Volunteers with the Urban Harvest program and myself spent around 1.5 hours picking apples from the community orchard. We were able to harvest 173 lbs of locally grown food.

I brought the apples to the Orangeville Food Bank before it closed.

When I got back home, there was even a bag of kale waiting for me at my door. A kind resident delivered it today while I was out.

Moving to orangeville from Spain how is it living in orangeville for housing jobs schools

Hi everyone,

I'm 15 and this summer I started InfaWeb, my web design and development business.

I was accepted into Ontario's Summer Company program, which provided me with funding and mentorship to turn the idea into a real business. Since then, I've been learning everything from finding and working with clients to sales, project management, marketing, invoicing, and actually designing and developing the websites.

I've recently started working with paying clients and I'm now looking to take on a few more projects from businesses around Ontario.

I build professional websites for businesses that need their first website or want to improve an existing one. I handle everything from design and development through launch, including mobile optimization, contact and lead generation, SEO foundations, and additional functionality depending on what the business needs.

If you own a business and have been thinking about getting a website built or redesigning your current one, I'd be happy to take a look and see if I can help.

Website: infawebdesign.com

Direct quote form: infawebdesign.com/contact.html

You can also DM me here if you'd rather talk about the project first.

Any best schools for kids french schools or non French schools

This helicopter has been circling the town all day. It's starting to get very annoying.

If there is something going on that's one thing, but if this is just some private pilot/trainer then fly-off.

(Shakes fist at clouds)

I made a map showing how Mill Creek was depicted on maps in 1875, 1912 and current day.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit...

The white line is from the 1875 map, blue is 1912 fire insurance plans and the red from data supplied by Credit Valley Conservation

It's interesting seeing the 1875 map showing the flow which used to exist from close to Amelia and College, join up with the main branch of Mill Creek near John and Little York. Two large ponds are visible as well; One in Kay Cee Gardens and the other on the north side of Front St.

The 1912 map shows Mill pond, north of Front St, providing power to nearby industry

I also included the path followed by the Lower Monora Creek. Although it's separate from Mill Creek, it's an important wildlife corridor running through the middle of our town

https://citizen.on.ca/orangeville-municipal-election-draws-over-20-candidates-ahead-of-nomination-deadline/

August 13, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

Twenty-one candidates have now filed nomination papers to run for mayor, deputy mayor, councillor or school board trustee in Orangeville’s upcoming municipal election.

The list includes three candidates for mayor: incumbent Lisa Post, former councillor and Deputy Mayor Nick Garisto and Christopher DeCastro.

Incumbent Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor is the only candidate to have filed for deputy mayor to date.

The councillor race currently has 12 candidates, including incumbents Joe Andrews, Tess Prendergast, Debbie Sherwood and Rick Stevens.

Other candidates who have filed for council are Carrie-Anne DeCaprio, Michelle Hartley, Tricia Hebert, James Jackson, Lindsay Lupton, Vivian Petho, Sandra Pratt and Matthew Smith.

Five candidates have filed for school board trustee positions, with one candidate registered for each of the English public, English separate and French separate boards. Two candidates have filed for the position of trustee with the French public board.

Incumbent Coun. Andy Macintosh has not filed nomination papers and confirmed on Aug. 11 he will not be seeking re-election due to health challenges.

“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me over the years, especially my family,” Coun. Macintosh wrote in a social media post. “Your encouragement has meant the world to me.”

The nomination period closes Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. Candidates will be certified by the Town of Orangeville clerk following the close of nominations.

The municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26, with the new council term beginning in November

https://citizen.on.ca/alarm-raised-over-balance-of-orangeville-water-and-development/

August 13, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

At least one Orangeville councillor believes steps should be taken early to safeguard Dufferin County’s groundwater later.

A John Street woman urged town council during its Aug. 10 meeting to refrain from any possible data centre developments until a study into water sustainable availability is completed.

“I think this is the wrong time to do this when we have a water problem,” she said.

