All in Norfolk County

Sparks for Downtown Simcoe

Sparks for Downtown Simcoe

Hayden Miller-Cluckie
Norfolk County

In Simcoe, the aspirations of the community have outgrown the dated atmosphere and decaying built environment. There are lots of young entrepreneurs, artists, and cultural leaders who want the town to grow, but have to face empty storefronts, bland scenery, minimal nightlife, and very little foot traffic. When I started with young & free press two years ago, the mission was to get more people interested in imagining the future of Simcoe. This is truly ‘step one’, as we need to have community members willing to make the effort to inspire change.

New Murals to Celebrate Urban & Rural Life in Downtown Simcoe

New Murals to Celebrate Urban & Rural Life in Downtown Simcoe

Andrew Gunn
Norfolk County, Ontario's Southwest

Artists are set to begin transforming downtown Simcoe with a new series of vibrant murals that celebrate the distinctive intersection of urban and rural life in Norfolk County. Coordinated by the Downtown Simcoe BIA and curated by Andrew Gunn Consulting and young & free press in collaboration with local partners, three murals are planned for the downtown area in the coming months with plans to expand the project around the community.

Call for Artists at Riversyde 83 in Downtown Simcoe

Call for Artists at Riversyde 83 in Downtown Simcoe

Andrew Gunn
Norfolk County, Ontario's Southwest

Riversyde 83 is a new food and community hub set to open in summer 2021 in downtown Simcoe in Norfolk County. Located at 83 Sydenham Street, the building will feature a marketplace, café, teaching kitchen, event spaces and an outdoor garden. Artist Meaghan Claire Kehoe will be painting a spectacular new mural on the south side of the building first thing in the spring, and we are excited to offer this call for artists to paint a mural on the north side of the building, too!

The Teenage Perspective on Downtown Simcoe in the Time of COVID-19

The Teenage Perspective on Downtown Simcoe in the Time of COVID-19

Hayden Miller-Cluckie
Norfolk County

This is an extraordinary time to write about cities and towns. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing everyone to reconsider how we use public spaces. There is so much uncertainty. Right now, the phrase ‘physical distancing’ has taken over, specifying the need to keep at least two metres away from others. For the immediate future, physical distancing is a necessity; if we are able to ‘flatten the curve’ of the pandemic, perhaps this will remain only as a guideline or recommendation. Life will be different, though. Post-pandemic, what will public spaces be like?

What We've Learned About Downtown Simcoe & Norfolk County

What We've Learned About Downtown Simcoe & Norfolk County

Andrew Gunn
Norfolk County

Every downtown feels open or closed. This may be an abstract statement, but listen to the people who frequent the area or live nearby – the way that individuals talk about a downtown space will tell you right away whether the area is considered open or closed. In this context, we use ‘open’ to mean welcoming, inviting, surprising, attractive and distinctive; by contrast, the word ‘closed’ is short-hand for detached, cold, boring, run-down and unexceptional. 

How We Spent Our Summer in Ontario’s Southwest

How We Spent Our Summer in Ontario’s Southwest

Andrew Gunn
London, Norfolk County, St Thomas

Just like driving to a concert and feeling excited for the show, our team at young & free press has developed a way to travel to a community and imagine the whole setting as the performance. We call this life-art … the experience may contain music, paintings, theatre, sculptures, books, virtual reality, sports, businesses, video games, natural environments, culinary experiences, and roadside attractions, but we like to imagine the total picture.

Exploring Ontario's Southwest

Exploring Ontario's Southwest

Andrew Gunn
London, Norfolk County, St Thomas

One thing that our young & free press team has learned since we started-up the business is that there are remarkable things happening every day in our communities … we just have to jump in and explore! Well, we now have the opportunity to take this spirit to a whole new level: beginning this spring, we will be collaborating with the Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation to present some fun new content on our Instagram page!

Social Media and Teens

Social Media and Teens

Jenn Klassen
St Thomas, Norfolk County, London

Adults don’t look at social media from the same perspective as teenagers. Sometimes adults don’t fully understand the apps. Teenagers use social media differently than most might think. They are more than aware of every picture they post and how those images will be received by

What the Folk?

What the Folk?

Andrew Gunn
Norfolk County

Municipal politics may be significant to our day-to-day lives, but it is common to find that the voter turnout rate in municipal elections is well under fifty percent. Why is this the case?

Beautiful Scars at the Waterford Old Town Hall

Beautiful Scars at the Waterford Old Town Hall

Andrew Gunn
Norfolk County

Tom Wilson may be most familiar to Canadians for his role in musical acts like Junkhouse, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and LeE HARVeY OsMOND, but he is leaving his imprint now as a writer, too. His memoir, Beautiful Scars, was published in 2017 by DoubleDay Canada, and his frank style and evocative storytelling have drawn in scores of readers.