Go plastic-free this July with PARK Market & Refillery!
PARK Market & Refillery is a low-waste shop in Burlington focused on helping the community reduce single-use plastics and packaging.
“We do this by refilling home and body care products, supplying a large variety of Canadian made sustainable hard goods and are in the process of expanding our grocery items,” said Kelly Goddard, customer experience coordinator with PARK. “Our storefront is in Burlington but we try to be as mobile as possible. We participate in local pop ups and markets in Oakville and Hamilton, have a refill station in Hamilton and provide a delivery service through much of Halton.”
Throughout the month of July, PARK is hoping to raise awareness about #PlasticFreeJuly and rally people together to engage in this global initiative.
Launched as a grassroots initiative in Australia in 2011, Plastic Free July has grown into a world-wide movement to raise awareness about plastic pollution each July and encourage people to switch out their single-use plastics for eco-friendly reusable alternatives. Visit Plastic Free July online for educational resources and ideas about how you can take the challenge and be a part of the solution to reduce plastic pollution – so we can all have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.
PARK will be setting up their mobile refill station at a variety of pop-ups and markets in the local community. Stop by to purchase sustainable lifestyle goods and join the #RefillRevolution by refilling your home and body care products with eco alternatives. Plus, by making a purchase (or refill!) with PARK in July, you’ll be supporting Water First.
“This month we are pledging to donate 10% of our sales to Water First. They are a Canadian organization working with Indigenous communities to resolve local water challenges,” said Goddard.
Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics?
PARK pop-up and market dates:
Sat, July 17th from 11:30am-2pm @ Nickel Brook Brewery
Sun, July 18th from 12-3pm @ West Avenue Cider
Sat, July 24th from 8-11am @ Odeon Fitness
Tues, July 27th from 4-6pm @ Green Venture
Sat, July 31st from 8am-2pm @ Ottawa Street Farmers’ Market
Releasing a book at any time can be a challenge – but doing so during a pandemic, well, that comes with its own unique obstacles. But our summer reading list is brought to you by authors who did just that. Meet local authors who took a leap of faith and published their book during uncertain times – and we’re so glad they did!
Jane Austen Society
by Natalie Jenner
When Natalie Jenner of Oakville wrote Jane Austen Society, she likely didn’t expect it would take off the way it did. As an instant international bestseller, Jane Austen Society has snagged copious awards and nominations, including Historical Fiction and Debut Novel nominations from the Goodreads Choice Awards.
A fictionalized account of the real Jane Austen Society – the book takes place in the 1940s in the village of Chawton, England, where Austen lived and wrote her six famous novels.Before Jenner tried her hand at writing, she was a corporate lawyer and founder of the independent bookstore, Archetype Books, in Oakville. Jane Austen Society was so successful, that Jenner is scheduled to release a second novel next spring.
Since retiring from the Toronto Star in 2006 where he worked for more than 30 years, Linwood Barclay has become an international bestseller. He’s written more than twenty “edge of your seat” thrillers, including such bestsellers as Elevator Pitch, Never Saw it Coming, and Find You First.
Find You First introduces Miles Cookson, a Connecticut-based tech entrepreneur and multimillionaire who seems to have life under control. But near the start of Mr. Barclay’s whirligig of a novel, the unmarried Miles is hit with life-changing information: he has a debilitating hereditary disease that will leave him physically helpless before killing him.Barclay’s books have sold millions of copies in more than two dozen languages, and many have made it onto the New York Times Best Seller List.
When you find the recipe for success, why change it? That’s Angela Liddon’s motto anyway. In 2009 she released her first book, Oh She Glows, and since then, Liddon has become an international phenomenon. In her new cookbook, Oh She Glows for Dinner, Angela shares many favourite recipes from her first book, along with meal prep plans and new easy dishes.
Nigerian-Canadian author, Ekiuwa Aire, noticed a frustrating gap in children’s books – a lack of Black characters and African heroes. As a mother of two, Ekiuwa was determined to change that, and she began writing Idia of the Benin Kingdom.
Idia of the Benin Kingdom is an empowering children’s picture book that takes readers on a beautifully illustrated journey to the 1500s in ancient Africa. Readers are captivated as they watch Idia transform herself from the young and curious daughter of a village warrior to becoming the Queen of the Kingdom of Benin.
