Post on 04-Jun-2018
transcript
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
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After the snow dump MotherNature unleashed across the city thispast week itrsquos safe to say winter isofficially here
While this is music to the ears ofthe crew at Boler Mountain manypeople couldrsquove used a few moreweeks of fresh fall temperatures anddry roads
But skiers and sn owboarders willbe smiling this week Boler is officiallyopen for business this season Itrsquos theearliest the ski club has been able toopen in 25 years
ldquoStokedrdquo is how manager GregStrauss described the n ews Fordetails on Bolerrsquos opening night andski schedule this season check outPage 9
While fresh powder feels greatunder the blades of a slick set of skisit can wreak havoc when underneathyour vehiclersquos tires If you havenrsquot yetprepared your vehicle for winterrsquoswrath you should We spoke to theteam at Byron Automotive to find outeverything you need to know aboutwinterizing your car For advice turnto Page 7
This edition of LFP Neighboursalso features an interview with theOakridge Oaks senior boys volleyballteam The boys may have lost in theOFSAA finals to longtime rivals the
Chatham-Kent Golden Hawks but asilver finish is still a cause for cel-ebration With forty wins under their
belts this year the Oakridge Oaks areproud to be one of the top teams inthe province and are already gearingup to go for the gold next year For arecap of the teamrsquos stellar seasoncheck out Page 5
The arrival of December alsomeans the arrival of crowded shop-ping malls and parking lots TheChristmas frenzy will be in full swingbefore you know it Why not avoidbusy malls and box stores altogetherthis year and check out some of thegifts available at local businessesWe spoke to members of the Hyde
Park Business Association to get theiradvice on shopping local this holidayseason Wersquove also put together a lo-
cal holiday shopping guide which youwill find on Page 8
As always our goal each week withLFP Neighbours is to keep readers in-volved and engaged in their commu-nity West London is changing rapidlyAs new businesses open and residen-tial developments spring up we wantto make sure our readers know whatrsquoshappening in the neighbourhoodsthey call home
To do this we need your help Ifyoursquore hosting a community eventhave a great story idea or know aneighbour worth recognizing reach
out We want to hear from youSend us an e-mail atlfpneighbourssunmediaca
Serving Byron Oakridge River Bend and Hyde Park
PROUDLY PRINTED IN LONDON ONTARIOThursday December 5 2013
A Special Zoned Section published by the Advertising Department
WEST LONDON
Silver linings THIS ISSUE
NEIGHBOURS
ALEXWEBER
l f p r e s s c o m
Ski
seasonstarts
early
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 210
BRENT BOLES
Neighbours
Standing behind a counter lined with jars of chocolate Matt Scanlan knowshersquos got a pretty sweet job
ldquoItrsquos been phenomenalrdquo said themanager of Forratrsquos Chocolates andLounge on Commissioners Road WestldquoWe knew (this venue) was going to bevery coolrdquo
The lounge opened up two years agooffering Byron residents a place to go fora glass of wine and a chocolate fondueldquoThis is basically a new concept anda twist on the chocolate storerdquo saidScanlan stirring a melted pot of thesweets to a smooth con sistency
The holidays are a busy time of yearfor the business but Scanlan said
customers have been supportivesince the beginning ldquoA lot ofpeople said itrsquos nice that Byron hassomething like this something todo at nightrdquo he said
London chocolatier Marc Forrat ownsthe corporation but Scanlan and his wifeKristen are left to their own devices whenit comes to running the lounge Forrattaught Scanlan the tricks of the trade sothat Scanlan is able to design his own richsweet creations
But chocolate can be temperamentaland working with it takes practice ldquoWhenyoursquore stirring chocolate every day youkind of get used to itrdquo
Scanlan 32 came to the business after alifetime in the hospitality industry He hadworked in restaurants as everything froma busboy to server and line cook beforeopening the lounge The opportunity to
transition to a venue where he had morecreative control seemed like a natural fit
ldquoItrsquos all hospitality related and th atrsquoswhatrsquos nice about this conceptrdquo he said ldquoIt
was something we could do for ourselvesrdquoIn the beginning that also brought a
new set of ch allenges ldquoOff the start itwas difficult Irsquod never had the challenge
of doing everythingrdquo he said ldquoItrsquos kind oflearning as you gordquo
But operating the store also meantthat Scanlan could experiment with the
products he produces Scanlan said aboutone third of the treats that line the storewalls are new creations designed sincethe venue was first opened ldquoWersquore alwaystesting the products thatrsquos the fun partrdquohe said as the smell of fresh desserts filledthe room
So how does one stay trim surroundedby a boundless supply of chocolateimported from Europe ldquoA lot of selfrestraintrdquo he laughed ldquoWhen itrsquos atyour disposal 247 you kind of lose that(desire)rdquo
Thatrsquos not to say there arenrsquot drawbacksof making chocolate fondue every dayldquoNow when I mess u p I can never get my
wife chocolate It doesnrsquot have quite thesame meaning to itrdquo
2 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
MATTSCANLAN
Forrats Chocolates and Loungeserves up sweets andwine in Byron
Lifes like a box ofchocolates for entrepreneur
Forrats Chocolateand Lounge3 - 1304 Commissioners Rd W London
BUSINESS PROFILE
Matt Scanlan prepares afresh batch of chocolatesat Forratrsquos Chocolatesand Lounge in Byron
Name Matt Scanlan
Walk bike drive Drive
Fiction or nonfiction Fic-tion
Beach or pool Pool
Summer or winter Winter
DVD or theater DVD
Football or hockey Football
Book or eBook eBook
Beatles or Rolling Stones Rolling Stones
Dark chocolate or whitechocolate Dark
whotheyare
We knew this venue was
going to be very coola lot
of people said its nice that
Byron has something like thissomething to do at night
thequote
A DT S272 663 9
185A Exeter Road LondonM-F 8am-5pm Sat by Appt
Quality 123mmLAMINATE
Starting As Low as $189sfFREE PAD included
FLOORINGSALE
A DT S274 706 4
News you and your neighbours want to know
Finding its way into more than 17000 homes in Byron RiverbendOakridge and Hyde Park LFP Neighbours connects the com-munity to the news businesses and issues affecting daily life inLondonrsquos northwest Blending local news stories with regular busi-ness features lifestyle content and community sp orts coverageLFP Neighbours delivers the news that hits close to home
TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENTToll free (from 519) 1-800-265-4105 ext 5480Email lfpadinfosunmediaca
Display Advertising 830 am - 5 pm Monday - FridayPhone 519-667-5480 Fax 519-667-4523
Community Event Story ideaInteresting NeighbourNews tips amp press releaseslfpneighbourssunmediaca
Neighbours in Business
Neighbours in Schools
Neighbours in Sports
Your Neighbour
Follow us on twitter LFPNeighbours
Neighbour Homes
Around theNeighbourhood
Neighbours Politics
DIRECTORSPublisher and CEODigital and PrintSusan Muszak 519-667-4625susanmuszaksunmediaca
Special Section amp Project ManagerChris Kubinski 519-667-4631chriskubinskisunmediaca
l f p r e s s c o m
WEST LONDON
Director of AdvertisingLisa Catania 519-667-5480lisacataniasunmediaca
Buy ONE Get ONE
50 OFFCALL THE BOX OFFICE
519-679-8778Mention code SANTA
50 off ldquoCrdquo seatingOffer valid until Dec 52013
L I M I T E D T I M E O F F E R
Christmas
ROCKSDec 13 amp 14 Centennial Hall
Orchestra London amp special guestJ im Witter performBruce Springsteenrsquos Santa Claus Is Coming toTown
John Lennonrsquos Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and much more
A DT S283 652 8
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 310
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 3
Complete contest rules and regulations can be picked up at the Information booth
Age categories Under 6 years 7 to 10 years 11 to 13 years
COME OUT amp COLOUR FOR SANTA
From 1100 am to 200 pm
Saturday November 30
Saturday December 7
Saturday December 14
iPads
iPods ampLeapfrogsto be won
CHILDRENrsquoS COLOURING
CONTEST
A D TS27 766 31 A D TS2 819 811
Beer and bible study donrsquot usu-ally go hand-in-hand but if youwere to stumble into Bernies Barand Grill on a Tuesday eveningyoursquod find just that
Young parishioners at StGeorgersquos Catholic church andHoly Family Catholic churchhave been spending the secondTuesday of each month sharingthe highs and lows of faith overa pint at Bernies Bar and Grillon Wonderland Rd The event iscalled lsquoTheology on Taprsquo and itrsquosbecome a hit with young peopleall over the city
ldquoPart of our faith is about
building communityrdquo said PattyCoenen the youth co-ordinatorat Holy Family Parish ldquoThis givesyouth an opportunity to belong tosomething and to speak up in asafe and familiar environmentrdquo
Theology on Tap was started inChicago in the summer of 1981 byRev John Cusick He felt youngpeople needed a relaxed and wel-coming environment to discussquestion and debate their faith
Over the past 32 years Theol-ogy on Tap has spread across thecontinent St George and HolyFamily decided bring a versionof the event to London two yearsago after realizing there was littleprogramming available for youngpeople between the ages of 19and 40
ldquoPope Francis has been sayingwe need to be more c reative withour evangelization and this awonderful opporuntiy to practisethatrdquo said Coenen ldquoWersquore notlecturing people This is an openforum where young people canask questions and challenge theirfaithrdquo
Each month there is a guestspeaker who presents on a theo-logical topic followed by a candidquestion-and-answer sessionGuests are welcome to minglebefore and after the talk and areinvited to share their own storiesand challenges Munchies are onthe house but drinks must bebought at th e bar
One of the most popular Theol-ogy on Tap nights is the lsquoGrill aPriestrsquo night where communitymembers are welcome to askpriests just about anythingThe questions have touched oneverything from pre-priesthood
romances to the daily struggleswith the divineWhile Theology on Tap has
soared in popularity Coenen saysthe event will always be specifi-cally for people between the agesof 19 and 39 but open to peoplefrom all religious backgroundsand beliefs Keeping the nightsfocused on a target age groupkeeps people comfortable andcandid about their experienceswith faith
Itrsquos also a way to capture theyouth whose presence at localparishes has dwindled in recentyears
ldquoWe get a lot of universitystudentsrdquo said Coenen ldquoTheyrsquoregetting excited about faith againThey get to learn and listen inan environment where they feelcomfortablerdquo
What Theology on TapWhen Tuesday Dec 10
730 pm ndash 930 pmWhere Bernies Bar and Grill
1225 Wonderland Rd N
RELIGION Monthly Theology on Tap event targets Catholics between ages of 19-39
Serving up a pint of spirituality
YOUR COMMUNITY
IF YOU GO
Dozens of young people crowd Bernies Bar and Grill the second Tuesday of everymonth for Theology on Tap
Sister Bernadette shares her vocation story duringa Theology on Taprsquos November gathering
Patty Coenen youth coordinator at Holy Family stands along the bar at Bernies Barand Grill where once a month young people from across London gather to talk toabout their faith
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 410
4 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Pupils at St Theresa Catholicelementary school in Byron now havea place to relax during recess
The school recently put togethera peace garden giving kids a much-needed space to hang out and chat
or readldquoItrsquos a space for our kids to sitrdquo said
Susie Schulert-Quenneville the prin-
cipal at St Theresa ldquoTheyrsquove beensaying theyrsquove wanted a place to sitand talk in the school yard for awhilerdquo
The garden features a collectionof large rocks donated by BolerMountain and benches for people to
sit on There are 14 tons of pebblesscattered across the earth making upthe base of the garden In the spring
trees will be planted and a priest willcome and bless it Nearby residentsare also invited to use the garden as aplace to mediate quietly relax or read
But for now thanks to MotherNature itrsquos all buried under a heaping
pile of snowThe funds required to build the
St Theresa Peace Garden came from
Union Gas Community InvolvementGrant which provides communitygroups and organizations with upto $1000 to purchase supplies andmaterials for a project that enhancestheir community
Kristyn Parsons is a parent atSt Theresa and an employee of UnionGas When she heard the school wastrying to raise money for a garden shehelped them secure the grant
ldquoI thought it was a great fit becauseit was something that would improvethe community and the experience of
my childrenrdquo she saidIn addition to the money Union
Gas also sent a group of volunteers tohelp with the gardens construction inmid-November
ldquoWe like to get our staff out therefor some sweat equityrdquo Parsons said
Pupils and parents joined UnionGas volunteers on Nov 16 to build thepeace garden There were so manyvolunteers that all 14 tons of pebble
were laid in just one h ourldquoThe community effort was really
greatrdquo said Schulert-Quenneville
The Oakridge Optimists are team-ing up with the Thames Valley Districtschool board to help students snuffout bullying
The organization has created aLiving the Pledge award to celebratestudents who have been courageouscaring and determined in their com-mitment to end bullying
After hearing the heartbreakingstories of students whorsquove
suffered at the hands of bul-lies some so much so theydecided to take their ownlives the Oakridge Optimistsdecided to take up the anti-bullying cause
ldquoEvery year the Optimistshelp a number of chari-tiesrdquo said Stewart Blair an
Oakridge Optimist mem-ber ldquoWe wanted some-thing that specifically tiedin with the community buthad a hard time findinga local organization inLondon that deals withbullyingrdquo
So the Optimists de-cided to lend their
support to theTVDSBrsquos Livingthe Pledge
campaign ThePledge is a community-
wide initiative that seeks to
raise public awareness about bullyingin schools at work and at home
Two Living The Pledge awards willbe granted ndash to an elementary anda secondary school student ndash at twoof six TVDSB schools in the Oakridgearea The schools are Clara BrentonJohn Dearness Lester B PearsonSchool for the Arts Eagle Heightsand Oakridge secondary school Eachrecipient will receive $250 a plaqueand a certificate
The Optimistsrsquo mission is to providehope positive vision and bring outthe best in kids In conjunction withThe Pledge to end bullying campaignmembers hope that the award willhelp them to fulfill that mission
ldquoWe wanted to inspire somestudents to take The Pledge more
seriously by providing the awardsrdquoBlair says
The award recipients must beactive members of the school com-munity be determined and vocaladvocates in the commitment to endbullying in their schools and live thewords of The Pledge
The Optimists are accepting ap-plications until the end of this schoolterm and will announce a winnershortly thereafter
Students can find the applicationform on the Thames Valley EducationFoundation website at wwwtvdsbcaEFoundationcfm
YOUR SCHOOLS
A space tocall their own
TOP From right to left James Ally Deryck Jack AdamovitchKristyn Parsons Adrian Hartley Connor Susie Schulert-Quennev-ille and Emily sit in the newly created St Theresa peace garden
They all came up to help build the garden on Nov 16
LEFT Sergio Valeria both pupils at St Theresa and Marianna aformer pupil sit on the snow covered bench in the peace garden
FAR LEFT Principal Susie Schulert-Quenneville stands over StTheresa pupils Julia and Emily in the snow covered peace garden
SCHOOL St Theresa Peace Garden paid for by Union Gas Community Involvement Grant
RECOGNITION Award celebrates high school and elementary students who take stand against bullying
A scourge inour schools
Oakridge Optimist member StewartBlair stands outside of Oakridge sec-ondary school An Oakridge student willbe awarded the Living the Pledge awardlater this year along with a student fromone of the arearsquos elementary schools
B
u l l y i n g
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 510
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 5
It had the makings of a triumphantchampionship
The final match against a longtime rivalon homecourt fans screaming wildly in thestands alumni anxiously looking on
But when the buzzer sounded during thesenior boys volleyball OFSAA final at Oakridgesecondary school on Saturday the Oakswerenrsquot the ones emerging victorious Theylost by only two points in their final set to rivalsChatham-Kent Golden Hawks dashing theirdreams of OFSAA gold
But itrsquos the way the boys h andled themselvesduring the game and afterward that has headcoach Jamie Nielson beaming with pride nearlya week later
During the final set the Oaks were up 13-11when a call went against the team
ldquoAll of us jumped off the bench in reactionrdquoNielson said about the coaches ldquoWe were allupset and showing emotion My first reactionwas to calm the players down but as I lookedout on the floor all six of them were looking ateach other saying lsquoitrsquos OK itrsquos only one pointrsquoThat showed so much character and maturityItrsquos giving me chills right now thinking about itThatrsquos the sign of a champion teamrdquo
At the postgame dinner the boys laugh edand smiled they didnrsquot sulk or keep their headsdown They knew a silver finish was an accom-plishment they should be proud of ldquoWe wearour silver medals with priderdquo Nielson said
The bond the players shared this seasonwas truly unique They started out in Septem-ber as teammates and finished their season
as best friends Practising five days a weeksometimes six and traveling for tournaments
on weekends meant the team got to know eachother extremely wellldquoWersquove all become very closerdquo said Gr 12
student Mitchell Willoughby Team captain An-drew Richards echoed his remarks ldquoWe turnedinto best friends this year I know I have 12 guyswho will always have my backrdquo he said
Despite Saturdayrsquos heartbreaking loss theOaks had an excellent season They pulled off40 wins six losses and two ties this year Agreat performance from one of the best vol-leyball teams in Ontario
The Oakridge volleyball program is knownas one of the best in the province with a longlist of impressive alumni like Olympian PaulDuerden Nielson was also a former Oakridgevolleyball star and has spent nearly two de-cades coaching the team He says th e caliberof the program has only increased
ldquoWhen I played I thought the team we hadwas really good but the teams Irsquove coachedover the past few years wouldrsquove definitelycreamed usrdquo Nielson said
There were dozens of alumni cheering along-side fans and students on Saturday Belongingto such a tight knit program has an effect onthe players
ldquoTherersquos great respect among athletes ofOakridge volleyballrdquo Nielson said ldquoWersquove gota long strong history of guys giving back tothe program our boys want to continue thetraditionrdquo
SPORTS Oakridge senior boys volleyball squad stood tall afterheartbreaking loss in OFSAA final
Oaks and proud
TOP The team puts their arms aroundeach other during the National Anthemat the OFSAA final against Chatham
Oaks players cheer between sets duringtheir semi-final OFSAA game againstKingston Regiopolis-Notre Dame
YOUR SPORTS
A D TS26 953 01
50 Y EARS
OF FASHION EXPERTISE
Justoff Hwy41 mileSouth ofBlyth I 519-523-4595 I theoldmillca
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One stop Christmas
Shopping for thewhole family
A D TS27 2893 5
The Oakridge Oaks senior boys volleyball team standing tall and proud of their second place finishBottom from left to right Andrew Kolesnichenko Taylor Jordan Mitchell WilloughbyAndrew Richards Top from left to right Michael Kay Daiken Edwards Matt Mawdsley David DotyJon Shantz and Nathan Phelps Absent from the team picture Mark Vanderzyde and Adam Schmidt athlete
w
eekof the
About Andrew When it came time tochoose an MVP for the Oakridge seniorboys volleyball team head coach JamieNielson says the decision was unanimousAn Oakridge volleyball player since Gr 9Andrew Richards naturally commands bothrespect and attention from his teammatesand coaches
ldquoHersquos the heart an d soul of the teamrdquoNielson said ldquoWhen he speaks we listenrdquoRichards started his volleyball journey
back when he was a Gr 8 student at JohnDearness public school
He loved the sport right away and knewhe wanted a spot on the competitive
Oakridge team Hersquos an outside hitterwho plays both the right and left sideeffortlessly
Outside of high school Richards isa beach volleyball champion recently
claiming both the under 16 and under17 titles Hersquos currently in Puerto Ricorepresenting Team Canada in the youthOlympic trials
After high school he plans to playuniversity volleyball but doesnrsquot have hissights set on one school in particular
AN DREW RI CH ARDSAG E 17 G RADE T W EL V EOAK RI DG E SECON DARY SCH OOL SP ORT V OL L EY BAL L
thequote
I used to be verycompetitive in tennisthen I discovered volleyballwas my passion
Do you know anexceptional athlete
Someone whorsquos a team player on the field at school and in thelocal community Nominate them for lsquoAthlete of the Weekrsquo by emailing lfpneighbourssunmediaca
silver
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 610
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 710
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 7
FanshawePark Rd
N
S t a n t o n D r i v e
H y d e P a r k R d
NORTHPLAZA
WALMARTFUTURESHOP
CANADIANTIRE
london
1422 FANSHAWE PARK ROAD bull 519-657-0112
storesnewbalancecomLondon
l o n d o n
NATIONALLY KNOWN bull LOCALLY OWNED
A DT S270 122 2
1269 Hyde Park Rd London N6H 5K6
5194723020Follow us on TwitterCrossingsgrill
ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook
Exciting Night of the year
join us for The Most
New Years Eve Dinner Party THREE DINNER SEATINGS
5pm 7pm and 9pm5 Course Meal
Glass of champagne for everyoneMidnight buffet for 9pm guest Phone for reservations
9 PP
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Lo
onn n H
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4
F
lll
o
u
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nnn
T
ii
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C o
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Lik rdquo
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5 Course Mealass o c ampagne or everyone
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A D TS27 607 41
Living in west London means winterrsquoswrath is nothing new But the heaps ofsnow that piled up in late November caughtmany motorists off guard Donrsquot get stuckin the snow and stop sliding through icystreets An early winter means the time towinterize your vehicle is now
Invest in winter tiresIf yoursquore driving a newer car thatrsquos not a
truck or an SUV yoursquoll likely want to investin a set of winter tires this season
ldquoIt all comes down to safetyrdquo says WayneHowie owner of Byron Automotive ldquoWitha snow tire you increase friction meaningbetter stability and traction when yoursquore onthe roadrdquo
Winter weather can limit traction puttingthe safety of drivers and their passengers in
jeopardy Winter tires can more effectivelyhandle roads that are covered in snow andice than all-season tires
Drivers of newer sedans and compactcars should definitely consider winter tiresThe high performance tires on many new
vehicles help with steering and controlbut do little to grip the road during icy andsnowy conditions
