The first L.L.Bean retail store in Canada is now open at Oakville Place. The 13,000 square foot store opened August 23rd. Canadian fans of the iconic retailer will now have an additional way to experience this amazing heritage brand.
The name is pretty self-explanatory – this is the home of all things beer. A massive bar with an incredible selection of local craft beers, rotating taps, exposed ductwork, a great patio and a delicious food menu to go with it.
Purveyors of high quality CBD products, Bodega have just opened their Downtown Burlington location. Offering a variety of CBD products in their gorgeous new store, their goal is to promote beauty and wellness through education and natural plant-based solutions.
Designed in Edmonton and inspired by European and Israeli style, this new women’s clothing store is home to beautiful natural clothing that is both flattering and functional.
Nicole Pitre a former vocal teacher and manager is set to inspire the next generation of budding young performers in Milton & Burlington. Nicole, took on the role as the new Principal of Stagecoach Performing Arts Milton & Burlington, bringing a wealth of creative experience to the role.
Nicole is a Toronto native who from a very young age has enjoyed music & theatre, in particular, singing. In her late teens, Nicole spent a year studying Jazz Vocal at the Humber College School of Music. A few years later Nicole decided to attend Metalworks Institute’s Vocal Performance and Technology program, where she graduated with Honours and at the top of her class. There she received one of their prestigious Mentorship Award, for which she is grateful and proud.
Nicole has taught singing, piano and performance technique all around the GTA, as well as performed in multiple bands – but Nicole has found her true passion within StageCoach. Nicole started as the singing teacher in StageCoach Milton in the second term that it was open. She also taught at StageCoach Burlington when it first opened its doors. From there Nicole took on the challenge of becoming StageCoach Milton’s manager and absolutely fell in love. She knew that StageCoach was always going to be a major part of her life and she is beyond thrilled to be the new & proud owner of StageCoach Milton and Burlington!
Nicole says of her new position: “I can’t express the joy and excitement I am feeling as I start this new chapter. StageCoach holds a very special place in my heart and I am beyond thankful for this opportunity! I very much look forward to continuing and growing these amazing schools in Milton & Burlington. My journey with StageCoach, our amazing staff, families, and supportive community has been nothing short of spectacular and it feels like it is only getting started!” “We have already been extremely busy planning the year’s curriculum and activities. Watch this space for some of the exciting events we have in store, such as a Raptors 905 game performance, Tour of Metalworks Recording studio, Milton’s Culture Days Festival & Burlington’s Joseph Brant Day Festival just to name a few.”
Stagecoach Performing Arts Milton & Burlington is part of a network of more than 700 extra-curricular Performing Arts Schools worldwide. Stagecoach aims to make a difference in its students lives by teaching Creative Courage for Life and many children have gone on to study and work in Performing Arts from blockbuster films to countless roles in local theatre productions. Early Stages classes are available for children aged 4 to 6 and Main Stages classes take place for 6 to 18-year-olds every weekend.
Spend this summer indulging your sweet side at Best Desserts Talk of the Town Award-winner, ASTA Dough!
This new addition to Kerr Village has been in high demand as cookie monsters everywhere flock for a taste of their edible cookie dough.
Fiend on this forbidden childhood treat with flavours like s’mores, rosewater and white chocolate, strawberry shortcake and classic cookie dough. Vegan and gluten-free options are also available, and all products are made with organic ingredients, fairtrade chocolate and natural colours.
Grab a hot drink, some soft serve or mini truffles to tide you over until your next trip.
Craving some baked goods instead? Just walk down the street for a treat from The Sweetest Thing, Best Desserts runner-up!
You won’t want to miss their ever-changing selection of personalized cakes and confections, snickerdoodle sammies, lemon meringue cupcakes, cheddar buttermilk scones and more!
Save room for savoury and sweet at Best Desserts second runner-up Buca di Bacco!
This Downtown Oakville staple specializes in classic Italian dishes with a dessert menu that includes traditional treats like polenta cake, chocolate focaccia bread pudding, and bombolini!
