Letter to the Editor
Editor,
A sincere thank you to the Council and staff of the Municipality of Meaford for the Volunteer Appreciation Party. It gets more inviting, local and greener every year.
When our CAO said that green should not be a stand-alone pillar in the Meaford Economic Development Strategy but an integral part of everything we do, she was validating an ongoing process that has been happening at these events for the past several years.
Those who focus on buying green, local, regional and provincial food and products for home or a big event know how challenging it can be to source all of one’s needs.Add recycling 99 percent of everything into the mix and partygoers are left with a high standard to emulate.
In my stint with the federal government, it seemed so clearly wrong that a token Christmas gift always came from China. Not so at these events. Partygoers have received locally sourced bee- and butterfly-friendly seed packets, and this year folks went home with a white pine tree seedling from a provincial nursery. This nursery and ecology centre proudly advertises that they are “unique in specializing exclusively in native seed and plants for biodiversity conservation of Ontario native wild-type plant genetics”.
Staff and councillors honour a diverse group of volunteers who do not expect a thank you party for their community involvement.
When the tables were set and turned, staff became volunteers working as a team to ensure that the party was overflowing with lots of goodwill and tasty local fare.
I left the party feeling inspired to further deepen my ‘live local and green’ behaviour.
Thank you for all of the thought and effort that went into hosting this special event.
Lindy Iversen, Meaford
