Happy Birthday Canada!

Canada Day is coming up this week… One day of the year when Canadians seem to show a large amount of pride. Too bad all the people who spent the last month driving around with their “home” country flags for the World Cup on their cars could not put our maple leaf up!
Canada Day has a lot to offer for us!
Start the day in Glen Williams with breakfast! There celebrations run from 8 to 4! One of the highlights is the Canada Day parade. During the day they have face painting, music and a variety of vendors and entertainers. Of course the annual duck race goes at 4 pm! One of these days I hope to win something!

In the evening the Acton BIA has a host of events on at Prospect park. Concerts in the Park, starting at 6 p.m. until dusk in Prospect Park’s Rotary Bandshell. Activities include a bicycle parade for kids, ages 5-12, decorate your bike in red and white to celebrate Canada and you could win a prize! Local entertainment provided by: 2009 Acton Idol winner Kelsey Kirkpatrick, Robert Little Everybody Dance Club, Jay Force Acton Baptist Church Youth Choir, Leanne Marie Pettitt School of Highland Dance and lots more for the family to enjoy!
Then the Acton Fire Fighters Association is hosting its annual Canada Day fireworks display at Prospect Park, starting at dusk. Firefighters will be accepting donations at the gate to help cover the costs of the show. They pass the boot and the money they raise stays in the community!
Our ancestors came to Canada, toiled and worked the land and help build the Country. They all came here seeking a better life and a great Country.
We live in a Awesome Country!
Happy Birthday Canada!

Riots in Toronto

It is discouraging that the image flashed around the world yesterday from Toronto was of hooligans destroying a neighbourhood in Toronto.
Discouraging is not the word, anger frustration and a total feeling of helplessness also enters the fray.
We all know that peaceful protest by people passionate in what they believe in is normal and expected in a free and democratic country like Canada. Having us gather so others can learn and understand a difference of opinion is important to building our country and society.
I was a team leader 6 years ago when we took a half dozen buses to Queens Park to show the provincial government how we loved our hospital.
But people whose only mission in life is to go to places where there are peaceful protestors and try to create anarchy to get over their own lack of self worth should not be tolerated.
The picture of these morons smashing windows and running into steal from the stores is too far. In one instance the throwing of feces into a clothing store showed there IQ to be that of a dung beetle.
Who did they hurt? The corporation who they were railing against in there never ending conspiracy theories?
No but the hard working shop keepers who employ the people in the neighbourhood, donate to the local charities and support soccer and baseball teams. The ones who greet them when they walk in.

The good news is that some of these were not Canadians but international rabble rousers who are always looking to destroy, not contribute and build our societies.
With over 1 billion spent on security the federal government will be going over every aspect of what was right, what went wrong and how we can improve. Our international image will not suffer as most intelligent people know Canada is not like that.

I know I made the right career choice as I could not have shown the patience the police did yesterday. I would have been hard pressed not to use tear gas, tazers and rubber bullets. Bring ont he water cannons and sound machines. maybe some classical until there ears bleed.

Should we ever host a G20 event here again in Canada? Maybe in 20 years..

Active Living

The events this week all seemed to focus on a central theme. Active living and being active. The Town spends a great amount of resources(your money and Staff time) on facilities designed for people to be active.
Looking past traditional facilities that we first think of, such as baseball diamonds and arenas. We have an extensive trail network, skate parks, swimming pools, splash pads and even parks for dogs to socialize and run in.
Getting out and being active does not always take a big investment. Walking around Prospect Park at sunset on the track is a beautiful site, with the suns golden rays shimmering off the water and the ducks, geese and swans in the water. It is a beautiful backdrop and a calming experience.
We have tremendous partnerships with groups that allow access to other facilities, such as the Acton Agricultural Society and their indoor soccer facility. The Croatian Centre and the use of there soccer fields. The Field of Dreams group which will allow rental of the artificial turf under construction at the Georgetown High School site which is close to completion.
We had construction moved forward due to generous donations by the Acton Soccer Club, Georgetown Soccer and Slow-pitch league. The Federal Government and the Trail Conservatory.
Also under construction are some bike paths on our road network. The Town is doing a cycling master plan and we need public input. The meeting is next Tuesday June 29th at the Acton arena from 6:30 to 8.
The successful Canadian Tire Jump Start program has roots in Halton Hills as we were one of the first communities involved.


