Milton Villager Magazine V olume 2, I ssue 5 - April 2015 www.MiltonVillager.com
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P h o to g rap h ers - Ann K ornuta, Denise Cooperwhite, Grant R ushton, T revor Black R ep o rters - Stuart Service, L aura Steiner, E liza beth K ogan, Genevieve R ushton-Givens, J ulian R ushton-Givens, J odie Sales, K iran R azza k G rap h ic D esi g ner - T udor Maier C o ve r P h o to - Stacey Newman and R ita Vogel Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. Opinions ex pressed in this magaz ine are not necessarily that of the publisher and no liability is assumed f or omissions or errors. F ollow us on F acebook at h ttp : / / f ace b o o k. co m / M il to nV il l ag er Milton illa er Ma a ine is availa le at these fine local
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By Laura Steiner
O
n March 19, Canadian National (CN) announced plans for a new $250 million intermodal and logistics facility in Milton. The announcement was made at a Chamber of Commerce Breakfast co-sponsored by the company at Granite Ridge Golf Club. The company owns 1000 acres in the south end of Milton. This complex will be 400 acres on lands bordered by Britannia Rd and Tremaine Rd. The term intermodal is used to refer to multiple methods of transportation; for example trucks to trains. It would operate 24 hours/day and bring in approximately 1,000 jobs.
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This is a second effort at a similar project. The first attempt ended in 2008 when CN Rail walked away. “We decided not to build on the site back then because we wanted to make sure we were using our full capacity at Brampton,” Executive Vice President of Corporate Services, and Chief Legal Officer Sean Finn said. At the time, Municipal, and Regional Officials expressed concerns over environmental problems, and the loss of agricultural land. CN claims their Brampton facility is now at capacity, and they need the Milton site. Following the cancellation, planning staff at both the Region, and Town considered the
CN property for strategic employment lands for: 2021-2031. This matches with Milton’s obligation under the province’s Places to Grow Act. Immediately north of the proposed facility is Boyne survey; a 2,300 acre piece of land stretching as far east as James Snow Parkway. In a news release prior to the presentation Mayor Krantz indicated the current plan opposes what he, and council see for Milton’s future. “As it stands, CN’s proposal is contrary to our vision for the Town of Milton,” he said. Under the Canadian Railway Act CN doesn’t need planning permission for the land 100 yards from either side of the rail line. The company doesn’t plan to seek it either. “CN
is a federal endeavour, and not subject to the planning process per say. But as a side effect of doing an EA (environmental assessment) we’ll continue to have direct dialogue with information going back and forth with the Town of Milton,” Finn said. According to Krantz it’s a double standard. “If you, or I owned it, and wanted to build we would have to go through the provincial planning process,” he said in a phone interview. That includes all the necessary zoning and planning permissions at the municipal level. CN submitted their project description to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) on Monday March 23, 2015. CEAA takes into account possible damage the complex could cause. “The key is the project can’t have any significantly adverse environmental effects that can’t be mitigated,” Halton MP Lisa Raitt explained. “Do they infringe upon Indian Creek?” Town Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Bill Mann asked. Indian Creek runs from the west side of Tremaine, to the rails in question. The next steps include a 45-day process during which the Town will be given a chance to give feedback on the description.
Raitt doesn’t believe there’s a role for her in this process as Transport Minister. “Our instinct is that there is no decision point at all for us,” she said. She has asked one of her policy advisers to clarify that. She wants more information on the project before making up her mind on it. “This is day one of the process,” she stressed. Public feedback is important to the process. “What’s going to be critical is that people make their voices heard,” Krantz said. To this end the Town of Milton has established a site under their main web page to inform citizens of what’s being done. CAO Mann wants people to remain calm. “Have faith that local, and Regional officials are doing what’s possible,” he said. The Town even wants feedback from provincial officials. “We will be pressuring provincial Ministers to see where they stand on this application.” Mann said. CN has established an information centre at 61 James Snow Parkway Suite 202. Their website dedicated to their proposal is: www. cnmilton.ca. You can contact Lisa Raitt’s office by phone at: 905-693-0166 or through email at: lisa.raitt@parl.gc.ca.