Her Name Was Margaret
by Denise Davy
In the 26 years that she worked at The Hamilton Spectator; Denise wrote stories on an almost daily basis. The one that stayed with her the most was about a homeless woman named Margaret.
After years of research, Denise turned her story into a book called Her Name Was Margaret: Life and Death on the Streets. It’s not only Margaret’s story but the story of thousands of people who were impacted by cuts to psychiatric hospital beds which began in the 1960s.
The homeless we see on the streets today are the legacy of those cuts. Denise believes this story needs be told as the lack of community supports and housing created a sub-culture of homeless people who struggle with a mental illness.
Born at the start of the Second World War, Burlington’s R.J. Barnett has maintained a lifelong fascination with world history, having devoted many hours to reseraching historical events and reading memoirs of wartime personalities.
Through his acclaimed historical fiction ‘Maybe: A Life of Choice & Chance’, Barnett’s historical insight and passionate storytelling bring to life the intriguing tale of an emerging Nazi German star, Reinhart Adler. The page-turner takes readers along a journey as they experience Adler’s rapid rise, sudden fall and harrowing escape from death, as he plots his revenge during bedlam of WWII politics.
Many local dog parents will already know Jeanine Trabucco as ‘The Vegan Groomer’.
Well now you’ll also know her as the owner of the newest bark-bershop in town: RUFF The Dog Barbershop at 336 Church St. in Downtown Oakville.
Jeanine has been grooming dogs ever since she was a kid and she’s now realized her lifelong dream by turning that passion into a full-fledged career and business.
“From as far back as I can remember I’ve been grooming dogs. I was the kid who inspected and instinctively cleaned every dog’s ears and eyes, while all the other kids were preoccupied with belly rubs and wet-nosed kisses. I was the ‘unofficial’ nail cutter of every dog in the neighbourhood, and I loved it!” said Jeanine.
When Jeanine had the unfortunate experience of having both of her dogs become severely ill only months apart, she was frustrated to discover that not a single grooming salon was able to ensure their safety.
Warned by her veterinarian that she should keep them away from other dogs, as they were in such a frail state that even the slightest touch affect their health and safety, Jeanine knew she couldn’t take them to any grooming salons.
“I wasn’t willing to take any chances with my fur babies!”
However, that meant that Jeanine had to swiftly come up with a Plan B, so she made it her mission to safely groom her dogs herself.
“I had two poodle mixes who, with every passing day, started to resemble sheep ready to be sheared for their wool… I needed to do something and fast! This was my motivation and my dogs were my muse,” Jeanine recounted.
Fueled by determination and love for her two dogs, Jeanine read every ounce of grooming content she could get my hands on and watched every grooming tutorial video she could find.
“After a few dozen unfortunately hideous grooms on my own dogs (they were good sports) I got the hang of it!” said Jeanine.
That ‘eureka moment’ led Jeanine to fine tune her skills by training under one of the top groomers in the world.
After launching her dog grooming career as ‘The Vegan Groomer’, Jeanine is now excited to have made a home for her business in Downtown Oakville, with RUFF the Dog Barbershop – with chique décor and a comfortable atmosphere that will have your pup feeling paw-sitively pampered with the coolest cut in town!
“I designed RUFF through the eyes of your dog, creating a space and experience where they would feel most happy and safe,” said Jeanine. “As a pet parent, I understand how important it is to trust the person you’re leaving your fur baby with. At RUFF, we pride ourselves in making you feel comfortable, knowing your dogs are under the best of care!”
There has never been a better time to show local businesses some love. The past 16 months have been very hard on tourism-related businesses; as things begin to reopen we encourage residents and visitors to show these businesses some love.
The Local Love Pass allows you to visit 45+ participating businesses and take advantage of specials, discounts, promotions and featured menu items for passholders only. The pass is free to sign up for and once you sign up, you will receive a notification on your cell phone where you can save the passport to your phone. You will then see categories like Play, Stay, Shop, Eat & Drink where you can review the offers. Show the offer when visiting a business and hit redeem; as easy as that!
