Milton Villager Magazine Volume 2, Issue 14 - January 2016 www.MiltonVillager.com
If you would like to advertise in Milton Villager email rick@dilorenzo.com Publisher - Rick Di Lorenzo, rick@dilorenzo.com Photographers - Ann Kornuta, Denise Cooperwhite, Grant Rushton, Trevor Black, Kevin Vagg Reporters - Jenny Panda, Laura Steiner, Genevieve Rushton-Givens, Kiran R. Khan, Liudmila Tarasova, Jessica Lyons, Emmanuel Ponce Graphic Designer - Tudor Maier
Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily that of the publisher and no liability is assumed for omissions or errors. Follow us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/MiltonVillager Milton Villager Magazine is available at these fine local businesses: Grocery stores: Metro, Food Port, Real Canadian Super Store, La Rose Bakery, Little Kabul Fine Food, Sobeys, Longos Food: Hero Burger, Pizza Nova, Troys Diner, Coffee Culture, Heritage Fish and Chips, Symposium, Shoeless Joe’s, Luigi’s Lasagna & Pizzeria, Mama Mila’s Cafe, Quiznos, Empire Wok, Mr. Sub, Tim Hortons, The Hen and the Roost Recreation: Milton Sports Centre, Leisure Centre, Milton Centre for the Arts, Making Waves Swim School Shopping: Milton Mall, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire
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2 | Milton Villager | January 2016
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Lights, Camera, Action:
By Laura Steiner
R
oll out the red carpet. Turn on the spotlights. The Milton Film Festival returns with community partner Cogeco Cable for a third year to the Milton Centre for the Arts on January 29-31, 2016. The program this year mixes short films in with full-length movies. The three full days of film start on Friday with the kickoff opening night feature Trumbo starring Bryan Cranston. The movie takes viewers back to Hollywood, 1947, and looks at what it was like for artists to be persecuted for their political beliefs. Short films being shown before the feature are: Unshakeable, and Jane Will You..., directed by Milton’s own Steve Belford. Belford is perhaps best known from his acting roles on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Lately he has been writing and producing short films and is currently writing his first feature. Saturday the program kicks off at 11 am with Wild Tales, and ends with Atom Egoyan’s latest, Remember, starring Christopher Plummer and Martin Landis. Plummer plays Zev who is suffering from memory
loss. His friend Max (Landis) sends Zev on a hunt to find the man who murdered his family at Auschwitz. The short film before this one is Keystone, directed by Ian Foster, about a group that implants memories. New on Saturday is a free 1 pm screenwriting panel titled From Trumbo to TIFF: The Art of Storytelling for the Screen featuring Steve Belford and Kalman Szegvary. The 2 pm slot features the short film I’m Trying to Melt Your Heart by Daniel Pearce. Pearce is a writer/director from Milton with several short films in development. Sunday is the lightest for movies featuring three films. The day begins at 11am with Sleeping Giant. At 2 pm the festival screens Al Purdy Was Here: a documentary about Canadian Poet Al Purdy directed by Brian D. Johnson. Johnson is a former film critic for Maclean’s Magazine and will be there for a Question & Answer session with Festival host Ron Base. Al Purdy Was Here is his first feature-length documentary. Can’t decide which movie to see? Why not become a Very Important Person (VIP). The
4 | Milton Villager | January 2016
VIP program is a new feature this year. Membership is $100 and covers 8 tickets for any movies of your choice, exclusive seating in a VIP section, and an invitation to a VIP club reception. Act quickly as there are only 40 memberships available. Full weekend passes are $83 and covers admission to everything, as well as the Q&A sessions with guests, and a swag bag. A 4-pack of tickets goes for $47 where you can pick any 4 movies. Single movie tickets are $13 each. For more information on the festival, and to buy tickets visit: www.miltonfilmfest.com.
Steve Belford
January 2016 | Milton Villager | 5
By Jenny Panda Photos by Ann Kornuta and Kevin Vagg
T
he Milton Centre for the Arts was a hubbub of excitement as visitors, family and friends of performers awaited the opening of the theatre doors to Winterlude II. This festive event, presented by the Milton Philharmonic Orchestra, was the second instalment of a series of holiday concerts which is sure to become a very special annual tradition in Milton. The orchestra was founded by Music Director Sabatino Vacca and President Jenn Callum in the summer of 2014. St Paul’s United Church was
the venue for the first Winterlude in December of that year. The Master of Ceremonies, Rick Di Lorenzo, opened the concert with a selfie that he took of himself and the audience. “Smile!” he told everyone. This set the festive mood for this year’s concert on December 12th. at the Milton Centre for the Arts. The community event included, in addition to the presenting orchestra, a soprano soloist, a children’s choir, and a ballet troupe.
