One Shot With Andrew Mark

 

Andrew Mark left us speechless with this year’s cover photo. He got the shot that sent shivers down our spines, and left us wanting more. Thanks, we hope our magazine can do your work justice.

“I’m really grilling you on a Monday morning,” I said.

“Yeah, but it’s 1 p.m.,” Andrew Mark said as we chatted at one of the many coffee shops in Oakville. It feels like morning, but it isn’t. This coffee shop is bustling with chatter, people carrying shopping bags and sipping on espresso. I’m asking specific questions about his work, and how he managed to pull off one of the most stunning shots we’ve seen all year.

“It’s a personal creative,” Mark said.

“I know this girl from way back and I asked her if she’d be interested in going out and just shooting. We just had the most phenomenal day. That shoot alone was probably the most successful shoot I’ve ever done.”

“I just saw it and made it happen,” he said.

His photo was the perfect fit for our cover. The girl, her smile, the serene and warm feeling of Mark’s photo couldn’t be better. It screams for your attention, while being incredibly easy on the eyes. A one-in-a-million shot if you ask me, something that could never be recreated, even if you tried.

Are we lucky for having such a spectacular cover? Well no, there is no luck involved. We call it talent, careful planning, and a wild obsession for challenging yourself to do better. We’ve searched long and hard for the perfect photo for this issue, and it wasn’t easy. Mark walks away with $200 for his hard work, and a couple bragging rights he may or may not use.

This photograph beat out close to 200 other photos. It was chosen as the best by Sheridan photography professor David White, and the staff here at Travis. Mark is into his 2^nd year of photography at Sheridan, married at 20 years of age and originally from St. Catharines. He literally knocked our socks off with his work – we had to go looking for them. And if you’re interested, you can see more of his work online alongside his stellar wedding photography.

“It’s like a full on photo shoot,” Mark said describing his passion for shooting weddings. “Everyone is dressed up you, got the makeup on, you got the stylist going. You have the whole reception hall decorated. I’m not a traditional shooter by any means. I’m so far from traditional wedding photography that I see it as more of a fashion shoot than romantic or ooey gooey.”

Mark hopes to be shooting weddings full time when he graduates, starting up a business and making an impact in the Niagara region. When the wedding season slows down he plans to do more commercial work, and hopefully start a second business to focus on commercial photography.

“I just really like the ability to make a business out of it. For me photography is just as much of a business as it is about photography,” Mark said. “If you can’t make a business out if it you’re going to flounder. I’ve been able to start up a wedding business that is going to help me go somewhere with my career. That will get my name out there, and bring in cash to fund any further development.”

“It’s a really big industry and you don’t need 50 grand worth of cameras to start up,” he said. Mark is hoping to take advantage of Niagara’s reputation as a wedding hot spot, and build his list of clients from there.

“It’s super competitive, anyone can pick up a camera. It’s the only profession where on the weekend anyone can go out and take some pictures. You don’t hear people saying, ‘Well on the weekend I went up to Boston and did some brain surgery.’”

“You have to be good, but there’s work out there. Especially in the wedding industry, it starts with personal connections and develops. It’s still an art, and you need personal ways of doing it,” he said. “If you can sell your personality and style there’s a market for you. Even if it’s the same thing everyone else is doing. If you do it different, better, or you have a unique way of doing things, there’s your market.”

The tools he’s been given by the Sheridan photography program have inspired Mark’s outlook on the industry. Sheridan has developed a reputation as one of the best schools for applied photography in Canada, and that’s why Mark ended up here.

“I heard it was the best, I didn’t apply anywhere else,” he said. “If I was going to go to school for photography, it was going to be Sheridan. My cousin-in-law graduated from the program. I just decided it was going to be Sheridan or it was going to be nothing.”

As for influences on his own work, he cites Rob Campbell a photographer from British Columbia. He tries to stay away from contemporary shooting, and bring his own style and view into every shot. “The idea is to blow your mind with every shot. Every shot has to just rock,” Mark said. “It’s between perspective, lighting and angles. To document the day and do it well you need incredible light and incredible perspective. With that, you’re going to succeed in the business.”

With the knowledge Sheridan has provided, coupled with Mark’s own personal drive, it’s easy to see that he’s going to make an impact on the industry. His style is unmatched – and his own professionalism is going to push him into bigger and better things. But it’s one step at a time just like the rest of the students here at Sheridan. After graduation he is going to be thrown into a world of professionals and amateurs battling for position in one of the most competitive industries in Canada. It will be Mark’s own passion for his craft that will separate him from the masses. His love for all things related to photography will make him shine brighter than every kid out there with an SLR and a Facebook page.

“It just developed into a hobby, a passion, and then a career,” Mark said explaining why he is still shooting. “It’s hard to put my finger on why I love photography. I could go into anything and enjoy it, but photography just worked.”

Presidential Profile: Initiating The New Sheridan President

To read this profile on Sheridan President Jeff Zabudsky, click.

By Michael Burton

“Coffee?” she asks me.