The Local Love Pass will run all summer long until September 12. Sign up for the Local Love pass on the Tourism Burlington website.
All summer long Tourism Burlington is encouraging residents to ‘Discover Your Own Backyard’ and the Local Love Pass allows you to do just that.
“The Local Love Pass helps promote businesses in our city. Some have offered discounts or promos, others have designed a special menu item or featured cocktail. Take advantage of the different offerings and discover something new and local,” says Kelly Harris, Marketing Specialist at Tourism Burlington.
Tourism Burlington is the destination marketing organization for Burlington which operates a visitor information centre, manages tourism engagement within the community and for visitors alike. We market Burlington for its phenomenal attributes including the beautiful waterfront to the South, our scenic escarpment to the North, and vibrant downtown shopping areas.
The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Oakville have joined forces to provide free self-screening kits to small and medium-sized businesses that employ up to 150 employees within the Town of Oakville.
The program’s goal is to identify asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, at home, and throughout the community.
“It has been a difficult and uncertain year for our business community. The free distribution of rapid screening tests will provide much-needed support to assist in the safe reopening of our local economy” says Oakville Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Drew Redden.
Employers are required to appoint a representative who will be responsible for supervising the self-screening process. Appointed supervisors are required to attend the initial pick-up in order to receive video training on testing supervision and safe disposal guidelines. The kits will be available for pick-up, by appointment only, at the former post office located at 193 Church St. in Oakville. The site will open May 11th and operate weekly Tuesday through Thursday, from 10am to 3pm.
SME’s are required to electronically submit screening results at www.oakvillechamber.com/rapidscreening after each test. Accumulated data will be reported to the appropriate government officials. It is recommended that staff be screened twice weekly.
In the event of a positive test, the employee is required to immediately leave the workplace and notify public health to arrange for a PCR Test at an approved Public Health Collection Site and await further instructions from Halton Region Public Health.
“In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community, the distribution of free self-screening kits is an important initiative to keep businesses open and help others to re-open. The Oakville Chamber of Commerce has been a part of my Economic Task Force since its inception last March and are a critical partner in helping our businesses through the pandemic and into recovery,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. “I encourage all eligible businesses to order their supply of kits.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford holds up Covid-19 Rapid Test Device kits during the daily briefing at Humber River Hospital in Toronto on Tuesday November 24, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Dedicated community members are taking to the streets or lake, to run, bike, swim or paddle to participate in the Run4 Lighthouse, May 15 – June 15. The goal is to raise much needed funds for The Lighthouse for Grieving Children to help fund peer support groups for grieving children and their families.
“We run for all the families who have experienced loss and need Lighthouse to give them hope and healing” shared Team Lea’s Legacy Warriors.
Participants from across Canada are getting active to support grieving families, from 99-year-old Grandma Kay in Alberta, walking 100kms on her treadmill, to baby Cole in Burlington, clocking the kms from the comfort of his stroller to achieve his family goal.
At 99 years of age, Grandma Kay is Run4’s oldest participant.
For every $100 raised, participants are entered to win a $10,000 Alaskan Cruise, thanks to Expedia Cruises, Oakville South.
Adjusting to life after a death is hard to understand, impossible to imagine. For over 20 years, the Lighthouse for Grieving Children has been the only agency in the GTA offering open ended peer support groups to grieving children and their families at no cost.
We need your help to ensure no child grieves alone. Sign up today at www.run4lh.com to receive your run t-shirt and medal, or consider making a donation to Lighthouse.
People have always enjoyed a little cheer with their food, and Oakville and Burlington have provided both to our community for almost 200 years. Of course, the past holds secrets and surprises, so let’s look back and see what we find.
The idea of animal entertainment isn’t new, but the variety provided by one of Oakville’s most infamous taverns wouldn’t fly today. Thomas Lloyd kept a bear chained outside his tavern on Dunn Street and when business was slow, the bear would be fed a live pig to both excite and attract customers!
Oakville House, the town’s first inn, was more respectable. Owner William Sumner boasted that he offered “beds [that] are clean and comfortable – a larder well stored [and] good liquors purified by Ontario’s beautiful waters.” This building too has a bear in its origin story. Legend tells that during construction, local dogs treed a bear nearby. That bear faced a different fate as it soon became a rug to adorn the floor in front of the main fireplace.