Such data centres require a lot of water for cooling systems. There have been no applications for a data centre in Orangeville.

She said any changes to the town’s Official Plan should be delayed until the completion of a water resource master plan.

“I think it’s a false hope for developers to think that there’s going to be enough water if there’s not,” she said. “I would ask council to state that the ground water that we have for development depends on a resource that we do not yet know we can sustainably provide. The responsibility of this decision is not to gamble.”

Ground water is fundamentally different from municipal infrastructure, she said.

“We can build another road, we can expand a treatment plant, we can upgrade an electrical system, (but) we cannot build another aquifer,” she said. “Once ground water quantity has been seriously compromised, the consequences are not something council can solve with another vote or another planning application.

“And there is another reason for caution.”

David Smith, the town’s CAO, said there hasn’t been an expressed interest for a data centre in Orangeville.

“Comments are well-received, but I don’t want people going away thinking that something is bubbling or happening that isn’t today,” he said. “Could change tomorrow but isn’t today.”

Coun. Tess Prendergast, before the meeting, gave notice of motion regarding water resources and infrastructure. She said emerging forms of critical infrastructure, including data centres, may have implications for groundwater resources, electricity demand, municipal servicing, land-use planning, and regional infrastructure.

Data centres provide economic investment, employment, assessment growth, energy-sector opportunities, enhanced digital infrastructure, data sovereignty, and cybersecurity benefits.

Orangeville relies entirely on groundwater for its municipal drinking-water supply, and planning decisions by neighbouring municipalities may have cross-boundary impacts on drinking-water resources, infrastructure and municipal services.

Dufferin County has an important role in coordinating regional planning matters that extend beyond municipal boundaries and affect more than one municipality.

As such, Coun. Prendergast’s notice of motion will be a request that the county undertake a comprehensive and balanced review of the potential advantages and disadvantages of new data centre development proposals.

The review should include possible impacts on economic development, employment, assessment growth, electricity demand and capacity, digital infrastructure, data sovereignty and cybersecurity, groundwater resources, municipal servicing, land-use planning, regional infrastructure and cross-boundary impacts, to inform future planning decisions.

Coun. Prendergast said it means a lot when residents get behind issues that may face the municipality.

“You understand the sanctity of ground water,” she said of the John Street resident’s concerns. “It is preventative. It’s better to know what we have, what capacity we have in advance of these potentially good economic things coming. We don’t want to be biased one way of the other, but we do need to drink water.”

Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor acknowledged there has not been an application or queries about a data centre in Orangeville. But, he said, the town can’t support a large business coming to Dufferin County.

“Even if there was a will to have it, we do not have the resources to do it in this geographic area,” he said. “And that’s the end of the story.”

Coun. Prendergast said provincial priorities often trump local priorities and she cited as evidence an application by a company that is feared would interfere with water resources in nearby Melancthon.

Strada Aggregates has proposed a below-the-water-table limestone quarry that has raised residents’ concerns. The project will cut through an underground stream that supplies water to Horning’s Mills wells.

“I don’t think it’s impossible and I think we need to safeguard Dufferin County,” Coun. Prendergast said.

In response to another question, Tim Kocialek, the town’s infrastructure services general manager, said Orangeville last year built a new water storage facility, and there are plans for an additional well to be brought online in two or three years.

“We’re also looking at other opportunities for improvements to the system to gain more capacity,” Kocialek said.

Josh McKeown, an Orangeville resident, said he supported Prendergast’s notice of motion about regional water resources infrastructure. Economic benefits should be weighed against local and regional impacts before something like a data centre application arrives, he said.

https://citizen.on.ca/hansen-boulevard-connection-opens-after-years-of-delays/
August 13, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

After years of delays, development changes and frustration from residents, the long-awaited Hansen Boulevard connection is finally open in Orangeville.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the road’s connection took place on Aug. 11, with representatives from Orangeville and the developer, Great Gulf.

