The decision is final. After a difficult deliberation, seven weeks of competitions, 22 independent music artists and 22 comedians, the judges have made their choice. The band Running Red Lights of Toronto has been crowned musical champion, while Calwyn Shurgold, of Toronto has been selected best comic performer in this year’s youDiscover Summer Competition.
As a result of their winning performance, Running Red Lights will now receive a recording contract from Orange Lounge Recordings. More importantly, their victory has now earned them the opening spot on the nationally broadcast New Year’s Eve show in Queen Victoria Park, in Niagara Falls.
Comedian Calwyn Shurgold, who had the large Friday night crowd at Oakes Garden Theatre “laughing in the aisles”, also receives the right to appear at this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration. In total, the youDiscover competition offered series contestants a chance to compete for a prize package valued at over $35,000.
The Grand Finale, held on August 27, was hosted by The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) at its scenic Oakes Garden Theatre. Each of the final five artists and comics performed before a live audience and a panel of industry experts including one of last year’s finalists and one of Orange Lounge Recordings newest recording artists, Robyn Dell’Unto. Be sure to visit www.indiscover.net to watch videos from the Finale, which will be available online on Wednesday. more…
Niagara Falls Big Brothers Big Sisters provides a variety of mentoring programs for children and youth throughout our community. It’s their goal as an organization to work towards providing a mentor to every child in need of a mentor in Niagara Falls. To address the growing need for volunteer mentors, BBBS has increased their volunteer recruitment efforts, streamlined our intake process, and added a variety of new Mentoring programs to meet the changing needs of volunteers. These strategies have resulted in a significant increase in children participating in programs over the last few years. In 2007, over 190 children were involved in one of our programs. Last year, we offered services to over 100 additional children, which means that close to 300 children in our community were impacted by the presence of a caring, volunteer mentor.
However, Big Brothers Big Sisters still has a lot of work to do. They have close to 50 children on our waiting list, some of whom have been waiting for close to 18 months. There are several schools waiting for BBBS to be in a position where they can offer one of our popular School Based programs to their students. In short, there are many children still waiting for that special person to make a difference in their lives. As John Crosbie said, “A mentor is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” We want to make a difference in the lives of these children.
You can help! – The 2010 Golf For Kids Sake is one of our most crucial fundraising events every year. This golf tournament helps us raise close to $30,000 annually, which in turn helps us find more volunteers to support those children in our community in need of a mentor.
Please consider joining us this year, as we strive to fill our tournament, and increase our sponsorship levels.
Want to operate a tour boat from the Canadian shores of the lower Niagara River?
Then, the Niagara Parks Commission wants to hear from you and your company.
The parks commission, Friday afternoon, set a Nov. 24 deadline for any company to bid on tour boat operations. The Maid of the Mist Steamboat Co. has been running tour boats from both the U.S. and Canadian shores of the lower Niagara River for generations and while its U.S. pact runs for more than three decades, it’s Canadian lease has been under fire for the past year.
Last year, a 25-year extension between the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Co. and Niagara Parks Commission became a political issue in Southern Ontario as some potential competitors cried foul. The uproar resulted in several commission members resigning and a new regime installed to oversee its operations. more…
Enjoy Free Concerts and Fireworks Over the Civic Holiday Long Weekend
Looking for fun this long weekend? Head to Niagara Falls for free Coca Cola Concerts on the Illumination Tower Stage, the youDiscover music and comedy series and Canada’s longest running fireworks series over Niagara Falls, sponsored by Pizza Pizza.
Coca Cola Concert Series
The free Coca Cola Concert Series takes place at 8 p.m. on the Illumination Tower Stage next to Queen Victoria Place, directly across from the Falls.
Concert goers will have the best view of the fireworks displays, making for the perfect family outing.
Coca Cola Concert Series lineup for long weekend:
Saturday, July 31 – Last Exit * NOTE: NO FIREWORKS ON SATURDAY *
Sunday, August 1 – Borderline
Monday, August 2 – Athertones more…
Fans of war games such as Warhammer, Magic the Gathering, and Hordes probably know about the MWG Club in Welland. For those of you who do not know, these war games allow players to assemble and paint individual 28 mm scale miniature figures that represent futuristic soldiers, creatures and vehicles of war. These figurines are collected to comprise squads in armies that can be pitted against those of other players. Each player brings a roughly equal complement of units to a tabletop battlefield with handmade or purchased terrain. The players then decide upon a scenario, ranging from simple skirmishes to complex battles involving defended objectives and reinforcements. The models are physically moved across the table and the actual distance between models plays a role in the outcome of combat.
Not sure if this is something for you? Here is a video of a previous battle:
For this tournament you will need a codex-legal 1750 point army list. Army do not need to be fully painted, but extra points will be awards for fully painted armies (including bases).All models must be fully assembled.
Time: 10am to 6pm
Cost: $10 / person (includes prizes)
Lunch: $5 for 4 slices of pizza (optional)
Requirements: One codex-legal 1,750 point 40k army
Enjoy Free Concerts and Falls Fireworks for Canada Day and Independence Day Long Weekend
Looking for fun this Canada Day? Head to Niagara Falls for free Coca Cola Concerts on the Illumination Tower Stage and Canada’s longest running fireworks series, sponsored by Pizza Pizza.