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 5
My name is Stacey Newman, and my husband and I are Milton residents. I am writing to you to express my concerns, and to share information with other Miltonians about the proposed CN rail yard (referred to as an intermodal & logistics hub by CN). We have lived in Milton for close to a decade. My family members have lived here even longer. We love our town, and it is with a sense of urgency that I respectfully suggest that if there were ever an issue for ALL Miltonians to get involved in, it is this issue = the proposed intermodal rail yard that CN is forcing upon us. In my opinion and the opinions of many other involved and knowledgeable people in our community, CN has gone around us intentionally at the town level, and under federal protection they have deceitfully pushed through their plans to build their rail yard in Milton against our will. They have done this without consulting our town, without our permission, and entirely contrary to the vision we have for our town. This facility would be a nightmare—400-acres at least, plunked in the midst of residential and green spaces, and which would place thousands of additional intermodal transport vehicles on our town roads per day, every day. This facility would be an industrial monstrosity that would result in air pollution, light pollution, noise pollution, not to mention the infrastructure damage from wear and tear that we would be responsible for at the town level, paid for with municipal tax dollars. This is a complex issue, we know that and we feel strongly that CN is using this complexity to their advantage by engaging is what I feel is very dishonest corporate communication. CN operates at the federal level and are therefore exempt from many of the usual municipal or provincial challenges we might put forth to fight this proposal. What can we do as a community? I have worked to mobilize a group made up of concerned members of the Milton community called Milton Says No. The purpose of Milton Says No is to serve as THE place for action and information, one portal in the community for Milton residents to ask questions, get info and where they can find action items that have been vetted by our experts. We wish to empower townspeople to fight this proposal, armed with good, relevant information. We are here to provide action items that are efficient, direct, and based on the advice and knowledge of our collective opinion and our respective areas of expertise. We are working with the town and the region, and with RAIL (Residents Affected by Intermodal Lines) who are a local group that won in their similar fight with CN almost fifteen years ago. We need every Miltonian to become involved, to be informed, to be a part of Milton Says No. In just one short week we have already accumulated over two thousand supporters. We will be stronger by bringing together the tens of thousands of Milton residents, all of whom will be affected if this facility is allowed to be built. Halton Region has spoken out, the Town of Milton has spoken out, and we the residents are speaking out. Milton says no! We are a strong community Milton. We are an engaged community. We care about one another, our greenspace, and our town’s future. Please stand with Milton Says No, share information, get involved, please contact us. Let’s work together to let CN know that we won’t allow them to treat our town lands and greenspace with such disregard and our citizens with such a lack of respect. We ask CN to listen to us as community members, to know that we are not opposed to CN but to their actions and their proposal. We are strongest as one voice and strongest if we work together to protect the future of our home. Please visit www.MiltonSaysNo.com to contact us today and to learn more. Sincerely,
Milton resident and organizer of Milton Says No miltonsaysno@gmail.com
6 | Milton Villager | April 2015
Cassandra Warner
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 7
Students from Sam Sherratt Public School By Laura Steiner | Photos by Ann K ornuta
T
he Halton Learning Foundation (HLF) held its annual general meeting on February 26, 2015. The special guest was Halton District School Board’s Director of Education, David Euale, who summarized the group’s successes, and the meeting included remarks from HLF Director Karmal Sakran. HLF describes itself as “the community outreach partner of Halton District School Board.” Its role is to provide additional funding for enhancing learning opportunities, scholarships, and eliminating barriers. Their efforts raised a total of: $620, 730 for their grants programs in 2014. Approximately $229,000 went to their Eliminating Barriers Fund. “The need is real. It’s huge, and it’s growing,” Sakran told the assembled crowd. The Eliminating Barriers Fund is designed to help students surpass barriers in their lives. Sakran shared Randy’s story. Randy was a grade 9 student with a mom who was involved in a
8 | Milton Villager | April 2015
car accident and unable to work. He admitted to a teacher his family only had enough food for three days. “Fortunately Randy’s principal reached out to the Halton Learning Foundation, and the foundation immediately provided emergency funds to purchase groceries until a more permanent solution could be found.” Randy’s story isn’t the only one like this. The money raised helped more than 7,500 students across Halton Region with everything from food and clothing to trip fees.
to settle, and perform school work and projects without any financial obstacles.” The letter continued detailing the family’s challenges settling here in Canada. It ended: “We promise to make the best use of these resources, and make our school proud. Thank you so much for your help, and support.”
