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Dave Dawson

Dave Dawson

Dave Dawson was born and raised in Orillia and returned to his hometown to become sports editor of The Packet & Times in 1991. He chose to stay in Orillia, to raise his family here and to serve the community as a reporter, editor and freelance writer ever since. He is thrilled to be the community editor of OrilliaMatters.com and looks forward to continuing the tradition of bringing the stories that matter to Orillians to their fingertips every day. Dave is also very involved in the community; he coached various sports when his kids were younger and, today, is a valued board member of Sport Orillia, a member of the Building Hope campaign for the Lighthouse Soup Kitchen and Shelter and is also part of the committee selected to choose this year's Citizen of the Year.

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Recent Work by Dave

Jimmy Fallon pokes fun at Orillia's Christmas tree lighting fiasco

Jimmy Fallon pokes fun at Orillia's Christmas tree lighting fiasco

'It's so embarrassing for all of us. Imagine we hit the news in the U.S,' says commenter after tree lighting in Orillia is ridiculed on the Tonight Show on American television
OPP 'sincerely regrets' anti-Trudeau posts on its social media

OPP 'sincerely regrets' anti-Trudeau posts on its social media

'Ideas shared do not reflect the opinions of the organization,' says OPP official, noting posts were made in error; 'There is no punishment in this matter'
Casino Rama set to reopen today following ransomware attack

Casino Rama set to reopen today following ransomware attack

Gateway, on April 16, originally said its Ontario casinos were being closed due to a system-wide "malfunction," but later admitted they were hit by a ransomware attack
BREAKING: Canadian icon Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84

BREAKING: Canadian icon Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84

'He will surely be missed by the Mariposa Folk Festival, by his beloved fans, by Orillia and the world,' said Mariposa Folk Festival official
Gateway casinos to remain closed 'for days' after cyber attack

Gateway casinos to remain closed 'for days' after cyber attack

North Bay's Cascades Casino is temporarily closed. 'Our utmost concern is the protection of personal data and information'
Champlain latest figure to come under scrutiny

Champlain latest figure to come under scrutiny

'I am hopeful that in the future, the story of Champlain is more inclusive and includes the version told by the people whose lives he changed forever, the First Nations of this land'
'Eggciting' discovery: woman's chicken lays rare round egg

'Eggciting' discovery: woman's chicken lays rare round egg

'At first, I thought it was a ball the dog found. When I picked it up, I realized — to my surprise — it was an egg,' said Washago woman
'Lesson learned': Orillia woman feels lucky to be alive after saving dog from icy lake (3 photos)

'Lesson learned': Orillia woman feels lucky to be alive after saving dog from icy lake (3 photos)

'I wasn’t about to stand there and watch her drown. I didn’t think of myself,' says dog owner who is sharing her story to ensure others stay safe
ONTARIO: SIU clears officers who fatally shot man after mask 'rampage' in Minden

ONTARIO: SIU clears officers who fatally shot man after mask 'rampage' in Minden

SIU report says man 'pummeled' store employee, assaulted second employee, rammed car into carts and building and was later killed by OPP at his rural home
Public Health Ontario reports 129 new COVID cases Tuesday

Public Health Ontario reports 129 new COVID cases Tuesday

In today's daily update from the province, officials say there were five deaths due to COVID-19 over the past 24 hours
More work by Dave >