Glen Williams Tote Bags have arrived!!

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Impact on the Glen?

Will Halton Hills become the byway for a new highway?

as seen in: insideHalton
by: Tim Foran....Jun 10, 2010 - 12:12 PM

Will Halton Hills become the byway for a new highway?.
Shown is a portion of a map outlining the area close to Halton Hills for a proposed new highway running from Milton to Vaughan. The numbers indicate the anticipated number of lanes. www.gta-west.com

A new four-lane highway running from Hwy. 401 in Milton to Hwy. 400 north of Vaughan, cutting through Halton Hills and Peel Region, is one alternative being considered to handle future congestion in the northwest GTA.

There are two starting spots in Milton for the new “transportation corridor,” according to a report released online recently as part of the Province’s GTA West Planning and Environmental Assessment Study.

The first Milton option is to start the road west of Regional Road 25 where a realigned Tremaine Road interchange is already planned, said Milton Regional Councillor Colin Best, one of Halton’s representatives on an inter-municipal task force reviewing the Province’s plans for the GTA West transportation corridor. A second option is to begin the new road at the Hwy. 401 and Hwy. 407 junction east of Trafalgar Road at the border of Peel and Halton regions.

If starting from Tremaine, the road would snake northeast, bypassing Georgetown to the south and skirting northwest Brampton before connecting with Hwy. 410 and Hwy. 427 and terminating at Hwy. 400 north of Maple, according to a rough map of the route included in the Provincial report.

Best said he doesn’t support this option. “One, it takes up a lot of industrial land that we need,” he said. “And two, it goes through a lot of farmland that is very productive through the Milton and Halton Hills corridor.”

“As long as it’s on the Brampton side (of the border with Halton Hills-Winston Churchill Boulevard),” Best clarified.

Much of Halton Hills north of Hwy. 401 has been designated for future employment areas and the Region is concerned about losing them to a Provincial road.

Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette, who sits on the task force with Best, declined to comment on any specific route, stating in an email it was premature to do so since the Province is still evaluating alternatives.

However, he noted his town’s council has endorsed a Halton-Peel study which proposed a freeway from Mayfield Road in Brampton to the Highway 401/407 interchange along with a number of other infrastructure improvements including a Norval Bypass as part of a system to manage future traffic along the regional boundary.

The Province’s Ministry of Transportation, which began the GTA West study in 2007, is considering three other possible routes for the new transportation corridor.

One would see a short corridor connecting Hwy. 410 to Hwy. 400, alleviating pressure on Hwy. 401 to the south. The second would run from Guelph to Hwy. 400 via north Halton and Peel Region. The last is a similar route but beginning south of Guelph at Puslinch on Hwy. 6.

Despite the latter two having to cross the Niagara Escarpment and the Provincial Greenbelt, Best said he favours one of those options. Such a route would take some commuters from west of Milton off Hwy. 401, he said. It would also provide an alternative to Hwy. 7, allowing a bypass around Acton and Georgetown.

The various routes will be measured for their impacts on the community, economy, environment and transportation. The transportation corridor could be a highway, transitway, or dedicated truckway, or a combination of the three, according to the Provincial report.

Whatever its ultimate configuration, the new corridor would only be a complement to transit initiatives and widening of existing 400 series highways, including Highway 401 from Milton/Halton Hills to Mississauga, the report notes.

Indeed, it is possible the new corridor might never be built. The alternative is for the Province to widen existing arterial roads between Guelph and York Region, including Highways 24 and 7 and Trafalgar and Mayfield Roads.

The Ministry will release its decision on whether it wants to go ahead with the new corridor at a series of open houses later this month. The only one in Halton region will take place in Georgetown Wednesday, June 16 at the Mold-Master Sportsplex, Ice Pad A, located at 221 Guelph Street. The drop-in sessions runs from 4 to 8 p.m. with brief overview presentations at 5 and 7 p.m.

The information that will be presented at the open houses will be available online June 14 at www.gta-west.com.

Thanks Rose!

2010 Canada Day Celebrations

Many thanks to Brett and Janice Giles for the great photos!

Town Holler Newsletter

2010 Glen Williams Canada Day Celebration Schedule

The Schedule for the 2010 Glen Williams Canada Day Celebrations:

8:00-11:00 AM: Pancake Breakfast in the park served by Glen Williams Minor Ball Association.

10:00 AM: Baseball game—The Alumni Glen Team vs Glen Residents. All Glen adults are welcome to join. Sign up starts at 9:00 AM at the ball diamond.

10:00 AM-3:00 PM At the playground: Tot activities & fish pond conducted by the ladies of St. John’s United Church.

10:00 AM: Pony Shoe Tournament starting every hour on the back ball diamond.

10:00 AM-3:00 PM: Face Painting by Georgetown Little Theatre Youth Company.

10:00 AM: Historical Walking Tour leaving from The Glen Mill.

12:00 Noon: The ever popular Canada Day Parade.
Calling all kids: Decorate your bike and join the parade at the corner of Wildwood Road & Beaver Street.
The parade route begins at Alexander and Confederation and ends at St. John’s United Church.

