Tuesday 31 January 2023

Newmarket One Act Play Festival A Community Gem

One Act Play Festival A Community Gem

By Tom Pearson

As some of you may know, I was recently made the President of the Very Useful Theatre Company, which we also coordinate the hosting of the Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays. As well, our mission not only includes creating stage opportunities for local performers, but raising funds for good causes such as the Newmarket Food Pantry for which we have quietly raised thousands of dollars over the past years.
The V.U.T.C. is a regisitered charity non profit but theatre arts are not one that the public thinks of typically when donating to local causes or for volunteers, so its a constant cycle to keep up a profile out there whether that be media coverage, or goodwill sharing of content, or supporting our message.

Councillor Tom Vegh Joins Young Company Cast

That said, a number of great local businesses, service club organizations, as well as the BIA, and the town of Newmarket have all been very supportive in the past - especially of our festival. In fact, we have just started having our monthly board and organizing comittees meetings out of the town's municipal offices which gives us a home base to meet in!
Theatre Arts have for centuries brought communities together, and is also not only a tremendous conduit for for lifting spirits and for individuals to express themselves, but with the addition of our new youth company which the past two years we have been giving free youth workshops where they then write their own plays for one day of the festival we provide them, it is also a proven esteem booster and confidence builder!


Should you have an interest in supporting the arts, I encourage you to visit out Facebook pages (as shown above) and follow or like us and of course should you wish to donate you can do that as well on our website, but mostly we just want to keep being able to provide opportunities to local #Actors, #Playwrights, #Stagehands and others to practice their craft, while performing to local and international audiences... and then who knows?
Our #NIFOAP festival has not only helped local Actors, a number of which are now also featured in tv and film productions, but also we attract play entries from Playwrights who regularly work in hubs like New York City, L.A., Chicago, Australia, the UK and on and on. Some are Creators and Writers in Hollywood and elsewhere and produce for networks like Disney as well, so we know we're attracting the world's best right here to little Newmarket!
I encourage you to support this local gem so we can keep providing these wonderful world class opportunities and if you're a Writer, Director or Actor (or aspiring) follow to get involved. This year's festival is slated to run Sept 7-10 at Newmarket Old Town Hall and is now accepting one act play submissions at submissions@oneactplayfestival.com or visit the website to submit as well at oneactplayfestival.com.

Break A Leg!


See 2022 pre festival trailer video here
See past festival highlight video here


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Tuesday 14 June 2022

Tuesday 26 April 2022

Sheppard’s Bush Now Managed by Town

 Town Now Manages Sheppard’s Bush

As of January, 2022, the Town of Aurora has taken over the management of Sheppard’s Bush, a town jewel that was gifted to the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1971 and features 65 acres of natural parkland after having been previously managed by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.
Sugar Shack and Log Cabin at Sheppard’s Bush

The area was donated to the foundation by Reg Sheppard whose father C.H. Sheppard was a former Mayor of Aurora and had driven a stagecoach between Aurora and Sutton. He had wanted Aurorans to enjoy the sugarbush in its natural state - partly why the area wasn’t directly gifted directly to the town as they wouldn’t guarantee him no gift taxes and succession duties, as well as the maximum income tax deduction. Reg also was weary of town councils that he thought may decide to try and develop parts over time.


It was also thought that the Aurora Horse Show would relocate on 20 acres there but that never materialized, and in 1975 the Conservation Authority announced a master plan which would include partially opening to the public in spring of 1976 with a sugar bush demonstration area, and construction of a sugar shack which hoped to produce 4,800 gallons of sap from 750 - 1000 maple trees, that would all translate into about 160 gallons of syrup to be sold from a historic log cabin that was relocated to the site. 

The sugar bush dream was finally fully realized in 1977 when it was completely opened to the public, as the donating Sheppard family moved out of their on site home.

If you grew up in the area, you will recall your schools visiting, which was also part of the plan, attracting 15 - 20,000 visitors a year where you could sample the goodies and see the process involved in making maple syrup.
Lions Club donated the money to build pavilion

For many years after, the Aurora Lions Club would host an annual pancake breakfast there, and in fact, donated the funds to build an outdoor pavilion that is still at the park today, which can be booked out for events.


In 1997 the conservation authority proposed constructing soccer fields and baseball diamonds and an additional parking area that the town enjoys use of to this day as well. They have since added connecting walking trails that also allow access to the Nokida trail system which run all the way north to Holland Landing.

The town of Aurora owes a debt of gratitude to Reg Sheppard for this wondrous donation and one can only hope they consider bringing back the operation of the sugar shack and once again offering Aurora’s own maple syrup!


