Our fifth online auction was an unqualified success.  We attracted $3557 in bids on the 176 items up for auction.  About 170 people took part, and in the end 69 people won the right to purchase  one to 11...

Please note that the REAL Deal Store will be closed between Sunday, December 22 and Wednesday, January 1 inclusive.  The store will reopen Thursday, January 2, 2025.  The store closes every year between Christmas and New Years to give...

REAL’s December 2024 Update has been posted.   Learn which seasonal items can and can’t be recycled, sources of phantom power loss,  and about our Mini Forest planting and Online Auction.  It is often easier to explain what the REAL...

REAL is now 35 years old!  Our environmental organization began with a meeting of concerned citizens on Oct. 31, 1989.  Through the years our small  non-profit has been involved in dozens of small scale, hands on, local projects meant...

Our Mini Forest Planting Day at Corbett-Hyland Park October 5 was a resounding success. It was a beautiful day and at the end quite a sight to see it all planted. It will be great to watch how Smiths...

REAL’s September 2024 newsletter is here!  Some REAL members share their experiences raising monarch butterflies and there are stories on the medicinal plants in the Phase 3 Monarch Garden, the REAL Deal, the Board, and fall composting tips.  We...

Directors at  REAL’s August Board Meeting agreed on the following roles:                President – Karen Schecter                Vice-President – Donna McKenna                Treasurer – Dave Thornley                Secretary – Barb Hicks                Member...

 2024 Green Community Award Winners Announced   REAL is very pleased to be the recipient of a 2024 Green Communities Canada (GCC) Award. The awards, presented May 9,  celebrate excellence in the GCC national network.   REAL was selected...

Hyland Park just got another boost with the addition of six large trees on April 29.  In planning REAL’s mini-forest,  it was recognized that the park could use some additional shade quickly.  So with the Town’s permission REAL  chose...

The mini-forest soil preparation day April 13 went really well.  Now we just have to wait five to six months for the optimal soil conditions to develop!  About 300 plants trees and shrubs  will be planted by volunteers this...

Our Rain Barrel Pickup day is now a  Garden Fundraiser!  If you come between 10 am and 2 pm we will have some other great garden additions to get you growing.  Proceeds support REAL’s monarch gardens on the REAL...

Our 2023 Annual Report that summarizes our activities up to the end of January 2024 is now available.  This is also the time of year that we ask members to confirm their support with their membership renewal.  If you...

Corbett Park in Smiths Falls will be a hub of activity in 2024 with the planting of 300 trees and the creation of a mini forest in Smiths Falls.  The mini-forest will also be a great project to mark REAL’s...

The HER+ program is winding down four and a half years ahead of schedule.  The Canada Greener Homes Grant was supposed to be available to homeowners across Canada for seven years when launched just two and a half years...

REAL’s February newsletter is here!  The conclusion of the popular HER+ program, a mini-forest for Corbett Park, and some Green Valentine’s Day ideas are some of the stories included.          Our next issue will be  April...