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- Despite Recommendation From City Staff,
Planning Committee Approves Retail Centre in Valley East
- Mayor John Rodriguez Announces His
Expert Panel Leaders As Part of His First 100 Days Plan
- Christine
Brosseau Begins Preparation For 2nd Annual BIG SWIM FOR ARTHRITIS
- Hundreds
of Local Residents Meet Half of the Famous Staal Brothers At
Desjardins' Food Basics Autograph Session
- Floyd Laughren Presents His Report To Council On January 10, 2007:
"Constellation City - Building A Community of Communities In
Greater Sudbury"
- Confederation
Secondary School Music Program Runs State-Of-The-Art Recording
Studio
- President of
Valley East Minor Hockey Association Nominated For National Award
Through Hockey Canada
- Collecting Coins Is An Excellent And
Potentially Rewarding Hobby For All Ages
- Close To 100
Christmas Hampers Delivered by Knights of Columbus Council #5005
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Despite Recommendation From City Staff,
Planning Committee Approves Retail Centre in Valley East |
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Despite the fact that the City Staff from the Planning
Department recommended against it, the "political will"
prevailed and the Planning Committee unanimously approved the development
of a Mega-Power Centre on land directly across from Carol Richard Park in
Val Caron.
The rezoning to General Commercial now allows the Canadian Shopping Centre to begin taking
shape on the 25 acre property which has over 1500 feet of frontage along Hwy
69N. When complete, according to the conceptual drawing, the complex will
offer close to 200,000 square feet of retail space with enough parking for
1200 cars.
According to the plan, the Canadian Shopping Centre would
consist of two 60,000 square foot box stores along with several others
approximately 20,000 square feet in size.
In
citing reasons for opposing the application, City staff pointed out
that
"The
Valley East Secondary Plan designates three main nodes for general
commercial development, one in each of the former urban communities of
Hanmer, Val Therese and Val Caron. Four smaller sites, each with less than
1 ha are located outside of the three primary centres.
Subsection
3.13 of the Secondary Plan sets out policies to address development
applications proposed outside of the designated commercial areas, which
states as follows:
“3.13
Where a general commercial development is proposed outside of the three
designated commercial nodes, and the policies under Subsections 3.12(c)
and (d) do not apply, an application to amend this Plan is required. As a
condition of considering such an application, the proponent shall provide
a planning study that demonstrates the need for the proposed location and the adequacy of the
site for the proposed use. The report shall also address all applicable
policies stipulated under Section 3.12 and other relevant policies of this
Plan, the Official Plan and Provincial policies."
Council also considers that the use
of a market study by the developer to assess and ameliorate negative
market impacts on the community is an important pro-active tool.
If
a market study has not been prepared by the proponent of a new commercial
development, Council may, as a condition for considering the application
require the proponent to submit a
market study to demonstrate that the proposed development will not have
significant negative impacts on the existing commercial structure of the
community.”
IN
OTHER WORDS, it has been recognized that the construction of a development
of this size would have a serious negative impact on the existing
commercial structure of the community. While there has been no formal
market study done, an informal survey of some of the existing business
owners clearly indicates that there would definitely be a negative impact
since the new development would be approximately 20% of the existing
commercial space in the community.
City
staff also examined the potential for residential development of the
property in question:
"The
subject lands are designated Medium Density Residential in the
Valley
East
Secondary Plan permitting up to 60 dwelling units per hectare, which
equates to 636 dwelling units. The
subject lands are well suited for medium density development, being
located adjacent to public transit along Municipal Road 80.
The
subject lands form one of the largest vacant areas designated for Medium
Density development in the
Valley
East
Area which will assist in providing a
variety of housing types and densities to meet the future housing needs of
the community over time.
In
the absence of a compelling justification for the lands for commercial
development, the lands should remain designated and available for the
development of medium density housing forms."
In
summarizing its recommendations to the Planning Committee:
The
General Commercial designations in the Valley East Secondary Plan are
primarily focused on three commercial nodes in Val Caron, Val Therese and
Hanmer.
The recently completed Official
Plan review, did not identify a need to redesignate additional lands for
commercial uses or the need to establish a fourth major commercial node in
the Valley East area.
