New King Township Municipal Centre

Artist's rendering

46,285 sq.ft. of multifunctionality awaits
results of Ontario Municipal Board hearing

An OMB hearing is to begin today, Tuesday, February 28, to consider an appeal to to the zoning bylaw amendment, 2016-81 filed by the Milani Group, a land developer with a land holding in King City.   The OMB has set aside four days for the hearing.   If the OMB issues a decision favourable to the township, of if the appellant withdraws its appeal, construction could begin in early spring 2017, with completion in the spring of 2018.   The 46,285 sq. ft. building is now designed to include a 2,000 sq.ft. council chamber with mezzanine and public lobby area, 6,100 sq. ft. for a gymnasium and related services, a 3,000 sq. ft. York Regional Police facility, and approximately 35,000 sq. ft. for municipal administration purposes.

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Barry Wallace

Paths crossed...

Photo by Barry Wallace

  Mourning Doves and I share the back porch.

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Barry Wallace

Front door sign...

Photo by Barry Wallace

The Scottish Nook

Main Street ~ Schomberg

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Barry Wallace

King Road business activity in King City

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Hair Salon to open beside Rockford's Pub

Renovations are underway on the building formerly occupied by Don Fenn's business enterprises, beside Rockford's Bar and Grill, in the middle of the village.   A building permit has been issued by the township for a hair salon.

Meanwhile on the east side of Rockford's, the building that was home to Diserati's Home Bakery, before it closed several weeks ago for renovations, has recently had all signage removed at the street entrance and on the frontage of the building.   King's planning department says that no building permit has been issued in connection with this business, which opened in the spring of last year.   It's a wait and see game, it seems.

Meanwhile, further west of the King Road, one of King's best-known historic buildings has a 'For Sale' on its property frontage.   For almost half of the last century, this building was renowned as King City Bakery, operated by Bob McLeod and his wife.   He was followed years later by Flavelle Barrett who operated a financial services business for many years.   I believe this building has some official historical protection designation.   Many King oldtimers will have keen anticipation for this building's next reincarnation.
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Barry Wallace   

Cold creek...warms up

Valentines Day seemed to herald a week of warm weather that climaxed at 15C degrees locally this week.   That included Cold Creek Conservation Area which was host to the Winterfest community get-together on the Monday school holiday.   By Thursday the temperature had risen to 15C which was probably a record.   While it was balmy up in the main public activity areas of Cold Creek, down in the bog it was somewhat chillier.   The bog is host to trees like Black Spruce, Balsam Fir and Hemlock which provide much evergreen shade to the low-lying bog.   The bog itself is covered with a layer of snow in most places and the boardwalk itself is mostly covered with snow and a layer of ice on top of that.   The footing is treacherous but the handrails on each side provide some measure of safety.   The only way to be really sure-footed is to be wearing some sort of clamp-on or tie-on spiked footplates. 

The branch of Cold Creek that runs through the low woodland bog is open and running free, as it often is in winter even when temperatures are below freezing

in the bog, as seen in the photos above and below. 

There are several places in the bog where water is bubbling to the surface and presenting the very noticeable orange colour of iron.   See the photos above and below.

I can't stress enough the hazards of walking the trail at this point in time, due to the hazardous conditions.   If one does not have some form of metal spiked footwear, do yourself a favour and bypass the bog trail until April.

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Barry Wallace

King Road & William Street ~ King City

Photo by Barry Wallace

The Dog Walker

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Barry Wallace

Another transit shelter in King City...

Photo by Barry Wallace

22 bus stops ~ only four shelters

Workers are seen recently installing a new bus shelter on the east side of Keele Street, across from the GO station.   There are 22 signed bus stops in King City, and now a fourth shelter is in place.   It will surely be appreciated by those who use it in the winter or during inclement weather in other seasons, but several more would no doubt be greatly appreciated also.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Many, many families at Cold Creek Winterfest

Photos by Barry Wallace

Hundreds of kids, parents, grandparents and others spent four beautiful hours at Cold Creek Conservation Area on Monday, for the annual Winterfest celebration.   Roasting marshmallows (above) was a popular non-stop past-time for kids and adults.   Another non-stop activity for the kids, and some parents, was using plastic sliders and metal saucers to slip down a hill beside the visitors centre.    In the the photo below, several kids didn't use anything, except their bodies, to joyously slip down the slope.

