Two months after Haiti was struck by a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake, volunteers and other workers in the country are still busy providing help and relief to the victims. With over 200,000 lives lost, over 1 million people left homeless, and billions upon billions worth of damages, Haiti is in shambles.

This scenario, compounded with the problem of corruption in the country, makes things even worse. The local government is reliant on international help, with hundreds of countries from around the world sending teams of volunteers to help the victims receive cloths, shelter, medicine, and other necessities.

For 57-year-old Chetan Vora, going to Haiti and helping out with the relief efforts is a must. Vora, who owns Innisfil Physiotherapy and Barrie Physiotherapy Associates, will be taking a leave of absence from work on the last 9 days of March to fly to Haiti and help where he can. Half a decade ago, he did similar work in Sri Lanka when the country was hit by a killer tsunami.

Similar to his short stay in Sri Lanka, Vora will be paying for his own flight, transportation, accommodation, and food. It’s a completely private effort, carried out by a lone volunteer instead of the usual charitable organization.

We wish this Barrie resident good luck, and Godspeed.

Having a roof under our heads and a warm place to turn in for the night is something many of us often take for granted. But for the survivors of the cataclysmic earthquake that struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti on the 12^th of January, it’s a luxury they don’t have.

Finding a solution to that problem is the Salvation Army in Barrie. The group is working to fix that problem by lending their support to the national initiative called, “Tents for Haiti”.

Like those scattered across Canada, Barrie’s two thrift stores are presently accepting donations which will be used to purchase tents for the survivors in Haiti. According to Major Roy Randell, the head of Salvation Army’s Bayside Mission Center, he and his team of volunteers will do everything they can to make sure Haiti gets the help it needs.

Although they’ve already collected and sent $9,000 to their head office, Randell admits the amount is trivial, consider the number of Haitians living on the street with nothing to live on except government rations. This has encouraged him to try and raise more funds to help.

Aside from sending tents to Haiti, the Barrie Salvation Army is also gearing to raise funds for local causes. Each summer, the organization pools their resources to send some 50 kids to summer camp.

Every great city around the world has a great neighborhood or two, and officials from the City of Barrie are making a move to have one of their own through a new initiative that will determine the future of the city’s neighborhoods that are rich in history.

But they can’t do it alone, that’s why they’re inviting residents to join discussions on the future of Barrie’s residential districts. Ward 2 Councilor Jeff Lehman will be holding a historic neighborhood strategy (HSN) meetings and everyone from the community is invited.

The first of the two meetings will be held tonight at 6:30 in the evening at the Southshore Community Center, while the 2^nd one will be held at the MacLaren Art Centre on the 20^th of February, Saturday, at 1 in the afternoon.

According to Councilor Lehman, the goal of HNS is simple, and that’s to involve people in planning for the community. The idea behind HNS is to have residents share their thoughts and ideas and help officials plan for the future of their respective neighborhoods – in short, the decision making power is with the residents, Lehman added.

For details and information about the historic neighborhood strategy, logon to hns.barrie.ca.

When it comes to being ready to help the public, Barrie’s firefighters are right up there with the world’s best and finest.

After two men accidentally crashed their car through the ice on Little Big Lake on Friday night, firefighters from the City of Barrie got there in a flash and were able to retrieve the two men from the frigid waters.

But Barrie’s firefighters weren’t alone; they also got much needed help from firemen from the Springwater Township. Both teams were called at around 6 in the evening on Friday and were requested to head to Little Big Lake, situated on the northern boundary of Barrie.

When the Barrie fire department’s rescue boat arrived on the scene, both males, who were reported to be teenagers, had already gotten out of their vehicle and were treading water.

According to Fire Chief Tony Van Dam of the Springwater Township, the two teenagers couldn’t make it to shore because of the cold. All they could do was tread water and hoped for a miracle.

Luckily, none of them suffered any significant injuries.

Paramedics from Barrie arrived near the area and treated the two teens. They were then released later. Unfortunately, their vehicle is still submerged in the water.

Barrie’s free clothing centre was seemingly on the verge of closing down after inadequate space in its first home forced them to close shop. However, things have begun to look up as the centre has now found a new place to call home – they’ve even started the year under a new name.

Now known as Nifty Thrifty & Barrie Free Clothing Centre, it is now located in the downtown area. With a larger store space to better suit its team of volunteers, Nifty Thrifty looks to start the year strong after a short hiatus.

According to head volunteer Valerie Scrivner, the clothing centre’s new location is everything she could’ve hoped for, and more. Its accessible location is perfect for residents who want to drop off donations, she said.

The clothing centre will officially be operational on its grand-opening which takes place on January 16, from 1 to 3 in the afternoon. They’ve been open for a few days now, giving them ample time to adjust to the location and store space.

What used to be a small portable is now a space that houses seven spacious rooms, each containing different types of clothes for kids, men, and women.

Nifty Thrifty is one of Living Green Barrie’s charitable arms.

Dr. Richard Goudie, a Barrie specialist in sports medicine, is one of the lucky docs who will get a free pass to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics by being part of the Canadian Olympic Team’s Health Care and Science Squad.