Further, based on the amount of commercial area developed since 1996
(152,000 sq. ft.), current vacant commercial lands (20 acres), projected
population and household forecasts, there
does not appear to be a planning basis demonstrating the need to
redesignate the subject lands for commercial use at this time. In the
future, should expansion of the existing General Commercial nodes not be
able to address the future needs of the community, the size and location
of a fourth primary General Commercial node would, more appropriately be
assessed and determined in the context of a comprehensive review of the
Official Plan. Such a review would allow for an assessment of various
potential locations and address several matters including, servicing,
access, compatibility etc. of each potential site to determine the most
appropriate location.
In
consideration of the matters as set out in this report it is recommended
that the applications be denied.
The
Planning Committee seemed to have its mind made up and did not listen to
the concerns expressed about how a shopping centre of this size would
strike a devastating blow to existing independent retailers who have
helped create the character of the community. Instead, the Councillors
were more interested in the increased assessment that would emanate from
an investment of $20M of construction. It
is not known when construction will begin, but some feel it could begin as
early as this summer. |
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Mayor John Rodriguez Announces His
Expert Panel Leaders As Part of His First 100 Days Plan |
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Mayor John Rodgriguez said he was going to be a man of
action and this week he will put some fuel into the "bus he is driving" when
he introduces his five expert panels to the City. Each of the Expert
Panels will be responsible for coming up with an action plan designed to
accomplish some desired outcomes for the City of Greater Sudbury.
Panel #1: To develop an action plan for the construction of a
performing arts centre.
This panel will be
headed up by Diane Salo, owner of Furniture World. The vice-chairs
will be Ward 9 Coun. Doug Craig and Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac.
Panel
#2: To promote future growth of the health sector.
Former mayor Jim
Gordon, will be chairman of this expert panel on health cluster development.
Ward 8 Councillor Ted Callaghan and Ward 11 Councillor Janet Gasparini will
serve as vice-chairs.
Panel
#3: To develop a plan for new recreation and leisure facilities in the form
of a multi-sport facility.
The recreation and
leisure panel will be chaired by Cory McPhee, manager of public relations at
CVRD Inco. The vice-chairs will be Ward 2 Coun. Jacques Barbeau and Ward 5
Coun. Ron Dupuis.
Panel #4: To come up
with a new taxation/revenue system which will give northern municipalities a
greater share of the wealth generated by resource industries.
This expert panel will be chaired by Jose Blanco, a former vice-president of
then Inco Ltd. Ward 1 Coun. Joe Cimino will be the committee's
vice-chairman.
Panel
#5: To provide direction, guidance and a financial oversight to the
performing arts centre and recreation centre advisory panels.
This panel will be
chaired by Mayor Rodriguez. Members of the panel will also include Gasparini,
Callaghan, Salo, McPhee and two representatives of the Greater Sudbury
Development Corporation.
The entire report on
the expert panels can be found on the city's website at
www.greatersudbury.ca It is
expected that City Council will endorse the recommendations of the report,
including a budget of $50,000 for each of the four main expert panels,
during it's meeting on Wednesday, February 28. |
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Christine
Brosseau Begins Preparation For 2nd Annual BIG SWIM FOR ARTHRITIS |
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The Foresters BIG Swim for Arthritis was a huge success in 2006 and as
it enters its 2nd Annual Swim, volunteers are hoping to break all records
from the inaugural year.
Foresters BIG Swim for Arthritis is the only
National swimming event in Canada. More than 1000 swimmers in
more than 60 pools across the country will put on their swimming caps
and dive in to show their support for The Arthritis Society by swimming to
raise money.
Foresters BIG Swim for Arthritis 2007 will take place between Friday,
April 20th and Sunday, April 22nd .
Once again, the Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre in Valley East will
be hosting the event for the Greater Sudbury Area. The BIG Swim For
Arthritis will be held her on Friday, April 20, 2007 beginning at 9 a.m.
Christine Brosseau, shown above at her table in the mall with Sam, her
7-year old Congo African Grey Parrot, will be one of the swimmers participating in the
event at the Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre in
Valley East
. She will be set up at the Hanmer Valley
Shopping Centre every Saturday between February 16 and April 14 collecting
pledges from generous patrons from Valley East.
