Doug Shipley, MP

I had a meeting today with Jill Tettman and Brian Tamblyn of the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka to discuss their plans for the future and the challenges that the organization has faced. Did you know that if you visit YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka on social media you will find links to many free fitness classes online to help keep you active and healthy from home! With the temperature dropping this week it might be a great time to try out a fitness class online.

Thank you to CARP local representatives for taking time to meet today and discuss challenges that are faced by seniors including affordable housing and the desire for many to age at home. We were joined today by John Brassard - Member of Parliament Barrie-Innisfil, Doug Downey,MPP and a representative for Andrea Khanjin,MPP. These are productive conversations that can help align policies with the goals of seniors in our communities.

Small businesses in our community need us to rally around them now more than ever. Tonight I am enjoying dinner with my family from Tara Authentic Indian Cuisine. Always a great experience here! #loyaltolocal

Today Doug Downey,MPP and I hosted a Virtual New Year's Levee. Please see New Year's greetings from Conservative Party of Canada - Parti conservateur du Canada leader Erin O'Toole to the residents of Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte.

Please see my comments as I provide a look ahead to 2021. Many thanks to the Midhurst Newsletter for the opportunity to share these thoughts.

There has been so much negative commentary on social media recently, making allegations about our party Conservative Party of Canada - Parti conservateur du Canada and our leader Erin O'Toole. I wanted to share this statement as a reminder of the true values of both.

Just a reminder, there is still time to register and join us tomorrow for our Virtual New Year's Levee.

The weather is great for a walk in the Simcoe Forest with Ollie. Perfect start to the day with some safe physical activity . What ideas have you come up with to get outside and enjoy the day safely today? #StaySafeStayHealthy #weekendvibes #familytime

This is the National Police Federation Virtual Lobby Week. The National Police Federation represents nearly twenty thousand frontline members of the RCMP. Today I met with Vice President Pete Merrifield, Central Region Board Member Tim Pettit and Director of Government Relations Sarah Nolan. It was an informative meeting where I learned more about challenges faced by members of the RCMP and how we can work together to improve challenges that impact RCMP members and the safety of all Canadians.

I am so happy to be confirmed as the Conservative Party of Canada - Parti conservateur du Canada candidate for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte. I am looking forward to working hard to help make Erin O'Toole our next Prime Minister and give Canadians the ethical and fiscally responsible government they deserve.

A very Happy Diwali from our SAASC family to you. Let's come together once again as a community and celebrate together but apart. After seeing our celebrations ...make sure to use our hashtag #SaascTogetherButApart to show your at-home Diwali celebrations. We would love to see and repost them here. A special thank you to all that were able to take the time to participate and send messages for our virtual celebration. Enjoy and stay safe. See more

For Oro-Medonte residents who would like to spend money closer to home this year please see details for this vendors market.

Thank you to the Barrie Indian Association for providing us this opportunity to celebrate Diwali together. Though I am sorry that we can’t gather to celebrate this day I look forward to future years when we can gather again. Happy Diwali everyone.

Dress for Success Orillia and Barrie is a great organization in our community. Please follow them for further details on how their programs assist women entering the workforce for the first time or making a fresh start.

My condolences to the friends and family of Cpl. James Choi.

What a great start to the week! This morning I had a productive meeting with Conservative Party Leader Erin O'Toole. This was a perfect opportunity to bring forward issues that matter most for the residents of Barrie Springwater Oro-Medonte. #cdnpoli #BSOM

Looking for breakfast plans this morning? The Lions Club at 404 Blake Street is hosting a drive thru pancake breakfast! Come by and get pancakes and sausage. Perfect way to get Saturday off to a great start and support local!

I was greeted with crisp and cool air, accompanied by all the signs of winter this morning. I am happy to be in Ottawa this week and have a chance to connect with my colleagues live. Though I am grateful for the technology that allows us to attend remotely when needed,it just isn’t the same as being here. Have a great week and stay safe on those snowy roads today!

However you choose to mark the day, I wish you all a safe and happy Halloween.

I am off to deliver meals to some lucky attendees of the CMHA- Simcoe County Virtual Gala this evening. And then headed home to enjoy the Gala myself. Looking forward to a great evening in support of a valued community organization.

