WELCOME TO PAGE THREE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2006

Return to Front Page Return to Page Two
 

New Development Establishing Busy Intersection 
As the "Power Centre" of Valley East

First it was the Hart Department Store in the spring of 2005. Now it is Canadian Tire and Mark's Work Wearhouse. This fall, development is expected by a major retailer on the northwest corner of Deschesne and Hwy 69N right across from the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. Within the next month a new Subway Restaurant is expected to open beside Caza Auto. Next summer we expect to see work begin on the construction of an international motel chain on the mall property. Just down the road at the end of Elmview we have the Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre, the Citizen Service Centre/Library and one of the largest soccer complexes in the City of Greater Sudbury.

With all of this activity certainly it easy to understand why this part of Hwy 69N is being dubbed "The Power Centre" of this part of Valley East. In fact, when you consider the tremendous increase in housing starts in the community on top of the commercial growth, it is no wonder that Valley East is becoming the municipality of choice for both new and current residents of the Greater Sudbury region. A new leader is emerging in the Greater Sudbury Area, and it is none other Valley East - not the Downtown Core; not the South End; not New Sudbury!

When the Canadian Tire / Mark's Work Wearhouse opens this fall, it will change the landscape of this corner of the region forever. Situated right in the middle of the 15,000 strong Ward 6, with close to another 5000 people 15 minutes away to the north in Capreol, and another 10,000 people in Val Caron and Blezard Valley, the "Power Centre" is expected emerge as the "Downtown Core" of Valley East and catapult the municipality to new heights with respect to economic development and residential expansion.

As some residents are already beginning to say, "Except for going to work, we won't need to travel to Sudbury for anything."

The strength and continued growth of the Hanmer & Val Therese will also make other City Councillors sit up and take a long look at the Barrydowne Extension Highway. As Valley East becomes more and more attractive as a residential setting, the demand will increase for an easier access route to the busy employment and commercial sector in Sudbury proper. People will still have to work in core of the City, but they will want to live in an outlying area that contains all of the amenities available in Valley East.

It will be an interesting few years, especially if City Council decides to begin promoting development in Valley East. Right now, all of the growth is simply happening on its own, driven by consumer demand and the speculation of the private sector.

Indeed, Robert Kirwan, a long-time resident of Valley East, has decided to seek a seat on City Council as Councillor of Ward 6, Hanmer & Val Therese in order to fight for the infrastructure that will be needed to accommodate the escalating demands for services.

Kirwan, during an interview recently at his home-based office in Val Therese, provided us with insight into why he feels so strongly about the potential of Valley East, "The population of Valley East is going to explode during the next five to ten years. Ward 6, Hanmer & Val Therese is right in the middle of a population base of over 30,000 people when you include the catchment areas of Val Caron, Blezard Valley, Capreol, the Radar Base and Skead. There are new mining developments occurring just north of Capreol that will ultimately create an even greater demand for housing in this area. The next municipal council is going to be 'forced' to begin in January 2007 to 'decentralize' its services, placing more and more dependence upon the Citizen Service Centre (former Library) which is located at the end of Elmview Drive. The Valley East Industrial Park is primed for expansion, which lends itself well for people building houses close to their place of employment. And, as the baby boomers of southern Ontario seek to sell their million dollar homes around Toronto, they will begin to look north to Sudbury where they can establish a beautiful retirement existence and still be close enough to visit their sons and daughters in the south. It has been said that demographics explain two thirds of everything. And if you known anything about demographics, you know that Valley East is exactly what the baby boomers are looking for as they approach and enter into their retirement years."