We have a selection of exceptional golf courses in out Town. Such as Greystone, Granite Ridge, Blue Springs, Glen Cairn, North Halton, Georgetown(Eagle Ridge) and Hornby Glen. All offer a challenging round and great experience.
Last night I played at Greystone which is nestled against the escarpment. It is a tough course and its greens are known to be a real challenge. It is hosting a Canadian Tour event this year in August which speaks to its caliber. While I am not an avid golfer I do enjoy getting out periodically and playing. I enjoy the exercise, fresh air and fun that comes with a golf course.
So whether you ride, roller blade, walk, run, skateboard, canoe, kick, throw or hike. Get out in Halton Hills and see what we can offer in the great outdoors.

International SkateBoard Day

Today was a fun event that we get to go to that shows the culmination of a lot of hard work by a dedicated group of individuals. Something that is providing a legacy for everyone involved.
June 21st is International Skateboarding Day. Who knew, I thought it was just the first day of summer here in the northern hemisphere. The Town held a Skateboarding day at the Three Musketears Stake Park in Acton. Today was also to mark the third anniversary of the park opening.

The Three Musketears Skate Park is named in honour of 3 young boys who were killed tragically 10 years ago this year. Travis Toth, Rory Dick and Mark Everson all were killed by a train as they were going to school in Milton. A tragedy like that is something you never forget. Travis worked for me and was a fine young man.

But out of the tragedy the families and friends banded together and started holding a annual golf tournament. The proceeds for the first few years were given to the future Acton Skate Park. Which at that time did not have a suitable location.

Both Mayor Rick and I served on the ASAP (Action Sports Action park) committee which had the dream of having a skate park built for the youth of Acton. The group had dedicated volunteers led by Deb Fendley who worked with the town and the community to find a suitable site.


The Three Musketears Group were approached and agreed to be the lead sponsor for the Skatepark. The unique spelling is so that the park and the boy’s memories will always be preserved.

Today as we watched the park fill up with BMX bikers and skateboarders it really felt like a vindication that a project we worked on for so many years was a huge success. The park has been the subject of very little vandalism and is in use on every nice summer day until dusk. Some of the youth who served on the committee were driving by the time the park was completed. We all knew that “If you build it they will come!”


The friends and Families of Travis, Rory and Mark can be proud of the legacy that is there for a future generation of skateboarders and BMX Bikers. The main committee of Deb Fendley, Lynda Bowen, Helen Colvin, Aaron Matthews, Julia Roehrig, Rakesh Mistry, Alex Roehrig, Frances Niblock, Mayor Rick Bonnette and myself are all grateful to the community for there support in believing the project as much as we had.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities

One of the great organisations I have had the honour of working with the last few years is FCM, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. FCM has been the national voice for Municipalities since 1901. It has around 1800 Municipal members from coast to coast to coast and represents over 90% of the population of Canada. While it is a national organisation, this is the logo from this years AGM in Toronto.


I was appointed by Halton Region Council to be their representative on FCM and have been elected to the Board of Directors in 2008. Prior to that I served on the committees I serve on the Ontario Caucus and a variety of other committees. I have received tremendous support from all the Councillors and the staff from Halton and Halton Hills.

One of the goals of FCM is to do advocacy work on behalf of municipalities with the Federal Government and its departments. Also we frequently appear before committees of the house of commons to present the municipal view on issues. The advocacy of FCM has led to Municipalities receiving full GST back, gas tax (which is around 2 million a year for Halton Hills). Also, FCM has the Green Municipal Fund which municipalities can apply for environmental initiatives.

On behalf of CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency), FCM carries out a variety of International projects. Assisting emerging democracies with capacity building and establishing Municipal governments. FCM will have a role to play in Afghanistan and the reconstruction of Haiti.


