Second Hand Stores in Orillia

Given the current situation in Ontario (and of course, most cities or towns) checking out some of the second hand stores that are in Orillia seemed like a good idea. There's a few we use regularly, and also donate to regularly. (locations/addresses at the end.)

Once upon a time we used to have a Goodwill store, which disappeared in early 2016 (January, I think), but we still had (and still do have) the Salvation Army Store, and we have a Value Village. But in the recent few years, we've had a few new thrift stores open their doors. Places like Second Chance Thrift Store, the Orillia Thrift Store, Pennywise Thrift Shop (actually been there a while, though not everyone is aware of it), and one (have been once a long while ago so uncertain if it's still active, but the listing is still active) at Guardian Angels called Vinnies Clothing Thrift Store.

Everyone responding to this post (linked below) is saying we have a lot of vacant buildings we could use to house the homeless ... yes, but the city doesn't own most of them.

You can't just confiscate buildings owned by someone else to house the homeless. 

• The HRC is owned by the Province. Georgian College won't be empty until 2026 and owned by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities. 
• The Dollar Tree at the Orillia Square is probably owned by CT Real Estate Investment Trust.  
• Orillia Central school is a heritage building, and I don't know if Orillia ever bought it back from Horizon General Contractors after they purchased it. 

A few  years ago we converted our attached garage to a finished room (yep, insulated floors, walls, etc. and got a nice extra bedroom out of it (I guess it could be a family room or craft room or just about anything). It has a large closet (bigger than our master bedroom) which we currently use for 2 freezers and storage (it also has hanging closet rails and shelves).  

What it didn't have, initially, was a heat vent that was hooked up. Oh, it had the vent, and the duct work, but the guy who initially did it never hooked it up to the furnace. This year, we decide to try and move back into town (currently in Oro) and you can't sell a house with an unheated room, so early spring we called our service company. They were always too busy and gave us times like 4 weeks or 6 weeks. Others also weren't available.

City of Orillia is Losing It's Everloving Mind!

I don't know about the rest of you Orillia folks, but I am incredibly sick of the constant building on our once-beautiful (and peaceful) waterfront. 

This newest development (see the conceptual images here, including the one showing a ghosted-out large building beside the Champlain Hotel ... what is that anyway?)  Apparently named "Sunshine Harbour"  (they don't get the harbour, that's still "Port of Orillia", but you can bet the traffic to, from, and around the port is going to be unmanageable after a few years of all these new buildings).

Not just this development either. All the new ones in the last year or two practically sitting at the waterfront ... too much. Looking at Sunshine harbour you can see the houses that USED TO BE facing the waterfront, will now be facing ... well, basically nothing more than townhouses.  

A Real Estate Dilemma

Looking for a new house in the bounds of Orillia has been a daunting process. When we bought our first house in town, it was an old 3 bedroom war time house (2 beds on the 2nd floor, 1 on the main floor). We bought that for $27,000.

We basically gutted it on the main floor, but it only ever had 1 bath. We also build an addition with another bedroom, and turned the other main floor bed into a diningroom open to the livingroom space. It was where we raised our kids.

Old house on Mississaga

After multiple other buying/selling of homes as we slowly improved our ability to get and pay a mortgage, our kids left home (bought houses for them to rent and eventually buy from us) so buying a house in Orillia again is not what we expected to be doing.  This time around, many of them are out of our price range.  We sold in 2019, and bought out in Oro, but health circumstances are pulling us back into town, but this time, we are struggling to find a suitable house that we don't need a big mortgage for, and that would fit our needs. 

A full bungalow style without stairs is what would work for us.  We don't want a condo, townhouse, or semi (yeah, I know, I guess we're picky but condos & townshouses have monthly fees AND taxes, most of them fairly high) and regular home prices are quite ridiculous now.

I look at lots of sources, but Realtor.ca is easier to keep tabs on. I do check local realty sources as well because occasionally there will be non-MLS listing. Also locals have listing that are technically outside of Orillia, but literally on the edge, so close enough for me to walk into town.

The last house we sold.

If you filter out condos, townhouses, and semi-detached houses on Realtor, you get 8 pages of single homes. Each page has 12 listings., except the last page, which only has 4. That makes 88 listings. Of those, 26 are duplicate listings. That leaves 62 listings. One listing is just property, and one of the listings is a house that sold months ago, and some glitch on Realtor.ca causes it still to be shown, leaving 60 listings.

