Friday, May 25, 2012

Maskwa's Athlete Jillian Steele Receives Prestigious Award

Last night one of Maskwa Aquatic Club’s long-time members, Jillian Steele received a prestigious award by the Zonta Club of Halifax. Every year the Zonta Club of Halifax awards a student in grade 12 a scholarship to recognize women’s leadership in public policy, government, schools and community volunteer organizations. I had the distinct pleasure of attending this event and was thrilled to see Jillian Steele receive this $1,000 award at the local level.  Jillian’s application has been forwarded to the district level where she’ll have the chance to receive a further $1,000 and if successful at the district level she will be considered for the international award of $3,000.

Jillian, a Sacred Heart School of Halifax grade 12 student has a long list of volunteer work in her resume. I would like to highlight a few. She is a dancer and singer and performs with Maritime Dance Performance Group, as a community volunteer she works in the warehouse of her local food bank each week, a cantor at her church and sings mass weekly. In 2009 she was recognized by HRM with a Citizenship Award. As an international development worker, Jillian traveled to rural Kenya with Free the Children where she helped build a school for young children. Jillian described this trip as a “life-changing experience.” She now describes her ultimate goal as becoming a doctor and ``opening a medical clinic in a rural community in Kenya where there is limited access to health care.” In her school Jillian was the Secretary of the Student Council in Grade 11, and this year she is both the Grade 12 Representative on the Student Council and the Head of the Prom Committee. As an athlete, Jillian is a member of the school’s soccer team and a competitive kayaker at Maskwa Aquatic Club. Last year in the National Paddling Competition in Ontario, Jillian received a medal for the K4 (kayaking) event. She attended the 2008 and the 2009 International Children’s Games in San Francisco, and in Athens, Greece. The goal of these games is to promote peace and friendship through sports to the world’s youth.
To quote from one of the judges, “She is a future leader and a young woman who will truly make a difference.”  Congratulations Jillian, we at Maskwa are very proud of you!


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

HRM Meeting - Future of Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes

We have just learned that HRM Staff and Chebucto Community Council will be hosting a Public Meeting on the future of Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park at St Peters Church Hall, Dakin Drive and Kearney Lake Rd at the Bedford Highway. Come early (6:30 PM) to look at some new maps.

Halifax North West Trails has been involved since the early discussions about the proposed Regional Park and is excited to share that progress is being made.  HRM Staff and the Protected Areas Branch of NS Environment have been discussing a Grand Vision for the Regional Park and will be making a presentation at 7:00 PM followed by Q&A.  Next steps will be crafted over the next few months. Please come out and support this event.  We need strong (overwhelming) public support to convince HRM Regional Council that we are ready to move ahead to make the Regional Park a reality!!

See you on May 31st and bring your friends and neighbours so they can learn about this future park, destined to be the largest near-urban Wilderness Park in Canada!

This link with 3 Draft maps and more details was posted on May 22 by HRM. http://www.halifax.ca/RealPropertyPlanning/bluemountainbirchcovelakes.html
The scope of the proposed park and process to achieve its creation will be the focus of the meeting. We hope that the meeting will be informative and hope to see you there.
Please feel free to forward this information on to others.

Bob McDonald, Chair
Halifax North West Trails
www.HalifaxNorthWestTrails.ca

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Registration up and running on-line and news from Clayton Park MLA

Hi everyone:
Registration is up and running on the Maskwa home page or through the Registration links. Please click on the member option to register for basic Maskwa membership, paddling, swimming. To register for non-programs like Associate Membership (this is designed for one person at one address for after hour use and weekend only use at the club), day camp, kiddie kayak for non-members click on the non-member link. Any questions don't hesitate to call me at 443-0178 ext: 221.

I'm in the office most days from 9am-2pm. I'm back in tonight from 6pm-7:30pm.

In this blog I'm listing some of the news from Clayton-Park, MLA Diana Whalen

Greetings!
Spring is in the air and there are a lot of events coming up in our area. I hope you will find this e-newsletter interesting and please feel free to share it with your friends and contacts. 

