A new website being developed by a group of Meaford residents aims to bring the community together from Bognor to Griersville to Meaford’s urban centre.
The website, www.meafordconnections.ca, is set to launch on Friday, January 29, and the trio of Meaford residents driving the project are hoping the community will contribute content and photos.
Christina Brodie, along with Stacey Banis-Willcocks, Sarah Brown, and Dan White say their goal is “to develop a one-stop website to include an all-inclusive list of useful resources for prospective, new, and established residents and visitors to the Municipality of Meaford.”
‘Meaford Connections’ is the brainchild of Brodie, who has lived in the area her whole life and has resided in Meaford for the last 12 years. She has deep family ties in Meaford as her great-grandfather immigrated to the area in 1862. The WM Croft Athletic Field is named after the brother of her great-grandmother.
“My roots are fairly deep here. I have many wonderful memories of family reunions celebrated in Meaford, at Memorial Park and at Beautiful Joe,” Brodie told The Independent.
Brodie is known to many local residents as the administrator of a Facebook page called Meaford and Area Open Discussion Group for the past three years, which has become a popular spot for local residents to discuss news, events, and issues in the Municipality of Meaford. The group has grown to more than 1,000 members.
Last year Brodie spearheaded a calendar fundraising project to raise funds for local charities. She sought photos of Meaford from members of her discussion group, and some 189 photos were submitted for the 12-month calendar.
An initial order of 250 calendars sold out quickly, so more were ordered, and Brodie said that some calendars are still available for those wishing to support the project.
The charities that will be receiving donations from this fundraiser are: Gilles Haché meal foundation, Meaford Food Bank, Meaford Community Living, and Love of Brian Farm Sanctuary.
The calendars cost $20, and can be purchased in cash at the following locations: Chez Gilles Fine Dining and Catering, Dairy Queen, Czech It Out Antiques, and Jewel FM.
Calendars can also be purchased by email, with payment made by e-transfer at meafordandareaodf@gmail.com.
The team behind the new website all have professional backgrounds from a range of fields, and Brodie says that they all have a common vision of “championing and uniting our community through supporting each other without incurring cost to vendors or seeking remuneration to team members.”
“In an effort to dispel the challenges and possible aftermath of COVID-19 we are excited to use this website as an opportunity to unite local area residents with businesses, clubs, activities, volunteer opportunities, and events. Meaford Connections website will house a comprehensive database of resources,” explained Dan White, a member of Meaford Connections team.
With a target initial launch date of January 29, the Meaford Connections team are calling for all businesses, clubs, groups , charities, non-profits, and associations who wish to be included in the website to send their contact information including: name, contact number, website address, Facebook page, and/or any other platforms to meafordconnections@gmail.com.
Organizers are also seeking photo submissions from across the municipality as they develop the website in the coming weeks.
