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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 11, 2007 - 3 No event is too small for 150th anniversary Continued from page 1 and they can take leadership in the action by organizing it themselves. Ideas and information are available on the Town's website at www.oakville.ca (150th link) as residents and local groups post the activities they are hosting. It's okay to borrow ideas, according to Francine Landry who is co-chairing the 150th task force with Jane Hawkrigg, and no event is too small to be insignificant. "No party is too small. If some kids wanted to have a 150th lemonade stand, wouldn't that be rather clever and rather enterprising?" said Landry. As residents are encouraged to host their own events, others have and will be taking place throughout the year. It all kicked off with a New Year's Levee at Town Hall and events like the recent Boating Symposium, the launch of Oakville Images by the public library, the Music and Art Shared Space exhibit at Town Hall and the upcoming Trafalgar Family Heritage Day in north Oakville next September, are all examples. As far as the task force is concerned it is planning a trio of major events to mark Oakville's birthday and topping that list is the Town-wide party to be held on the afternoon of Sunday, May 27 -- the very day on which Oakville became a town in 1857. Though the town is older, it was first a village with its roots stretching back to when it was hunting and forest land settled by the Mississauga Indians First Nation, the party will be in honour of Oakville's incorporation as a town. On that day, Town and Town/Regional councillors from each of Oakville's six wards will host a community party for their ward at a major public gathering place in the ward. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton will make the rounds, beginning in the oldest ward, downtown Oakville at Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate and adjacent Lakeside Park, where he will cut a birthday cake that's a map of Oakville. From there, he'll leave the Ward 3 portion of the tasty map to the downtown partiers and then continue visiting the remaining five wards to deliver each ward its little piece of Oakville. The local camera club will be on hand to capture the events on film and Cogeco will be filming the activities for what's to be dubbed a Day in the Life of Oakville. In the north the parties will be at the recreation centres -- Glen Abbey, Iroquois Ridge and River Oaks. In Bronte, the party will be along Lakeshore and Bronte roads. And in the Kerr Village area, the celebration will be at the Oakville Arena and grounds (the heritage arena having been a 100th present to the town). According to Landry, while each piece of Oakville and each community is unique, they are all part of the one town of Oakville and it's all the parts of town that combine to make Oakville a caring, vibrant community that's recognized not just in North America, but around the globe. And just in case it isn't recognized well somewhere around the globe, the town's largest party and the noise Oakvillians are RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER PARTY TIME: Francine Landry, co-chair of the Oakville 150th anniversary task force, shows off one of the Oakville 150th anniversary totes being sold to raise funds for the REACH 150th Legacy Fund. being encouraged to make to celebrate their town's birthday party should ensure that it is. The local councillors are the contact persons if anyone has ideas or input for their community party and they, too, can be reached via the Town's website. Now is the time to get in touch, said Landry, as the planning has begun. According to Landry, parties could include bike decorating contests, Calithumpian parades, just to start. The Ward 3 party will take its cue from its historical beginning and boast a heritage theme. A community established in the 1970s may choose to pick up on a That '70s theme. As long as there's a party in progress and people having fun. And when the dust settles the morning after -- or in 2008 in this case -- the anniversary celebrations will be remembered not only by residents, but also by the REACH 150th Legacy Fund. The fund will be supported by all fundraising done by all the anniversary celebrations -- from lemonade stands to the sale of 150th anniversary items and specifically from the $5 proceeds of sale of an Oakville 150th anniversary tote, which is to be on sale all across town shortly. The blue denim tote is made from 100 per cent recycled materials and is not only environment friendly, but strong. "It's amazing. It carries books and groceries, it may even carry small appliances, a child or a dog or cat," said Landry, laughing. "We want every person in Oakville to feel they can make a difference," said Landry. The REACH 150th Legacy Fund, named by Burton's wife, Wendy, will in future support donations via the Community Foundation of Oakville (CFO) in five categories. Those categories are represented in the name REACH Raising resilient youths; caring for our Environment; Embracing a vibrant Arts community; Caring for our needy and vulnerable; and, preserving and protecting our built and natural Heritage. In fact, an overall theme of the 150th anniversary is Respecting the Past, Celebrating the Present and Embracing the Future. Besides the town-wide May 27 party, Landry said the Oakville Waterfront Festival set for June 25-27 promises to be special, too. It will include a Waterfront Homecoming Weekend with celebrity visitors and main street celebrations along with special activities hosted by Oakville's heritage agencies -- the Bronte, Oakville and Trafalgar Township historical societies. It will be capped off with a Sunveil Sunwear fireworks display on the Saturday night of the festival. "It's going to be big," said Landry. A third event will be the Sunday, Oct. 14 Heritage Hustle, a certified 5km run/walk through Oakville's trio of heritage districts. There will also be a 2km family fun walk, and again, all proceeds will support the REACH 150th Legacy Fund. While Landry admits some people think of big houses and the like when they think of Oakville, she said Oakville and its residents are a caring community, one that likes being a town, has great values and compassion, respects its environmental and heritage legacies, embraces culture, arts and sports and offers a great quality of life because of it all. It the world doesn't know it, the 150th anniversary is just the time to let the news out of the bag. For more information about upcoming events, or to organize and post a 150th anniversary celebration event - any registered with the town can use the anniversary logo and be posted on the web visit www.oakville.ca or call the Town's 150th anniversary Events Co-ordinator Janet Cocoran at 905-845-6601, ext. 3756. --Angela Blackburn can be reached at angela@oakvillebeaver.com. Here's What's New On The 2007 MINI Only the roof (and the price) are the same. We've completely rebuilt it from the ground to... almost all the way up. Still a non-believer? Come in to MINI Oakville... At $25,900, you will believe. 2454 South Service Road, Oakville 905.469.6220 minioakville.com