Free Compost Giveaway
Date: Tuesday, April 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Gostick Park, 51 Sellens Avenue (at the rear entrance off of Donald Street)

Bring a container and shovel to pick up a supply of compost that can be used to help bring your lawn and garden back to life after the long winter months. Compost is available for Bracebridge residents only, with one (1) visit per vehicle with a loading time limit of 15 minutes.

Compost will be available on a first come, first served basis while supply lasts. When on-site, please keep vehicle idling to a minimum.

Clean Muskoka Together
Help keep Muskoka beautiful. This Earth Month, gather your friends and family to form a team to do some spring cleaning in the community. Participate in the District of Muskoka’s year-round Clean Muskoka Together community litter clean-up program and receive all of the materials needed to get started including gloves and bags. Register your team today!

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Huntsville is known for its stunning natural landscapes, and the Town is committed to sustainability through environmental stewardship. Residents are encouraged to join in and help keep our community clean and green.

Earth Day Activities: 

Annual Compost Giveaway 

Back by popular demand! The District Municipality of Muskoka is providing high-quality compost through their green bin program. Bring your own pails and scoop up some fresh compost for your garden!

• Date: Wednesday, April 23

• Time: 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

• Location: Conroy Park, paved parking lot off Forbes Hill Dr.

• Availability: First come, first served

Community Clean-Up Events 

Help keep Huntsville beautiful by joining a community clean-up event near you. Bring your own gloves and enthusiasm—garbage bags will be provided.

Tuesday, April 22 

• Summit Centre – Meet at the front doors, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• Muskoka Heritage Place – Meet at the main gates off Park Dr., 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Thursday, April 24

• Town Hall, River Mill, Main Street, and Town Dock – Meet at Civic Square off Main Street, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• BBQ Lunch – Supported by the Downtown BIA and Rotary Club, 12:00 PM at Civic Square

Friday, April 25 

• Fire Hall, Library & Community Halls – Meet at main doors of each building, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• Hutcheson Cemetery – Meet at the Main Chapel, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Earth Day Presentation with the District of Muskoka 

Learn about the District of Muskoka’s new Climate Hero community engagement program. Lauren Saville, Climate Change Initiatives Coordinator, will share how individuals, businesses, and organizations can take climate action locally and be recognized for their efforts.

• Date: Thursday, April 24

• Time: 12:30 – 2:00 PM

• Location: Huntsville Public Library

• Registration: Spaces are limited; call 705-789-5232 to register

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The Library would also like to thank its fantastic community partners, Muskoka Conservancy, Muskoka Watershed Council, and Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, for joining in on the Earth Day fun.

The Library hopes to see you there, and don’t forget to bring your reusable water bottle!

Date: Saturday, April 20

Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Location: Memorial Park

Website: https://bracebridgelibrary.ca/event/earth-day-planet-protectors/

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“As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22, let’s continue to work collaboratively towards a greener, more resilient future,” said Mayor Don McIsaac. “It’s not only about embracing eco-friendly practices, but also about instilling a sense of responsibility and stewardship for our planet in future generations. By using public transit, active transportation methods, and looking for other ways to reduce our carbon footprints, families can actively contribute to the well-being of our environment and help foster a culture of sustainability within our community.”

April 22, 2024 – Free Orillia Transit

To mark Earth Day on April 22, 2024, the City of Orillia is offering free Orillia Transit services. Residents are encouraged to leave the car at home and use this opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint. Visit orillia.ca/transit for more information on schedules and routes.

Active Transportation

The City offers a variety of active transportation opportunities and has invested significantly in the development of new sidewalks, bike lanes, active transportation routes and trails, and an extensive and interconnected system of multi-use recreational trails. Orillia Transit buses are also equipped with bicycle racks available for riders to encourage the use of active transportation networks within the city.

Sustainable Tips

This Earth Day, the City encourages residents to “spring” into sustainable cleaning. These tips can help keep your environment fresh and the planet healthy.

1. Consider using all-natural cleaning products or make your own.
2. Donate or recycle unwanted products and clothing. The City will be running its first clothing and textile curbside collection the week of May 27 to 31, 2024. Visit orillia.ca/waste for details.
3. Use reusable cloths and mop heads or make cloth rags out of old clothing that can’t be donated.
4. Purify the air by adding more plants in your house, using essential oils, boiled lemon peels, and flowers.
5. Airdry clothes and textiles.
6. Unsubscribe to unused mail services to limit unwanted paper from piling up at your home.
7. Be mindful of water use and look for opportunities to use less.
8. Repair, fix, or repurpose items you have. Visit the City’s Re-use Depot at the Waste Diversion Site to drop off or pick up items such as paint, refinishing products, furniture or books.
9. Use the City’s What Goes Where tool to ensure waste is put in the right place. Access the What Goes Where tool and more recycling tips at orillia.ca/waste.