Rosemary Ganton
6 | Milton Villager | January 2016
Soprano soloist Rachel Cleland’s profile included: “I’m a Mom to two beautiful boys, an opera singer, music educator and a conductor. My goal is to transform people’s lives!” The heavenly sound of her voice filled the theatre and kept the audience entranced during her solos. As a special treat, violinist and very talented Miltonian Rosemary Ganton charmed the audience with her rendition of “Rejoice Greatly” from the Messiah. Only seventeen years old, she is hoping to attend the vocal study program at Wilfrid Laurier University next year. She later declared how grateful she was to Sabatino Vacca for his kindness in allowing her the opportunity to sing at the event. Many popular seasonal melodies were presented by the MPO, including Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.” The audience was enchanted by the ballet dance troupe from Milton’s The Dance Class, under the direction of Ashley Summers-Macdonald and Kelly Summers. The dancers were dressed in colourful costumes, and elegantly entertained and impressed their audience. Proudly watching the dancers were many friends and relations. Several commented that their children were “really blossoming!” and had “worked
hard for months” to perfect their pieces. The second half included special guests, The Gaudeamus Choir of Halton Hills. This group included children and youth from 6 to 18 years old. Their founder and conductor is Diane MurrayCharrett, who also teaches music at Hawthorne Village Public School in Milton. The mission of the Gaudeamus Choir is to ‘provide an excellent musical opportunity for children and youth who love to sing.’ They performed 2 pieces with the orchestra during Winterlude II, and their bright, clear voices during their numbers were a delight for the audience. A volunteer at the Milton Centre for the Arts, Donna Sakuta, declared at the close of the inspiring evening: “Aren’t we proud?!” Indeed Milton is proud of the talent in the area and of the theatre where such brilliance can be shared and appreciated. Sabatino Vacca, who is also Music Director for both the Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and Etobicoke Symphony Orchestra, said that he was impressed by the great theatre, and the amazing acoustics. He also said, “with all of the talent in this area, in a couple of years Milton will be up there with the best.”
January 2016 | Milton Villager | 7
Award-winning Canadian legends perform at the Milton Centre for the Arts “Individually, the members of Lunch at Allen’s have been celebrated on the Canadian and international music scene for decades,” said Rob Mackay, Manager, Cultural Services. “Together the talent of this group is phenomenal, and we are pleased to be able to present these world class singer-songwriters in Milton.”
Lunch at Allen’s is Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas. As individuals, they have written for or sung on over 25 million albums, penning hits for Chicago, Josh Groban, Bonnie Raitt, America, Santana, Cher and Rod Stewart. These Canadian legends have come together to form a stellar group, and their performance will take audiences on a musical journey using humour and stories. Lunch at Allen’s will entertain with familiar hits and new songs, creating an unforgettable evening of music for the heart and
soul. With four successful albums to their name, a reunion performance from Lunch at Allen’s is guaranteed to be a magical experience.
Tickets for Lunch at Allen’s are available at the Chudleigh’s Box Office and online at www. miltoncentreforthearts.ca. The adult ticket cost is $42, and the student/senior ticket cost is $38. High school students can take advantage of the eyeGO to the Arts program, which provides a limited number of discounted tickets at $5. Additional information and a complete season line-up are available online at www. miltoncentreforthearts.ca or by calling 905-8786000. Residents are invited to stay up-to-date on Centre happenings by signing up for the eNewsletter, and by following the Milton Centre for the Arts on Facebook at www.facebook. com/CentrefortheArtsMilton and Twitter @ MiltonArts.
8 | Sponsored Milton Villager Content| |January January 2016 2016
Kids’ Club
CALLING ALL PIRATES AND PRINCESSES Dress up and join the Milton Monkey fun on Saturday, January 16th from 10 am to 12 noon as we celebrate our Kids’ Club Anniversary with a party perfect for pirates & princesses! Decorate a treasure chest then follow the map throughout the mall to find your goodies. Costumed crew will be here to meet and greet Kids’ Club friends so bring your camera! No pre-registration is required. Parents must stay with their children. The Kids’ Club is free and open to children ages 4 to 12. * Supplies limited to the first 200 children present. Corner of Ontario and Main miltonmall.com
January 2016 | Milton Villager | 9
P
roviding over thirty years experience in unique and complex projects, Elite Granite & Marble has chiseled out a name for their custom granite and marble finishes. The family business is overseen by craftsman Ned Chulo Sr. and managed by his son Dino Johic. Their showroom is located right here in Milton with the fabrication shop in the back where all the cut and prep work is done before being delivered to the client.