Christine
is shown moments after she completed her swim on April 21, 2006, during
the first Annual BIG Swim For Arthritis. She is all smiles after completing a 5000 metre swim in 2
hours and 50 minutes. She swam a full 200 laps and was presented with a medal in honour of her
accomplishment from Bob McOrmond, President of the Sudbury Shunia Branch
#228.
Christine is hoping to raise even more than the $555 she raised last
year, so if you would like to sponsor Christine, call her by phone at
969-5306
or email
You can also stop by her table at the mall any Saturday.
To see all of the stories written about Christine Brosseau last year,
click here. |
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Hundreds
of Local Residents Meet Half of the Famous Staal Brothers At
Desjardins' Food Basics Autograph Session |
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Marc Staal, Captain of the Sudbury
Wolves and destined to join his other two brothers, Eric and Jordan in the
NHL for the 2007-2008 season, is shown at the end of an
"exhausting" autograph session with his younger brother, Jared
on the right. The two talented players had just finished an hour of
continuously signing posters, jerseys, hats, sticks, etc. as fans of all
ages spent a few brief moments that they will be able to talk about for
the rest of their lives.
Blaine Smith, Vice-President of Hockey Operations, is
standing on the far left in the photo. Blaine Smith, who is a graduate of
the Sports Administration program at Laurentian University, has served in
just about every role possible on the staff and is currently celebrating
his 25th year with the Sudbury Wolves.
Beside Blaine is Bill
Nurmi, Territory Development Manager
for Campbell Soup Company Ltd., one of the corporate sponsors of the
Sudbury Wolves.
The third
gentleman in the back row is Ken
Desjardins’ owner of Desjardins’ Food Basics, who along with Gary
Doyle, owner of Doyle's Food Basics, has been a major corporate sponsor of
the Sudbury Wolves for three years and is the team's Official
Grocer.
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Marc Staal, on the left, was born on January 13, 1987. The
20 year old who wears #14 stands in at a solid 6' 4" and 205 pounds,
making him a sure bet for a contract with the New York Rangers in the fall
of 2007. The Rangers drafted Marc 12th overall in 2005 after the Sudbury
Wolves picked him in the 1st round of the midget entry draft in 2003. He
is a left-hand shooting defenseman who has the frame to battle with the
tough stars of the NHL. Marc has already had a story-book hockey career,
winning two gold medals with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships
and received the top defenseman award in 2006.
Jared, on the right in the photo, was born on September 21, 1990 and
hails from Thunder Bay. The 16-year old is in his first season with the
Wolves and already stands in at 6' 2" and 180 pounds. He now plays
right wing, shoots right and wears #27. Jared was a first round pick by
the Wolves in the midget entry draft of 2006, playing last year with the
Thunder Bay Kings Midget AAA. He is eligible for the 2008 NHL draft and is
expected to see a lot of playing time during the 2007-2008 season.
The crowd, partly shown in the photo below, began lining up forty
minutes before the autograph session was scheduled to begin and gave the
Staal brothers a hearty ovation when they arrived. |
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Floyd Laughren Presents His Report To Council On January 10, 2007:
"Constellation City - Building A Community of Communities In
Greater Sudbury" |
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Greater Sudbury's new
city council received the much-anticipated Laughren Report on January 10,
2007.
Judging from the initial
reactions of Councillors, most of the
recommendations have been received with open arms and each of the
Councillors and Mayor have committed themselves to implementing the
suggestions as soon as possible.
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Besides containing 35 recommendations, the report also encourages City
Council to adhere to the following eight core values with respect to the
operation of the city:
1. Inclusiveness: all communities must feel part of the whole;
2. Preservation and celebration of community history: creates shared
experiences;
3. Openness and accessibility: links for citizens with policy makers,
access to services;
4. Transparency and accountability: enhances democracy, citizens get
information on how and why decisions are made;
5. High-quality, responsive customer service: timely, affordable,
accessible;
6. Fairness: not necessarily equality, but respect for individual
circumstances;
7. Superb communications: two-way flow of information using multiple media
and access points;
8. Decentralization as appropriate: finding the balance between local
decision-making and cost-effective management
The report's 35 recommendations are:
1. That the City Council adopt a resolution declaring that the City of
Greater Sudbury is a Community of Communities and, that the Constellation
City concept and its core values form the basis for municipal policies and
decision-making in Greater Sudbury.
2. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
produce a municipal
newsletter on a regular basis. It should be made available both in print
and electronically and contain information on subjects such as capital
projects, road standards and special events. Efforts should be made to
link with and include local information from communities both inside and
outside the city core.
3. That the City of Greater Sudbury establish an advisory group and
develop a strategy to evaluate, revise, improve and promote municipal
websites in order to enhance usability.
4. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
work with other
community agencies to create a single directory of community services both
in print form and on the Internet. This directory should build upon and
link with existing directories of community services.
5. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
formulate a strategy to
resolve issues controlled by private enterprise that are central to the
well being of the city as a whole. These include Bell Telephone long
distance charges, cell phone coverage and broadband Internet access.
6. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
undertake a full review
of transit services and explore the potential for expanded intra-community
transit, expansion of handi-transit and an end to two-tier fares.
Full-year pilot projects should be undertaken to evaluate this potential,
starting as soon as possible. Further, the city should establish an
ongoing transit advisory group, using riders from across the entire
community.
7. That the City of
Greater Sudbury Council
hold at least six
meetings per year in communities outside the city core.
8. That the City of Greater Sudbury develop orientation training sessions
for all staff, new and existing, to be made aware of population diversity
as well as the unique conditions and specific concerns of outlying areas
in order to be able to communicate in an efficient and sensitive manner
with all citizens. Further, that the City of
Greater Sudbury
establish a employment
transition policy to ensure that knowledge gained through experience is
retained.
9. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
review the mandate of
Citizen Service Centres and Community Libraries, along with the menu of
services available in each. The focus of the review should be on
innovations that will improve access to services across the city,
considering factors such as the distance residents must travel for
service, the potential to expand the number of services available and the
potential co-location of additional library and CSCs. Further, the review
should consider the potential for mobile services, additional web services
and the potential to enhance a lead staff position to allow that person to
be more active and proactive in local community affairs.
10. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
develop a written
Declaration of Support for community volunteer groups and local events.
The declaration should clearly delineate the assistance that the city can
provide as well as how individual groups and community event organizers
can access this assistance.
11. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
work with the Greater
Sudbury Police Service to reduce or eliminate the fee for police checks
for volunteers who provide valuable service for community events,
community groups and non-profits.
12. That the City of Greater Sudbury review how the City formally
recognizes individuals and groups and consider ways to improve recognition
in all communities.
13. That the CGS review gaming regulations and procedures as they apply to
non-profit and volunteer groups and develop options to make the
regulations simpler and less onerous. Further, that Council work with the
Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and the Association of
Municipalities of Ontario to lobby the provincial government to make
changes to provincial regulations to provide more flexibility for use of
funds and simpler reporting standards.
14. That the CGS nurture the creation and support the operation of a
special events group that can share expertise on managing of major/minor
special events.
15. That Council continue the development of a comprehensive bylaw to
govern the use of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) within the CGS.
16. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
continue to investigate
the environmental impact of current road salting practices, research
alternatives and propose a strategy to reduce the impact of road salt or
mitigate the damage it causes, while ensuring traffic safety.
17. That the City of Greater Sudbury undertake a full review of the number
of municipal wards and their boundaries in order to better recognize the
diversity and the large geographic size of the City of Greater Sudbury.
The intent of this review is to allow better representation and a more
natural grouping of communities of interest in each ward. Further, the
Community Solutions Team recommends that the geographic boundaries of the
former towns of
Onaping
Falls
and Capreol each form
the basis for a single ward in any new system.
18. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
create a full list of
municipal infrastructure along with a transparent list of capital
priorities and criteria for support and that this list is made available
to the public on an ongoing basis.
19. That the map-based inventory of existing services infrastructure
throughout Greater Sudbury be updated and promoted to the public for the
purposes of indicating the ability of the infrastructure to support
expansion of current subdivisions or new development.
20. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
conduct an annual review
and produce a written report on the status of all major studies undertaken
by the municipality since 2005.