Sakran is going into the final year of his term. He ended his remarks by sharing what the fund means to him. “Eliminating barriers fund is all about how we together with school staff can help a student come to school, stay in school, and be engaged in opportunities free of the financial barriers,” he said.
After Sakran completed his remarks David Euale spoke about the importance of student engagement. He highlighted a few of the achievements with a slide show. 84% of students in the Halton board are now taking Academic Math; higher than the provincial average of 47%. The key to that success is in his opinion: “maintaining that level of engagement.” This includes the Eliminating Barriers Fund, which, allows students to focus on school work without outside distractions.
The fund changes lives. One recipient wrote a thank you letter, which Sakran read out loud. It began: “I would just like to thank the Halton Learning Foundation for the funds that I have received in order to help make the adjustment
The Halton Learning Foundation has raised $4.1 million over the last 11 years. To learn more about organization, and how that money helps the students visit www. haltonlearningfoundation.ca.
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 9
Marion Singers to Perform at
St. Paul’s
in a Spring Concert Celebration by Nancy Whitnell
Save the date! The Marion Singers, a popular a cappella choir from Toronto, will be performing for St. Paul’s on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be $20 for adults and $10 for students. “Yes, let’s plan a terrific concert to celebrate your new space”, said Maria Ringo, Manager of the Marion Singers. The Marion Singers first introduced their unique sound to an audience in 1992. They enjoyed their gigs so much that these accomplished vocalists have been donating their talents for the benefit of many churches in the GTA for over 20 years. The Choir is a 16-voice ensemble whose concerts include a mixed repertoire of music styles. The Fellowship & Events Team (FET) have requested ‘delightful spring music’ among their selections. The intimate atmosphere the singers create in concert with close harmonies, always sung a cappella (without instruments), is a treat for every music lover. Conductor Tony Browning received degrees in Music and Education at the University of York in England and the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. Tony also has his M.A. in Mathematics from York University, Toronto. He taught at both Bishop Strachan and Toronto Waldorf School for over 39 years. Presently Tony is Director of Music at Trinity Anglican Church in Aurora, as well as Musical Director of the York Chamber Ensemble, the Marion Singers and the Tapestry Chamber Choir. We look forward to a wonderful concert in April!
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Pan-Am Games By Laura Steiner
J ennifer R eynolds D irector of Community Services
T
he Pan-Am, and Para-Pan Am Games are around 100 days away taking place this July, and August. The Bid committee, and Town Officials held an information session on Monday March 23 for residents to respond to any questions. The evening took a format of a 30 minute presentation from Games’ officials from Transportation, security and venues. Games officials consider this the largest event in Canadian history with 18 sports counting as Olympic qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Team Canada is sending the largest team yet. Milton has been chosen as the host for road, and track cycling. “I’ve been asked on more than one occasion why? Quite often I’ll respond why not.” Mayor Gord Krantz said as part of his opening remarks. The Velodrome was first approved by council 4 years ago. It opened on February 16, 2015 housing the cycling track, fitness facilities, and offices for the Canadian National Team.
their family member. “Is the Town coordinating billeting?” The answer to that is no. Athletes themselves are staying mostly at the Athletes Village in the east end of Toronto, and will be bussed out to the venue. Buses carrying the athletes will come out the Gardiner Expressway to the QEW, and west to Bronte/ Highway 25. They’ll take Highway 25 north to Dundas, and across to Appleby line. To deal with traffic the Province has come up with temporary HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes open to Games vehicles, vehicles with 3 or more occupants, Emergency vehicles, electric vehicles, public transit, and taxis. The Provincial government is also asking people to do things such as working from home, taking transit, and avoiding rush hour travel when necessary.