"When you look at the whole region, Valley East is the one municipality that offers people just about everything they could want from a community. It is central to the Greater Sudbury Region; close to the large box stores, yet far enough away to avoid the traffic and congestion; close to all employment areas; and contains all of the retail and recreational choices that one might ever need to enjoy the fantastic quality of life we are so desperately looking for as individuals. All we need to do now is make sure that the community is prepared for this growth," Kirwan went on as he explained what he intends to fight for if he is chosen to represent Ward 6, Hanmer and Val Therese on Council. "We absolutely need to rezone the area north of Hwy 69N and along Deschesnes Road for residential construction so that development can surround and be close to the 'Power Centre' of this part of the region. If people can build a home within walking distance of the 'Power Centre' and the 'Town Centre' they will come in droves. We absolutely need to provide encouragement and incentives for the private sector to build senior apartments in Valley East. We absolutely need to expand our day-care facilities. We absolutely need to expand the transit services to the subdivisions, creating a central bus depot at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. If that means using smaller buses for the subdivision routes, or allowing residents to "hail buses" from in front of their properties as the buses are running their route through the subdivisions, then these are ideas we must look at. We must upgrade our sewer and water pipes in the Hanmer area in order to allow for the development of subdivisions in this part of town. We absolutely must improve our neighbourhood playgrounds in order to improve the image of our community. We must promote the Valley East Industrial Park. We must support the work being done by our senior-friendly organizations, such as the Club Age d'Or, the Knights of Columbus, the Lions' Club and the Kin Club of Valley East. We must enhance or develop a network of walking and nature trails that will be used by young families and seniors. We must ensure that the municipal taxes paid by residents of Valley East do not include special levies such as the one we are currently paying for full-time firefighters. And, finally, we must begin to plan for the much-needed Barrydowne Extension Highway linking Valley East to New Sudbury."

"There is a lot of groundwork that has to be done in order for all of the above to be in place during the next five to ten years," Kirwan concluded. "It is going to require the efforts of people who have a 'vision of the future' and the kind of "predictive intelligence" that will allow us to focus on the right groundwork in order to make things happen that will facilitate that vision coming true. I have worked all my life in strategic planning and feel that I am in the best position of anyone else in this community in order to make these things happen. That is why I feel it is time for me to take my place on City Council and get on with the work of preparing Valley East for a very exciting future."

Applications Now Being Taken For Positions At
CANADIAN TIRE VALLEY EAST

Residents of Valley East and Capreol are advised that applications are now being accepted for positions at the new Canadian Tire Valley East store. Currently the company needs people for set-up and merchandising. Staff and supervisory positions are also available in all retail departments, logistics, cash and the service centre. Auto technicians and installers are also required.

Applications can be dropped off or mailed to:

JOB CONNECT/CONNECTION EMPLOI
62 Frood Rd., Suite 114
Sudbury, Ontario P3C 4Z3
Fax Number: (705) 673-9341

Or you can email your resume to one of the following email addresses:

maperry@cambrianc.on.ca or emdaoust@borealc.on.ca 

 
Popularity of "Welcome Home Gift Basket" Is Clear Indication Of Growth Of The Community

When it comes to people who are new to the community, there are two business owners who tend to meet them all. Of course we are referring to Mike Lemieux, who along with his brother, Mag Lemieux, own Hanmer Home Hardware, and Ken Desjardins, owner of Desjardins' Food Basics.

"Everyone moving in to a new home or apartment has a need for cleaning and repair supplies as well as start-up groceries," explained Mike Lemieux. "So Ken and I decided that we would put together a basket of 'goodies' to give as a gift to all newcomers to Valley East as our way of saying 'Thank You for choosing our town' and to give them a hand with settling in."

Ken Desjardins owns and operates one of the busiest grocery stores in the entire City of Greater Sudbury, so he has definitely noticed the impact of new home owners in the community. "When it comes to stocking up the shelves after moving into a new home, we know it is expensive. We also know that those first few days are days when you are constantly discovering additional items for your shopping list. The Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre is a great place to come to pick up just about everything you need to make your move complete, so we wanted to say thank you for your support."