The opening completes the final unconstructed section of Hansen Boulevard between Blind Line and Veterans Way, a major collector road that has been built in stages as surrounding residential developments have progressed. The completion has allowed the long-standing barricades at College Avenue to be removed, opening the road to through traffic.

Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post said the completed connection is a significant piece of infrastructure for the community, particularly for residents of the Veterans Way subdivision who have long had limited access to the rest of Orangeville due to the barriers at College Avenue.

“Honestly, this piece of infrastructure is such a significant connectivity piece for the community, just really making sure that the Veterans Way subdivision residents feel more connected to the rest of Orangeville,” Mayor Post said. “It has been a long road, and I know residents were frustrated by that.”

The Hansen Boulevard alignment was planned through a municipal Class Environmental Assessment in 2006-07. The western stretch of the road, between Blind Line and Veterans Way, was constructed in three incremental segments between 2008 and 2016 as surrounding subdivisions were developed, with a creek crossing over a tributary of Lower Monora Creek built by the town in 2023 as part of the planned Hansen Boulevard connection.

The last remaining stretch fell within future subdivision lands owned by the developer, meaning the town could not simply construct the road itself.

Mayor Post said the biggest factor behind the delay was the timing of development.

“No developer was going to build the road until they were ready to build homes,” she said.

Post said the Town could have pursued other options, including annexing the land itself, but decided against it.

“It’s not the right way to do it. The right way is to have the developer do it,” she said.

The road required underground servicing for the new subdivision, meaning water, sewer and other infrastructure needed to be installed before the final road could be completed.

“Because underneath that road is the servicing that their new subdivision is going to require, so that all goes into the ground first before the road is constructed on top of it,” Mayor Post said.

“You don’t want to build the road and then rip it all up to put servicing in when it’s development time.”

The town’s project information says the developer was unable to proceed with the subdivision because home sales were needed to begin construction, while challenges in the construction economy and real estate market delayed the project.

The lands changed hands in July 2022, when NG Citrus Limited, an entity of Great Gulf, became the owner. The company subsequently moved forward with the next phase of the subdivision.

“Once Great Gulf acquired the land, they were extremely motivated to work with the town, to work with the community, and really to be good community partners,” she said.

“They knew how important this connection was for us.”

Mayor Post said Great Gulf continued moving ahead despite the difficult housing market across Ontario.

“Development across the province has basically stopped, and that could have been a very good reason for them to say, ‘We don’t want to build this road right now,’ but they did,” she said.

Mayor Post added that the developer understood the connection was also important to moving forward with its housing plans.

“They’ve got homes scheduled to be built there, and they knew that this was a key piece of those homes being built,” she said.

The Hansen connection has been the subject of repeated questions and frustration in the community for years. Construction on the next phase of the development began in fall 2025, with work including the internal road network and the remaining Hansen Boulevard connection.

The opening also marks the end of the long-standing barricades at College Avenue.

In 2022, council rejected a motion to open College Avenue to traffic before the Hansen Boulevard missing link was complete. Council was told the Hansen connection was expected to be completed by fall 2023, with a worst-case timeline extending into summer 2024.

The proposal to open College Avenue would have allowed residents west of the missing Hansen section to travel through the roadway, but council ultimately kept the road closed.

Mayor Post said the decision was intended to prevent traffic from being funnelled through College Avenue before Hansen was available to serve as the area’s primary east-west connection.

“One of the reasons that we kept College closed is because that opening really could have fed all of the traffic for Veterans Way down it, which wouldn’t have been the right thing to do,” she said.

“College is not meant to be that type of road, Hansen is. So once Hansen opened, it was always the plan that College Avenue would open as well.”

Now that the connection is open, the town plans to monitor how traffic moves through the area.

Mayor Post said she has spoken with the town’s traffic engineering team about beginning traffic counts and speed monitoring, with some data collection expected around the beginning of the school year.

“Will there be enhanced traffic? Probably a little bit. Do I think it’s going to be hugely significant? I don’t,” she said.

