• Scotiabank To Open New Branch In Val Caron
  • Tom Guthrie Wins 2006 Pontiac Wave As Grand Prize Winner In Valley East Lions Club Draw
  • Valley East Community Theatre Holds Fall Penny Table Fund-Raiser At the Mall
  • Valley East Community Action Network Provides Opportunity For Public To Participate In Many Worthwhile Projects
  • Couple Travels All Over North America And Decides To Settle Down In Valley East
  • Joe Ann's Market Research Collects Important Information From Local Consumers
  • 2006 Valley East Sports Hall of Fame Inductions Held During Valley East Lions Charity Days
  • Valley East Lions Charity Days Kicks Off The Day With Popular Pancake Breakfast Sponsored by Desjardins' Food Basics
  • Canadian Red Cross Youth Group Is Looking For Members Who Want To Have Fun
  • CIBC Run For The Cure Sets Up In The Mall To Raise Funds For Breast Cancer Research
  • Our Children / Our Future Raising Funds By Selling Tickets To Councillors' Breakfast at Valley East Lions Charity Days

        

Scotiabank To Open New Branch In Val Caron

John Roberts, District Vice President of Scotiabank Ontario North, on the right, and Mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury , David Courtemanche, take part in the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony on the site of the future Val Caron Branch of Scotiabank, which will be situated right beside the new Rexall Pharma Plus. 

The ceremony was held on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 and was attended by close to two dozen dignatories and spectators. The 3000 square foot, million dollar facility is scheduled to open for business in March 2007. This will be the 8th Scotiabank branch in Greater Sudbury and represents Scotiabank’s commitment to serving the community. 

The Val Caron Branch will have a staff of five full-time employees when it opens and will feature a 24-hour drive through as will as flex-hours to accommodate the needs of local residents. 

Steve Irwin, Community Manager, Sudbury , was master of ceremonies of the event which included a presentation of a cheque for $2500 to Normand Gauthier, President of the Club Richelieu de la Vallee as a symbol of Scotiabank’s support for community groups and organizations.

   In the photo below, Steve Irwin, on the left is shown with John Roberts on the right, presenting the cheque to Normand Gauthier.

 

Tom Guthrie Wins 2006 Pontiac Wave As Grand Prize Winner In Valley East Lions Club Draw
Rolly Albert, on the left, and Roger Brideau, two long-time members of the Valley East Lions Club, spent many hours selling tickets at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on a brand new 2006 Pontiac Wave automobile that Tom Guthrie, with ticket #751, will enjoy driving for the next several years or more.

The draw was held in conjunction with the Valley East Charity Days Event which will took place on Saturday, September 9, 2006 at the Centennial Arena. 

Less than 1200 tickets were sold on the automobile at only $20 each, making this one of the best chances of the year for such a draw. The proceeds from the sale of the tickets will be donated to several local parishes in Valley East.

Every 100th ticket also produced $50 in cash for the holder. Those winning numbers were: 1000; 1142; 493; 727; 639; 119; 915; 566; 930; 775; and 789

Valley East Community Theatre Holds Fall Penny Table Fund-Raiser At the Mall
The Valley East Community Theatre Group held its Annual Fall Penny Table Fund-Raiser at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on September 15 & 17, and judging from the reaction of Sandra Desjardins, Secretary of the Board of Directors, on the left, and Muriel Lalonde, Logistics Director & Front of House Manager, it was a huge success. The group is looking forward to its next production, "A Christmas Survival Guide", a modern musical comedy which will be running on November 24, 25, 26, and 30 as well as December 1 & 2 at Ecole Hanmer Secondaire in Hanmer. More information about the Theatre Group can be found on the web site at www.valleycommunitytheatre.com 
Valley East Community Action Network Provides Opportunity For Public To Participate In Many Worthwhile Projects
The Valley East Community Action Network had a very attractive display set up during the Valley East Lions Charity Days on September 9, 2006. From the left we have: Mike Lauzon, Valley East Trail Sub-Committee; Marc Tasse, Chair of the VECAN; Shirley Baxter, Secretary; Nellie Lanteigne, Member; and Claudette Lahti-Ouwens, Member. More information can be found about the VECAN by visiting their web space at http://communities.mysudbury.ca/Sites/vecan 
Couple Travels All Over North America And Decides To Settle Down In Valley East
Monique Val Alphen, one of our local Hanmer residents, sent Valley East Today some information about some friends of theirs who have just recently decided to settle in Valley East.

Denis and Velma Laplante, shown on the left, originated from Iroquois Falls and Timmins. They have spent the past 15 years living in St. Catherines.

On September 29, 2005, Denis and Velma put everything they owned in storage and embarked on a 128 stop tour of Northern Ontario that brought them all the way back to Hanmer on Monday, September 4, 2006. You can visit their web site to see some photos and memories that they collected during their tour.