Anyone who has moved into a new home; purchased an older home; or moved into an apartment in the Towns of Valley East or Capreol since July 1, 2006, is encouraged to drop in to see Mike Lemieux at Hanmer Home Hardware in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. He will answer any questions you may have about the community and make sure you receive your gift basket. Several other mall merchants will be adding to the gift basket with items of their own, including Dixie Lee Restaurant which will be providing you with a $25 gift certificate so that you can eat out after your move in.

For More Information on the Welcome Home Gift Basket
Call Mike Lemieux at (705) 969-7000
or email Robert Kirwan at robert@kirwan.ca 

WE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE
WHO HAVE RECENTLY MOVED INTO VALLEY EAST

Patti & Sean Carroll Juliet Wice Devra Kneblewski
Pascal & Lynn Lapointe Michel & Nicole Lavallee Arik Theijsmeijer & Melanie Hunt
Michael & Paulette Gies Julie & Steve Smeltzer Jackie & Eddy Dutrisac
Dan Beatty Jennifer Del Papa Greta Lane
Dave Patry Eileen Williams Sharon Neelands
Daniella Stuewer Norm & Diane Lefebvre Steve Arsenault
Dan Rose Joan Dufour Dan & Tina MacNeil
Mary & Dennis Hull Verna Raciborski Marc & Judy Paquette
Luc Jennings Tim Ranger & Amanda Labelle Linda & Emanual Brunet
 

Northern Ontario

FASTPITCH CHAMPIONSHIPS

AUGUST 18, 19, 20 2006

$4,500.00

IN CASH AND PRIZES

BASED ON 36 TEAMS ENTERED

3 GAMES GUARANTEE

ENTRY FEE:  $400.00

$380.00 EARLY REGISTRATION

BEFORE AUGUST 1ST

MAKE CHEQUE PAYABLE TO:

NORTHERN ONTARIO  FASTPITCH CHAMPIONSHIPS

                                        ROGER  705-969-7268

                                                        705-691-7268

                                        LARRY   705-897-1444

The tournament is filling quickly with already teams committed to come from the Ottawa, Barrie, Huntsville, North Bay, Mississauga, Toronto, Sault Ste. Marie, Manitoulin Island, the North Shore as well as local teams. Tournament organizers are expecting 14 ladies and 20 mens teams when action gets under way. At the present time all games are being scheduled for play at the Rick McDonald Memorial Sports Complex in Azilda and Cote Park in Chelmsford. A fifth field, if necessary will be used at Blezard Valley. A dance will be held on Saturday evening featuring "Retroactive", with band leader none other than the present league leading hitter Moe Coutu from the Dog House North Stars. There will be a minimum charge at the door for the dance.

There will be individual MVP awards for the first round robin game to both teams. A food vendor will be on the site and there will also be commemorative t-shirts, sweat tops and hoodies. Anyone interested in entering the tournament should contact Roger Legendre, Convenor

er_legendre@sympatico.ca

   
Keep The Spirit Alive Contest Is Being Well-Received By Local Residents 

   The "Keep The Spirit Alive Contest" was only introduced to the community during the month of June, and already it is picking up momentum as residents not only like the idea of winning valuable prizes, but they also are thrilled about the fact that they can do their small part to help improve the overall community spirit in Valley East and Capreol.

   Three community-minded local businessmen have teamed up to begin a “Keep The Spirit Alive Campaign” and they are inviting all residents to help them spread the message that Valley East is a great place in which to live!

   From left to right in the photo: Mike Lemieux, owner of Hanmer Home Hardware, Robert Kirwan, Publisher of the Valley East Today Community Web Site, and Ken Desjardins of Desjardins’ Food Basics announced the launch of the campaign during a press conference which was held at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre.

   In explaining the purpose of the initiative, Kirwan explained, “We want to let everyone know that Valley East is a town where you can still find that “old style community spirit” mixed with a modern lifestyle that fits right in with the 21st Century. There are a lot of good things happening in Valley East and it is about time that the rest of the people in the City of Greater Sudbury knew about it. Furthermore, it is also time to let the rest of the province know that if anyone is looking for a place to live and raise a family, or a place to retire within the City of Greater Sudbury , they need look no further than Valley East .”
  
