The Huronia Unitarians (huuf.ca) are proud to announce, as a public service, that they will sponsor John Ralston Saul to speak at the Southshore Centre in Barrie (205 Lakeshore Drive) on Thursday September 9th at 7 pm.

Saul is a leading Canadian public intellectual, currently in the process of re-imagining the nature of Canada and Canadians, as outlined in his recent book, “A Fair Country – Telling Truths about Canada.”

His major thesis is that we are not a civilization of British or French or European inspiration and we have never been.  Instead, we Canadians are a Métis nation built upon Aboriginal, British and French pillars – yet largely unaware of our identity in this way.

Consequently we are troubled in our relationships to one another, our land and our role in the world.  John Ralston Saul will expand on this topic, titled

Spirituality and Myth in a Fair Country: The Citizen as Agent of Change.

Can we citizens unleash our energy, from aspiration to action, by embracing a transformation of our identity?  We hope you will join us in considering this challenge with Canada’s greatest philosopher-citizen!

Admission is by voluntary donation, and the Huronia Unitarian Fellowship will issue charitable receipts for donations over $20.00.

Seating at the Southshore Centre is limited to 225, so please register to reserve your place by emailing your name to <thandrews@sympatico.ca>

Contact in Barrie: Donna Halliday <donnahalliday_1@hotmail.com>

Contact in Orillia: Qennefer Browne <qennefer@sympatico.ca>

We would like to give everyone an opportunity to get more involved.

Several new Action Groups are forming and they all need increased participation. Please look over the list and see what grabs your interest. How much time is needed? Only as much as you choose to give. Whatever you choose to do is appreciated. This is an evolving process. Help us to evolve it.

Email info@transitionbarrie.ca to volunteer.

What new groups are forming?

Awareness/Education/Communications Group: Working on the website, newsletters, press releases, and any other methods of creating awareness for Transition Barrie.

Energy Group: This group has started, and it looks like they can use any number of new volunteers. One new area they are looking at is developing a historical picture of energy use in Barrie one hundred years ago – 1910, to compare with 2010.

Food Group: This groups direction will be developed by the people involved, but probably it will include gardening, local food and agriculture, cooking, preserving, and whatever else arises.

Heart and Soul Group: In the short term, this group will help organize and run our public events. In the longer term, we recognize that real Transitioning can be hard work, and perhaps this group can find ways to have fun, to celebrate, to build community, and to support one another as we approach major changes in the way we live.

Youth Group

Community & Business Development Group

If you have an idea about another group that youʼd like to form, by all means, let us know.

If you would like to participate, respond right now . . .
info@transitionbarrie.ca

[pictured above is our original group of volunteers, June 2009]

“Scientists may have found the most devastating impact yet of human-caused global warming — a 40% decline in phytoplankton since 1950 linked to the rise in ocean sea surface temperatures. If confirmed, it may represent the single most important finding of the year in climate science.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/the-dead-sea-global-warming-blamed-for-40-per-cent-decline-in-the-oceans-phytoplankton-2038074.html

On Friday, July 30th, Barrie enjoyed its first “Critical Mass” Bike Ride!

Thank-you to everyone who came out, and to all drivers who shared the road with us.

Here are a few photos.

If you have more photos or videos, let us know at info@transitionbarrie.org and we’ll post them on the site.

For more details about “Critical Mass” Bike Rides, please check here –

http://criticalmass.wikia.com/wiki/Critical_Mass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass

Stay tuned for next month’s ride — there was discussion of a “last friday of the month” critical mass bike ride.

I’d like to put “drum circle” on the wish list! My thought was that if a number of us commented on this post to identify ourselves, we could then find a time to meet-up and jam.

However, turns out (thanks Sandra!) there ALREADY IS a drum circle happening every Tuesday evening at the Gazebo downtown.

I don’t know more than that, but I hear that Glen of FoodaBuddha fame is organizing the meet-up. I’d expect it to start at 6 or 7pm perhaps !

Hope to see you out !

Adon

Post a comment here, or email info@transitionbarrie.org and let us know what you’re thinking.

~For Transition Barrie and Friends~

Date: Thursday, August 5, 2010 (August 6^th is the back-up date)

Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Come a little early to settle in.)

Place: At the Heritage Park at the Round Gazebo on the Waterfront

TO BRING:

1.    Layered comfortable clothes for easy movement and dancing.

2.    A blanket and pillow for sitting on the ground.

3.    Water and simple organic food to share–i.e. fruit, raw veggies . . .

For more information on OSHO Active Meditations visit:

http://www.osho.com and click on Meditation.

What happens on the planet is the outward reflection of what is happening inside of us, and if we want to heal the wounds on the earth and in our communities we have to, at the same time, do the work of looking inside ourselves.

Julia Butterfly Hill

Thank-you to everyone who came out to the July Meet-up!

Stay tuned for details of a few possible events the came out of the meet-up!

Here are the notes we took: (click on them for full sized ! )