Climate Change Action Plan

The City of Orillia is dedicated to promoting sustainable operations and reducing climate change impacts through continuous improvements to facilities and infrastructure. In 2024, the City is undertaking a number of projects to lower its carbon footprint and promote sustainability including interior and exterior efficient lighting retrofits, water-saving retrofits, building automation upgrades, electric vehicle charging, climate change adaptation measures, and public education initiatives.

The City’s Climate Change Action Plan, Orillia’s Climate Future, identifies ways our community can tackle the crucial challenge presented by climate change by making our homes, offices, roads, and green spaces more sustainable. To learn more, visit orillia.ca/climatefuture.

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Free Compost Giveaway
Date: Monday, April 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Gostick Park, 51 Sellens Avenue (at the rear entrance off of Donald Street)

Bring a container and shovel to pick-up a supply of compost that can be used to help bring your lawn and garden back to life after the long winter months. Compost is available for Bracebridge residents only, with one visit per vehicle with a loading time limit of 15 minutes.

Compost will be available on a first come, first served basis while supply lasts. When on-site, please keep vehicle idling to a minimum.

Clean Muskoka Together
Help keep Muskoka beautiful. This Earth Month, gather your friends and family to form a team to do some spring cleaning in the community. Participate in the District Municipality of Muskoka’s year-round Clean Muskoka Together community litter clean-up program and receive all of the materials needed to get started including gloves and bags. Register your team today!

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In addition to the development of climate mitigation and adaptation plans, and ongoing efforts to ensure appropriate waterfront development, the Township of Muskoka Lakes is encouraging community members to participate in Earth Day once again.

“Year over year, Earth Day is a great reminder of the importance of taking action to celebrate and protect our earth, not only on April 22nd, but everyday,” said Mayor Peter Kelley. “As we continue to face environmental challenges around the world, the small things in communities like ours will have a great impact on the environment and driving ecological transition.”

On Monday April 22nd, the Township is inviting the community to participate in one of two clean up events:

1. 10:00 am – Meet at Hanna Park in Port Carling; or
2. 1:00 pm – Meet at the Precambrian Shield Parking Lot in Bala.

If you can’t make one of the community clean up events, the Township is partnering with the District of Muskoka on their Clean Muskoka Together initiative. This Muskoka-wide community litter cleanup program is available year-round and provides volunteers with all the tools they need to help keep Muskoka beautiful.  Clean up kits include: gloves, recycling bags and specially marked garbage bags. For more information on how to register for the program, visit Clean Muskoka Together.

Free compost will once again be available for pick up at the Patterson, Glen Orchard and Ranwood Public Works yards, between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday.

Earth Day is a day dedicated to bringing awareness to the various environmental challenges that our planet faces. By saving water and energy, reducing pollution, recycling, and protecting our animals, trees and plants, we are making our world a happier and healthier place to live.

For more information on environmental programs and projects, please visit the Earth Day Canada website.

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Huntsville is defined by its natural elements.  Our lakes, forests and wildlife play a prominent part in the Town’s identity. Huntsville recognizes its role in protecting its natural beauty and encouraging everyone that lives, works and plays in the Town to be a good environmental steward. For more information on Environment and Climate change in Huntsville, including Climate Action, Energy Conservation, Waste Reduction, and Water Protection, visit Huntsville.ca.

Annual Compost Giveaway

It’s time for the Annual Compost Giveaway, with free, high-quality compost provided by the District Municipality of Muskoka through their green bin program. Come to the Conroy Park parking lot off Forbes Hill Dr. on Earth Day, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (first come, first served).

Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual opportunity to celebrate and honour our remarkable planet. The theme for 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics,” with a commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health. To educate yourself on plastics, take a plastics quiz, take a simple act of green, or find other Earth Day activities and resources, visit the Earth Day website.

Take Advantage of Town Spring & Earth Day Programming

The Town has lots of programming to get you out and appreciating nature – check out our Spring Recreation Guide. On Saturday, April 20, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., join us for Earth Day Family Crafts – a fun morning creating Earth Day themed crafts together as a family!

Spring is in the air and the Town of Huntsville wants you to get active and get out in nature. Use this Spring Activity Package to inspire you to try something new this season. We encourage you to go through this package as a family and select activities that interest you and are within your abilities.

Plan a Litter Clean-up

Huntsville is also gearing up for the annual Provincial Day of Action on Litter, Tuesday, May 14. Spring is the perfect time to plan your own neighbourhood clean-up through the District’s Clean Muskoka Together program. This program provides resources for your clean-up day, including gloves, recycling bags and specially marked garbage bags, in order to keep public spaces in our community clean.

To register or for more information, please visit the District’s web page.

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The District works with our area municipalities, community partners and residents to invest in our surroundings every day, ensuring good stewardship of our natural environment – it’s what we do.

Take Action on Litter: Clean Muskoka Together

Clean Muskoka Together is a year-round Muskoka-wide community litter clean-up program providing all the tools residents and community organizations need to help keep Muskoka beautiful including gloves, recycling bags and specially marked garbage bags.  Learn more about the program or register at www.muskoka.on.ca/cleanmuskokatogether.

