Milton Villager Magazine Volume 1, Issue 14 - November 2013 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, Grant Rushton, Theresa Brereton, Andrea Ramos Reporters - Stuart Service, Laura Steiner, Leslie Kennedy, Elizabeth Kogan, Samantha Dotson 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, Kabul Fine Foods, La Rose Bakery Food: Hero Burger, Pizza Nova, Troys Diner, Coffee Culture, Heritage Fish and Chips, Symposium, Shoeless Joe’s, Portabello’s, Bombay Grill, Mama Mila’s Cafe, Quiznos, Cafe Zauq, Empire Wok, Mr. Sub Recreation: Milton Sports Centre, Leisure Centre, Milton Centre for the Arts, Making Waves Swim School Shopping: Milton Mall, Home Hardware, Staples
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Milton
Event Calendar
Villager
Panel discussion on Marginalized & Vulnerable Women of Halton November 7 at Hugh Foster Hall, 141 King Street cfuwmilton@hotmail.com Annual Black & White Pajama Party - November 8 at Teatro Conference & Event Centre 905-864-8511 10th Annual Gala for The Deck Youth Centre - November 15 at Teatro Conference & Event Centre Banquet@thedeckmilton.com 2013 Town and Country Christmas House Tour - November 15 & 16 www.miltonunitedway.ca/special-events.html Share The Dream - Road to Sochi - Travis Gerrits - Poker Tournament & Games Fundraiser November 16 at Milton Memorial Arena Milton Santa Claus Parade - November 17 at 1:30pm along Main St. from Scott Blvd to the GO Station, www.miltonsantaclausparade.ca The Singleton’s Christmas Lights Display - mid-november to end of december at 8565 Guelph Line, www.thestonehouse.ca/christmas Friends for Harmony Song Launch - November 21 at The Rad Brothers Sports Bar and Tap House
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Milton Rotary Club Online Auction
T
oday the Milton Fire Department joined a growing list of donors to the Rotary Club of Milton Online Auction with a unique item. The auction begins Saturday, November 16, and will help Rotary help others. “We are excited the Milton Fire Department is helping us aid worthy causes, especially the youth of Milton,” said Rod McLachlan, Rotary Club of Milton public relations coordinator. The donated package, valued at $200, includes a portable fire extinguisher, a kitchen-specific fire extinguisher, a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide alarm, and an escape ladder. In
SANTA’S ON HIS WAY! Catch the Spirit of the season and visit Santa beginning November 21st. Thursdays & Fridays, 4 - 8 pm Saturdays, 10 am - 5 pm Sundays, 12 noon - 5 pm For a complete list of photo prices and hours for November 23rd to December 24th, visit miltonmall.com and click on Santa! Corner of Ontario and Main miltonmall.com
addition, as part of this package the fire department is offering a fire crew visit to the recipient’s home to provide a “Home Safe Home” half-hour visit. This package includes a visit by Milton firefighters and a tour of their fire truck. Last year over $30,000 worth of items and services were donated to the annual auction. This year’s total is expected to be even greater. Some significant items are available just in time for the holiday season including sports tickets, restaurant vouchers, and golf packages. The online auction runs from November 16th to the 30th. Interested bidders can go to www.MiltonRotaryAuction.com. All funds raised in Milton will go to the local Rotary club to support charitable projects. Last year the Rotary Club of Milton raised $15,000 through its auction, which in turn directly benefited local organizations and causes. Halton Food for Thought, which provides nutrition programs for Milton students, and Darling Home for Kids, a Milton respite and palliative care facility for children, were both beneficiaries. Funds raised also went to provide dictionaries for every Grade 3 student in Milton and for scholarships and bursaries for local high school students. Milton Rotary Club also gave funds from the auction proceeds to international disaster relief organization Shelterbox Canada. Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service and help build goodwill and peace in the world. It is comprised of 1.2 million members working in more than 34,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographic regions. For further information, visit www.miltonrotaryclub.com.
