Keenan Aylwin

REMINDER - Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Engagement Meeting TONIGHT at 6:30pm Hope to see you there! #EarthDay2021 #barrie

Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities shouldn't have to put up with this threat to their safety week after week. Some of these guest speaker are openly anti-2SLGBTQ, have strong ties to white supremacists, and are anti-choice. I'm sad and frustrated, but feeling hopeful that a community response to this rally is developing. I would ask that if you're worried about this hateful event, that you think about ways to disrupt it while staying safe, avoiding a confrontatio...n with potentially violent right-wing extremists, maintaining physical distancing, and wearing a mask. There are ways to do so if we stick together. If you know people who are planning to attend, make sure they are fully aware of these hateful speakers' views and what they are associating themselves with. Let's spread messages of love and justice. Let's show that we care about our neighbours by following public health orders and by getting the vaccine when you are eligible. When you get your vaccine, encourage others to do so. Let everyone know that they are safe and effective. And once we are able to gather in person, we will have rallies that outnumber these ones by hundreds to show that they do not represent the vast majority of people in this city. These hateful forces are here, but we can stamp them out with courage and love. Please reach out to me if you have ideas or just need emotional support with this going on. Love, Keenan

Downtown Barrie is a loving and welcoming community where people care and look after each other. There's a beautiful of example of this in Meridian Place this morning. Some community members took the time and effort to write a heartfelt message to people who will be gathering at the square today, asking them to reconsider. It has been posted throughout the square for people to read. Thank you for being there for our city and the people who call downtown home.... Here's the full text of the letter: If you're reading this, we see you, and we love you. We understand your frustration with our government and the exhaustion that comes with being let down over and over again. You are allowed to be furious for our children, for our most vulnerable, and for yourself. Losing a year of our life is a huge sacrifice we should not have been asked to make. We even understand turning to the "anti-lockdown movement" to express your rage and confusion. However, we can assure you that this movement does not care about you and it will not protect you. It is rooted in conspiracy, pseudoscience, and hate. Please take a look around at the businesses that felt it was too dangerous to open today and reconsider what this is doing to our community. We need you with us so we can get through this together. Love, Your Neighbours #Barrie

An Open Letter to the organizers, speakers, and anyone planning on coming to the protest this Saturday at Meridian Place: You are putting lives at risk by illegally gathering. Not just your own lives, but the lives of nurses, doctors, paramedics, police officers, and everyone else in our community. We're writing to urge you to think about these people, and reconsider how you choose to protest. In Barrie, our COVID cases have tripled in one week. The number of people arri...ving at RVH who are gasping for a breath due to severe COVID-19, is growing every day. These are our neighbours, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. More have died in the past ten days that at any point in the pandemic, except during the Roberta Place outbreak. You have the right to protest, and should you chose to do so, do it safely. Protest online. Post on social media. But do not gather in crowds. You may think this is about freedom, but it isn’t - you are only contributing to the spread of this virus, which in turn, robs people of their freedom by getting them sick. You are endangering the very people you think you are advocating for by making it unsafe for them to be in a public square. You may think this is about supporting small businesses but in fact, you are hurting the very businesses you claim you're helping by risking the health of their employees and by driving potential business away. Our downtown small business owners would encourage you to reconsider. You may think this is about opposing the lockdown, but by spreading the virus you are contributing to the lockdown lasting much longer. We all have rights and freedoms, but none of us has the right to put other people's lives at risk. You may point to other protests but they happened once, not every Saturday, and other organizers made attempts to mask and keep people safe. You are intentionally ignoring these safety measures. We understand you don’t like the lockdown. We don't either - Nobody does. But it is saving lives. It's what we need to do right now. Please don't gather. It's wrong, it's dangerous, and it's incredibly selfish. On behalf of all of our residents, particularly the elderly, immunocompromised, and all others vulnerable to COVID-19, please stay home. Signed: Mayor Jeff Lehman Deputy Mayor Barry Ward Councillor Clare Riepma Councillor Keenan Aylwin Councillor Anne Marie Kungl Councillor Robert Thomson Councillor Natalie Harris Councillor Gary Harvey Councillor Jim Harris Councillor Sergio Morales Councillor Mike McCann Prepared by/Key Contact: Mayor Jeff Lehman [email protected] (705) 792-7900

Today is February 1st which marks the start of Black History Month. This month, I'll be following and sharing the work of UPlift Black and Making Change as they educate and advocate to support Black folks in our communities. Two amazing books that I've read that have helped me understand the history of Black people on this land are Policing Black Lives by Robyn Maynard and The Skin We're In by Desmond Cole (covers for each book pictured below). I'd recommend them to anyone ...who wants to learn more. There is a rich history of struggle and resilience by Black people in this place and I hope we can all commit to learning, unlearning, and supporting the voices in our community who contribute so much. #BlackHistoryMonth #Barrie Find Policing Black Lives here: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/policing-black-lives Find The Skin We're In here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca//the-skin-/9780385686341 Learn more about UPlift Black here: https://upliftblack.org/ Learn more about Making Change here: https://www.makingchangesc.com/

