking a lovely treed ravine featuring a large pond. Located on a quiet court in a small community with amenities nearby and an easy commute to the Greater Toronto area, make sure you view the virtual tour (with a layout of the home and pictures of many of the amenities). Quality and Comfort with a Million Dollar View Overview Maps Photos Features Neighborhood $224,000 Single Family Home Main Features 2 Bedrooms2 Bathrooms Location 4 Hickory CourtNew Tecumseth, ON L0G 1W0Canada To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Our recent listings Quality... 01/12/2011

Finally, it's done.  My driveway is cleared.  Since I have a gravel driveway I have my snow blower set to ride about an inch off the ground (prevents my gravel from ending up all over my yard). The process was definitely a "trial"... After my last post on my predicament (my snow blower did not start two weeks ago, when we got our first "fall dump"), I thought my troubles had ended.  LOL ;-) First Dump Dec 5th/6th Second Dump Dec 7th/8th Last Dump (hopefully) Dec 14th/15th I drove to my parent's home and picked up their van and trailer and went to the repair shop to pick up my snow blower.  I took my snow blower to the man that my father has used to repair his lawn appliances for about twenty five years, and I have taken various lawn equipment to him over the years.  The one slight issue... 12/17/2010

Lou Biffis built the Nottawasaga Inn in 1968 on the Nottawasaga river just south of Highway 89, East of Alliston, Ontario. His vision of building a Inn/resort offering beautiful surroundings, quality service within an hour of Toronto provided people an opportunity to relax and pamper themselves in comfort at a fair price.In 1972, Lou first envisioned designing and creating a destination for year round residents. In 1985, the adult lifestyle community of Green Briar was founded on the eastern end of the property abutting an eighteen hole golf course. Here is a Google Map of Green Briar / Briar Hill: View Larger Map This community consists of Condominium Apartments, Townhomes, Semi-detached and Detached Homes that will suit most every requirement of the discerning single or couple looking... 12/13/2010

I must confess to borrowing the term "snowmageddon" from my friend Anya, who used the term yesterday referring to the same snowfall at her home in Tottenham, about six miles south of me.  I saw pictures posted by my friends in the neighbouring villages of Beeton, Tottenham and other parts of New Tecumseth, and it seems we have all been hit hard.  The interesting thing is that areas to the east and west of us seem to have been spared.  Locally, the other area to be hit hard was from Lake Huron down to London ON. That said, I found digging out yesterday to be much harder.  By late Monday night, the new snow was sounding much more "crunchy" when it was hitting the ground and overnight the temperature dropped significantly.  The result was a much colder morning with significant wind chill. ... 12/07/2010

SANTA CLAUS EXPRESS: Tottenham Steam Train Join in the fun and magic of Christmas with a trip in the tottenham steam train, hosted by the Jolly Old Soul himself SANTA CLAUS, and his elves. Such an exciting family trip aboard the steam train, kids will truly enjoy the experience especially when Ol' Saint Nick arrives. Fun for the whole family!!!! Santa Express trains run on December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 with four departures daily at 10:00, 11:30, 1:00 & 2:30 (except December 4th, two departures only at 1:00 & 2:30). Click Here to see a post on last years Santa Claus Express Advance reservations available here Special event fares apply: Adults $14, Children $8 including all taxes. Babies under 3, not occupying a seat, are free. Children's fares apply to age 15 and under 11/15/2010

The villages of the town of New Tecumseth are hosting local services for Remembrance Day, please come out and support our veterans. Beeton: There will be a Remembrance Day dinner hosted at the Rotary Hall on Saturday November 6th. There will be a service/parade on Sunday November 7th starting at 9:30am, the parade will start at the Beeton Legion and march to Trinity United Church. After Church the parade will march back to the Cenotaph for an 11:00am service. Following the service light refreshments will be served at the Legion.   Tottenham: A remembrance day dinner will be served at the Tottenham legion on Saturday November 6th. tickets are available at the bar for $12.50 each. On Sunday November 7th, there will be a parade starting in front of the legion at 10:30am and marching to the... 11/05/2010

We were having breakfast when my son yelled "Its snowing" ... and with that, the excitement of Halloween day grew to an even higher level... Five minutes later when I left... We have had a little snow on the ground one other day earlier this month, but we woke up to it and it melted within the hour.  I took some quick pictures and here they are... Alec wants to build a snowman.  I told him that it would have to snow a bit longer before he could try and that I might be able to stay till he makes his first snowball of Fall 2010. I have a happy wife and a happy son, and a miserable mother-in-law, She does not appreciate snow and the portent of winter as much ;-) If this snow sticks around, might make for an interesting Halloween night... Came home at 4:30 pm and this was what greeted me...... 10/31/2010

The Town of New Tecumseth was created in January 1991 and encompasses the former municipalities of the Town of Alliston, Villages of Beeton and Tottenham, and Tecumseth Township. Tecumseth Township The name Tecumseth came from a famous Shawnee Indian Chief called Tecumseh who fought and died for the British cause in 1813. A derivation of his name, Tecumseth, was given to the township on April 14, 1821 when the bill was passed in the Ontario Legislature establishing the names of the Townships that would make up Simcoe County. Tecumseth Township was surveyed, in part, by Gabriel Lount in 1819 and by his son, George Lount, in 1832. The first influx of settlers came in about 1820, with most settling in the southeast quarter of the township. Municipal government was first established in 1842... 10/29/2010

Tips For A Safe and Happy Halloween   1. Have adult supervision.  Accompany your kids if you don't think they're old enough to trick-or-treat on their own. 2. There is safety in numbers.  If they're old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, tell your kids to stay in a group. 3. Map out your plan.  Designate a route before your kids begin trick-or-treating, and make sure they stick to it. 4. Take the long way 'round.  Have your kids trick-or-treat in areas where there are a lot of people around.  They should also avoid taking short-cuts through alleys and parking lots. 5. Try tick-or-treat-friendly homes.  Ensure your kids only visit houses with lights on.  And, you might also suggest the houses they visit have some sort of Halloween decoration on the porch. 6. Stay outside.  Make s... 10/26/2010

Another winter season is fast approaching... Here are some tips on keeping the flu and other viruses from spreading! Reduce the risk of spreading infection: Cover you mouth and nose when you sneeze, using a disposable tissue or the inside of your elbow. Eat well and get enough exercise and sleep. Treat all blood and other body fluids as infectious materials. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly Many people get a flu shot each winter to help keep that flu virus away, here is a schedule of flu shot clinics in or near New Tecumseth...   Date Time Location Address   Wed. Nov. 3  1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Bradford Public Library 100 Holland Court   Sat. Nov. 6  10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tottenham Community Centre  139 Queen Street South    Wed. Nov. 10  1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Innisfil Public Library - Lakesho... 10/24/2010