Thank you so much to everyone who voted! We will be announcing our next category on July 1, 2019 over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Can you tell us a bit about Oakville Home Leisure?
We specialize in patio furniture, hot tubs, water care and billiards. We’re proud to be celebrating 20 years in business this year.
What’s your favourite part about the business?
We have a lot of loyal customers. Many have been coming to us for the past 20 years. They come, and they see the same faces, and they really trust us. Our customers see the vested interest that we have in what we do.
In the age of digital retail, what’s your secret to keeping customers coming back?
We’re not too big and we’re dedicated to making things better for people. Customers appreciate the time that we take with them and the fact that we know them. Although the retail experience has changed with the ease of online shopping, there’s a loyalty that can’t be beat in having a brick and mortar store, and it’s that face-to-face connection that makes Oakville Home Leisure so special.
What’s your mission at Oakville Home Leisure?
We all work too much. People are working 50-hour weeks, their kids have extra curricular activities, there’s no time or money to drive to a cottage every Friday. People are looking for a vacation at home. People want to relax at home and have a backyard that is a paradise. In today’s digital age, it’s also hard to connect as a family and offering those moments where families can disconnect, spend time together at home, and really have fun is where the team at Oakville Home Leisure’s passion lies.
Grief in the wake of the death of a family member can be a difficult time of change and uncertainty for children and their families. Often isolating, grief needs time, space, and connections to others so that children and families can begin rebuilding their lives. The Lighthouse for Grieving Children is such a place, such a community.
Lighthouse was started 20 years ago in Oakville by Jo Fallon. Having lost her own mother as a child, she knew the need for an environment where children could come together to talk about their grief.Jo says, “Twenty years ago there was the commitment to the knowledge that grief, being a natural and healthy reaction to loss, requires a non-judgmental, safe environment to be digested into our being”, and she talks about our need “to become comfortable with the uncomfortable”. Talking specifically about Lighthouse, Jo says, “our community has embraced and created a Lighthouse that shines brightly and is now acknowledged as a leader in its field across Canada”.
Lighthouse is run by a small team, with just five full-time staff, a number of contract workers, and an amazing, dedicated volunteer force. As Jo says, where Lighthouse is now “is the result of the true grit and openness of so many volunteers, staff, Board Members and supporters… without each one of them we wouldn’t be celebrating 20 years”.
Each week, group sessions are held Monday-Thursday and children and teens attend every second week.They can start at any point throughout the year and come to sessions for as long as they need to – some for 6 months, others for a number of years.The children range in age from 3 to 19 and there is a concurrent parent group for the parents of those children.The sessions have an open forum discussion, art activities, some age-appropriate break out time from play time through to music and even the padded ‘Volcano Room’, complete with a punchbag.
The services that Lighthouse provides are free.Each year, 350 families benefit, at a cost of $1,700 per participant.There is a strong fundraising ethos well supported by the community to raise funds to cover these costs: annually a 5km Run 4 Lighthouse (with 1000 participants!), the Power of 10 cycling event, and the pre-Christmas Bring & Buy sale amongst many others.This year, as Lighthouse celebrates 20 years, a 20 for 20 fundraising initiative was launched asking anyone and everyone to host an event, big or small, to help raise funds for Lighthouse: from bake sales, poker nights, lemonade stands, neighbourhood BBQs, every little bit helps!The first few events are now underway with the hopes of many more to come throughout the 20th year!
Thousands of families have benefitted from the services that Lighthouse provides.“Without this place, I would be lost, I would be floundering, I wouldn’t know what to do to support my kids. They are my number one concern and I feel like Lighthouse is the safety net. When something is going on, we can turn to the Lighthouse, we have people we can talk to, books we can read, other resources that are available. If there was no Lighthouse, it would be a lot tougher trying to normalize things without having some proof that you aren’t the only one,” commented one family.
At The Lighthouse, families find and create a community of understanding, stability and support during a very difficult time.
