We’re almost halfway through the week, and the Town of Orangeville has some events happening tomorrow all the way till the weekend. If you’re looking to check out an activity or two here in the community, here’s a list we’ve put together for you to read on.

Taking place tomorrow, Dufferin Women in Business will be featuring Carol Ring, Rogers Communications VP for business transformation. She will be speaking at this month’s regular networking luncheon. The Orange Agricultural Centre will be playing host to the event, which takes place on 11:30 in the morning to 1:30 in the afternoon. Tickets are priced at $25 for members and $32 for non-members.

Taking place on the 26th of December is the Big Chili Round-up at the Grand Valley Community Centre. The event kicks off at 5:30 in the afternoon and will feature entries from local businesses. You can have dinner for only $5, which includes chili, bun, beverage, and dessert.

And if you’re planning on getting married, then you shouldn’t miss the 2010 Orangeville and Area Bridal Show on the 27th, which kicks at 10 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon at the Orangeville fairgrounds. The annual event will feature live entertainment, games and prizes, free samples, raffle draws, and lots of freebies.

The Choices Youth Shelter, in Orangeville, Ontario is facing a crisis. With climbing costs, low donations and full beds, the shelter has recently been forced to turn people away due to the lack of space and room.

The emergency shelter has been under pressure these past months for operating above its usual capacities. With the arrival of winter, the shelter sees the problem of more and more people coming, further exacerbating the situation.

Mary Vervoort, executive director of the shelter talks about turning away people, “It makes me sick to my stomach. If that doesn’t keep you up at night, it should.” With the winter in the air she expects things to get worse.

The Choices shelter notes that they provided food, shelter and services to twice as many people as usual. Recently, it has been running at about 90 per cent occupancy on most nights.

“We’ve never seen this kind of usage,” Vervoort says, who thinks the increased demand is an effect of the current recession.

She notes that a surprising number of those who stayed in the shelter this year were newcomers, about 40 percent, very high from Orangeville Ontario. Many of these first timers were either laid off workers who can’t find jobs, or teenagers that belonged to families who have experienced job loss.

“They don’t have the education. They don’t get high-paying jobs. The recession has taken out a whole lot of lower-level jobs that are not going to be replaced,” Vervoorts says of the kids seeking refuge in her shelter.

Furthermore, there’s been a fall of cash donations, clearly a sign of the economic crisis. The good news however, is that donations of food and other supplies are up; cushioning the fall the shelter has taken.

“The community is very generous to us and they help where they can,” Vervoort says.

The shelter plants to hold a fundraiser at the Orangeville fairgrounds to raise money for costs and bills.

Vervoort believes that unless everyone in the community as well all government sectors take action against homelessness, the problem will continue to worsen so let’s show our less fortunate brothers and sisters more loving especially with winter just around the corner by helping out in one way or the other.

It is good to know that Teal Parks, one of the top equestrian hunters that emerged in the provincial championships last month in Orangeville Ontario is from Paris. The eighteen-year old lass effortlessly finished the championships with two third places, a fourth and two ninths. These posts for the past season earn her the title of being one of the equestrian hunters to look for in the next few years.

“I was really excited, and a little nervous because the championships were a big deal for me,” said Parks, who was one of seven representatives from central west Ontario. “It can really be overwhelming because it is such a big place and there is so much competition, but my coach just told me to have fun and that is what I did,” added Parks.

Competitors during the provincial championships were close to 50 and in the large hunter division, Parks completed three courses. These three courses include an impressive flat class groundwork course and two jumps. She rode her horse, Thunder, with grace and was judged on how successfully she maneuvered Thunder around the course and over the jumps.

Parks started her equestrian career three years ago and is currently coached by Jen Sweet. Horseback riding was introduced to her eight years ago by a childhood friend. Her constant practice and dedication brought her to where she is now. Until last season, she’s usually seen at Innerkip at Millside Stables honing her riding skills. She has spent countless hours at Lions Bridge Stables to check how Thunder rode. Thunder is owned by Aspen VanWalraven.

The top equestrian hunter is now looking forward to 2010 and what it holds for her career. Parks is planning to spend the winter riding in an indoor arena with her new competition horse, Raffi. “This one is a lot younger so he still needs work. I will be out there every day working with him and training him,” said Parks.

Who’s next in line as one of Paris’ rising star?

As an Orangeville Ontario resident, I was excited to know that we were one of the two Canadian communities chosen to be featured on a CTV documentary. The documentary will focus on our community’s Torch Relay preparations.  When I went out this morning, I saw some production crew in town, shooting some rehearsals of some residents for entertainments segments on the 28^th of December. Aside from the rehearsals, they were also taking images of the town’s downtown core, medians, tree sculptures and the Island Lake.

Impressed with Orangeville Ontario

I made a research online on how our community was chosen to be featured on the documentary and I found out that director, Liam O’ Rinn was impressed with Orangeville Onatario’s plans for the Torch Relay Celebration.

“I was overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people and the sheer beauty of the Town. The celebration show on December 28th will be magic — it’s both edgy and unique — and it’s going to be spectacular. After spending a day with choreographer Roland Kirouac and some of the people involved in the show, I can say that people are going to be blown away by it”, he said.

Orangeville Reactions

Just like my initial reaction, the locals of Orangeville are also looking forward to the documentary and the celebration this December.

“We were ecstatic when we heard that Orangeville had been chosen as one of two Canadian communities to be featured in the CTV documentary on Torch Relay preparations,” said Orangeville’s Communications Officer Sheila Duncan. “Orangeville’s Torch Relay Community Task Force, with the support of Orangeville Council, has put some impressive plans in place. Many of the local residents who will perform in the December 28^th show volunteered their time to take part in some early rehearsals for the camera crews”.

The CTV documentary will be initially aired on October 24 at 5pm and is entitled “This Great Land: Canada Welcomes the Torch”. Orangeville Ontario residents like me will surely watch out for this documentary. Our town’s Torch Relay celebration will take place at the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre on the 28^th of December.

“We were ecstatic when we heard that Orangeville had been chosen as one of two Canadian communities to be featured in the CTV documentary on Torch Relay preparations,” said Orangeville’s Communications Officer Sheila Duncan. “Orangeville’s Torch Relay Community Task Force, with the support of Orangeville Council, has put some impressive plans in place.

Many of the local residents who will perform in the December 28^th show volunteered their time to take part in some early rehearsals for the camera crews and by the way things are going, it looks like it’s going to be a blast so fellow residents of Orangeville, you better not miss the airing of this documentary!