They parked their trailer in the driveway of Monique and Jim Van Alphen and after a few days decided that this was where they wanted to settle down. On September 8, Denis announced on his web site, "Tomorrow we will sign a rental agreement in Capreol. Capreol will be our new home town. It is a Northerly part of Sudbury. This will be a start of a new life style. It seems like a nice friendly area and is close to another friendly area Hamner where our friends live. We will visit my dad in Iroquois Falls for his birthday and then head back to St. Catharines to say good-bye for now to our friends there and pick up our furniture and stuff."

Apparently the Laplantes will be staying in Capreol until they can find a new permanent home in Hanmer.

Monique Van Alphen commented, " I think it speaks volumes that after touring our vast beautiful country they have chosen the valley to call home. They really like the warm friendly community feel and are excited to get to know the area. I think they are great candidates to receive a Welcome Home gift basket from the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre, which I feel is a wonderful way to extend our open arms to them in our community."

Make sure you take time to visit their web site and see some of the fantastic scenery they discovered during the trip of a lifetime. The web site is at www.delaplante.ca

Joe Ann's Market Research Collects Important Information From Local Consumers

JoeAnn's Market Research Group was in the mall from September 7 to 9 conducting research on household product usage by local residents. JoeAnn Corneau, shown above has been involved in this type of work for many years now and is contracted by large international companies to conduct market research on new and existing products. Interviews usually take no longer than 15 minutes and participants are given some small token of appreciation for their time and cooperation. Market research results are very important in the marketing and distribution of all products, so the information collected by JoeAnn and her assistants is extremely useful. The next time you see JoeAnn in the mall, stop by and see what type of research she is involved. Your input may be needed.
2006 Valley East Sports Hall of Fame Inductions Held During Valley East Lions Charity Days
The 8th Annual Valley East Sports Hall of Fame Inductions were held on Saturday, September 9 during the Valley East Lions Charity Days at the Centennial Arena in Hanmer. The Master of Ceremonies was Ron Dupuis, standing at the far right of the photo above. Ron is also the Chairman of the Selection Committee. Others in the photo, from the left, include: Andre Rivest, who, along with Shelley Martel (3rd from the left) assisted Ron in making the presentations. 

The remainder of the people in the photo include the 2006 inductees. Ken and Bonnie Davidson were inducted in the Sponsor Category as owners of the Tim Horton's Franchise in Val Caron. Eric Larochelle, 3rd from the right, was inducted in the Amateur Athlete Category, and Gabby Laberge, 2nd from the right, was the 2006 Volunteer Inductee.

Gabby is shown at the left receiving her plaque and gifts from Shelley Martel, MPP for Nickel Belt. In the background is Gabby's long time friend, Hilda Kingsley, who was the first Volunteer Hall of Famer every inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Hilda pointed out how devoted Gabby has been over the years, especially in her fund-raising role with the Valley East Cobra 'AAA' Midget Hockey Club. 

"Gabby is most deserving of this award," Hilda explained. "She works full time and still volunteers at the Elizabeth Centre. On top of that she spends countless hours with me as we try to raise money for the hockey team. She goes to all of the hockey games to watch her grandchildren and never misses a midget game, helping me collect tickets and 50/50 tickets. Many people who know Gabby will recall how she handles the stress of hockey games by knitting. She has developed a skill for keeping her eyes on the flow of the game and never missing a stitch.

Bonnie and Ken Davidson have been in the Tim Horton's business for over 20 years. They were commended for the wonderful work they are doing with the Tim Bits Programs in both hockey and soccer. Tim Horton's also sponsors numerous special activities in the community, including the free skating at Christmas, free family swims, and community initiatives that help clean up the environment. On top of that, the Davidson's were shown as examples of sponsors who work and play in their home community. Ken stated that he considered this to be "a great honour that has been bestowed upon Bonnie and I today. We truly appreciate this award and thank everyone for making this possible." Before the ceremonies, Ken joked that when he was first called, he thought that he might be getting the induction into the Hall of Fame for his "golfing skills".
Eric Larochelle was induced into the Valley East Sports Hall of Fame for his amateur hockey career which started in the Valley East Minor Hockey system.

Ron Dupuis called Eric, "A true Valley East boy. When you have talent you will get noticed."

He explained that Eric was a star player with the Valley East Cobras before moving over to play with the Rayside Balfour Sabrecats. After being drafted by the Oshawa Generals in the spring of 2000 he ended up going to Guelph where he made it to the Memorial Cup finals. He was traded to the Sudbury Wolves, but an ankle injury three games into the schedule ended his hopes for a long-term hockey career.

Today, Eric is attending Cambrian College in the Millright program and will be graduating in the spring of 2007. He expects to continue to be involved in hockey in some capacity in the future.

Valley East Lions Charity Days Kicks Off The Day With Popular Pancake Breakfast Sponsored by Desjardins' Food Basics
Ken Desjardins, owner of Desjardins' Food Basics, is shown getting his plate filled with pancakes and sausages at the Councillor's Breakfast on Saturday, September 9 as part of the Valley East Lions Charity Days. Desjardins' Food Basics provided all of the food for the breakfast while the proceeds of the ticket sales went to Our Children - Our Future. Handing out the food were, from the left, Kristine Lescault and Meagan O'Gorman. Kristine is taking a double-major in French and English at Laurentian University and hopes to one day become a teacher. Meagan is in the Child Youth Worker program at Cambrian College.