These numbers can change, sometimes daily, sometimes even between morning and evening, but many of the homes have been listed for quite a long while, and some have been listed more than once in the last year. 

Out of those 60, 7 are over $1 million (not exactly available to the average new buyer, or the majority of seniors); 6 are over $900,000 ($900,000-$999,900; 11 are over $800,000 ($800,000-$899,900).

Of the remainder 13 are between $700,000 and $799,900.  That price range might be more available to established working families, and first time home buyers (because of recent changes) or even some in the process of selling and moving up.  Not an awful lot of seniors could buy in that price range unless they are moving down from a more expensive home.

Houses in the $600,000 - $699,900 range sometimes sit on the market for a longer time than some in a lower price range. Maybe because investors don't want to spend the money if it needs to be made into apartments, or needs any work.  It's a better price range for young families, and even for some seniors, provided the work needed is not extensive.  There are currently 10 homes in that price range.

In the $500,000 to $599,900 there are some houses available. Some need work or updating, but DIYers, they can be a good choice, particularly if it's your first home. Fairly often, they are bought up reasonably quickly. Currently, there are about 8 homes in that price range.

Orillia even has a few lower priced than those - in the range of $390,000 to $499,000 but most of those are very tiny (good for singles if it's a first-buy), and a lot of them need pretty extensive work. Right now, there's about 5 of them.

We've never been in a position where we couldn't afford a suitable house. As seniors on a pension, mortgage is very limited. We've always had a great credit rating, and still do, but the ability to carry a mortgage is not just based on that.

Wish us luck, because right now we're having a struggle find the right place at the right place ... just like many others I think.

2024 Boating Season in Orillia

For further information on the Orillia Waterfront area see: Navigating the Downtown Waterfront on the City of Orillia website.  

The boat launch at the downtown Orillia park, (off Centennial Drive) Couchiching Beach Park, is closed for at least part of this year. That's something of an issue for a city where nearly every  weekend a major event happens down at the park beside the boat ramp. There is nowhere nearby Couchiching Beach park to launch a boat. 

City of Orillia website lists it as closed, currently (May 2024). According to the design plans, it is likely to be closed until the beginning of July (See: Design & Parking), if everything runs on time. And in construction, you just can't know. 

Remembrance Day 2023

In Orillia, remembering the veterans who kept us free and safe begins at the first of November. Between October 27th and November 11th  please support the Poppy Campaigns throughout the city to honour and support our veterans. Yes, you can get one free, though supporting the Veterans Poppy fund with a donation is always welcomed (and in my view, really necessary).

More information on the Poppy campaigns can be found at the Legion Branch 34 Facebook Page.

Between the 5th and 11th of the month is Veteran's week. Please take time to not only remember what our veterans fought (and many died) for. Be grateful that we there are still a free country because of those who gave so much for the rest of us. 

The Island Princess - a thing of the past?

The other day I noticed a post from June (yeah, I'm a little behind) about the Island Princes cruise ship harboured at the Port of Orillia. The saddest thing I've seen in a while is this change.  She's now a garish green and gold, and her stately days as a cruise ship appear to have vanished.

Her cruises brought many people to the Port of Orillia just to hop on and get taken for a wonderful cruise around Lake Couchiching. It's almost heartbreaking to think I may never see her plying the waters again.

She's not exactly a derelict at the moment, but now she's called the Tiki Barge ... imagine the stately Island Princess bearing the label "barge". Ugh.  It's sort of like a floating restaurant with cocktails and what seems to be "finger food" types (wraps, panini, chips, etc) which seem to be more of an appetizer type food, not actual dinner.  

Okay, I know things change over time, but this is probably enough to make me wipe away a few tears. People got married on this ship; have booked it for weddings and other special events and now, the place is a Tiki Bar.

Orillia's Coach House Kids

There's a new store in town!  A used clothing store for kids, with items carefully vetted and sold at prices much less than brand new, even for items that still look pretty new.

People who have used this shop have all said their experience here was wonderful, and the shop keepers were friendly and helpful.

If you need kids clothing at reasonable prices, give them a try. The shop is located at 31 Mississaga St. West in downtown Orillia.

Their website is https://coachhousekids.com and yes, you can order from them online as well, so even if you can't get to Orillia, you can still benefit from lower cost clothes for your kids. You can also buy online, and pick up in the store to make life easier.