Another way to improve traction duringthe winter months is to constantly monitortire pressure which decreases more rapidlywhen the weather is cold Properly inflatedtires provide better traction and protectagainst damage that may occur when driv-ing over potholes
Test your anti-freezeOne of the most important things to
ensure when the mercury drops is thatyour anti-freeze is working properly Howiesays Make sure you have it tested and thatitrsquos strong enough to endure temperaturesas low as -30 C Most anti-freezes last fiveto seven years but get it tested regularlyWithout anti-freeze your vehicle couldcompletely shut down
Check your oilConsider a low-viscosity oil in the winter
The owners manual of your vehicle mayrecommend you use a lower viscositymotor oil to counter the dip in temperaturethats synonymous with winter When thetemperatures outside fall the oil insideyour vehicle thickens and a thicker oilwont circulate through the engine as wellThis can cause engine problems becausethe engine wont be adequately lubricatedA low-viscosity oil is naturally thinner soit may improve lubrication throughout thewinter The vehicle owners manual should
recommend oils based on climate If nottalk to your mechanic about changing fromthe oil you use throughout the year to a low-viscosity alternative during the winter
Inspect your vehicleNo one wants to be out on the road
during the first snowstorm of the yearonly to discover certain components arenot working properly Belts and hoseswhile durable can be put through strenu-ous conditions during the winter monthsso a close inspection of belts and hoses
should be conducted in late fall In additionwindshield wipers are especially importantin winter when snowfall can drasticallyimpact visibility You will want your wipersworking at full capacity once the winterbegins so replace older wipers (shelf lifefor standard wipers is typically one year)and use a de-icing windshield washer fluidto maximize visibility
Check your batteryAnother component that must be in-
spected is your cars battery Many drivershave experienced a dead battery which inwarm weather is more of a nuisance thana health concern In cold weather a deadbattery can threaten your health if you findyourself stranded in cold weather Espe-cially low temperatures can compromisea batterys power by as much as 50 sohave your battery inspected in late fall andreplace it if need be
Dont be caught off guardPart of winterizing a vehicle is being
prepared if the vehicle breaks down Make
sure you have extra washer fluid in yourvehicles trunk and dont forget to includean ice scraper snow brush or even a snowshovel in the trunk as well A snow shovelmay be necessary if you need to dig yourcar out if its been buried somewhere otherthan your driveway Other items to carry inyour trunk include a blanket a change ofclothes an extra hat an extra pair of glovessome nonperishable food and a few bottlesof water
ROAD SAFETY Simple steps drivers should take to winterize their vehicles and be prepared for emergencies
The snowstorm that hit at the end ofNovember causing headaches for localmotorists Stay safe on the roads thiswinter by taking proper care of your vehicle
Winterize your ride
YOUR SAFETY YOUR SCHOOLS
Pupils at John Dearnesspublic school are keeping itfresh this winter
The school is one of thefirst in the city to incorpo-rate fresh produce into itsannual food drive
The idea was sparked byColleen Jordan a formerJohn Dearness parent whowas inspired to add a f reshperspective to the schoolrsquostraditional food drive aftertaking a class in communityleadership
For Jordan adding fresh
food made sense on twofronts Itrsquos a way to teachchildren about makinghealthy food choices andit boosts the London FoodBankrsquos fresh produce stock
She called the campaignlsquoThe Ground Rulesrsquo
ldquoItrsquos all about makingyouth aware of healthy eat-
ing eating as close to theground as we canrdquo she said
Students were asked tobring in non-perishablesduring the week-long fooddrive and bring in their freshproduce on Friday morn-ing The London Food Bankpicked up nearly 100 boxesof food Friday afternoon
ldquoWe had over 100 boxesof food and we only have170 families at our schoolrdquosaid principal Tom BurnsldquoIrsquom so proud of thestudents and the school
community The responsewas fantasticrdquo
While John Dearness isthe first school in the areato incorporate fresh foodinto its food drive Jordanhas introduced the conceptto several other schools inthe area
NUTRITION John Dearness becomesfirst school to incorporate fresh food intoits annual collection
A fresh idea
Kelsey Shewgett and Camilyn Cheng carry boxes of freshfood ready to be donated to the London Food Bank
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 810
8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Community Office240Commissioners RdW (atKnights Hill Rd) Unit 106
London ONN6J 1Y1Phone 519-657-3120 | Fax 519-657-0368 | Email psattler-condponca
A D TS28 070 84
Your library opens the door to a lifetime of oppor tunities
This holiday season give the gift that enriches lives and
helps each member of our community reach their potential
DONATE TODAY
wwwlondonpubliclibrarycadonate
519-661-5100 x5460
more than everYou matter
A D TS28 080 81
Kitr as Ar t GlassKitras Art Glass
London Artist Philip Johnson
Wire Tree Sculptures$50 amp up
Hearts or Stars$2195 each
431 Boler Road at Byron-Baseline Rd
519 6411273 bull rivertowngalleriescom
GALLERIES
bull ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
bull CANVAS PRINTS
bull INSPIRATIONAL PIECES FOR ALL
bull C U STO M FR A MI N G SA LE
EX TEN D ED TI LL D EC 20TH
Village in the Laurentians canvas print 29rdquox36rdquoby Clarence Gagnon
Original Painting 40rdquox40rdquo by Joseph Capicotto A D TS2 711 175
Share Your Love For
All Things Italian
This Holiday Season
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER amp M ON - S AT - L UNCH amp D INNER
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FOR RESERVATIONS 519-652-7659 bull HWY 401 amp 4CLOSED DEC 23RD WILL RE-OPEN JAN 3RD
For Every $100 In Gift Cards
Purchased Recieve a $20 GiftCard Just For You
A D TS2 804 139
Why do you think itrsquos important to
support small businesses and localshops during the Chirstmas rush
Szpakowski I believe supporting smallbusinesses and locally owned shops helps tobuild strong communities that sustains vibrantneighbourhoods and connects residents
and shoppers to a network of economic and social relationships Remembering that localbusinesses are owned by people who live inthis community they are often family ownedbusinesses they employ local people and these
are folks who are less likely to leave and who are invested in the communityrsquos future
Peterson I always preach every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want to see theworld Every dollar spent on the web or in a USowned boxstore is a vote to say that is more ofwe want in the future It is the biggest retailtime of the year Of course it is important to
support local shops and small businesses
What are some of thebenefits to buying local
Szpakowski Where we shop where we eat andhave fun it all makes our community homeOur one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral
part of the distinctive character of Hyde Park
and are the making of Hyde Park becoming adestination spot
Peterson There is much more uniqueness tothe experience ndash from the gift that may be more
personal to the individual shopping in a local shop that has been decorated personally by the shop providing a warm inviting atmosphere(the true Christmas experience) and serviceThey can provide a service that big box storescant provide for that purchase
Where do you like to do your Christmas shopping
Szpakowski I love the smaller shops andthe ambience they offer It is such a pleasant
shopping experience over the crowds in thebig box environment Most of our shopping isdone in the Hyde Park corner from sending
gifts from Featherfields to family in Montreal to
purchasing Christmas decorations and trees atVan Horiks Im looking forward to purchasing
some unique olive oils at Olive-Me this year
Peterson Small shops I love the ChristmWasmagic of a small store especially coming in outof the cold to a warm inviting environmentmusic playing lights and decorations
YOUR COMMUNITY BUYING Independent stores and shops offer better shopping
experience than malls and big box stores
Move over mallsndash its all aboutlocal shopping
FOOD amp BEVERAGE Olive-Me amp Co 1570 Hyde Pk Rd Unit 7This independently ownedand operated olive oil bou-tique serves up a wide variety
of extra virgin olive oilsbalsamic vinegars spicesand olive oil-based beautyproducts All of the productsare hand poured bottledlabeled corked and sealed onsite Drop in and sample someof the worldrsquos finest olive oilsat the storersquos one-of-a-kindtasting room to make yourshopping experience trulyunique
Taste of Britain 1634 Hyde Park RdWhether yoursquore a transplant-ed Brit or a tried and trueCanadian therersquos somethingfor everyone at this familyowned shop From uniqueBritish foods like salty crispsand Yorkshire tea to EnglishPremiere League soccer gearthis novely shop is full ofquirky gifts
Forratrsquos Chocolates1304 Commissioners RdWest Unit 3
Forratrsquos specializes in qualityEuropean handcrafted trufflesand fine chocolates madefresh on site using naturalingredients Their mission isto bring chocolate back to theldquogood olrsquo daysrdquo when it wasan edible social experiencebefore pre-packaged massproduction Come in andwatch your favourite treatsmade fresh in store
Luscious Wines 1055 Sarnia RdThis award-winning neigh-bourhood winery givescustomers the chance tocraft their own unique wineblends using a selection ofquality wine kits They offerall-inclusive pricing with peeland stick customizable labelsWith experts on site to helpyou every step of the waycustomers get to enjoy a trulypersonalized wine-makingexperience
Ungers Market1010 Gainsborough Rd
For over 30 years Ungers Mar-ket has provided Hyde Parkfamilies with fresh produceand gourmet treats Stock upon holiday treats and goodies
with a visit to the bakery Allpies are made fresh ndash includ-ing the filling ndash in store
Remark Fresh Markets 1180 Oxford St WHome to the ingredients thatinspire the kind of home-cooked meals that leave yourguests asking for secondsRemark is more than just agrocery store Their bakedgoods desserts chocolatesand flowers make perfectgifts
HOME amp GARDEN Van Horiks Greenhouses
and Garden Centre 930 Gainsborough Rd
This greenhouse and gardengallery has everything youneed to get your home holidayready From fresh cut Christ-mas trees to custom wreathsto indoor ornaments theirwide selection will add a bit ofChristmas cheer to any h ome
Moonstone Path 1289 Commissioners Rd WThis mystical shop carries avariety of unique gift ideas forthe home From awe-inspiringcrystals and geods to scentedcandles totem stones andHimalyan salt lamps yoursquorebound to find something forthat quirky person on yourChristmas list
Rivertown Galleries 431 Boler RdOriginal paintings customframing and unique gifts froma variety of intriguing Cana-dian artists are just a few ofthe items that can be found inthis beautiful Byron gallery
Shelleyrsquos Unique Accentsand Furniture
1073 Gainsborough RdDedicated to creating one-of-a-kind small accent furnitureShelleyrsquos collection of solid
rustic Canadian pine piecesare all original making themgreat gifts Items can becustom ordered and finishedto your colour scheme
Pryde Furniture
1422 Fanshawe Park Rd WThis family-owned furniturestore has a wide variety ofhome deacutecor accessories atunbelievable prices Beauti-fully crafted pieces in a rangeof styles mean yoursquore boundto find something that willdazzle this holiday season
Murree Flowers 1274 Commissioners Rd WThis family owned andoperated flower shop is inthe heart of Byron Whetheryoursquore giving a bouquet orlooking for a festive arrange-ment to accompany yourholiday feast Muree Flowerswill make your experience one
to remember
HEALTH amp WELLNESS Hyde Park Massage
Therapy 1385 North Routledge ParkKnead out some of thatholiday stress with a deeptissue or hot stone massageor give the gift of relaxation tosomeone you love
Oakridge Wellness 759 Hyde Park Rd SGive the gift of a calm mindand a fit body th is ChristmasWith a roster of Anusarainspired yoga teachers thecentre is the perfect place torejuvenate and reset Stick to
your New Years resolutionsthis year with their regularyoga and pilates classes
PETS Natural Paws Pantry
1055 Sarnia RdDonrsquot forget yoursquore furryfriend this Christmas Stockup on natural pet food andtreats to keep your petrsquos bellyfull and healthy this holidayseason
Local Shopping Guide
The holiday season is here Why not swap yoursquore
usual stress inducing trip to the crowded
shopping malls for some local flavour
From the boutiques in Byron to the
one-of-a-kind niche shops in Hyde Park there are plenty of local options
LFP Neighbours caught up with Donna Szpakowski and Dr Kara Peterson from the
Hyde Park Business Association to find out some local holiday highlights
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
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Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
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BRENT BOLES
Neighbours
Standing behind a counter lined with jars of chocolate Matt Scanlan knowshersquos got a pretty sweet job
ldquoItrsquos been phenomenalrdquo said themanager of Forratrsquos Chocolates andLounge on Commissioners Road WestldquoWe knew (this venue) was going to bevery coolrdquo
The lounge opened up two years agooffering Byron residents a place to go fora glass of wine and a chocolate fondueldquoThis is basically a new concept anda twist on the chocolate storerdquo saidScanlan stirring a melted pot of thesweets to a smooth con sistency
The holidays are a busy time of yearfor the business but Scanlan said
customers have been supportivesince the beginning ldquoA lot ofpeople said itrsquos nice that Byron hassomething like this something todo at nightrdquo he said
London chocolatier Marc Forrat ownsthe corporation but Scanlan and his wifeKristen are left to their own devices whenit comes to running the lounge Forrattaught Scanlan the tricks of the trade sothat Scanlan is able to design his own richsweet creations
But chocolate can be temperamentaland working with it takes practice ldquoWhenyoursquore stirring chocolate every day youkind of get used to itrdquo
Scanlan 32 came to the business after alifetime in the hospitality industry He hadworked in restaurants as everything froma busboy to server and line cook beforeopening the lounge The opportunity to
transition to a venue where he had morecreative control seemed like a natural fit
ldquoItrsquos all hospitality related and th atrsquoswhatrsquos nice about this conceptrdquo he said ldquoIt
was something we could do for ourselvesrdquoIn the beginning that also brought a
new set of ch allenges ldquoOff the start itwas difficult Irsquod never had the challenge
of doing everythingrdquo he said ldquoItrsquos kind oflearning as you gordquo
But operating the store also meantthat Scanlan could experiment with the
products he produces Scanlan said aboutone third of the treats that line the storewalls are new creations designed sincethe venue was first opened ldquoWersquore alwaystesting the products thatrsquos the fun partrdquohe said as the smell of fresh desserts filledthe room
So how does one stay trim surroundedby a boundless supply of chocolateimported from Europe ldquoA lot of selfrestraintrdquo he laughed ldquoWhen itrsquos atyour disposal 247 you kind of lose that(desire)rdquo
Thatrsquos not to say there arenrsquot drawbacksof making chocolate fondue every dayldquoNow when I mess u p I can never get my
wife chocolate It doesnrsquot have quite thesame meaning to itrdquo
2 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
MATTSCANLAN
Forrats Chocolates and Loungeserves up sweets andwine in Byron
Lifes like a box ofchocolates for entrepreneur
Forrats Chocolateand Lounge3 - 1304 Commissioners Rd W London
BUSINESS PROFILE
Matt Scanlan prepares afresh batch of chocolatesat Forratrsquos Chocolatesand Lounge in Byron
Name Matt Scanlan
Walk bike drive Drive
Fiction or nonfiction Fic-tion
Beach or pool Pool
Summer or winter Winter
DVD or theater DVD
Football or hockey Football
Book or eBook eBook
Beatles or Rolling Stones Rolling Stones
Dark chocolate or whitechocolate Dark
whotheyare
We knew this venue was
going to be very coola lot
of people said its nice that
Byron has something like thissomething to do at night
thequote
A DT S272 663 9
185A Exeter Road LondonM-F 8am-5pm Sat by Appt
Quality 123mmLAMINATE
Starting As Low as $189sfFREE PAD included
FLOORINGSALE
A DT S274 706 4
News you and your neighbours want to know
Finding its way into more than 17000 homes in Byron RiverbendOakridge and Hyde Park LFP Neighbours connects the com-munity to the news businesses and issues affecting daily life inLondonrsquos northwest Blending local news stories with regular busi-ness features lifestyle content and community sp orts coverageLFP Neighbours delivers the news that hits close to home
TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENTToll free (from 519) 1-800-265-4105 ext 5480Email lfpadinfosunmediaca
Display Advertising 830 am - 5 pm Monday - FridayPhone 519-667-5480 Fax 519-667-4523
Community Event Story ideaInteresting NeighbourNews tips amp press releaseslfpneighbourssunmediaca
Neighbours in Business
Neighbours in Schools
Neighbours in Sports
Your Neighbour
Follow us on twitter LFPNeighbours
Neighbour Homes
Around theNeighbourhood
Neighbours Politics
DIRECTORSPublisher and CEODigital and PrintSusan Muszak 519-667-4625susanmuszaksunmediaca
Special Section amp Project ManagerChris Kubinski 519-667-4631chriskubinskisunmediaca
l f p r e s s c o m
WEST LONDON
Director of AdvertisingLisa Catania 519-667-5480lisacataniasunmediaca
Buy ONE Get ONE
50 OFFCALL THE BOX OFFICE
519-679-8778Mention code SANTA
50 off ldquoCrdquo seatingOffer valid until Dec 52013
L I M I T E D T I M E O F F E R
Christmas
ROCKSDec 13 amp 14 Centennial Hall
Orchestra London amp special guestJ im Witter performBruce Springsteenrsquos Santa Claus Is Coming toTown
John Lennonrsquos Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and much more
A DT S283 652 8
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 310
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 3
Complete contest rules and regulations can be picked up at the Information booth
Age categories Under 6 years 7 to 10 years 11 to 13 years
COME OUT amp COLOUR FOR SANTA
From 1100 am to 200 pm
Saturday November 30
Saturday December 7
Saturday December 14
iPads
iPods ampLeapfrogsto be won
CHILDRENrsquoS COLOURING
CONTEST
A D TS27 766 31 A D TS2 819 811
Beer and bible study donrsquot usu-ally go hand-in-hand but if youwere to stumble into Bernies Barand Grill on a Tuesday eveningyoursquod find just that
Young parishioners at StGeorgersquos Catholic church andHoly Family Catholic churchhave been spending the secondTuesday of each month sharingthe highs and lows of faith overa pint at Bernies Bar and Grillon Wonderland Rd The event iscalled lsquoTheology on Taprsquo and itrsquosbecome a hit with young peopleall over the city
ldquoPart of our faith is about
building communityrdquo said PattyCoenen the youth co-ordinatorat Holy Family Parish ldquoThis givesyouth an opportunity to belong tosomething and to speak up in asafe and familiar environmentrdquo
Theology on Tap was started inChicago in the summer of 1981 byRev John Cusick He felt youngpeople needed a relaxed and wel-coming environment to discussquestion and debate their faith
Over the past 32 years Theol-ogy on Tap has spread across thecontinent St George and HolyFamily decided bring a versionof the event to London two yearsago after realizing there was littleprogramming available for youngpeople between the ages of 19and 40
ldquoPope Francis has been sayingwe need to be more c reative withour evangelization and this awonderful opporuntiy to practisethatrdquo said Coenen ldquoWersquore notlecturing people This is an openforum where young people canask questions and challenge theirfaithrdquo
Each month there is a guestspeaker who presents on a theo-logical topic followed by a candidquestion-and-answer sessionGuests are welcome to minglebefore and after the talk and areinvited to share their own storiesand challenges Munchies are onthe house but drinks must bebought at th e bar
One of the most popular Theol-ogy on Tap nights is the lsquoGrill aPriestrsquo night where communitymembers are welcome to askpriests just about anythingThe questions have touched oneverything from pre-priesthood
romances to the daily struggleswith the divineWhile Theology on Tap has
soared in popularity Coenen saysthe event will always be specifi-cally for people between the agesof 19 and 39 but open to peoplefrom all religious backgroundsand beliefs Keeping the nightsfocused on a target age groupkeeps people comfortable andcandid about their experienceswith faith
Itrsquos also a way to capture theyouth whose presence at localparishes has dwindled in recentyears
ldquoWe get a lot of universitystudentsrdquo said Coenen ldquoTheyrsquoregetting excited about faith againThey get to learn and listen inan environment where they feelcomfortablerdquo
What Theology on TapWhen Tuesday Dec 10
730 pm ndash 930 pmWhere Bernies Bar and Grill
1225 Wonderland Rd N
RELIGION Monthly Theology on Tap event targets Catholics between ages of 19-39
Serving up a pint of spirituality
YOUR COMMUNITY
IF YOU GO
Dozens of young people crowd Bernies Bar and Grill the second Tuesday of everymonth for Theology on Tap
Sister Bernadette shares her vocation story duringa Theology on Taprsquos November gathering
Patty Coenen youth coordinator at Holy Family stands along the bar at Bernies Barand Grill where once a month young people from across London gather to talk toabout their faith
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 410
4 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Pupils at St Theresa Catholicelementary school in Byron now havea place to relax during recess
The school recently put togethera peace garden giving kids a much-needed space to hang out and chat
or readldquoItrsquos a space for our kids to sitrdquo said
Susie Schulert-Quenneville the prin-
cipal at St Theresa ldquoTheyrsquove beensaying theyrsquove wanted a place to sitand talk in the school yard for awhilerdquo
The garden features a collectionof large rocks donated by BolerMountain and benches for people to
sit on There are 14 tons of pebblesscattered across the earth making upthe base of the garden In the spring
trees will be planted and a priest willcome and bless it Nearby residentsare also invited to use the garden as aplace to mediate quietly relax or read
But for now thanks to MotherNature itrsquos all buried under a heaping
pile of snowThe funds required to build the
St Theresa Peace Garden came from
Union Gas Community InvolvementGrant which provides communitygroups and organizations with upto $1000 to purchase supplies andmaterials for a project that enhancestheir community
Kristyn Parsons is a parent atSt Theresa and an employee of UnionGas When she heard the school wastrying to raise money for a garden shehelped them secure the grant
ldquoI thought it was a great fit becauseit was something that would improvethe community and the experience of
my childrenrdquo she saidIn addition to the money Union
Gas also sent a group of volunteers tohelp with the gardens construction inmid-November
ldquoWe like to get our staff out therefor some sweat equityrdquo Parsons said
Pupils and parents joined UnionGas volunteers on Nov 16 to build thepeace garden There were so manyvolunteers that all 14 tons of pebble
were laid in just one h ourldquoThe community effort was really
greatrdquo said Schulert-Quenneville
The Oakridge Optimists are team-ing up with the Thames Valley Districtschool board to help students snuffout bullying
