- Meeting started at: 6:30pm
- Meeting Location: Holiday Inn Bronte
- Greeter: Frank Morewood
- Bulletin Editor: Ralf Soeder
- Land Acknowledgement: Nancy Eichenberg
- Lynn: Toast to King and Canada
- Led us in O Canada: Frank Morewood
- Grace/Invocation: Mark Dawber
Guests included:
- Caroline Barrett, guest of Lynn
- Amaka Samuel-Okon guest of Mike Henry
- Steve Hetken- guest of Lynn
- Dale Scheerer, guest of Stephen
Birthdays for the month of February:
- Reena Sandhu, Michael Conway, James Montague, Lynn Childs
- Rotary’s 121st Birthday is today, February 23rd
- Lynn informed us that Past District Governor 2008-09, Norm Bindon, passed away unexpectedly last week. He was a long time member of the Rotary Club of Brampton and past DG
- Susan reminded us that RCO has a team walking in Oakville’s Coldest Night of the Year (CYON) on Saturday, February 28th. Registration is at 4pm, walk begins @ 5pm. Two routes, 2km and 5km. So far 5 members of RCO are participating, Susan, Amin, Silvia, Lori, & Ralf. More are welcome.
Donations are also welcome by sponsoring any member of our team. Mike Henry donated $50- to Susan at the table.
- Karla informed us that RCO’s Environmental Committee will be again facilitating a clean up event on Earth Day, April 18th from 9am to 12pm at 2 locations. Please mark your calendars
- Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) is scheduled for April 30th to May 3rd. Young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 are invited for the 4 day leadership camp near Orangeville. RCO’s Youth committee has committed to funding 2 participants. However no one has nominated a candidate. Please forward names of deserving candidates to Ralf Soeder this week.
- Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) is having its annual breakfast fundraiser at the Royal York Hotel Friday, May 8th. Ralf can carpool anyone who may be interested.
- Oakville Rotary Education Awards (OREA) will be increasing its budget with the plan to fund 24 graduating high schools students that are financially challenged to fund their post education @ $5,000 each. We require 2 volunteers to assist with some administrative duties between now and the end of June. Please reach out to Ralf or Peter DeGroot if You can assist.
- RCO Youth Committee: if you are interested in providing programs for our youth and young adults please join the Youth committee. We could use 2 – 3 new members.
Happy Bucks: Amin Kawar moved from table to table looking for members who had Happy Bucks to share. Some that participated included:
- Mike Henry is off to Mexico this week for vacation
- James will be celebrating his birthday on Feb. 24th with 16 ladies for Brunch
- Ralf is happy that we have so many guests and new members at our meeting this evening.
- George V. let us know that Adriana is safe while visiting in Mexico.
- Rod was really happy to have some of the Birthday Cake that Lynn provided us all to celebrate Rotary’s 121st Birthday. Thank you to Monastery Bakery.
Birds and the Human Effect – Karla Cabrera
Karla shared with us a presentation followed by a moving video on the impact humans have on local birds who are killed due to flying into windows. The RCO environmental committee wishes to take on the initiative of finding ways to minimize this tragedy on our local birds.
- 42 million birds die annually in Canada alone
- 90% of these collisions are with residential houses
- Some strategies that we can all do include:
- “Lights Out for Birds” decals
- Turn our lights out in our homes and businesses in the evening
The RCO Environmental Committee has a few initiatives planned including:
- Partner with Sheridan College
- Commission a children’s book
Karla closed with sharing a 10 minute video
Introduction of speaker: George Vincent introduced our speaker, Dave Harper, President of Kilmer Brownfield Management. Dave’s presentation was to demonstrate how under utilized “Brownfield” properties can be revitalized to meet the current challenges around transit, intensification, affordable housing and smart community development.
Brief summary of the speaker’s message:
Dave used a current project in Port Credit as an example.
A property that used to house the Port Credit Brick Yard until 1933 when it became the property of Texaco Oil Refinery & Storage for over 50 years. In 2016 his firm, Kilmer Brownfield Management, bought the property with the purpose to develop by mixing gentle density w/ higher density (15-20 story buildings) and adding mixed use including commercial units.
To date only 25% of the property is developed, will likely take another 20 years, $4 Billion, with 72 acres of waterfront and nearly 4,000 condo units alone.
It was a very informative presentation illustrating when a developer with good intentions, willing to work with 3 levels of government, willing to collaborate with local residents and has very deep pockets can have a significant positive impact on local neighbourhoods that sit on derelict industrial properties.
Thanking the Speaker: Ralf thanked Dave for his informative and inspiring presentation that informed us on the development of affordable housing and vacant brownfields in our neighbourhoods.
Recent and Upcoming Events
- Global Medic is on Feb. 28th from 1:15pm to 3:30pm
- Club Leadership Training is coming up soon. Great for new members,
- Zonta Club Networking Fundraiser for Small Business owners, some seats are still available.
- Fireside Chat at Ralf’s for new members on Feb. 24th @ 7pm
- Next Meeting Mar 2nd reminder at Sheridan College with an Indigenous Chef and presentation
- Toast to Friends and Rotarians around the world by Lynn Chlds
- Meeting Ended at 8:20pm