Congratulations from all of us at Look Local for your achievements over the last 20 years.
The Run for Lighthouse is taking place Saturday June 1st at Lion’s Valley Park. Every individual who raises $25 or more is eligible for a voucher from Film.ca while larger fundraising amounts make individuals eligible to win a Royal Caribbean Cruise courtesy of Expedia or a ‘Fill a Theatre’ experience by Film.ca
Pssst, wanna know a secret?A big-time celebrity lives right here in Oakville. She shops at our grocery stores, she plays with her children at our parks, she even hits the town for a bite to eat every now and then (when she’s not whipping up something delicious in her kitchen). She’s a New York Times Best Selling Author, an award-winning blogger, Instagram mogul – and honestly, a downright charming and lovely individual. Can you guess who it is yet? We’ll give you one more clue: she’s vegan.
That’s right. We’re talking about Ms. Oh She Glows herself, Angela Liddon. We recently sat down and chatted with Angela about balancing work and motherhood, and even got the scoop on her upcoming third book. And truthfully, interviewing Angela was one of the most pleasant experiences. Take a look:
Give us the quick and dirty – how did Oh She Glows come to life?
In 2008, I started my blog Oh She Glows because I was unhappy with my career as a researcher (I had recently graduated with a Masters degree in social psychology) and needed a fun, creative outlet. I quickly fell head over heels in love with blogging, and discovered a passion for recipe creation, writing, and food photography that I never really expected to find. After a couple of years of blogging, I was approached by a major publishing house asking whether I’d like to write a cookbook. Almost 10 years since starting my blog, I’ve shared over 600 recipes online, written two bestselling cookbooks, and published an award-winning recipe app. I’m grateful every day that I get to wake up and live my passions.
Have you ever had a “wow, I’ve made it” moment, or several, or none?
Shortly after my first cookbook went on sale in 2014, I received a call from my editor. Lucia was bursting with excitement and yelled, “Angela, you’re a New York Times Bestselling Author!!” I think that was when I truly realized the immense support behind my work. To see how many people had gone out and bought themselves and friends/family a copy really blew me away. Another moment was winning a WXN’s Canada’s Most Powerful Women Award in 2018.
While building your brand, you’ve also been building your family. As a working mom, I’ve felt the pull so many of us feel to “do it all.” How do you find balance – or do you?
Almost 5 years into motherhood, I’m just starting to feel like I have some sort of balance in terms of my personal wellbeing. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get to a good place of mental and physical health. In terms of feeling balanced in other areas, I honestly can’t say I’m there yet. I’ve had to temporarily give up a lot of things in my business because there is only so much time in the day! Being a parent of two little ones has forced me to embrace the chaos and also focus on which projects are the most important right now. Rather than trying to do a little bit of everything and feeling overwhelmed, I now focus on one main goal at a time. I’m learning that I really don’t need to do it all.
How do you build and create your recipes? Does it take a lot of trial and error – or does it come pretty naturally at this point?
Now that I’ve been doing this for about 10 years, I do find that recipe creation is a bit quicker than it used to be. I’m better at planning the recipe I want to create, from balancing flavours to knowing how much of each ingredient to use. I’ve learned a lot, but I’m a perfectionist at heart so I still tweak recipes even when the first attempt was great. It’s fun for me. Not everything works though – I still have some epic fails now and then, and when a recipe goes horribly wrong, I tend to abandon it and focus on something else for a bit.
How do you spend your free time in our beautiful little community?
We love finding new parks/playgrounds/splashpads. There are so many great ones in Oakville and the kids love scoping out new ones!
What’s next for Oh She Glows? and what’s next for you?