Pizza Pizza Falls Fireworks
Special Canada Day Fireworks will take place on Thursday, July 1, Friday, July 2 and Sunday, July 4. Plan to return to see the fireworks again as part of the annual series that runs every Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and holiday at 10 p.m. through July and August, and every Friday from September 10 to October 8.
Run through Ontario’s stunning vineyards, over big green hills and take in the sun bright in the early summer sky. First of its kind in Canada, this unique run winds through Twenty Valley wine country showcasing Ontario’s stunning vineyards and premier wineries. The run finishes in downtown Jordan where all runners and supporters are invited to celebrate at the Finish Area Street Party. more…
Niagara Parks Police have been granted a new lease on life for at least five years. Officers with the 123-year-old service will be able to continue carrying firearms, under terms of an agreement approved Thursday by the Niagara Regional Police Services board.
“We’re pleased with it, based on what we know,” said Fay Booker, chairwoman of the Niagara Parks Commission, which funds and oversees the police service. “We’re very proud of what the Niagara Parks Police do today. They’ve been doing it extremely well.” more…
Niagara Falls USA – Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) announced that she has secured an additional $9.5 million authorization in the National Defense Authorization Act for the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
“The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is on its way to being a crown jewel for the U.S. Air Force,” said Slaughter. “This new investment will improve coordination and continue the upward rise of NFARS since we successfully removed it from the 2005 BRAC list. I will continue to do all I can to support the great work being done by the 914th and 107th.”
At Slaughter’s request, the National Defense Authorization Act includes $9.5 million to begin design and planning for a joint operations center at NFARS. The C-130 flight line facility will help the 914th and 107th Airlift Wings better coordinate their activities at NFARS. The NDAA is expected to be passed by the House tomorrow. more…
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, May 14, 2010…Colleen Blake, Executive Director of the Shaw Festival, announced today that the theatre festival has received $2.6 million in continued funding through the Marquee Tourism Events Program(MTEP), the temporary two-year stimulus package introduced as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
Funding will also impact entire Niagara Region and community partners
“The Shaw Festival is very grateful to our MP, the Honourable Rob Nicholson, and to the Government of Canada for their ongoing support of the Shaw Festival,” said Blake. “MTEP proved to be extremely helpful in 2009, contributing to a major increase in sales for The Shaw. This timely injection of financial support in 2010 will certainly have a significant economic impact for The Shaw, our community partners and the entire Niagara Region.” more…
Atlanta-based Alcatraz Media and businessman William M. Windsor are jointly attempting to obtain the billion dollar contract for boat rides under Niagara Falls. The boat rides began in 1846, and there has never been an opportunity for anyone to bid to offer the service until Windsor took legal action against the Province of Ontario and the State of New York. This case is currently being handled by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice under case number DC 09-105JR. more…
Two Niagara Parks Police officers credited with saving two lives in 2009 received commendations from Chief Doug Kane and members of the Niagara Parks Commission during the commission’s Apr. 23 meeting. On July 21, last year, Sgt. John Clark plunged into the forebay of the Canadian Niagara Power plant at about 11:24 p.m., to rescue a woman who was “very clearly in distress,” acting chairman Archie Katzman said.
Tourists had discovered the woman in the water, ran to Table Rock House and called 911. When Clark arrived, he threw a rope to the woman, but she was too weak to grab it. He fastened the rope to a wall and entered the water himself. He swam to the woman and held her against a concrete wall for 45 minutes while firefighters and police figured out how to pull them both out of the water.
On March 22, Const. Kim Burke discovered a missing Niagara Falls man, who was the subject of a police search, stranded in bushes at Kingsbridge Park, close to toppling into the Welland River. more…
NPC ‘happy’ to have regional council support for stand-alone status for Niagara Parks Police, Katzman says
The Niagara Parks Police appear to have a new lease on life, less than two months before it would have been forced to disband, after Niagara regional council backed its request to become a stand-alone police force.
Regional councillors voted Thursday in favour of a request from the Niagara Parks Commission to have its 55-member agency given the same status as the Niagara Regional Police, a move the region’s own police board opposes. more…
The Buffalo Sabres wish Mark Recchi was retired. At 42, the oldest player in the NHL, is having too much fun schooling Buffalo’s youngsters and winning Stanley Cup Playoff games to think of retiring. The League’s leading active scorer has been the Bruins’ driving force through the first three games of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the Sabres. Buffalo has a chance to tie up the series this Wednesday.
The Queenston-Lewiston Bridge is the fourth-busiest Canada-U.S. commercial land border crossing and a key component of the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor. In 2009, bridge traffic included approximately 675,000 commercial trucks and over 2.6 million cars.
A $130-million, multi-phase project to redevelop and expand the Queenston Plaza on the Canadian side of the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge is currently underway. more…
MTV’s Real World is coming to Buffalo… Maybe. First they want to have a casting call. If you feel you were born to be a star, here is your chance to prove it:
SATURDAY, APRIL 17TH, 12:00PM-6:00PM
Pure Nightclub | 75 West Chippewa St., Buffalo, NY 14202
Carl P. Paladino has shifted his campaign for Governor to damage control after wnymedia.net exposed these racist and sexist emails. Warning, may contain inappropriate material. Click Here.