When well-known writer Anna Jamieson visited Sumner’s Inn in 1837, she was not impressed by the “vile prints” on the walls but was amused to find a copy of Don Juan in the parlour, a most sophisticated and modern addition. Sumner also hosted the to-be Lieutenant-Governor Sir Francis Bond Head, who “observed that it was the best tavern he had been to since leaving Albany”.
The Oakville House remained a fixture until the 1950’s when it was demolished – but only after surviving an astonishing seven fires! Luckily the tradition of good food continues today, as the building that houses Paradiso stands in that spot.
In 1896 The Toronto Cycling Club had a track built from Toronto to Oakville, and the Queen’s Hotel at the corner of Dunn and Colborne billed itself as the “Headquarters for horsemen and bicyclists” – hoping to attract the thirsty “wheelmen” after their races.
Heading West, the oldest hotel remaining in Oakville sits at Navy and Robinson Streets. It began as the Canadian Hotel in 1857, but became the Murray House in 1896. Now restored as offices, this handsome building is worth taking a minute to admire.
In 1845, adventurers continuing along the lake road would come to Thompson’s Hotel in Bronte. Over the years, the site was a grocery store, candy shop, post office, and a summer hotel! Named “Glendella” since 1887, it has recently been restored and is in use as boutique suites.
Today you can stroll around the corner to the Cove Bar and Restaurant, a trendy spot inhabiting an original 1840’s house. By 1900 a family of fishers lived here, making the prevalence of fish on Cove’s menu seem historically appropriate.
Steady your legs as we hop on the stagecoach to Burlington, where you could linger at “the Zimmerman house … a first-class resting place for The weary traveller.” Later it became the Queen’s Hotel, and today the same spot is The Queen’s Head, which operates as a classic British Pub.
On the waterfront stood the Estaminet Standard Hotel, managed by Emma and George Byrens. In 1919, “Canada’s House of Hospitality” served notables from Louis St. Laurent to Liberace! Emma would greet patrons accompanied by her parrot. The venue lived on to become the well-known Emma’s Back Porch named in her honour.
Our final stop is the once fabulous Brant Inn. In the 1940’s, people came to dance the night away with Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, and Count Basie. Demolished in 1969, only a plaque now sits on the site. But don’t despair, nearby Spencer’s at The Waterfront affords dining with virtually the same lovely view of the lake.
The names may have changed but you can still have an excellent food and drink adventure while retracing the steps and places in our local hospitality history.
Julian Kingstonhas deep experience interpreting culture, art, history and the natural world. He currently takes care of the Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate, exploring as many ways as possible to tell Oakville’s stories. You should totally go.
We’ve officially been living in pandemic pandemonium for a year now. And how things have changed. Washing hands, wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance at the grocery store – these have all become second nature to us. While we’ve all been learning how to live in and adapt to a pandemic – some of us have taken this opportunity to dive into a new experience of our own. While we have, unfortunately, seen some local brick and mortar retailers and restaurants close their doors as a direct result of the pandemic, we have also seen others open their doors for the very first time.
Here, we celebrate these local community members, entrepreneurs, and visionaries, and rejoice in the opening of their new establishments.
Bubbles and Blow, founded by 27-year-old New Jersey native, Nikki Gray, had its grand opening in November 2020 – eight months into the pandemic.
Nikki had always loved hair and has worked in salons since the early age of 14. She trained in New Jersey, and in Manhattan, Soho and Tribeca in New York City. Bringing her career with her to Canada was a dream. “I used the pandemic to bring my dreams to life…when else in life would we have this moment where time kind of…stops?”, explains Nikki.
Though Toronto may have been an obvious choice for city-loving Nikki, there was something special about the smaller city of Burlington – the people. Not long after moving to the area with her husband, Dale, Nikki was introduced to a warm, inviting, loving community – and she knew it was destiny.