I’m currently immersed in the creation of my third cookbook – up first, is the writing, recipe creation, testing, etc, and then once my manuscript is handed in, I’ll be shooting the food photography. It took my creativity a while to “reset” after my second cookbook, Oh She Glows Every Day, and having my second baby. I was patient and didn’t force myself to dive into a new big project, and then one week the inspiration just struck me and I literally couldn’t get my ideas down fast enough. I’ve learned that being in a creative field has its highs and lows. There are super inspiring months when ideas and creativity are flying, and other months that leave me wondering if I’m ever going to create anything worthwhile again. Both are necessary parts of the creative process. After my cookbook is mostly complete, I’m going to shift back to my recipe app and work with my app team to consider expanding it in new and exciting ways.
Chocolate or vanilla?
No contest here – chocolate, hands down! My go-to snacking chocolate is Green and Blacks 85% dark chocolate.
Sweet or savory?
Oh, that’s tough…how about both? I love a little something sweet after a savory meal.
We’re moving into hamburger month this May, so start salivating for the perfect patties produced at Best Burger 2019 Talk of the Town Award winner, The King’s Arms!
This Downtown Oakville staple’s hand pressed 8oz chuck brisket patties have made their mark on the local community because of their fresh, juicy and flavourful quality and the fact that they are half price on Sundays.
You’ll have no trouble digging into their OMG burger topped with OMG sauce, sautéed onions, mushrooms, swiss cheese and a panko bread onion ring or their Bacon Bad burger loaded with maple Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce, bacon and cheddar.
Watch the game, play pool, dance and fill your belly at this uniquely modern take on an old fashion British pub “where you’re a stranger but once!”.
Don’t eat meat? You can find a magnificent vegan meal at Best Burger runner-up Boon Burger!
These 100% plant-based creations are made fresh daily, full of flavour and healthy to boot. Sink into savoury spices with the Sriracha Ranch burger or add a little crunch to your selection with the bbq corn chip-adorned South West Crunch burger.
Our third-place establishment is no slouch either! Downtown Oakville’s BRU is the perfect place to grab a burger and a beer after work, before a show or just because.
Their gourmet Bru Burger is served as a double patty with special sauce, American cheese, pickles and iceberg lettuce on a potato bun. Find your perfect pairing with a selection from their unparalleled craft beer menu featuring over 15 Ontario breweries and premium imports.
Thank you so much to everyone who voted! We will be announcing our next category on May 1, 2019 over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Spring is the time of year whenDowntown Oakville streets come alive. Floral arrangements line sidewalks in oversized planters and shoppers come out to take in the beautifully crafted window displays. If you’re lucky, you may even find an open patio to grab a drink with friends on an exceptionally warm spring afternoon.
Downtown Oakville always will be an Oakville hot-spot. With access to lakefront trails, restaurants, shops, and a bustling employment centre, it may come as no surprise that the Lakeshore streetscape requires a boost to improve functionality.
If you’ve made your way to the main Lakeshore Road strip recently, you may have noticed that construction has already begun on the Lakeshore Road Reconstruction and Streetscape Project.
The project, which is to be completed in two phases over a two-year period, has closed vehicle access from Navy Street to Thomas Street. Improvements include new street furniture, a pedestrian crossover at Navy and Church streets, a two-way conversion of Navy Street, bike corrals, free public wifi, and redesign of the town square, among other exciting initiatives.
While the outcome of this project will have major benefits for the Downtown core, the two-year construction and disruption is troubling for local businesses and the Downtown Oakville BIA. Downtown Oakville boasts many wonderful events throughout the year, many of which have become family traditions and draw in large crowds. In addition, parking and road disruptions may discourage people from visiting this vibrant part of our community.
In 2017, Town staff were given the go-ahead to work on a plan to soften the economic impact of these two major construction projects. The Mitigation Strategy provided council with an outline of how to support the commercial business district, which may be impacted by the Lakeshore Bridge Reconstruction (complete) and the 2019-2020 Lakeshore Road Streetscape project.
In consultation between the Town of Oakville and the BIA, a lengthy list of mitigation measures have been developed to help keep the Downtown core vibrant throughout the duration of the construction period.