Welcoming new Canadians at Rockingham School in May.

I have attended two wonderful Canadian Citizenship Ceremonies this month - one at Rockingham School and the other at the Canadian Games Centre. Both were very emotional for for all who participated. At Rockingham School each new Canadian was presented with a book of student poems and essays about being Canadian! 

The Legislature has just wrapped up. Power rate increases and education cuts at the Primary to Grade 12 level dominated our discussions. At my office I have a petition against the proposed power rate increases and I welcome you to drop by and sign it.  The online version of this petition has over 30,000 signatures to date!

If you know of an event you would like to have included in upcoming e-newsletters, please let my office know at 443-8318. 

I look forward to seeing you in the community!



Hike to Susies Lake with MLA Diana Whalen
The planned expansion of Bayers Lake Business Park is bringing the Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness back into the news. The expansion will lead to a proper parking lot and trail to Susies Lake but land that is currently forest will soon be part  of the shopping district.
Join MLA, Diana Whalen, on June 14th for an evening hike into the wilderness behind Bayers Lake and see the area for yourself. Susies Lake itself is truly beautiful! 

Susies Lake

The hike will be lead by members of the Halifax North West Trails Association. Please plan to join us and bring your family and friends. This is a great way to see part of the wilderness area, on our doorstep, that was protected by the province in 2009.
Date: Thursday June 14, 2012
Time: Meet at 6:30 p.m .
Where: Parking lot located on Susies Lake Crescent (off Chain Lake Drive - beside the Burger King)
Wear good footwear as this is a forest trail.  The walk will take about an hour and a half. I hope to see you there!


Important Public Meeting on the future of Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes
What: Public Meeting hosted by HRM Staff and the Chebucto Community Council to discuss the future of the BMBCL wilderness area.
Where: St. Peter's Church Hall (Kearney Lake Rd at the Bedford Highway)
When: Thursday, May 31st at 6:30 p.m.
It's  important to have a strong showing of support at the meeting to  illustrate that our community cares about this wilderness area and wants  to keep it in tact. I hope you, your friends and your neighbours can  join me.

Diversity Photography Contest
The FUSION Halifax Immigration & Diversity Action Team has launched a Diversity Photo Contest, with the theme "Express Yourself. Do It, Do.," open now until June 1, 2012. They want to know what diversity in HRM looks like through your eyes, and multicultural Clayton Park is a wonderful example of diversity in Halifax!

The top prize is $500, and the contest is open to residents of HRM. People of all ages and with all levels of photography skills are encouraged to participate.

For more information, please visit their website, and to submit your photo, email it to diversityphotocontest@fusionhalifax.ca.

Neighbourhood Clean Ups
On June 8th and 9th, Clean Nova Scotia will be coordinating the largest single cleanup in Nova Scotia - 'Clean Across Nova Scotia' is part of a larger movement which aims to tackle issues of litter and illegal dumping through an unprecedented global action known as "Let's do it!: World Cleanup 2012". The goal worldwide is to engage 300 million participants in 100 countries worldwide by September 2012, and Clean Nova Scotia is aiming for 25,000 participants across NS. Let's make Clayton Park a part of that!

For more information and to register a clean up in our area, please visit their website or contact my office.


Public Meeting on Prescription Drug Abuse
On May 26th a public meeting on prescription drug abuse in adolescents held from 1-3 p.m. at the Bedford Lion's Den, Lebrun Centre (36 Holland Avenue, Bedford). This is a very important issue as deaths relating to prescription drug abuse in young people is an increasing problem all across Nova Scotia.
Topics:Hear how prescription drug abuse has affected the lives of others
Talk about how this problem has affected your life
Discuss what action needs to be taken to prevent more unnecessary deaths
Learn how you can protect your children
Help shine a light on this critical issue
Speakers will include parents and siblings who lost loved ones to the dangerous combination of prescription pills and alcohol. 