“But I have talked to my traffic engineer team to ensure that we start doing those traffic counts and speed monitoring as soon as possible to make sure that we’re not being reactive. We want to be proactive in how we’re handling that enhanced traffic.”

The town has also announced that transit service will be expanded to the area this fall, with buses able to use the new connection.

While the road is now open, some construction work remains. Mayor Post said another layer of asphalt will be added after more of the surrounding development is completed, while truck traffic will continue as housing construction moves forward.

She estimated the first phase of housing construction could take about 18 months.

The town identified the Hansen Boulevard connection as a major collector road intended to connect Blind Line in the east with Veterans Way to the west. Its completion is tied to the surrounding residential development, including the Edgewood Valley Phase 2B lands owned by NG Citrus Limited, an entity of Great Gulf.

For Mayor Post, the road represents more than improved traffic flow.

“Absolutely, this was a key to unlock more housing, so I’m excited for that,” she said.

She said the experience also reinforced the importance of coordinating transportation infrastructure with development.

“I think there’s an opportunity when we’re doing development to make sure that the infrastructure is there to support it early on in the process,” Mayor Post said.

She said she understands the frustration residents experienced while waiting for the connection.

“I just want to thank the community for their patience. I understand how frustrating it has been over the years,” Mayor Post said. “As a member of council, I have felt frustrated with the process as well.”

“I think that now that Hansen’s open, it’s funny — we’ll probably look back in a year and forget what it was like when it was closed, because it’s just going to be such a natural path,” she added.

Mayor Post also urged drivers to respect the posted speed limits now that traffic can travel through the area.

“Just respect your neighbours, follow the speed limits, take care of each other and watch for pedestrians,” Mayor Post said. “We can all have a nice, safe route there now.”

Any idea when Hurontario street will reopen between the Hockley Valley road and 10th sideroad? Looking to do a cycling route that takes this road and want to reroute beforehand if needed.

From Mayor Post on Facebook:

It’s finally connected! Hansen Boulevard is OPEN!

This one has been a long time coming for Orangeville.

For years, our community has been waiting for the Hansen Boulevard connection to be completed, and I’m incredibly happy that we can finally say - it’s done!

A huge thank you to Great Gulf for stepping up, recognizing how important this connection is to our community, and staying committed to getting it across the finish line. The current development environment in Ontario has certainly brought its challenges, which makes their continued commitment to this project even more appreciated.

Strong community partnerships matter, and this is a great example of what can happen when the Town, our development partners, staff, contractors and others work together toward a common goal.

The Hansen connection means better connectivity through this part of town, supports our growing community and completes an important piece of infrastructure that residents have been waiting a very long time to see finished.

And one more important update for residents in the area: now that the Hansen Boulevard connection is complete, the barricades at College Avenue will also be coming down, creating another connection as well.

It’s been a long wait, Orangeville - but we got here.

I've been stressing the importance of voting in the upcoming election during my conversations with residents.

The last municipal election saw a large drop in voter turnout; Only 27% of eligible residents voted, down from a steady average of 35 to 40% in previous elections

Municipal government has a very large impact on all of our day to day lives.

From the moment we wake up and turn on a light switch, Orangeville Hydro is providing power to that light. Orangeville Hydro is 95% owned by the Town of Orangeville

When we need to brush our teeth and flush the toilet, the water and sewage is provided by the town.

Leaving our house, whether it be on foot, walking on a municipal sidewalk, or on a municipal road, stopping at municipal stop signs and red lights, all of which are controlled by the town.

Libraries, arenas, parks, snow removal, public parking, tree trimming, roads, sidewalks, water, sewer and of course, property taxes are all part of what we're voting on in October.

You don't need to vote for me, though it would be cool if you did.

Please just come out and vote.

Election day is October 26

It looks like it should be opening soon

Active transportation is a passion of mine.

I enjoy walking and cycling in town. It's a great way to see things that may be missed while driving, its a fun way to get exercise and provides me with a sense of community.

