Grey-Bruce again Buried in Snow

January 31, 2008

As we dig out once again from a formidable dump of snow I don’t think I am the only one that would like to get my hands on a Wovel. Dubbed as the World’s Safest Snow Shovel the Wovel design uses an over sized wheel to assist in moving and throwing snow.

The Wovel website has a number of video clips demonstrating the Wovel in action. Given that I don’t plan on leaving Grey-Bruce anytime soon I figure I should just make the investment and be happy with the years of shoveling ahead.

The Wovel gives you the power of leverage to safely move more snow in less time with greater ease then ever before. Here’s how:
Simply stand behind your Wovel and hold the handles at their widest comfortable points. Place the front edge of the Wovel blade on the surface you want to wovel. Push your Wovel forward to fill your blade with snow. When you have collected the comfortable amount of snow, lift the blade off the ground by pushing down slightly on the handle. Walk your Wovel to where you want to throw the snow. To throw snow most effectively, step forward while pushing down quickly and firmly on the handle. The snow will release from the blade easily.

Written by Ryan · Filed Under theOwen

Safe ‘n Sound Winter Program for Emergency Shelter

January 31, 2008

Owen Sound Safe ‘n Sound announced yesterday a plan for providing an after-hours program to provide emergency shelter in Owen Sound.

The Y Housing Support Program has recently been granted additional funds from the County so that it can provide eligible homeless people with emergency short term shelter. Safe ‘n Sound is providing a phone line that will be answered after the Y Housing office hours, and have entered into a contract with the County that enables us to put up a homeless person in a motel for the night with the expectation that the person will attend at the Y Housing office the next day.

If you encounter someone after business hours, in need of emergency shelter please pass along the after hours phone number.

Safe ‘n Sound phone number is 519-470-2222 – from 4:30 pm. to 10:00 p.m. , every day until April 30, 2008.

The Y Housing Support Program phone number is 519-371-9222 – available Monday to Friday
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If you have any questions regarding the program please contact Kerry J. Lee, Chair of Safe and Sound Residence at (519-371-0473) or Anne Finlay-Stewart, Chair of the Winter Program Committee at (519-371-3933)

Written by Ryan · Filed Under Community

University Project Survey Results

January 27, 2008

Welcome to the university project discussion and information site!

In November 2007, an online survey was sent to Grey-Bruce Owen Sound residents to assess the level of interest in and support for a university in the region. The response was incredibly positive and exciting.

The following four documents provide a summary of the survey results and a discussion on sustainability education. I look forward to hearing your comments and responses.

To keep the momentum generated by the survey going, we have launched this page on the Owen. Here you will find:

A discussion forum
Resources (please send me relevant articles, websites, etc. to post here)
Reports

Of particular importance right now would be to establish some Next Steps regarding the university project. You will see that I have made a list in the Summary of Survey Findings report. Is there anything that I’ve missed that you would like to add?

Please contact me directly if you have any additional questions regarding this site and the university project at julia_ostertag@yahoo.ca.

Thank you to all survey respondents and Ryan Wiseman for hosting this site on www.theowen.com.

Written by Julia · Filed Under Owen Sound, Sustainability, The Environment, University Project

The Story of Stuff

January 24, 2008

The Story of Stuff Official Site

What is the Story of Stuff?

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

I would like to hold a public showing of the Story of Stuff here in town. Anyone that would like to assist in this endeavor should contact me. If you have a good idea for a date, time and location shoot that info to us as well. I’ll make a couple of calls and get back to you in a couple of days with some more details.