Fran Carpino – Change in Orillia

If there was one thing you could change about Orillia, what would that be?

Well I wish that we could have had a University Campus at the Huronia Regional Centre grounds.  The Huronia Regional Centre was a large home for the developmentally disabled. It was but in the early days it had over 3000 people and so it almost served anyone who didn’t fit in or, you know, some were not developmentally delayed and my work there (I did work there for a period) in the role of deinstitutionalization and moving people away and repatriating them with their own families.

The grounds are absolutely stunning  – right on the lake, and I just think that would have been another coup to embrace and protect an area of Lake Simcoe, to make it available for study, but not just University level, but for the community. I think they could also have embraced more of the Arts, more theatres as well and also too, maybe it could have shown a better recognition of what it served in its time – some good things that happened at the Centre and some not so good things. You know. the people and the staff, as it provided so much employment for so many people.

On the other side of that question, what would be the one thing about Orillia that you would never change?

I’m very proud that earlier forefathers established the Couchiching Beach Park as a municipal park and  available to everyone. I think it is the pride of Orillia and just to protect it, I guess is very important.