The organization has created aLiving the Pledge award to celebratestudents who have been courageouscaring and determined in their com-mitment to end bullying
After hearing the heartbreakingstories of students whorsquove
suffered at the hands of bul-lies some so much so theydecided to take their ownlives the Oakridge Optimistsdecided to take up the anti-bullying cause
ldquoEvery year the Optimistshelp a number of chari-tiesrdquo said Stewart Blair an
Oakridge Optimist mem-ber ldquoWe wanted some-thing that specifically tiedin with the community buthad a hard time findinga local organization inLondon that deals withbullyingrdquo
So the Optimists de-cided to lend their
support to theTVDSBrsquos Livingthe Pledge
campaign ThePledge is a community-
wide initiative that seeks to
raise public awareness about bullyingin schools at work and at home
Two Living The Pledge awards willbe granted ndash to an elementary anda secondary school student ndash at twoof six TVDSB schools in the Oakridgearea The schools are Clara BrentonJohn Dearness Lester B PearsonSchool for the Arts Eagle Heightsand Oakridge secondary school Eachrecipient will receive $250 a plaqueand a certificate
The Optimistsrsquo mission is to providehope positive vision and bring outthe best in kids In conjunction withThe Pledge to end bullying campaignmembers hope that the award willhelp them to fulfill that mission
ldquoWe wanted to inspire somestudents to take The Pledge more
seriously by providing the awardsrdquoBlair says
The award recipients must beactive members of the school com-munity be determined and vocaladvocates in the commitment to endbullying in their schools and live thewords of The Pledge
The Optimists are accepting ap-plications until the end of this schoolterm and will announce a winnershortly thereafter
Students can find the applicationform on the Thames Valley EducationFoundation website at wwwtvdsbcaEFoundationcfm
YOUR SCHOOLS
A space tocall their own
TOP From right to left James Ally Deryck Jack AdamovitchKristyn Parsons Adrian Hartley Connor Susie Schulert-Quennev-ille and Emily sit in the newly created St Theresa peace garden
They all came up to help build the garden on Nov 16
LEFT Sergio Valeria both pupils at St Theresa and Marianna aformer pupil sit on the snow covered bench in the peace garden
FAR LEFT Principal Susie Schulert-Quenneville stands over StTheresa pupils Julia and Emily in the snow covered peace garden
SCHOOL St Theresa Peace Garden paid for by Union Gas Community Involvement Grant
RECOGNITION Award celebrates high school and elementary students who take stand against bullying
A scourge inour schools
Oakridge Optimist member StewartBlair stands outside of Oakridge sec-ondary school An Oakridge student willbe awarded the Living the Pledge awardlater this year along with a student fromone of the arearsquos elementary schools
B
u l l y i n g
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 5
It had the makings of a triumphantchampionship
The final match against a longtime rivalon homecourt fans screaming wildly in thestands alumni anxiously looking on
But when the buzzer sounded during thesenior boys volleyball OFSAA final at Oakridgesecondary school on Saturday the Oakswerenrsquot the ones emerging victorious Theylost by only two points in their final set to rivalsChatham-Kent Golden Hawks dashing theirdreams of OFSAA gold
But itrsquos the way the boys h andled themselvesduring the game and afterward that has headcoach Jamie Nielson beaming with pride nearlya week later
During the final set the Oaks were up 13-11when a call went against the team
ldquoAll of us jumped off the bench in reactionrdquoNielson said about the coaches ldquoWe were allupset and showing emotion My first reactionwas to calm the players down but as I lookedout on the floor all six of them were looking ateach other saying lsquoitrsquos OK itrsquos only one pointrsquoThat showed so much character and maturityItrsquos giving me chills right now thinking about itThatrsquos the sign of a champion teamrdquo
At the postgame dinner the boys laugh edand smiled they didnrsquot sulk or keep their headsdown They knew a silver finish was an accom-plishment they should be proud of ldquoWe wearour silver medals with priderdquo Nielson said
The bond the players shared this seasonwas truly unique They started out in Septem-ber as teammates and finished their season
as best friends Practising five days a weeksometimes six and traveling for tournaments
on weekends meant the team got to know eachother extremely wellldquoWersquove all become very closerdquo said Gr 12
student Mitchell Willoughby Team captain An-drew Richards echoed his remarks ldquoWe turnedinto best friends this year I know I have 12 guyswho will always have my backrdquo he said
Despite Saturdayrsquos heartbreaking loss theOaks had an excellent season They pulled off40 wins six losses and two ties this year Agreat performance from one of the best vol-leyball teams in Ontario
The Oakridge volleyball program is knownas one of the best in the province with a longlist of impressive alumni like Olympian PaulDuerden Nielson was also a former Oakridgevolleyball star and has spent nearly two de-cades coaching the team He says th e caliberof the program has only increased
ldquoWhen I played I thought the team we hadwas really good but the teams Irsquove coachedover the past few years wouldrsquove definitelycreamed usrdquo Nielson said
There were dozens of alumni cheering along-side fans and students on Saturday Belongingto such a tight knit program has an effect onthe players
ldquoTherersquos great respect among athletes ofOakridge volleyballrdquo Nielson said ldquoWersquove gota long strong history of guys giving back tothe program our boys want to continue thetraditionrdquo
SPORTS Oakridge senior boys volleyball squad stood tall afterheartbreaking loss in OFSAA final
Oaks and proud
TOP The team puts their arms aroundeach other during the National Anthemat the OFSAA final against Chatham
Oaks players cheer between sets duringtheir semi-final OFSAA game againstKingston Regiopolis-Notre Dame
YOUR SPORTS
A D TS26 953 01
50 Y EARS
OF FASHION EXPERTISE
Justoff Hwy41 mileSouth ofBlyth I 519-523-4595 I theoldmillca
facebookcomOldMillFashions
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One stop Christmas
Shopping for thewhole family
A D TS27 2893 5
The Oakridge Oaks senior boys volleyball team standing tall and proud of their second place finishBottom from left to right Andrew Kolesnichenko Taylor Jordan Mitchell WilloughbyAndrew Richards Top from left to right Michael Kay Daiken Edwards Matt Mawdsley David DotyJon Shantz and Nathan Phelps Absent from the team picture Mark Vanderzyde and Adam Schmidt athlete
w
eekof the
About Andrew When it came time tochoose an MVP for the Oakridge seniorboys volleyball team head coach JamieNielson says the decision was unanimousAn Oakridge volleyball player since Gr 9Andrew Richards naturally commands bothrespect and attention from his teammatesand coaches
ldquoHersquos the heart an d soul of the teamrdquoNielson said ldquoWhen he speaks we listenrdquoRichards started his volleyball journey
back when he was a Gr 8 student at JohnDearness public school
He loved the sport right away and knewhe wanted a spot on the competitive
Oakridge team Hersquos an outside hitterwho plays both the right and left sideeffortlessly
Outside of high school Richards isa beach volleyball champion recently
claiming both the under 16 and under17 titles Hersquos currently in Puerto Ricorepresenting Team Canada in the youthOlympic trials
After high school he plans to playuniversity volleyball but doesnrsquot have hissights set on one school in particular
AN DREW RI CH ARDSAG E 17 G RADE T W EL V EOAK RI DG E SECON DARY SCH OOL SP ORT V OL L EY BAL L
thequote
I used to be verycompetitive in tennisthen I discovered volleyballwas my passion
Do you know anexceptional athlete
Someone whorsquos a team player on the field at school and in thelocal community Nominate them for lsquoAthlete of the Weekrsquo by emailing lfpneighbourssunmediaca
silver
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 610
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 710
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 7
FanshawePark Rd
N
S t a n t o n D r i v e
H y d e P a r k R d
NORTHPLAZA
WALMARTFUTURESHOP
CANADIANTIRE
london
1422 FANSHAWE PARK ROAD bull 519-657-0112
storesnewbalancecomLondon
l o n d o n
NATIONALLY KNOWN bull LOCALLY OWNED
A DT S270 122 2
1269 Hyde Park Rd London N6H 5K6
5194723020Follow us on TwitterCrossingsgrill
ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook
Exciting Night of the year
join us for The Most
New Years Eve Dinner Party THREE DINNER SEATINGS
5pm 7pm and 9pm5 Course Meal
Glass of champagne for everyoneMidnight buffet for 9pm guest Phone for reservations
9 PP
a
kk
d
L
Lo
onn n H
1
4
F
lll
o
u
s
nnn
T
ii
rr
C o
r s i
i
gs ri
il
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ldquo
Lik rdquo
rdquo
u
n Fa
ac
ook
5 Course Mealass o c ampagne or everyone
n g u e or pm gues one or reserva ons
A D TS27 607 41
Living in west London means winterrsquoswrath is nothing new But the heaps ofsnow that piled up in late November caughtmany motorists off guard Donrsquot get stuckin the snow and stop sliding through icystreets An early winter means the time towinterize your vehicle is now
Invest in winter tiresIf yoursquore driving a newer car thatrsquos not a
truck or an SUV yoursquoll likely want to investin a set of winter tires this season
ldquoIt all comes down to safetyrdquo says WayneHowie owner of Byron Automotive ldquoWitha snow tire you increase friction meaningbetter stability and traction when yoursquore onthe roadrdquo
Winter weather can limit traction puttingthe safety of drivers and their passengers in
jeopardy Winter tires can more effectivelyhandle roads that are covered in snow andice than all-season tires
Drivers of newer sedans and compactcars should definitely consider winter tiresThe high performance tires on many new
vehicles help with steering and controlbut do little to grip the road during icy andsnowy conditions
Another way to improve traction duringthe winter months is to constantly monitortire pressure which decreases more rapidlywhen the weather is cold Properly inflatedtires provide better traction and protectagainst damage that may occur when driv-ing over potholes
Test your anti-freezeOne of the most important things to
ensure when the mercury drops is thatyour anti-freeze is working properly Howiesays Make sure you have it tested and thatitrsquos strong enough to endure temperaturesas low as -30 C Most anti-freezes last fiveto seven years but get it tested regularlyWithout anti-freeze your vehicle couldcompletely shut down
Check your oilConsider a low-viscosity oil in the winter
The owners manual of your vehicle mayrecommend you use a lower viscositymotor oil to counter the dip in temperaturethats synonymous with winter When thetemperatures outside fall the oil insideyour vehicle thickens and a thicker oilwont circulate through the engine as wellThis can cause engine problems becausethe engine wont be adequately lubricatedA low-viscosity oil is naturally thinner soit may improve lubrication throughout thewinter The vehicle owners manual should
recommend oils based on climate If nottalk to your mechanic about changing fromthe oil you use throughout the year to a low-viscosity alternative during the winter
Inspect your vehicleNo one wants to be out on the road
during the first snowstorm of the yearonly to discover certain components arenot working properly Belts and hoseswhile durable can be put through strenu-ous conditions during the winter monthsso a close inspection of belts and hoses
should be conducted in late fall In additionwindshield wipers are especially importantin winter when snowfall can drasticallyimpact visibility You will want your wipersworking at full capacity once the winterbegins so replace older wipers (shelf lifefor standard wipers is typically one year)and use a de-icing windshield washer fluidto maximize visibility
Check your batteryAnother component that must be in-
spected is your cars battery Many drivershave experienced a dead battery which inwarm weather is more of a nuisance thana health concern In cold weather a deadbattery can threaten your health if you findyourself stranded in cold weather Espe-cially low temperatures can compromisea batterys power by as much as 50 sohave your battery inspected in late fall andreplace it if need be
Dont be caught off guardPart of winterizing a vehicle is being
prepared if the vehicle breaks down Make
sure you have extra washer fluid in yourvehicles trunk and dont forget to includean ice scraper snow brush or even a snowshovel in the trunk as well A snow shovelmay be necessary if you need to dig yourcar out if its been buried somewhere otherthan your driveway Other items to carry inyour trunk include a blanket a change ofclothes an extra hat an extra pair of glovessome nonperishable food and a few bottlesof water
ROAD SAFETY Simple steps drivers should take to winterize their vehicles and be prepared for emergencies
The snowstorm that hit at the end ofNovember causing headaches for localmotorists Stay safe on the roads thiswinter by taking proper care of your vehicle
Winterize your ride
YOUR SAFETY YOUR SCHOOLS
Pupils at John Dearnesspublic school are keeping itfresh this winter
The school is one of thefirst in the city to incorpo-rate fresh produce into itsannual food drive
The idea was sparked byColleen Jordan a formerJohn Dearness parent whowas inspired to add a f reshperspective to the schoolrsquostraditional food drive aftertaking a class in communityleadership
For Jordan adding fresh
food made sense on twofronts Itrsquos a way to teachchildren about makinghealthy food choices andit boosts the London FoodBankrsquos fresh produce stock
She called the campaignlsquoThe Ground Rulesrsquo
ldquoItrsquos all about makingyouth aware of healthy eat-
ing eating as close to theground as we canrdquo she said
Students were asked tobring in non-perishablesduring the week-long fooddrive and bring in their freshproduce on Friday morn-ing The London Food Bankpicked up nearly 100 boxesof food Friday afternoon
ldquoWe had over 100 boxesof food and we only have170 families at our schoolrdquosaid principal Tom BurnsldquoIrsquom so proud of thestudents and the school
community The responsewas fantasticrdquo
While John Dearness isthe first school in the areato incorporate fresh foodinto its food drive Jordanhas introduced the conceptto several other schools inthe area
NUTRITION John Dearness becomesfirst school to incorporate fresh food intoits annual collection
A fresh idea
Kelsey Shewgett and Camilyn Cheng carry boxes of freshfood ready to be donated to the London Food Bank
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 810
8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Community Office240Commissioners RdW (atKnights Hill Rd) Unit 106
London ONN6J 1Y1Phone 519-657-3120 | Fax 519-657-0368 | Email psattler-condponca
A D TS28 070 84
Your library opens the door to a lifetime of oppor tunities
This holiday season give the gift that enriches lives and
helps each member of our community reach their potential
DONATE TODAY
wwwlondonpubliclibrarycadonate
519-661-5100 x5460
more than everYou matter
A D TS28 080 81
Kitr as Ar t GlassKitras Art Glass
London Artist Philip Johnson
Wire Tree Sculptures$50 amp up
Hearts or Stars$2195 each
431 Boler Road at Byron-Baseline Rd
519 6411273 bull rivertowngalleriescom
GALLERIES
bull ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
bull CANVAS PRINTS
bull INSPIRATIONAL PIECES FOR ALL
bull C U STO M FR A MI N G SA LE
EX TEN D ED TI LL D EC 20TH
Village in the Laurentians canvas print 29rdquox36rdquoby Clarence Gagnon
Original Painting 40rdquox40rdquo by Joseph Capicotto A D TS2 711 175
Share Your Love For
All Things Italian
This Holiday Season
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER amp M ON - S AT - L UNCH amp D INNER
6675 BURTWISTLE LANE LONDON
FOR RESERVATIONS 519-652-7659 bull HWY 401 amp 4CLOSED DEC 23RD WILL RE-OPEN JAN 3RD
For Every $100 In Gift Cards
Purchased Recieve a $20 GiftCard Just For You
A D TS2 804 139
Why do you think itrsquos important to
support small businesses and localshops during the Chirstmas rush
Szpakowski I believe supporting smallbusinesses and locally owned shops helps tobuild strong communities that sustains vibrantneighbourhoods and connects residents
and shoppers to a network of economic and social relationships Remembering that localbusinesses are owned by people who live inthis community they are often family ownedbusinesses they employ local people and these
are folks who are less likely to leave and who are invested in the communityrsquos future
Peterson I always preach every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want to see theworld Every dollar spent on the web or in a USowned boxstore is a vote to say that is more ofwe want in the future It is the biggest retailtime of the year Of course it is important to
support local shops and small businesses
What are some of thebenefits to buying local
Szpakowski Where we shop where we eat andhave fun it all makes our community homeOur one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral
part of the distinctive character of Hyde Park
and are the making of Hyde Park becoming adestination spot
Peterson There is much more uniqueness tothe experience ndash from the gift that may be more
personal to the individual shopping in a local shop that has been decorated personally by the shop providing a warm inviting atmosphere(the true Christmas experience) and serviceThey can provide a service that big box storescant provide for that purchase
Where do you like to do your Christmas shopping
Szpakowski I love the smaller shops andthe ambience they offer It is such a pleasant
shopping experience over the crowds in thebig box environment Most of our shopping isdone in the Hyde Park corner from sending
gifts from Featherfields to family in Montreal to
purchasing Christmas decorations and trees atVan Horiks Im looking forward to purchasing
some unique olive oils at Olive-Me this year
Peterson Small shops I love the ChristmWasmagic of a small store especially coming in outof the cold to a warm inviting environmentmusic playing lights and decorations
YOUR COMMUNITY BUYING Independent stores and shops offer better shopping
experience than malls and big box stores
Move over mallsndash its all aboutlocal shopping
FOOD amp BEVERAGE Olive-Me amp Co 1570 Hyde Pk Rd Unit 7This independently ownedand operated olive oil bou-tique serves up a wide variety
of extra virgin olive oilsbalsamic vinegars spicesand olive oil-based beautyproducts All of the productsare hand poured bottledlabeled corked and sealed onsite Drop in and sample someof the worldrsquos finest olive oilsat the storersquos one-of-a-kindtasting room to make yourshopping experience trulyunique
Taste of Britain 1634 Hyde Park RdWhether yoursquore a transplant-ed Brit or a tried and trueCanadian therersquos somethingfor everyone at this familyowned shop From uniqueBritish foods like salty crispsand Yorkshire tea to EnglishPremiere League soccer gearthis novely shop is full ofquirky gifts
Forratrsquos Chocolates1304 Commissioners RdWest Unit 3
Forratrsquos specializes in qualityEuropean handcrafted trufflesand fine chocolates madefresh on site using naturalingredients Their mission isto bring chocolate back to theldquogood olrsquo daysrdquo when it wasan edible social experiencebefore pre-packaged massproduction Come in andwatch your favourite treatsmade fresh in store
Luscious Wines 1055 Sarnia RdThis award-winning neigh-bourhood winery givescustomers the chance tocraft their own unique wineblends using a selection ofquality wine kits They offerall-inclusive pricing with peeland stick customizable labelsWith experts on site to helpyou every step of the waycustomers get to enjoy a trulypersonalized wine-makingexperience
Ungers Market1010 Gainsborough Rd
For over 30 years Ungers Mar-ket has provided Hyde Parkfamilies with fresh produceand gourmet treats Stock upon holiday treats and goodies
with a visit to the bakery Allpies are made fresh ndash includ-ing the filling ndash in store
Remark Fresh Markets 1180 Oxford St WHome to the ingredients thatinspire the kind of home-cooked meals that leave yourguests asking for secondsRemark is more than just agrocery store Their bakedgoods desserts chocolatesand flowers make perfectgifts
HOME amp GARDEN Van Horiks Greenhouses
and Garden Centre 930 Gainsborough Rd
This greenhouse and gardengallery has everything youneed to get your home holidayready From fresh cut Christ-mas trees to custom wreathsto indoor ornaments theirwide selection will add a bit ofChristmas cheer to any h ome
Moonstone Path 1289 Commissioners Rd WThis mystical shop carries avariety of unique gift ideas forthe home From awe-inspiringcrystals and geods to scentedcandles totem stones andHimalyan salt lamps yoursquorebound to find something forthat quirky person on yourChristmas list
Rivertown Galleries 431 Boler RdOriginal paintings customframing and unique gifts froma variety of intriguing Cana-dian artists are just a few ofthe items that can be found inthis beautiful Byron gallery
Shelleyrsquos Unique Accentsand Furniture
1073 Gainsborough RdDedicated to creating one-of-a-kind small accent furnitureShelleyrsquos collection of solid
rustic Canadian pine piecesare all original making themgreat gifts Items can becustom ordered and finishedto your colour scheme
Pryde Furniture
1422 Fanshawe Park Rd WThis family-owned furniturestore has a wide variety ofhome deacutecor accessories atunbelievable prices Beauti-fully crafted pieces in a rangeof styles mean yoursquore boundto find something that willdazzle this holiday season
Murree Flowers 1274 Commissioners Rd WThis family owned andoperated flower shop is inthe heart of Byron Whetheryoursquore giving a bouquet orlooking for a festive arrange-ment to accompany yourholiday feast Muree Flowerswill make your experience one
to remember
HEALTH amp WELLNESS Hyde Park Massage
Therapy 1385 North Routledge ParkKnead out some of thatholiday stress with a deeptissue or hot stone massageor give the gift of relaxation tosomeone you love
Oakridge Wellness 759 Hyde Park Rd SGive the gift of a calm mindand a fit body th is ChristmasWith a roster of Anusarainspired yoga teachers thecentre is the perfect place torejuvenate and reset Stick to
your New Years resolutionsthis year with their regularyoga and pilates classes
PETS Natural Paws Pantry
1055 Sarnia RdDonrsquot forget yoursquore furryfriend this Christmas Stockup on natural pet food andtreats to keep your petrsquos bellyfull and healthy this holidayseason
Local Shopping Guide
The holiday season is here Why not swap yoursquore
usual stress inducing trip to the crowded
shopping malls for some local flavour
From the boutiques in Byron to the
one-of-a-kind niche shops in Hyde Park there are plenty of local options
LFP Neighbours caught up with Donna Szpakowski and Dr Kara Peterson from the
Hyde Park Business Association to find out some local holiday highlights
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 910
Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 310
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 3
Complete contest rules and regulations can be picked up at the Information booth
Age categories Under 6 years 7 to 10 years 11 to 13 years
COME OUT amp COLOUR FOR SANTA
From 1100 am to 200 pm
Saturday November 30
Saturday December 7
Saturday December 14
iPads
iPods ampLeapfrogsto be won
CHILDRENrsquoS COLOURING
CONTEST
A D TS27 766 31 A D TS2 819 811
Beer and bible study donrsquot usu-ally go hand-in-hand but if youwere to stumble into Bernies Barand Grill on a Tuesday eveningyoursquod find just that
Young parishioners at StGeorgersquos Catholic church andHoly Family Catholic churchhave been spending the secondTuesday of each month sharingthe highs and lows of faith overa pint at Bernies Bar and Grillon Wonderland Rd The event iscalled lsquoTheology on Taprsquo and itrsquosbecome a hit with young peopleall over the city