Games officials are hoping to sell 1.4 million tickets. They’ve sold 300,000 so far, including sell-outs for the Milton cycling events. Event attendees are invited to park at the Milton Sports Centre, and take a shuttle bus out to the venue making parking an issue. “The Sports Centre parking lot, except for summer camps, will be available for use for parking,” Director of Community Services Jennifer Reynolds explained. The Town is planning to rearrange fitness, and other activities to other facilities. If arriving by transit a shuttle service has been arranged from Milton Go station. For more information on Town of Milton scheduling changes stay tuned to milton.ca. For more information on provincial plans visit: www. ontario.ca/games2015. To learn more about how you might be affected by the Games email residentinfo@2015.org
Outside the Games’ period it’s known as the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, and during the Games it will be known as the Cisco Milton Pan-am/ Para-Pan am Velodrome. Road time trials will be held July 22, and August 13 subjecting local residents living south of Louis St. Laurent to road closures. There is a possibility that a public viewing area will be set up along St. Laurent. One question asked by a resident was about the practice of billeting or hosting an athlete or
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 11
By Laura Steiner | Photos by G rant Rushton
LOSE FINAL REGULAR SEASON GAME S
unday March 8 marked the end of the season for the Milton Battle Arts Cobras. In its final regular-season game at Memorial Arena the team played the St. Charles North Stars losing 11-3. While it may have been their last game, it was my first. “O Canada� blared through the speakers as players, and fans stood still, honouring the country with a moment of quiet. The first period found me huddled in the stands of a
12 | Milton Villager | April 2015
chilly arena, often rubbing my hands together to keep warm. Action was quick on the ice as the players gracefully skated, sticks ready to receive the passes. First period score was 3-2 for the visitors. At intermission I ventured out into the lobby to warm up, and buy a hot chocolate. The teams switched ends with the Battle Arts Cobras playing in the far end away from the lobby. I took a seat on a bench next to one of
the players’ moms for a warmer vantage point. It also proved to be a more exciting one, as the hits, and the penalties kept coming. The floorto-ceiling windows shook with every crunch; we were close enough to see the players’ expressions. Second period score: 5-2 for the St. Charles North Stars. The Battle Arts Cobras showed some life in the third period as a flurry of activity in front of the North Stars’ net got them a goal early in the third. The team spent most of the period playing in the North Stars’ end, but the effort was for naught. They favoured the extra pass instead of traffic in front of the net, and a quick shot. Final score: 11-3. The Battle Arts Cobras are one of four teams the fledgling World United Hockey League (WUHL) founded in 2014. Despite their loss, they will make the playoffs. The playoffs are in an elimination format, followed by a best of 5 final. For more information visit the Battle Arts Cobras visit their website: www.miltonbattleartscobras.com
Kids’ Club
SATURDAY, APRIL 18th, 10 am - 12 noon Kids’ Club friends will reduce, reuse and recycle to make their very own recycled CD craft at 10 am. The magic of recycling will complete the morning from 11 - 11:45 am. For details about the always fun & always free Milton Monkeys Kids’ Club visit our Facebook page.
Corner of Ontario and Main miltonmall.com
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 13
By Eliza beth K ogan | Photos by D enise Cooperwhite
F
rom the windows of Boston Pizza Milton, on March 18, 2015, a dazzling early evening sun masked the bitterly cold air. Shielded by the warmth of the restaurant against the cold coming from outside, professionals and entrepreneurs gathered together for a Milton Young Professionals (MYP) meet up.
The Chamber hosts annual Community Awards recognizing excellence within the community. Categories include Lifetime Achievement, Entrepreneur of the Year, Business of the Year, among others. Citizen of the Year winner, Laurie Goodman, attended a MYP meeting for the first time on March 18, 2015.
MYP, an initiative by the Milton Chamber of Commerce (Chamber), is designed to raise the profile of young professionals and facilitate their integration into local business networks. Geared for individuals under the age of 45 - members and leaders from the Milton community meet once monthly (every third Wednesday) at a different Milton location to exchange ideas and provide each other with business support.
