Transitions-Oakville, Burlington and Mississauga Real Estate Blog

Sometimes we lose our way in life and in so doing, we lose the ones that we belong with. Not knowing what to do, we try to fit in with the closest thing we can find to our way of life and the individuals we are most familiar with.

This works out fine, sometimes. Often we find it too hard to try and be something we're not and eventually, after misplacing integral parts of ourselves, we decide we miss our tribe and our old way of life.
Then we pack up and go back to the place and people that feel like 'home'.

Humans are lucky that way. They're able to remember where they belong and who they belong with. Birds aren't always so lucky.

Such is the case with this lone Snow Goose who, for reasons we're not privy to, found himself living with a flock of Canada Geese.
Being lonely and wanting a mate, he chose one of the Canada Goose females.

The pair seem happy enough; however a closer look reveals some marital discord.
It's always him following her.
She seems totally oblivious to his amour and more intent on doing her own thing wandering around Erchless Estate in Old Oakville.

I felt kind of sad for this Snow Goose. He seemed so out of place.

Perhaps one day, maybe when the flock he's chosen to be with is stopped somewhere along their migration route in the fall, he'll spot a band of Snow Geese and will recognize them as his own.

Until then, he's happy to just follow along and pretend he's a Canada Goose with a lovely Canada Goose mate.

Last Wednesday I was fortunate to be given two tickets to attend the media launch of 'A Taste of Burlington'. 

The event was held at the beautiful Burlington Art Centre in the Shoreline Room, overlooking Lake Ontario.

Numerous of Burlington's finest restaurants who are participating in the summer season's A Taste of Burlington program were present.

They served a wide variety of their specialties and attendees had a pleasant afternoon dining on samplings of Burlington's best.

The wines of Ontario were well represented also and we were able to sample some of the finest wines Ontario has to offer.

Musical entertainment played softly in the background while we were treated to a delicious afternoon lunch from Burlington's finest.

A Taste of Burlington runs from Monday, July 19th to Monday, August 2, 2010.  During this time period diners will be able to experience the finest restaurants in the region as 23 of Burlington's restaurants offer  prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus.

During the summer program of A Taste of Burlington, participating restaurants will offer 3 course meals for $20 (lunch) or $30, $35 or $40 (dinner).

A Taste of Burlington is a very popular program for locals and tourists alike.

Reservations are recommended.

Canadian students 19 and Under are invited to celebrate biodiversity in Oakville and across the globe by entering a contest!

Canadian artist Robert Bateman started a program called 'Get to Know' to help promote environmental awareness amongst young people.

The theme for this year's 'Get to Know' program is 'Celebrate Biodiversity' and at no time more than the present is this theme more important with thousands of plant and animal species becoming endangered or extinct on a daily basis.

If you know a student who is 19 years or under, encourage them to enter this year's 'Get to Know' contest.

Not only will they have the opportunity to learn more about the beautiful planet we live on and display their creative talents, they will also have the opportunity to win some great prizes and perhaps have their work published in the 2011 Get to Know contest calendar or be used for the 2011 Youth Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp!

To enter the contest, students are invited to get outside and get creative. Paint, draw or photograph nature in it's glory and submit your work of art.
Students who prefer to write are encouraged to submit a work of art using the written word that talks about wildlife or biodiversity.

Prizes*
Entrants have the opportunity to win one of the following prizes:

• the winning art or writing entry will be published in the 2011 Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest Calendar
  
• One winning entry will be featured as Wildlife Habitat Canada's 2011 Youth Wildlife Habitat
  Conservation Stamp
  
• A week-long art and nature camp in one of Canada's stunning national parks, joined by outstanding mentors and the American contest winners (sponsored by Parks Canada; for age 12 and up only)
  
• Cash prizes
  
• The winning entry published on www.gettoknow.ca
  
• VIP invitations to special events, held across the country
  
• Personal written congratulations from Robert Bateman
  
• Digital cameras from Panasonic (for photography winners)
  
• Additional prize packages from Opus Framing and Art Supplies and Scholastic (for art and writing winners respectively)

General Rules

This contest is open to ALL Canadian students 19 and under and no purchase or payment is necessary in order to win.

