Wow, a lot happened in 2024.
This was one of those years that feels like it took a decade to complete. And when you look at the list of the hundreds of stories produced by our small but mighty team of reporters, it’s easy to see why. So we thought it might be helpful to take a step back, ever so briefly, and broadly explore some of the top stories that shaped the conversation in Innisfil over the last 12 months.
Here are two of the big articles from each month of 2024:
January
- Parks to a pump truck: A look inside Innisfil's $53M capital budget (published Jan. 9) — We broke down some of the largest areas of spending planned by the town for the coming year, including road rehabilitation and Innisfil Beach Park upgrades.
- Webster extension to 20th Sideroad still in the works, town says (Jan. 16) — The municipality detailed the planning work still necessary to make Webster’s northern extension a reality.
February
- Like to speed on Big Bay Point Rd.? Expect a letter from police (Feb. 12) — The town and South Simcoe Police Service discuss why they set up a camera to capture information on speeding vehicles a few hundred metres from the entry to Friday Harbour.
- Heritage Act changes put 57 Innisfil properties at risk (Feb. 21) — Members of the town’s heritage committee noted some of the issues they were facing as time was running out to protect many notable sites.
March
- 'National tenant' coming to ex-Larry the Liquidator site in Alcona (March 27) — That tenant ended up being Dollar Tree.
- Canco can serve: New gas station opens at familiar Innisfil site (March 28) — The new operator of an old Pioneer gas station site talked about how pumped they were to open up.
April
- Innisfil casino operators buy golf club site, eye relocation (April 25) ― Gateway Casinos then sought an MZO to move the gaming facility to Cookstown, near the highways 89 and 400 interchange.
- MPP Khanjin's staff referred people to landlord's private encampment (April 5) ― People who reached out for help to find shelter through the Barrie-Innisfil MPP’s constituency office were directed to an Innisfil landlord who planned to use space on their property as a for-profit homeless encampment. After this story ran, the issue was raised in the Ontario legislature, and the site appeared to be put up for sale.
May
- Development proposal calls for 47 townhouses to 'jam' onto 2.5 acres (May 17) — A public meeting drew plenty of questions from neighbours of the proposed high-density build.
- Innisfil's Biggest Garage Sale set for 'exceptional' return (May 28) — This piece explored the motivation behind the huge annual event and its support of the Innisfil Food Bank.
June
- Ford helps break ground on ‘remarkable’ $200M Innisfil warehousing site (June 19) — Once complete, this 1.3-million-square-foot facility near the Innisfil Beach Road and 5th Sideroad intersection will create about 225 jobs.
- Oh, shoot: Commercial being filmed at Innisfil Beach Park today (June 11) — That ad ended up being for Rogers, with John Krasinski in the starring role, dancing to Taylor Swift.
July
- ‘We are safe, thank God’: Fire at Innisfil auto-repair shop causes $750K in damage (July 24) — It took crews from five tankers, three pumps and one aerial truck a couple hours to stamp out all the hot spots, and the building was destroyed.
- 'Infuriating': Innisfil wedding venue's bankruptcy sends couples scrambling (July 2) — Rustic Silo Barn, which operated on a property on the 2nd Line in 2023, declared bankruptcy in late June, leaving 88 creditors owed almost $331,200.
August
- Try the veal: Innisfil cook serves one of Ontario’s best sandwiches (Aug. 28) — Crystal Russo of Nonna’s Cucina, a home-based catering and food business in town, entered an Ontario Veal Appeal contest in early summer to name the best veal sandwich in the province. Out of 80 submissions, Russo’s entry made the top 10.
- One teen dies, another seriously injured in ‘violent’ police shooting in Innisfil (Aug. 16) — The teen who survived has since been charged with with numerous Criminal Code offences, while the officers have been cleared of wrongdoing by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit.
September
- These Innisfil convenience stores are able to sell alcohol as of tomorrow (Sept. 4) — Local retailers joined others across the province by opening their doors to beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink beverages.
- Davidson's Country Dining has 40th anniversary party on the menu (Sept. 24) — Dan Davidson reflects on buying the restaurant in 1984 after purchasing his first house in the area for $6,000 following graduation from college.
October
- IN PHOTOS: Northern lights paint the skies over Innisfil, Bradford (Oct. 11) — Reports of the phenomenon were posted to social media shortly after sunset, and carried on for several hours.
- ‘We are thrilled’: New nurse-led clinic starts to serve Innisfil (Oct. 8) — Once fully operational, the site inside the Rizzardo Health and Wellness Centre is expected to help more than 3,000 patients and offer primary care, registered dietitian services, mental-health support, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Health Minister Sylvia Jones helped officially open the site a few weeks later, where she discussed the lack of a provincial timetable surrounding the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre expansion into Innisfil.
November
- Santa Claus Parade brings Christmas cheer to Innisfil (Nov. 24) — Residents came out to cheer on the Jolly Old Elf as he made his way down Innisfil Beach Road.
- 'Enough is enough': Innisfil councillor, restaurateur upset by latest Lockhart closure (Nov. 8) — Robert Saunders expressed his frustration with a nearby intersection closure; the area has since reopened to traffic.
December
- Innisfil developer 'didn't have a choice' in removing unsheltered woman from property (Dec. 3) — South Simcoe police and several witnesses confirmed Dec. 2 that an unsheltered woman living in a makeshift encampment on a vacant property at the southwest corner of Innisfil Beach Road and Adullam Avenue was removed from the site. She had been living there for about six months and was in violation of the Trespass to Property Act.
- 'Moving masterpieces': Tractor parade returns to Angus, Stroud and Thornton (Dec. 6) — Billed as a holiday tradition like no other, Essa and District Agricultural Society members prepared their convoy of decorated farming equipment for a trip throughout the area.
