Events « Burlington Gazette - Local News, Politics, Community

Competition for the book audience at the end of the month. Local author Turpin Myers launches “Nightswimming”.

September 21, 21013

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON. Sunday the 29^th is going to be a busy day for the book lovers. A Different Drummer Books has author Shelly Sanders in their shop celebrating the publication of a new entry in her superb historical fiction series for young people, The Rachel Trilogy.

Rachel’s Promise, taking place in Shanghai and St. Petersburg in the early 20th century, continues the vivid saga begun last year with Rachel’s Secret, drawing upon Shelly’s own extraordinary family history.

Rachel’s Promise on Sunday, September 29 at 2pm, right in the bookshop. Admission is free, everyone is welcome, refreshments will be served.

Janet Turpin Myers, local author launches her first title at the end of the month.

Local author Janet Turpin Myers will be holding the local launch of her first title “Nightswimming” on the same date and at the same time. It’s a private event but if you know Janet – pop her a note and she will find a way to squeeze you in.

A slam and ten rooms – or is it ten rooms and a slam? Apparently there is No Vacancy. Culture in Burlington.

September 17, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON. Last July the Burlington Slam Project celebrated five years of monthly poetry slams in this city. That’s an impressive number and impressive enough to convince the Canada Council to send some coin their way.

This month, with the generous support of our favourite local pub, The Black Bull; we are able to offer the winner of our first slam of the season a $100 CASH PRIZE. Second prize is a generous gift certificate to the Black Bull Neighborhood Pub itself.

Poets read and the audience judges. If you like what you hear – you clap loudly. And if you think you have something to say – sign up and take the mike.

What’s a Poetry Slam? It’s a competition judged by the audience. They are held in cities all over the world – San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Madrid, New Zealand, Hamilton and Burlington.

It’s the kind of thing you’ve gotta be in the room to fully appreciate. You never know who is going to say what. Every month there is Open Mic – anyone can sign up and share anything for 5 minutes. There is usually a feature artist to really rock the show.

Thursday evening the event will be The P.O.E. (Poetically Organized Entity); Hatched: 1981, on planet Aggression; Parents: Sarcasm, Spite; Occupation: Articulation; Special Skills: Speed, rhymes and rage. Points of Note: Beaten, ship full of hip hop awards. Quote: “I’m just some weirdo whose axis is off kilter, whose half assed practice has enough skill to kill ya“

Raw, straight from the heart performances – some are exceptionally good.

The Poetically Organized Entity (P.O.E.) is James Owen Brown. A slam poet from Hamilton Ontario, he has competed nationally at the Canadian Festival of Spoken word twice and been a semi-finalist. He has been a finalist at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam and was the first ever winner of Last Poet Standing. In 2012 P.O.E. won the title of Grand Slam Champion of Toronto as well as the first ever Champion of Champions Cup. He has released a chapbook of poems called “More Poetiker Than Ever”. Typically P.O.E.’s style is very intense and aggressive. His hip hop background comes through in most pieces and his use of pop culture references to help clarify the abstract has made him a southern Ontario favourite.

If you’ve a taste for an appreciation of the English language – give it a try.

Thursday is a full night – but you can cover the No Vacancy in the ten rooms event at the Waterfront, runs from 6 to 9, and then scoot up Guelph Line and take in the Slam at the Black Bull

Terry Fox Run exceeds both participation and financial goals met last year.

September 16, 2013

By Staff

The Burlington Terry Fox Run took in over $72,000 which slightly ahead of last year. The final tally, won’t be known for several weeks but there were more than 1000 participants and 140 volunteer.

Casey Cosgrove talks with Deb Tymstra about the crowd he brought with him to the 2013 Terry Fox Run.

Run Warriors – it is this age group that shows up year after year.

When they burn up the energy – the need to refill those tanks. Hot dog stand was where most people ended up.

when you cross that finish line – a cup of water is real welcome. The Terry Fox organization in Burlington covers all the bases.

The Run done – this family re-groups and gets ready to head home – a good job done and some lessons learned.