Entrants may submit more than one entry, however all entries must be received in the mail or online by Get to Know no later than 4:00 PM Eastern (1:00 PM Pacific) on May 28, 2010.

For more information, click on the banner below.

*Prize list taken from Get to Know Contest website

Spring has arrived in full force here in Oakville, Ontario.
Fruit trees are in bloom across the city with white and the most beautiful shades of crimson and pink blossoms I've ever seen.

The fact that I think the same thoughts every spring, has no bearing on it. Every spring seems like the most beautiful spring I've ever experienced.

Along with the blossoms come new generations of life, curious and fresh and happy just to be here.

Spring fever has caught up with the birds and the bees as creatures everywhere find a warm place in the sun to relax and relish in the return of another season filled with hope and renewal.

Halton Region Annual Rain Barrel Sale Starts Today!

Rain barrels will be for sale starting today and for the next three Saturdays in Oakville and the Halton Region.
If bought through retail, rain barrels may well cost over $200 however Halton Region offers them to residents for the low price of $36 each. Residents may buy only one rain barrel per household.

In 2009, Halton residents purchased approximately 6,200 rain barrels. These rain barrels had the potential to reduce water consumption in Halton by more than 1.2 million litres.

Why Use a Rain Barrel?

Rain barrels divert rain water from entering our sewer systems and stop pollutants from being swept into the surrounding streams, reducing run-off by as much as 70%

Rain barrels store a great abundance of unchlorinated water for use on gardens and lawns

Rain barrels help homeowners save money on water bills

Rain barrels are simple to install and easy to use

Rain barrels lower the demand on city water systems, especially during the hot summer months


Purchase your rain barrel from 8am - noon on the following days:

Saturday, May 1st          Mohawk Raceway, 9430 Guelph Line, Campbellville
Saturday, May 8th          Oakville Place Mall, 240 Leighland Avenue, Oakville
Saturday, May 15th        Robert C. Austin Operations Centre, 11620 Trafalgar Rd., Georgetown
Saturday, May 29th        Mapleview Centre, 900 Maple Avenue, Burlington

Conserving our water and diverting storm water run-off away from our streams and water bodies is something we can all take part in by buying and using a rain barrel.

Mark your calendar and make plans to visit one of the above locations to pick up your rain barrel during the 2010 Halton Region Rain Barrel Sale Days, on now.

Oakville Taste 2010 - A Culinary Delight

Enjoy a fine dining experience?

Appleby College in Oakville is the place to be on Sunday, May 30th when some of the region's finest caterers, restaurateurs and bakers will be serving up a culinary extravaganza at Oakville Taste 2010 in support of Oakville's Kerr Street Ministries food bank.

From  2-6pm, patrons will enjoy a wide sampling of signature foods from particpating chefs.

Local producers of beer and wine will join the restaurateurs, bakers and caterers in offering a fine selection of their best to pair with the delectable assortment of food styles.

Patrons will also be able to place their bids in a silent auction with proceeds going towards the Kerr Street Ministries food bank.

The following Restaurateurs, Bakers and Caterers will be providing a wonderful sampling of their fare:

Oakville Taste 2010 Exhibitors


To purchase tickets for this memorable event visit

Oakville Taste 2010

Free Comic Book Day and Workshop at Oakville Public Library

Boys and Girls between the ages of 12 and 18 are invited to celebrate Free Comic Book Day this coming Saturday, May 1st from 12-4pm.

To take part in this fun event, register with Elise, the Teen Services Librarian at the Oakville Public Library by email at ecole@oakville.ca or by phone at 905-815-2042 Ext 5037 .

On Saturday, May 1st, stop by the Comic Connection at 146 Kerr Street in Oakville and pick up your free comic. Comic Conection opens at 11 am on Saturdays.

The Free Comic Workshop will be held at the Oakville Public Library Central Branch Auditorium.
Artist Bruce Outridge will be teaching the workshop.

This event is sponsored by the Oakville Public Library, Comic Connection and Friends of the Oakville Public Library.

If you're a teenager in the Oakville region who loves to doodle and sketch, make sure to reserve your spot for the Free Comic Book Day and Workshop at the Oakville Public Library today!