Halton Region has been recognized as being one of the first, if not the first, Municipalities in Canada to have people on the ground. Ours was by the dedication of our 11 EMS workers who responded to a Halton Staff member’s plea for assistance from the mission he was working at. More can be found at the following link

http://www.fcm.ca//CMFiles/Crossroads%20Spring%202010%20En%20lres1LIC-692010-8371.pdf


FCM is also involved with the following areas of municipal interest:
Municipal Infrastructure
FCM Stimulus Monitoring Centre
Immigrant Settlement
Public Safety
Affordable Housing and Homelessness
Public Transit
Rural, Remote, and Northern Communities
Environment and sustainable development
Municipal Rights of Way
Municipal Finance
Policy Statements
Resolutions
Women in Government
Quality of Life Reporting System
ACT Program
Land Management Project
Annual Ottawa Advocacy days with MP’s from all parties

Last Year when the Town under Mayor Bonnette started the fight against US protectionism, FCM played a key role in getting the ball rolling. The staff at FCM quickly realised the potential downside to Canadian business from the US legislation and helped us craft a resolution for debate at the AGM. I will write another posting on the whole Buy American issue.

The issue spread around the world overnight with media attention from all the major world news papers. An issue started by a Halton Hills business, passed by our Council and supported across the country, then sent to Ottawa was now international news.

Though it took until February of this year to resolve, and it is still not done, the staff at FCM always kept us informed and part of the process. They always looked at it as Halton Hills resolution. They always made sure that we knew it was our resolution and they were working with us.

This year I assisted the Men4Women campaign and offered to have my head shaved to raise money for the scholarship for women FCM offers. We were able to raise over 3200 for the scholarship and Jane Fogal could not wait to get the clippers and help the cause!



The next few years will be challenging for municipalities. Both federal and provincial governments are fighting record deficits. We need to speak with that one collective voice to ensure any cuts are not on the backs of OUR Municipal taxpayers. I hope to continue working with FCM.

We speak loudest when we speak with the power of one voice.

Acton Farmers Market and Big Daddy...

Coming up this week are 2 events. One is on the weekend and the other is reoccurring. The new one is the Big Daddy Festival. This festival came out of the Halton Hills Cultural Round table. They identified the need for a festival and as they did there homework they discovered that on Fathers Day, there is no festival dedicated to Fathers. So a very dedicated group of Volunteers (there is that word again) got together and started planning. This event will be taking place across Halton Hills with different events in Acton, Georgetown and the rural area.

On Thursday prior to the kick off of the festival the Acton BIA will be launching a Farmers Market in Acton! The market will be on Willow Street and will run each Thursday evening (3 pm to 7 pm) until October. Just imagine fresh farm vegetables and fruits at a market here in Town. Find out more at http://www.downtownacton.ca/ They call it “Where Fresh meets Family”

The idea of a farmers market has been suggested by the BIA for a number of years. It seems that people are …finally….. concerned about where there food is produced. The last couple of year’s problems with food processed and manufactured in China and elsewhere have raised people’s awareness of food security. Also the issue of preservation of farmland, and farming has brought this to the forefront. Fresh produce makes sense from an environmental sense as the food does not travel thousands of miles, economic as the money remains close to your community and creates jobs. Also, from a freshness factor that you can’t beat the taste of local food.

Forty years ago my Grandfather started the Milton Farmers market as he did not like the quality of the fruits and vegetables for sale in the local grocery store. Grandpa was a fruit and vegetable farmer who had a farm at Brookville. He would travel to Guelph to sell his produce and on his retirement moved into Milton. As a boy I would help out on Saturdays and since then have been hooked on buying at markets.