“Secretly, I’d hoped the Milton Young Professionals group would feel like an episode of Cheers,” she said with a light laugh. “I was not disappointed. Everyone made me feel welcome and appreciated from the start. I got to listen to inspiring stories from local business owners. I think this group could be yet another way for me to feel connected to my community and learn about local businesses. I’m in!”
Kimberly Singh, a MYP committee member, finds the group’s relaxed format very appealing. “Milton Young Professionals welcomes about three to five new people each month. The format of the meeting is very easygoing – people walk around and mingle and just get to know each other. The best part is that it’s a reputable and respectable group.”
Nominee for the Chamber’s Business Person of the Year, and MYP committee member, Fred Scheuer, expressed, “It’s about bringing likeminded individuals together in a casual setting all the while giving them the opportunity to grow their businesses. The key is learning – by bringing a diverse group of people together,
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Mina D emir of Milton Edible Arrangements
the wealth of expertise is shared and everyone benefits.” After guests had a chance to sample the delicious pizzas and flatbreads provided by Boston Pizza Milton as well as sweet treats by Edible Arrangements (during the mix and mingle portion), committee members Kate Holmes and David O’Connell, officially welcomed the group. The typical format of the MYP meeting, after one hour of networking, is to have a featured speaker talk about relevant business topics. Past talks include proposed future town development, Google Analytics, fitness, and business writing.
The newest and exci ted members D erek H ounsell, Laurie G oodman, I vonne K aramoy, Mikayla Pavlovic
March’s MYP meeting was a little different in that instead of a featured speaker, each attendee made a thirty-second introduction outlining his/her business and career. This heightened the overall experience as each person was able to hear from each individual in the room. Unsurprisingly, some introductions were met with, “Do you have a card?” immediately afterwards. To learn more about this dynamic and talented group of professionals, visit: MiltonChamber.ca
Chamber of Commerce Young Prof essionals Committee members. D avid O’Connell, F red Scheuer, K ate H olmes and K im Singh
Nicola Stone, Steve Lauzo n, Andrea Cayer, Erik H orner and D erek H ounsell
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 15
MILTON FLEA MARKET
A
n exciting event is on the horizon and we are incredibly excited to be sharing the news. For the first time ever, Milton will have its very own monthly Flea Market.
Shoppers will enjoy scoping out clothing; jewellery, toys, and electronics with discounted pricing at the market. To satiate the appetite after hunting for goods, shoppers can take a break at one of the featured food stands. An initiative by Event Ontario, the Flea Market launches April 11, 2015 and will take place at the Milton Sports Centre (Banquet Room) from the hours of 11 AM – 5 PM. The marketplace will provide an excellent opportunity for Miltonians and those in surrounding areas to be able to visit the market and interact with local vendors. Recognizing the remarkable growth in the region, Event Ontario’s vision is to bring the community together, all the while further promoting Milton’s business growth. Event Ontario organizes Trade Fairs; Eid Galas;
16 | Milton Villager | April 2015
training sessions and is now debuting the Flea Market. For a full listing of the monthly Flea Market dates (from April through to August 2015), and for more information on Event Ontario and services that this organization has to offer, please visit their website at www.eventontario. com and their Facebook page: facebook.com/eventontario
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A great opportunity to shop at b argain price in the Monthly F lea Market which will b e held ev ery month in Milton. V endors specializ ing in different products like E lectronics, Clothing, J ewelry , Toy s and food will b e there to serv e y ou.