“We do natural stone be that granite, limestone, quartzite, onyx, we still try to push the natural product as much as possible, but each piece has its own character,” Dino said. “When it’s a manmade product you use a formula over and over again for a more consistent look.”
It’s not just countertops. As a custom shop, Elite can order and create to order a wide selection of products to personalize anyone’s
home or business. “We do vanities, fireplaces, full shower enclosures, anywhere from full walls to countertops,” Dino said. “We do all sorts of different applications and we do glass countertops for certain orders as well.” Granite is sought after due to its beautiful appearance. There are many options to choose from when thinking about a project and finding what works best in a space. “Each colour has a different density colour,” Dino explained. “The general rule of thumb is that from lighter to darker the darker you go usually the harder the material. Yet there are exceptions to the rule as well. There are some light ones that are extremely hard.” It’s not only beautiful, but Granite stands up to all sorts of abuse that could possibly happen. “Not much can actually hurt it,” Dino
10 | Sponsored Content | January 2016
said. “You can put a hot pot on it and it won’t burn it and the finish lasts for a long time.”
Even though there are over 150 Granite shops in the GTA, Dino and his crew are often called when it is something specialized. “Even with the big companies you still get a phone call because of previous work that you have done for somebody,” Dino said. “It is nice to see because out of all the companies there is maybe only a handful that can do certain work.”
Elite Granite & Marble is located at
645 Main St East (905) 864-0444 www.elitegm.ca
What’s On In February Classic Albums Live: Led Zeppelin II
Lunch at Allen’s
Revel in a note-for-note, cut-for-cut performance of one of the greatest rock albums ever made.
Murray McLauchlan | Marc Jordan | Cindy Church | Ian Thomas Enjoy an evening of music for the heart and soul, with four Canadian songwriting legends.
Feb 12, 8 pm
Feb 13, 8 pm
Bruce Cockburn Feb 20, 8 pm
Celebrating Season
5
Outerbridge: Clockwork Mysteries Feb 26, 8 pm
Experience an intimate solo performance with this awardwinning Canadian musician.
This magical adventure will have audiences enthralled from the first illusion to the spectacular finale.
Season host:
1010 Main Street East, Milton, ON, L9T 6H7 | www.miltoncentreforthearts.ca | 905-878-6000 | Toll-free: 1-866-257-0004 The Milton Centre for the Arts is owned and operated by the Corporation of the Town of Milton.
January 2016 | Milton Villager | 11
Celebrates Seven Years
T
he fog added to the atmosphere of Miracle on Main St. People would pass the barriers blocking Main St in front of Troy’s Diner and enter a dream world full of Christmas cheer. The seventh annual Christmas-themed fundraiser took place December 14, 2015 raising over $200,000 in combined sponsorships and donations. The Christmas spirit is what makes it a key date on the calendars of many Miltonians. Councillor Mike Cluett has volunteered at the event since it began, and this year served as its emcee. “It’s the magic of the day. It’s the fact we’re all giving back to people who don’t have what we have,” Cluett said. Miracle on Main St. is organized by the Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation as a fundraiser for Halton Women’s Place, Salvation Army, McMaster Children’s Hospital, and the Hospital for Sick Children. Volunteer June Rushak was working at the penny raffle/silent auction. She liked seeing the crowds. “It’s community spirit, I think.” People were invited to donate an unwrapped toy, and dropped them off in one of two of Troy’s trailers that were stationed at the intersection of Main St. and Commercial. One trailer was overflowing with toys that were stacked on the street in front of the trailers.
12 | Milton Villager | January 2016
By Laura Steiner Photos by Ann Kornuta
There was a stage set up in the parking lot across from Troy’s Diner for live entertainment. A ferris wheel was the star of the midway with line-ups for most of the 3-hour event. The stage hosted the official ceremonies including cheque presentations from the Royal Canadian Legion. This year the Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation added something extra. Five schools were chosen to hold Miracle on Main St. assemblies. Irma Coulson Public School was one of them, and held a toy drive organized by some of their leadership students. They did some videos about how they can take action, and give back to the community. They were there with third grade French teacher Madame Avsec. “Kids realize that they can make a difference,” she said. The foundation split a donation of $15,000 amongst all the schools that went towards breakfast programs, literacy and mental health. Former Tiger Jeet Singh Public School Principal Rick Nodwell has been a part of Miracle on Main St. since it started. “Now it’s become part of the tradition that makes the holiday special,” he said. He credits Tiger Jeet Singh, Tiger Jeet Singh Jr., Troy Newton, and their family. “They just make you feel like it’s something you want to be a part of,” he said. To find out how you can be a part of the foundation, and their other events visit their website at: www.tigerjeetsinghfoundation.com.