The new variant of COVID-19 has the ability to spread through our communities at an alarming rate. Please check out this important message from Dr. Gardner on the requirement we all have to #StayHome #StopTheSpread #WeAreInThisTogether https://youtu.be/_RxGT-ktoJI

Tonight: Tuesday, January 26 at 5pm: Ward 2 Neighbourhood Meeting Hear about a proposed development at 19 Dundonald Street. A nine storey apartment building with 67 units & two levels of underground parking: https://bit.ly/3ahe8AV... #Barrie

Feeling incredibly proud of Barrie City Council for taking this step. Looking forward to ratification next week! Thank you so much to Councillor Natalie Harris for co-sponsoring this and working so hard on it! From the article: ... It’s an exciting opportunity for us to make a dent in the issue of homelessness in our community, said Coun. Keenan Aylwin. The situation with people who are unhoused in and around the downtown has reached a breaking point and people’s lives are at risk, sleeping out in the cold. Business owners are having to deal with people sleeping in their doorways and the police are having to deal with that, he added. It’s unfortunate that we’re just spinning our wheels, instead of coming to a solution to address the root cause, which is housing. That’s the bottom line, we need more supportive housing and this can accomplish that. https://www.barrietoday.com//councillors-include-3m-in-202 #Barrie

Join us remembering those who have been lost as a result of homelessness and the policies that allow poverty to continue in our communities.

This year, celebrate with your immediate household only. Be safe out there! Learn more about COVID-19 guidelines here: https://www.simcoemuskokahealth.org/Topics/COVID-19 #Barrie

The City of Barrie, in partnership with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and Urban Pantry, is exploring three new locations for community gardens in Barr...ie’s neighborhood parks: Riverwood Park- 22 Kozlov Street, Barrie Lampman Park- 59 Lampman Lane, Barrie Batteaux Park- 443 Mapleton Avenue, Barrie As a community member, you are invited to fill out the survey and register to attend any of the virtual meetings by visiting the Community Garden Program webpage (barrie.ca /communitygardens). Click the link to receive a unique URL address to attend. If you need assistance to register, require a mail-in copy of the survey, or wish to provide comments contact the undersigned. Please have comments and/or survey submitted by Thursday, February 25, 2021.

Hey guys! Here is what drop in’s we have available to keep you busy this month. All drop in programming is FREE and taught by local youth/young adults. Everyt...hing is offered both in person and online including dance and art. Stay safe, stay active and stay healthy PS. Snack Shack is a real place, with real snacks and real cool seating.. . . #stayhumble #staykind #stayhealthy #community #youth #activities

Join us on World AIDS Day, December 1st at 12pm

Honestly never thought I'd be excited about road work being done, but being a municipal politician will do that to ya I guess #Barrie

Where would you increase the City of Barrie's budget in 2021? How about decrease? Would you keep some items the same as 2020? ... Have your say with the City of Barrie's Budget Allocator Tool! https://barriebudget.ca.abalancingact.com #Barrie

The City of Barrie's Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy. Deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2020. To promote the facilitation of active transportation initiatives, the protection, maintenance and awareness of the environment within the community, and to provide advice concerning environmental policy, planning and sustainability. The City of Barrie is seeking to appoint one (1) citizen for ...a term ending November 14, 2022. #Barrie https://www.barrie.ca//Council%20Comm/Pages/Vacancies.aspx

Today I’m thinking about my grandfather, Anthony Thomas Kavanagh, who served in the Korean War and died in 2011. He was a loving grandfather who loved the outdoors and that’s how I remember him. But I also know that he struggled his whole life with health issues, including mental health issues and substance use. My mom has told me stories about how the trauma he faced affected him his whole life. I’m also thinking about my great-great uncle, Arthur Edmund Aylwin, who served ...in WWI and was killed at the age of 25 in battle in France. His brother, my great grandfather, Bertie Aylwin, 5 years younger than Arthur, also served in WWI and survived - that’s why I’m here today. I can’t imagine what that must have been like to be sent to battle by distant imperial powers to fight in the horrors of the trenches. 20 and 25 years old. To lose your older brother at that age to the violence of war - it’s unthinkable. I’ve heard stories about how my great grandfather Bertie was a serious and harsh man. Trauma can do that to you. The inter-generational trauma cannot be forgotten or ignored. This is what I’m thinking about today - the immense cost of war. Young people - working class people - sent to kill other young people by politicians who are not the ones paying the ultimate price, often in the name of imperial expansion and conflict. Peace is possible if we honour those who have fought and died - and vow: never again. I remember. #lestweforget2020 #lestweforget #remembranceday Photo: My grandfather Anthony Thomas Kavanagh.

Bell Farm Road (St. Vincent Street Duckworth Street) design is complete. Project highlights include reconstruction and widening to 3 lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks. Construction is scheduled to be done in two phases over two years starting April 2021.