East_Gwillimbury_Shines_BANNER_1_HB_copy_copy (9) final hands

Going Places

What to Do Over the Holidays: Visiting the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery

McMichael

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection gallery is open holiday Mondays and every Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 4:00pm.  The beautiful collection of Canadian art Greats serves as warm, welcoming beacon for those a little unsure of what to do over the holiday break (with so many places closed!) When you absolutely positively must get out of the house and go do something, try the McMichael!

Located in Kleinburg, the drive is reasonable for East Gwillimbury residents. Having somewhere to visit that is so culturally exciting without having to go downtown is appealing.The McMichael generously opened their doors for East Gwillimbury Shines this November. Here are some scenes from a beautiful day:

Kleinburg
It’s like Kleinburg is made for Christmas
The Sculpture Garden
The Sculpture Garden
Kids have fun here
Kids have fun here
Bringing the edge back to the Group of Seven -You Are Here: Kim Dorland and the Return to Painting runs until Jan 4
Bringing the edge back to the Group of Seven -You Are Here: Kim Dorland and the Return to Painting runs until January 5
Kim Dorland's Dripping Dream
Kim Dorland’s Dripping Dream
The sensitive, contemporary nostalgia of Kim Dorland - Lost Mother #2
The sensitive, contemporary nostalgia of Kim Dorland – Lost Mother #2
Karine Giboulo’s amazing tour-de-force Small Strange World(s) runs until January 26

All photos and reproductions used with permission

Scenes from the Nativity Display at Queensville-HL United Church

SONY DSCYou’ll take a deep breath and get lost in the magic of the Nativity Display at Queensville-Holland Landing United Church, 20453 Leslie Street. This unique and elaborate  display of hundreds of nativities and angels (many antique or vintage) is ongoing Thursday November 21st – Friday November 22nd from 10 am to 7pm, Saturday November 23rd, 10am to 8pm and Sunday November 24, 2013 from 1 to 5pm. Enjoy an old-fashioned tea served with cookies and squares at a beautifully set table. Admission is free (by donation – proceeds towards Inn from the Cold).

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Two of the lovely Organizers Ann Morton and Sylvia Kernohan

 

 

5 Real, Easy-to-Follow Fall Fashion Trends in East Gwillimbury

It’s easy to spot and follow these high-end fashion trends in East Gwillimbury  They are simple + a cinch to incorporate into your wardrobe as many items you may find you already have!

fashionfallEG

1. Surprisingly shapeless layers. Who knew? And how great. No fuss and pressure to be form-fitting.

2. Cable knit sweater leggings for girls. This is the second year of the cable knit sweater leggings craze on girls and they continue to be fun.

3. Muted emphasis. The excitement over 80’s-style fluorescent and jewel tones is beginning to dim. Think white, creme, brown, and grey. A flash of emerald green or teal.

4. Boots with buckles. Ankle-length is the most cutting-edge choice, but any length is great.

5. Classic prints. Classic prints and leopard print round out East Gwillimbury’s fashion must-haves.

photo credit: CHRISTOPHER MACSURAK / photo on flickr

 

 

 

 

Great Turnout at the EGPL Giant Used Book Sale

EGPL GiantUsedBookSaleIt was a busy weekend for bookworms! The Giant Used Book Sale and Silent Auction, in support of library programming (www.egpl.ca), was a total hit – again.

“We were thrilled with the turnout for the Fall book sale and thank everyone for coming out,” said Carol Vadeika, volunteer and EGPL Board Member. “We received lots of positive feedback about the EG Library book sales and we look forward to hosting the next one in the Mount Albert location April 25-26, 2014. […] Donations, especially of children’s books, are ALWAYS welcome!”

Pictured above are Executive Board Members of Friends of the East Gwillimbury Library Helena Bzonkova and Dianne Gibson, book browsers Kim and Alex, Board Members of the  East Gwillimbury Public Library Loretta Whiteman (Chair) and Carol Vadeika.

Photo credits: CDeep

Stone Soup Family Night at OEYC, Bradford

BradfordOEYC

The fable Stone Soup has been told many times and in many ways. All versions generally begin with a group of weary strangers entering a town. The townspeople, who had grown hard and distant by hardship, are reluctant to offer the strangers any food or lodging. Undeterred, the strangers begin to make “stone soup”  out of nothing but a large stone and water. They remark to passers-by that a pinch of salt or a handful of carrots might help. Bit by bit, the townspeople come forward with this and that, as little or as much as they can bring, culminating in a beautiful, bountiful soup and a rollicking good time by all.

On Thursday,October 3, 2013, the Ontario Early Years Center, Bradford held a “Stone Soup” night in which participants were asked to bring one cup of their favourite vegetable to add to a pot of stone soup. The evening served as a celebration of family and community. Organizer Debbie Young stirred the soup. Program facilitator Leanne Ross read Stone Soup to the children and family members. Courtney led a dance.  A grandma from Barrie brought banana cookies. Many children helped themselves to seconds. Two ten-year-old boys helped a baby clean up blocks. It was a beautiful night and as dusk fell, cars pulled away, transporting families back to homes, the town and surrounding area felt a little closer.