   In order to help get this message out to the rest of the “world” the people of Valley East are being asked to take part in a massive communication strategy using the power of the internet. 

   Everyone participating in this campaign will have a chance to win a “Grand Prize” consisting of 100 Lotto 649 tickets for the New Year’s Eve Draw on December 31, 2006 . What a way to celebrate the New Year by winning the big prize with one of those tickets!

   Runners up will receive other valuable prizes, including “two” mountain bikes donated by Hanmer Home Hardware, $300 in groceries from Desjardins’ Food Basics, More prizes from other local merchants may be announced in the coming weeks before the contest ends. 

   In order to qualify for these prizes, all you have to do is register to receive the Valley East Today Weekly Online News Magazine. Every month from July until the end of December, ten names will be drawn at random from all of the people registered to receive the publication. Those ten people will qualify for our final draw which will be held on Christmas Eve. The winners will be announced in the December 26 issue of Valley East Today!

   Once you register, the Valley East Today Online Weekly News Magazine, which is currently being received by over 2000 people, will be sent directly to your email address every Tuesday.  Not only will you qualify to win the 100 Lotto 649 tickets or other runner up prizes, but more importantly, you can help us  “Keep the Spirit Alive” by forwarding Valley East Today to everyone on your own personal mailing list. By using the power of the internet, we can let tens of thousands of people know about Valley East every week.

CONTEST QUALIFIERS
People who have already qualified for the Grand Prizes in the 
Keep The Spirit Alive Contest. These names will be placed in a drum along with ten additional qualifiers chosen each month until December 2006.

QUALIFIERS 

FOR THE 

MONTH OF 

JUNE 2006

#0065        Chantal Proulx

#0133        Marilyn Liske

#0384        Bernadette Mrochek

#0411        Cathy Bellefeuille

#0446        Gaston Boisvoneault

#0690        Carol Mailloux

#1057        Glynis Cappadocia

#1228        Shelly Pelland

#1318        Nicky Blais

#1827        Michelle Wiebes

QUALIFIERS 

FOR THE 

MONTH OF 

JULY 2006

#80            Kim Dwyer

#154          Lana Ranger

#255          Karen Lische

#288          Rebecca Ogilvy

#886          Chris Coulombe

#1086        Brian Koivu

#1194        Jessica Rienguette

#1979        Corina Gavin

#1993      Lynn Poulin

#2006        Linda Dubois

The names of the above people who are already subscribed to the Valley East Today Online Weekly News Magazine will be entered as finalists in the contest. The sooner you register, the more chances you have of being selected as one of the ten monthly finalists. On December 24, 2006, one person will win 100 Lotto 649 tickets, while runners up will win other valuable prizes. Make sure your friends all enter the contest and help us "Keep the Spirit Alive".

ARE YOU RECEIVING VALLEY EAST TODAY EVERY WEEK?
THEN CONGRATULATIONS - YOU ARE ALREADY REGISTERED
YOU QUALIFY FOR THE CONTEST!

NOT REGISTERED YET?????

TO QUALIFY FOR THE CONTEST
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SEND US AN EMAIL BELOW
ALONG WITH YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER

  
Ron & Lise Gladu Welcome All Visitors To Take A Tour Of Their Home Based Professional Studio

Lise and Ron Gladu would like to invite you to take a brief  virtual tour of their photo studio. As is the case with many professional photographers, they have found it much more convenient to design a  studio within their place of residence. This allows them to be more flexible with respect to times that are convenient for clients to come over 
and visit to discuss their needs. Unfortunately, there are many people 
who have never seen the inside of this magnificent facility. We know you will be impressed with what you see.

 

Web Site

 

 
St. Joseph/Valley East Lion's Skate Board Park Is Typical of Similar Unsupervised Facilities Sites In The City of Greater Sudbury
Valley East skate board enthusiasts have had use of a great facility at the St. Joseph's Park located just beside the Lion's Den in Hanmer. The skateboard park has been up for a number of years and each day you can find boarders of all ages visiting the site.