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January 2016 | Milton Villager | 13
J
oin us on Saturday, January 16, 2016 for a celebration of arts and culture in Milton, at the premier arts event of the year!
The Milton Centre for the Arts will be transformed into the glitz and glamour of a Hollywood red carpet event, with entertainment featuring the music of the big screen. Join us to raise the profile of the arts in Milton, as you mix and mingle with Mayor Gord Krantz, local business and arts organizations, and fellow arts and cultural supporters in the community.
The Milton Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the music of the movies on the stage of the Mattamy Theatre with special guests, accomplished musical theatre stars: Christopher Wilson and Sarah Strange. Tickets are available online at www. miltoncentreforthearts.ca for $125 and they include both the gala dinner and show.
Enjoy a delicious buffet-style gourmet dinner with carving stations provided by Pepperwood Bistro, followed by sweets and pastries from La Rose Specialty Food and Fine Italian Bakery.
14 | Sponsored Content | January 2016
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The Milton Chamber of Commerce owes its members and our citizens an explanation. A letter from Milton Says No to readers. MILTON SAYS NO is a network of thousands of concerned Halton citizens. Run by a board of local experts, we are dedicated to fighting the proposed 400-acre CN intermodal terminal. This facility would be located on 1,000 acres of CN-owned land at Britannia and Tremaine Roads in Milton, a massive heavy industry facility located beside our homes, our schools, and our greenspace. Operating 24 hours per day, and 7 days per week, the facility would require 1,500 transport trucks moving in and out of our town EVERY DAY, on our roads, through our neighbourhoods. The resulting pollution, the potential for accidents, and the impact on our town as a whole would be devastating. AT MILTON SAYS NO WE HAVE TWO GOALS. 1. To stop this proposal by organizing citizens as one community voice and 2. To fight the federal legislation which allows rail companies to seize and use Canadian municipalities. THIS IS NOT A DONE DEAL, FAR FROM IT. ANYONE WHO SAYS IT IS A DONE DEAL IS SIMPLY WRONG. The town, the region, and we the citizens are fighting it, together. As a united community we are strongest and powerful. WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THIS WEEK THAT THE MILTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD VOTED TO SUPPORT THE CN INTERMODAL TERMINAL PROPOSAL, and that at least one board member of the chamber has resigned in protest. WE ARE CONCERNED AND ANGRY THAT THE CHAMBER WOULD VOTE THIS WAY. Member businesses in the chamber of commerce have told us they were NOT consulted, they too are angry, many are active Milton Says No members. The Milton Chamber of Commerce has received a great deal of sponsorship money from CN in the last year and we firmly believe that the chamber board is acting in its interest alone. We request that the Milton Chamber of Commerce board retract its support of the CN intermodal terminal, immediately and publicly. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION. MILTONSAYSNO@GMAIL.COM OR FIND OUR GROUP ONLINE AT: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MILTONSAYSNO
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Martin Street School by Jenny Panda Photos by Denise Cooperwhite
M
artin Street School has served the area well for 95 years. Primarily the first Milton High School in 1920, it became a middle school in the 60s and then a primary school in 1978. On December 3rd in the heart of Milton, at Martin Street School, friends were reunited at an event to bid a ‘Fond
Farewell’ to the old building. Memories were warmly recalled. Much genial conversation ensued as hordes of alumni of varying ages searched for themselves in the photos that lined the hallway walls. The Milton Historical Society displayed memorabilia from the archives dating from 1920. The school will soon be pulled down, leaving the historic front façade which will be a prominent part of the new school. Some other special things will be kept: a banner made by the students to celebrate the school’s 75th Anniversary, depicting the different decades of the school; an 8 foot Dragon painting (by artist Jason Panda when in Grade 5 and initiated by local artist Bill LaFerla in 1986) and a large banner that was signed by most of the visitors at the December 3rd event depicting the school with a glass dome as it appeared in 1920. Aileen Allore, whose 2 daughters attended the school in the 90s, recalls all the times over the years that parents, teachers and
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June Eakins attended Martin Street School from 1933 to 1944 is posing with Mayor Krantz
students had to fight to keep the school from closing. “How many times,” she said, “did the school board decide that Milton wasn’t growing fast enough to support a school in the core of town?!” There was a time in the past when Martin Street School held under 100 students. When it reopens it will hold over 700 students from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Mystery surrounds the placement of various time capsules that were filled by students over the years and rumoured to possibly be: hidden in the basement; buried in the school’s Peace Garden; bricked into the wall in 1966 when a date stone was set into the building; or perhaps in a shaded area at the far end of the playing field. The Peace Garden at the front of the school was a joint initiative of a small group of staff and parents in 2000. This was the very first school Peace Garden in Milton. Local volunteers at the school helped to dig and plant donated shrubs, trees and perennials in the garden with the help of students. Rocks, from Dufferin Quarry, encircle a memorial plaque to Mary Reeves, a much loved teacher. This special place may need to be moved to a new area of the grounds when the school is rebuilt.
