The Olympic Torch’s passage through Orillia caused a media frenzy, after reports surfaced on the internet that Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds was one of the event’s torchbearers.

Yes, Ryan Reynolds was there – the other one that is.

Ryan Reynolds, a mechanic hailing from Barrie, was one of the lucky few chosen to carry the Olympic torch through Mississauga Street.

“I’m the other Ryan Reynolds, just not as buff,” he jokes.

Not surprisingly, a number of spectators came to the torch relay route in hopes of catching a glimpse of the actor’s appearance. Despite realizing Ryan Reynolds was not the person they expected, they still posed with the torchbearer for pictures when they learned his name.

Reynolds comments that the celebrity treatment is an added bonus to the pride he feels in carrying the torch and representing his city. The torchbearer is an avid winter sports enthusiast, and Canada hosting the Winter Olympics is to him, something to be very proud of.

There were however, a handful of spectators who had no idea who Ryan Reynolds is.
Keri Justin, a spectator along the relay’s route, had never heard of Ryan Reynolds – both actor, and mechanic. According to him, he only showed up to support Canada’s athletes and witness the event.

The streets of Barrie were a sea of red as thousands of locals and people from surrounding areas flocked to the city to witness the historic Olympic torch relay. From red toques, mitts, scarves, and other winter clothes in red, Canadians came to the event proudly wearing the country’s national color.

City officials estimate the crowd to be over 10,000 strong. And despite the cold brought about by the winter season, thousands still showed up to take part in the spectacle. Once-in-a-lifetime was the most commonly used phrase by those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Olympic flame as it passed through the Barrie’s streets.

From little tots, teens, adults, and the elderly, it seemed that everyone in the region regarded the event as something truly unique and special.

Kate Aditya, a resident of Barrie who moved in 5 months ago, was just one of the many locals who grabbed the opportunity to witness this momentous event. With 3 kids in tow donning their full winter gear, Aditya and her family braved the cold to watch the cauldron-lighting ceremony held in the city hall.

Aside from a few protesters, Barrie police officer Dave Hossack thinks the event went very smoothly, with no reports on hurt spectators or crime during the torch relay.

The Olympic Torch is officially making a stop in the city of Barrie, and to help folks arrive at the Olympic Torch Relay Community Celebration ground safely and in one piece, Barrie Transit will be offering free rides on regular routes from 5 in the afternoon to 9 in the evening – hours that city officials expect for residents and tourists to start flocking to the streets.

To those bringing vehicles, you can park your cars in the general City Hall area. Parking will also be available in other areas like the Barrie Public Library area, Heritage Park, and the Collier Street Parkade.

Roads will be closed at these locations during these times:

• Collier Street, Owen Street, and Mulcaster Street from – Closed from 7 a.m. on December to 6 p.m. on January 1

• Mulcaster Street and Poyntz Street – Closed from 4 p.m. on December 29 to 10 p.m. on the same day

• Dunlop Street and Worsley Street – Closed from 4 p.m. on December 29 to 10 p.m. of the same day

Olympic torchbearers will be carrying the flame across Barrie on these dates. City officials expect the turnout to be massive, with crowds similar to those experienced by other regions in Ontario had when the torch paid a visit.

If you happen to be lucky enough to receive a nice snowmobile for Christmas, you’ll have to wait before taking your baby out for a spin on the snow. That is, unless you’re willing to haul it all the way to Simcoe County or beyond to some other place where the snow conditions are better.

The problem these days with southern areas like Barrie is that there just isn’t enough snow to drive snowmobiles on.

Winter parks in the City like the Sno Voyageurs Club are reported to only have limited trails – meaning trails in the park are not connected to each other. The picture isn’t any better in the region’s other parks like the Orillia District Snowmobile Club, where trails are completely closed. The same thing goes for parks in South Simcoe and Innisfil.

The good news, is that snowfall is expected to be more serious over the next few months, this according to Craig Nicholson, representative of the Federation of Snowmobile Clubs or OFSC. He advises sledders to be patient this time of the year, as trying out the premature trails might lead to accidents.

Strangely enough, the one thing that’s abundant in Barrie today is rain, which has caused many trails in the city to close down.

The Holiday season may be a time for cheer and celebration, but it can also be the most stressful part of the year for some.

According to Dr. Ken Marek, a practicing clinical psychologist in Barrie, while Christmas may be an event that focuses on family, friends, and being with loved ones, some individuals feel depressed and lonely, with sad memories resurfacing due to the occasion’s significance.

He adds that it’s not just the sad and lonely ones who feel stressed during this season. Depending on who you are and how you relate to your family and friends, Christmas will always come with some level of pressure, causing stress along the way. This is most common when meeting family members whom you don’t like that much.

Dr. Marek points out that reuniting with some family members can be very stressful and hypocritical, especially when putting up a charade of liking someone, when in fact you don’t.

For Sgt. Robert Allan, a police officer in Barrie, the local force pays close attention to domestic fights this time of the year. A significant percentage of the calls they get are about family squabbles and the like.

And lastly, Christmas is a time for spending. Those who are facing financial difficulties have a hard time coping with the pressure.

