Teaching Gardens Update and Volunteer Opportunity

Posted on April 28, 2012 by admin

Spring has finally sprung in the Apothecary’s and Plant Lover’s Gardens at the Aviary in Churchill Park, and we are looking for volunteers of all ages to help with the ongoing revitalization of these community treasures.  Work parties will be taking place from 9:00 a.m. to noon for the next eight Saturdays:  April 28; May 5, 12, 19, 26; June 2, 9, and 16.  No experience is necessary, just willing hands!  Some of the work to be done includes weeding, working on the dry stone wall, planting, thinning, and reclaiming ponds and walls in the Plant Lover’s Garden.  Come out, meet new people, enjoy spring in the gardens, and contribute to a great community project!   For more information and some great photos, check out our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teaching-Gardens-at-Churchill-Park-Westdale/154618977937148 , or contact Dan Riegler at driegler@bell.net.  See you in the garden!

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The Brian Pickell Band

Posted on April 23, 2012 by admin

Pulled together by the magnetic, globe-trotting compositions of Brian Pickell and a love of traditional music, the group is both stunningly musical and energizing to listen to. The band combines the talents of Shane Cook, multiple winner of the Canadian and Grand Masters Fiddle Contests and the American Grand National; revered Ottawa multi-instrumentalist James Stephens on fiddle, mandolin and viola; and Pat O_Gorman, an admired mainstay of the Canadian music scene, on flute, whistles and pipes. Julie Schryer is widely considered to be one of the finest piano accompanists in Canada, and Brian is an accomplished composer, guitarist, and banjo and mandolin player. Together, they are a musical force of nature. Join us for an evening of toe-tapping fun. Celtic music at its best.
Sat May 5, at 7:30 pm. Tickets $20,  students $10

www.macneillbaptist.ca  www.brianpickell.com

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Royal Botanical Gardens – Get Back to Nature Walks

Posted on April 18, 2012 by admin

The second Sunday of every month, meet at the parking lot at Princess Point.  The fourth Sunday of every month (Cootes south shore), meet at the Aviary parking lot on Oak Knoll in Westdale.  Free (donations welcome).    Weather updates one to two hours before start time at 905-527-1158, ext. 404.

Come walk with us!  Did you know that a walk in the woods reduces stress no matter what your age?  Enjoy the great outdoors at RBG and spend healthy, active, quality time with friends and family.  Keep an eye out for bald eagles, fox tracks, deer, and other seasonal sightings.  Note:  Our trails are rocky and muddy.  Baby carriers work well, and the kids love the views.  Most trails are not suitable for strollers unless designed for off-sidewalk use.  Dress for the weather.

There are walks starting from other points on the first, third, and fifth Sundays.

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Nourishing Hamilton Fair: Food, Faith and Justice

Posted on April 13, 2012 by admin

Visit booths featuring:

  • Container gardening 
  • Fair Trade products
  • Canning/preserving food
  • Fruit Tree Project
  • Locke St Market.
  • The Good Food Box
  • Victory gardens
  • Food advocacy, food security action
  • The Hill St Community Garden
  • Community Kitchens 
  • Rain barrels
  • Composting/green binning 

and much more!

All Welcome. Event is Free.
Contact:
Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko
bekoko@faith-commongood.net
905 549 0900

http://greeningsacredspaceshamilton.blogspot.com/
www.greeningsacredspaces.net
http://environmenthamilton.org/

 

 

 

 

 

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Strata Vocal Ensemble

Posted on April 4, 2012 by admin

Strata Vocal Ensemble presents Tales of Earth and Sky i n celebration of Earth Day (April 22!).  Central to the theme is the Eric Whitacre composition “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine.”  We are really excited to perform this haunting and intricate choral depiction of Leonardo da Vinci’s dream of creating a flying machine, complete with the sounds of flight with its ticks, whirrs, and clicks. Also featured are the choral classics Vaughan Williams’ “Shakespeare Songs” and Stanford’s “The Bluebird.”  Again we will promote Canadian talent by performing Ruth Watson Henderson’s marvelous setting of the Pauline Johnson poem “The Song My Paddle Sings.”  We invite you to mark your calendars to join us for this varied and colourful concert.  Visit our website for more information: www.stratavocalensemble.ca.

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Ward 1 Participatory Budgeting Advisory Committee (PBAC)

Posted on March 31, 2012 by admin

Ainslie Wood Westdale

You are invited to apply to become a member of the Ward 1 Participatory Budgeting Advisory Committee (PBAC) to advise Councillor McHattie on how Area Rating Dollars should be spent in Ward 1.

Area rating is the method used to assign specific program costs to different areas within the City for the purposes of taxation. In April of 2011, Council approved the transition to an “urban/rural” model of taxation for the area rated services.

As a result of these changes, an Area Rating Special Capital Re-Investment Reserve has been set up for Wards 1 to 8 (the former City of Hamilton). The purpose of this reserve is to aid in addressing the required infrastructure investments within the former City of Hamilton. Ward Councillors are being asked to identify infrastructure priorities within their wards.

