Parading the Streets

A morning's walk brought back a few memories.   I came across a rare scene; a family raking leaves into a very small pile and their young children tossing them into the air.  Like the lots of today, big house and small yard, the pile of leaves was modest to say the least.  There was a real hint of Fall in the air, the light, coolness and the musty smell of plants decaying.  With a light breeze, coloured leaves were floating down to the ground.  There was that familiar crunching sound as we walked across the newly laid carpet. Growing up on the west side of Bronte, we had a large lot...and a very small house.  The yard had a variety of trees, willows, maples, pines and fruit trees, apple, plum, pear, peach, cherry and apple. Mature maple trees lined Cudmore Road as they did on most streets in Bronte.  Not only did we have to rake leaves from a 1/3 acre, but they had to be removed.  The solution back then was burning.  Long before public sanita...

E rchless Estate is historically significant as the home to six generations of the Chisholm family, and from the 1830s to 1910 was the site of Oakville's Customs House. Col. William Chisholm (1788-1842), a prominent Burlington merchant and shipbuilder, purchased the property as part of a 388.5-hectare tract from the Crown in 1827 to establish a port, shipyard and town. In 1977, the Town of Oakville made a significant acquisition by purchasing the house and land situated at the entrance to the Harbour. Since then, these properties have been transformed into the Oakville Museum and public lands, which are now freely accessible to all residents of Oakville. Of utmost importance is the building’s location, which serves as a direct link to the Town’s rich past and extensive history. It embodies an integral part of Oakville’s cultural heritage and identity. Similar to Oakville, Bronte’s history is intrinsically linked to the Lake, 12 Mile Creek, fishing, lumbering, stone hooking, and agr...

Good morning all. Like many, I more than likely spend way too much time on social media. Not only on my own hang outs like Parading the Streets and the Bronte Cafe, but a whole list of Bronte, Oakville, music and photography pages.   Recently, I made a few blog posts on what would appear to be two disconnected topics/musings. One was the passing of two Blakelock classmates and second, the on going negativity and angst over change in Bronte and wishing a return to the good old days. Yesterday, I attended a Celebration of Life and there were a number of people from my high school days. Some I hadn't seen in nearly 25 years since the 2000 TAB Reunion, others since high school and some who I run into or connect with every few years. A few of those haven't been to Bronte in a number of years. They had moved on to other communities, had careers, families and lives. While the focus was on our friend and classmate, there was catching up, sharing of memories, wondering about othe...

Though I am an original Bronte resident, my interest in its history has been limited.  A visit to the Sovereign House/Bronte Historical Society and there is a virtual feast of information.  It is somewhat static, dry and primarily focused on its founding through to the early 1950s.  It is a must see to understand the genesis of the village and its evolution to what exists today.  If you are a user or member of the various Facebook pages; as you read through the numerous posts what  emerges is an oral history of  Bronte for a period spanning 3 or 4 decades.  This isn't a conventional history about politics, decisions or things that were built and by whom.  Rather, it is a community history, how people lived, grew up...their experiences, memories and friendships .   Bronte is once again changing.  There are 3 major developments underway which bookend the village.  Along with the recent redevelopment of the Fresh Air Mission/Petries la...

 I was an early adopter to social media. Over the years, it allowed me to reconnect with family and old friends.  It also acted like a rolodex and calendar to stay in touch with friends and activities.  It was a real time link to community groups. There was also a negative or downside to this tool...this new world.  There emerged an incredible degree of negativity and vitriol.  It became a platform for politics, daily complaints, scam, spam and people trying to sell you duct cleaning.   Two years ago, I thought it would be an interesting experiment to try something new.  As an urban planner, I have always believed in the concept of 3rd spaces.  These spaces included parks, libraries and recreation centres all of which are publicly accessible. But there are also coffee shops restaurants, fitness clubs and more; while privately owned; provided a space where people and the community gathered.  The concept emerged to create a virtual cafe.  ...