Wednesday 9 February 2022

Saturday 15 February 2020

Winter Blues

So far, in 2019-20, winter has been an unpredictable mess. One day earn the next freezing. Is this the new normal? Let’s hope not! Meantime Aurora, Ontario, Canada has the Aurora Winter Blues Festival upcoming to help quell those winter blues! Kickoff Bash is Feb 29 2020! Tickets @ www.musicaurora.ca 



Monday 19 November 2018

Santa Claus Sighted in Newmarket

Everyone Loves a Parade

Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
I guess you could say I have a bit of an affection for town parades. They bring back fond memories of course of a time when free hot chocolate, following the wonderful and magical town Santa Claus Parade,was everything. And it was even more special for me as a child being part of my mom's floats each year as she was well known for her parade winning floats for the Aurora Shopping Centre back when the town's parade started right there as well with all the floats and marchers awaiting their turns to proceed out. Christmas magic, and my mom always had a unique Christmas sub-themed float she'd design and dress us kids up and the neighbour's kids up as the characters.

Highway 11 Cruisers - Best Non-Profit Float

Best Float


That was what was going through my head this year as the floats passed by, that we'd had some great ones, and that some today were pretty good too. I'd even heard talk of free hot chocolate somewhere, so Newmarket had it going on it seemed. And just then I saw the ever so cool float by the Highway 11 Cruisers car club, complete with life-sized "hot wheel" car and thought, gee, I wonder if they have a prize for best floats? And in fact thought it out loud to the car club president Danny Facchini as he drove by behind their float, and sure enough they'd won as Best Float for non-profits!


Good on them, but what's even more impressive about the Highway 11 Cruisers is that this once rag-tag group of car boys and girls have also now to date raised $97, 000 for charities in the time they've been around - which is relatively young at only 8 years! Causes such as Sick Kids, Ernies Journey-United by Trauma, JumpStart, Southlake Regional Health Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Canadian Crime Victims Foundation have all benefited among some. Impressive, and certainly worthy of community recognition. Members past and present should all be proud. Santa lives and apparently drives cars!
Watch the malls for the SA Xmas drive

My mom was also a past car club executive member back in the day, which has absolutely nothing to do with anything here, but seems a connection somehow. That and her fantastic parade floats, and with mom passing this past May, I'll take any connection to keep her "alive".

Speaking of May, that is also when the next Highway 11 Cruisers event is and also when you can help the Cruisers crack the $100,000 dollars raised for charities mark! Donate now

Merry Xmas to all and to all a good night!

Newmarket Xmas Parade Highlights Here.

TP Out!






Santa makes his escape!





Wednesday 26 September 2018

Newmarket Mayor's Candidates Debate

                                        Game On!
Newmarket Community Centre parking lot - pre-Riverwalk Commons, Bradford VS Mulock Hawks

Wednesday at the Newmarket Theatre on Mulock Drive, there will be the first facing-off of the two mayoral candidates running in the Newmarket municipal election, Joe Wamback, John Taylor. 

While I believe both men care deeply about the town, both have different visions and experience and when it comes to the job, both have their own views on the direction our town should take.
For Taylor who has been on council as the Regional Councillor (and Deputy Mayor) for a long time, it would seem his anointment to mayor-ship should be a formality, just like it was for his father before him former Mayor Tom Taylor, the same name you see on all the trails you walk or ride your bikes or scooters along Fairy Lake Park.

On the other hand, a mood has swept over of late that has people questioning the 'status quo in governments and becoming more and more suspicious of those staying in the game long, and more accepting of new "blood". Those people want change. Real change, but they still want to be satisfied that that change includes someone that brings to the table accountability and transparency and to that end convincing will be needed if anyone new is to be considered. Also whether or not their previous experience has been at a level that could be transferable to manage a town the size of Newmarket. Does Joe Wamback reach that level? That will be up for the voters to decide and to that end the public gets an opportunity Wednesday September 26 to see for themselves who should be the next mayor of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.

Two "kids" grew up playing and who payed it forward helping me out door knocking.  Josh is centre in the pic below
Lurking in the background at these elections, but rarely raised, is party allegiance as well. I know when I ran for council in the last by-election that was a question I often faced (I pledge no allegiances). That and whether or not I lived in the ward, which I did not. Taylor is Liberal supportive while Wamback has run for the Conservatives some years back and so you have that dynamic as well swirling about in some minds. For me, I believe party politics should not be in the game, yet it seems inevitable and often influences who residents elect as well, but not always as I've seen signs with both Taylor and Vegh, who is running for Regional councilor, on them. And Vegh has run for the Cons as well in the past. Whether the current local council crew are accomplishing enough will also come out in the election wash, although there are a few acclaimed candidates - often a sure sign of a dying or democracy in peril.

