Milton blog

MiltonSearch.com’s inbox has been flooded with inquiries as to the actual route this year’s Milton Santa Claus Parade will take, so we’ve decided to post it.

From the Milton Canadian Champion: 

This year’s parade will take place Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p. m. It’ll leave from the corner of Bronte and Barton streets, proceed along Main Street and end up at the rear parking lot of Milton Mall in front of the Winners store.

The theme for the 2008 parade is Christmas Around the World, which is sure to inspire a number of interesting floats depicting Christmas as it’s celebrated by diverse nationalities.

So there you have it, straight from the local fishwrap.

It’s sure to be a great parade this year, with, according to Regional Councillor Colin Best, “a few surprises in store.”

We encourage you to post any comments below, before or after the parade, and hey, if you have any photos of the parade, why not register for an account and post them on MiltonSearch.com’s photo gallery to share with all of Milton?

Let’s give Santa a warm Milton welcome!

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The debate is back: should "new" Milton's water supply be fluorinated or not?

Let the debate begin.

Local Councillor Colin Best recently posted a question on the Hawthorne Villager Forums asking for opinions on new Milton’s water supply - keep it fluoridated, or go with non-fluoridated water like the rest of the Town whose water comes from the escarpment rather than the “big pipe” from Lake Ontario.

Here is Colin’s post:

I have a poll question for readers who live in newer areas of Milton served by lake water. The Halton region Health & Social Services Committee which I serve on is having a special meeting this Thursday November 13th at 1.30 pm with a item on flouridation of water within the region (check halton.ca click on council, agenda and HSS agenda for 11/13/08 item 3 of the regular agenda report MO-37-08) there is already 11 registered delegations on this item both pro and anti fluoridation speakers concerned about residents health and risks of using and not using fluoride in their tap water. 

The pre-2000 residential area of Milton which is served by well water does not have fluoride in it while the rest of the Region urban areas have fluoride. 

I want to get your opinions and votes on whether you want fluoride in your tap water or not and your reasons. 

Thank you for your input which I will be raising at the meeting which is expected to last until 5 pm when the committee starts its debate on the hospital expansion issue and the proposed moratorium until the Province makes a committment for the approval and funding of the new Oakville hospital and the expansions of the Milton, Burlington and Georgetown hospital to keep up with the growth of the Region.

Colin Best 
Local & regional councillor, Milton/Halton 
colinbest.ca

As residents of Hawthorne Village (aka “new” Milton), MiltonSearch.com is in the “no” camp for fluoridated water. If you’ve followed this issue at all, there are good points to be made on both sides, but one post on the Hawthorne Villager thread from “kkhan657″ summed it up best:

“From all of the pro-fluoridation sources posted, I am only able to pick out one totally solid benefit of this chemical — and that benefit is that it helps us by enhancing our teeth. The question (after considering the opposing veiws) would be: is your dental health more important than the health of the rest of your body? 

From what my dad has always told us, “The less chemicals ingested, the better.” He used to tell us that “they (scientist/ people who do this kind of research) would first heavily promote a certain thing for many years and down the road when the side effects/ health risks become evident, they simply start to oppose it. For them, its just another experiment, meanwhile, the innocent people are left to deal with the issues that came out of the particular chemical.”

MiltonSearch.com encourages you to educate yourself on this matter and be sure to voice your opinion either by posting in the thread started by Colin on the Hawthorne Villager, or by sending Colin an email directly via his website.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget to leave your comments here as well. MiltonSearch.com is also interested in hearing the opinions on this matter and providing a forum in which to do so.

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From Colin Best, Milton Santa Claus Parade Assembly Marshall:

The 2008 Milton Santa Claus Parade takes place on Sunday, November 23 at 2pm along Main St. from Bronte St. South to the Winners parking lot behind Milton Mall

Hi everyone

Just to remind anyone who is interested in entering a float for the Santa Claus Parade the deadline is this week and there is only about 10 spaces left.

Check out the official parade website at miltonsantaclausparade.ca for entry forms and other information or email Mike Ricker at mlricker@sympatico.ca or call 905-876-1331. Forms can also be picked up at the UPS store at Main & Ontario St.

Also the parade committee is looking for volunteers to help on parade day Sunday November 23rd starting at 2 pm. on Bronte St. S. and going through the downtown area on Main St. to end at the Milton Mall parking lot in front of the Winners store.

Call either Linda Ricker at 905-876-1331 or Diana Bracken at 905-875-2109 to arrange to help in any of these areas: costumes, make up, candy, barricades, marshalling or assembly area. If you have teenagers looking for community hours, the committee needs help for about 2-4 hours depending on the location and the parade qualifies those hours.

The parade is organized by an all-volunteer committee and no tax dollars are used in the hosting of the parade which attracts nearly 20,000 people along the 3 km route. There is also a Salvation Army food drive at the front of the parade collecting non-perishable items through the Milton Firefighters and transit bus. Canada Post is also collecting letters to Santa from children in the area.

The committee is planning some surprises this year with new bands, attractions and a new sleigh for Santa!

Colin Best,
Assembly Marshall

Thanks Colin, and again a reminder that the 2008 Milton Santa Claus Parade takes place on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at 2pm and this year’s theme is “Christmas around the World.”

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After enduring years of pain and agony in the form of Thompson Road between Derry and Main Streets - can if finally be almost over?? 

That’s the way it looks according to Town/Regional Councillor Colin Best who posted this information on the Hawthorne Villager forum:

“I’m just as unhappy as you are with the rate of construction on the Main to Derry Road section of Thompson Road. I drive on Thompson road almost everyday and have been after staff to get the contractor to finish the work as soon as possible.”

“I understand that the top coat of pavement is being poured starting Wednesday (weather permiting) and should take four days to complete the paving on both sides of road with the final road markings and traffic lights operational later next week. The official opening is scheduled for October 23rd at the Thompson Road arena and will have more details when they become available.”

Wow.

I still need to actually see this to believe it, however. The road was actually scheduled to have been completed by the end of September, but my drive along that stretch sure didn’t get any faster on October 1st as construction, lane closure flip-flops, gridlock and road rage continued to be the norm through that stretch of road, for most hours of the day.

Along with all of the benefits that Milton’s growth has provided us long-time residents, the ongoing road work and poor town planning has been far more frustrating. No stretch of road other than maybe Derry Road east of town highlights said disastrous planning more. 

This dysfunctional key artery through town connecting new Milton with both old Milton and the 401 has caused residents of most areas of town huge grief for a long, long time - to the point where it has become not even an option now for most drivers, instead opting to take Ontario St. or the newly opened James Snow Parkway extension to Main St.

So, we shall see if this does indeed get wrapped up in the coming days/weeks. And, if so, where is Milton’s next traffic-catastrophe-in-waiting?

I don’t know if the town is planning any kind of ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the brand new 4-lane Thompson Road.

Nevertheless, I’ll be celebrating.

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