If you do not see local Ontario Produce on your grocery Store. Ask for it…

The Acton portion of the Big Daddy Festival will be kicked off at the Roxy Theatre on Friday night. Saturday has the popular “Taste of Acton”, Dad and Me Karaoke in the Park and wraps up with the popular “Movies in the Park. For more details on the Big Daddy Festival, or for a full schedule checkout http://www.bigdaddyfestival.ca

Feast of St Anthony

In the picture is Myself Ljubinko Matesic Consul General of the Republic of Croatia(Mississauga Office) and Mayor Rick Bonnette.
One of the things that make Halton Hills and North Halton such a great place to live is the variety of events that are going on. It seems like every weekend there is an event we can attend. A lot of these are run by small groups of dedicated people who freely give of there time, for no money, but for the satisfaction of providing quality entertainment and for bringing the community together.
Last weekend in Acton we had the “Praise in the Park” which is run by all the Acton Ministerial Association is a ecumenical service. The event is normally held in the Rotary Bandshell in Prospect Park, but this year due to inclement and threatening weather it was moved to the Christian Reformed Church.
Yesterday was the Highland Games, the Georgetown Horticultural Society Anniversary, Acton Trunk Sale, Limehouse Beef Dinner and other events. Also I saw signs of at least 2 bike runs through the rural area yesterday. Some of them wisely using police to help cross our busy highways and side streets. Halton Hills is a popular destination for bikes, but that is a topic for another day!
Today was the Feast of St Anthony at the Croatian Centre. I have had the honour of working with the Croatian Centre as a Councillor and have been attending this event for many years. The event is a popular one and is always well attended by Croatians from across the GTA, Canada and the US. The Ambassador is usually in attendance and is always appreciative of the fact that the Mayor and some councillors are able to attend.
This year Mayor Rick, Councillor Robson and I were joined by Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion who was there but had another event to get to and could not stay.
The Feast always involves a huge meal of pork, lamb, chicken and the best coleslaw and potato salad I have ever had. After lunch we go out to the pavilion and witness traditional Croatian dancing, singing and colourful costumes from different areas of Croatia.
The Croatian community here has seen this Centre grow from a small pavilion with a few soccer fields to the building of the Queen of Peace Cathedral. All have led to a active social and cultural Centre for the Croatian Community here in Halton Hills. The spires of the church rise as a landmark and are easily identifiable when you fly over Halton Hills, or from the 401 and 407.
The establishment of the centre was a divisive one at the time that had people expressing concerns over it and a lot of fear over how it may develop. The Town worked with the Centre and the residents and today we have the Queen of Peace Croatian Centre as a vital part of our community.
That partnership and a desire to work together were very helpful in allowing Halton Hills negotiate a lease agreement for our soccer teams to use their fields as we had a shortage of them. This has helped to take the pressure off our ever growing soccer registrations.

On a sad note today it will be the last feast of St Anthony with Father Stiepan Pandzic who has been the Parish Priest for a number of years. He was instrumental in building the Centre to what it is today. Father would always come over to talk and always spoke of the partnership and desire to work with the Town and the residents. His quiet demeanour has served the Halton Hills Croatian Community well. His successor will have big shoes to fill. He is off to a new assignment in St Louis.
Father I say “hvala.”

Highland Games

What a day… I had wanted to write something last night but was to tired after the events of the day. I got down there about 10:30 and saw that Shannon, Susan and Mom had the tent set up and the banners looked awesome. The display stuff from April and Bill at the Scottish Company looked great.
The only bad part of the morning was the boneheadness of the School Board in cancelling, on Friday night, the parking at Park School. Which they said they needed for teachers to mark papers. Understandable, if they were going to be there, but 1 teacher showed up. 150 parking spots were lost. Another great move by Halton District School Board. That is a topic for another day…..

I had a picture with the 78th Fraser Highlanders. There uniforms were unbelievable and when they fired there musket volley it shook the fairgrounds. Here is a piece on their history from their website.

“The final phase of the 150-year struggle between Britain and France in North America began in 1754. It became clear that large-scale military action in the colonial conflict was needed if Britain was to prevail. This would require sending British regulars to North America. Authority was granted for the raising of two Highland Battalions, the 62nd Regiment of Foot (Montgomery's Highlanders) and the 63rd Regiment of Foot (Fraser's Highlanders), for service in the New World.”
Afterwards I wandered with Spike to see the tents and booths there. I wanted to find another bear with the Somerville tartan. Last year I got one but it was given to wee Cousin Megan in Virginia. She loved the bear and Tim and I gave it to her as a memento of the Williamsburg Highland games. Megan is now battling leukemia and is fighting strong. The booth owner was overwhelmed by Somervilles looking for bears she is going to order the tartan and make the. The Somerville Girls of Georgetown all wanted one. Shannon is organising that one!