ldquoPart of our faith is about
building communityrdquo said PattyCoenen the youth co-ordinatorat Holy Family Parish ldquoThis givesyouth an opportunity to belong tosomething and to speak up in asafe and familiar environmentrdquo
Theology on Tap was started inChicago in the summer of 1981 byRev John Cusick He felt youngpeople needed a relaxed and wel-coming environment to discussquestion and debate their faith
Over the past 32 years Theol-ogy on Tap has spread across thecontinent St George and HolyFamily decided bring a versionof the event to London two yearsago after realizing there was littleprogramming available for youngpeople between the ages of 19and 40
ldquoPope Francis has been sayingwe need to be more c reative withour evangelization and this awonderful opporuntiy to practisethatrdquo said Coenen ldquoWersquore notlecturing people This is an openforum where young people canask questions and challenge theirfaithrdquo
Each month there is a guestspeaker who presents on a theo-logical topic followed by a candidquestion-and-answer sessionGuests are welcome to minglebefore and after the talk and areinvited to share their own storiesand challenges Munchies are onthe house but drinks must bebought at th e bar
One of the most popular Theol-ogy on Tap nights is the lsquoGrill aPriestrsquo night where communitymembers are welcome to askpriests just about anythingThe questions have touched oneverything from pre-priesthood
romances to the daily struggleswith the divineWhile Theology on Tap has
soared in popularity Coenen saysthe event will always be specifi-cally for people between the agesof 19 and 39 but open to peoplefrom all religious backgroundsand beliefs Keeping the nightsfocused on a target age groupkeeps people comfortable andcandid about their experienceswith faith
Itrsquos also a way to capture theyouth whose presence at localparishes has dwindled in recentyears
ldquoWe get a lot of universitystudentsrdquo said Coenen ldquoTheyrsquoregetting excited about faith againThey get to learn and listen inan environment where they feelcomfortablerdquo
What Theology on TapWhen Tuesday Dec 10
730 pm ndash 930 pmWhere Bernies Bar and Grill
1225 Wonderland Rd N
RELIGION Monthly Theology on Tap event targets Catholics between ages of 19-39
Serving up a pint of spirituality
YOUR COMMUNITY
IF YOU GO
Dozens of young people crowd Bernies Bar and Grill the second Tuesday of everymonth for Theology on Tap
Sister Bernadette shares her vocation story duringa Theology on Taprsquos November gathering
Patty Coenen youth coordinator at Holy Family stands along the bar at Bernies Barand Grill where once a month young people from across London gather to talk toabout their faith
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 410
4 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Pupils at St Theresa Catholicelementary school in Byron now havea place to relax during recess
The school recently put togethera peace garden giving kids a much-needed space to hang out and chat
or readldquoItrsquos a space for our kids to sitrdquo said
Susie Schulert-Quenneville the prin-
cipal at St Theresa ldquoTheyrsquove beensaying theyrsquove wanted a place to sitand talk in the school yard for awhilerdquo
The garden features a collectionof large rocks donated by BolerMountain and benches for people to
sit on There are 14 tons of pebblesscattered across the earth making upthe base of the garden In the spring
trees will be planted and a priest willcome and bless it Nearby residentsare also invited to use the garden as aplace to mediate quietly relax or read
But for now thanks to MotherNature itrsquos all buried under a heaping
pile of snowThe funds required to build the
St Theresa Peace Garden came from
Union Gas Community InvolvementGrant which provides communitygroups and organizations with upto $1000 to purchase supplies andmaterials for a project that enhancestheir community
Kristyn Parsons is a parent atSt Theresa and an employee of UnionGas When she heard the school wastrying to raise money for a garden shehelped them secure the grant
ldquoI thought it was a great fit becauseit was something that would improvethe community and the experience of
my childrenrdquo she saidIn addition to the money Union
Gas also sent a group of volunteers tohelp with the gardens construction inmid-November
ldquoWe like to get our staff out therefor some sweat equityrdquo Parsons said
Pupils and parents joined UnionGas volunteers on Nov 16 to build thepeace garden There were so manyvolunteers that all 14 tons of pebble
were laid in just one h ourldquoThe community effort was really
greatrdquo said Schulert-Quenneville
The Oakridge Optimists are team-ing up with the Thames Valley Districtschool board to help students snuffout bullying
The organization has created aLiving the Pledge award to celebratestudents who have been courageouscaring and determined in their com-mitment to end bullying
After hearing the heartbreakingstories of students whorsquove
suffered at the hands of bul-lies some so much so theydecided to take their ownlives the Oakridge Optimistsdecided to take up the anti-bullying cause
ldquoEvery year the Optimistshelp a number of chari-tiesrdquo said Stewart Blair an
Oakridge Optimist mem-ber ldquoWe wanted some-thing that specifically tiedin with the community buthad a hard time findinga local organization inLondon that deals withbullyingrdquo
So the Optimists de-cided to lend their
support to theTVDSBrsquos Livingthe Pledge
campaign ThePledge is a community-
wide initiative that seeks to
raise public awareness about bullyingin schools at work and at home
Two Living The Pledge awards willbe granted ndash to an elementary anda secondary school student ndash at twoof six TVDSB schools in the Oakridgearea The schools are Clara BrentonJohn Dearness Lester B PearsonSchool for the Arts Eagle Heightsand Oakridge secondary school Eachrecipient will receive $250 a plaqueand a certificate
The Optimistsrsquo mission is to providehope positive vision and bring outthe best in kids In conjunction withThe Pledge to end bullying campaignmembers hope that the award willhelp them to fulfill that mission
ldquoWe wanted to inspire somestudents to take The Pledge more
seriously by providing the awardsrdquoBlair says
The award recipients must beactive members of the school com-munity be determined and vocaladvocates in the commitment to endbullying in their schools and live thewords of The Pledge
The Optimists are accepting ap-plications until the end of this schoolterm and will announce a winnershortly thereafter
Students can find the applicationform on the Thames Valley EducationFoundation website at wwwtvdsbcaEFoundationcfm
YOUR SCHOOLS
A space tocall their own
TOP From right to left James Ally Deryck Jack AdamovitchKristyn Parsons Adrian Hartley Connor Susie Schulert-Quennev-ille and Emily sit in the newly created St Theresa peace garden
They all came up to help build the garden on Nov 16
LEFT Sergio Valeria both pupils at St Theresa and Marianna aformer pupil sit on the snow covered bench in the peace garden
FAR LEFT Principal Susie Schulert-Quenneville stands over StTheresa pupils Julia and Emily in the snow covered peace garden
SCHOOL St Theresa Peace Garden paid for by Union Gas Community Involvement Grant
RECOGNITION Award celebrates high school and elementary students who take stand against bullying
A scourge inour schools
Oakridge Optimist member StewartBlair stands outside of Oakridge sec-ondary school An Oakridge student willbe awarded the Living the Pledge awardlater this year along with a student fromone of the arearsquos elementary schools
B
u l l y i n g
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 5
It had the makings of a triumphantchampionship
The final match against a longtime rivalon homecourt fans screaming wildly in thestands alumni anxiously looking on
But when the buzzer sounded during thesenior boys volleyball OFSAA final at Oakridgesecondary school on Saturday the Oakswerenrsquot the ones emerging victorious Theylost by only two points in their final set to rivalsChatham-Kent Golden Hawks dashing theirdreams of OFSAA gold
But itrsquos the way the boys h andled themselvesduring the game and afterward that has headcoach Jamie Nielson beaming with pride nearlya week later
During the final set the Oaks were up 13-11when a call went against the team
ldquoAll of us jumped off the bench in reactionrdquoNielson said about the coaches ldquoWe were allupset and showing emotion My first reactionwas to calm the players down but as I lookedout on the floor all six of them were looking ateach other saying lsquoitrsquos OK itrsquos only one pointrsquoThat showed so much character and maturityItrsquos giving me chills right now thinking about itThatrsquos the sign of a champion teamrdquo
At the postgame dinner the boys laugh edand smiled they didnrsquot sulk or keep their headsdown They knew a silver finish was an accom-plishment they should be proud of ldquoWe wearour silver medals with priderdquo Nielson said
The bond the players shared this seasonwas truly unique They started out in Septem-ber as teammates and finished their season
as best friends Practising five days a weeksometimes six and traveling for tournaments
on weekends meant the team got to know eachother extremely wellldquoWersquove all become very closerdquo said Gr 12
student Mitchell Willoughby Team captain An-drew Richards echoed his remarks ldquoWe turnedinto best friends this year I know I have 12 guyswho will always have my backrdquo he said
Despite Saturdayrsquos heartbreaking loss theOaks had an excellent season They pulled off40 wins six losses and two ties this year Agreat performance from one of the best vol-leyball teams in Ontario
The Oakridge volleyball program is knownas one of the best in the province with a longlist of impressive alumni like Olympian PaulDuerden Nielson was also a former Oakridgevolleyball star and has spent nearly two de-cades coaching the team He says th e caliberof the program has only increased
ldquoWhen I played I thought the team we hadwas really good but the teams Irsquove coachedover the past few years wouldrsquove definitelycreamed usrdquo Nielson said
There were dozens of alumni cheering along-side fans and students on Saturday Belongingto such a tight knit program has an effect onthe players
ldquoTherersquos great respect among athletes ofOakridge volleyballrdquo Nielson said ldquoWersquove gota long strong history of guys giving back tothe program our boys want to continue thetraditionrdquo
SPORTS Oakridge senior boys volleyball squad stood tall afterheartbreaking loss in OFSAA final
Oaks and proud
TOP The team puts their arms aroundeach other during the National Anthemat the OFSAA final against Chatham
Oaks players cheer between sets duringtheir semi-final OFSAA game againstKingston Regiopolis-Notre Dame
YOUR SPORTS
A D TS26 953 01
50 Y EARS
OF FASHION EXPERTISE
Justoff Hwy41 mileSouth ofBlyth I 519-523-4595 I theoldmillca
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One stop Christmas
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A D TS27 2893 5
The Oakridge Oaks senior boys volleyball team standing tall and proud of their second place finishBottom from left to right Andrew Kolesnichenko Taylor Jordan Mitchell WilloughbyAndrew Richards Top from left to right Michael Kay Daiken Edwards Matt Mawdsley David DotyJon Shantz and Nathan Phelps Absent from the team picture Mark Vanderzyde and Adam Schmidt athlete
w
eekof the
About Andrew When it came time tochoose an MVP for the Oakridge seniorboys volleyball team head coach JamieNielson says the decision was unanimousAn Oakridge volleyball player since Gr 9Andrew Richards naturally commands bothrespect and attention from his teammatesand coaches
ldquoHersquos the heart an d soul of the teamrdquoNielson said ldquoWhen he speaks we listenrdquoRichards started his volleyball journey
back when he was a Gr 8 student at JohnDearness public school
He loved the sport right away and knewhe wanted a spot on the competitive
Oakridge team Hersquos an outside hitterwho plays both the right and left sideeffortlessly
Outside of high school Richards isa beach volleyball champion recently
claiming both the under 16 and under17 titles Hersquos currently in Puerto Ricorepresenting Team Canada in the youthOlympic trials
After high school he plans to playuniversity volleyball but doesnrsquot have hissights set on one school in particular
AN DREW RI CH ARDSAG E 17 G RADE T W EL V EOAK RI DG E SECON DARY SCH OOL SP ORT V OL L EY BAL L
thequote
I used to be verycompetitive in tennisthen I discovered volleyballwas my passion
Do you know anexceptional athlete
Someone whorsquos a team player on the field at school and in thelocal community Nominate them for lsquoAthlete of the Weekrsquo by emailing lfpneighbourssunmediaca
silver
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 610
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 7
FanshawePark Rd
N
S t a n t o n D r i v e
H y d e P a r k R d
NORTHPLAZA
WALMARTFUTURESHOP
CANADIANTIRE
london
1422 FANSHAWE PARK ROAD bull 519-657-0112
storesnewbalancecomLondon
l o n d o n
NATIONALLY KNOWN bull LOCALLY OWNED
A DT S270 122 2
1269 Hyde Park Rd London N6H 5K6
5194723020Follow us on TwitterCrossingsgrill
ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook
Exciting Night of the year
join us for The Most
New Years Eve Dinner Party THREE DINNER SEATINGS
5pm 7pm and 9pm5 Course Meal
Glass of champagne for everyoneMidnight buffet for 9pm guest Phone for reservations
9 PP
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L
Lo
onn n H
1
4
F
lll
o
u
s
nnn
T
ii
rr
C o
r s i
i
gs ri
il
l
l
ldquo
Lik rdquo
rdquo
u
n Fa
ac
ook
5 Course Mealass o c ampagne or everyone
n g u e or pm gues one or reserva ons
A D TS27 607 41
Living in west London means winterrsquoswrath is nothing new But the heaps ofsnow that piled up in late November caughtmany motorists off guard Donrsquot get stuckin the snow and stop sliding through icystreets An early winter means the time towinterize your vehicle is now
Invest in winter tiresIf yoursquore driving a newer car thatrsquos not a
truck or an SUV yoursquoll likely want to investin a set of winter tires this season
ldquoIt all comes down to safetyrdquo says WayneHowie owner of Byron Automotive ldquoWitha snow tire you increase friction meaningbetter stability and traction when yoursquore onthe roadrdquo
Winter weather can limit traction puttingthe safety of drivers and their passengers in
jeopardy Winter tires can more effectivelyhandle roads that are covered in snow andice than all-season tires
Drivers of newer sedans and compactcars should definitely consider winter tiresThe high performance tires on many new
vehicles help with steering and controlbut do little to grip the road during icy andsnowy conditions
Another way to improve traction duringthe winter months is to constantly monitortire pressure which decreases more rapidlywhen the weather is cold Properly inflatedtires provide better traction and protectagainst damage that may occur when driv-ing over potholes
Test your anti-freezeOne of the most important things to
ensure when the mercury drops is thatyour anti-freeze is working properly Howiesays Make sure you have it tested and thatitrsquos strong enough to endure temperaturesas low as -30 C Most anti-freezes last fiveto seven years but get it tested regularlyWithout anti-freeze your vehicle couldcompletely shut down
Check your oilConsider a low-viscosity oil in the winter
The owners manual of your vehicle mayrecommend you use a lower viscositymotor oil to counter the dip in temperaturethats synonymous with winter When thetemperatures outside fall the oil insideyour vehicle thickens and a thicker oilwont circulate through the engine as wellThis can cause engine problems becausethe engine wont be adequately lubricatedA low-viscosity oil is naturally thinner soit may improve lubrication throughout thewinter The vehicle owners manual should
recommend oils based on climate If nottalk to your mechanic about changing fromthe oil you use throughout the year to a low-viscosity alternative during the winter
Inspect your vehicleNo one wants to be out on the road
during the first snowstorm of the yearonly to discover certain components arenot working properly Belts and hoseswhile durable can be put through strenu-ous conditions during the winter monthsso a close inspection of belts and hoses
should be conducted in late fall In additionwindshield wipers are especially importantin winter when snowfall can drasticallyimpact visibility You will want your wipersworking at full capacity once the winterbegins so replace older wipers (shelf lifefor standard wipers is typically one year)and use a de-icing windshield washer fluidto maximize visibility
Check your batteryAnother component that must be in-
spected is your cars battery Many drivershave experienced a dead battery which inwarm weather is more of a nuisance thana health concern In cold weather a deadbattery can threaten your health if you findyourself stranded in cold weather Espe-cially low temperatures can compromisea batterys power by as much as 50 sohave your battery inspected in late fall andreplace it if need be
Dont be caught off guardPart of winterizing a vehicle is being
prepared if the vehicle breaks down Make
sure you have extra washer fluid in yourvehicles trunk and dont forget to includean ice scraper snow brush or even a snowshovel in the trunk as well A snow shovelmay be necessary if you need to dig yourcar out if its been buried somewhere otherthan your driveway Other items to carry inyour trunk include a blanket a change ofclothes an extra hat an extra pair of glovessome nonperishable food and a few bottlesof water
ROAD SAFETY Simple steps drivers should take to winterize their vehicles and be prepared for emergencies
The snowstorm that hit at the end ofNovember causing headaches for localmotorists Stay safe on the roads thiswinter by taking proper care of your vehicle
Winterize your ride
YOUR SAFETY YOUR SCHOOLS
Pupils at John Dearnesspublic school are keeping itfresh this winter
The school is one of thefirst in the city to incorpo-rate fresh produce into itsannual food drive
The idea was sparked byColleen Jordan a formerJohn Dearness parent whowas inspired to add a f reshperspective to the schoolrsquostraditional food drive aftertaking a class in communityleadership
For Jordan adding fresh
food made sense on twofronts Itrsquos a way to teachchildren about makinghealthy food choices andit boosts the London FoodBankrsquos fresh produce stock
She called the campaignlsquoThe Ground Rulesrsquo
ldquoItrsquos all about makingyouth aware of healthy eat-
ing eating as close to theground as we canrdquo she said
Students were asked tobring in non-perishablesduring the week-long fooddrive and bring in their freshproduce on Friday morn-ing The London Food Bankpicked up nearly 100 boxesof food Friday afternoon
ldquoWe had over 100 boxesof food and we only have170 families at our schoolrdquosaid principal Tom BurnsldquoIrsquom so proud of thestudents and the school
community The responsewas fantasticrdquo
While John Dearness isthe first school in the areato incorporate fresh foodinto its food drive Jordanhas introduced the conceptto several other schools inthe area
NUTRITION John Dearness becomesfirst school to incorporate fresh food intoits annual collection
A fresh idea
Kelsey Shewgett and Camilyn Cheng carry boxes of freshfood ready to be donated to the London Food Bank
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 810
8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Community Office240Commissioners RdW (atKnights Hill Rd) Unit 106
London ONN6J 1Y1Phone 519-657-3120 | Fax 519-657-0368 | Email psattler-condponca
A D TS28 070 84
Your library opens the door to a lifetime of oppor tunities
This holiday season give the gift that enriches lives and
helps each member of our community reach their potential
DONATE TODAY
wwwlondonpubliclibrarycadonate
519-661-5100 x5460
more than everYou matter
A D TS28 080 81
Kitr as Ar t GlassKitras Art Glass
London Artist Philip Johnson
Wire Tree Sculptures$50 amp up
Hearts or Stars$2195 each
431 Boler Road at Byron-Baseline Rd
519 6411273 bull rivertowngalleriescom
GALLERIES
bull ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
bull CANVAS PRINTS
bull INSPIRATIONAL PIECES FOR ALL
bull C U STO M FR A MI N G SA LE
EX TEN D ED TI LL D EC 20TH
Village in the Laurentians canvas print 29rdquox36rdquoby Clarence Gagnon
Original Painting 40rdquox40rdquo by Joseph Capicotto A D TS2 711 175
Share Your Love For
All Things Italian
This Holiday Season
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER amp M ON - S AT - L UNCH amp D INNER
6675 BURTWISTLE LANE LONDON
FOR RESERVATIONS 519-652-7659 bull HWY 401 amp 4CLOSED DEC 23RD WILL RE-OPEN JAN 3RD
For Every $100 In Gift Cards
Purchased Recieve a $20 GiftCard Just For You
A D TS2 804 139
Why do you think itrsquos important to
support small businesses and localshops during the Chirstmas rush
Szpakowski I believe supporting smallbusinesses and locally owned shops helps tobuild strong communities that sustains vibrantneighbourhoods and connects residents
and shoppers to a network of economic and social relationships Remembering that localbusinesses are owned by people who live inthis community they are often family ownedbusinesses they employ local people and these
are folks who are less likely to leave and who are invested in the communityrsquos future
Peterson I always preach every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want to see theworld Every dollar spent on the web or in a USowned boxstore is a vote to say that is more ofwe want in the future It is the biggest retailtime of the year Of course it is important to
support local shops and small businesses
What are some of thebenefits to buying local
Szpakowski Where we shop where we eat andhave fun it all makes our community homeOur one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral
part of the distinctive character of Hyde Park
and are the making of Hyde Park becoming adestination spot
Peterson There is much more uniqueness tothe experience ndash from the gift that may be more
personal to the individual shopping in a local shop that has been decorated personally by the shop providing a warm inviting atmosphere(the true Christmas experience) and serviceThey can provide a service that big box storescant provide for that purchase
Where do you like to do your Christmas shopping
Szpakowski I love the smaller shops andthe ambience they offer It is such a pleasant
shopping experience over the crowds in thebig box environment Most of our shopping isdone in the Hyde Park corner from sending
gifts from Featherfields to family in Montreal to
purchasing Christmas decorations and trees atVan Horiks Im looking forward to purchasing
some unique olive oils at Olive-Me this year
Peterson Small shops I love the ChristmWasmagic of a small store especially coming in outof the cold to a warm inviting environmentmusic playing lights and decorations
YOUR COMMUNITY BUYING Independent stores and shops offer better shopping
experience than malls and big box stores
Move over mallsndash its all aboutlocal shopping
FOOD amp BEVERAGE Olive-Me amp Co 1570 Hyde Pk Rd Unit 7This independently ownedand operated olive oil bou-tique serves up a wide variety
of extra virgin olive oilsbalsamic vinegars spicesand olive oil-based beautyproducts All of the productsare hand poured bottledlabeled corked and sealed onsite Drop in and sample someof the worldrsquos finest olive oilsat the storersquos one-of-a-kindtasting room to make yourshopping experience trulyunique
Taste of Britain 1634 Hyde Park RdWhether yoursquore a transplant-ed Brit or a tried and trueCanadian therersquos somethingfor everyone at this familyowned shop From uniqueBritish foods like salty crispsand Yorkshire tea to EnglishPremiere League soccer gearthis novely shop is full ofquirky gifts