Bubbles and Blow offer extension services, blowouts, bridal, blonding and balayage, and more! Visit them on Instagram @bubblesandblow.burlington
Waves in the Village, which opened in November 2020, was founded by Caitlin McGillivray and her husband Mike Ledgerwood after they fell in love with the atmosphere and community of Downtown Burlington, specifically The Village. “Opening a boutique has always been a goal, it was just the question of where and when,” says Caitlin. So, when she found the perfect retail spot – despite the pandemic – she knew it was time. While owning a retail boutique had been a lifelong dream, Caitlin explains, “It was scary deciding to move forward with a new business in the middle of a pandemic.”
Through the use of social media, Caitlin created excitement about Waves in the Village before its doors even opened, and in the first few months of business, the boutique has thrived.
Waves in the Village has trendy clothing, fun accessories, shoes, and even items from local makers such as bath bombs and cards. You can shop Waves in the Village online at shopwaves.ca, and be sure to visit them on Instagram @waves_inthevillage
Up until last year, Amelia Chiarelli was working full-time in audio post-production in Toronto. “I was commuting 4-hours a day, was constantly stressed and was not living in my best state,” says Amelia. She adds, “One positive thing that came out of this pandemic for me was the opportunity to step back from the routine I was stuck in and really get in touch with what I wanted for myself.” And as a soon-to-be pandemic bride, Amelia decided she wanted to open her own bridal salon, Stolen Hearts Bridal.
As an appointment-only boutique, Amelia can focus on one bride at a time, making it easier to follow guidelines, distance, and keep people safe.
The grand opening was a live virtual event on March 2nd, allowing people to tune-in to see the space for the first time, view gowns, and win prizes. Stolen Hearts Bridal will be setting up an online store for accessories and will be moving sample sales online as well.
Born in France and raised on an organic farm in Ontario, Natacha Rey spent her childhood making potions and lotions for her loved ones using the ingredients she collected from nature. As an adult, she pursued this passion and studied homeopathic medicine at the Australian College of Natural Medicine where she earned a Bachelor of Health Science.
Natacha’s early career focused on formulating bespoke skincare products. With the birth of her first child in 2010, her creative energy materialized as Sleepy Owl Baby Care, one of Maison Apothecare’s popular product lines.
Today, Natacha continues to formulate new products (including Lemon Aide Surface Cleaner) for the whole family as she leads Maison Apothecare along the sometimes-bumpy road of business.
Maison Apothecare took a major hit during the pandemic and Natacha was forced to permanently close two of her three locations — Niagara-on-the-Lake and Bloor West Village. But the company has moved into a new location in Oakville, offering a much larger, brighter space, and allowing Natacha to share her products in an environment that offers better distance, incredible natural light, and more.
Visit Maison Apothecare on Instagram and Facebook @maisonapothecare or shop Natacha’s incredible line of products online at maisonapothecare.ca.
Seek Studio
131 Lakeshore Rd East, Oakville
Seekstudio.ca
On a sunny afternoon in late November 2020, Marie-Josee Boisvert was sitting on the Paradiso patio in Oakville with some friends, when they noticed a lease available next door. After viewing the space, and experiencing the crowds and energy of Downtown Oakville, Marie-Josee decided to take on a little passion project. She would open an art studio to showcase her friend Bill Boyko’s art and décor for the Christmas season – just to see how it would go.
Within three days, Seek Studio was painted and ready, officially opening in December 2020. Six days later, the art gallery was closed due to the lockdown. With a creative storefront and eCommerce site, Josee ended up selling pieces both online and through the gallery window.
While this is her first retail venture, Marie-Josee hasn’t let the pandemic scare her. “We have been welcomed by Downtown Oakville and the BIA with great enthusiasm. It lifts our spirits”.
Visit Seek Studio for everything interesting; curated consignment art, decor, and cool finds. The New, The Vintage, The Up-Cycled, and the Re-Born. It’s all in the Hunt! You can also check them out on Instagram @seekstudiooakville.
It’s a way to introduce the community to some incredible artists. It’s a way to bring strong, innovative women together. It’s a way to raise money for those in need. It’s the United Way of Halton and Hamilton’s Annual Art Auction, and it’s a win-win for all.
Running from March 1st to the 12th, the art auction is a chance to introduce the community to some of the best female artists in the area, while at the same time raising funds to support important programs.