Councillor McHattie would like to involve the community to help identify these priorities through a process known as “Participatory Budgeting”. First developed in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Participatory Budgeting directly involves the community in making decisions on the spending priorities for a defined public budget.

The Ward 1 Participatory Budgeting Advisory Committee (PBAC) will be made up of twenty (20) members. The priorities identified by this committee will be presented to the wider Ward 1 community at a series of public meetings and residents will have an opportunity to submit their preferences for the projects.

If you are interested in applying to sit on the PBAC, please complete and submit an application. An interview process will follow, once all applications have been submitted. Meetings will take place in May and June, 2012.

Please forward this to your neighbours and Ward 1 friends. We are trying to reach as many Ward 1 residents as possible.

Application forms are available at the following locations:

· Councillor McHattie’s website at http://www.brianmchattie.ca

· Councillor’s Reception, Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street W., 2nd Floor

· Locke Street Library

· Westdale Library

· Ryerson Recreation Centre

· Dalewood Recreation Centre

Applications can be returned by email to dale.brown@hamilton.ca, by fax to 905-546-2535 or by mail to Ward 1, 71 Main Street West, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, ON, L8P 4Y4

The deadline for submission of applications is Friday, April 20th, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. to Councillor McHattie’s Office.

Participatory Budgeting References:

http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2012/03/29/participatory-budget/

http://www.participatorybudgeting.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_budgeting

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Concert and Spaghetti Dinner Fundraisers

Posted on March 31, 2012 by admin

April 14, Saturday, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.:  Songs from the Heart, concerts by N-Zanity Soli, with a portion of the proceeds to the Charles Family Defense Fund.  Tickets $15 in advance from the church office at 905-528-3724, or $20 at the door.  St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 1140 King St. West.

April 14, Saturday, 5:00-6:30 p.m.:  Spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the Charles Family Defense Fund.  Canadians for Lucene Charles is a grass-roots group dedicated to keeping all five members of the Charles family intact and here in Hamilton.  The fund has been established to help with their significant legal costs.  Donations will be managed by St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Westdale.  For more information or to donate online, visit http://lucenecharles.wordpress.com/charles-family-defense-fund/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DontDeportLuceneandAjohkeCharles?sk=wall .  The dinner will be catered by East Side Mario’s (Queenston Road location) and features spaghetti and meatballs, garden salad, and a selection of desserts. Advance ticket sales only, available until April 11 at McMaster University’s OPIRG office, Student Centre, Room 229, or at Bryan Prince Booksellers, 1060 King St. West; $10 per person, children five and under free.  The dinner will be at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 1140 King St. West.

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Rainbarrels

Posted on March 31, 2012 by admin

The Westdale Home and School Association is partnering with RainBarrel.ca to improve the environment and raise funds to support the efforts of the H&S.  Rain barrels can be ordered online at www.rainbarrel.ca/westdale. The cost is $50 per barrel.  You can pay with a credit card online or with cash at time of pick up.  Unlike the city, we are not limiting the number of barrels you order, so get a couple for home and for the cottage.  The barrels come with a safety-lid screen and overflow hose and will fit in the back seat of most two- or four-door cars.  Pick up date is Thursday, May 17, at Westdale High School, between 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.  Questions?  Call Libby at 905-522-4560.

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The Westdale Easter Egg Hunt

Posted on March 31, 2012 by admin

On Thursday, April 5th, 2012 The Ecklund Foundation and the Westdale Co-op Preschool will host an Easter Egg Hunt for children of all ages in Churchill Park. Age specific hunts will start at 6:15pm.

Come out and enjoy an early taste of Easter at this new community event.

Food will be available for purchase at the former lawn bowling club from 5pm to 6pm.

Vegetarian options will also be available. Donations are welcome with proceeds going to the Westdale Co-op Preschool. Suggested donation of $5-$10 per family.

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Second Annyal Lynne’s Legacy 5k

Posted on March 26, 2012 by admin

The second annual Lynne’s Legacy 5-km Run, 5-km Walk, and 1-km Kids’ Run at Churchill Park is a family-friendly event that supports Reach Forth Sports ( www.reachforth.net), a local non-profit sports outreach program that offers soccer for kids at Churchill Park every Saturday morning, and the Juravinski Cancer Centre–Biliary Cancers. Last year we had over 300 participants and 30 sponsors and raised over $23,000.  Sponsors in 2012 include My Dog Joe, the Pita Pit, Westdale Florist, the Runner’s Den (providing all prizes), CHCH TV 11, and many other local businesses.  Olympic marathon runner Reid Coolsaet will also be joining the event.  There is an event for every level of fitness and age group.  All participants receive a medal, race jersey, and lunch.  Prizes will be awarded in each age division, there are random prizes for participants, and the overall winners will receive free shoes from the Runner’s Den.  Individuals can register online or pick up a registration brochure at the Runners’ Den, 860 King St. West, in Westdale.  For full details and to register or make a pledge to a participant, please visit lynneslegacyrun.ca.

Lynne McTaggart’Sports Director
Reach Forth
lynne@reachforth.net

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