Forratrsquos Chocolates1304 Commissioners RdWest Unit 3
Forratrsquos specializes in qualityEuropean handcrafted trufflesand fine chocolates madefresh on site using naturalingredients Their mission isto bring chocolate back to theldquogood olrsquo daysrdquo when it wasan edible social experiencebefore pre-packaged massproduction Come in andwatch your favourite treatsmade fresh in store
Luscious Wines 1055 Sarnia RdThis award-winning neigh-bourhood winery givescustomers the chance tocraft their own unique wineblends using a selection ofquality wine kits They offerall-inclusive pricing with peeland stick customizable labelsWith experts on site to helpyou every step of the waycustomers get to enjoy a trulypersonalized wine-makingexperience
Ungers Market1010 Gainsborough Rd
For over 30 years Ungers Mar-ket has provided Hyde Parkfamilies with fresh produceand gourmet treats Stock upon holiday treats and goodies
with a visit to the bakery Allpies are made fresh ndash includ-ing the filling ndash in store
Remark Fresh Markets 1180 Oxford St WHome to the ingredients thatinspire the kind of home-cooked meals that leave yourguests asking for secondsRemark is more than just agrocery store Their bakedgoods desserts chocolatesand flowers make perfectgifts
HOME amp GARDEN Van Horiks Greenhouses
and Garden Centre 930 Gainsborough Rd
This greenhouse and gardengallery has everything youneed to get your home holidayready From fresh cut Christ-mas trees to custom wreathsto indoor ornaments theirwide selection will add a bit ofChristmas cheer to any h ome
Moonstone Path 1289 Commissioners Rd WThis mystical shop carries avariety of unique gift ideas forthe home From awe-inspiringcrystals and geods to scentedcandles totem stones andHimalyan salt lamps yoursquorebound to find something forthat quirky person on yourChristmas list
Rivertown Galleries 431 Boler RdOriginal paintings customframing and unique gifts froma variety of intriguing Cana-dian artists are just a few ofthe items that can be found inthis beautiful Byron gallery
Shelleyrsquos Unique Accentsand Furniture
1073 Gainsborough RdDedicated to creating one-of-a-kind small accent furnitureShelleyrsquos collection of solid
rustic Canadian pine piecesare all original making themgreat gifts Items can becustom ordered and finishedto your colour scheme
Pryde Furniture
1422 Fanshawe Park Rd WThis family-owned furniturestore has a wide variety ofhome deacutecor accessories atunbelievable prices Beauti-fully crafted pieces in a rangeof styles mean yoursquore boundto find something that willdazzle this holiday season
Murree Flowers 1274 Commissioners Rd WThis family owned andoperated flower shop is inthe heart of Byron Whetheryoursquore giving a bouquet orlooking for a festive arrange-ment to accompany yourholiday feast Muree Flowerswill make your experience one
to remember
HEALTH amp WELLNESS Hyde Park Massage
Therapy 1385 North Routledge ParkKnead out some of thatholiday stress with a deeptissue or hot stone massageor give the gift of relaxation tosomeone you love
Oakridge Wellness 759 Hyde Park Rd SGive the gift of a calm mindand a fit body th is ChristmasWith a roster of Anusarainspired yoga teachers thecentre is the perfect place torejuvenate and reset Stick to
your New Years resolutionsthis year with their regularyoga and pilates classes
PETS Natural Paws Pantry
1055 Sarnia RdDonrsquot forget yoursquore furryfriend this Christmas Stockup on natural pet food andtreats to keep your petrsquos bellyfull and healthy this holidayseason
Local Shopping Guide
The holiday season is here Why not swap yoursquore
usual stress inducing trip to the crowded
shopping malls for some local flavour
From the boutiques in Byron to the
one-of-a-kind niche shops in Hyde Park there are plenty of local options
LFP Neighbours caught up with Donna Szpakowski and Dr Kara Peterson from the
Hyde Park Business Association to find out some local holiday highlights
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 910
Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 410
4 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Pupils at St Theresa Catholicelementary school in Byron now havea place to relax during recess
The school recently put togethera peace garden giving kids a much-needed space to hang out and chat
or readldquoItrsquos a space for our kids to sitrdquo said
Susie Schulert-Quenneville the prin-
cipal at St Theresa ldquoTheyrsquove beensaying theyrsquove wanted a place to sitand talk in the school yard for awhilerdquo
The garden features a collectionof large rocks donated by BolerMountain and benches for people to
sit on There are 14 tons of pebblesscattered across the earth making upthe base of the garden In the spring
trees will be planted and a priest willcome and bless it Nearby residentsare also invited to use the garden as aplace to mediate quietly relax or read
But for now thanks to MotherNature itrsquos all buried under a heaping
pile of snowThe funds required to build the
St Theresa Peace Garden came from
Union Gas Community InvolvementGrant which provides communitygroups and organizations with upto $1000 to purchase supplies andmaterials for a project that enhancestheir community
Kristyn Parsons is a parent atSt Theresa and an employee of UnionGas When she heard the school wastrying to raise money for a garden shehelped them secure the grant
ldquoI thought it was a great fit becauseit was something that would improvethe community and the experience of
my childrenrdquo she saidIn addition to the money Union
Gas also sent a group of volunteers tohelp with the gardens construction inmid-November
ldquoWe like to get our staff out therefor some sweat equityrdquo Parsons said
Pupils and parents joined UnionGas volunteers on Nov 16 to build thepeace garden There were so manyvolunteers that all 14 tons of pebble
were laid in just one h ourldquoThe community effort was really
greatrdquo said Schulert-Quenneville
The Oakridge Optimists are team-ing up with the Thames Valley Districtschool board to help students snuffout bullying
The organization has created aLiving the Pledge award to celebratestudents who have been courageouscaring and determined in their com-mitment to end bullying
After hearing the heartbreakingstories of students whorsquove
suffered at the hands of bul-lies some so much so theydecided to take their ownlives the Oakridge Optimistsdecided to take up the anti-bullying cause
ldquoEvery year the Optimistshelp a number of chari-tiesrdquo said Stewart Blair an
Oakridge Optimist mem-ber ldquoWe wanted some-thing that specifically tiedin with the community buthad a hard time findinga local organization inLondon that deals withbullyingrdquo
So the Optimists de-cided to lend their
support to theTVDSBrsquos Livingthe Pledge
campaign ThePledge is a community-
wide initiative that seeks to
raise public awareness about bullyingin schools at work and at home
Two Living The Pledge awards willbe granted ndash to an elementary anda secondary school student ndash at twoof six TVDSB schools in the Oakridgearea The schools are Clara BrentonJohn Dearness Lester B PearsonSchool for the Arts Eagle Heightsand Oakridge secondary school Eachrecipient will receive $250 a plaqueand a certificate
The Optimistsrsquo mission is to providehope positive vision and bring outthe best in kids In conjunction withThe Pledge to end bullying campaignmembers hope that the award willhelp them to fulfill that mission
ldquoWe wanted to inspire somestudents to take The Pledge more
seriously by providing the awardsrdquoBlair says
The award recipients must beactive members of the school com-munity be determined and vocaladvocates in the commitment to endbullying in their schools and live thewords of The Pledge
The Optimists are accepting ap-plications until the end of this schoolterm and will announce a winnershortly thereafter
Students can find the applicationform on the Thames Valley EducationFoundation website at wwwtvdsbcaEFoundationcfm
YOUR SCHOOLS
A space tocall their own
TOP From right to left James Ally Deryck Jack AdamovitchKristyn Parsons Adrian Hartley Connor Susie Schulert-Quennev-ille and Emily sit in the newly created St Theresa peace garden
They all came up to help build the garden on Nov 16
LEFT Sergio Valeria both pupils at St Theresa and Marianna aformer pupil sit on the snow covered bench in the peace garden
FAR LEFT Principal Susie Schulert-Quenneville stands over StTheresa pupils Julia and Emily in the snow covered peace garden
SCHOOL St Theresa Peace Garden paid for by Union Gas Community Involvement Grant
RECOGNITION Award celebrates high school and elementary students who take stand against bullying
A scourge inour schools
Oakridge Optimist member StewartBlair stands outside of Oakridge sec-ondary school An Oakridge student willbe awarded the Living the Pledge awardlater this year along with a student fromone of the arearsquos elementary schools
B
u l l y i n g
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 510
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 5
It had the makings of a triumphantchampionship
The final match against a longtime rivalon homecourt fans screaming wildly in thestands alumni anxiously looking on
But when the buzzer sounded during thesenior boys volleyball OFSAA final at Oakridgesecondary school on Saturday the Oakswerenrsquot the ones emerging victorious Theylost by only two points in their final set to rivalsChatham-Kent Golden Hawks dashing theirdreams of OFSAA gold
But itrsquos the way the boys h andled themselvesduring the game and afterward that has headcoach Jamie Nielson beaming with pride nearlya week later
During the final set the Oaks were up 13-11when a call went against the team
ldquoAll of us jumped off the bench in reactionrdquoNielson said about the coaches ldquoWe were allupset and showing emotion My first reactionwas to calm the players down but as I lookedout on the floor all six of them were looking ateach other saying lsquoitrsquos OK itrsquos only one pointrsquoThat showed so much character and maturityItrsquos giving me chills right now thinking about itThatrsquos the sign of a champion teamrdquo
At the postgame dinner the boys laugh edand smiled they didnrsquot sulk or keep their headsdown They knew a silver finish was an accom-plishment they should be proud of ldquoWe wearour silver medals with priderdquo Nielson said
The bond the players shared this seasonwas truly unique They started out in Septem-ber as teammates and finished their season
as best friends Practising five days a weeksometimes six and traveling for tournaments
on weekends meant the team got to know eachother extremely wellldquoWersquove all become very closerdquo said Gr 12
student Mitchell Willoughby Team captain An-drew Richards echoed his remarks ldquoWe turnedinto best friends this year I know I have 12 guyswho will always have my backrdquo he said
Despite Saturdayrsquos heartbreaking loss theOaks had an excellent season They pulled off40 wins six losses and two ties this year Agreat performance from one of the best vol-leyball teams in Ontario
The Oakridge volleyball program is knownas one of the best in the province with a longlist of impressive alumni like Olympian PaulDuerden Nielson was also a former Oakridgevolleyball star and has spent nearly two de-cades coaching the team He says th e caliberof the program has only increased
ldquoWhen I played I thought the team we hadwas really good but the teams Irsquove coachedover the past few years wouldrsquove definitelycreamed usrdquo Nielson said
There were dozens of alumni cheering along-side fans and students on Saturday Belongingto such a tight knit program has an effect onthe players
ldquoTherersquos great respect among athletes ofOakridge volleyballrdquo Nielson said ldquoWersquove gota long strong history of guys giving back tothe program our boys want to continue thetraditionrdquo
SPORTS Oakridge senior boys volleyball squad stood tall afterheartbreaking loss in OFSAA final
Oaks and proud
TOP The team puts their arms aroundeach other during the National Anthemat the OFSAA final against Chatham
Oaks players cheer between sets duringtheir semi-final OFSAA game againstKingston Regiopolis-Notre Dame
YOUR SPORTS
A D TS26 953 01
50 Y EARS
OF FASHION EXPERTISE
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One stop Christmas
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A D TS27 2893 5
The Oakridge Oaks senior boys volleyball team standing tall and proud of their second place finishBottom from left to right Andrew Kolesnichenko Taylor Jordan Mitchell WilloughbyAndrew Richards Top from left to right Michael Kay Daiken Edwards Matt Mawdsley David DotyJon Shantz and Nathan Phelps Absent from the team picture Mark Vanderzyde and Adam Schmidt athlete
w
eekof the
About Andrew When it came time tochoose an MVP for the Oakridge seniorboys volleyball team head coach JamieNielson says the decision was unanimousAn Oakridge volleyball player since Gr 9Andrew Richards naturally commands bothrespect and attention from his teammatesand coaches
ldquoHersquos the heart an d soul of the teamrdquoNielson said ldquoWhen he speaks we listenrdquoRichards started his volleyball journey
back when he was a Gr 8 student at JohnDearness public school
He loved the sport right away and knewhe wanted a spot on the competitive
Oakridge team Hersquos an outside hitterwho plays both the right and left sideeffortlessly
Outside of high school Richards isa beach volleyball champion recently
claiming both the under 16 and under17 titles Hersquos currently in Puerto Ricorepresenting Team Canada in the youthOlympic trials
After high school he plans to playuniversity volleyball but doesnrsquot have hissights set on one school in particular
AN DREW RI CH ARDSAG E 17 G RADE T W EL V EOAK RI DG E SECON DARY SCH OOL SP ORT V OL L EY BAL L
thequote
I used to be verycompetitive in tennisthen I discovered volleyballwas my passion
Do you know anexceptional athlete
Someone whorsquos a team player on the field at school and in thelocal community Nominate them for lsquoAthlete of the Weekrsquo by emailing lfpneighbourssunmediaca
silver
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 610
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 7
FanshawePark Rd
N
S t a n t o n D r i v e
H y d e P a r k R d
NORTHPLAZA
WALMARTFUTURESHOP
CANADIANTIRE
london
1422 FANSHAWE PARK ROAD bull 519-657-0112
storesnewbalancecomLondon
l o n d o n
NATIONALLY KNOWN bull LOCALLY OWNED
A DT S270 122 2
1269 Hyde Park Rd London N6H 5K6
5194723020Follow us on TwitterCrossingsgrill
ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook
Exciting Night of the year
join us for The Most
New Years Eve Dinner Party THREE DINNER SEATINGS
5pm 7pm and 9pm5 Course Meal
Glass of champagne for everyoneMidnight buffet for 9pm guest Phone for reservations
9 PP
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L
Lo
onn n H
1
4
F
lll
o
u
s
nnn
T
ii
rr
C o
r s i
i
gs ri
il
l
l
ldquo
Lik rdquo
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u
n Fa
ac
ook
5 Course Mealass o c ampagne or everyone
n g u e or pm gues one or reserva ons
A D TS27 607 41
Living in west London means winterrsquoswrath is nothing new But the heaps ofsnow that piled up in late November caughtmany motorists off guard Donrsquot get stuckin the snow and stop sliding through icystreets An early winter means the time towinterize your vehicle is now
Invest in winter tiresIf yoursquore driving a newer car thatrsquos not a
truck or an SUV yoursquoll likely want to investin a set of winter tires this season
ldquoIt all comes down to safetyrdquo says WayneHowie owner of Byron Automotive ldquoWitha snow tire you increase friction meaningbetter stability and traction when yoursquore onthe roadrdquo
Winter weather can limit traction puttingthe safety of drivers and their passengers in
jeopardy Winter tires can more effectivelyhandle roads that are covered in snow andice than all-season tires
Drivers of newer sedans and compactcars should definitely consider winter tiresThe high performance tires on many new
vehicles help with steering and controlbut do little to grip the road during icy andsnowy conditions
Another way to improve traction duringthe winter months is to constantly monitortire pressure which decreases more rapidlywhen the weather is cold Properly inflatedtires provide better traction and protectagainst damage that may occur when driv-ing over potholes
Test your anti-freezeOne of the most important things to
ensure when the mercury drops is thatyour anti-freeze is working properly Howiesays Make sure you have it tested and thatitrsquos strong enough to endure temperaturesas low as -30 C Most anti-freezes last fiveto seven years but get it tested regularlyWithout anti-freeze your vehicle couldcompletely shut down
Check your oilConsider a low-viscosity oil in the winter
The owners manual of your vehicle mayrecommend you use a lower viscositymotor oil to counter the dip in temperaturethats synonymous with winter When thetemperatures outside fall the oil insideyour vehicle thickens and a thicker oilwont circulate through the engine as wellThis can cause engine problems becausethe engine wont be adequately lubricatedA low-viscosity oil is naturally thinner soit may improve lubrication throughout thewinter The vehicle owners manual should
recommend oils based on climate If nottalk to your mechanic about changing fromthe oil you use throughout the year to a low-viscosity alternative during the winter
Inspect your vehicleNo one wants to be out on the road
during the first snowstorm of the yearonly to discover certain components arenot working properly Belts and hoseswhile durable can be put through strenu-ous conditions during the winter monthsso a close inspection of belts and hoses
should be conducted in late fall In additionwindshield wipers are especially importantin winter when snowfall can drasticallyimpact visibility You will want your wipersworking at full capacity once the winterbegins so replace older wipers (shelf lifefor standard wipers is typically one year)and use a de-icing windshield washer fluidto maximize visibility
Check your batteryAnother component that must be in-
spected is your cars battery Many drivershave experienced a dead battery which inwarm weather is more of a nuisance thana health concern In cold weather a deadbattery can threaten your health if you findyourself stranded in cold weather Espe-cially low temperatures can compromisea batterys power by as much as 50 sohave your battery inspected in late fall andreplace it if need be
Dont be caught off guardPart of winterizing a vehicle is being
prepared if the vehicle breaks down Make
sure you have extra washer fluid in yourvehicles trunk and dont forget to includean ice scraper snow brush or even a snowshovel in the trunk as well A snow shovelmay be necessary if you need to dig yourcar out if its been buried somewhere otherthan your driveway Other items to carry inyour trunk include a blanket a change ofclothes an extra hat an extra pair of glovessome nonperishable food and a few bottlesof water
ROAD SAFETY Simple steps drivers should take to winterize their vehicles and be prepared for emergencies
The snowstorm that hit at the end ofNovember causing headaches for localmotorists Stay safe on the roads thiswinter by taking proper care of your vehicle
Winterize your ride
YOUR SAFETY YOUR SCHOOLS
Pupils at John Dearnesspublic school are keeping itfresh this winter
The school is one of thefirst in the city to incorpo-rate fresh produce into itsannual food drive
The idea was sparked byColleen Jordan a formerJohn Dearness parent whowas inspired to add a f reshperspective to the schoolrsquostraditional food drive aftertaking a class in communityleadership
For Jordan adding fresh
food made sense on twofronts Itrsquos a way to teachchildren about makinghealthy food choices andit boosts the London FoodBankrsquos fresh produce stock
She called the campaignlsquoThe Ground Rulesrsquo
ldquoItrsquos all about makingyouth aware of healthy eat-
ing eating as close to theground as we canrdquo she said
Students were asked tobring in non-perishablesduring the week-long fooddrive and bring in their freshproduce on Friday morn-ing The London Food Bankpicked up nearly 100 boxesof food Friday afternoon
ldquoWe had over 100 boxesof food and we only have170 families at our schoolrdquosaid principal Tom BurnsldquoIrsquom so proud of thestudents and the school
community The responsewas fantasticrdquo
While John Dearness isthe first school in the areato incorporate fresh foodinto its food drive Jordanhas introduced the conceptto several other schools inthe area
NUTRITION John Dearness becomesfirst school to incorporate fresh food intoits annual collection
A fresh idea
Kelsey Shewgett and Camilyn Cheng carry boxes of freshfood ready to be donated to the London Food Bank
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 810
8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Community Office240Commissioners RdW (atKnights Hill Rd) Unit 106
London ONN6J 1Y1Phone 519-657-3120 | Fax 519-657-0368 | Email psattler-condponca
A D TS28 070 84
Your library opens the door to a lifetime of oppor tunities
This holiday season give the gift that enriches lives and
helps each member of our community reach their potential
DONATE TODAY
wwwlondonpubliclibrarycadonate
519-661-5100 x5460
more than everYou matter
A D TS28 080 81
Kitr as Ar t GlassKitras Art Glass
London Artist Philip Johnson
Wire Tree Sculptures$50 amp up
Hearts or Stars$2195 each
431 Boler Road at Byron-Baseline Rd
519 6411273 bull rivertowngalleriescom
GALLERIES
bull ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
bull CANVAS PRINTS
bull INSPIRATIONAL PIECES FOR ALL
bull C U STO M FR A MI N G SA LE
EX TEN D ED TI LL D EC 20TH
Village in the Laurentians canvas print 29rdquox36rdquoby Clarence Gagnon
Original Painting 40rdquox40rdquo by Joseph Capicotto A D TS2 711 175
Share Your Love For
All Things Italian
This Holiday Season
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER amp M ON - S AT - L UNCH amp D INNER
6675 BURTWISTLE LANE LONDON
FOR RESERVATIONS 519-652-7659 bull HWY 401 amp 4CLOSED DEC 23RD WILL RE-OPEN JAN 3RD
For Every $100 In Gift Cards
Purchased Recieve a $20 GiftCard Just For You
A D TS2 804 139
Why do you think itrsquos important to
support small businesses and localshops during the Chirstmas rush
Szpakowski I believe supporting smallbusinesses and locally owned shops helps tobuild strong communities that sustains vibrantneighbourhoods and connects residents
and shoppers to a network of economic and social relationships Remembering that localbusinesses are owned by people who live inthis community they are often family ownedbusinesses they employ local people and these
are folks who are less likely to leave and who are invested in the communityrsquos future
Peterson I always preach every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want to see theworld Every dollar spent on the web or in a USowned boxstore is a vote to say that is more ofwe want in the future It is the biggest retailtime of the year Of course it is important to
support local shops and small businesses
What are some of thebenefits to buying local
Szpakowski Where we shop where we eat andhave fun it all makes our community homeOur one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral
part of the distinctive character of Hyde Park
and are the making of Hyde Park becoming adestination spot
Peterson There is much more uniqueness tothe experience ndash from the gift that may be more
personal to the individual shopping in a local shop that has been decorated personally by the shop providing a warm inviting atmosphere(the true Christmas experience) and serviceThey can provide a service that big box storescant provide for that purchase
Where do you like to do your Christmas shopping
Szpakowski I love the smaller shops andthe ambience they offer It is such a pleasant