We formed up in the parade as the sunshine disappeared and steady “Scotch Mist” came in. I had the honour of being driven by my friend John Tatham in his 1953 Vintage Willy’s Jeep. The family let by Mom, Aunt Shirley and Uncle Bill walked in behind the Somerville banner. It was great the Cousin Mike could join us!
Seeing the opening of the Games from the booth was unbelievable. The mass bands from that angle were truly a sight. Over 30 bands struck up to play after the Highlanders marched a formed an honour guard to fire their muskets. Following the bands was the Highland fling, these poor wee girls were dancing as the worst of the rain for the day fell. Some as young as 4.

I met a couple of great Somervilles who were in attendence. Bill Somerville who is from the Lanarkshire area of Scotland runs a store with is wife April called “The Scottish Company”. A great place for kilts and accessories as well as other Scottish and Irish items.
The other is Scott Somerville who is the CAO for the Township of King. He was there with his family and told us of the Somervilles from his branch settling in the Alliston area. Mike Somerville from Mississauga who would be a cousin had to go before I could chat with him, but a good connection was made.
After the closing mass bands, we all made our way to Chris and Karen’s for the Somerville Caleigh! The version of Amazing grace was spectacular. They were gracious hosts and ensured we all had tons to eat, drink and a dry place from the rain! Tim’s address to the haggis was excellent! With a loaf of Wonder Bread standing in for the Haggis…


Festivals like this remind us of our heritage but also help us learn about other cultures. They can be to get us out to have some fun, some great food and to see friends and families. They become an important part of our lives. My Parents met 61 years ago at the Fergus Highland Games.
I will have more on Festivals in another posting.

Dragons, Kilts and a Grand Honour

In 1835 3 brothers left the Lanarkshire area of Scotland and settled in the Limehouse area in north Halton. As most people coming to Canada at that time, and many immigrants since, they came seeking a new life and a chance to have opportunities not afforded them in there birthplace.
The three brothers were Thomas (who had 200 acres in the 4th line Glen Lawson Road Area), James (Farmland near present day Erin) and Robert who had 50 acres in Esquesing Township. Robert was my great great grandfather.
Recognizing the need for a church, a group gathered at the home of Thomas in the early 1850’s to discuss the building of a church to serve the needs of the Limehouse area. That church opened a couple of years later, debt free and originally served three denominations. It continues to serve the community today as Limehouse Presbyterian Church.
Growing up I had heard the story that a Somerville had slain the last dragon in Scotland. I had a coworker tell me that the Somerville crest must have a dragon on it as such a event would be marked by a special crest and kilt. It was always difficult to find anything until the advent of the internet. Then I could find the kilt, history and Somervilles around the world.


Now a bit about the Linton Worm… This is from a piece called “Scottish Monsters” and talks of the Linton Worm…
“ A Scots laird, John de Somerville heard of the worm and decided to go see for himself. From a safe distance he observed the creature, noticing how it would crawl halfway from its lair and stand watching, its mouth wide open while it observed those who came near. This gave the enterprising laird an idea. He returned and ordered the production of a unique lance from a local blacksmith.
Somerville returned to the lair with his special lance. On the end he placed a large lump of peat covered in tar which was set alight. For some time he had practiced charging with the burning lance so his horse would get used to the smoke blowing in its face. Now came the time to strike. He rode up to the worm who predictable opened its huge mouth. Somerville plunged the lance deep into the creatures throat.
The Worm writhed in agony, the marks of it's death throws are said to be still visible in the undulations of the hills around the lair (now known as Wormington). eventually the creature brought down the roof of the cave in which it had lived and (conveniently for all the story tellers) disappeared without a trace.
As a reward for his bravery Somerville was knighted and made a royal Falconer, he also became the first Baron of Lintoune. In commemoration of the event the crest of the Somerville's was a dragon perched on a wheel.“
This weekend I have the honour of being the Honorary grand Chieftain at the Halton Peel Highland Games
http://www.georgetownhighlandgames.com/index.php?title=Main_Page being held in Georgetown. I was asked last year if I would do the honour. I am especially pleased that Somervilles from all over are going to be in attendance. My Mother, Aunts Uncles cousins, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and a whole bunch of Somervilles who are related we just do not know how! Should be a good Caleigh! There are 36 bands booked and hopefully the weather is more Canadian then Scottish! This is the 35th year of the games and the organisers deserve lots of credit for there hard work and dedication in bringing this to Halton Hills for all these years.
I will write more and have loads of pictures after tomorrow! See you there!