1:00 PM (approx.) At the gazebo main stage immediately following after the parade: Opening Ceremonies, 2010 Citizen of
the Year Award, Cutting of Canada Day birthday
cake.

1:00 PM: Demonstration: Taekwondo/Karate Martial Arts.

1:00-2:00 PM: Game—Glen Williams Bantam Chargers vs Wildwood Reality Wild Cats.

1:00-3:00 PM: Seniors Strawberry Tea at Glen Williams Town Hall.

1:30-4:30 PM: Outdoor Concert at the gazebo main stage by four bands.

2:00-3:00: Children’s Games in the back ball diamond.

2:00 PM Demonstration by Rampulla Martial arts.

2:30 PM: Pizza Eating (Toppers) Contest by the bleachers at the main diamond. Sign up for the contest at the gazebo before 12:00 noon.

3:00 PM: Glen Pet Show at the back ball diamond. Prizes will go to the longest tail, shortest nose, best trick, and other sundry attributes.

3:00 PM: Demonstration by The Halton Hills Fire Dept. at the rear of the parking lot.

4:00 PM: The Ducks will leave the park for their annual race down The Credit River. Winners will be announced at the gazebo immediately after the race.

6:30 PM: Chicken B-B-Que and fireworks at St. Albans Church Hall and grounds.
B-B-Q starts @ 6:30, fireworks @ dusk. Tickets can be bought in advance,
call Fioretta @ 905-873-6765.

Please click on image below to enlarge.

2009/2010 Glen Williams Town Hall Board

The Glen Williams Town Hall Board General meeting took place on November 19th of 2009.
At this meeting a motion was made to dissolve the 2008/2009 board. Ten candidates were then elected to the 2010 GWTHB. They are, nine returning members: Bob Burdett, Andy Campbell, Rose Connolly, Steve Gemesi (lifetime member), Janice Giles, Andrew Hickson, Arnie Pundsack, Mark Rowe & Pat Zubacs. And completing our membership on the Board, a warm welcome is extended to our newest member, Brian Collie.

Glen Williams Tote Bags

The GWTHB are always in the process of fund-raising and one of our next projects we hope to realize will be the creation of our very own Glen Williams "tote-bags". We hope to sell these bags for a nominal amount to raise funds for the various projects we carry on throughout the year. Shown here are various versions of the bags we are considering. Stay tuned for updates about when and where you can get these unique bags.

The Art of the Glen

These two scenes were painted by the World renowned Canadian artist A.J.Casson whose art has celebrated many small towns all across Southern Ontario. The Town Holler is looking for any other "masterworks" done specifically with the Glen as it's subject. If you have or know of any such artwork, please either send us a copy (jpg or tiff) here at Town.Holler@gmail.com or let us know and we'll try to figure out how a copy can be made. We'll then post these new pieces as we get them and share the visual wealth with the World. Okay, so perhaps not the World , but just the best corner of it.

2009 Kid's Christmas Party

The Town Hall's annual Children's Christmas Party was held December 13 and the photos tell the whole story. Many smiles and Happy Ho-Ho's were exchanged and cookies, cake and fun were shared by all. Thanks again go out to Amy and her crew of Elves who made it all happen.

Dickens Plus Celebration

The first annual Dickens Plus Celebration took place in the Glen September 25 and 26. Part of Main street was closed off for the festivities, that included a classic car display, a Town Cryer, and Dickensian characters singing songs from the musical production "Oliver".
Gruel and hot apple cider were served in the Town Hall where a murder mystery trial was held.
The Williams Mill artists got in the spirit as well dressing up for the day. A good time was had by all, with many already looking forward to next years event.

Town Hall Board Annual General Meeting

Mark your calenders for
Thursday, November 19th, 2009 @ 7:30pm.
This will be the date for the Annual Glen Williams Town Hall
Board General Meeting. . And in case you were wondering just what the GWTHB does...

WHO ARE WE?
The Glen Williams Town Hall Board is an incorporated charitable organization made up of 9 elected trustees who manage and maintain the building, organize functions and events of all descriptions and meetings at and in connection with the Town Hall.

WHO ELECTS THE TRUSTEES?
Any resident or owner of a business in the village of Glen Williams can attend the Annual General Meeting on the third Thursday of November. They can run for office and they can vote for the Trustees who must be confirmed every year.

WHAT DOES THE TOWN HALL DO?
Besides maintaining the Hall, we sponsor several regular events and we have undertaken many special projects:
-organize and sponsor the village Canada Day celebrations.
-provide a complimentary lunch each month for the village senior citizens.
-donate to the Rotary Club of Georgetown Seniors’ Christmas dinner.
-host a Children’s Christmas party for the village children.
-organize an Earth Day clean up of the Village.
-pay for the candles students place at the cenotaph on VE day.
-replace flags as needed at the cenotaph, the park and parkette.
-publish a community newsletter.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
We donate to Glen Minor Ball and several other groups like Georgetown Cancer Assistance Services, Canadian Heart and Stroke foundation, Georgetown Little Theatre and many others!