Canadian Red Cross Youth Group Is Looking For Members Who Want To Have Fun

The Sudbury Branch of the Red Cross is looking for youth from the ages of 15 to 25 to be part of their Youth Group. The vision of this international program is to have active and sustainable youth groups producing quality projects and activities benefiting the branch, community and most of all, youth. In turn, the youth gain valuable skills, commitment, experience and the satisfaction of being genuinely involved in the humanitarian mission of the Red Cross. The Red Cross offers training in some of their programs, workshops on Humanitarian issues, guest speakers, plus lots of FUN.

And FUN it was for the girls who participated in the Valley East Lions Charity Days at the Centennial Arena on September 9. We used two photos in this article to identify "Buckles", the Red Cross Mascot. "Buckles" just happened to be the lovely Janet Evans, a Hanmer girl who attends Laurentian University as an English Major with aspirations of one day becoming a teacher. Others, standing, from the left: Hilary Duff, a Grade 11 student from Lockerby who lives in Sudbury; Chantal Audet, a Sudbury resident who attends Grade 12 at Sacre-Cour; Michelle Lavallee, a Hanmer girl who is in the School of Social Work at College Boreal, and; Chantal Paquin, another Hanmer girl who is in the Fine Arts Program at Cambrian College and who also hopes to become a teacher one day.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Canadian Red Cross Youth Group, call 674-0737.

CIBC Run For The Cure Sets Up In The Mall To Raise Funds For Breast Cancer Research
Volunteers from the Val Caron Branch of the CIBC were in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre during Labour Day weekend selling some wonderful gifts and items to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. The trio, shown below, included, from left to right, Linda Rutherford, Lillian Lapping and Karen Ladouceur.
"This is a year-long project that the girls at the bank just love getting involved with," explained Karen, who is one of the main organizers of the initiative. "I order supplies and we sell them all year long. We even hold bake sales, raffles and penny tables right in the bank which are very popular with our customers. This year we are hoping to raise over $10,000 to be donated to the CIBC Run for A Cure."

Karen and Lillian are shown putting the final touches to the quilt which was being raffled off as part of the project.

All items purchased contain the Breast Cancer logo and the recognized pink colouring.

Products included everything from hats to pocket calendars to jewellery.

Shoppers commented that these items made for excellent gift ideas for the women in their life.

The ladies expect to return to the mall for one more weekend prior to the October Run for A Cure. The date will be announced in an upcoming issue of Valley East Today.

Our Children / Our Future Raising Funds By Selling Tickets To Councillors' Breakfast at Valley East Lions Charity Days
Stephanie Richard, Parent Resource Worker at the Hanmer location of Our Children, Our Future, spent the day at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on August 28 selling tickets to the Councillor's Breakfast which will be held in conjunction with the Valley East Lions Charity Days on September 9, 2006. The tickets were $3 each with all of the proceeds going back to Our Children, Our Future to help defray some of the program costs of the organization. 

With Stephanie was Cammie Thibert, a 3rd Year Laurentian University student on a summer placement. Cammie is in the French Teachers' College Program and found the summer experience to be invaluable in helping her understand young children. 

Cammie is shown below reading a book to 2 year old Vanessa Girard during playgroup which is held on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Hanmer location. 

Below, Cammie and Vanessa enjoy working on a special craft project during the same playgroup period.

MISSION OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURE...

Our Children, Our Future works in partnership with individuals, families, groups and organizations, to develop and promote innovative and sustainable community resources that nurture healthy children, healthy families and healthy communities.

GOALS OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURE....

  • To help improve parenting skills
  • To increase a family’s access to food and nutrition information
  • To decrease the incidence of child abuse and neglect

OBJECTIVES OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURE...

  • Promote partnerships and collaborative activities at the community level in planning, developing and providing services and programs which improve the health of children and their families.

  • Promote, within the District of Sudbury, the health and social development of at risk and geographically isolated children and their families by providing support programs and services for these children and families.

  • Provide services which are sensitive to cultural and linguistic diversity in the District of Sudbury. Programs are available in French and English for parents with children and soon-to-be parents particularly vulnerable families in need of additional support.

  • Promote community ownership of the parent resource program by facilitating and increasing involvement of the community in all aspects of the programs and services development and delivery.

  • Increase accessibility to support programs and services, increase access to information regarding prenatal health, lifestyle issues and infant health and provide access to nutritious food and food supplements for "at risk" pregnant women and new mothers in need.

  • To increase the capacity of parents in designated communities to relate positively to their children.

  • To provide interactive nutrition education and encourage the development of skills related to food and nutrition in a supportive environment.

  • To facilitate and support community based activities that increase access to sufficient and  nutritious foods.

For more information on Our Children, Our Future, go to the following link >>>>>

 

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