May your life be as colourful and bright as the lights of Diwali.

It was a pleasure today to take a tour of Shak's World with the inspiring young woman who is bringing this vision to life. Shak’s World is a youth centre located downtown that will focus on community, well-being and mental health of our youth. There will be other important community resources sharing this space to make sure that youth who need service have an easy path to access it. Today John Brassard - Member of Parliament Barrie-Innisfil and I were there alongside Barrie Colts Official Facebook Page owner Howie Campbell presenting $3000 on behalf of the Colts Community Fund to assist Shak in establishing this safe environment for local youth.

Found a great space to shop local today. Shout out to Sonder Studio + Events for hosting this market featuring local vendors. It is so important that we all look for opportunities to shop local this holiday season.

Hey #Elmvale! Canadian Blood Services would be thankful if you could find an hour of your day on Thanksgiving weekend to roll up a sleeve. Appointments must be booked in advance and they need to fill a few more slots to reach their goal at this clinic. The demand for blood has not decreased and your gift may help give someone a lifesaving transfusion. #BSOM #itsinyoutogive

Thank you to John Brassard - Member of Parliament Barrie-Innisfil and Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs for your efforts to organize a Poppy Campaign Launch for our region this morning. Please remember to look in local businesses for the Poppy Box and make a donation to assist with programs that support Veterans. Today I attended the Poppy Campaign Launch along with Terry Dowdall, MP, Bruce Stanton MP, Doug DowneyMPP, Andrea KhanjinMPP, Mayor Harry Hughes, Mayor Jeff Lehman, Mayor Lynn Patterson Dollin and Mayordonaldallen

Please join us virtually tomorrow, Friday October 30th at 9:00am, for the Launch of the 2020 Central Ontario Poppy Campaign.

Follow Ontario Federation of Agriculture to find out more about Sunset Day. Watch for #ontagsunset on October 1st for some beautiful pictures around the province.

The Gala in support of CMHA- Simcoe County is taking place on Friday evening and I am looking forward to assisting them with the delivery of meals. Tomorrow is your last chance to get your tickets! Don't miss out.

I recently had the honour of attending 100th Birthday celebrations for Jack. I was deeply saddened to hear of his passing. It was a pleasure to meet both Jack and his wife. My condolences go out to the Stringer family and all those who knew Jack. He will be missed by many.

One in five Canadians live every day with arthritis and there is no cure. Help people triumph with #ArthritisResearch.

The theme for World Alzheimers Day in 2020 is 'Let's Talk About Dementia'. Take a moment to learn about the causes and symptoms of Alzheimers and let's keep the conversation going.

One year ago today I was honoured to be elected as the Member of Parliament for Barrie Springwater Oro-Medonte. What a year this has been. Thank you to my family and friends and all of the volunteers who helped me to achieve this and continue to support my efforts every day. Even though this was a very unique year with unexpected challenges it has been a great year. I wanted to share some memories with all of you today. #BSOM

National Coaches Week is a time to celebrate the huge impact coaches have on athletes and on their communities. Remember those coaches who give their time to coach community teams, help encourage young team players and teach them how to win and lose with grace. It is impossible to overstate how important coaches are in our communities. If you know someone who coaches then this week would be a great time to take a moment to thank them and acknowledge what they do.

Today is International Day of Peace and the theme for 2020 is 'Shaping Peace Together'. Let's celebrate today by spreading compassion, kindness and hope.

We have just been advised that applications for the New Horizons for Seniors Program can be accepted until October 23rd.

Though many things were forced to stop or wait during the past months as we have been dealing with Covid-19 there is one thing that couldn't be stopped. There were still people battling cancer every day. And that is why it is so important to participate in the 40th Anniversary Terry Fox Run this year. Today is the day and it is 'One Day-Your Way'. Sign up as an individual or as a team, make a donation or raise funds, gather your friends or family to join you, or go alone, walk or run. Visit Terry Fox Run - Barrie for more details on how to participate today. Funds support important research to improve cancer treatments so that more people can win that battle against cancer and become survivors! #onedayyourway #MarathonofHope #RunDay2020 #BarrieforTerry

I am proud to be working alongside my colleague John Brassard - Member of Parliament Barrie-Innisfil, to honour the bravery and sacrifice of local Second World War Veterans. Read the story below to learn more.