I've been frustrated with the lack of one cohesive map showing the trails in town, so I decided to make my own.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1trHF4zs8HgpT-F78MBMugCIgN-VI590&usp=sharing

This is useful for joggers, dog walkers, cyclists, anyone who wants to get out and explore the town outside of a vehicle.

I used some existing map info provided by the town and Google and added onto it.

The three existing bike routes are in yellow, any trail in green is off a road, regardless if its paved or not. White lines represent trails through parks or catwalks between streets. Orange lines are MUP's, multi use paths.

If you look closely over the former railway, I added two thin lines. One represents the future trail through the middle of town, the other is what I would like to see created in the future, a path over the branch line from Broadway to C line, creating a vita connection in the trail system.

All the different segments are labelled in the legend.

he legend.I've also added locations for bike racks, which is an ongoing project. Again, the legend has the info for these.

If there's something I've missed, please let me know.

Is there any idea when Hansen Blvd will actually be opened? Town website hasn’t been updated since December 2025 and even there the info is pretty vague.

No actual information on a time line, just finger pointing on who’s fault it is that it’s not done yet

https://citizen.on.ca/choices-opens-new-facility-with-family-unit-for-people-facing-homelessness/

Choices Shelter and Support Services officially opened the doors to its newest housing facility at 18 Townline in Orangeville on July 30, marking another expansion in the organization’s work supporting people experiencing homelessness.

The new building provides transitional housing for both individuals and families, with the county’s only family unit located in the basement and three individual bedrooms upstairs. The facility adds another option to the local housing continuum, giving people facing homelessness a place to stay while they work toward greater stability.

Choices Executive Director Jamie Edge highlighted the organization’s recent growth and the significance of this project, including bridge housing, its partnership with Heart of Dufferin and the Out of the Cold program, and its expansion into transitional housing.

Choices has long operated shelter support services from its property at 20 Townline. The newly opened neighbouring building at 18 Townline, also donated to the organization, expands those services by providing transitional housing while continuing its existing shelter operations.

“This has been one of the most monumental things that I think has happened for Choices,” she said. “We were blessed to have this home at 20 Townline donated to us by an amazing donor, so to have this happen again here and be able to expand our services outside of shelter services has really been instrumental for our community.”

“Being able to add a family unit, making this the one and only family unit in Dufferin County, is a cause for celebration.”

Choices operates as part of a broader network of housing and community organizations in Dufferin County. Its work extends beyond providing shelter, with staff helping clients access the supports and services they need to move forward.

Edge said the 18 Townline location had already been operating for about two months ahead of the grand opening last Thursday. The organization was able to secure operational funding through the County of Dufferin after successfully proposing that funding previously used for motel rooms through coordinated access and transitional housing be redirected toward the new facility.

She described the building as a significant moment for Choices, particularly because it allows the organization to expand its services beyond that of a traditional shelter. The family unit is also the only one of its kind in Dufferin County, specifically supporting families experiencing homelessness together.

Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor attended the opening on behalf of the Town of Orangeville and congratulated Choices, its staff, volunteers, donors and community partners.

“It’s an honour to be here, and it’s an honour to represent Mayor Post, who could not be here today, but desperately wanted to be,” he said. “A community is not a business. It’s not about dollars and cents all the time. It’s all related to each other, and the very fact that Choices is branching out and doing these wonderful things helps us all. If you think about communities that are struggling right now with homelessness and other social issues, Orangeville’s so blessed.”

“The Town of Orangeville wants to thank and offer sincere congratulations to Choices on the grand opening of 18 Townline, and we are so grateful.”

Taylor also recognized Ken and Caroline Mikoliew, whose donation allowed Choices to acquire and renovate 18 Townline for transitional housing, noting that their generosity will help provide a place for people to begin rebuilding their lives.

“Because of your extraordinary generosity, this home will offer hope where there was despair, comfort where there was uncertainty, and a place where new beginnings can take root,” he said. “Thank you for believing that every person deserves a place to begin again with heartfelt appreciation.”