Your Go-To Source for Environmental Information and Action: Discover Muskoka’s EnviroHub

EnviroHub is Muskoka’s online web portal showcasing highlights from our innovative, scientific, and community-based environmental programs. It is your one stop destination to engage in Muskoka’s environmental protection policies, programs, partnerships, practices, and sign up to receive monthly newsletters.

Inside EnviroHub: Climate Change – Climate Corner

Muskoka’s climate is changing, causing major disruptions to the environment, infrastructure, and the way of life in Muskoka. Get connected to Muskoka’s action on climate, and monthly newsletters that highlight climate change actions you can champion. Learn more about climate change in Muskoka or sign up for newsletters at www.muskoka.on.ca/climatecorner.

Inside EnviroHub: Integrated Watershed Management (IWM)

Over the last decade, the Muskoka River Watershed (MRW) experienced severe flooding events (the kind of storms often referred as once-in-100-years) and in 2021, Muskoka experienced the wettest summer in ten years. As a result of these events, the District received provincial funding to further enrich our understanding of the MWR. Learn more about IWM at www.muskoka.on.ca/IWMprojects.

Inside EnviroHub: Water Monitoring

Water is a primary element of our quality of life and our economy. Water defines our geography, biology, and cultural heritage – our place. Monitoring our water is the first step to ensuring a sustainable water supply. Each year 70-75 lakes are sampled through the District’s Recreational Water Quality Monitoring Program – is your lake on the list? Learn more about our water monitoring programs at www.muskoka.on.ca/watermonitoring.

Inside EnviroHub: Floodplain Mapping

The District is continuing to undertake a Floodplain Mapping Project to better identify areas at risk of seasonal flooding. EnviroHub contains all the PDF floodplain maps completed through this project and can also directly link you to the Floodline and LiDAR mapping application available in Muskoka’s GeoHub. Learn more about floodplain mapping at www.muskoka.on.ca/floodplainmapping.

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For the overwhelming majority of Canadians, ‘environmental protection’ (61%) is what comes to mind when hearing the word ‘sustainability’ and they are prepared to take action: Canadians agree the most impactful decision/action one can take to improve sustainability is to reduce waste (61%) and 81% agree plastic grocery bags have a large negative impact on the environment. Nearly four in five (78%) say they have recycled at home, and three-quarters (76%) have used reusable shopping bags at the grocery store, in the last 6 months.

Lower down on Canadians’ list of impactful sustainable actions are driving less (29%), investing in a more efficient home (22%), eating less meat (20%) and using ‘all-natural’ products (17%). Similarly, less than a quarter of Canadians have changed their diet (23%) or driven an eco-friendly vehicle (10%) in the last six months.

All in all, Canadians are looking to companies and brands to lead the charge to create a more sustainable future: 43% say companies/corporations are the most responsible for improving sustainability, compared to 28% who say individuals/consumers are the most responsible and 26% who say the same of governments. What’s more, 81% of Canadians want businesses to provide information about the carbon footprint of their products and three in five (63%) say they’d like to be able to immediately offset the carbon footprint of a purchase.

Scott Stewart, Associate Director, Lifestyle & Leisure, at Mintel said:

“Given that most Canadians consider themselves to be sustainable consumers and concerns surrounding sustainability are on the rise, companies and brands can confidently roll out sustainability strategies knowing that consumers are receptive. Even among the third of Canadians who say they generally tune out sustainability messaging, it points to white space where brands can fill the gap.

“The challenge will be finding the best way to do so. Most consumers want to be sustainable, yet do not want to make major sacrifices. And there is still a lot of confusion around the topic, meaning education and guidance are necessary. Companies have an opportunity to be leaders by making sustainable consumption simple to implement and easy to understand. Transparency will be welcomed by Canadians who acknowledge that they need help to fully understand the impact of their consumption.”

Consumers are happy with their sustainability actions
The majority (65%) of consumers say they are satisfied with the amount of sustainable action they are taking (ie they feel it is the appropriate amount), including 73% of men aged 18-34 and 64% of women aged 65+. However, whether or not that translates into a positive impact is another story given that 35% of Canadians would rather spend money to support sustainability than change their behaviour, including 57% of men aged 18-34. Even among those who do want to change their behaviours, there is a clear pattern that shows they want to make minimal sacrifices.

“The most common sustainable actions that consumers are taking are those that are easy and convenient. Like recycling, the fact that most Canadians bring reusable bags to the grocery store is reflective of how easy it is to make that behaviour change. Larger sustainability commitments like reducing meat consumption or switching to an electric vehicle see a lot fewer consumers willing to make a change. And, oftentimes, consumers are more willing to spend money on sustainability measures rather than make any changes at all to their lifestyle.

“This is illustrative of the kinds of solutions that consumers want to engage in to feel like they are doing their part without drastically changing their behaviour and points to opportunities for brands to better meet consumer needs by offering them the sustainable solutions they are looking for with minimal effort on their part,” concluded Stewart.

SOURCE Mintel Group Ltd.

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