Stay safe, stay in control, follow the rules and enjoy your hunt while celebrating National Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Heritage Day.

Their duty was to defend us and bravely stand on guard for our country. Ours is to remember their sacrifice and to remember why they served. On October 20th and October 22nd please take a moment to remember Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo.

Wishing you good health, happiness, peace and prosperity today and all through the year.

Today I had a very informative teleconference with Mike McNaney, President & CEO of National Airlines Council of Canada. Mike was sharing industry concerns which are of interest to a number of constituents in this area who are employed by the air travel industry. Our economy can't withstand numerous industries failing because the current government is slow to act with safety measures that have been successful in creating the opportunity for safe travel in many other countrie...s. In just a few short weeks Canadians from around the country have sent more than 300,000 emails to parliamentarians asking for help. The Government needs to focus on making sure that safety measures are in place that will allow people to feel safe on interprovincial flights to visit their favorite Canadian destinations. Alternative testing options that provide faster results and improve safety for both staff and passengers are being employed in other countries but are not getting approved for use in Canada. Something has to change. We need a plan to safely restart our economy and the current Government has not provided that yet. #cdnpoli See more

Today is Military Family Appreciation Day. Military families are often the unsung heroes. Thank you to all of the Military Families for your strength, courage and compassion. #MilitaryFamilyAppreciationDay

Congratulations to local manufacturing company Molded Precision Components. MPC recently had the honour of being recognized by Canadian Manufacturing Magazine as the recipient of the 'Responding to Covid-Industry Leadership Awards in the PPE Medium Sized Company Category'. Many thanks to Molded Precision Components for being a leader and innovator in our community in challenging times. #BSOM #OroMedonteStrong

Thank you John Brassard - Member of Parliament Barrie-Innisfil for organizing this informative meeting.

Like so many events in 2020, Take Back the Night organizers have decided not to gather in person today. Even though we aren't gathering together we can still gather our collective voice on social media and Take Back the Night with our posts. Please take a moment to show your commitment to ending violence against women. What can you commit to doing that will make a difference. I pledge to support initiatives that increase education and awareness to help break the cycle of violence. #SimcoeCountyTBTN

Today was time well spent with the Ontario Conservative Caucus. We had a tour of Gwillimdale Farms where we saw a presentation from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and got to chat with Jody Mott the Executive Director of Holland Marsh Growers Association. Agriculture is a key concern for the constituents that are represented by me and my colleagues Bruce Stanton MP, Scot Davidson MP, Terry Dowdall, MP and John Brassard - Member of Parliament Barrie-Innisfil

Lots of excitement this week as Conservative MPs from around Ontario gather and prepare to return to Ottawa next week. Scot Davidson MP and Chair of the Ontario Conservative Caucus and Elder Shelley Charles were both engaging speakers to kick things off. Elder Shelley Charles has great expertise in providing guidance and culturally appropriate initiatives and opportunities to support and encourage success for Indigenous people.

I was happy to take the 'When Life Gives you Lemons, Make Lemonade' Challenge for Gilda's Club Simcoe Muskoka this week. Thank you to Andrea Khanjin and John Brassard - Member of Parliament Barrie-Innisfil for taking part in this challenge with me. Remember to visit givetogildas.ca for information on how you can support their efforts to continue to safely deliver their programs in these challenging times. We now challenge the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and all Council members of ...The City of Barrie, Town of Innisfil, Township of Springwater and Township of Oro-Medonte to take the challenge! #makelemonade #givetogildas Mayor Harry Hughes Cathy Keane, Oro-Medonte Ward 3 Councillor Shawn Scott Ward 4 Tammy DeSousa Ward 2 Mayordonaldallen Jennifer Coughlin Deputy Mayor Innisfil Ward 3 Councillor Donna Orsatti Mayor Lynn Dollin please tag any of your colleagues we missed in the comments or share this post with them. Lets all make lemonade and make a difference for Gilda's Club Simcoe Muskoka. See more