The market will come to town on following dates from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Milton Sports Centre (Banquet Room)
11 Apr 2015 Upcoming Event: 23 May 2015 • 06 Jun 2015 • 04 Jul 2015 • 08 Aug 2015
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Milton Professional Building 470 Bronte St. S, Suite 109 Milton ON, L9T 2J4
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 17
By Ann K ornuta
T
he best thing about the Taste of Milton is the overwhelming selections there are when twenty two local restaurants are featured. From Asian and Indian to ribs and burgers, the plates were packed with each restaurant’s signature dish, each restaurant trying to stand out from the rest. That thursday the student volunteers were well prepared to handle the crowds resulting in an enjoyable evening. New restaurants this year were Saucy, who recently opened their doors in Downtown Milton with an incredible cheesecake, and Paramount located off Maple Avenue with an amazing selection of healthy flavours of the Middle East. Local favourites such as Troy’s
18 | Milton Villager | April 2015
Dinner and Wings Up to name a few returned for year number three as this event gains more popularity with people in the community. “The third year we are a lot more organized than we used to be, we got more people through the door more efficiently and the restaurants seem to be more prepared with our students and student volunteers,” Teacher Andrea Gleason said. “We are now a finely oiled machine with a lot more interesting restaurants.” The event is sponsored originally by the Students Unite Interact social service justice club and gives students the opportunities to volunteer inside of their community. Not only that, students have been known to be hired
for jobs with some of the restaurants they are paired with. “I think it really shows them the power of many in terms of how easy it is when people do get together and they were all flabbergasted how things rolled together seemed to appear out of nowhere,” Gleason said. “The power of many hands working towards one common goal I think is really great and they get a wonderful sense of community. They are on their best behaviour because they are acting as if they are auditioning for jobs at the restaurants because the restaurants have been known to hire some of the kids who have helped them before so it’s just making them up their game.”
Students were not only paired with the restaurants themselves, but volunteering to clean plates, assist with questions, managing the front of house as well as the silent auction facilitated by the Milton District High School DECA, the school’s business organization club. However, it is the school’s group Students Unite where the proceeds benefit so that club members can continue to fund other events as well as assist in taking the students to volunteer at soup kitchens or in the past attend a New York trip to visit the UN. “Most of us got involved through the club Students Unite that is held here after school and our club runs this every year,” Student Dana Walters said. “It’s our biggest event of the year so the proceeds from this go to our club to help us run other things at our school.” “We have three different branches of Students Unite,” Student Gabriel Monaghan added. “A social justice branch, a volunteer community service and a cultural and celebrations [branch] and we do various things around the school involving those things so we will run events such as this one and the pancake breakfast.” Be on the lookout for next year’s Taste of Milton!
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 19
Suite Dreams: A Carnival of Classics
S
t. Paul’s United was once again alive with music and people on Saturday night, March 7th, as concert-goers arrived to fill the pews for the Milton Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO)’s Suite Dreams concert. The 19th century church, once a construction site in limbo, had been given a new look; a classy, white-themed lobby with a revitalized sanctuary (historical organ and stained glass windows still intact). With Milton being the fastest-growing Canadian city, cultural change is brewing. Milton has celebrated its first arts centre, velodrome, espresso bar, microbrewery, there is a Wilfrid Laurier University campus on its way and now the town has its own orchestra.
Cambridge Symphony and the Etobicoke Philharmonic and has conducted for Opera York and Opera Belcanto.
The Milton Philharmonic Orchestra was conceived in the spring of 2014 as the orchestra’s musical director, Sabatino Vacca, was touring the Milton Centre for the Arts and had the idea of creating a Milton orchestra.
A highlight of the evening was the Flute Concertino in D Major by Cécile Chaminade, performed by Susan Edmonds, a solo so challenging that the composer was rumored to have written it to punish her unfaithful flautist lover. Edmonds played with unlabored agility and her high notes were light and haunting.
“In a few years the city’s just going to keep growing and growing and demand is going to be there for more cultural things,” said Sabatino Vacca, who also directs the
20 | Milton Villager | April 2015
By G enevieve Rushton-G ivens
Vacca held auditions for the orchestra in August and the first season began in September 2014 with a Christmas concert. The players are a mixture of amateur, semi-pro and professional musicians. The orchestra played mostly well-known pieces for their follow-up concert. The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by G.F. Handel was the first selection, a regal and well-known piece that immediately displayed the talent and professionalism of the orchestra.