Up next: Fall Harvest Circle at 9:30am, Thursday, October 17 2013. “Come out to hear Tine Olhman, Aboriginal Coordinator with the Simcoe Ontario Early Years Centre, talk about what First Nations people traditionally ate. There will be a special craft, circle time and afterwards you can enjoy Three Sisters Soup and Bannock. no registration required.” (OEYC, Bradford) 118 Barrie Street, Bradford 905-775-3039 ext 229.

Photo credits: CDeep

A Festival for All- Weaving Words: Sharon Temple Storytelling Festival

BruceCarmody

Stories to capture everyone’s heart and imagination were spun with masterful wonder at the annual Weaving Words: Sharon Temple Storytelling Festival on Sunday, September 29, 2013.

The Festival is a collaborative effort put on with the help of the Sharon Temple National Historic Site and Museum, Friends of the East Gwillimbury Library, the East Gwillimbury Library, the Town of East Gwillimbury and other community partners. The vision of the Festival  is to “share stories in order to better understand who we are and to open a window to the past, present and future for the entire community.” Its mission is “to promote literacy within our community and a new appreciation of York Region’s rich and diverse cultural and ethnic heritage through the art of storytelling.” (weavingwords.ca)

Pictured above are drummers from Shaw Percussion which opened the festival with a drumming circle, Newmarket storyteller Tim Greenwood who told stories from Stephen Leacock and  Toronto Storyteller Rukhsana Khan who told stories from her childhood.

Storyteller and committee member Bruce Carmody commented, “The festival was a huge success: we heard a wide variety of wonderful stories from master storytellers across the province. Our audience grew considerably over the 2012 festival. Next year, we hope to make the festival even bigger!”

Photo credits: Bruce Carmody

A Literary Week in EG: September 29-October 5

Literary East GwillimburyIt was a week of words in literary East Gwillimbury.

Coming on the heels of  acclaimed writer and East Gwillimbury resident Barry Dempster’s release of Invisible Dogs, this past week featured 3 noteworthy cultural events. Stay tuned for coverage of all three! (the magnificent Weaving Words Sharon Temple Story-Telling Festival, a meaningful gathering of families/reading of Stone Soup at the Ontario Early Years Centre in nearby Bradford and East Gwillimbury Public Library’s funtastic Used Book Sale.

Photo credit: the bbp / photo on flickr 

Fall’s Rite of Passage: Visiting the Pumpkin Patch at Brooks Farms

BrooksFarms

Celebrities like to visit pumpkin patches at this time of year. Googling “celebrity” and “pumpkin patch” will yield dozens upon dozens of photos of celeb parents nimbly stepping through straw-filled fields of pumpkins with their adorable tykes. Now you can too.

The celebrity trend may have started with Kate Gosselin of Jon & Kate plus 8 fame. In Season One, Jon and Kate spend countless hours preparing their twins and sextuplets for a day at the pumpkin patch. The tykes are wearing adorable coordinating fuzzy hoodies (a modern take on the fall sweater so necessary for the experience). (In LA, due to climate, the celeb pumpkin-pickers generally wear T-shirts rather than sweaters). See Hollywood’s Cutest Pumpkin-Pickers for style tips.)

East Gwillimbury Shines was thrilled to have the chance to visit Brooks Farms in the lead-up to Fall Festival, courtesy of the Farms.

Brooks Farms (in Mount Albert) has everything you would want for the “full celeb pumpkin patch experience” —they do it up right. The Fall Fun Festival opened September 7 and runs weekends and Thanksgiving Monday until November 3, 2013. A special Halloween weekend for kids to participate in a “costume parade” is planned as well as other festivities. Pick your own pumpkins is available, complete with wagon ride. Pumpkin cannons, apple picking, pig races, sing-a-longs, and some zombie fun for older kids add a fall accent to the usual roster of fun (giant pillow, singing chickens, zip lining)…

Visitors should be aware that they are participating in full-on People Magazine-level “trend-setting” activity as they go about their business picking pumpkins and firing off their cob blaster at Brooks Farms! Move over Jessica Alba or Matthew McConaughey! However, more importantly, visitors will find that in the glow of the sunshine and in the beauty of creating a new tradition, they are simply having a really, really good time.

Photo credits: CDeep, casch52, Brandy Shaul, Ilovepics11, TedsBlog, Jippolito

 

St. James Anglican Church Fall Festival

stjamesfallfestival

There is something so cozy about a fall sale. This Saturday September 7, St. James Anglican Church  will be hosting its annual “big sale”. It’s “Fall Festival 2013”!

The Fall festival is part garage sale and part garden produce/bake sale. It will be held from 8am to noon.

The flyer for the sale reads “Make it! Bake it! Grow it!”

Expect crafts, collectibles, fruit, flowers, veggies, preserves, family treasures, and used clothing.