For Dr. Goudie, who also dabbles in sports photography whenever he gets the chance to do so, watching the Olympics in the flesh is a dream come true. The doctor excitedly comments that his camera is up for some hard work next month, when the Winter Games officially kick off.

The 40-year-old doctor is an avid fan of Canada’s hockey team, and he hopes to be able to watch Team Canada win a gold medal.

And even if that doesn’t happen, Goudie is just proud to be among the 60 Canadians chosen to be part of what’s dubbed by some as the “health squad”.

The Health Care and Science team is comprised of experts in the world of medicine and health. Applicants for the various positions were selected last year. They will be largely responsible for each athlete’s health during the Games. Each country that takes parts in the Olympics is allowed to bring its own staff of doctors and medical experts.

As if to mark the end of the New Year’s celebrations, the City of Barrie was hit by a bitter blast of cold yesterday.

Many residents in the region were forced to stay indoors, as weather officials announced snow squall warnings that lasted throughout the entire day. Indeed, a peek outside showed nothing but white snow everywhere.

Many of those stuck outdoors were forced to seek refuge in Barrie’s Salvation Army men’s shelter. For the city’s homeless, the shelter was a place of warmth (both literally and figuratively) and safety. Had it not been for the organization’s services, many of Barrie’s less fortunate would have been forced to tough it out in the cold.

According to Sheldon, one of the shelter’s workers, December has been particularly tough on the Salvation Army. Aside from trying to accommodate everyone in the packed shelter, the organization was also busy putting up charitable events for the holiday.

Environment Canada notes that around 15 centimeters of snow were recorded yesterday. Another 10 centimeters fell overnight.

The good news however, is that things are predicted tobetter by Monday, that’s according to Environment Canada meteorologist, Louis Allard.

He expects things to go back to normal by the start of the week.

The celebrations brought about by the arrival of the New Year may have beckoned for Barrie’s residents to flock to the streets, but for some, it was business as usual.

For Barrie’s finest in particular, the New Year’s Eve is a time of heightened alert and security. After all, a gathering of large crowds can also mean one thing – Trouble.

Barrie’s police officers were up to their necks in phone calls requesting service and help. Some seven individuals were apprehended for causing public disturbance by starting fights in the city’s downtown district in the middle of the festivities.

In a convenience store in the same area, a man passed out in the store room. He was arrested for being intoxicated in public. After searching the man, authorities found marijuana and an assortment of medical drugs on him. Turns out, he had just violated his probation.

Another police officer from Barrie was hurt in an accident when his cruiser was hit by an alcohol-impaired driver in the early morning of New Year’s Day. Fortunately, the patrolling officer’s injuries were mostly minor. He was immediately brought to Royal Victoria Hospital for medical treatment. The impaired driver, a 21-year-old woman from Barrie, was arrested and brought to jail.

All this is a testament to the fact that Barrie’s police force is guaranteed to be on the job, no matter what the occasion.

Breckyn John Casey Blowes may have come to the City of Barrie one week late, but he certainly did it in style, being the city’s first official baby of 2010.

That’s right; Breckyn was born at exactly 4:29 in the morning of January 1st, at Barrie’s Royal Victoria Hospital.

The family chose the name Breckyn, which apparently means freckled, as a nod to the family patriarch Ryan Blowes, who has freckles.

The family’s doctor expected the baby to arrive on December 25th, Christmas Day, but for some reason was delayed for a week, finally coming out on Friday morning.

Ryan recalls celebrating the arrival of the New Year quietly while watching the move The Perfect Getaway, when his wife, Tanya Jones’ water broke.

With one thing leading to the other, little Breckyn became 16-month-old Shailah’s new baby brother.

Breckyn is a bouncing healthy boy who weighed in at nine pounds, two ounces, and measured in at 22-and-a-half inches.

Right now, the Blowes family hopes that baby Breckyn takes after his sister in one important way.

Ryan crosses his fingers that Breckyn sleeps through his first night home, just like his sister Shailah. In any case, they’re just happy their new baby is healthy.

One look from their new pet was all it took for the Wiggins family to know she was the perfect Holiday addition to their home.

On a visit to PetSmart Barrie 2 months ago, Bill and Vivian Wiggins found Calli, a five-month-old kitten who they instantly knew was meant for their homes the moment they locked eyes with her.

Bill Wiggins remembers seeing Calli looking at them intently from the bottommost cage on that faithful day. He and Vivian were at PerSmart to have their other cat, Brie, groomed.

Vivian immediately noticed the feline and came to stroke Calli’s head, saying, ‘’She’s just so sweet and so affectionate, should we adopt her?” A short discussion ensued, leading them to bring home the cat.

Little did they know that they had just helped in setting a milestone by adopting the tabby/calico mix. By bringing home the feline, they had just set PetSmart Canada’s 100,000th pet adoption.

According to Kim Noetzel, PetSmart Charities’ spokeswoman, each year, over 400,000 unwanted animals are put to sleep. It’s the organization’s goal to bring down those numbers, and with the Wiggins’ 100,000th adoption, she hopes the milestone raises awareness of the sad fate that awaits unwanted pets.

The Wiggins family received a life-time supply of Authority cat food, a cat scratching post, a pet play station, and a large quantity of pet treats, all to make sure Calli enjoys her new home to the fullest.