Contact Us
Our Stories
Happy Earth Month!
Hi there,
We’re glad you’re here! The Conservation Connection, is your window into the inspiring work you make possible.
This issue celebrates the power of community — from a local business doing good, to community‑powered conservation and the meaningful changes we can all make close to home.
Through this newsletter, you’ll meet the dedicated people — supporters, researchers, partners, volunteers, and community champions — whose passion helps protect the natural world we all care about.
Thank you for being part of this community.
Market Brewing Company: Brewing Community Support for the Lake Simcoe Watershed
Your first time going to Market Brewing, you might feel like you have landed in the wrong place. But keep going towards the hum of conversation, lively music and easy laughter and you will soon discover that you are exactly where you’re meant to be; a vibrant community hub where everyone feels welcome. In fact, its off-the-beaten-path location just adds to its charm. You have found Newmarket’s hidden gem.
Market Brewing opened its taproom doors to the community in 2017 however in 2019 there was an overhaul in leadership, management, community goals and aspirations. Owners Piers Simpkin, Bill Gianopoulos and head brewer Josh Uttley had faith that they could create “a variety of amazing beverages while being the premier event space in York Region”.
They believed they could build something special: a place that produced exceptional beverages while becoming York Region’s premier event space. “Being a community Hub was always a part of the identity right from the get-go,” reflects Bill.
Today, Market Brewing is more than just a brewery. As a taproom, event space, and bingo hall, there’s truly something for everyone. That community driven approach is why Market has become known as Newmarket’s Neighbourhood Brewery.
But being a good neighbour means more than hosting great events—it means giving back. Community is at the heart of everything Market does, from supporting local charities to investing in more sustainable practices that benefit both people and the planet.
Piers spearheaded the company’s green initiatives to reduce waste and shrink their environmental footprint. Since introducing their Pak‑Tech reuse program, customers have returned thousands of plastic carriers. They have eliminated plastic labels switching to digitally printed cans and eliminated shrink wrap on long-distance shipments, significantly reducing plastic use.
A change to SuperEnd® can tops has also made a tangible difference. Since 2019, Market has packaged more than 1.5 million cans using these lighter ends— reducing metal use by 10% and eliminating over 875 pounds of aluminum from production.
Market’s commitment to sustainability mirrors its dedication to community partnerships. The brewery has long supported local charities and organizations, including the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation. The brewery regularly donates to foundation events and has selected the Foundation the recipient of proceeds from its popular Charity Bingo Nights.
“We’re so grateful to the amazing team at Market Brewery for all they do to support the Foundation. We are thrilled to be chosen as the charity recipient for their Thursday Bingo nights in April. We truly appreciate all that they do to support conservation in our community,” remarks Cheryl Taylor, Executive Director of the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation.
It seems community and collaboration are at the heart of everything they do. From live music, comedy, trivia and craft nights to markets and fundraisers; the owners of Market push themselves to be a leader in the community collaborating with local artists, businesses and charities in what Bill likes to call their, ‘win-win-win mentality’.
The Watershed for the Win!
The Foundation has been selected as Market Brewery’s Bingo charity recipient for the month of April.
For every BINGO book that’s purchased in April, $10 will come back to the Foundation.
Join us:
Thursday, April 23 7-9pm
Thursday, April 30 7-9pm
Location:
17775 Leslie St. Unit 9, Newmarket
Cost: $25 (cash) per book
Can’t join us? You can still help nature win. A small donation now can help protect the Lake Simcoe watershed for generations to come.
Charity Bingo, held every Thursday at 7 p.m., has become a community favourite. This is not your typical Bingo night. While everyone loves to win, no one takes the game too seriously. People come out to catch up with friends, to celebrate birthdays or have a date night away from the kids.
“A huge thank you as well to everyone who has come out to play, to support the Foundation and to make their own impact in the community,” says Cheryl.
In the past year alone, the program awarded $60,000 in prizes and donated $40,000 directly to local charities.
Bill believes, “There is something you can’t calculate in finances that if you do good — good will come back. It’s not why we do it, but it’s something that organically happens when people take care of each other in their community.”
Market Brewing proves that when you put people and the planet first, doing good isn’t just meaningful — it’s a whole lot of fun.
Earth Day, Every Day
Earth Day is on Wednesday, April 22 and this year’s Earth Day theme is “Our Power, Our Planet,” because meaningful environmental change depends on every one of us playing a role in environmental sustainability in our communities.