shopping experience over the crowds in thebig box environment Most of our shopping isdone in the Hyde Park corner from sending
gifts from Featherfields to family in Montreal to
purchasing Christmas decorations and trees atVan Horiks Im looking forward to purchasing
some unique olive oils at Olive-Me this year
Peterson Small shops I love the ChristmWasmagic of a small store especially coming in outof the cold to a warm inviting environmentmusic playing lights and decorations
YOUR COMMUNITY BUYING Independent stores and shops offer better shopping
experience than malls and big box stores
Move over mallsndash its all aboutlocal shopping
FOOD amp BEVERAGE Olive-Me amp Co 1570 Hyde Pk Rd Unit 7This independently ownedand operated olive oil bou-tique serves up a wide variety
of extra virgin olive oilsbalsamic vinegars spicesand olive oil-based beautyproducts All of the productsare hand poured bottledlabeled corked and sealed onsite Drop in and sample someof the worldrsquos finest olive oilsat the storersquos one-of-a-kindtasting room to make yourshopping experience trulyunique
Taste of Britain 1634 Hyde Park RdWhether yoursquore a transplant-ed Brit or a tried and trueCanadian therersquos somethingfor everyone at this familyowned shop From uniqueBritish foods like salty crispsand Yorkshire tea to EnglishPremiere League soccer gearthis novely shop is full ofquirky gifts
Forratrsquos Chocolates1304 Commissioners RdWest Unit 3
Forratrsquos specializes in qualityEuropean handcrafted trufflesand fine chocolates madefresh on site using naturalingredients Their mission isto bring chocolate back to theldquogood olrsquo daysrdquo when it wasan edible social experiencebefore pre-packaged massproduction Come in andwatch your favourite treatsmade fresh in store
Luscious Wines 1055 Sarnia RdThis award-winning neigh-bourhood winery givescustomers the chance tocraft their own unique wineblends using a selection ofquality wine kits They offerall-inclusive pricing with peeland stick customizable labelsWith experts on site to helpyou every step of the waycustomers get to enjoy a trulypersonalized wine-makingexperience
Ungers Market1010 Gainsborough Rd
For over 30 years Ungers Mar-ket has provided Hyde Parkfamilies with fresh produceand gourmet treats Stock upon holiday treats and goodies
with a visit to the bakery Allpies are made fresh ndash includ-ing the filling ndash in store
Remark Fresh Markets 1180 Oxford St WHome to the ingredients thatinspire the kind of home-cooked meals that leave yourguests asking for secondsRemark is more than just agrocery store Their bakedgoods desserts chocolatesand flowers make perfectgifts
HOME amp GARDEN Van Horiks Greenhouses
and Garden Centre 930 Gainsborough Rd
This greenhouse and gardengallery has everything youneed to get your home holidayready From fresh cut Christ-mas trees to custom wreathsto indoor ornaments theirwide selection will add a bit ofChristmas cheer to any h ome
Moonstone Path 1289 Commissioners Rd WThis mystical shop carries avariety of unique gift ideas forthe home From awe-inspiringcrystals and geods to scentedcandles totem stones andHimalyan salt lamps yoursquorebound to find something forthat quirky person on yourChristmas list
Rivertown Galleries 431 Boler RdOriginal paintings customframing and unique gifts froma variety of intriguing Cana-dian artists are just a few ofthe items that can be found inthis beautiful Byron gallery
Shelleyrsquos Unique Accentsand Furniture
1073 Gainsborough RdDedicated to creating one-of-a-kind small accent furnitureShelleyrsquos collection of solid
rustic Canadian pine piecesare all original making themgreat gifts Items can becustom ordered and finishedto your colour scheme
Pryde Furniture
1422 Fanshawe Park Rd WThis family-owned furniturestore has a wide variety ofhome deacutecor accessories atunbelievable prices Beauti-fully crafted pieces in a rangeof styles mean yoursquore boundto find something that willdazzle this holiday season
Murree Flowers 1274 Commissioners Rd WThis family owned andoperated flower shop is inthe heart of Byron Whetheryoursquore giving a bouquet orlooking for a festive arrange-ment to accompany yourholiday feast Muree Flowerswill make your experience one
to remember
HEALTH amp WELLNESS Hyde Park Massage
Therapy 1385 North Routledge ParkKnead out some of thatholiday stress with a deeptissue or hot stone massageor give the gift of relaxation tosomeone you love
Oakridge Wellness 759 Hyde Park Rd SGive the gift of a calm mindand a fit body th is ChristmasWith a roster of Anusarainspired yoga teachers thecentre is the perfect place torejuvenate and reset Stick to
your New Years resolutionsthis year with their regularyoga and pilates classes
PETS Natural Paws Pantry
1055 Sarnia RdDonrsquot forget yoursquore furryfriend this Christmas Stockup on natural pet food andtreats to keep your petrsquos bellyfull and healthy this holidayseason
Local Shopping Guide
The holiday season is here Why not swap yoursquore
usual stress inducing trip to the crowded
shopping malls for some local flavour
From the boutiques in Byron to the
one-of-a-kind niche shops in Hyde Park there are plenty of local options
LFP Neighbours caught up with Donna Szpakowski and Dr Kara Peterson from the
Hyde Park Business Association to find out some local holiday highlights
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 910
Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 510
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 5
It had the makings of a triumphantchampionship
The final match against a longtime rivalon homecourt fans screaming wildly in thestands alumni anxiously looking on
But when the buzzer sounded during thesenior boys volleyball OFSAA final at Oakridgesecondary school on Saturday the Oakswerenrsquot the ones emerging victorious Theylost by only two points in their final set to rivalsChatham-Kent Golden Hawks dashing theirdreams of OFSAA gold
But itrsquos the way the boys h andled themselvesduring the game and afterward that has headcoach Jamie Nielson beaming with pride nearlya week later
During the final set the Oaks were up 13-11when a call went against the team
ldquoAll of us jumped off the bench in reactionrdquoNielson said about the coaches ldquoWe were allupset and showing emotion My first reactionwas to calm the players down but as I lookedout on the floor all six of them were looking ateach other saying lsquoitrsquos OK itrsquos only one pointrsquoThat showed so much character and maturityItrsquos giving me chills right now thinking about itThatrsquos the sign of a champion teamrdquo
At the postgame dinner the boys laugh edand smiled they didnrsquot sulk or keep their headsdown They knew a silver finish was an accom-plishment they should be proud of ldquoWe wearour silver medals with priderdquo Nielson said
The bond the players shared this seasonwas truly unique They started out in Septem-ber as teammates and finished their season
as best friends Practising five days a weeksometimes six and traveling for tournaments
on weekends meant the team got to know eachother extremely wellldquoWersquove all become very closerdquo said Gr 12
student Mitchell Willoughby Team captain An-drew Richards echoed his remarks ldquoWe turnedinto best friends this year I know I have 12 guyswho will always have my backrdquo he said
Despite Saturdayrsquos heartbreaking loss theOaks had an excellent season They pulled off40 wins six losses and two ties this year Agreat performance from one of the best vol-leyball teams in Ontario
The Oakridge volleyball program is knownas one of the best in the province with a longlist of impressive alumni like Olympian PaulDuerden Nielson was also a former Oakridgevolleyball star and has spent nearly two de-cades coaching the team He says th e caliberof the program has only increased
ldquoWhen I played I thought the team we hadwas really good but the teams Irsquove coachedover the past few years wouldrsquove definitelycreamed usrdquo Nielson said
There were dozens of alumni cheering along-side fans and students on Saturday Belongingto such a tight knit program has an effect onthe players
ldquoTherersquos great respect among athletes ofOakridge volleyballrdquo Nielson said ldquoWersquove gota long strong history of guys giving back tothe program our boys want to continue thetraditionrdquo
SPORTS Oakridge senior boys volleyball squad stood tall afterheartbreaking loss in OFSAA final
Oaks and proud
TOP The team puts their arms aroundeach other during the National Anthemat the OFSAA final against Chatham
Oaks players cheer between sets duringtheir semi-final OFSAA game againstKingston Regiopolis-Notre Dame
YOUR SPORTS
A D TS26 953 01
50 Y EARS
OF FASHION EXPERTISE
Justoff Hwy41 mileSouth ofBlyth I 519-523-4595 I theoldmillca
facebookcomOldMillFashions
A DESTINATION FOR WORLD983085CLASS
FASHIONS SPORTSWEAR
AND ACCESSORIES IN ALL THE HIGH
FASHION BRANDS
THE OLD MILL ALSO SPECIALIZESIN
LEATHERSampWOOLS
FASHIONED FROM THEIR OWNTANNERIES
WISHESs tar t here
U N I Q U E G I F T
I T E M S
T h i n g s y o u w i l l n
o t
s e e i n e v e r y m a
l l
One stop Christmas
Shopping for thewhole family
A D TS27 2893 5
The Oakridge Oaks senior boys volleyball team standing tall and proud of their second place finishBottom from left to right Andrew Kolesnichenko Taylor Jordan Mitchell WilloughbyAndrew Richards Top from left to right Michael Kay Daiken Edwards Matt Mawdsley David DotyJon Shantz and Nathan Phelps Absent from the team picture Mark Vanderzyde and Adam Schmidt athlete
w
eekof the
About Andrew When it came time tochoose an MVP for the Oakridge seniorboys volleyball team head coach JamieNielson says the decision was unanimousAn Oakridge volleyball player since Gr 9Andrew Richards naturally commands bothrespect and attention from his teammatesand coaches
ldquoHersquos the heart an d soul of the teamrdquoNielson said ldquoWhen he speaks we listenrdquoRichards started his volleyball journey
back when he was a Gr 8 student at JohnDearness public school
He loved the sport right away and knewhe wanted a spot on the competitive
Oakridge team Hersquos an outside hitterwho plays both the right and left sideeffortlessly
Outside of high school Richards isa beach volleyball champion recently
claiming both the under 16 and under17 titles Hersquos currently in Puerto Ricorepresenting Team Canada in the youthOlympic trials
After high school he plans to playuniversity volleyball but doesnrsquot have hissights set on one school in particular
AN DREW RI CH ARDSAG E 17 G RADE T W EL V EOAK RI DG E SECON DARY SCH OOL SP ORT V OL L EY BAL L
thequote
I used to be verycompetitive in tennisthen I discovered volleyballwas my passion
Do you know anexceptional athlete
Someone whorsquos a team player on the field at school and in thelocal community Nominate them for lsquoAthlete of the Weekrsquo by emailing lfpneighbourssunmediaca
silver
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 610
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 710
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 7
FanshawePark Rd
N
S t a n t o n D r i v e
H y d e P a r k R d
NORTHPLAZA
WALMARTFUTURESHOP
CANADIANTIRE
london
1422 FANSHAWE PARK ROAD bull 519-657-0112
storesnewbalancecomLondon
l o n d o n
NATIONALLY KNOWN bull LOCALLY OWNED
A DT S270 122 2
1269 Hyde Park Rd London N6H 5K6
5194723020Follow us on TwitterCrossingsgrill
ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook
Exciting Night of the year
join us for The Most
New Years Eve Dinner Party THREE DINNER SEATINGS
5pm 7pm and 9pm5 Course Meal
Glass of champagne for everyoneMidnight buffet for 9pm guest Phone for reservations
9 PP
a
kk
d
L
Lo
onn n H
1
4
F
lll
o
u
s
nnn
T
ii
rr
C o
r s i
i
gs ri
il
l
l
ldquo
Lik rdquo
rdquo
u
n Fa
ac
ook
5 Course Mealass o c ampagne or everyone
n g u e or pm gues one or reserva ons
A D TS27 607 41
Living in west London means winterrsquoswrath is nothing new But the heaps ofsnow that piled up in late November caughtmany motorists off guard Donrsquot get stuckin the snow and stop sliding through icystreets An early winter means the time towinterize your vehicle is now
Invest in winter tiresIf yoursquore driving a newer car thatrsquos not a
truck or an SUV yoursquoll likely want to investin a set of winter tires this season
ldquoIt all comes down to safetyrdquo says WayneHowie owner of Byron Automotive ldquoWitha snow tire you increase friction meaningbetter stability and traction when yoursquore onthe roadrdquo
Winter weather can limit traction puttingthe safety of drivers and their passengers in
jeopardy Winter tires can more effectivelyhandle roads that are covered in snow andice than all-season tires
Drivers of newer sedans and compactcars should definitely consider winter tiresThe high performance tires on many new
vehicles help with steering and controlbut do little to grip the road during icy andsnowy conditions
Another way to improve traction duringthe winter months is to constantly monitortire pressure which decreases more rapidlywhen the weather is cold Properly inflatedtires provide better traction and protectagainst damage that may occur when driv-ing over potholes
Test your anti-freezeOne of the most important things to
ensure when the mercury drops is thatyour anti-freeze is working properly Howiesays Make sure you have it tested and thatitrsquos strong enough to endure temperaturesas low as -30 C Most anti-freezes last fiveto seven years but get it tested regularlyWithout anti-freeze your vehicle couldcompletely shut down
Check your oilConsider a low-viscosity oil in the winter
The owners manual of your vehicle mayrecommend you use a lower viscositymotor oil to counter the dip in temperaturethats synonymous with winter When thetemperatures outside fall the oil insideyour vehicle thickens and a thicker oilwont circulate through the engine as wellThis can cause engine problems becausethe engine wont be adequately lubricatedA low-viscosity oil is naturally thinner soit may improve lubrication throughout thewinter The vehicle owners manual should
recommend oils based on climate If nottalk to your mechanic about changing fromthe oil you use throughout the year to a low-viscosity alternative during the winter
Inspect your vehicleNo one wants to be out on the road
during the first snowstorm of the yearonly to discover certain components arenot working properly Belts and hoseswhile durable can be put through strenu-ous conditions during the winter monthsso a close inspection of belts and hoses
should be conducted in late fall In additionwindshield wipers are especially importantin winter when snowfall can drasticallyimpact visibility You will want your wipersworking at full capacity once the winterbegins so replace older wipers (shelf lifefor standard wipers is typically one year)and use a de-icing windshield washer fluidto maximize visibility
Check your batteryAnother component that must be in-
spected is your cars battery Many drivershave experienced a dead battery which inwarm weather is more of a nuisance thana health concern In cold weather a deadbattery can threaten your health if you findyourself stranded in cold weather Espe-cially low temperatures can compromisea batterys power by as much as 50 sohave your battery inspected in late fall andreplace it if need be
Dont be caught off guardPart of winterizing a vehicle is being
prepared if the vehicle breaks down Make
sure you have extra washer fluid in yourvehicles trunk and dont forget to includean ice scraper snow brush or even a snowshovel in the trunk as well A snow shovelmay be necessary if you need to dig yourcar out if its been buried somewhere otherthan your driveway Other items to carry inyour trunk include a blanket a change ofclothes an extra hat an extra pair of glovessome nonperishable food and a few bottlesof water
ROAD SAFETY Simple steps drivers should take to winterize their vehicles and be prepared for emergencies
The snowstorm that hit at the end ofNovember causing headaches for localmotorists Stay safe on the roads thiswinter by taking proper care of your vehicle
Winterize your ride
YOUR SAFETY YOUR SCHOOLS
Pupils at John Dearnesspublic school are keeping itfresh this winter
The school is one of thefirst in the city to incorpo-rate fresh produce into itsannual food drive
The idea was sparked byColleen Jordan a formerJohn Dearness parent whowas inspired to add a f reshperspective to the schoolrsquostraditional food drive aftertaking a class in communityleadership
For Jordan adding fresh
food made sense on twofronts Itrsquos a way to teachchildren about makinghealthy food choices andit boosts the London FoodBankrsquos fresh produce stock
She called the campaignlsquoThe Ground Rulesrsquo
ldquoItrsquos all about makingyouth aware of healthy eat-
ing eating as close to theground as we canrdquo she said
Students were asked tobring in non-perishablesduring the week-long fooddrive and bring in their freshproduce on Friday morn-ing The London Food Bankpicked up nearly 100 boxesof food Friday afternoon
ldquoWe had over 100 boxesof food and we only have170 families at our schoolrdquosaid principal Tom BurnsldquoIrsquom so proud of thestudents and the school
community The responsewas fantasticrdquo
While John Dearness isthe first school in the areato incorporate fresh foodinto its food drive Jordanhas introduced the conceptto several other schools inthe area
NUTRITION John Dearness becomesfirst school to incorporate fresh food intoits annual collection
A fresh idea
Kelsey Shewgett and Camilyn Cheng carry boxes of freshfood ready to be donated to the London Food Bank
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 810
8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Community Office240Commissioners RdW (atKnights Hill Rd) Unit 106
London ONN6J 1Y1Phone 519-657-3120 | Fax 519-657-0368 | Email psattler-condponca
A D TS28 070 84
Your library opens the door to a lifetime of oppor tunities
This holiday season give the gift that enriches lives and
helps each member of our community reach their potential
DONATE TODAY
wwwlondonpubliclibrarycadonate
519-661-5100 x5460
more than everYou matter
A D TS28 080 81
Kitr as Ar t GlassKitras Art Glass
London Artist Philip Johnson
Wire Tree Sculptures$50 amp up
Hearts or Stars$2195 each
431 Boler Road at Byron-Baseline Rd
519 6411273 bull rivertowngalleriescom
GALLERIES
bull ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
bull CANVAS PRINTS
bull INSPIRATIONAL PIECES FOR ALL
bull C U STO M FR A MI N G SA LE
EX TEN D ED TI LL D EC 20TH
Village in the Laurentians canvas print 29rdquox36rdquoby Clarence Gagnon
Original Painting 40rdquox40rdquo by Joseph Capicotto A D TS2 711 175
Share Your Love For
All Things Italian
This Holiday Season
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER amp M ON - S AT - L UNCH amp D INNER
6675 BURTWISTLE LANE LONDON
FOR RESERVATIONS 519-652-7659 bull HWY 401 amp 4CLOSED DEC 23RD WILL RE-OPEN JAN 3RD
For Every $100 In Gift Cards
Purchased Recieve a $20 GiftCard Just For You
A D TS2 804 139
Why do you think itrsquos important to
support small businesses and localshops during the Chirstmas rush
Szpakowski I believe supporting smallbusinesses and locally owned shops helps tobuild strong communities that sustains vibrantneighbourhoods and connects residents
and shoppers to a network of economic and social relationships Remembering that localbusinesses are owned by people who live inthis community they are often family ownedbusinesses they employ local people and these
are folks who are less likely to leave and who are invested in the communityrsquos future
Peterson I always preach every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want to see theworld Every dollar spent on the web or in a USowned boxstore is a vote to say that is more ofwe want in the future It is the biggest retailtime of the year Of course it is important to
support local shops and small businesses
What are some of thebenefits to buying local
Szpakowski Where we shop where we eat andhave fun it all makes our community homeOur one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral
part of the distinctive character of Hyde Park
and are the making of Hyde Park becoming adestination spot
Peterson There is much more uniqueness tothe experience ndash from the gift that may be more
personal to the individual shopping in a local shop that has been decorated personally by the shop providing a warm inviting atmosphere(the true Christmas experience) and serviceThey can provide a service that big box storescant provide for that purchase
Where do you like to do your Christmas shopping
Szpakowski I love the smaller shops andthe ambience they offer It is such a pleasant
shopping experience over the crowds in thebig box environment Most of our shopping isdone in the Hyde Park corner from sending
gifts from Featherfields to family in Montreal to
purchasing Christmas decorations and trees atVan Horiks Im looking forward to purchasing
some unique olive oils at Olive-Me this year
Peterson Small shops I love the ChristmWasmagic of a small store especially coming in outof the cold to a warm inviting environmentmusic playing lights and decorations
YOUR COMMUNITY BUYING Independent stores and shops offer better shopping
experience than malls and big box stores
Move over mallsndash its all aboutlocal shopping
FOOD amp BEVERAGE Olive-Me amp Co 1570 Hyde Pk Rd Unit 7This independently ownedand operated olive oil bou-tique serves up a wide variety
of extra virgin olive oilsbalsamic vinegars spicesand olive oil-based beautyproducts All of the productsare hand poured bottledlabeled corked and sealed onsite Drop in and sample someof the worldrsquos finest olive oilsat the storersquos one-of-a-kindtasting room to make yourshopping experience trulyunique
Taste of Britain 1634 Hyde Park RdWhether yoursquore a transplant-ed Brit or a tried and trueCanadian therersquos somethingfor everyone at this familyowned shop From uniqueBritish foods like salty crispsand Yorkshire tea to EnglishPremiere League soccer gearthis novely shop is full ofquirky gifts
Forratrsquos Chocolates1304 Commissioners RdWest Unit 3
Forratrsquos specializes in qualityEuropean handcrafted trufflesand fine chocolates madefresh on site using naturalingredients Their mission isto bring chocolate back to theldquogood olrsquo daysrdquo when it wasan edible social experiencebefore pre-packaged massproduction Come in andwatch your favourite treatsmade fresh in store
Luscious Wines 1055 Sarnia RdThis award-winning neigh-bourhood winery givescustomers the chance tocraft their own unique wineblends using a selection ofquality wine kits They offerall-inclusive pricing with peeland stick customizable labelsWith experts on site to helpyou every step of the waycustomers get to enjoy a trulypersonalized wine-makingexperience
Ungers Market1010 Gainsborough Rd
For over 30 years Ungers Mar-ket has provided Hyde Parkfamilies with fresh produceand gourmet treats Stock upon holiday treats and goodies
with a visit to the bakery Allpies are made fresh ndash includ-ing the filling ndash in store
Remark Fresh Markets 1180 Oxford St WHome to the ingredients thatinspire the kind of home-cooked meals that leave yourguests asking for secondsRemark is more than just agrocery store Their bakedgoods desserts chocolatesand flowers make perfectgifts
HOME amp GARDEN Van Horiks Greenhouses
and Garden Centre 930 Gainsborough Rd
This greenhouse and gardengallery has everything youneed to get your home holidayready From fresh cut Christ-mas trees to custom wreathsto indoor ornaments theirwide selection will add a bit ofChristmas cheer to any h ome
Moonstone Path 1289 Commissioners Rd WThis mystical shop carries avariety of unique gift ideas forthe home From awe-inspiringcrystals and geods to scentedcandles totem stones andHimalyan salt lamps yoursquorebound to find something forthat quirky person on yourChristmas list
Rivertown Galleries 431 Boler RdOriginal paintings customframing and unique gifts froma variety of intriguing Cana-dian artists are just a few ofthe items that can be found inthis beautiful Byron gallery
Shelleyrsquos Unique Accentsand Furniture