Today is International Day of Democracy. Though there are many powerful quotes these words posted by The United Nations really echoed some of my feelings about democracy: 'Democracy contributes to peaceful and stable societies and allows people to have a say in decisions affecting their lives.' Democracy allows us all to have a voice and choose how we will use it. I am grateful to have been elected in a democratic process and to have the opportunity to serve the constituen...ts of #BSOM by bringing their voice to Ottawa. Please take a moment today to share what democracy means to you. #InternationalDayofDemocracy #DemocracyDay2020 See more

Today kicked off Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign. In Barrie proceeds are being directed to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Foundation and Hospice Simcoe. I stopped by today and picked up cookies to share with my staff. Show us your smiles this week.

It was an honour to attend a flag raising this morning to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, often described as the first military campaign fought entirely by air forces. In the words of Winston Churchill, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Today we remember and give thanks to the few for their bravery and sacrifice.

"The hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chose."~ Andrew Bernstein Today we remember the fallen firefighters and take a moment to thank all of the firefighters in our community, both the full time firefighters and the many volunteers firefighters that serve the rural areas in Barrie Springwater Oro-Medonte.

The Terry Fox Run - Barrie is taking place on Sunday September 20th. One day, your way. See their page for more details on how you can get involved with this virtual event and help raise funds for research to help advance cancer treatments.

It was a beautiful afternoon to attend the grand opening of Canopy Coworking alongside Mayor Jeff Lehman and Springwater Mayor Don Allen. Brandon and Chad have shown great entrepreneurial spirit over the years and today cane together to open this new coworking space they have collaborated on. Not only does this offer a great place to work but they will also be featuring local artwork to promote other creative assets in our community #BSOM

Yesterday, Trudeau's Health Minister claimed that she was fully briefed on Covid-19 as early as December and that the Liberals knew the risk that it posed to Canadians. If the Health Minister knew and she was fully briefed, Canadians who lost family members want to know why she did nothing. A choice was made and it changed and ended lives. Minister Hajdu was fully briefed and she didn't advise her colleagues to close the border. Minister Hajdu was fully briefed and she didn't implement stricter travel screening. Minister Hajdu has demonstrated dangerous incompetence. Conservatives would like to know why she is still in charge of Canadians health and safety. And Canadians deserve answers. #cdnpoli

It is such a beautiful day today and the forecast looks pretty great for this weekend. Don't forget that Ovarian Cancer Canada is hosting their virtual Walk of Hope on Sunday September 13th. #OvarianCanada #WalkofHope

Thank you Barrie Chamber of Commerce for hosting a Zoom this morning. These events are a great tool to stay connected with our local business community and provide important updates on available programs. It was a pleasure to attend virtually alongside my colleague Doug Downey.

"What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we've never met"~David Levithan Though 19 years have passed we remember that we came together to support each other in a dark moment, we grieved together and today we remember together.

I am looking forward to attending the Barrie Chamber of Commerce Virtual Town Hall tomorrow, Friday September 11th, at 9:00am. Join us if you have any questions about various supports available to businesses right now. As some supports are winding down and new programs are being introduced there may be questions that we can help with. Visit Barrie Chamber of Commerce for full details on how to register.

Today was a great day to be back in Ottawa. I was there to attend National Caucus. It felt good to be back in my Ottawa office. #cdnpoli

Whether you will be returning to class, learning online or a hybrid model I want to take this opportunity to wish all students, educators and all staff working in the schools a safe and happy start to the year.

As we celebrate Labour Day, we honour the men and women who fought tirelessly for workers rights, which are so critical to our strong and successful labour force.

Today is 'National Read a Book Day'. This is very timely as many will be starting a new academic year in just a couple of days and there will be many books to be read and hopefully enjoyed. "Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader" #BookLovers

Wishing everyone a safe and happy long weekend.

Remember that you can #walkamileinhershoes any time in September to support the Women & Children's Shelter of Barrie. The weather looks perfect for a nice stroll this weekend! #walkthewalk #walkamilebarrie #walkamileinhershoes

The donor centre in Barrie is open this weekend. Follow the link below to find details on where to donate and to book an appointment.