North West Trails Association Kiosk at Canada Games Centre

The North West Trails Association is excited to announce the unveiling of a new kiosk in front of the Canada Games Centre. The kiosk will feature maps of trails in the area and will help our community get out and experience the beautiful trails we're lucky to have in the area.
To celebrate this accomplishment, the Trails Association will host a special "Kiosk Unveiling" at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 2nd. There will be refreshments followed by a short walk around the Mainland Common to show new improvements made to the Mainland Common Loop Trail. The group will be back to the kiosk site by noon.
For more information on the Trails Association and their summer hikes, beginning in June, please visit www.halifaxnorthwesttrails.ca.

Upcoming Community Events
African BBQ Fundraiser and Soccer Skills Competition
Join the African Diaspora Association of Nova Scotia, Soccafrique and Soccachique on Monday, May 21st (Victoria Day) at the Rockingham Community Centre (199 Bedford Highway) from 4-8 p.m. for a fundraising BBQ and soccer skills competition. Plates are $10. Try grilled tilapia, grilled chicken, veggie samosas, rice, stew and salad. For more information, call 404-3670 or email settlementservices@adamns.ca. All are welcome!

Rockingham School Spring FairÉcole Rockingham School will host their annual spring fun fair on Saturday, May 26th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 31 Tremont Drive. There will be games, a bouncy castle and a yard sale - all are welcome!

"Let's Talk #105" With Geoff ReganJoin Halifax West MP Geoff Regan for an open discussion at Rockingham United Church Hall (12 Flamingo Drive) on Saturday, May 26th. Open discussion from 10-11 a.m. followed by individual appointments from 11-12 p.m. Contact Geoff's office at 426-2217 or  geoff@geoffregan.ca for more information.

Mosaic Ministries Free Community DinnerMosaic Ministries is hosting a dinner of corned beef and cabbage, as well as coffee and tea, at the Fairview Salvation Army (50 Gesner Drive) on Saturday, May 26th at noon. All welcome!

Contact Information
Phone: 902-443-8318
Email: whalendc@gov.ns.ca
Website: www.dianawhalen.com

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Dragon Boat Information

Hello Maskwa Members,


My name is Chris Haley. For those of you who do not know me I am a coach at Maskwa Aquatic Club as well as the Dragon Boat Program manager. I’m emailing you in regards to the up-coming 2012 dragon boat season right around the corner.

This program will provide paddlers of all levels the opportunity to participate in a fun activity that incorporates physical fitness in a social gathering type atmosphere. Paddlers young or old, members or non-members,  competitive or recreational are all welcome to enjoy this Maskwa Dragon Boat program.
 
The program will run from late May to late September, commencing on Wednesday May 30th  at 7pm. We are planning now to run 2 sessions a week (Wednesdays 7-8pm and Sundays 10-11 am). We are charging $8 per individual session, $60 for 10-session punch cards, or $125 for a full program membership.
 
This is our second year of the program, and we are hoping to see more members out on the water this season! Dragon Boating is an excellent way to stay in shape, meet some new people, and have fun! If you are interested in participating in this program it would be greatly appreciated if you could reply to this email expressing your interest.

If you have any questions in regards to the program do not hesitate to contact me at maskwadragonboat@landmark.ca or 835-3592.

Thanks and see you on the water!

Chris Haley, Manager
Maskwa Dragon Boat




Monday, May 7, 2012

Thank you Volunteers




Special thanks to the hard working volunteers who came to the club on Saturday to help lend a hand getting the grounds ready. Thanks to Ian, Karen and Jesse Scott, John Moore, Stephen MacMurray - huge thanks for getting the basketball net fixed, Jody Pace, Brian Jessop, and Mary and Nico Negulic. If I'm missing anyone, I do apologize.
Reminder this Saturday, May 12 from 9am-2pm Maskwa is hosting an Open House. Drop down to the club to register for 2012 summer programs. Coffee provided by Starbucks.