Franz Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony (No. 8) in B minor displayed Maestro Vacca’s
S san dmonds
te soloist
excellent control of the orchestra’s dynamics, especially the quiet moments. Throughout the concert the crescendos and fortes were dramatic and impressive. Beginning the second half of the concert was a musical arrangement of Figaro’s famous aria, Largo al Factotum from the Barber of Seville (“Figaro, Figaro, Figaro!”) by Gioachino Rossini for euphonium and orchestra. Neil Johnstone, the soloist, played with confidence, charm and dexterity. Excerpts from the Swan Lake (P.I.Tchaikovsky) and Carmen (Georges Bizet) suites kept the audience entertained throughout the rest of the evening, with impressive performances from various soloists within the orchestra, especially the oboe solo in Carmen. Overall it was an enjoyable concert with a lovely and accessible program. Along with their first season of music, the MPO has been offered many opportunities to perform within the community. They will be accompanying the Milton Choristers for their Spring Thaw concert, performing at the Milton District Hospital Gala in May and playing at the Mayor’s Gala for the Arts in January next year. The orchestra is also planning many more collaborations with artistic groups in Milton,
such as the Dance Class. The MPO also hopes to develop an musical enrichment program and a youth orchestra in the future. “The orchestras have a big effect on music and building partnerships and relationships with other arts programs in the community, ” said Mr. Vacca, who believes the creation of an orchestra will contribute to a larger music scene in Milton. “The folks at Arts Milton have been instrumental in bringing artists together and letting our creativity bloom,” said Jenn Callum, president of the Milton Philharmonic. “The MCA (Milton Centre for the Arts) is a gorgeous venue, and already attracts amazing performances from outside of Milton, so with an ever more rounded cultural balance of singers, dancers, and musicians, truly anything is possible. It’s very exciting.” The next concert and season finale for the Milton Philharmonic is A Night at the Opera! which will take place on May 29th at St. Paul’s. If you’d like to learn more about the Milton Philharmonic Orchestra, visit http://miltonphilharmonic.com or their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter: @MiltonOrchestra
Brandon H innegan, violinist and member of Board of D irectors
April 2015 | Milton Villager | 21
By Ju lian Rushton-G ivens
SPARTAN WORK ETHIC HELPS CRAIG KIELBURGER’S WRESTLING TEAM CONQUER AT OFSAA
W
hen most people think of wrestling, images of hulking titans in ridiculous costumes slinging insults and smacking each other with props is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Most people don’t know it began as a Greek sport called Pále, which focused on mastering your centre of gravity and using leverage to bring your opponent to the ground. Its practice predates the Olympics, and its participants ranged from everyday citizens to renowned intellectuals like Plato (who wrestled in the Isthmian games). Despite the popularity of WWE’s more eye-catching variant of this sport, people continue to practice this style of wrestling to this very day under the name GrecoRoman wrestling. This type of wrestling can be hard to get into (as it’s not an exceptionally common sport for schools to host), but events like the OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic
22 | Milton Villager | April 2015
Associations) Wrestling Championship provide an opportunity for some of the most skilled high school-aged wrestlers to test their mettle against each other. This year it was held on March 3rd and 4th at the WFCU Centre (with the registration and weigh-in on the 2nd) in Windsor, Ontario, and featured teams from high schools all across the province. The event was divided into two days, the first 3 rounds on March 2nd and the semi-finals and finals on the 3rd (with consolation fights scattered throughout). Representing Milton were the Craig Kielburger Spartans, who won their 7th Team Championship at OFSAA, tying them with a team from the 60s for having the most Team Championships under their belt. Their team of 8 players brought home 4 medals: a bronze won by Cody Franke, 2 silver from Colin Moffat and Jake Michaelis, and the gold which was won by Cole Michaelis. Cole’s 11-0
win solidified the Spartans’ victory, and beat his previous record of 5-0. Cole’s overall record for the year was 42-5, and in his 4-year high school career he’s never missed a single practise. In terms of advice to new players Cole had this to say, “I don’t know a lot of people that got into the sport and started winning matches right away. It took me 2 years to win a match myself, but if you stick to it and work hard, you can become one of the best.” Simon Vanellis confirmed how close they’re getting to being the best, saying that “3 of our guys that are medaling are eventually going to move up to the Junior National Circuit, and if they do well at that they can represent Canada at the Pan Am Games, the Commonwealth, or the World Championships.” With prospects like that, it seems like the Spartans are really living up to their name.
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