I had a busy weekend planned for the family as we had Miranda’s second birthday party at Pat’s hotel (Four Points Sheraton Meadowvale…cheap plug) with family and friends coming out. Of course she was spoiled with lots of clothes and toys (her favourites being baby strollers and a tea set) Pat and I spent a good part of Sunday night having tea parties.
The other part of our weekend was yesterday and the Oakville Milton Humane Society put on the first annual Mutt Strutt at the Milton Fairgrounds. One word can be used to describe the day…success.
The weather looked like it would put a damper on the event but as the morning continued until the afternoon the clouds made way to a sunny, warm afternoon. Families came out with their pooches to take part in a fundraising effort and to help raise awareness of the local humane society.
For years the society was known as “Oakville & District” which caused quite a bit of confusion for us as Milton was always part of the district, but many people didn’t know it was. They have changed their name to Oakville and Milton Humane Society and with this event, helped people realize what exactly it does.
There were so many dogs of all kinds, shapes, colours and breeds that lined the fairgrounds. The registration table was lined with people and their pledge forms and some of the totals were staggering. I cant wait to see how much they did raise. Halton MP Lisa Raitt, Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh, Mayor Gord Krantz and Regional Councillor Colin Best kicked off the event and led the group of dogs in either the 5k walk or the shorter one around the fairgrounds.
The food was amazing as the ever popular Troy’s Diner was there with hamburgers, hot dogs and other tasty deserts. Troy’s large inflatable COKE bottle was the first thing most people saw and hearing comments from people walking in, “HEY, Troy’s here!” You haven’t had a burger until you’ve had a TROY’S burger.
The walk wasnt the only part of the day as there were demonstrations from professional and amatuer dog owners showing off their canine tricks, like frisbee catching and dancing. The day could only be described as a success by those who attended. Speaking with a lot of people there, I heard that they cant wait for next year. A big congratulations goes to the organizers of the event…well done.
Taking advantage of the great weather, Anthony and I decided to head out and go door knocking on Freeman Trail…until he ended up at his friends house. Then I lost my volunteer because in his words “this is more fun Dad”
With the good weather I was able to talk to a lot of people who were working on their cars, cleaning out their garage, or just sitting on their porch reading a book. Most people I did speak with were shocked that I was out early in the year, seeing how the election is in October. There are a lot of homes to visit and Ive been getting an early start on the campaign trail. My commitment is to knock on every door in the ward personally and speak to as many voters as possible.
Its not just for the election, as one of my campaign promises is to continue to visit the doors in between election campaigns. There are a few people from residents to political vetrans who think thats a tall order but its part of the game and what our elected officials SHOULD do on a regular basis. In many cases, your councillor and local level of government has the most impact on our day to day lives from by laws, property taxes and other services. Your councillor should be accessible and most times are peoples first phone call.
Some of the issues that were brought up during the day was traffic problems at Louis St Laurent and Thompson Road and the need for some kind of cross walk near the Metro plaza so people on both sides of Thompson Road can safely cross the street. Traffic lights at LSL and Thompson Road are in the works and staff are doing counts to make sure they can make that intersection a safe one. In order for it to happen, we need to keep up the pressure and your council representative needs to speak out on your behalf.
During that part of the afternoon I got ready to go home with a few future lawn sign locations and some commitments from people that they will indeed come out to vote for me on election day. Their support is humbling and I look forward to speaking with more as the months, weeks and days go on.
The one thing I did forget during the day was sunscreen as Anthony and Pat reminded me when I got home. My head, face and arms were quite red and I didnt feel it until later in the evening. Must remember to keep some in the car.
Over the next day or so, I will endevour to get some pictures of the event posted for my site. Until then, I’ll see you at the doors.