Earth Day is most powerful when it leads to everyday action. If we all commit to one long-term change — using less plastic, eating more plant-based meals or supporting conservation efforts in your area — we can have an incredible impact.
Here are 5 simple, meaningful actions to celebrate Earth Day and help protect the environment:
1
Waste Not
Find ways to reduce what goes in the landfill: pack your reusable bags, bottles, and containers, choose items with less packaging and repair or donate items instead of throwing them away.
Why it matters: Reducing waste prevents pollution and saves natural resources.
2
Get Hands-On with Nature
Plant a tree, garden, or pollinator-friendly flowers. Native plants are especially helpful for local wildlife.
Why it matters: Plants improve air quality, absorb carbon, and support healthy ecosystems.
3
Go Green
Leave the car at home if you can: walk, bike, carpool or use transit instead.
Why it matters: Transportation is a major source of emissions, and small changes add up.
4
Clean Up Your Community
Pick up litter in a neighbourhood, park, or shoreline near your home. Bring your friends and family or start a community clean-up.
Why it matters: Clean environments protect wildlife and waterways.
5
Give Green
Donate to environmental causes like the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation. Your support helps restore habitats, improve water quality, and protect your local community.
Why it matters: A changing climate brings extreme weather and other environmental, social, and economic challenges. With so much at stake for our future, it’s up to all of us to support local conservation efforts.
DID YOU KNOW?
Less than 2% of charitable giving is directed to environmental charities.
The good news is that this is changing. More people are giving to local environmental charities then ever before. Be part of the environmental giving shift!
Dirty Hands. Clean Community
In 2025, Community Action delivered another inspiring year of hands-on restoration, funded in part by donations to the Conservation Foundation and powered by people who care deeply about the places in which they live and work. Across 27 community‑led projects of the Conservation Authority, more than 900 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to plant trees, restore habitat, and make a real, lasting impact in our communities.
The results…
• 3,265 trees and 3,180 shrubs were planted, restoring 3.59 hectares of land.
• 1,190 metres of riparian buffer (plantings along waterways) established to protect waterways, stabilize shorelines, and improve habitat along streams and wetlands.
• When mature, these plantings will reduce phosphorus loading by an estimated 2.93 kg entering the watershed.
These plantings will sequester approximately 34.09 tonnes of carbon annually and more than 1,020 tonnes of carbon stored over their lifetime.
That’s the equivalent to taking about 220 cars off the road for a year!
Service groups in Aurora and Uxbridge planted four mini forests. First started in 2024 by the Rotary Club of Uxbridge, mini-forests — small, densely planted areas — are a great way get more plants in the ground while taking up less land than traditional plantings.
Many of our community corporate partners participate in our Conservation Days Program — a hands-on outdoor experience designed to build corporate teamwork while making a meaningful environmental impact through activities like tree planting and trail clearing. Conservation Days are an active, engaging way to demonstrate a company’s environmental commitment and have fun while doing good.
And of course, the staff at the authority and foundation get in on the action too, with our annual Earth Day cleanup. We work together to keep spaces near our Scanlon Creek and Newmarket offices clean, protecting the health of our wildlife, lands and waterways.
Community action projects prove that small, local efforts—when added together—can create meaningful, environmental change.
Coming Soon: The NEW Nature Centre
Thanks to our generous donors, the Connect Campaign has raised millions of dollars to help build an incredible new Nature Centre at Scanlon Creek Conservation Area in Bradford. The Nature Centre will be the region’s premiere destination for experiencing nature, a place unlike any other where you can become inspired by the wonders of the natural world and learn about your role in preserving it for future generations.
The new Nature Centre will be the anchor for outdoor education programming, from exploring a hiking path and trailblazing through the woods, to learning to work together and discovering all that can be found in nature. The building will be an immersive natural experience, blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors by incorporating the latest innovations in sustainable design and construction.
We still need your help!
We’re almost there — but more support is needed to bring this building to life! Your support of the Connect Campaign will help create a welcoming environmental hub where our entire community — young and old — can reconnect with nature once again! To learn more, please reach out to Cheryl Taylor for donation and naming opportunities.
You can help shape the future of the NEW Scanlon Creek Nature Centre.
Take our Survey and tell us what programs, experiences and features you’d like to see.
Keep in Touch!