Venetian Masquerade Gala: T
he ground under our feet may still have been wet from the day’s rain, and the skies very grey, yet there was a note of delightful promise in the air. It was the intangible excitement of guests heading towards the Granite Ridge Golf Club (Granite Ridge) for the Bella Cucina (“beautiful kitchen” in Italian) fundraiser in support of the Italian Canadian Club of Milton (ICCM). As sophisticated and well-dressed guests entered the brightly lit ballroom at the Granite Ridge, one could not help but notice the ostentatious and fanciful masques on display. Guests had the option of bringing their own masques to the elegant Venetian Masquerade Gala or purchasing one at the event with proceeds going towards the fundraising goal. As Rosanna Conteduca, ICCM board member, explains, “The board of directors of the Italian Canadian Club of Milton is committed to supporting the work begun by its founding members. In 2013, the club hosted wonderful fundraising events such as Journey for Jacob-Fight Against Childhood Cancer, and Share The Dream-Travis Gerrits (2014 Olympian). This year we decided to host a gala in support of the tremendous growth that the club has experienced by having all funds raised go towards upgrading the Italian Club’s kitchen appliances.” Opulent costumes inspired by Venetian fashions of the seventeenth century were worn by the ICCM executive members and were a delight for the guests’ eyes. Guests marvelled at the parade of deep and richly coloured fabrics while sipping a cool glass of prosecco. For those seeking
Milton Villager
By Elizabeth Kogan Photos by Theresa Brereton
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An Evening of Bella Cucina Dreams
to satiate their appetites, the antipasto bar was a stunning exhibition, pleasing to even the most discerning of palates. Opening remarks by ICCM Board Member Peter Conteduca were followed by an address by the Honourable Lisa Raitt, minister of transport. A particularly significant moment took place that evening when Ms. Raitt presented Mario Durante, a pillar of Milton’s community, with a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. The beautiful singing of Antonella Vizzini and entertainment by Smooth Vision were special highlights. As guest Anna O’Sullivan said, “I moved to Milton in 2007 and was drawn by its community-minded feel and the generosity of its people. I was only too happy to attend this beautiful fundraiser for the Italian Canadian Club of Milton. I’ve seen firsthand how much they help and support our community, so it’s only fitting that we give back to this wonderful group. The evening was absolutely magical: heartfelt speeches, delicious food, extraordinary entertainment, and fantastic people.” The Bella Cucina event raised more than $18,500 through the generous support of the community. If you would like to learn more about the ICCM and/or become a member, please visit the website at www.iccm.ca.
By Elizabeth Kogan Photos by Grant Rushton
A
n unseasonably warm wind graced the evening of September 27, 2013, as art enthusiasts flocked to the Dorland-Haight Gallery for the opening night of the Wanderlost exhibit, running September 27 through October 13 and featuring works by artists Sarah Joncas and Ann Kornuta. A Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), Joncas has been displaying her work since 2007. When asked to describe the significance of the Wanderlost theme, she replied: “Wanderlost is a play on words on the term wanderlust. Ann’s (Kornuta) work focuses on capturing landscapes, whereas my focus is more internal and psychological, that idea of losing oneself.” Kornuta credits her father as being her first teacher because he was once a painter himself. She says, “I have fond memories of working with my dad on art.” In terms of the path that brought her to where she is today, she says, “I was going to go to OCAD for art, but I ran into some financial issues when I was accepted and I couldn’t go. Instead, I started working freelance for media outlets in Toronto. I started painting again in 2004, had my
first show in 2005 in Milton, and have been doing that ever since.” The exhibit was a celebration of Joncas’and Kornuta’s artistic talents, and art admirers gazed longingly at the paintings. Kornuta’s Farmer’s Market piece, an acrylic painting on canvas, especially captured our admiration. In the painting, Milton’s Saturday morning Main Street Farmer’s Market springs to life with her expert use of bold colours. While taking in the captivating beauty illustrated in Joncas’ Paeony Petals oil painting, the Milton Villager spoke to a guest at the show, Barbara McVeigh. McVeigh explained that she’s a great admirer of the works of both Joncas and Kornuta and had been following both of them through social media. Kornuta says her inspiration for the Wanderlost show came from “a need to explore different feelings of nostalgia and past events, for example, taking a photograph and giving it individual meaning.” Indeed, for guests at the opening night of the Wanderlost exhibit, a multitude of meanings were available to interpret and behold, all created by the stroke of a brush on canvas.
