December 2018 - In This Issue
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- HCIA - Happy Holidays
- HFFA - Headwaters Willing Hearts Winter Harvest Dining Series
- HFFA - Give Your Input
- F2S - Dinner Party Fundraising
- Volunteer Managers Workshop
- Dufferin Community Foundation
- CHATT Update
- CHATT - The Accidental Hiker
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Happy Holidays From Headwaters Communities in Action
We wish you the happiest of holidays and all the best for 2019!
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On behalf of our Leadership Council, project groups and volunteers, we send warm wishes for a safe and happy holiday. Let us all enjoy this special time with family, neighbours and friends, and rejoice in living in such a wonderful community.
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Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance
Headwaters Willing Hearts Winter Harvest Dining Series
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The Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance (HFFA) is sponsoring the Willing Hearts Winter Harvest dining series to raise funds for its programs.
HFFA supports programs like Farm to School, which nourishes and educates school children in the Dufferin and Caledon region on the benefits and preparation of locally grown food. HFFA is a project of Headwaters Communities in Action (HCIA).
The dining series is offering an exclusive dining experience every month from January to April. You can enjoy the best locally grown food Headwaters has to offer at an eclectic selection of four interesting Headwaters dining establishments. You can buy dinner for one event, or get discounts by buying tickets for multiple events.
The restaurants and dates are as follows:
• Mono Cliffs Inn on Jan 25, 2019, at 6:30 PM
• Forks of the Credit Inn on Feb 21, 2019, at 6:30 PM
• Millcroft Inn on Mar 24, 2019, at 4:00 PM
• Mrs Mitchell's Restaurant Apr 26, 2019, at 6:30 PM
The prices for the dinners are discounted when you buy multiple tickets for the series:
1 Evening: Single - $80; Couple - $155
2 Evenings: Single - $155; Couple - $300
3 Evenings: Single - $225; Couple - $435
4 Evenings: Single - $290; Couple - $565
It’s the perfect gift for those hard-to-buy-for loved ones on your list. But hurry, tickets are sure to be going fast.
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Here are some ways that you can engage with our government - federal and provincial -
on important issues related to food and farming, as well as farm to school.
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Farm to School
Having a dinner party this coming holiday season? Party with a purpose!
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Support Farm to School with that get-together you're having anyway. Ask each guest to br
ing a donation that will go toward the delivery of your Local Food Club in schools throughout Dufferin and Caledon. Your guests’ donations to the Local Food Club ultimately support area schools, local farmers, and healthy and sustainable local food system.
We provide program information and everything you need to turn your good time into a great thing for your community. The Host Package gives you everything you need to promote Farm to School at your event; including a planned presentation from HFFA (optional) and information about the program.
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Volunteer Dufferin
Volunteer Managers Workshop
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Dufferin Community Foundation
Exciting Update!
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It's official - The Dufferin Community Foundation has just received their charitable status from the Canada Revenue Agency! This long-awaited news now allows the
Dufferin Community Foundation
to issue its own tax receipts to donors who want to help build endowment funds.
Endowment funds help create a sustainable way to support vital charitable work throughout Dufferin for generations to come.
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CHATT-
Citizens of Headwaters for Active Transportation Team
Trails/CHATT Update
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What has the Trails Committee been up to? The group that formed from the last forum has put a project plan in place that is starting to get legs (actually wheels!) and is moving to the partnership and funding phase. Here is a snapshot of what’s been going on so far:
Executive Summary:
The Citizens of Headwaters Active Transportation Team (CHATT) is a community-based group fostered by Headwaters Communities in Action (HCIA) that encourages self-propelled movement as a foundation for community health and well-being.
Dufferin Area Recreation Trail (DART):
The Dufferin Area Recreation Trail (DART) vision is a connected system of routes appropriate for various self-propelled activities (e.g. cycling, hiking, walking , etc.).
The current initiative is the proposed Dufferin Area Recreation Trail (DART) network that will connect urban and rural communities to each other, and to natural and cultural assets across the County. CHATT will be inviting municipalities to actively participate in the development of Phase 1 of this initiative with representation and funding.
Participation is considered both necessary and sufficient to lay down the foundation of this important initiative that will directly benefit community health and drive economic development through recreational tourism in your municipality.
Subsequent phases of the DART will increase trail connectivity, improve/maintain/build trails (on/off/near roads), build out additional cycling infrastructure (e.g. a County-wide Park n’ Pedal program, bicycle racks and lighting), and drive recreational tourism through the development of cycling and other recreational events.
The objective for Phase 1 of the project is the identification of cycling routes that connect the urban and natural areas of Dufferin County by navigating the rural landscape on a network of secondary roads.
Contact us
if you would like to participate in this project
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The Accidental Hiker
by Nicola Ross
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In November, I took a hike-leader certification course offered by Hike Ontario through the Bruce Trail Conservancy. When we introduced ourselves, Debbie Pottinger said she was an “accidental hiker” who’d recently found herself leading hikes in Mississauga. Intrigued, I met with Debbie at the Bean & Pearl, a café in north Brampton.
While Debbie sipped tea and I a latte, we hit it off immediately. I learned that her colourful headdress that I’d presumed was part of what I had presumed, were her African roots, was related to her recently completed rounds of chemo and other breast cancer treatments.
Hiking in nature, as many doctors now know, is a wonderful way to recover from the physical and mental trauma of cancer and other ailments. In fact, as I recently wrote, doctors on the Shetland Islands can now “prescribe” a walk in the woods. Debbie, whose work often involves assisting people with addiction and/or mental health issues, has taken that idea a step farther.
Last summer, she saw a sign advertising Healthy Heart Hikes and decided to give hiking a try. At first, she couldn’t keep up with the group and felt very much like an accidental hiker. But with some extra walking on the side, she improved her fitness level. Over time, she came t
o know the trails in the nearby Riverwood Conservancy, and felt compelled to introduce friends and acquaintances to hiking.
Convinced of the health benefits of walking in nature, she organized outings she called Walking Meditation hikes. At first, she had her group walk in silence. “But,” she said, “that didn’t last long.” Soon the excursions became bonding experiences for the women who took part. Now Debbie sees the twice-weekly walks as a form of self-care. At the end of each hike, she hands out small messages such as “Hug a tree.” or “Smile at a stranger.”
Debbie benefitted a lot at the day-long hike-leader certification course. She learned some of the language of hiking, discovered what she should carry such as first aid items and took note of how to deal with discord on a hike. “I realized,” she said, “that my work with people suffering from addiction and/or mental health was good training for leading a hike!”
This made me think that perhaps Debbie wasn’t an “accidental hiker” after all.
Author Bio: From Loops & Lattes Hiking Guides’ author and avid hiker Nicola Ross. Visit
www.nicolaross.ca
to purchase one of her four hiking guides, sign up for her newsletter and receive info about hiking trails, books, contests and more.
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Be an Engaged Citizen
Are you interested in making life better together? Calling all future Board members! If you are passionate about your community then we would like to meet with you. Please
connect
with us to arrange a meeting!
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We couldn’t do it without you!
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Thank you to our many partners, stakeholders and volunteers who make up HCIA and its project groups. Our primary funders are Dufferin County and United Way of Guelph Wellington Dufferin.
We`re all Making life better together!
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Listings about existing transportation options available in Headwaters, learn about eligibility requirements, hours of service and cost.
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Over 20 trail descriptions, details and maps in the Headwaters region. Take a hike, enjoy a meal and browse our local shops!
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Headwaters Communities in Action
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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