PROJECTS
All street signs in the Village were designed and paid for by the Town Hall Board.
We erected and manage the Glen Williams sign board at the Glen Bridge.
We have put benches, lights, and gardens in our park, parkette and cemetery.
We donated to the playgrounds at the School and the Park.
We spearheaded the campaign to build the gazebo in the Park.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Please consider joining the Board of the Glen Williams Town Hall or our Canada Day committee. We need volunteers for all these projects! Please offer your support for one day, one month or one year.
It’s our village, let’s make our home a great place to live!

Happy 90th Birthday Steve!

The Glen Williams Town Hall Board would like to wish one of our own, Steve Gemesi a very happy birthday. Steve is celebrating his 90th birthday this year and continues to be a vital part of the Glen Williams community and a valued member of the GWTHB.
All the best Steve, and we all wish you many more!

Glen Williams Citizen of the Year

Each year a few individuals are nominated from the ranks of the Glen Williams residents for "Citizen of the Year". These volunteers represent the best in community spirit and are chosen for their tireless efforts to better the Glen.
At the 2009 Canada Day Parade, Don Barclay was chosen as the Glen Williams Citizen of the Year!
Congratulations Don!

Canada Day Parade 2009

The July 1st Canada Parade of 2009 photos are finally making their way to the GWTH blog. Another great turn-out brimming with true Glen Williams spirit and lots of Red & White!! Thanks to Lynne Barclay for the great pics.

Glen Williams,Yesteryear.

Two new photos have recently been donated to the GWTH...
any guesses about who/what/when or where?

St. Alban’s New Minister

St. Alban’s Welcomes its New Minister
By Don Robinson


The Anglican parish of St. Alban the Martyr in Glen Williams is looking forward to welcoming its new minister, Reverend Aaron Orear, on Monday, May 4.

Since the retirement of Rev. Grahame Stap in April, 2008, the congregation has been ably served by the interim minister Dr. Rev. Barbara Sykes of Guelph. Barbara’s enthusiasm and helpful leadership quickly endeared her to the congregation and to those charged with leading the church through its transition. Her warm manner will be heartily missed but we hope to see her and husband Ralph frequenting the streets and shops of Glen Williams on occasion (that is whenever Ralph’s crops aren’t needing tending).

Rev. Aaron Orear is a native of Wisconsin. He graduated from The University of Wisconsin in 1995 and was actively involved in teaching, writing and theatre until 2003. Aaron attended Trinity College at The University of Toronto where he received his Master of Divinity degree in 2007. He is married to Amy Levett who is a Canadian. Since May, 2007, Aaron has served as Assistant Curate at the large Anglican church of St. Jude’s in Oakville. This is a demanding position and Aaron has been heavily immersed in the challenges of serving the varied needs of parishioners.

Aaron and Amy discovered the hamlet of Glen Williams prior to considering a position with St. Alban’s and immediately fell in love with its unique charm.They are eagerly looking forward to relocating, to meeting many of our citizens and to participating in the unique life of The Glen. If you meet Aaron and/or Amy casually on the street or in the shops, we would ask that you extend them a typical Glen welcome.

St. Alban’s extends an open invitation to come and meet our new minister after May 4 either in one of our Sunday services or by visiting with Aaron at Alban House on the church grounds. (If you would like to arrange a meeting in advance, call the office at 905-877-8323.) St. Alban’s welcomes any and all who would like to sample our style of fellowship (we ain’t fancy – we’re Glen folk) or would just like to discuss some personal issue with Aaron at any time.

Thank-You!

The Town Hall Board would like to extend a big thank you to Phil Lewin and Ian Jarvie. Ian and Phil put their hammers and saws to work until they had constructed a much needed closet for storing cleaning supplies for the Town Hall. Thanks again Phil and Ian.

Shoreline problems

Solutions to shoreline problems are in the works
By Joan Robson

Many of you have been wondering why no action has been taken to correct the erosion along the shore of the Glen Williams Parkette. The Town of Halton Hills is currently working through the details with CVC so that we comply with current environmental requirements. With CVC’s approval, the town hopes to find an interim solution to address safety issues and provide for continued use of the parkette. Complete reconstruction in a different manner would follow as a longer term plan. The latter requires permits from Ministry of Natural Resources and Department of Fisheries, a very lengthy process. We will keep you posted and, we hope, you will see progress shortly.

Glen residents clean up the town

By Janet Giles

Didn’t our town look a lot neater in the afternoon of April 18? The Glen Williams Town Hall Board would like to thank all the residents who came out in the morning and helped to clean up the unsightly litter that accumulated over the winter. Special mention goes to Ross Kelleher who reportedly found the largest discard, Jill Scott the longest and Brett Giles the strangest.

What we really need is for someone to invent a coffee cup and cigarette filter that biodegrades 10 seconds after they are thrown from the vehicle! Surely someone is on that mission.

Refreshments were enjoyed by all after the work was done and it was generally concluded that things were in much better shape this year than in the past. The message must be getting across that it really is not acceptable to toss your refuse by the side of the road for others to gather. The general conclusion was that a lot of the more unusual finds were there accidentally. So thank you everyone for helping to keep our planet cleaner!