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Art Exhibit
Milton Villager
Wa n d e r lo s t
D a n c i n g Wi n s M i l t o n Ta l e n t Co n t e s t
8 | Milton Villager
Hannah Shikatani won the 2013 contest with a daring contemporary dance routine
By Stuart Service Photos by Ann Kornuta
M
any singers competed for first place at the 2013 Milton Talent Contest on October 17, but the judges ultimately selected the contemporary dance routine of Hannah Shikatani as this year’s winning act. Shikatani, a sixteen-year-old who’s been dancing since age seven, took to the Mattamy Theatre stage at the Milton Centre for the Arts to perform a routine to a cover version of U2’s “The Impossible.” In the background of the song were the frightening sounds of tsunami waves in transit as Shikatani emotionally moved to crashing tidal waves and underwater screams of terror. This created a risky, original, and unsettling theatre-of-the-mind element that ultimately swayed the judges’ decision. Judging the contest were three Milton residents embedded in the performing arts community: singer John Carroll, local music director and coach Bob Hall, and actress, singer, and dancer Elvira Hopper. In second place was Sarah Bradley, whose powerful voice more than met the challenge of singing “True Colours” by Cyndi Lauper. Rounding out the podium in third place was Grade 8 W.I. Dick Middle School singer/songwriter Jessica
Singer/songwriter Jessica Lockwood singing her original song ‘Through the Eyes of Another.’
Lockwood, who performed with her enchanting voice an original song entitled “Through the Eyes of Another.” Another highlight of the night was Sam Mok, a sound engineer who had the entire audience clapping to the beat as he played on his harmonica an arrangement of “Long, Long Ago, Lord Jesus” and “Polka Dance.”
Abby Hunter performing ‘Titanium’ by David Guetta and Sia
Contest runner-up Sarah Bradley sings ‘True Colours’ by Cyndi Lauper
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10 | Milton Villager
M i n M a x x
Moves into New Milton Home
M
inMaxx CEO Azim Rizvee started his big day on October 6 with a drive around town in a red Ferrari with Milton Mayor Gord Krantz in the passenger seat.
Krantz and Rizvee pulled up to 1220 Main Street East to cut the ribbon and officially open MinMaxx’s new Milton office. Rizvee said his company is different from traditional brokerages in that MinMaxx representatives do not operate as independent agents. “We work as a team cohesively,” he said, “a well-integrated and well-oiled machine.” Rizvee’s media plan includes taking out large ads that give maximum exposure to all of his clients’ property listings. This creates a major financial advantage over the independent real estate agents who will need to spend lots of money out of pocket to adequately expose the properties they’re trying to sell. “This is a negative cash flow business,” Rizvee said. “You’ve got to have deep pockets just to get things going.” By eliminating the competitive atmosphere of sales commissions and by taking the “negative cash flow” burden from his employees, Rizvee said Minmaxx’s staff of about 30 is always “working well together and not working against each other.” And by working as a collective, Rizvee said the monetary savings of his company’s reduced overheard can then be passed on to customers. In attendance at the ribbon cutting was Wendy Schau, a member of the Milton Transitional Housing board of directors.