The City of Greater Sudbury has recently opened a $400,000 skateboard park in Minnor Lake which is creating a lot of controversy over safety of the children using the park.

One of the current issues that has surfaced since the opening of the Minnow Lake Park is the fact that most of the young boarders refuse to wear helmets and/or protective gear. The law requires all people younger than age 18 to wear helmets when riding a bike. However, skateboarders and inline skaters fall outside the law's jurisdiction, therefore there is no way of forcing people to wear helmets.

The City does not supervise the park, but signs advising that protective gear should be worn are posted. These signs do not seem to be having an impact. City officials have indicated that if helmets were made mandatory at the park, then the park would have to be supervised in order to enforce the rules. Right now, the only park that is supervised is in Capreol, which is indoors on the arena ice surface.

There is a serious issue here with respect to liability if a young person suffers a serious head injury. The City of Greater Sudbury has provided most of the funding for the park and it is apparently on City owned land. What is hard to understand is why City staff are satisfied that their obligations are being met by posting warning signs around the facility. A civil suit would be a hard charge to defend against in a court of law since the City is largely responsible for setting up a dangerous situation in the first place.

Warning signs do not appear to be posted at the park in Hanmer, or at least they do not appear to be in close proximity to the equipment.

One need only take a look at the painting and graffiti on the equipment at the Lion's Park in Hanmer to see another problem that comes with unsupervised parks. The new park in Minnow Lake is already being defaced with graffiti in addition to the site being laden with garbage and litter every day by the youth using the skateboard park. It appears as if the users of the skateboard parks are simply throwing their garbage and litter all over the property instead of using the garbage cans that have been installed for that purpose. 

The playground equipment near the skateboard park in Hanmer, shown in the photo to the right, has also been defaced with paint.  While it is extremely difficult to be everywhere at once, City staff must be vigilant when it comes to graffiti and vandalism. The only thing to do is repaint or clean up the site or it will just get worse. Graffiti always generates more graffiti. Litter always generates more litter.

The saying "kids will be kids" is not appropriate in this case. Kids do not have to destroy property, especially property that has been put in place for their use and enjoyment. To do so is simply self-destructive and may eventually result in the removal of the equipment, thus leaving them with nothing. It is hoped that the users of skateboard parks would "police themselves" and make sure that others do not deface the property.

Some say education is the answer and are attempting to put together a program designed to meet with young people to explain the benefits of wearing protective gear when skateboarding and the responsibility that children must assume in order to properly use these facilities. Talking to kids is commendable, however, it is suggested that the only sure way to cut down on vandalism and terrorism of young children is with better supervision of the parks. It may mean having to hire a caretaker or supervisor to work two different shifts. If that is the only solution, then so be it. One thing is for sure. People in Valley East and hopefully the rest of Sudbury are going to begin to put pressure on Council to either close these eyesores, or provide proper protection. Closing the facilities is not an option that will be acceptable to local residents. Therefore, the solution seems pretty obvious.

  

Comments From Our Readers Are Always Welcome And Will Help Us Make Valley East Today Even More Useful

Comments from our readers are always appreciated. In fact, many of the changes and additions we make are a direct result of suggestions and questions that have come from local residents through this forum. Our goal is to create a Community Web Site that is a comprehensive reference source for everyone, and to provide a Weekly Online News Magazine that captures the living history of Valley East and Capreol.

We want to thank all of the people who take the time to send in comments. In order to protect the privacy of our readers, it is our policy to omit the names of our readers, unless you give us specific permission to print your name. We hope you enjoy some of the comments sent in this week.

Dear Editor:

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy receiving your weekly News Magazine. The stories and articles are just fantastic and really help me keep up with what is happening in Valley East. I really enjoy the pictures. They are absolutely amazing. It is so nice to see a web site that is filled with photos instead of just writing. Keep up the good work!