Contributions are welcomed, large and small. Though St. James adds as a special request: “Please! no used appliances, TVs, broken furniture or `damaged goods’ and only `gently used’ clothing” The staff can store garage sale items and ask that you call the church. Perishables can be delivered Friday September 5th or day of sale.

The sale is located at: 18804 Leslie St. Sharon Ontario L0G 1V0 (this Saturday Sharon will be alive with festivities – well worth a visit to the Farmer’s Market, the Home and Lifestyle Show at the Sharon Complex and the St. James Fall Festival – what a great morning!)

Photo credits: Selma90, CDeep, anna banana

 

The Drive-In, Redux

Driveinredux

The story plays like a good movie. The drive-in is taken away. A town mourns, such is the emotional response. And then -when no one expects it – it comes back. Let the good times roll!

North York Drive-In will now be named Stardust Drive-In Newmarket (the land, sold to developers, has reportedly been leased so that a new season of drive-in movie-going can be enjoyed). New digital projectors arrive Friday, followed by installation. No word yet on the opening date, expected to be imminent.

Stay tuned at EG Shines for updates.

Photo credits: your neighborhood librarian (photo on flickr), CDeep, Toasty Treat (photo on flickr)

Happy Canada Day East Gwillimbury!

A festive day at the historic Sharon Temple in East Gwillimbury to celebrate Canada’s Birthday!
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What’s Happening on 2nd Concession Road?

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Residents of East Gwillimbury who have travelled down Second Concession Road, or who have taken the Nokiida trail close to the Rogers Reservoir, will have noticed construction underway.

The construction is the beginning of the building of a sewage pumping station. The station is part of a larger plan to accommodate developments which will see the area’s population increase from the current 22,473 to 88,000 by 2031 (2011 Census, Planning for Tomorrow: York Region Growth Management).

Run for Fun: Mount Albert Sports Day 5km Run/Walk

Do it for yourself: for your mind, body, soul. Do it for the community.

The Mount Albert Sports Day 5km Run/Walk is almost here – June 1, 2013. It is in its eleventh year.

Participants can register here. Watch the Mount Albert Sports Day 5km video here.

An exciting feature of this year’s race  is that “we are introducing technical t-shirts for the first time and the timing system is the same system used in Boston and Paris at those marathons!”  notes Race Director Jen Mark (Dynamic Living). Also, many sponsors have stepped up this year with more money. Exciting prizes can be won.  Proceeds from the race go towards Mount Albert (part of East Gwillimbury)’s parks and facilities.

Personal fitness trainer Annette Papa remarks, “Run (or walk) because it makes you feel free, because you love it. When this is the case it feels like less of a chore and more of a pleasure, and you’re more likely to actually do it.”

Participating in the Mount Albert Sports Day 5km can be exhilarating. Held amid the festivities of the Mount Albert Sports Day Fair, it’s always fun! A sponsor named Carole commented about her experience last year,”[ We] all agreed that the atmosphere was so fun and that everyone was watching out for everyone else and having a good time and everyone was mixing in, little kids, kids, families, and runners. In summary, [we] loved the community spirit in a country atmosphere. [We] want everyone in the team to know what a great experience [we] had!!” (Testimonials, Mount Albert Sports Day 5km)

The Mount Albert Sports Day 5km…what a great way to feel good about yourself and to give back to the community!

Photo Credit: Sangudo

The Last Picture Show: Goodbye to East Gwillimbury’s North York Drive In

There are only 414 drive in theatres left in North America. Now, with the closing of the North York Drive In in East Gwillimbury  –only 413 remain. The response to the closing of the Drive In after 58 years has been overwhelming. At  last count, nearly four thousand Likes, Comments and Shares have filled the  North York Drive in Facebook page.  Impassioned Letters to the Editors have been written. Neighbours informed neighbours of the news, and so on…. The main sentiment in all this: an aching sadness and bittersweet remembrance of things past…

After all, the North York Drive In wasn’t just a drive in. It was where thousands experienced their first kiss, where teenagers were dropped off for their first summer job, where kids ran loose and played on creaky, old-school equipment in their pjs, where concession snacks were sold with a smile, where the late John Candy, local resident, reportedly sailed in after dark to enjoy the movies in peace, where residents of a small town could escape, where friends and acquaintances met, pulling out their lawn chairs, sighing with a happy summer feeling of being in the moment, in a wide, open field…

East Gwillimbury experienced the goodness of the drive-in long past many other towns. Its continued existence was emblematic of a “holdout innocence” and quirky beauty that is unique to the area.

The change occurred because it had to. Many factors were at work.  The march of development.  The cost of new technology.  The decline of movie theatre attendance in general.  A husband-and-wife duo, Cliff and Nancy Murrell (owners), who simply wanted to retire after years of late nights/ hard work, are some of the reasons why. (“Show’s Over for North York Drive In”). But the magic and memories from those spring and summer nights will live on forever.

North York Drive In