21. That the City of Greater Sudbury adopt a policy on the use of
consultants which ensures better use of existing expertise and establishes
clear criteria for the use or retention of consultants.
22. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
continue to encourage
the development of Community Action Networks at the local community level.
Further, that the CGS establish Terms of Reference for 12 Area CANs across
the city.
23. That the City of Greater Sudbury foster the development of local
committees to work in a support or advisory capacity with city staff on
issues including recreation, libraries, museums, and parks.
24. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
establish clear and
transparent standards for road improvements as well as summer and winter
road maintenance and, that these standards be set by road segment and that
this information be made public and available online using GIS technology.
25. That the City of Greater Sudbury eliminate tipping fees for home or
personal garbage, as well as the surcharge for tires, and, that the City
of Greater Sudbury increase the minimum fine for illegal dumping to $500
(the maximum permitted under the Provincial Offences Act). Further, that
the City of
Greater Sudbury
continue to promote proper waste management and look for
ways to increase public awareness.
26. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
establish a fair rates
policy for the use of community facilities and fields across the CGS.
27. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
designate specific
downtown areas in appropriate communities. Further, that the city commit
to improving the development of downtowns in outlying areas and ensure
that city programs that are established for the improvement or enhancement
of downtowns and target areas be made available across the city.
28. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
improve maintenance
standards and beautification for local parks, arenas, downtowns and
neighbourhood entrances.
29. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
review the availability
and type of services available to youth and to seniors in our city.
Further, that the CGS develop a strategy to ensure that senior and youth
services are more accessible and equitable across the city. Finally, the
CGS should ensure that youth and senior representatives play an active
role in the development of the respective strategies.
30. That the City of Greater Sudbury investigate and report by department
the potential to decentralize services with the intent to improve these
services and service levels across the entire city. Potential changes
should improve access while maintaining efficient use of municipal
resources.
31. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
undertake a full review
of tax rates in remote areas and establish rates that are more closely
based on services provided.
32. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
work with citizens and
CANs in areas served by Hydro One to determine a position and strategy on
unification that is in the best interests of those affected.
33. That the City of
Greater Sudbury
adopt a policy whereby
communities of interest are considered for representation on city panels,
committees and boards.
34. That the City of Greater Sudbury formally recognize the importance of
the local agricultural community, ensure that the preservation of viable
agricultural land is a priority in development planning, and establish an
Agricultural Advisory Committee to provide input on farm-related issues.
35. That the Greater Sudbury Council commit to a public review of the
recommendations of the Community Solutions Team on an annual basis for the
next four years and that a full report on the implementation and status of
these recommendations be undertaken in 2010 and made public by September 1
of that year.
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Confederation
Secondary School Music Program Runs State-Of-The-Art Recording
Studio |
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"A Solid Music Program Helps
Students In Many Other Disciplines" According to Norm McIntosh, Music Director at Confederation Secondary
School who doesn't hesitate a bit when asked what he likes most about music.
"I love live bands," he exclaims. "There is just
something about a live band which captures the essence of music and that
is why I have devoted my entire career to this segment of the
industry."
Norm is shown with one of the students in his Music class, Lianne
Caron, who is a "Recording Engineer" in the State-of-The-Art
Recording Studio that was built with the help of a $23,000 Trillium Grant
from the Valley East Lions Club. Lianne, who is in Grade 11, watches
carefully while two students from Pinecrest Public School (see article
below) record their song for a CD that was being produced by the class.
Approximately one group or individual per week comes to the studio each
week The school asks for a donation of $25 per hour, which includes the
time in the studio to record the music, complete editing and technical
refinement of the recording, transferring the music on to a CD and the
finished product ready to take home in about two weeks. For about $50 you
can record an entire CD and walk away with a professional product that is
as good as you will get anywhere!
"This studio is one of the best kept secrets in Valley East,"
McIntosh declared. "We use professional equipment and recording
software that is currently used in over 80% of the recording studios in
the country. The studio is large enough to accommodate an 80 person choir
or a single performer. We even record our Evolutionary Band here."
Despite the technological advances being made in the industry, Norm feels
that as long as young people are encouraged to develop an "ear for
music" there is no fear that computer generated music will replace
live performances. However, he feels that music programs in schools in
Ontario must continue to be funded and even expanded or students will lose
a lot more than the chance to play in a band.