Pictured above is the heavy-horse team of Chase (left) and Bailey (right), from Bradford, that hauled folks around, non-stop, in a big red wagon until it seemed every single person who attended the event got a ride at some point during the festival.  

Many dogs enjoyed the day also, including the French Bulldog, (above left), Sparky the fire safety dog, (above right), and below, two white cuties seen introducing themselves.

Standing on the porch of the Cold Creek Education Centre are Cold Creek Executive members Bill Wilson and Peggy Belcher, who appear to be quite content with how successful the Winterfest day turned out.   The weather was perfect. 

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Barry Wallace

Dalmatian is spotted at firehall

Here's a new addition to the King City firehall, on the King Road, that I noticed for the first time last week.


There was a Dalmatian named Spot, Dalmations get called that a lot,
Though would answer instead,
To Rover or Fred,
But mostly she liked the name Dot.

- Limerick by James Brown

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Barry Wallace

Stained Glass ~ No. 8

Photos by Barry Wallace

Saint Mary Roman Catholic Church

Nobleton, Ontario

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Barry Wallace

Frozen February finally fades

 Photos by Barry Wallace

pinholes in the snow

under each icicle tip

a midwinter thaw

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Barry Wallace

Dozens of robins at Kingsbridge on Jane Street

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Sure sign of spring on Valentine's Day

Pictured above are three of approximately 50 robins that were seen at the Kingsbridge Conference Centre & Hotel, on Jane Street, south of Kinghorn, this week.   The robins were gleaning whatever morsel of food they could find in the bare patches of lawn, particularly under the fir trees. Many starlings joined the robins to compete for the meagre bounty.

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Barry Wallace

King City liquor store nears completion

    Photos by Barry Wallace

Photo by Barry Wallace

King's Ridge LCBO opens Fri., March 31

I spoke with an LCBO representative this week about the opening date for King City's new liquor store, in the King's Ridge Marketplace.   The store is to open on Friday, March 31.   In the photos above, one can see signs saying 'OPENING SOON', while HVAC ( heating, ventilation and air conditioning) units were been lifted to the roof several days ago.

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Barry Wallace

February at Redcrest

Photo by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Keele Street North ~ Holland Marsh

Photo by Barry Wallace

Transport truck driver's positive message

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Barry Wallace

Icy blue studies...

Above,

slippery

slope...

Keele 

Street

near 

Marylake

Left,

frozen 

field...

King 

Road 

east of 

Kinghorn

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comment
if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Stained Glass ~ No. 7

 Saint Mary Magdalene's Anglican Church

Church Street, Schomberg 

Photos by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

King student art exhibition winners

Presented by Arts Society King

Photos by Barry Wallace

FIRST PLACE

'Get Away' by Sarah Fusco

The Country Day School - Grade 11 

Oil on Canvas Board

SECOND PLACE
'Self Portrait' by Tianna Redhead
Villanova College ~ Grade 12
Oil on Canvas

THIRD PLACE
'WHALE' by Jing Liu
King City Secondary School - Grade 12
String Sculpture

These winners, plus 73 other works of art, may be seen at the King Heritage and Cultural Centre, on the King Road, just east of Jane Street, in Kinghorn, Tuesdays to Saturdays, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., until Tuesday, January 28.   Admission is free.  

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Barry Wallace

Early February in the Holland Marsh

                                                                                                                               Photo by Barry Wallace

Irrigation ditch ~ Davis Road

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Barry Wallace

After the freezing rain...

                                                                                                                               Photo by Barry Wallace

Icycles outside...warm and toasty inside

The Miller's Table ~ Main Street ~ Schomberg

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Barry Wallace