The Remembering Board tells a large part of what the Terry Fox Run is all about.

A really special team – Casey Cosgrove and his supporters.

Don Carmichael, chair of the 2013 Run said he thought the atmosphere was great and operations were smooth.

The changes to the course and parking seemed to have worked well. “We disappointed a few people” said Carmichael, “when we eliminated bikes but the big crowd just makes it impossible to have them.” The organization is already thinking about how to keep growing and improving the Run Day experience. We are looking forward to next year as we build toward the 35th anniversary in 2015.

The organization added a feature this year that many found touching. Deb Tymstra did live interviews with people on the Beachway Park grounds giving them an opportunity to tell their story; why they were taking part in the Run and what it meant to them.

In July 1980 Terry Fox ran through Burlington. He left deep foot prints and every year, for a little while, we get to follow those foot prints and run with him again. Sunday morning more than 1000 Burlingtonians followed those footsteps and raised more than $72,000 for Cancer Research, slightly ahead of last year.

Farm Day: It’s a small farm that is no longer operational but a good opportunity to give kids a chance to see what farming was like.

September 4, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON. The whole idea of a farm – that place where the food is grown and the livestock cared for is something many of today’s young people just don’t get.

For today’s kids – food comes from the supermarket or more basically – it’s in the fridge isn’t it?

There was a time when Burlington was the fruit basket for the city. All of what we know today as Maple Avenue was fruit farms; there is a reason for calling part of Burlington The Orchard and Pepper Drive wasn’t after me – it was a place where peppers, red, green and yellow were grown.

Burlington Mall was farm land where fruit was grown.

All those farms were in time bought up by developers and either commercial operations or housing was constructed. The “old money” in Burlington is in the pockets of those farmers who suddenly found themselves wealthy beyond their wildest imaginings when the developers came calling.

This is what Burlington was once all about.

All the farmers put their produce on wagons and, before they all had tractors, the fruit and some vegetables were taken by horse-drawn equipment to what we today call Freeman Station but what was then the Burlington Junction station located right beside the large Freeman property.

How do you teach people what farming was all about? It was hard work and the crop you took in depended totally on the weather, which didn’t always cooperate.

The Region has saved a couple of locations that were once very prosperous farms. The Regional Museum is built into what was once a barn.

The Alexander Family Farm takes place each year just after school goes back. Takes place Sunday, September 8, 2013 – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Halton Region Museum.

There was a time when much of Burlington was orchards or fields of vegetables. The orchard is on the north side of Dundas, west of Guelph Line.

Admission: Children – Free; Adults (18 & older) $5.00

What will they do when they get there? Create – Play – Explore – Dance

There will be a “Nose-to-Beak” Birds of Prey show. Kids will get a chance to help create the Museum’s piece of the Quilt Trail. There will be a Geocache Challenge, a Discovery Hunt, a Farm Game challenges.

What was once a family farm is now the location of the Regional Museum and where Halton’s annual farm day takes place.

A chance to do some “Pioneer Chores” – no live stock at the museum so there won’t be any mucking out of stalls and there are no chickens so hen houses don’t have to be cleaned out.

A chance to do some farm crafts and a visit to the Blacksmith Shop – and if they don’t know what that is – explain that it has nothing to do with face painting.

And finally there will be a Pond Study

Food and beverages are being provided by the Rotary Club of Milton. Food & beverage subject to additional charges/fees.

There will be dancing and singing along to tunes of: Groovin’ Toons, original & familiar kid’s tunes with a groove and Turkey Rhubarb.

If you’re one of those that gets to events like this early in the day you will see the start of the a mass-participation cycling event that is expected to bring 3,000 recreational cyclists to Halton Region for its inaugural event.

Competition for the book audience at the end of the month. Local author Turpin Myers launches “Nightswimming”.

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A slam and ten rooms – or is it ten rooms and a slam? Apparently there is No Vacancy. Culture in Burlington.

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Terry Fox Run exceeds both participation and financial goals met last year.

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Farm Day: It’s a small farm that is no longer operational but a good opportunity to give kids a chance to see what farming was like.

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