A Project Office has been opened and is located in the former Post Office at 193 Church Street. The office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and by appointment in the afternoon. This location is ‘information central’ for the reconstruction of Lakeshore Road. Staff are on-hand and ready to provide information and answer any questions.
When it comes to parking, additional spots have been created, plus customers, visitors, and residents who use the Honk Mobile app will receive their first hour of parking free anytime between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays by using promo code DOWNTOWN. Parking on weekends is FREE.
And there are plenty of reasons you’ll want to head down there. The Downtown Oakville BIA is very excited to be introducing a brand-new pop-up park for all to enjoy throughout the summer in the heart of Downtown. The pop-up park will be created on George Street and will include unique lounge furniture, bistro tables, greenery, rotating art installations and more! The park will be open throughout the week, free for all to enjoy starting in June and running through to September. Every Thursday evening, the pop-up park will be home to outdoor movies. On Friday evenings, TD Songs of Summer Series will be on, showcasing an artist on stage in the pop-up park from June 14 – Aug 30 (excluding July 19, when you can enjoy Midnight Madness instead) – One Stage, One Sound, Every Friday night!
The pop-up park will also host giant blocks and yoga on Saturdays and family games and activities on Sundays. And of course, the usual themed events will be happening, including Spring Bloom May 11 – 12, Sidewalk Sale June 6 – 9, and Midnight Madness on July 19. The pop-up park will be the perfect gathering place for the community to come together and enjoy all that Downtown has to offer throughout this exciting time of revitalization.
Technicalities and construction aside, the end result of this project is going to be impressive. And while teams are hard at work in the streets and in the stores, they require our support and patience. Don’t let this project stop you from enjoying all of the best shopping and dining experiences Downtown Oakville has to offer.
It’s hard to think of Oakville as anything but a bustling lakefront town, but in the mid-1800’s it was a farming community that was so small that people scheduled their day around a single whistle.
Oakville became so well known for its strawberries that it was referred to as the strawberry capital of the Canadas and because the strawberries were exported by rail and boat, they needed safe containers.
Hence the story of Oakville’s Basket Factory began.
The factory’s origins date back to 1866 when strawberry farmers John Cross and John Chisholm began making baskets in sheds on their farms that were located around Trafalgar Road. In 1871, with the demand for strawberries and other produce growing, a new basket factory was opened at 356 Trafalgar Road, which was converted from the old Victoria Brewery, across from the Oakville GO station.
The factory was not only significant because it employed so many people but because the steam engine that powered it had a loud whistle that would signal the start of the work day and lunch hour.
Courtesy of Oakville Museums/Oakville Historical Society
George Chisholm, president of the Oakville Historical Society, said the whistle regulated the whole town as it could be heard everywhere. Indeed, it was so loud, it eventually became the town’s official fire alarm. For George, the whistle holds special significance.
“My mother told me the twelve o’clock whistle sounded while I was born,” said George. John Chisholm is his great-great-grandfather’s nephew.
“The factory was very important to the town,” said George. “It was one of the biggest factories in town and the basket factory was probably the largest employer in town for quite a while.”
Courtesy of Oakville Museums/Oakville Historical Society
While the exact number of employees isn’t known, the historical society has a list of the employees who worked there who signed up for the military during the second world war. There are 65 names on the list.
Fire destroyed the factory twice, which isn’t surprising given the baskets were made of a softwood like pine plus beech, birch or maple. Each time it was rebuilt on the Trafalgar Road site. One of the fires, in 1893, was set by former owner, Robert McKenzie Chisholm, who had just been released from the Toronto asylum.
ourtesy of Oakville Museums/Oakville Historical Society
After the 1920 fire, a new factory was rebuilt which remained open until 1984. It would later manufacture tongue depressors and popsicle sticks. The factory hasn’t been forgotten. The name of the last owner, J.M. Wallace, lives on in Wallace Park on Reynolds Street and the last remnant of the factory is parked on a lot near Trafalgar and Cornwall Road. It’s the large 15-foot flywheel that powered the operation.