My personal dealings with John Taylor on council has been mixed. Whereas he's been supportive of some initiatives I've been involved in, he' wasn't overly helpful in helping keep our grassroots road-hockey event going, while "allowing" the NHLers come in and host ball hockey where we were told we could not, after supporting it in its initial years.

Toronto Sun page 3 called us great, while TO banned we had RH on Main St! We were named best town a few years after.
This after I supported Riverwalk Commons being built - publicly - after being assured by former councilor Joe Sponga that we would still be able to hold it there as we had held the event previously in its then arena and parking lot and even sometimes portions on Main St. We also included local businesses and set the families up with free meal tickets for participants and discounts for families with the local Main St restaurants. It was a great community led event with huge potential written up on page 3 of the Toronto Sun praising Newmarket for putting road hockey on the streets while TO was trying to ban it - and ran 10 years before being banished to the boonies weeks before our last held event which caused our main sponsor to drop out and quietly was dropped of the local councils support radar, including as a Mayors Charity Golf recipient, followed by another sponsor on Main also vocally supportive of the mayor. A few years later we were voted top town.

Only Councilor Tom Vegh showed up at the last event we held, whereas previously they had enthusiastically participated - especially in election years. I believe it lost support because I dared criticize their (non) action to include men when the drive to build a shelter was on and all available cash was being diverted to just one area of need, while we had - and still have - but 26 full time shelter beds for men in all York Region, a population over 1,000,000. They could never separate my personal constructive criticism from the cause, so the cause lost. The longest running annual ball hockey event in Ontario.

The Mulock Hawks team nucleus formed but did not get to play in 2016 when the event lost location support
Two years ago, when running for by-election, I tried to again approach John about resurrecting the event after the NHLs "Hometown Hockey" visit came to town including a ball hockey area they had set up. He brushed me aside, almost physically, while briskly telling me, "Not Now!", when I approached him there and asked about it - as I'd been told by town staff we couldn't hold it there for "safety" reasons. Never forgot that. And I had never previously seen him act that way.

Funny thing though, Ron Mclean signed my petition that very day, to have the event brought back to Riverwalk Commons where it had run for 7 years before the rebuild. He saw the value in a grassroots locally produced hockey entity that engaged young people and in this case also connected lower income communities to the broader one, with all youths forming their own teams and competing in a friendly tourney. It also created an opportunity to engage and influence these youths young,. something I'm not sure any of them ever understood. Yet John's dad Tom Taylor had actually recognized us with an award of some type as I recall when we started out.

So that was disappointing for me personally, but aside, he is at times a lone voice on regional council, speaking up at least on certain issues, despite at times being at odds with his co-councilors, and often knowing the votes would not be coming his way on a particular issue, yet trying anyway by at least raising them. Contrast that with our outgoing mayor who has been mostly silent over the past few years on the regional council. We do need someone not afraid to speak up for Newmarket residents.

Hockey Night in Canada's Ron Maclean signed the 2016 petition for returning the grassroots event to Riverwalk.
On the other hand, Joe Wamback, who championed victims rights and went on to establish a Canadian Crime Victim Foundation and successfully pushed to have Canadian legislation changed after his own son Jon was the victim of a brutal attack by other youths right here in Newmarket that left him with brain injuries, always supported the grassroots, Friendly Neighborhood Road hockey Challenge March break held event. Even in its infancy, Joe and wife Lozanne would come out in support when it started out in a small community, right on the cold streets, as a support for the kids in a community affected by the murder of another victim of crime who had lived there and who was also a youth, who's been stabbed to death outside a local Tim Hortons.

And we also had started the Mike Thornhill Memorial Award, then awarding one kid educational $ for their commitment to community. It long preceded the "Character" awards, started in a similar vein of thought however. They saw the value in it. And wanted no recognition or photo ops. But I'm also pretty sure they understand that by engaging youth early we can help avoid more crime and victims of crime something that seems to be elevating as of late in the Region and Newmarket particularly.

So those are my personal experiences in my dealings with both candidates and make of it all what you will, but in the end we all make our own decisions!

Good Luck to both in the debates tonight! 6pm meet & greet start. TP out.

Visit John Taylor's website 

Visit Joe Wamback's website 


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Newmarket One Act Play Festival A Community Gem

One Act Play Festival A Community Gem By Tom Pearson As some of you may know, I was recently made the President of the Very Useful Theatre C...