Friday, September 13, 2019 3Brooklin Town Crier "Proud to be a Brooklinite" Founded in 2000 and published 24 times per year. Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 • editorofbtc@gmail.com The Brooklin Town Crier is locally owned and operated and is a publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, contact: 905.655.7642 Email: brooklintowncrier@gmail.com Next Issue: Friday, September 27, 2019 Deadline: Friday, September 20, 2019 Brooklin Town Crier Hiring Advertising Sales Representative - Earn extra money! - Set your own schedule! - Work independently from home! - Get to know your community! If interested, please email: brooklintowncrier@gmail.com Kids who won't eat Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown It's not unusual for kids to be fussy eaters. Yet it can be extremely frustrating for parents who worry that their child may be undernourished or not developing properly because of it. I have a fussy eater myself. It drives me nuts, but I've realized that you can't force a kid to eat. It's a losing battle. However, I have learned a few tricks along the way. Don't pressure them. Forcing a kid to eat makes it difficult for them to listen to their own body so they know when they're hungry. Eating should be pleasurable as adults know when going out to eat is an event. But when you take the pleasure out of mealtime by forcing a kid to eat, kids see mealtime as a chore. Don't worry too much. Some kids are big eaters; some eat like birds. What's more, a child's appetite can vary from day to day. Distractions can also impact their appetite. But if your child gets sick and tired a lot, or doesn't appear to be growing, it may be time to check with your doctor. Watch the snacks. These can sabotage little appetites. Limit snacks between meals and only offer sweets and candy after a meal. Otherwise, the child will make a meal out of the sweet stuff. Limit juice and milk between meals. Kids fill up on these calorie-loaded liquids and you're left with a child who just isn't hungry anymore. Be creative. Meals with imagination may inspire them to eat. Yet if the kid is a "likes it plain" type, then be sure they can recognize the food. Keep offering new food choices. There will come a time when they'ill try it. Case in point: my daughter tried crab on the weekend after refusing it for years. One last thought Don't make two meals. If they're hungry enough, they will find something on the plate to eat. The Town of Whitby is taking the next step towards the creation of a new Whitby Civic Centre that would serve as an innovative and sustainable community hub for all. The current Whitby Civic Centre is a 13-acre site located at 575 Rossland Road East that includes Town Hall, Civic Centre Park, and the Whitby Civic Recreation Complex. Two design options have been created for a new Civic Centre that would include each of these elements, as well as new event space, recreational opportunities, and amenities to improve the visitor experience. Now through Monday, September 23, the community can have its say on the two design options as well as the amenities they would like considered for the new Centre, by completing a short online survey at whitby.ca/civiccentre. Design Option A envisions a new Town Hall building coupled with the conversion of the existing municipal building into community space. Design Option B envisions the renovation and expansion of the existing Town Hall. The concepts were created based on the vision and guiding principles outlined in the council-approved Whitby Civic Centre Master Plan. "This is an opportunity to transform our Whitby Civic Centre into a true community destination - a place where residents can relax, connect and play," said Mayor Don Mitchell. "A new Centre would also help ensure that Town staff can continue to meet the needs of our growing and changing community in the most efficient and effective way." Open House In addition to the online survey, residents are invited to attend a Com- munity Open House being held at Town Hall (575 Rossland Road East) on Tuesday, September 17, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. "From the start of this project we've known that a new Whitby Civic Centre needed to do more than simply provide a place for Town staff to work," said Matthew Gaskell, Chief Administrative Officer. "The design concepts proposed for the new Centre would help improve the visitor experience and create a community hub for all, while inspiring new and innovative ways for us to better serve our community." Following the closing of the online survey, feedback will be consolidated in order to report back to Council with the final results and a recommended design with which to proceed. If approved, construction on the site could begin as early as 2021. To stay informed on this project, visit whitby.ca/civiccentre or email CivicCentreProject@whitby.ca to be added to the Interested Parties List. Residents Invited To Shape Civic Centre Design What brings new and old residents together, to meet each other, to learn about their community and to participate in a day of family fun that's free? The Brooklin Harvest Festival In September of 2000, Group 74, a local non-profit women's service club, hosted the Brooklin Harvest Festival for the first time in Grass Park. Its aim was to introduce residents to groups within the town and to promote community spirit and goodwill. For the first year, vendors outnumbered the participants. However, each year, as more residents became aware of the event, the numbers grew. Vendors swelled the ranks to offer pancake breakfasts, pie-eating contests, skateboard competitions, crafts, games, horse and wagon rides, demonstrations, displays and much more. Support from Town Fast forward to 2006 when, due to rising costs associated with the festival, Group 74 requested through Council to be deemed a Town-supported event. The Town of Whitby began co-hosting and a partnership was born that would benefit everyone who participated. Although the festival originally started in Grass Park, more space was soon needed to accommodate growing numbers. As a result, a section of Roebuck Street was added for safety. Later, Cassels Road East from Baldwin to Princess was added. By 2015, Brooklin's Harvest Festival became so popular that The Town decided to increase the event size to include the downtown core on Baldwin Street, stretching from Cassels Road to Way Street. The intention was to retain all the features that made this festival so great. Town takes over The following year, Group 74 reviewed and refocused its objectives within the community but continued to co-host the event along with the Town which took on full responsibility of its organization. The festival was fully branded and implemented by the Town of Whitby in 2017. Group 74 continues to have a role in the festival as a community service club. The women of Group 74 had a vision. Through hard work, their vision grew, expanding to become one of the largest events in Brooklin. They achieved their goal of bringing the community together and now, in the Brooklin Harvest Festival's 20th year, it has become one of the most popular festivals, winning the top 100 Award from Festivals and Events Ontario. If you haven't made plans to attend the festival on Saturday, September 14, the Brooklin Heritage Society encourages you to add this event to your to-do list. Join us as we remember how thankful we are to Group 74, "Brooklin's Community Angels", for providing a way to enjoy such a wonderful day. Brooklin Heritage Society How Harvest Festival Began By Jennifer Hudgins