Evelyn was happy to have her name on the hallway brick
The visitors to the Farewell event surpassed all expectations. The auditorium, hallways and library were filled with people greeting friends and recalling past days. A couple that were present and attended the original high school in 1938 were Norma and Bruce Kitchen. Their son, grandchildren and a great grandson have all attended Martin Street School. Most of the memories expressed by the nostalgic throngs were extremely positive. All the teachers were “wonderful and the school was loved” by most. Many people especially enjoyed their Home Economics and Shop classes. Judi Greenfield (nee Bonar, 1962-64) said, “Oh we had a wonderful time here!” She recalled, “We had a fashion show when I was in Home Ec. I had a cast on my leg so I couldn’t walk down the runway.” Pete and Jim Watson recalled the school when they were there from 1953 to 1956. J.E. Marcellus had been Principal there for 25 years but returned to teach for a while in 1954 when the school had the largest graduating class so far of 14 students. Ries Boers, a retired Milton businessman recalls how he thought “Martin Street School in 1959 was depressing! It had oiled wood floors and bare brick walls. It was like a prison, so I whistled through Grade 10 because there was no opportunity to socialize and I had to study! The teachers were excellent. When we all went to the new high school on Williams Avenue, then I socialized!”
Cake was served and speeches were presented towards the end of the evening. A recent principal, Robert Hamilton, referred to an old issue of a Nassagaweya newspaper that recalled how the original school was built on land in 1919 that had housed a henhouse and a coal shed. At that time some students from Campbellville travelled to school by train. He told his listeners to “imagine how that must have felt to travel back and forth on a train every day to school.” On the stage in front of a large mural bearing the school’s logo, the school choir entertained, proudly displaying the bright colours of the school T-shirts. Mayor Gordon Krantz, who attended the school for a few months in 1951 but then “dropped out”, recalled how he had been nominated as a town councillor 50 years ago “on that very stage!” He declared that the students were “making history there” that night!
A big thumbs up from Jennifer South, Abby Gail, Mayor Krantz, Sarah Lamers and Kara Arch
Don South (1946 to 1948) with Norma Kitchen and husband Bruce Kitchen (1938 to 1940). The two met at Martin Street School in grade 9 and married in 1945
January 2016 | Milton Villager | 19
by: Jessica Lyons
F
ollowing the success of the comedy-thriller Let’s Murder Marsha in November, the Milton Players Theatre Group are busy preparing a strong, seasoned cast for their next show of the 2015-2016 season, Neil Simon’s first farce Rumors.
audience to come in, laugh, have a good time and just enjoy the night. It’s also one of the biggest sets that we have ever built because it is actually three tiers,” he adds.
This is the 36th season for the Milton Players, which is run by volunteers within the community who are dedicated to The classic American farce tells the story producing great quality theatre for the of a 10th anniversary party where the host Town of Milton and surrounding areas. is found shot and sedated with his wife For the past five years the group has been nowhere in sight. The first guests to arrive preforming three shows each season at must then get “the story” straight before the Milton Centre for the Arts. A typical the other guests show up and an evening rehearsal process for the group lasts only of lies, miscommunication and chaos eight weeks in the basement of St. Paul’s United Church before they hit the stage ensues. - truly a tribute to how talented the cast “There are ten characters, so I think there and crew are. This season they will also will be someone in the cast that everyone be submitting their first two shows to can relate to,” Brian Cranford, president of the Association of Community Theatre the group and director of this production, - Central Ontario (ACT-CO) Festival explains. “It’s an amazing comedy. We like where, in the past, their productions have to stick to comedies because we want the been nominated and won many times in
20 | Milton Villager | January 2016
what is seen as the community theatre’s version of the Tony Awards. Cranford also pointed out that they are always looking for new volunteers to join the group. “You don’t necessarily have to be an actor to be involved with the group. We have so many roles because it takes a lot of people backstage doing construction for the sets, there are administrative roles, set design work, the list goes on. We can use all different talents.” Rumors will be running from February 5th-7th and 11th-13th at 8:00pm with a sunday matinee at 2:00 pm. To purchase tickets, call or stop by the box office at the Milton Centre for the Arts. To get involved with the Milton Players contact membership@miltonplayers.com or visit www.miltonplayers.com for more information.