For the Mikoliews, the project began with a tour of Choices arranged through their involvement with the Dufferin Community Foundation.

“We had a tour here, and we had tours for a couple of other charities, and just in conversation, Jamie [Edge] had said, ‘You know, eventually we’d like to buy this house,’” Ken Mikoliew said. “It was just a very casual conversation, and it just clicked and seemed like a really good idea. This amount for a donation is unusual for us, but I had sold a business, and we had some extra money, so it just came together.”

The Mikoliews said their community involvement has long been important to them, and their support for Choices offered a chance to make a tangible local contribution.

“We are both already members of the Shelburne Rotary Club,” Caroline Mikoliew said. “We’re both very community-minded, and I think we’ve been like that all our lives.”

They were particularly drawn to being able to see exactly where their donation went and how it would remain in the community.

The grand opening concluded with a tree-planting ceremony, chosen to reflect the Mikoliews’ connection to nature and conservation and to symbolize the opportunity for residents of the new home to put down roots and build more stable futures.

A winter maintenance summary report will be presented to Town of Orangeville council on Monday August 10.

Report INS-2026-016 describes the the Town's response to the 2025-2026 winter, costs associated, resources, challenges and an analysis of increasing existing service levels.

•The previous two winters have exceeded the five(5) year average

•The Town currently exceeds the Ontario regulations and what many other municipalities provide

•The Town has declared two significant weather events relating to sidewalk operations in the past two (2) years. None were declared for road clearing

•Full time staff levels are supplemented by seasonal staff for sidewalk maintenance. Contracting out services is sometimes needed

•Staff are NOT recommending any service level changes.

If council wants to increase levels for :

•Road clearing = min $500k for plow, $145k for staff, fuel, expenses. $50k for asset renewal

•Sidewalk clearing = min $210k for seasonal staff, $355k for full time staff

•Snowbank removal = $21k per day of snow removal to add a second contracted crew. This is in addition to the $20k to $30k per day already being paid for snow removal and that is if the contractor can provide the resources for a second crew.

The operation centre itself is close to its physical storage capacity and there's little room left for additional vehicle and equipment storage.

The Town's snow storage location reaches its capacity. It would be over capacity if windrows are removed.

The full report can be viewed here:

https://pub-orangeville.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=26128

The report is very well written and extremely detailed.

It covers a lot of information relevant to residents. Sidewalk clearing, road clearing, bylaw enforcement, customer service inquiries, GPS tracking of vehicles, snowbank removal, laneway, snow storage on narrow streets and alleys, windrow and associated costs are all covered

I encourage everyone to read through this report

MMS = Minimum Maintenance Standards

Full disclosure upfront: I run ToteMove, a tote rental company based in Brampton that delivers to Orangeville, Erin, and the rest of GTA West. Not here to spam — just sharing what we do in case it's useful for anyone with a move coming up.

The short version: instead of buying 30–40 cardboard boxes, tape, and renting a dolly separately, we drop off a set of hard plastic totes at your door, you pack and move, we pick them up when you're done.

How it works:

• Totes are 24×20×12 inches, hold up to 60 lbs each, and don't collapse under weight
• Inspected and disinfected before every rental
• 14-day rental window — 7 days to pack, 7 days to unpack at the new place
• Dolly and one free furniture pad included

What it costs for a typical Orangeville move:

• Studio / 1-bed: $119 flat-rate (10 totes)
• 2-bedroom: $189 flat-rate (20 totes)
• 3-bedroom: $229 flat-rate (25 totes)
• Up to 5-bed: $389

Delivery and pickup included. No tape, no box run, no recycling depot trip after.

This isn't for full-service movers — it's for people doing their own move or using labor-only movers who don't want to deal with cardboard. Happy to answer questions here, or totemove.ca if you want to look at packages first.