History Guide to Orillia

At the bottom of the post is an Interesting video on the history of local buildings from the Orillia Museum of Art and History, narrated by Tom Rose as he talks about historical buildings and, the town. I knew a lot of this history because I've been learning about it's history since I moved here - 47 years ago. While I wasn't born here, I spent a lot of summers here with family, and at the Tudhope Campgrounds (no longer in existence, as now it's a public park.)

My family lived in Udney (before I was born - my mom was a teenager), and a number of them worked in Orillia. My mom, her sister, and her neice all worked at the original Zellers Store on the main street. 

Mystical Lights Tour - Christmas 2022

A Christmas experience your family will not want to miss. A wonderland for kids and adults alike, the mystical lights tour/event in Oro-medonte is a great way to experience the joy and Christmas spirit with your family. 

Niagara Falls Light Tour

There is always something special about the lights at Chrismas, isn't there? We used to travel to Niagara Falls to see the lights. My kids took their kids to see the lights. And now, we have our own local one. No, it isn't "in" Orillia, but Oro Fair grounds is a short distance from Orillia in a surrounding township. Worth a short drive to give your family a special time during the Christmas season.

Besides the many light displays at the fairgrounds, Santa will be there on Christmas Eve, along with his reindeer, but don't worry, he'll still have time to get up the air to deliver all the gifts he's got packed up for all the girls and boys.  The tour runs during a series of dates (see below), and started at the beginning of December. This is the second year for the Mystical Lights tour in Oro-Medonte.  Hopefully, it will continue and become a long-standing tradition for many families in the area.

December 9th to 11th; December 14th to 23rd.
Tickets $15.00 (for the day you wish to attend). You can purchase in advance at their website, or cash at the door.

Location: Location: Oro-Medonte Fairgrounds (#80 15/16 Sideroad East, Oro-Medonte, ON)  If you use a mobile device, you can scan the QR code on their site to get the directions directly to your device.

Noah's Ark in Lights, Niagara Falls

The Chamber of Commerce is also collecting donations of food items (and pet food) to provide to the Food Bank and Salvation Army. They also ask that you do not bring toys to donate.

This year (2022) the Orillia Santa Claus parade was held on November 19th. In the last few years, the parade wasn't a "go" ... it was cancelled, so this year's event was much looked-forward to for the community, and surrounding areas.

We didn't make it out this year, but we always did attend in past years.  In a way, it was the start of the Christmas season for us. In fact, we lived on the parade route in past years, right across from the Orillia Soldier's Memorial hospital. We had friends and family that would come to our house to watch the parade. The house was nearly ON the sidewalk, making it a convenient place for them to get a hot chocolate and cookies, or use the "facilities".  (That house was demolished by OSMH, along with the that was next door to it, and is now, sadly a parking lot.)

Some years, it was cold and snowy, other years mild and sunny. At that time of year, you just never knew what it would be on the date of the parade.

From the time our kids were small, it has grown from a somewhat short parade to one that was a large event - not as big as Toronto's but, big enough to be notable, with some astonishingly well-done floats and walkers, horses and other animals.

Some of the businesses in the area have come up with some fairly ingenious float ideas, like this metal Christmas tree one year, or students and teachers that made an environmentally friendly snowman, using left over snack-pack containers.  Locally, most business are not large conglomerates, nor worth millions of dollars. I've always loved the unique ideas found in the local parade.

If you are new to Orillia, or one of the nearby surrounding areas, put on a mark on the calendar for early November and watch for the parade dates to be announced. You can also find out by checking the city's website for proposed dates, and for entry requirements if you want to put your own float in it. (Also note the website lists other holiday happenings.)

Proudly Polished Nails

A great new business located just outside of Orillia. A registered nail tech who does amazing work at reasonable costs, and offers evening and weekend appointments.

She offers special designs for occasions, or just for fun, as well as weddings and events.

Always keeping up with new designs and techniques, studying and testing new types of nail add-ons keeps her on the go, and her business is growing.

Working from home she has a friendly welcoming environment in her own nail studio. She's in Oro-Medonte Township, just outside of Orillia, about 5 minutes from the Westridge area. 

Check out her Facebook page for contact information, or give her a call.

Wes' Tree Service Inc. - Serving Simcoe County & Muskoka

 

This local small business services areas of Simcoe County and Muskoka, and that includes Orillia, which is why I've added them here.