Organized by a group within the United Way known as Women United, this national program has become an integral part of the United Way and is made up of female leaders and community members.
Jassy Hundal, Director, Resource Development, United Way Halton and Hamilton, says the group’s role is to work on fundraising initiatives, help raise awareness of the needs in the community, and showcase what programs are available to help people. Jassy says it’s a win-win because the women who are members get a chance to use their talents and resources to empower girls and women in the community and, in doing so, they help create lasting change by improving their communities.
This year’s co-chairs of the Women United cabinet are Margaret Grice and Jennifer Cooke.
“It’s a way to get amazing female art pieces to people and a great way to raise funds for the community,” says Jassy. Part of their role is to connect with local female artists. This year’s goal is to have at least 20 pieces from a variety of female artists who will donate their art for free. Last year’s auction raised $45,000 through the works of Oakville painter Leslea Mehltretter, a self-taught award-winning portrait artist who donated 42 pieces for the event.
Was it a tough decision to go virtual this year? Jassy says “no”. “The United Way has been amazing at pivoting and becoming creative at raising funds. It’s another way we can do it that’s safe. We’re at the point with the pandemic where we’ve become innovative so it was a natural fit,” says Jassy.
The United Way of Halton and Hamilton supports Hamilton, Oakville, Burlington, Milton, and Halton Hills and, under the pillar of Women United, it invests $1.1 million annually into 12 agencies that fund 26 programs to support women and girls.
Those programs focus on intervention, mental health, girls’ empowerment programs, crisis, and prevention, including sex trafficking, abuse counselling, violence against women counselling, and programs for young girls to build self-esteem.
Members of Women United work together to raise awareness of the needs and to support the programs. Jassy says this year’s auction is especially important because of the challenges the pandemic has created for some people. “We know that there are so many people on the edge of crisis who are facing significant barriers. For example, gender-based violence has increased by 20 to 30 percent and there are a lot of single moms living with food insecurity who need support.”
Since the pandemic hit, there have been many signs that people are feeling stress. Almost 40 percent of non-profit groups in Ontario have seen increased demand for their services and many people, including families, are accessing United Way programs for the first time.
The demand at food banks and the need for income support have increased in Halton and Hamilton by 13 percent in the past year and 45 percent of Ontarians have reported that their mental health has deteriorated since COVID-19 began. As a result, distress centres have seen a 300 percent increase in the number of calls.
“It’s a tough time for everyone, so with this year’s auction we definitely wanted to come together to support United Way initiatives,” says Jassy.
For Amelia Chiarelli, what started out as a dream — an idea of a modern bridal boutique for brides wanting a little more magic when choosing that perfect dress — has now become a reality.
A Hamiltonian (born and raised), Amelia fell in love with her city but also with the neighbouring communities — Oakville, Burlington and Waterdown.
Now, Amelia is engaged to her fiance while dealing with challenges of planning a wedding amidst this ongoing pandemic.
“As a bride amidst this ongoing pandemic, it has been uplifting to see the creative ways this past year has shaped the wedding industry and being reminded of the beauty between two people on their wedding day. Seeing that love is never cancelled,” said Amelia.
On March 2, Amelia will be opening the doors to her dream bridal boutique, located in Waterdown (37 Main Street South Unit 4). Thus realizing her lifelong dream, supporting other brides in the local community, and keeping love alive during these challenging times.
“The boutique encompasses the true beauty and emotions of finding your wedding gown in the modern age, creating an intimate experience as unique as each bride to be,” said Amelia. “We work with bespoke designers whose values align with ours and hand pick every gown for our collection. We also love sustainability. Over 50% of our gowns are sustainable and use eco-friendly materials.
With the name Stolen Hearts Bridal Boutique, your heart is sure to be stolen away by the beautiful wedding dresses and magical atmosphere. Just take a peak at this gorgeous photo and visit Stolen Hearts’ Instagram and website.
Ps. Don’t miss out on the VIRTUAL grand-opening event on March 2 at 7:30pm EST. Amelia and her team will be showcasing the boutique for the first time, modelling some dresses, and giving away AMAZING prizes from some of their favourite local vendors and businesses! Simply RSVP at this link: https://smart.bio/stolenheartsbridal/