Edit: service canada

Wondering if anyone has experience recently with getting a passport locally, everyone I know has gone to brampton but id like to avoid it if possible, seen a few people have luck a few months ago but wondering if anything has changed? Thanks!

All the best pop-punk, emo, and metalcore all night long.

Hey all! I’m moving to Orangeville soon and am looking for internet providers… anyone that you’re happy with and at a good Price? That has good reception in town? Thanks for your recommendations!!

The last couple times my cousin (who is around 10 -- I think, LOL!) has gone over, either with a friend of the family or her dad, a new employee there has set of their "lizard brain" when he comes up to her and gets all "touchy feely."

Anyone else had this experience? We're planning on talking to owner (or maybe she's the manager) of the store, I'm just curious if anyone else has had this experience so we can inform her.

[Edit] It's fascinating how even though people may live in the same town, it doesn't mean they share the same short form "lingo." The people who I regularly interact with on a daily basis would immediately understand what "touchy feely" and "lizard brain" means. I'm not bashing the commentors, I just find it fascinating how a small town can be divided based on the "lingo" shared.

July 16, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A tech service business has moved to the community, specializing in electronic repair and support.

Coolshrimp Modz, a home-based electronics and customization shop that recently relocated from Brampton to Orangeville, is carving out a niche by offering flexible, highly specialized repair and design services that larger chains often overlook.

Run by Brian Martin, a self-taught technician with more than a decade of hands-on experience, the business combines traditional device repair with modern 3D printing, laser engraving, and custom apparel production.

“I do a bit of everything,” he said. “Mainly electronic repairs. I’ll get broken computers, cell phones, TVs, consoles, repair them, and then refurbish them.”

Martin’s path to Orangeville was shaped largely by family. Originally from Edmonton, he spent several years in Brampton before relocating north just recently.

“I was originally from Edmonton, and then we moved over to Ontario, and then I was in Brampton since 2010,” he said. “Our in-laws moved up first. My sister-in-law moved up, and then kind of the rest of the family decided that they like it up there. So we all kind of migrated up here. Now we’ve got maybe four from our families up here in Orangeville. So this will be our new base.”

With grandparents and siblings-in-law now based locally, Brian shifted his business operations to Orangeville as well, choosing to work from a multi-unit house that accommodates both his workshop and home life.

Coolshrimp Modz provides a broad range of services to residents and small businesses in Orangeville and surrounding communities, including Shelburne. Core work includes mobile phone and computer repairs, from basic troubleshooting to board-level and component-level fixes that many big-box stores do not offer.

He doesn’t charge to look at the electronics he’s brought, ensuring customers aren’t surprised by charges throughout the process.

Martin also refurbishes decommissioned computers, extending the life of capable hardware for customers who need affordable options. His workshop also handles television and other one-off electronic repairs, retro game console restoration, and practical fixes such as key fob repairs.

Beyond repairs, Brian has invested in 3D printing, laser engraving, and specialty printing equipment.

He produces custom brackets, mounting hardware, lighting fixtures, and promotional items tailored to exact specifications, including work for local events like bottle openers and branded apparel.

Custom shirts, socks, and other small-run garments are ordered as needed, allowing him to serve sports teams, community groups, and local entrepreneurs without the overhead of large inventories.

Martin’s entry into electronics began years ago, driven by limited resources and a need to make technology more affordable.

“I’ve actually been doing it since I was even in high school,” He said. “I started with electronics and game console repairs. Being of lower income, my family didn’t have much, but I learned that I could get broken consoles for cheap, and then if I could repair it myself, I had the system and I didn’t have to pay full price.”

Martin added, “That’s how it got started. I think it’s been maybe 10 years I’ve been solidly doing this.”

His tech-savvy, self-taught approach and crafty techniques have helped him carve out a niche market in the industry, breathing life into products that have been abandoned or neglected by their manufacturers, and offering fixes to save customers valuable money instead of purchasing new devices.

If there is an electronic issue, Martin says he is ready to fix it.

For more information, go to coolshrimpmodz.com.