“MinMaxx is our platinum sponsor, and their support makes it possible for us to provide homes and help to three families here in Milton,” Schau said. “Their support is so important to us,” adding that MinMaxx helps with “bridging accommodations and support to people so they can move from being homeless, or in danger of becoming homeless, to having a home.”
The MinMaxx spotlight was also shared with staff during the company’s annual awards’ ceremony. Cutting well into the start-time of the magic show—Ted Outerbridge: Clockwork Mysteries—Rizvee called up to the stage all staff in attendance to individually acknowledge and praise the hard work they do. He then gave each of them a MinMaxx Award of Excellence for being the top-ranked team for the past five years across all companies and brands in the GTA.
Milton Villager
“Today’s event is all about extending a thank you to our good friends, clients, and partners,” Rizvee said.
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After the ribbon to the office was cut, the grand opening party continued next door at the Milton Centre for the Arts. The real estate company organized an extravagant opening day celebration with a festival of cultures for clients, partners, and the community. The event featured multicultural dancers, strolling entertainment, a magic show, an abundance of food and prize giveaways—including next-generation gaming consoles—a tablet, and a shopping spree. There was also a silent auction that raised money for the Milton District Hospital Foundation and a give-away of a joyride in a sports car on a racetrack courtesy of SuperCars Canada.
12 | Milton Villager
D a n c i n g By Laura Steiner Photos by Grant Rushton
to Raise Money for MDHF
T
he Indian Festival Navarati is celebrated with nine nights of worshipping Goddess Amba by dancing to traditional tune. Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights. On September 28, 2013 the Halton Gujarati Samaj celebrated festival by worshipping the Goddess Amba with an evening of traditional dances at Bishop Reding in the Indian festival “Garba Ni Raat”. More than 1500 people participated in this vibrant festival of colorful traditional dancing. Ma Amba is the Hindu Mother Goddess and hence women played a leading role in the dances. “We believe women participate a lot,” organizer Niraj Thakkar explained. They whirled about the floor in multicoloured saris, many of which featured hand-beaded elements. The dances were held in circles and guided by live music from Goonjan Musical Group.
This festival included a charitable side to it, too. Ticket prices were $5, and a portion of the proceeds went to the Milton District Hospital Foundation (MDHF). This is the second time the group has worked with MDHF. The previous year, the group did something similar for Diwali. “HGS (Halton Gujarati Samaj) is not really just focused on Hindu community, honoring diversity and the concept of one world family is the very breath of it. We really want to participate with local Halton community by initiating
more programs in affiliation with Town of Milton,” Thakkar explained. The Halton Gujarati Samaj is a newly formed nonprofit group. “Our focus is to enjoy all festivals, especially Hindu festivals, while we adopt Canadian culture,” Nintin Ajmeri said. It was hard to find anyone who wasn’t enjoying himself; smiles were everywhere you looked. The group will celebrate both Christmas and New Year’s in December. The dances were the traditional garba and dandiya raas that are performed while moving in circles. Everyone was doing it. I found it easy to get caught up in the music and the celebratory mood. I was even pulled into the dancing a few times.
Milton Villager
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The Samaj partnership with MDHF will continue with a promise to continue the fundraising efforts. “Every year we will make sure there’s more funding coming,” Ajmeri promised. They also hope their efforts will set an example for future generations: “It’s really important the kids grow in an atmosphere where they’re focused and understand what they have to do when they grow up,” he said.
Friends for Harmony Songwriters, Sandy Gemmill, of Milton, and Michael Shotton, of Burlington, will release their anti-bullying song titled: “We’ll Stand for You”, during National Bullying Awareness Week on Thursday, November 21, 2013, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, at The Rad Brothers Sports Bar and Tap House, 550 Ontario St. S., Milton, ON. The production features 12-year old rising star, Matt Errs, from Oakville, Ontario, and singer/songwriter/ producer, Michael Shotton. The two singers will give a live performance of “We’ll Stand for You”, on the evening of November 21st, as residents from Halton and the surrounding regions gather in support of the prevention of bullying and teen suicide. The event will also serve as a soft-launch for “Friends for Harmony”, a new community outreach program for youth. The “Friends for Harmony” initiative aims to create opportunities to help youth find acceptance, love, and hope through the power of music and expression.