Reader from Hanmer

 
Dear Editor:

We just moved into Val Therese and love it here. I want to thank you for sending us the Valley East Today Newsletter during the last few months. It gave us a lot of information that we could use to help us feel more comfortable with our decision to come to the Sudbury area.

Reader from Southern Ontario

 
Dear Editor:

I really enjoy your website Robert. I can't wait to read all about Valley East and its people. I have been living here a long time since coming here from Gaspe Quebec as a young girl. I hope to continue living here for a long time. Thank you for bringing my town into my home. Keep up the good work.                    

From a local resident

 
Hello Mr. Kirwan:
  
You should warn people BEFORE they begin reading your ezine. "Get yourself a nice cool lemonade and set yourself down comfortably because you are going to be here a long while." I read VALLEY EAST TODAY (VET) each week BUT I don't always take the time to read all the side bars. I made the mistake of doing that today. 
WOW! VET IS LOADED!
If you intend to do the same thorough job as a councillor in the Nov. Elections we can't go wrong.
Many thanks for all you do.
I am also impressed with all the contributors and their generosity. Can I go away for a holiday and come back as a new member of the community? I want one of those 'Welcoming" baskets. I have also entered the contest and plan on visiting a few of the businesses. We do have s-o-o-o-o much in our community. Your support and encouragement have made us the envy of many cities.
Thank you Mr. Kirwan and all who make the VALLEY EAST TODAY the wonderful instrument that connects and informs us all.

From a local resident of Hanmer

 
Mr. Kirwan:

The article on Andrea Martin (July 17) was truly amazing. You captured her personality and made all of us want to go out and meet this wonderful lady. It is nice to have a publication like Valley East Today that used modern technology to let us know about the great people living in this community. The beauty of the internet is that we can continue to go back to these articles months from now. I look forward to future editions so that I can read about all of the people in Valley East who are like Andrea.

Resident of Val Caron

 
Dear Editor:

This is one of the best newsletters I have ever seen. It contains such a variety of information, and since you can go back and see previous issues, it is just like having your own storage centre. Thank you for creating a "living history" of Valley East. This is something that we can turn to for many years to come.

Resident of Val Therese

  

MEET

OUR

SPONSORS

The Valley East Today Weekly Online News Magazine and Community Web Site are being made available free of charge to local residents through the support provided by the following businesses and organizations. 

You are encouraged to take time to visit their web sites, which can be linked by clicking on each of the individual names listed below. 

On behalf of all who are enjoying the feature articles on this newsletter, we express our deepest gratitude to our sponsors.

FROM THE HANMER VALLEY SHOPPING CENTRE
Beswick Denture Clinic
Hart Department Store
VCCNet.ca Internet Solutions
Sole Mates Family Footwear
Desjardins' Food Basics
Pet Palace
The Source by Circuit City
Hanmer Home Hardware
Stan Thomas Solicitor
Drs. Dunlop & Labrecque Optometrists
Lou's Shoe Repair
Valley Plaza Barber Shop
Glamorous You
The Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre


FROM VAL CARON
Hanson Family Dentistry
Heatwave Tanning Salon
Fantastic Floors

FROM VAL THERESE
Ron Gladu Photos
 
FROM HANMER
Masciangelo Motors
 
FROM CAPREOL
Drago Men's Wear
 
FROM SUDBURY
Reliable Security
Masciangelo Motors
Sudbury Rent-A-Home
O'Malley's Rent-A-Pub

ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

If you are looking for a business in Hanmer or Val Caron, you should be able to find it on the Online Business Directory.  
  

 WELCOME TO PAGE THREE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2006

Return to Front Page Return to Page Two
  
 

Published by
INFOCOM CANADA BUSINESS CONSULTANTS INC.
Robert Kirwan, President & C.E.O.
4456 Noel Crescent, Val Therese ON P3P 1S8
Phone: (705) 969-7215    
EMAIL   rkirwan@infocomcanada.com