Not only do they provide limbing and cutting services, they offer tree care and have a certified arborist.

While they do offer residential/individual tree services, they also provide service to municipalities; commercial business; and the construction industry. 

Offering services such as:

• pruning
• removal
• emergency/storm service
• preservation/reinforcement

Their website also offers tips and information on identifying diseases and care.

Feel free to give them a call. 

 

Blaine's Auto - Local Business

For the last several months my husband has been taking his prized possession (a 2012 Ford F-150 with Eco Boost) to Blaine's Automotive, out on Highway 11 north (Severn). So, yes, another business not exactly "in" Orillia, but local enough that it doesn't take long to get there, and is definitely worth a visit if you need service (car or truck, or even camper).

My daughter has been using them for a while, and she recommended we try them (I say we, but I don't drive so it's really up to the driver), and my husband has been using them ever since for mechanical work.

We bought a camper a month or so ago and have spent time stocking it with necessary
living items but he wanted to have the wheel bearings checked before we take it on the road, so Blaine's was the destination. Not only did they grease them, they checked all the breaks as well, so we're good to go.

They're friendly, efficient, do good work for a good price, and that makes the husband a happy camper!  

Check out their site for location and more info!

The Burger Pit is Back!

Okay, I have to say it right up front ... The Burger Pit is NOT in Orillia, but it's on the way to Orillia for anyone heading north along Highway 11 to the cottage, or even home from working in the "the south". Technically, it's in Oro-Medonte township, right next to the Treehaven Golf course, and across the road from Bella Vista RV and Heidi's. Anyone who has been around Orillia long enough, is likely to already know about the Burger Pit, and probably has some fond memories. 

When our kids were young (ahem, that would be about 40ish years ago) we'd used to take our kids out the Burger Pit in the summer, most of the time for ice cream, but when we could afford it, we'd take them to grab a burger and fries. It was a much smaller building back then (just up from where it is now), but at that time, other than French's in the park, it was one of the best burgers around. Now, there are many more choices of course, but the Burger Pit is also a "memory pit" for some of us.

Does Orillia Matter to You?

Here it is, not even the last day of October yet ... when we should still be having sun, and bright colourful leaves, and days with that slightly brisk, yet fresh, air. But what to do we have? We have this.

Oct. 28, 2018 - Orillia Snowfall

We've had a few flakes here and there over October, but they were the kind you really had to look hard to see; nothing that stuck to the ground or anywhere else, so I suppose this is the first "real" snow of the season here.

Today is the Last Day

... to vote in the current municipal election.

If you didn't, make sure you get out and do it!

If you live in the City of Orillia, make your vote count. There were many advanced voting options for residents to vote early if they needed (or wanted) to, and today is a final reminder.  After all, you can't really complain about what happens in the city or on the council if you didn't get and out vote.

Voting in a city council that has both the city's best interests and the constituents best interests at heart isn't an easy thing do.  We all have our own ideas about what we want to see happen, but we also have to remember that as an individual, what seems best for ourselves isn't always what's best for our neighbour, our neighbourhood, or our city.

We have to live here together, so respecting others' choices or ideas (even if we don't agree) is an important thing to remember.  Learning to handle the things we may not like with diplomacy helps make this city a great place to live.

I hope that the newly elected council conduct the city's business (and keep in mind that the city's business is OUR business too) with repect for each other.

Progress for our city is important, but the right progress is more important than just any progress.


  Exercise your right to vote!

Home Water Services, and It's Not FREE.

But it is a scam?  Maybe, maybe not. But there are things you should know. They claim the system is free (yeah, more on that later) and there's a reason for that. Not because they are being altruistic. It's because they aren't allowed to sell this kind of thing in Ontario, door-to-door. Not since the laws have been changed. See Door-to-door sales and home services contracts.

Be careful what you agree to, and know that you have a period of time after the contract is signed to back out of it.

Orillia's Fall Weather

Scrolling through the weather reports for this coming weekend, beginning with Friday we have
3 predictions of "mainly sunny", one of mostly cloudy, and then there is AccuWeather - undecided with a prediction of some sun and some clouds.

Temperature predictions run between 10C and 16C. That might not seem like that much, but given that it's in celsius, it's more than you might think. 10C = 50F (ish), while 16C = 60F and for the sun and heat lovers, a difference of 10F is a fair bit.