Well, 2014 started with a bang, and appears to be going out like a lamb, beginning with one of the coldest winter our community had seen in years. It was great for the skaters, skiers, and snowshoers. The spring was a long drawn out affair, and summer just never really seemed to get hot. The fall was pleasant enough, and the freak snow storm in late fall had all of us worried that we were in for another cold winter. Thankfully, it has ended quietly with just a few flurries and temperatures which will allow our outdoor rinks to ice over.
There were two elections: provincial and municipal. No-one could have imagined that the Liberals would win such an overwhelming majority in Ontario. However, once the Conservative Leader, Tim Hudak, started out with "I'll cut a 100,000 jobs" it appeared that race was over. Premiere Wynn held onto her post, with many Ontarian conservatives shaking their heads in disbelief. Locally, it really wasn't much of a contest as longtime incumbent Kevin Flynn sailed to victory over Conservative rival Larry Scott.
On the municipal/regional front it appeared that Oakville residents were happy with their leadership. Mayor Burton and the majority of councillors remained in their seats, with only three exceptions. Sean O'Meara became the new Regional & Town Councillor for Bronte, Dave Gittings became the new Regional & Town Councillor for South-East Oakville after Keith Bird's retirement, and Nick Hutchins became the new town councillor for South-East with a total of eight candidates vying for the position. The most difficult race was between past Mayor Ann Mulvale and her long-time friend Jeff Knoll. It was a tight race, but Councillor Knoll was victorious. As expected Regional Chair Gary Carr remained the head of Halton.
Oakville had it's fair share of celebrations with Bronte leading the pack with the first Victoria Day celebration, and then a spectacular Fireworks display for Canada Day 2014. Downtown Oakville as per usual had great turn outs for all their festivals: Midnight Madness, Jazz Festival, and the ever popular Sidewalk Sale. This year we saw downtown Oakville restaurants do the Taste of Downtown, which was very well received. Kerr Village launched KerrFest, which saw thousands turn out for great bands and entertainers. Not to be overlooked was the CanadianFirst 3 on 3 Hockey Tournament, as well as the Skateboard skate-off. Naturally, Downtown Oakville, Kerr Village, and Bronte Village held Tree Lighting Ceremonies which brought the community together with sing-alongs as well as beautifully decorated trees.
This year we also saw the turn out for Remembrance Day services hit all time highs, as the community recognized the cost of serving our country can lead to death even in Ottawa. Bronte, Downtown Oakville, and the memorial in Oak Park were all well attended by little ones as well as seniors. It was a classic Oakville moment that started off with Oakville residents and EMS workers lining to bridge to honour Hamilton's most recent fallen soldier.
Here is a list of OakvilleNews.Org's most read articles from 2014:
- Vitaly Toews, a 13 -Year-Old Boy missing from Bronte Home: Police Request Assistance
- Oakville’s 2014 Victoria Day Long Weekend & Fireworks: What’s Open & Closed
- Canada Post Community Mail Box Update
- T’is the Season for Christmas Lights: Where to Go in Oakville
- Oakville Eats: Tavolo
Oakville was a hive of activities as well from Hockey and Soccer to Figure Skating and Ballet.There really is nothing that Oakville can't achieve if we set our minds to it. Have a great New Years Eve, and a fantastic 2015.