1073 Gainsborough RdDedicated to creating one-of-a-kind small accent furnitureShelleyrsquos collection of solid
rustic Canadian pine piecesare all original making themgreat gifts Items can becustom ordered and finishedto your colour scheme
Pryde Furniture
1422 Fanshawe Park Rd WThis family-owned furniturestore has a wide variety ofhome deacutecor accessories atunbelievable prices Beauti-fully crafted pieces in a rangeof styles mean yoursquore boundto find something that willdazzle this holiday season
Murree Flowers 1274 Commissioners Rd WThis family owned andoperated flower shop is inthe heart of Byron Whetheryoursquore giving a bouquet orlooking for a festive arrange-ment to accompany yourholiday feast Muree Flowerswill make your experience one
to remember
HEALTH amp WELLNESS Hyde Park Massage
Therapy 1385 North Routledge ParkKnead out some of thatholiday stress with a deeptissue or hot stone massageor give the gift of relaxation tosomeone you love
Oakridge Wellness 759 Hyde Park Rd SGive the gift of a calm mindand a fit body th is ChristmasWith a roster of Anusarainspired yoga teachers thecentre is the perfect place torejuvenate and reset Stick to
your New Years resolutionsthis year with their regularyoga and pilates classes
PETS Natural Paws Pantry
1055 Sarnia RdDonrsquot forget yoursquore furryfriend this Christmas Stockup on natural pet food andtreats to keep your petrsquos bellyfull and healthy this holidayseason
Local Shopping Guide
The holiday season is here Why not swap yoursquore
usual stress inducing trip to the crowded
shopping malls for some local flavour
From the boutiques in Byron to the
one-of-a-kind niche shops in Hyde Park there are plenty of local options
LFP Neighbours caught up with Donna Szpakowski and Dr Kara Peterson from the
Hyde Park Business Association to find out some local holiday highlights
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 910
Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 610
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 710
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 7
FanshawePark Rd
N
S t a n t o n D r i v e
H y d e P a r k R d
NORTHPLAZA
WALMARTFUTURESHOP
CANADIANTIRE
london
1422 FANSHAWE PARK ROAD bull 519-657-0112
storesnewbalancecomLondon
l o n d o n
NATIONALLY KNOWN bull LOCALLY OWNED
A DT S270 122 2
1269 Hyde Park Rd London N6H 5K6
5194723020Follow us on TwitterCrossingsgrill
ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook
Exciting Night of the year
join us for The Most
New Years Eve Dinner Party THREE DINNER SEATINGS
5pm 7pm and 9pm5 Course Meal
Glass of champagne for everyoneMidnight buffet for 9pm guest Phone for reservations
9 PP
a
kk
d
L
Lo
onn n H
1
4
F
lll
o
u
s
nnn
T
ii
rr
C o
r s i
i
gs ri
il
l
l
ldquo
Lik rdquo
rdquo
u
n Fa
ac
ook
5 Course Mealass o c ampagne or everyone
n g u e or pm gues one or reserva ons
A D TS27 607 41
Living in west London means winterrsquoswrath is nothing new But the heaps ofsnow that piled up in late November caughtmany motorists off guard Donrsquot get stuckin the snow and stop sliding through icystreets An early winter means the time towinterize your vehicle is now
Invest in winter tiresIf yoursquore driving a newer car thatrsquos not a
truck or an SUV yoursquoll likely want to investin a set of winter tires this season
ldquoIt all comes down to safetyrdquo says WayneHowie owner of Byron Automotive ldquoWitha snow tire you increase friction meaningbetter stability and traction when yoursquore onthe roadrdquo
Winter weather can limit traction puttingthe safety of drivers and their passengers in
jeopardy Winter tires can more effectivelyhandle roads that are covered in snow andice than all-season tires
Drivers of newer sedans and compactcars should definitely consider winter tiresThe high performance tires on many new
vehicles help with steering and controlbut do little to grip the road during icy andsnowy conditions
Another way to improve traction duringthe winter months is to constantly monitortire pressure which decreases more rapidlywhen the weather is cold Properly inflatedtires provide better traction and protectagainst damage that may occur when driv-ing over potholes
Test your anti-freezeOne of the most important things to
ensure when the mercury drops is thatyour anti-freeze is working properly Howiesays Make sure you have it tested and thatitrsquos strong enough to endure temperaturesas low as -30 C Most anti-freezes last fiveto seven years but get it tested regularlyWithout anti-freeze your vehicle couldcompletely shut down
Check your oilConsider a low-viscosity oil in the winter
The owners manual of your vehicle mayrecommend you use a lower viscositymotor oil to counter the dip in temperaturethats synonymous with winter When thetemperatures outside fall the oil insideyour vehicle thickens and a thicker oilwont circulate through the engine as wellThis can cause engine problems becausethe engine wont be adequately lubricatedA low-viscosity oil is naturally thinner soit may improve lubrication throughout thewinter The vehicle owners manual should
recommend oils based on climate If nottalk to your mechanic about changing fromthe oil you use throughout the year to a low-viscosity alternative during the winter
Inspect your vehicleNo one wants to be out on the road
during the first snowstorm of the yearonly to discover certain components arenot working properly Belts and hoseswhile durable can be put through strenu-ous conditions during the winter monthsso a close inspection of belts and hoses
should be conducted in late fall In additionwindshield wipers are especially importantin winter when snowfall can drasticallyimpact visibility You will want your wipersworking at full capacity once the winterbegins so replace older wipers (shelf lifefor standard wipers is typically one year)and use a de-icing windshield washer fluidto maximize visibility
Check your batteryAnother component that must be in-
spected is your cars battery Many drivershave experienced a dead battery which inwarm weather is more of a nuisance thana health concern In cold weather a deadbattery can threaten your health if you findyourself stranded in cold weather Espe-cially low temperatures can compromisea batterys power by as much as 50 sohave your battery inspected in late fall andreplace it if need be
Dont be caught off guardPart of winterizing a vehicle is being
prepared if the vehicle breaks down Make
sure you have extra washer fluid in yourvehicles trunk and dont forget to includean ice scraper snow brush or even a snowshovel in the trunk as well A snow shovelmay be necessary if you need to dig yourcar out if its been buried somewhere otherthan your driveway Other items to carry inyour trunk include a blanket a change ofclothes an extra hat an extra pair of glovessome nonperishable food and a few bottlesof water
ROAD SAFETY Simple steps drivers should take to winterize their vehicles and be prepared for emergencies
The snowstorm that hit at the end ofNovember causing headaches for localmotorists Stay safe on the roads thiswinter by taking proper care of your vehicle
Winterize your ride
YOUR SAFETY YOUR SCHOOLS
Pupils at John Dearnesspublic school are keeping itfresh this winter
The school is one of thefirst in the city to incorpo-rate fresh produce into itsannual food drive
The idea was sparked byColleen Jordan a formerJohn Dearness parent whowas inspired to add a f reshperspective to the schoolrsquostraditional food drive aftertaking a class in communityleadership
For Jordan adding fresh
food made sense on twofronts Itrsquos a way to teachchildren about makinghealthy food choices andit boosts the London FoodBankrsquos fresh produce stock
She called the campaignlsquoThe Ground Rulesrsquo
ldquoItrsquos all about makingyouth aware of healthy eat-
ing eating as close to theground as we canrdquo she said
Students were asked tobring in non-perishablesduring the week-long fooddrive and bring in their freshproduce on Friday morn-ing The London Food Bankpicked up nearly 100 boxesof food Friday afternoon
ldquoWe had over 100 boxesof food and we only have170 families at our schoolrdquosaid principal Tom BurnsldquoIrsquom so proud of thestudents and the school
community The responsewas fantasticrdquo
While John Dearness isthe first school in the areato incorporate fresh foodinto its food drive Jordanhas introduced the conceptto several other schools inthe area
NUTRITION John Dearness becomesfirst school to incorporate fresh food intoits annual collection
A fresh idea
Kelsey Shewgett and Camilyn Cheng carry boxes of freshfood ready to be donated to the London Food Bank
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 810
8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Community Office240Commissioners RdW (atKnights Hill Rd) Unit 106
London ONN6J 1Y1Phone 519-657-3120 | Fax 519-657-0368 | Email psattler-condponca
A D TS28 070 84
Your library opens the door to a lifetime of oppor tunities
This holiday season give the gift that enriches lives and
helps each member of our community reach their potential
DONATE TODAY
wwwlondonpubliclibrarycadonate
519-661-5100 x5460
more than everYou matter
A D TS28 080 81
Kitr as Ar t GlassKitras Art Glass
London Artist Philip Johnson
Wire Tree Sculptures$50 amp up
Hearts or Stars$2195 each
431 Boler Road at Byron-Baseline Rd
519 6411273 bull rivertowngalleriescom
GALLERIES
bull ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
bull CANVAS PRINTS
bull INSPIRATIONAL PIECES FOR ALL
bull C U STO M FR A MI N G SA LE
EX TEN D ED TI LL D EC 20TH
Village in the Laurentians canvas print 29rdquox36rdquoby Clarence Gagnon
Original Painting 40rdquox40rdquo by Joseph Capicotto A D TS2 711 175
Share Your Love For
All Things Italian
This Holiday Season
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER amp M ON - S AT - L UNCH amp D INNER
6675 BURTWISTLE LANE LONDON
FOR RESERVATIONS 519-652-7659 bull HWY 401 amp 4CLOSED DEC 23RD WILL RE-OPEN JAN 3RD
For Every $100 In Gift Cards
Purchased Recieve a $20 GiftCard Just For You
A D TS2 804 139
Why do you think itrsquos important to
support small businesses and localshops during the Chirstmas rush
Szpakowski I believe supporting smallbusinesses and locally owned shops helps tobuild strong communities that sustains vibrantneighbourhoods and connects residents
and shoppers to a network of economic and social relationships Remembering that localbusinesses are owned by people who live inthis community they are often family ownedbusinesses they employ local people and these
are folks who are less likely to leave and who are invested in the communityrsquos future
Peterson I always preach every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want to see theworld Every dollar spent on the web or in a USowned boxstore is a vote to say that is more ofwe want in the future It is the biggest retailtime of the year Of course it is important to
support local shops and small businesses
What are some of thebenefits to buying local
Szpakowski Where we shop where we eat andhave fun it all makes our community homeOur one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral
part of the distinctive character of Hyde Park
and are the making of Hyde Park becoming adestination spot
Peterson There is much more uniqueness tothe experience ndash from the gift that may be more
personal to the individual shopping in a local shop that has been decorated personally by the shop providing a warm inviting atmosphere(the true Christmas experience) and serviceThey can provide a service that big box storescant provide for that purchase
Where do you like to do your Christmas shopping
Szpakowski I love the smaller shops andthe ambience they offer It is such a pleasant
shopping experience over the crowds in thebig box environment Most of our shopping isdone in the Hyde Park corner from sending
gifts from Featherfields to family in Montreal to
purchasing Christmas decorations and trees atVan Horiks Im looking forward to purchasing
some unique olive oils at Olive-Me this year
Peterson Small shops I love the ChristmWasmagic of a small store especially coming in outof the cold to a warm inviting environmentmusic playing lights and decorations
YOUR COMMUNITY BUYING Independent stores and shops offer better shopping
experience than malls and big box stores
Move over mallsndash its all aboutlocal shopping
FOOD amp BEVERAGE Olive-Me amp Co 1570 Hyde Pk Rd Unit 7This independently ownedand operated olive oil bou-tique serves up a wide variety
of extra virgin olive oilsbalsamic vinegars spicesand olive oil-based beautyproducts All of the productsare hand poured bottledlabeled corked and sealed onsite Drop in and sample someof the worldrsquos finest olive oilsat the storersquos one-of-a-kindtasting room to make yourshopping experience trulyunique
Taste of Britain 1634 Hyde Park RdWhether yoursquore a transplant-ed Brit or a tried and trueCanadian therersquos somethingfor everyone at this familyowned shop From uniqueBritish foods like salty crispsand Yorkshire tea to EnglishPremiere League soccer gearthis novely shop is full ofquirky gifts
Forratrsquos Chocolates1304 Commissioners RdWest Unit 3
Forratrsquos specializes in qualityEuropean handcrafted trufflesand fine chocolates madefresh on site using naturalingredients Their mission isto bring chocolate back to theldquogood olrsquo daysrdquo when it wasan edible social experiencebefore pre-packaged massproduction Come in andwatch your favourite treatsmade fresh in store
Luscious Wines 1055 Sarnia RdThis award-winning neigh-bourhood winery givescustomers the chance tocraft their own unique wineblends using a selection ofquality wine kits They offerall-inclusive pricing with peeland stick customizable labelsWith experts on site to helpyou every step of the waycustomers get to enjoy a trulypersonalized wine-makingexperience
Ungers Market1010 Gainsborough Rd
For over 30 years Ungers Mar-ket has provided Hyde Parkfamilies with fresh produceand gourmet treats Stock upon holiday treats and goodies
with a visit to the bakery Allpies are made fresh ndash includ-ing the filling ndash in store
Remark Fresh Markets 1180 Oxford St WHome to the ingredients thatinspire the kind of home-cooked meals that leave yourguests asking for secondsRemark is more than just agrocery store Their bakedgoods desserts chocolatesand flowers make perfectgifts
HOME amp GARDEN Van Horiks Greenhouses
and Garden Centre 930 Gainsborough Rd
This greenhouse and gardengallery has everything youneed to get your home holidayready From fresh cut Christ-mas trees to custom wreathsto indoor ornaments theirwide selection will add a bit ofChristmas cheer to any h ome
Moonstone Path 1289 Commissioners Rd WThis mystical shop carries avariety of unique gift ideas forthe home From awe-inspiringcrystals and geods to scentedcandles totem stones andHimalyan salt lamps yoursquorebound to find something forthat quirky person on yourChristmas list
Rivertown Galleries 431 Boler RdOriginal paintings customframing and unique gifts froma variety of intriguing Cana-dian artists are just a few ofthe items that can be found inthis beautiful Byron gallery
Shelleyrsquos Unique Accentsand Furniture
1073 Gainsborough RdDedicated to creating one-of-a-kind small accent furnitureShelleyrsquos collection of solid
rustic Canadian pine piecesare all original making themgreat gifts Items can becustom ordered and finishedto your colour scheme
Pryde Furniture
1422 Fanshawe Park Rd WThis family-owned furniturestore has a wide variety ofhome deacutecor accessories atunbelievable prices Beauti-fully crafted pieces in a rangeof styles mean yoursquore boundto find something that willdazzle this holiday season
Murree Flowers 1274 Commissioners Rd WThis family owned andoperated flower shop is inthe heart of Byron Whetheryoursquore giving a bouquet orlooking for a festive arrange-ment to accompany yourholiday feast Muree Flowerswill make your experience one
to remember
HEALTH amp WELLNESS Hyde Park Massage
Therapy 1385 North Routledge ParkKnead out some of thatholiday stress with a deeptissue or hot stone massageor give the gift of relaxation tosomeone you love
Oakridge Wellness 759 Hyde Park Rd SGive the gift of a calm mindand a fit body th is ChristmasWith a roster of Anusarainspired yoga teachers thecentre is the perfect place torejuvenate and reset Stick to
your New Years resolutionsthis year with their regularyoga and pilates classes
PETS Natural Paws Pantry
1055 Sarnia RdDonrsquot forget yoursquore furryfriend this Christmas Stockup on natural pet food andtreats to keep your petrsquos bellyfull and healthy this holidayseason
Local Shopping Guide
The holiday season is here Why not swap yoursquore
usual stress inducing trip to the crowded
shopping malls for some local flavour
From the boutiques in Byron to the
one-of-a-kind niche shops in Hyde Park there are plenty of local options
LFP Neighbours caught up with Donna Szpakowski and Dr Kara Peterson from the
Hyde Park Business Association to find out some local holiday highlights
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 910
Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 710
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 7
FanshawePark Rd
N
S t a n t o n D r i v e
H y d e P a r k R d
NORTHPLAZA
WALMARTFUTURESHOP
CANADIANTIRE
london
1422 FANSHAWE PARK ROAD bull 519-657-0112
storesnewbalancecomLondon
l o n d o n
NATIONALLY KNOWN bull LOCALLY OWNED
A DT S270 122 2
1269 Hyde Park Rd London N6H 5K6
5194723020Follow us on TwitterCrossingsgrill
ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook
Exciting Night of the year
join us for The Most
New Years Eve Dinner Party THREE DINNER SEATINGS
5pm 7pm and 9pm5 Course Meal
Glass of champagne for everyoneMidnight buffet for 9pm guest Phone for reservations
9 PP
a
kk
d
L
Lo
onn n H
1
4
F
lll
o
u
s
nnn
T
ii
rr
C o
r s i
i
gs ri
il
l
l
ldquo
Lik rdquo
rdquo
u
n Fa
ac
ook
5 Course Mealass o c ampagne or everyone
n g u e or pm gues one or reserva ons
A D TS27 607 41
Living in west London means winterrsquoswrath is nothing new But the heaps ofsnow that piled up in late November caughtmany motorists off guard Donrsquot get stuckin the snow and stop sliding through icystreets An early winter means the time towinterize your vehicle is now
Invest in winter tiresIf yoursquore driving a newer car thatrsquos not a
truck or an SUV yoursquoll likely want to investin a set of winter tires this season
ldquoIt all comes down to safetyrdquo says WayneHowie owner of Byron Automotive ldquoWitha snow tire you increase friction meaningbetter stability and traction when yoursquore onthe roadrdquo
Winter weather can limit traction puttingthe safety of drivers and their passengers in
jeopardy Winter tires can more effectivelyhandle roads that are covered in snow andice than all-season tires
Drivers of newer sedans and compactcars should definitely consider winter tiresThe high performance tires on many new
vehicles help with steering and controlbut do little to grip the road during icy andsnowy conditions
Another way to improve traction duringthe winter months is to constantly monitortire pressure which decreases more rapidlywhen the weather is cold Properly inflatedtires provide better traction and protectagainst damage that may occur when driv-ing over potholes
Test your anti-freezeOne of the most important things to
ensure when the mercury drops is thatyour anti-freeze is working properly Howiesays Make sure you have it tested and thatitrsquos strong enough to endure temperaturesas low as -30 C Most anti-freezes last fiveto seven years but get it tested regularlyWithout anti-freeze your vehicle couldcompletely shut down
Check your oilConsider a low-viscosity oil in the winter
The owners manual of your vehicle mayrecommend you use a lower viscositymotor oil to counter the dip in temperaturethats synonymous with winter When thetemperatures outside fall the oil insideyour vehicle thickens and a thicker oilwont circulate through the engine as wellThis can cause engine problems becausethe engine wont be adequately lubricatedA low-viscosity oil is naturally thinner soit may improve lubrication throughout thewinter The vehicle owners manual should
recommend oils based on climate If nottalk to your mechanic about changing fromthe oil you use throughout the year to a low-viscosity alternative during the winter
Inspect your vehicleNo one wants to be out on the road
during the first snowstorm of the yearonly to discover certain components arenot working properly Belts and hoseswhile durable can be put through strenu-ous conditions during the winter monthsso a close inspection of belts and hoses
should be conducted in late fall In additionwindshield wipers are especially importantin winter when snowfall can drasticallyimpact visibility You will want your wipersworking at full capacity once the winterbegins so replace older wipers (shelf lifefor standard wipers is typically one year)and use a de-icing windshield washer fluidto maximize visibility
Check your batteryAnother component that must be in-
spected is your cars battery Many drivershave experienced a dead battery which inwarm weather is more of a nuisance thana health concern In cold weather a deadbattery can threaten your health if you findyourself stranded in cold weather Espe-cially low temperatures can compromisea batterys power by as much as 50 sohave your battery inspected in late fall andreplace it if need be
Dont be caught off guardPart of winterizing a vehicle is being
prepared if the vehicle breaks down Make
sure you have extra washer fluid in yourvehicles trunk and dont forget to includean ice scraper snow brush or even a snowshovel in the trunk as well A snow shovelmay be necessary if you need to dig yourcar out if its been buried somewhere otherthan your driveway Other items to carry inyour trunk include a blanket a change ofclothes an extra hat an extra pair of glovessome nonperishable food and a few bottlesof water
ROAD SAFETY Simple steps drivers should take to winterize their vehicles and be prepared for emergencies
The snowstorm that hit at the end ofNovember causing headaches for localmotorists Stay safe on the roads thiswinter by taking proper care of your vehicle
Winterize your ride
YOUR SAFETY YOUR SCHOOLS
Pupils at John Dearnesspublic school are keeping itfresh this winter
The school is one of thefirst in the city to incorpo-rate fresh produce into itsannual food drive
The idea was sparked byColleen Jordan a formerJohn Dearness parent whowas inspired to add a f reshperspective to the schoolrsquostraditional food drive aftertaking a class in communityleadership
For Jordan adding fresh
food made sense on twofronts Itrsquos a way to teachchildren about makinghealthy food choices andit boosts the London FoodBankrsquos fresh produce stock
She called the campaignlsquoThe Ground Rulesrsquo
ldquoItrsquos all about makingyouth aware of healthy eat-
ing eating as close to theground as we canrdquo she said
Students were asked tobring in non-perishablesduring the week-long fooddrive and bring in their freshproduce on Friday morn-ing The London Food Bankpicked up nearly 100 boxesof food Friday afternoon
ldquoWe had over 100 boxesof food and we only have170 families at our schoolrdquosaid principal Tom BurnsldquoIrsquom so proud of thestudents and the school
community The responsewas fantasticrdquo
While John Dearness isthe first school in the areato incorporate fresh foodinto its food drive Jordanhas introduced the conceptto several other schools inthe area
NUTRITION John Dearness becomesfirst school to incorporate fresh food intoits annual collection
A fresh idea
Kelsey Shewgett and Camilyn Cheng carry boxes of freshfood ready to be donated to the London Food Bank
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 810
8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Community Office240Commissioners RdW (atKnights Hill Rd) Unit 106
London ONN6J 1Y1Phone 519-657-3120 | Fax 519-657-0368 | Email psattler-condponca
A D TS28 070 84
Your library opens the door to a lifetime of oppor tunities
This holiday season give the gift that enriches lives and
