Aurora Farmers Market, In The Past It Was Old Post Office & General Store

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 04:09:13 +0000

The Aurora Farmers Market is definitely not just a place to buy local but also it is a gathering place ‘Your Meeting Place In Aurora‘. Another place to buy, but there is more. A place where we meet others. A place where children have fun. A place where we escape.

It is so typical these days in Aurora to say I will be at the Farmers Market or I meet you at the market. ‘I hope we get a chance to meet up one day, maybe over a coffee at the market‘, once Matt Maddocks wrote me, and I hope so too.

I don’t know many people, but I know Katherine Belrose (Friends of Petch House) very well and we always got to chat on the market. Her Pioneer booth was exciting one last Saturday, and was well aligned with the Senior’s Day.

Now, where else would you meet, it is so simple, and most of us know the way to the market on Saturday morning. And if you don’t know where it is, on Saturday all signs lead to the Aurora Farmers Market.

Our Farmers Market definitely has a social component built in. It is really nice to see people chatting with each other. Vendors shop among themselves. People buy with enthusiasm. Re-usable bags are being filled to the top.

I great place for children to get out, visit the playground, cool off at the splash pad and then head out for a nice cookie or pop-corn treats, or even have full lunch.

On August 13th the market had a very busy day. It was Senior’s Day, a very eventful as you will see in my later post. Busy shoppers buying a lot of good healthy food, fruits and vegetables especially this time of the year at the peak of the farmer’s harvest. It is easy to capture the essence of the market with my camera, but this time it was in the air. A strong aroma of fresh veggies and herbs traveled throughout.

Aurora Farmers Market started in 2003. In the past it was the Old Post Office gathering:

‘From its opening on November 24, 1915 until its closure in 1967, the old Post Office played an important role as a focal point of activity in the life of Aurora. The central platform for mail deposit was a convenient stage for citizens to express their opinions on matters of local concern. Before the advent of home delivery, collecting the mail was an opportunity for neighbours to socialize. Its clock has chimed the hours for generations of Aurora citizens.‘ Source: Town of Aurora Website.

‘The Post Office officially opened on November 24, 1915. The building soon became an important place for people to gather and spend time with their neighbours and colleagues. The letter drop, located in the middle of the building, was often used as a platform for speakers. The welcoming addresses for soldiers returning from the First and Second World Wars were made from this platform. The chimes of the tower clock announced the time for the community then as it does today.‘ Source: Town of Aurora Website.

Nothing lasts forever. Times change. The General Store was once a gathering place too:

‘In 1951, the general store operated by Mr. Larry Rubin and his brother Lou became the Aurora I.G.A. Foodliner, a supermarket. There were incentives to visit the store: special prices, door prices and a draw for twenty-five dollars. The store had everything except a meat department, but that was soon added. Aurora then had one stop food shopping on Wellington Street East. This was convenient, but it did cut down on meandering, shopping and socializing along the town’s shopping district.‘ Source: ‘Aurora 1945-1965, An Ontario Town at a Time of Great Change’, by Elizabeth Hearn Milner, pg 50, 2007.

To conclude my photo journey of the Aurora Farmers Market on August 13th, let me say that – there is always room for a garden.

To view the gallery below, click on the thumbnail image, and then on the image to preview all photos from August 13, 2011, Aurora Farmers Market. More photos from the same day related to Senior’s Day and Pioneer presentation coming next.

Risks At Playgrounds, Monkey Bars?

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 05:42:57 +0000

The ‘Playground equipment sparks debate‘ an article published in The Banner on July 14, 2011 definitely sparked debate everywhere. ‘A piece of playground equipment in Confederation Park is under the microscope as residents are divided on weather to have it removed or leave it in place.‘, page 1.

Ada Johnson Playground

I thought I join this debate also, since I am very frequent visitor to the playgrounds in Aurora. Of course not by myself, with my 3 year old son.

My thoughts …

Playground equipment is not designed for one age. It is designed for range of ages. It is my responsibility as a parent to recognize my child’s climbing and maneuverability skills and let them play with the monkey bars, double hump camel climber or other equipment. Would I let my three year old now, or four year old next year climb such? No, he is a talker, but definitely not a climber at this stage of his life.

Ada Johnson Playground

Monkey bars, double hump camel climber and some other equipment I have seen are definitely for 10 year old children or older. Children at this age are more skilled but also bigger in size so falling through would be little difficult, never mind less distance to fall.

I am very protective parent. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Anything that my child wants to climb and I determined that it is not for him, he either is assisted or not allowed to use that piece of equipment.

Playgrounds are not just for fun, they are also learning experience for our children. Children fall, then they learn about pain and danger. We tell our children they cannot climb this or that, they learn about discipline. Children climb slides, we teach them about playground rules.

Children don’t know much about danger and are spontaneous. That goes with some of us too. Children are fearless. Again, as I responsible parent I must see danger ahead of my child, and warn them. If I cannot climb monkey bars, double hump camel climber or other equipment and probably cannot, then it is not for my child. If I know that my child likes to try new things, I watch him like a hawk. They learn, sometimes a spontaneous move can hurt.

My child fell backwards from top of the slide onto the stairs. My mistake, I should have examined the slide. There was a very little land for him to sit, he lost balance and fell backwards. Should I ask for the redesign. No, I assisted him until he became older and more skilled in maneuvering around. I learn too.

My child almost burned himself on the metal slide. Yes, we still have those in Aurora. My mistake, I took my child to the playground around lunch time, at the peak temperature. I did not examined the slide again. It was metal, and not plastic and you could almost cook an egg on its surface. No more visiting this playground. On the second thought, this is the playground I would suggest to replace.

Ada Johnson Playground

My conclusion …

Be responsible for your child they are fearless little creatures.

On the second hand I don’t understand what the subtitle on the page one of The Banner under ‘Playground equipment sparks debate‘ reading ‘Initiative promotes carpooling, public transit use‘, has to do with the whole article. A typo?

Living in Aurora, Town of Aurora, Ontario » Playing

Aurora Farmers Market, In The Past It Was Old Post Office & General Store

Risks At Playgrounds, Monkey Bars?