Jo-Anne Smith, the author of this article, is a REALTOR® with Brekland Realty Group, Oakville, Ontario and welcomes your real estate inquiries. To contact her, visit www.oakville-burlingtonhomes.com

Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District

Designated in 1981, the Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District is a unique, living historical account of what the original village of Oakville, first surveyed in 1833, was like.

Extending along the Lake Ontario lakeshore from Allan Street in the East to Sixteen Mile Creek in the west and Robinson Street to the north, the Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District retains much of it's original charm with many of Oakville's original early homes having been preserved.

The original homes of Oakville are commemorated with a white plaque near their doorstep.
The plaque, erected by the Oakville Historical Society, indicates the year the structure was built and who the original owner was.

The original survey of Oakville, completed in 1833, consisted of the area south of Rebecca and Randall Streets, east of Brock Street and west of Allan Street.
The area was subdivided into 1 1/2 acre blocks. Each block was further broken down into 6 lots and the lots were lettered alphabetically from A to F.

In May of 1833, the most valuable town and water lots were sold publically. This was the first public sale of lots in what was to become the Town of Oakville.

Conditions were placed on the sale of the lots and each buyer had to agree to build a structure no less than 24' x 18' within 18 months of owning the lot.

You can just imagine the building activity that took place during those 18 months in 1833 and 1834.
The little harbour village would have been alive with hammers and workers as the exciting anticipation of each family's first home took hold of the community.

The years passed and Oakville prospered. In 1851 census records show a population of 916.

The town of Oakville, named after the great abundance of Oak trees in the area and after it's founding father, William 'White Oak' Chisholm, grew to a village of 130 frame homes and 4 brick homes by the mid 1800s.

Today you can take a walk through this Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District and view many of these quaint and beautiful historical homes, that have stood the test of time and are still alive today with residents, gardens and activity.

©2010JoSmith

What You Can Do to Help Slow Bee Decline - Natural Oakville

Around the globe a crisis of monumental proportions is taking place.
Bees are disappearing at an unprecedented rate and with them go up to one third of the world's food supply.

There are many factors that scientists say are contributing to the alarming disappearance of the bees. Amongst those being studied are:

1. Radio waves

2. Pesticide and Herbicide usage

3. Parasites and Disease that seem to be more successful now due to bee's weakening immune systems

4. Mono-culture of plant species over thousands of acres

5. Air pollution

6. Global warming

All of these factors combined are escalating and compounding the rate of demise that all species of bees are experiencing.

Bees are the most valuable pollinator for plant species on our planet.

Here in Ontario, scientists are not only studying the disappearance of commerical honeybees; native species of wild bees are also showing drastic decline and many species are near extinction.

Peter Kevan, a professor and Entomologist at the University of Guelph, is raising the alarm on the plight of our native bee popluations.
Peter states that two of most common bumblebee species in Ontario are experiencing a "massive decline" and in select areas of the province may already be extinct.

Bee decline is particularly evident in the Niagara region and in southern Ontario. The Niagara region, with it's great abundance of fruit farms, has already experienced a 90 % drop in bee populations.

Scientists are attributing this to pesticide and herbicide use which weakens the bees immune systems to the point where they become extremely susceptible to diseases which cause death.

Another factor in highly populated areas such as the GTA and QEW corridor, is the extremely poor air quality.

Oakville is known as having the poorest air quality in Ontario. A high particulate matter in the air reduces the scent of flowers by up to 90% leaving bees with one of their greatest navigational tools, their sense of smell, in a useless state.
Without being able to find flowers, the bees are unable to gather nectar, the food source for the colonies.

                                                                            

There are a number of things homeowners can do to help the plight of our bee populations:

1. Use a wide array of flowers in your garden, paying particular attention to indigenous species such as Black-eyed Susans, Purple Coneflowers, Bergamot, Dogwood, Serviceberry, Violets, Sunflowers and Wild Strawberries.

2. When planning your garden beds, use a diverse array of flowers so as to have blooms from early spring until late fall.

3. Do what you can to help alleviate global warming and air pollution. Even the smallest actions can make a difference.

4. Avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides in your garden and yard.

The plight of humanity will hang in a precarious balance if bees disappear from the planet and many scientists believe mankind will not survive without these small, hardworking insects we share the planet with.

©2010JoSmith