Engaging the Public

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there does anyone hear it?

How do we engage the public? We have always relied on advertising in the local paper but that method only seems to reach so many people. In our society today people do not always *gasp* read the local paper to see what is going on in their community. It seems especially, in the new areas of town there is a transition from when people move in to when they start engaging in the activities of the Town. Some go on to become great volunteers like I spoke about yesterday. Some quietly work behind the scenes at schools or other groups. Others settle in and do not become part of the community until many years later.

Society today seems so busy with our lives we do not always get to follow those things going on in the Town until they impact us. We use our website, advertising, notices on properties for some applications and have used direct mailing. But unless people think it is going to affect them it can all end up in the Blue Box. (Well I hope there and not the garbage!) Our Council meetings are close captioned for any one with hearing impairment and the Region Webstreams the committee meetings.

All orders of government need to look at and embrace new ways to engage our citizens. Social media such as this blog, Facebook, Twitter and other services can be a good way to get the message out. It can also be a good way to receive instant feedback on issues. Or receive complaints or requests for services. I have received numerous ones from my Facebook page.
But if someone is not looking for it or paying attention is the message heard?

Recently during the discussions of the New Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw and the Official Plan Conformity Exercise we had citizens come forward as we were hoping to finalize them, expressing concerns that they did not know about it. Both these exercises had been publicized in the local papers. In the case of the Official Plan Conformity Exercise, it was started over 4 years ago in response to the Provincial Places to Grow Document.

Obviously when our citizens are concerned or feel uninformed when we are about to pass legislation that can impact their property we need to do a better job. What is the answer? I am not sure. But we need to look at all of the ways we can. Whether it be e blasts, social media, direct mailing, public meetings, websites, newspaper advertising, newsletters or flyers. I know we will need to have that discussion sooner, then later. I hope I can be part of the discussion.

We as government need to find the way to engage our citizens. Not just to tell them what is coming up, but to hear from them to plan and work together.

Volunteers

Last night I was in attendance when the Town honoured over 275 volunteers. It is by far not the total of the volunteers just those who were able to take time out of there schedules to drop by. Be thanked and receive a small token of appreciation from Mayor Rick, Town Staff, community Volunteers and members of Council.

The name of the event was “You don’t need a Cape” and was designed to highlight how everyday, people are out trying to give back and make our community a great place to live. Halton Hills has over 10,000 Community hours logged by various people with different groups. Truly we could not afford to pay them for all their work if we had to. Some groups rely on a small group of dedicated individuals who make everything happen.
We all need to work to give back to our community and volunteering even a couple of hours a week can make a difference.

Today I was out handing out the Certificates of Appreciation to various schools, businesses and community groups to thank them for their help in participating in the 22 Minute Makeover as well as other earth week activities I have sat on the committee for a number of years and under the leadership of my colleague Jane Fogal it has done tremendous work. This year we had 100% of the Halton Hills schools participate.

Of special note is the work of HARP (Hornby Area Rate Payers) who were one of, if not the first group, doing cleanups every spring. They use it as a tremendous community event, followed by a BBQ at the Hornby Park. Each year they collect hundreds of bags of garbage, pile of scrap metal and tires that people thoughtlessly dump in our rural area.

Again more volunteers making our Town Great!