As we step into 2025, we greet a new year of opportunity and growth.
In the year’s first edition of our newsletter, we're excited to share updates on projects and upcoming events kicking off another fulfilling year of providing essential information to the communities we serve.
Village moves 🌟
In January, our Village grew by two:
OrilliaMatters features writer Danielle Pitman
SPACES Toronto Content Coordinator Rachael Dyal
Welcome! 🎊
SPACES is coming to a community near you! 🚀
Since the late 2024 launch of SPACES, there have been updates, tweaks, testing, more updates and now the reviews are in: we are ready to bring our revolutionary take on community connection network-wide.
Our custom-built local social network is ready for rollout across the Village footprint and we are aiming to have it running in 20 of our communities within the next few months.
If you haven’t already, join the waitlist for your community to be among the first to access your local SPACES once it launches.
Our celebration of community excellence is growing 🏆
Speaking of expansions, our Community Builders Awards have grown to include two more communities in 2025: Burlington and Newmarket.
Our inaugural events will take place in Burlington in March and Newmarket in September.
That brings us to seven CBA programs celebrating the positive work being done in our communities.
Nominations are open now for both the Burlington and Orillia Community Builders Awards. If you know someone spectacular working to make their city a better place, tell us about them!
Have you taken a Closer Look? 👀
Every day, our local journalists tackle the stories that matter most: the ones that impact day-to-day life in our communities.
In a new nightly segment—‘Closer Look’—Village Media’s Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our journalists to take a deeper dive into a story they are covering.
These interviews are designed to help readers better understand how our reporters gather the information that lands in their local news feed.
Closer Look interviews are shared every weeknight at 7 p.m. across the Village network.
ICYMI: Stories you should read 🤓
As always, our local journalists continue to lead the way on important stories in their communities.
Gabe Oatley at TorontoToday delivered an exclusive interview with Ontario’s most notorious ‘renovictor’ — who insisted that renovictions aren’t even a thing.
Julie Slack at BurlingtonToday told us about the heartwarming mystery of a long-ago letter from father to son, discovered in a thrift-store copy of a Dr. Seuss classic.
And in Orillia, the entire team at OrilliaMatters jumped in to cover a massive fire at a historic downtown building, producing powerful stories and images over many days.
✨ Spotlight on sponsorships ✨
Our January sponsorships spanned 13 communities, including:
AuroraToday
Aurora Chamber of Commerce
BarrieToday
Barrie Chamber Mayor's Lunch
BayToday
Near North Palliative Care
FlamboroughToday
Eagles Nest
MidlandToday
Georgian Bay Hospital Foundation
NOTLLocal
Benefit Show Queen Tribute
OrilliaMatters
Orillia Museum of Art and History-Gala
PelhamToday
Benefit Show Queen Tribute
SooLeader
i500 Snowmobile Race
SooToday
Strive YPG Algoma Visionary Awards
Sudbury.com
Pro X Wrestling
ThoroldToday
Benefit Show Queen Tribute
TimminsToday
Anti-Hunger Coalition - Coldest Night of the Year
Spotted around the Village 🌎
Do you know someone stellar at sales? ⭐️
We have three Digital Account Executive positions open now.
Pawesome Villager of the month 🐾
Adopted from Northern Critters in Need as a kitten, Tala is a six-year-old Tuxedo cat with a great fondness for causing chaos.
She has never met a person she doesn't like or an object she won't push off a shelf!
Proud pet parent: Kylee Garson
Catch you next month!