Mitchell’s Christmas wish was simple. All he wanted was for his sick wife to be home for the holidays. He didn’t really care about a special celebration; he was more concerned about being together with his wife. Little did he know that he and his sweetheart were about to have a special homemade holiday dinner, for free.

That’s exactly what he and his wife Cheley enjoyed yesterday, courtesy of no other than Barrie’s Queen of Catering, Rose Romita.

Mitchell, whose last name he chose to keep private, said that this year’s Christmas would have been a bit quiet, had he not joined Rose Romita’s annual Christmas dinner.

His wife Cheley on the other hand, wanted a change of scenery from the dull hospital walls to something more cheerful. And like any loving wife, she wanted a special holiday dinner for her husband to enjoy.

Cheley and Mitchell were just among the dozens of lonely and less fortunate souls in Barrie that had a taste of Romita’s excellent cooking. Her yearly Christmas dinner was held at the Trinity Anglican Church, with folks from outside the city coming in to enjoy the warm halls, not to mention the sumptuous food.

Romita admits to being tired and overwhelmed from all the holiday work, but she says that by holding her annual dinner, she’s celebrating Christmas in the best and most satisfying way possible – by giving to the community.

Making it through the winter cold in Barrie looks to be a little easier as PowerStream Barrie Hydro finalizes its plans to literally warm things up.

The utility company is aiming to broaden the reach of its Winter Warmth bill payment assistance program, thus helping out more people with financial problems.

According to Brian Bentz, head of PowerStream, it’s only right that the company gives back to the community by providing as much assistance as they can, especially to those facing financial woes in today’s tough economic climate.

From last year’s amount of $30,000, funding for the assistance program has been increased to $50,000; an amount Bentz thinks is more reflective of the times. The program is an endeavor of the whole province, boosted by the help of different electric and gas utilities in the region.

The program’s mission? To help struggling families and community members pay their energy bills during the winter season.

The program, called Winter Warmth, is overseen by the United Way via a close-knit network of around 60 community offices and agencies.

Since its inception it in 2004, over 9,000 homes in Ontario have received help.
With winter being exceptionally nasty this year, the added funding is certainly a big help.

The City of Barrie’s Christmas Kettle Campaign is in its home stretch and needs one last push to make it to its goal.

As of Wednesday, the campaign has raised $363,132 in donations – that’s over 90% of the Salvation Army’s annual $400,000 objective.

According to Major Roy Randell, head of the Salvation Army’s Barrie Bayside Mission Centre, he’s happy Barrie’s residents have stepped up to the plate by writing cheques, bringing in credit card donations, calling in, and coming with help at the wee hours of the night.

He admits to originally setting the fundraiser’s goal to be lower, but with today’s tough times, $400,000 was a much better amount to help the less fortunate with.

Donations have been coming in on a non-stop rush – Tuesday this week saw kettles bringing in $15,781, while Wednesday had a haul of $10,000.

The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Kettle Campaign helps maintain the organization’s Barrie headquarters, as well as its camps for teens, church services, and free meal programs for the needy.

On the 25th of December or Christmas day, the Salvation Army will also hold a big Christmas dinner at noon at their Bayside Mission Centre, together with a supper in the evening.

The Holidays look to be a major challenge for Barrie’s undisputed queen of catering.

Rose Romita, and her kitchen assistants whom she lovingly calls her elves, have their hands full yet again, as they await the arrival of Christmas day.

Each year, Romita holds a Christmas dinner that’s open to the City of Barrie’s residents. After witnessing the large number of people who showed up for her Thanksgiving bash (of whom most were kids), she expects Christmas to bring in even more people.

Rose Romita’s annual Christmas dinner is set to take place at Barrie’s Trinity Anglican Church, kicking off at noon, and lasting until the evening. Aside from dinner, other activities will also take place like a special appearance from Santa, and games with prizes to be given away. Residents will also be invited to join in on some karaoke fun.

But given that more children are expected to come on the 25th, Romita needs more toy donations to make sure each child receives something for Christmas.

She also adds that food donations from the public will go a long way, as a food shortage isn’t out of the picture just yet.

Romita’s Christmas menu will include turkey, vegetables and a variety of salads, and many, many more.

Charities have been largely affected due to the global economic crisis that has affected Canada this year.

One such institution is the Barrie Bayside Mission Centre, which has suffered a sharp decline in donations from the community. With donations down, executive director of the centre Major Roy Randell is left with few options to answer the 33% rise in demand for food meals.

The problem now is that the yearly Salvation Army fundraiser, which kicked off a month ago, is still over $100,000 short of its goal of raising $400,000 – leading Major Randell to encourage community members to share what they can and lend support before the deadline.

Donations—whether cash or miscellaneous necessities—will be used to support the downtown mission, the men’s shelter. The local soup kitchen, which has churned out over 70,000 meals this year alone, will also receive a substantial amount of donations.

It’s not all bad news though. Volunteer numbers have climbed this year, with an increase of over 38 %. Of course, it goes without saying that the more volunteers, the better. And with Christmas happening next week, donations are expected to make a last-minute rush, so volunteers will definitely be needed that time.