Renowned sculptor Ann Mortimer will be the first ever artist to exhibit at the Aurora Cultural Centre in Ontario.

She’ll be showcasing a collection of umbrellas crafted from clay, inspired by the paper umbrella factory she visited during her time spent in China.

Mortimer said it took a lot of time and effort to construct the umbrellas. She had to go through a lot of failures and designs to make them, she added. What drew her to make her clay creations was how the paper umbrellas made in that China factory seemingly took her breath away with their bright color and eye-catching designs.

For years, Ann Mortimer has made a name for herself for creating pieces many thought would’ve been impossible.

After working for a few years as a nurse, her interest in clay was sparked after a visit to King Crafts. After the untimely passing of her husband, she put up a house with an art studio on the property she and her husband bought on the Newmarket/King Township border.

She further honed her talent by attending a 2-week workshop with Hockley Valley Fine Arts, learning more techniques on how to craft clay.

Fast forward to today; Mortimer is considered one of the country’s most creative sculptors.

Avid beer drinkers will be delighted to know that Hockley Valley Brewing, which is based in Orangeville, Ontario, is busy brewing its latest beer called Hockley Black & Tan, which representatives from the company say will be out on stores this summer

If that sounds like too much of a long wait, why not chill for the meantime and read more about the beer?

Hockley Black & Tan is a mix of the existing Hockley Stout, which makes up the “Black”, while new concocted ale will serve as the “Tan”. Hockley Black & Tan is a beer with a dark mahogany color, with hints of smoke, coffee, as well as chocolate, and small touches of sweet malt. The brewery described its new creation as a light and crisp beer perfect for all occasions.

And like all beers from Hockley Valley, expect to see Hockley Black & Tan will in can form.

Hockley Valley Brewing is a company dedicated to brewing beer to nothing short of perfection. Each step of their brewing process is done by hand – from beginning to end in small batches. The popular brewery also describes itself as a company that blends beers infused “The Perfect Balance”.

The “King of the World” is at it again, this time winning a Golden Globe for Best Director, for his 3-D sci-fi blockbuster hit, “Avatar”. It was the second Globe in the Best Director category for Cameron, who scooped one for Titanic over a decade ago in 1997.

Avatar has virtually shattered almost all imaginable box-office records in less than two months, with only one film standing in its path to glory: Titanic.

The 55-year old director admitted to being astounded by the film’s success and even nervous at first because of the public’s reaction after seeing the trailer for the first time. Many blasted Avatar before the film even came out, calling the Na’vi (the alien race depicted in the film), “something off of a Smurfs episode”.

It’s worth noting that the successful director spent many of his childhood years in Caledon, which is just south of the Town of Mono. In fact, Cameron even named Titanic’s villain, Caledon Hockley, which unknown to many, is a reference to the town as well as Hockley Valley, a favorite destination in the Caledon and Mono region. Cameron at one point, admitted to having spent a lot of time here.

The holidays may be officially over, but it doesn’t mean you can’t savor the remainder of the winter season by going skiing! And for parents who want to spend some quality time with their kids while hitting the slopes, here’s a word of advice: get your children into skiing as early as possible.

The old adage that goes, ‘You can’t teach an old dog, new tricks’, happens to apply to skiing, Of course, we’re not saying that those who start off a little later are bound to be inept, but the benefits of teaching kids how to ski at a young age are numerous.

There are plenty of factors as to why this is so.

1. Kids are small and short. This means that accidents are less likely to happen as falls would only mean a short distance to drop the ground. Children are also used to slipping and falling down, unlike us adults.
2. Kids are akin to sponges. They suck up information far faster that adults do – blame it on their excitement to learn and prove themselves. And much like riding a bike, once a child learns to ski, he/she remembers it for ages.

Hockley Valley is just one of the many areas in Ontario where families can have good and clean fun in the snow. So what’re you waiting for? Come on up to Hockley Valley, and have a taste of paradise.