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fri sept 21, 2012
Cedar Ridge marks 100th anniversary with garden party ANGELINE MAIR scm@insidetoronto.com A house built by a wealthy financier 100 years ago continues to flourish as a home for Scarborough artists is celebrating a milestone with a garden party this Sunday. Cedar Ridge Creative Centre sits nestled in a garden oasis with the white stucco cottage peeking through the dense greenery surrounding it. Birds chirping break the silence blanketing the natural sanctuary. This home of inspiration - for many artists near and far - has been preserved by the determination of administrator and treasurer of Cedar Ridge Studio Gallery, Joy Hughes,
who has been working since the late 1960s to make art accessible to all. When it comes to Cedar Ridge, she says, “It’s very unique. And for many years (it was) the only arts centre in the whole east end.” Hughes adds, “It’s a beautiful building and it’s a shame if it was not for the arts.” Once inside the home, it’s plain to see how it provides pure inspiration to any creative mind. Artists can tap into the energy flowing from the well preserved original architecture of the century-old mansion: from the smell of the oak floors to the view of the gardens from the secondfloor weaving room and the 15-inch >>>CEDAR, page 5
Scarborough photographer Flynn inspired by nature MARIA TZAVARAS scm@insidetoronto.com Nicole Flynn has unofficially given herself the middle name “Challenge”. This is because whatever the 19-year-old Scarborough resident is faced with, she welcomes the challenge with open arms and aims to succeed at it. Flynn has a life with a packed social and extracurricular calendar, including synchronized and competitive swimming for the past 12 years, performing in local theatre and exhibiting and selling works from her more recent passion,
nature and wildlife photography. Having Down’s Syndrome hasn’t slowed her down one bit. Starting today, Flynn will be exhibiting some of her photography at an exhibition called Toronto: Street Level, a group photography exhibition that will display works that showcase our city from a unique perspective. The exhibit is also part of Toronto’s annual Abilities Arts Festival (AAF). “It’s really looking at Toronto through the lens of people with disabilities,” said Rina Fraticelli, AAF’s executive director, “...the photographers come from all different >>>PHOTO, page 9
The Scarborough Mirror - A Metroland Community Newspaper
Staff photo/NICK PERRY
Birchmount Park Collegiate Grade 12 student Phillip Rosa, left, meets Canadian Olympic triathlete Simon Whitfield and checks out his medals during a visit to the school yesterday morning.
Olympian visits Birchmount Park MIKE ADLER madler@insidetoronto.com He looked nervous at the start, before the flood of questions began. But as Simon Whitfield – goldmedal triathlete, Canadian flagbearer at the London Olympics – told students at Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute yesterday, feeling nervous is a great thing, if you embrace it as an opportunity. “There’s a lot of power in that,” said Whitfield, a four-time Olympian who described the pressure of competing at the Olympics as overwhelming. He was “kind of nervous” about waving the flag in the moments, watched by millions of Canadians @SCMirror
this summer, when Whitfield led the Olympic team into the stadium; at first, he said, he waved it gently. “I learned to get really into it.” Whitfield grew up in Kingston, entered his first triathlon on a bet he couldn’t finish it, and finished “way back.” As a teenage athlete, Whitfield said, he wasn’t great, but applied himself. In high school, he loved applying himself to something. At 16, he left for Australia on his own, and never looked back. At 19, he went to France to race with a team there. He was “all in” for his sport, which combines cycling, swimming and a foot race. This week, after 14 world victories, 21 podium finishes and 12 Canadian
championships, he told students at Birchmount, a specialized sports school that has sent five alumni to the Olympics, he envied them going forward. “I’m at the other end of my sporting career. I have a couple of years left,” said Whitfield, who was soon quite at ease with the students, telling them they can reach the highest levels of success in sport once they commit “to train on the days the others won’t.” Kim Provost, president of the school’s athletic council, asked Whitfield about his crashes and injuries. Whitfield recalled the accident - falling from his bicycle onto his >>>SETBACKS, page 20
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