helps each member of our community reach their potential
DONATE TODAY
wwwlondonpubliclibrarycadonate
519-661-5100 x5460
more than everYou matter
A D TS28 080 81
Kitr as Ar t GlassKitras Art Glass
London Artist Philip Johnson
Wire Tree Sculptures$50 amp up
Hearts or Stars$2195 each
431 Boler Road at Byron-Baseline Rd
519 6411273 bull rivertowngalleriescom
GALLERIES
bull ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
bull CANVAS PRINTS
bull INSPIRATIONAL PIECES FOR ALL
bull C U STO M FR A MI N G SA LE
EX TEN D ED TI LL D EC 20TH
Village in the Laurentians canvas print 29rdquox36rdquoby Clarence Gagnon
Original Painting 40rdquox40rdquo by Joseph Capicotto A D TS2 711 175
Share Your Love For
All Things Italian
This Holiday Season
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER amp M ON - S AT - L UNCH amp D INNER
6675 BURTWISTLE LANE LONDON
FOR RESERVATIONS 519-652-7659 bull HWY 401 amp 4CLOSED DEC 23RD WILL RE-OPEN JAN 3RD
For Every $100 In Gift Cards
Purchased Recieve a $20 GiftCard Just For You
A D TS2 804 139
Why do you think itrsquos important to
support small businesses and localshops during the Chirstmas rush
Szpakowski I believe supporting smallbusinesses and locally owned shops helps tobuild strong communities that sustains vibrantneighbourhoods and connects residents
and shoppers to a network of economic and social relationships Remembering that localbusinesses are owned by people who live inthis community they are often family ownedbusinesses they employ local people and these
are folks who are less likely to leave and who are invested in the communityrsquos future
Peterson I always preach every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want to see theworld Every dollar spent on the web or in a USowned boxstore is a vote to say that is more ofwe want in the future It is the biggest retailtime of the year Of course it is important to
support local shops and small businesses
What are some of thebenefits to buying local
Szpakowski Where we shop where we eat andhave fun it all makes our community homeOur one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral
part of the distinctive character of Hyde Park
and are the making of Hyde Park becoming adestination spot
Peterson There is much more uniqueness tothe experience ndash from the gift that may be more
personal to the individual shopping in a local shop that has been decorated personally by the shop providing a warm inviting atmosphere(the true Christmas experience) and serviceThey can provide a service that big box storescant provide for that purchase
Where do you like to do your Christmas shopping
Szpakowski I love the smaller shops andthe ambience they offer It is such a pleasant
shopping experience over the crowds in thebig box environment Most of our shopping isdone in the Hyde Park corner from sending
gifts from Featherfields to family in Montreal to
purchasing Christmas decorations and trees atVan Horiks Im looking forward to purchasing
some unique olive oils at Olive-Me this year
Peterson Small shops I love the ChristmWasmagic of a small store especially coming in outof the cold to a warm inviting environmentmusic playing lights and decorations
YOUR COMMUNITY BUYING Independent stores and shops offer better shopping
experience than malls and big box stores
Move over mallsndash its all aboutlocal shopping
FOOD amp BEVERAGE Olive-Me amp Co 1570 Hyde Pk Rd Unit 7This independently ownedand operated olive oil bou-tique serves up a wide variety
of extra virgin olive oilsbalsamic vinegars spicesand olive oil-based beautyproducts All of the productsare hand poured bottledlabeled corked and sealed onsite Drop in and sample someof the worldrsquos finest olive oilsat the storersquos one-of-a-kindtasting room to make yourshopping experience trulyunique
Taste of Britain 1634 Hyde Park RdWhether yoursquore a transplant-ed Brit or a tried and trueCanadian therersquos somethingfor everyone at this familyowned shop From uniqueBritish foods like salty crispsand Yorkshire tea to EnglishPremiere League soccer gearthis novely shop is full ofquirky gifts
Forratrsquos Chocolates1304 Commissioners RdWest Unit 3
Forratrsquos specializes in qualityEuropean handcrafted trufflesand fine chocolates madefresh on site using naturalingredients Their mission isto bring chocolate back to theldquogood olrsquo daysrdquo when it wasan edible social experiencebefore pre-packaged massproduction Come in andwatch your favourite treatsmade fresh in store
Luscious Wines 1055 Sarnia RdThis award-winning neigh-bourhood winery givescustomers the chance tocraft their own unique wineblends using a selection ofquality wine kits They offerall-inclusive pricing with peeland stick customizable labelsWith experts on site to helpyou every step of the waycustomers get to enjoy a trulypersonalized wine-makingexperience
Ungers Market1010 Gainsborough Rd
For over 30 years Ungers Mar-ket has provided Hyde Parkfamilies with fresh produceand gourmet treats Stock upon holiday treats and goodies
with a visit to the bakery Allpies are made fresh ndash includ-ing the filling ndash in store
Remark Fresh Markets 1180 Oxford St WHome to the ingredients thatinspire the kind of home-cooked meals that leave yourguests asking for secondsRemark is more than just agrocery store Their bakedgoods desserts chocolatesand flowers make perfectgifts
HOME amp GARDEN Van Horiks Greenhouses
and Garden Centre 930 Gainsborough Rd
This greenhouse and gardengallery has everything youneed to get your home holidayready From fresh cut Christ-mas trees to custom wreathsto indoor ornaments theirwide selection will add a bit ofChristmas cheer to any h ome
Moonstone Path 1289 Commissioners Rd WThis mystical shop carries avariety of unique gift ideas forthe home From awe-inspiringcrystals and geods to scentedcandles totem stones andHimalyan salt lamps yoursquorebound to find something forthat quirky person on yourChristmas list
Rivertown Galleries 431 Boler RdOriginal paintings customframing and unique gifts froma variety of intriguing Cana-dian artists are just a few ofthe items that can be found inthis beautiful Byron gallery
Shelleyrsquos Unique Accentsand Furniture
1073 Gainsborough RdDedicated to creating one-of-a-kind small accent furnitureShelleyrsquos collection of solid
rustic Canadian pine piecesare all original making themgreat gifts Items can becustom ordered and finishedto your colour scheme
Pryde Furniture
1422 Fanshawe Park Rd WThis family-owned furniturestore has a wide variety ofhome deacutecor accessories atunbelievable prices Beauti-fully crafted pieces in a rangeof styles mean yoursquore boundto find something that willdazzle this holiday season
Murree Flowers 1274 Commissioners Rd WThis family owned andoperated flower shop is inthe heart of Byron Whetheryoursquore giving a bouquet orlooking for a festive arrange-ment to accompany yourholiday feast Muree Flowerswill make your experience one
to remember
HEALTH amp WELLNESS Hyde Park Massage
Therapy 1385 North Routledge ParkKnead out some of thatholiday stress with a deeptissue or hot stone massageor give the gift of relaxation tosomeone you love
Oakridge Wellness 759 Hyde Park Rd SGive the gift of a calm mindand a fit body th is ChristmasWith a roster of Anusarainspired yoga teachers thecentre is the perfect place torejuvenate and reset Stick to
your New Years resolutionsthis year with their regularyoga and pilates classes
PETS Natural Paws Pantry
1055 Sarnia RdDonrsquot forget yoursquore furryfriend this Christmas Stockup on natural pet food andtreats to keep your petrsquos bellyfull and healthy this holidayseason
Local Shopping Guide
The holiday season is here Why not swap yoursquore
usual stress inducing trip to the crowded
shopping malls for some local flavour
From the boutiques in Byron to the
one-of-a-kind niche shops in Hyde Park there are plenty of local options
LFP Neighbours caught up with Donna Szpakowski and Dr Kara Peterson from the
Hyde Park Business Association to find out some local holiday highlights
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 910
Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 810
8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS
Community Office240Commissioners RdW (atKnights Hill Rd) Unit 106
London ONN6J 1Y1Phone 519-657-3120 | Fax 519-657-0368 | Email psattler-condponca
A D TS28 070 84
Your library opens the door to a lifetime of oppor tunities
This holiday season give the gift that enriches lives and
helps each member of our community reach their potential
DONATE TODAY
wwwlondonpubliclibrarycadonate
519-661-5100 x5460
more than everYou matter
A D TS28 080 81
Kitr as Ar t GlassKitras Art Glass
London Artist Philip Johnson
Wire Tree Sculptures$50 amp up
Hearts or Stars$2195 each
431 Boler Road at Byron-Baseline Rd
519 6411273 bull rivertowngalleriescom
GALLERIES
bull ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
bull CANVAS PRINTS
bull INSPIRATIONAL PIECES FOR ALL
bull C U STO M FR A MI N G SA LE
EX TEN D ED TI LL D EC 20TH
Village in the Laurentians canvas print 29rdquox36rdquoby Clarence Gagnon
Original Painting 40rdquox40rdquo by Joseph Capicotto A D TS2 711 175
Share Your Love For
All Things Italian
This Holiday Season
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER amp M ON - S AT - L UNCH amp D INNER
6675 BURTWISTLE LANE LONDON
FOR RESERVATIONS 519-652-7659 bull HWY 401 amp 4CLOSED DEC 23RD WILL RE-OPEN JAN 3RD
For Every $100 In Gift Cards
Purchased Recieve a $20 GiftCard Just For You
A D TS2 804 139
Why do you think itrsquos important to
support small businesses and localshops during the Chirstmas rush
Szpakowski I believe supporting smallbusinesses and locally owned shops helps tobuild strong communities that sustains vibrantneighbourhoods and connects residents
and shoppers to a network of economic and social relationships Remembering that localbusinesses are owned by people who live inthis community they are often family ownedbusinesses they employ local people and these
are folks who are less likely to leave and who are invested in the communityrsquos future
Peterson I always preach every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want to see theworld Every dollar spent on the web or in a USowned boxstore is a vote to say that is more ofwe want in the future It is the biggest retailtime of the year Of course it is important to
support local shops and small businesses
What are some of thebenefits to buying local
Szpakowski Where we shop where we eat andhave fun it all makes our community homeOur one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral
part of the distinctive character of Hyde Park
and are the making of Hyde Park becoming adestination spot
Peterson There is much more uniqueness tothe experience ndash from the gift that may be more
personal to the individual shopping in a local shop that has been decorated personally by the shop providing a warm inviting atmosphere(the true Christmas experience) and serviceThey can provide a service that big box storescant provide for that purchase
Where do you like to do your Christmas shopping
Szpakowski I love the smaller shops andthe ambience they offer It is such a pleasant
shopping experience over the crowds in thebig box environment Most of our shopping isdone in the Hyde Park corner from sending
gifts from Featherfields to family in Montreal to
purchasing Christmas decorations and trees atVan Horiks Im looking forward to purchasing
some unique olive oils at Olive-Me this year
Peterson Small shops I love the ChristmWasmagic of a small store especially coming in outof the cold to a warm inviting environmentmusic playing lights and decorations
YOUR COMMUNITY BUYING Independent stores and shops offer better shopping
experience than malls and big box stores
Move over mallsndash its all aboutlocal shopping
FOOD amp BEVERAGE Olive-Me amp Co 1570 Hyde Pk Rd Unit 7This independently ownedand operated olive oil bou-tique serves up a wide variety
of extra virgin olive oilsbalsamic vinegars spicesand olive oil-based beautyproducts All of the productsare hand poured bottledlabeled corked and sealed onsite Drop in and sample someof the worldrsquos finest olive oilsat the storersquos one-of-a-kindtasting room to make yourshopping experience trulyunique
Taste of Britain 1634 Hyde Park RdWhether yoursquore a transplant-ed Brit or a tried and trueCanadian therersquos somethingfor everyone at this familyowned shop From uniqueBritish foods like salty crispsand Yorkshire tea to EnglishPremiere League soccer gearthis novely shop is full ofquirky gifts
Forratrsquos Chocolates1304 Commissioners RdWest Unit 3
Forratrsquos specializes in qualityEuropean handcrafted trufflesand fine chocolates madefresh on site using naturalingredients Their mission isto bring chocolate back to theldquogood olrsquo daysrdquo when it wasan edible social experiencebefore pre-packaged massproduction Come in andwatch your favourite treatsmade fresh in store
Luscious Wines 1055 Sarnia RdThis award-winning neigh-bourhood winery givescustomers the chance tocraft their own unique wineblends using a selection ofquality wine kits They offerall-inclusive pricing with peeland stick customizable labelsWith experts on site to helpyou every step of the waycustomers get to enjoy a trulypersonalized wine-makingexperience
Ungers Market1010 Gainsborough Rd
For over 30 years Ungers Mar-ket has provided Hyde Parkfamilies with fresh produceand gourmet treats Stock upon holiday treats and goodies
with a visit to the bakery Allpies are made fresh ndash includ-ing the filling ndash in store
Remark Fresh Markets 1180 Oxford St WHome to the ingredients thatinspire the kind of home-cooked meals that leave yourguests asking for secondsRemark is more than just agrocery store Their bakedgoods desserts chocolatesand flowers make perfectgifts
HOME amp GARDEN Van Horiks Greenhouses
and Garden Centre 930 Gainsborough Rd
This greenhouse and gardengallery has everything youneed to get your home holidayready From fresh cut Christ-mas trees to custom wreathsto indoor ornaments theirwide selection will add a bit ofChristmas cheer to any h ome
Moonstone Path 1289 Commissioners Rd WThis mystical shop carries avariety of unique gift ideas forthe home From awe-inspiringcrystals and geods to scentedcandles totem stones andHimalyan salt lamps yoursquorebound to find something forthat quirky person on yourChristmas list
Rivertown Galleries 431 Boler RdOriginal paintings customframing and unique gifts froma variety of intriguing Cana-dian artists are just a few ofthe items that can be found inthis beautiful Byron gallery
Shelleyrsquos Unique Accentsand Furniture
1073 Gainsborough RdDedicated to creating one-of-a-kind small accent furnitureShelleyrsquos collection of solid
rustic Canadian pine piecesare all original making themgreat gifts Items can becustom ordered and finishedto your colour scheme
Pryde Furniture
1422 Fanshawe Park Rd WThis family-owned furniturestore has a wide variety ofhome deacutecor accessories atunbelievable prices Beauti-fully crafted pieces in a rangeof styles mean yoursquore boundto find something that willdazzle this holiday season
Murree Flowers 1274 Commissioners Rd WThis family owned andoperated flower shop is inthe heart of Byron Whetheryoursquore giving a bouquet orlooking for a festive arrange-ment to accompany yourholiday feast Muree Flowerswill make your experience one
to remember
HEALTH amp WELLNESS Hyde Park Massage
Therapy 1385 North Routledge ParkKnead out some of thatholiday stress with a deeptissue or hot stone massageor give the gift of relaxation tosomeone you love
Oakridge Wellness 759 Hyde Park Rd SGive the gift of a calm mindand a fit body th is ChristmasWith a roster of Anusarainspired yoga teachers thecentre is the perfect place torejuvenate and reset Stick to
your New Years resolutionsthis year with their regularyoga and pilates classes
PETS Natural Paws Pantry
1055 Sarnia RdDonrsquot forget yoursquore furryfriend this Christmas Stockup on natural pet food andtreats to keep your petrsquos bellyfull and healthy this holidayseason
Local Shopping Guide
The holiday season is here Why not swap yoursquore
usual stress inducing trip to the crowded
shopping malls for some local flavour
From the boutiques in Byron to the
one-of-a-kind niche shops in Hyde Park there are plenty of local options
LFP Neighbours caught up with Donna Szpakowski and Dr Kara Peterson from the
Hyde Park Business Association to find out some local holiday highlights
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 910
Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 910
Dressed as apresent this CIBCemployee pumps
up the crowdduring the HydePark Santa Claus
parade
There was no shortage of Christmas
spirit in Hyde Park this weekendNearly 10000 people showed up for
the fifth annual Hyde Park Santa Clausparade A fresh dusting of snow and a
mild morning made for perfectparade viewing weatherThe crowds impressed paradedirector Marci Easton
ldquoIrsquom speechlessrdquo she saidldquoI canrsquot believe how well every-thing went From the weatherto the crowds to the volun-teers and the floats thecommunity support isoverwhelmingrdquo
The Santa Claus pa-rade is organized eachyear by the Hyde ParkLions Club and theNorrsquoWest Optimists
This year there were55 floats and vehiclestraveling the parade routewhich streteched alongGainsborough Rd fromWonderland Rd to just pastHyde Park Rd
In addition to providingfamily friendly entertain-
ment the parade is also a f undraising
platform for several local intiativesCanned food toys and boots were all col-lected during the parade to be given tothe Northwest London Resource Centreand the Mission Store
Coun Matt Brown brought his young
family to Saturdayrsquos parade and calledthe event one of the highlights of theholidays
ldquoThis is one of the funnest events ofthe yearrdquo he said ldquoThis parade was themost exciting and successful to daterdquo
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 9
BRENT BOLESNeighbours
Jeff Sage was a young graduatewhen he found himself falling into aroutine He had a job but was miss-ing something He would go to workcome home and complain He neededa change ldquoOne day we thought weshould stop complaining and help outndash kind of a novel ideardquo he said It wasa plan that Sage has devoted his lifeto ever since
He became a founder of the Emerg-ing Leaders community network anon-profit group dedicated to engag-ing young graduates and keepingthem in London Sage 37 also sits onthe board of directors for the United
Way and was recently named alongwith his wife Lindsay as one of thecityrsquos top 20 under 40 by BusinessLondon ldquoWe have trouble saying nordquosaid Sage ldquoWe actually formally seta limit (on involvement) that neversticksrdquo
Sage grew up near Timmins butcame to London for school He didhis undergraduate degree at Westernin political science and a postgradu-ate certificate at Fanshawe in publicrelations London managed to keepSage from packing up but he said thatat the time the city didnrsquot have anysystems for keeping talent in town
Emerging Leaders founded in2006 was aimed at addressing thatldquoWersquore doing better (now) in thatthere are platforms there that werenrsquotthere beforerdquo
For his part the Byron residentis happy with the decision to makeLondon home ldquoThe community is fan-tastic I canrsquot think of a better place toraise a familyrdquo he said ldquoByron itselffeels like we kind of won the familylotteryrdquo
Sage was Fanshawe Collegersquos seniormanager of marketing until about ayear ago Both Jeff and Lindsay weregetting busy with side projects andwere faced with a decision ldquoWe eitherhad to ramp it down or ramp it up ndashand we ramped it uprdquo he said
The two work out of their basementoffice now where walls are paintedwhite and turned into dry eraseboards Despite the success of theirbusiness called sagecomm the twohave stayed as busy as ever
Sage talks passionately about hisrole with the United Way ldquoT hat justopened my eyes to a whole new levelof social and moral responsibilityrdquo hesaid Hersquos also helped raise money tobuild a residential hospice inspiredafter his father passed away severalyears ago
Despite the impact hersquos had on Lon-don so far Sage is excited to be a part
of the community right now He saidthat technology is allowing citizensto connect and share ideas like neverbefore ldquoThe time and place wersquore atright now I think is revolutionaryrdquo
YOUR NEIGHBOUR
CITY BUILDING Communications professional works to keep recent graduates in London
Grounding the young talent flight
Jeff Sage stands in hisbasement with the writingon the wall Having turned
the walls into giant dry-erase boards Sage uses
them to brainstorm in hishome office in Byron
A mid-November snowfall maybe a nightmare for most but its ablessing for Boler Mountainrsquos GregStrauss
Thanks to the snowstorm thatdumped nearly 70 cm of snow on By-ron during the Nov 23-24 weekendBoler was able to open for businessway earlier than normal
Dozens of skiers and snowboardershit the freshly powdered slopes justafter 5 pm on Friday Nov 29 ndash theearliest the ski club has been open in25 years
ldquoWe are stokedrdquo said Strauss amember of Bolers management
teamHis team had to work quickly to getthe ski hill in tip-top shape No oneanticipated the crazy snowfall thatburied west London nearly two weeksago And in a business that dependsso much on the weather Strausscertainly wasnrsquot getting his hopesup When it became clear the snowand cold temperatures were sticking
around his team ramped up theirefforts to get the hill open
ldquoItrsquos been a stressful week for myoutside guysrdquo Strauss said
But for the dozens of eager skiersand snowboarders in line for theirfirst run of the season it was wellworth it
For London the 2013 ski seasonwas one of the longest the city hasseen A cold spring meant Boler
stayed open until early April meaningtherersquos been sking and snowboardingin six calendar mon ths this year
Boler Mountain is open to skiersand snowboarders on weekends Itstube park and terrain park are stillundergoing maintenance
For more information visitwwwbolermountaincom
OUTDOORS Boler Mountain enjoying earliest start to ski season in 25-year history
Head for the
ABOVE 15-year-old Gavin Holmes finishes his first run down Boler MountainHolmes was one of the first snowboarders to arrive when the ski hill openedFriday evening
LEFT A group of snowboarders wave excitedly as they head up the BolerMountain chair lift for their first run of the season
YOUR COMMUNITY
slopes
PARADE Canned food boots and toys collected for Northwest London Resource Centre and Mission Store
Huge Hyde Park crowd greets St Nick
Dancers from the PowerhouseDance Company dazzle crowdsduring the Hyde Park SantaClaus Parade
Six-year-old Sadie sits in a wagon pulled by her older brother Ben 12 a memberof the 68th London Scout Group during t he Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e
8132019 Neighbours Dec 5
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullneighbours-dec-5 1010
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 2013 bull NEIGHBOURS 10
AROUND
Spencer 8 Michael 12 and Mackenzie 12 represent the 68th London Scout Group in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
the lsquohood
Mag g ie Mc K ee hold s a box of f r esh f ood t o be d onat ed t o t he Lond on F ood Bank
Isaac Naizghl Beccy Adams Kelsey ShewfettErin Fitzhenry Emily Griffin Maggie McKeeCamilyn Cheng Jacob Yoon Thea BrouwerTom Burns and Colleen Jordan pose in front of a trunk loaded with fresh food on its way to the London Food Bank
Avery Fiona Jude and Kyle anxiously await their St Nick sighting dur-ing the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
Knights from theOxford RenaissanceFestival march downGainsborough Rd forthe Hyde Park SantaClaus parade
Reese Lexie and Quinn snuggleinto a snowbank to take in the
Hyde Park Santa Claus parade
T he P oplar Hillbillies float w as a popular sig ht d ur ing t he H y d e P ar k
Sant a Claus par ad e