The long-term vision is to create forums for expression, mentorship, and collaboration, by connecting youth to music and art experts The evening’s program will include various musical guest performances by local singer/songwriters, with special guest, Jon Abrams. Expert guest speakers will offer information on anti-bullying and empowerment programs available for youth in Halton and surrounding regions. Tickets are $10 at the door. Seating is limited. Proceeds benefit “Friends for Harmony”.
14 | Milton Villager
By Laura Steiner
Saunders Lights Up The Day With Walk for Cancer
On September 29, Tracy Saunders walked over twenty kilometres from her house on Williams Avenue to Kelso with her husband Andy and friends Samantha and Holly Attew. She was part of the Light The Night walk. These walks are national fundraising events benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. The walk symbolizes a cancer patient’s journey. Participants usually walk at night with red, gold, and white lanterns to “bring light into the dark world of cancer.” The red lantern signifies a supporter, gold, the memory of a loved one, and white, a blood cancer survivor. Saunders’ walk during the day was no less poignant. “We walked and we chatted and we laughed,” she said. She lost her dad to cancer when he was sixty-one and she was only twenty. “I saw him die in front of me,” she said. He had surgery for an ulcer and ended up having twenty-two pints of blood replaced. After more surgery, his spleen, pancreas, and half of his stomach were removed. “I thought he was always going to
fight it,” she said. Her dad wasn’t the only one touched by cancer; she had a cousin in England who beat the disease. Family in England were doing the same walk: thirteen miles through London at night. This year Saunders walked 21.5 kilometres in a four hours, thirty-five minute round-trip from Kelso to her home on Williams Avenue. “It’s an amazing experience to walk for people who can’t,” she said as she relaxed on her porch afterwards. “All we did was get up at 8:30 in the morning, put on a backpack with a few drinks, and we walked,” Attew said. Saunders picked up from there: “It wasn’t painful for us.” Attew didn’t train for the walk; she got a call to participate the week before and walked with her friend. “I never say no to this one,” she said. They hope to see a few more people walking with them next year: “If we can do it, anyone can do it,” Saunders said. She wants more people in Milton to get involved in the community: “It’s great to give back, and Milton is growing so fast that many charities could benefit.”
www.miltonbusinessconnections.ca
Community Group
Computer Networking/Sales
Niraj Adhiya | 905-875-3939 info@discovermilton.com www.discovermilton.com
Sam Kassam-Macfie | 416-995-0939 sam.kassam@momstown.ca milton.momstown.ca
Robert Duvall | 289-878-7922 gurus@rdcnetworks.com www.rdcnetworks.com
GPS Tracking Services
Mortgage Broker
Photographer
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Robin Chalmers | 647-784-5665 r.chalmers@vehiclepathcanada.ca www.vehiclepath.ca
Christine Walker | 647-801-0001 Christine.walker@mtgarc.ca www.mortgagesbychriswalker.ca
Eva Mende-Gibson | 416-986-9559 eva@blinkofaneyephoto.ca www.blinkofaneyephoto.ca
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Jason Sandilands | 416-873-6941 jason@i-gotta-guy.ca www.i-gotta-guy.ca
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Dean Barreca | 416-726-3270 dean@thecruiseexpert.ca www.thecruiseexpert.ca
Every Milton area small business owner who is looking to make new connections, should come out and meet our group to meet other great Milton entrepreneurs. Where: Ned Devine’s Irish Pub, 575 Ontario Street South When: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7pm-9pm Hope to see you there. RSVP to connect@miltonbusinessconnections.ca
Milton Villager
Online Digital Media
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Your Connections to Milton’s Small Business Community
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