"It has been well documented that music students do much better in
other curriculum areas. Because music is such an exact science, it
develops a desire for perfection in a young person. For example, if you
have a 100 question test in math and you get 90 correct, you will get an
'A' and feel good about yourself. However, if you have a 100 note musical
piece and you make 10 mistakes, the end result will be terrible and you
will certainly not get an 'A'," explained McIntosh.
"Another thing working in a band teaches you is team-work. If you
have a 24 member band, the group is only as good as the weakest player.
Therefore, you see a lot more cooperation and encouragement as stronger
players help the weaker players become better. One person off key can
destroy an entire performance, so there is definitely a commitment to
working together as a team," McIntosh went on.
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For more stories and photos
about the Confederation Recording Studio...
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President of
Valley East Minor Hockey Association Nominated For National Award
Through Hockey Canada |
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The RBC Local Hockey Leaders Program is a joint effort of RBC Insurance,
the Hockey Hall of Fame
and Hockey Canada. They are participating in a nationwide search for
outstanding hockey volunteers. According to Shelley Lepp Fransen or the
RBC Local Hockey Leaders Program, Thirteen regional RBC Local Hockey
Leaders 13 winners from across Canada will be selected in February (one
from each of the Hockey Canada branches) and each will receive $10,000
towards a local minor hockey cause.
Some of the nominations that have been submitted have been set aside
that demonstrate true local leadership.
Robert (Bob) Bellerose, President of the Valley East Minor Hockey
Association, was one of those nominations. He was nominated by his son,
Michael Bellerose.
Ms. Fransen stated, "It is people like Bob who continue to make
hockey a Canadian tradition. It is our hope that the community will be
able to recognize him for his tireless efforts towards minor hockey. It is
our goal to highlight the true behind-the-scenes hockey leaders that put
their time and effort into making hockey fun and accessible for
Canadian kids."
The nomination essay is printed below, in its entirety: |
Bob
Bellerose is very dedicated to volunteering for Valley East Minor
Hockey.
He is the President of the league, and has been for approx 5-8
years. Before this he was the convenor of the novice division for
approx 2 years. He demonstrates dedication not only by the number of
years he has been volunteering, but also when it comes to
tournaments, scheduling, assisting anyone in need, coaching, or
anything that really needs to be done he is there to assist and
complete the job.
He can be easily approached by anyone. He is one of those people
that can take criticism well and at the same time he can also be
approached for anything that needs to be asked. He can answer any
questions you may have if he knows the correct answer of coarse.
He must be by far the person that dedicates his time to any sport
just for satisfaction that kids are having fun and are developing.
That is his main priority, Kids first! His helpfulness to the game
of hockey in Valley East is exquisite.
I do not think anyone would have a bad word to say about Bob
because he demonstrates all the assets a leader needs. He is the
best leader/volunteer that anyone can ask for.
The positive lasting impact that Bob has given me is that helping
out is very important. Life is not just about making money. You can
have fun when you are volunteering.
Since he has volunteered so much to hockey it has given me the
love of the game. Since that I am too old to play I am an assistant
coach of an atom tier 2 team and the timekeeper coordinator. Without
his motivation and support I would not be able to do any of this.
He has impacted the board/group because when the city wanted to
do something that Bob did not like they backed him up. He has
the respect for all board members because they respect how
much time and effort he puts to volunteering.
When I was in novice he was my coach. He was probably the best
coach that I have ever had. Although I was really young I still knew
how much time and effort he put to help coach the team. He even went
out of his way to book gym at schools so we can have dry land
practices to develop our skills. We might not have been the best
team but having him on the team made it the best years of hockey of
my life.
Last year was my last year of hockey with the Valley East Minor
Hockey. My dad (bob) was the assistant coach. He ran practices,
scheduled practices, got us into tournaments; he was very dedicated
to helping out team. It was really nice to see it once again.
He volunteers THOUSANDS OF HOUSE but people take this for granted
now that he has been around so long so I feel that he should be
merited for all the volunteer work he has done for the game of
hockey.