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January 2016 | Milton Villager | 21
Imam Ghalib Baten and Mazen
Syrian Refugee family W
hen war broke out in Syria, Mazen’s family had nowhere to go, no where to run. All He could do was to keep thinking that it was going to stop and pray that him and his family would be spared. Those days of fear are behind him now. Today he’s enjoying a cup of tea with his new Milton friends, Fwad and his wife Lubna. Mazen is one of several Syrian refugees who immigrated to Canada last December to get a second chance at life.
by: Ann Kornuta
helps disaster-struck and socially and the initiative that we need to help these economically disadvantaged individuals people. That was a big part of it.” and families in the poorer communities “You just feel so much empathy about of the world. what you can do and my husband and “We went through the security screening I have talked about it and we’ve talked for over a year just to come to Canada. about it in the community and you The conditions were not good in Egypt and it was difficult to pass the time,” said Mazen.
Fwad and his wife Lubna only found out three days before that they were “I could smell death from all around,” going to get the entire family. Moved by Mazen said when asked about his the words spoken by their Imam, Ghalib family’s situation in Syria. “People being Baten, their community knew they had killed and dying, bodies lying in the to help these people someway. They both belong to an organization The street. I was afraid for my children.” Ahmadiyya of Muslim Jama’at Milton Mazen had no choice but to gather his Branch where Fwad is the President of family and flee to Egypt. However, that the local chapter. was just the beginning to what was to be Mazen, his brother and their entire “What brought it home was when family’s three year process to immigrate Imam Ghalib Baten did a sermon to Canada. He was fortunate to find help about the islamic teachings on helping through Humanity First in Egypt which refugees and we as a community took
22 | Milton Villager | January 2016
Lubna and Fwad Malik of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Milton Branch
know you just kinda need a push? so a whole bunch of us from Milton had gone onto a fundraiser by Humanity First and I think that was our push. We heard a lady who was talking about how she was sponsoring a family people from different organizations talking about what the organization does and we thought, we can do this.” said Lubna Malik.
and they are eating with the families and being part of their family.” Ghalib Baten, their local Imam, has also been there every step of the way encouraging his community to uphold the teachings of the Quran while acting as a guide for not only Mazen, but for all the volunteers in their community as well. “We are trying to make sure that they integrate into society,” Imam Ghalib said. “If they had just shown up to the country and had nobody to help them they might have just found an apartment and just stayed there cut off from society but now they are coming to the mosques regularly doing events with us regularly, integrating them, telling them about the ways of Canada.”
They had help not only within the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, but within the local Milton community as well. From the Halton District School Board donating backpacks full of school supplies, mittens, jackets, donations from people, friends available to drive people to and from the doctors and even generous offers of a job working on crafting kitchen cabinets, Mazen’s trade. “If you read the Quran, it “It was just so hard to find a place to be just, it teaches you to rent for them to stay so fast,” She to your parents, it teaches said. “Currently two members of our to charity, it teaches you community have offered up their homes to your neighbour, and it
teaches you to be good you to give to be good teaches you
to be good to your travelers and very importantly the Quran teaches you to help refugees,” Imam Ghalib said. “We were just practicing what we preach as a community. That’s what we need to highlight a lot more. It’s Islam that makes us more charitable we do these things because we are Muslim.” Mazen, his family and his brother’s family were some of the first Syrian refugees to arrive in Canada. The coverage was huge and it was very overwhelming. Mazen responded in English that it was a “surprise,” emotionally wiping his eyes. “I didn’t know what was happening at the airport. When I stepped out there was a huge group of people with signs just happy to see us. Not in any country have we seen this. I cannot imagine so many people so happy just to see us.” If you would like to help, please send inquiries to milton.syrian.settlement@ gmail.com.
January 2016 | Milton Villager | 23