As you may see this is my dad. I am too old now to play
houseleague hockey is the valley because I am now 18. He is still
the President of the league and still demonstrated all the assets
that a leader needs. He has everyone riled up for next year because
they know that he will be there and if they need help they
know for sure that there is at least one person they can go see and
ask anything they desire.
Submitted by
Michael Bellerose |
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Collecting Coins Is An Excellent And
Potentially Rewarding Hobby For All Ages |
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John Brown, owner of "The
Connoisseur", otherwise known among these circles as "The Coin
Guy", can be found every month at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre
with his display of coins and memorabilia. Coin enthusiasts from around
the area, and as far away as North Bay, regularly visit with John to talk,
trade and buy collectors' items of all kinds.
Young William Gagne, an eleven year old collector, was one of the
visitors to John's exhibit recently.
William, who is a Grade 5 student at Ecole Notre Dame in Hanmer, has
been collecting coins all his life, an interest that was started by his
grandfather. |
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John will spend hours talking to visitors about
coins.
"Besides learning so much about the history of different
countries, this can be a great long-term investment for anyone," he
explained while holding up some bills that were worth thousands of
dollars. The two 1937 $50 bills in his hand are valued at over $2250
because of their mint condition and the fact that they contain two
consecutive serial numbers. "You can imagine how hard it would be to
find two bills in mint condition with consecutive serial numbers. The
value of these bills will just keep climbing every year, so even if a
person buys it now for $2250, you know you will make your money back and
much more when you sell it some time in the future."
John mentioned that some people have sold their complete coin set and
made enough money to buy a house. This is especially the case for people
who start collecting when they are very young, like William.
"The value of coins and bills depends a lot on their
condition," he explained. "Many people think the older a coin is
the more valuable it is, but that isn't always the case. Coins that are
misprints or during years when there were very few of them produced are
more valuable. And the better the condition, the more valuable they
become."
Many coin collectors explain that they were started on the hobby at a
very young age and just kept at it, accumulating interesting coins from
different countries and different sets over the years.
"You would be amazed at how much money has slipped through your
pockets over the years," John explained. "Coin collectors get
into the habit of examining all of the coins they receive to see if there
is anything special about them or if they have any dates that are missing
in their collection. Some go to the bank every week to buy rolls of coins
and then check the coins to see if they can find any that they can use.
Quite often a very valuable penny will be mixed in with the rest and
instead of paying hundreds of dollars from a coin collector, you can pick
it up at face value from the bank. If you have a set of every single penny
that was produced by Canada in the 20th century, you can imagine how
valuable that would be to some collectors. And you may be able to build
that set simply by checking pennies from rolls you buy at the bank."
Check out the Calendar of Events schedule for the Hanmer Valley
Shopping Centre to find out when John will be back in the Valley with more
coins and stories to tell. |
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Close To 100
Christmas Hampers Delivered by Knights of Columbus Council #5005 |
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Fern Gascon, who has just completed his 3rd year as
coordinator
of the Christmas Food Hamper Program for the Knights of Columbus Council
#5005, is shown here with the 96 food baskets ready for delivery to needy
families in Hanmer and Val Therese. The Knights work with the Good
Neighbours Food Bank on the annual project. Applications and referrals are
made through the Food Bank and the Knights supply most of the volunteers
who put everything together. |
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Five members of the volunteer team are shown above. From
the left: Evelyn Lefebvre, Florence Lefebvre, Helene Denis, Marcelle
Menard and Roseline Harrison. Fern is shown in the background.
The volunteers worked until midnight and were up again at 8 a.m. to
make sure everything was ready for the men to deliver or for people to
pick up the food hampers at the hall that day.
The food is donated from a variety of sources. For example, much of the
food comes from the local schools, especially Ecole Secondaire Hanmer,
Confederation Secondary School, St. Anne School and Ecole Notre Dame. The
Club Optimist donates food vouchers and 50 bags of potatoes are donated
from Valley Growers.
Each food hamper contains over $150 worth of food, milk, bread, etc. as
well as a gift for each member of the family. The idea is to provide the
family with a good Christmas dinner and still have some left over for a
few days.
Fern commented that while it is a lot of hard work for the volunteers,
they all feel that their effort is well worth it in order to help make
Christmas just a bit happier for the more than 300 people who depend on
the food hampers each year. |
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