“I, uh, um, ab—” I stumble over my words, and stare back at her with a lengthy awkward silence. I call this the deer in the headlights look. “Oh, no thank you.” The receptionist just offered me coffee, but I was barely able to get a sentence out. This is going to be good, I thought to myself as I walk into a large, intimidating office.

I’m nervous—I’ll just go ahead and admit this—as I’m about to sit down with the new Sheridan president, Dr. Jeff Zabudsky. I’ve never met him before. He’s only been around for a couple of weeks. But make no mistake; he’s the new sheriff in town. He’s a true Sheridan Bruin.

“The president will see you now,” the receptionist says to me, probably laughing to herself. Zabudsky, a dark haired, suit-wearing man with an inviting face, takes my hand and shakes it.

“Coffee?” he asks. “Oh no, thank you,” I say quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. Coffee seems to be popular in these woods. By now everyone in this office thinks I’m afraid of coffee.

“So, TRAVIS Magazine” he says, stirring his coffee. And that sets everything in motion.

We begin our chat discussing his career leading up to Sheridan. Zadusky, 46, graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism some years ago. From there, he worked in radio for 10 years at CJRT 91.1, which plays jazz and classical music. You can tell as you listen to him go on in his radio-friendly voice. He’s affable in person, hardly intimidating like his title at Sheridan might suggest. President, that is.

Throughout his radio career, Zadusky worked heavily with college-produced radio programs that focused on distance education. He helped create the materials to complement distance learning back in the day. He’s been involved with out-of-classroom learning since the start. Before the Internet, before all those fancy bells and whistles were put on your MacBook. Back when distance education utilized the radio and when materials were sent out in the mail.

Over his career, Zabudsky saw every corner of Canada. He worked in Nova Scotia as a distance education specialist. He was vice-president of academics at Sault College in northern Ontario. Then onto President of Red River College in Winnipeg. A post he gave up in January to take the reins at Sheridan.

“I think Sheridan is lucky to have him,” Catherine Rushton says, now interim President and CEO of Red River College. “Here, he was very good at linking the college to the community and increasing the college’s profile with the city of Winnipeg. He’s extremely energetic, personable, dynamic, positive and very committed to college education. He will bring all those things to the table.” Along with all his experience, Zabudsky also bring a healthy dose of know-how in education with his Ph.D in educational policy studies from the University of Alberta.

“You learn different perspectives on things,” Zabudsky says, reflecting on his travels across Canada. “Different ways of looking at the world, different provinces do different things with education. You learn from it. It was a great experience. But it’s nice to come home.”

Zabusky is home—his family lives in Southern Ontario—and was blown away by the warm embrace from the Sheridan community. Signs were draped across both campuses welcoming him to his new stomping grounds. Not bad for his first day on the job.

“Sheridan has a fine reputation, not just in Ontario, but right across the country,” he says through a smile. “I wouldn’t have come back to Ontario to just any college. It had to be the right place. I’ve come to many new jobs, and I really have a feeling that this is the perfect place for me, at the perfect time of my career.”

I wouldn’t have come back to Ontario to just any college. It had to be the right place. — Dr. Jeff Zabudsky

So the big question, which he must have anticipated: What’s next for Sheridan? Upfront, it sounds like Zabudsky has quite a plan. “Sheridan will be a much larger institution in the coming years,” he says first in the macro sense. “We’ve got to grow.”

With the addition of the Mississauga campus, Sheridan is going to get bigger, more diverse in both its programs and students. There will also be demographic changes as Sheridan is seeing an aging student body. There will be more programs offered, particularly more degrees offered. Students will be continually integrated into the workforce and there will be more applied research.

Distance education is a big point in Zabudsky’s strategic plan for Sheridan. There will be more of it. He also plans to make it more effective for as many prospective students as possible.

“I want this organization to be one of the leading edge technological facilities in Canada. I need to set that compass and say that’s the direction we’re going in,” he says. “You can’t have good education without a good teacher,” Zabudsky further notes.

“People think you can take materials, put them online and suddenly you don’t need a teacher anymore. Nothing can be further from the truth. Good education to me is about a strong relationship between faculty and students. Everyone who recalls the best experiences in their education was about those interactions between the teacher and the student.”

Zabudsky faces a big challenge ahead of him—students are becoming even more integrated into social networking tools. We, students, are a complicated breed, but we are the future regardless of how distracted and networked we are.

“I think there is something to be said for the multi-tasking nature of today’s emerging students. Technology can be a distraction, but we have to figure out together—faculty and students—how we make this new world of technology work,” Zabudsky notes. Yup, we’re talking about the lovely world of Facebook. We’re talking about how students can’t seem to get through a lecture without double-clicking their news feed. But I’m only basing this on personal experience.

So what’s the answer? We can’t close the laptops—we paid for this technology; it’s integrated into our learning. Are we really learning as we Tweet, Stumble and update? “There’s a certain point when you’re not learning, just because there is so much going on,” Zabudsky admits. “I think people who grew up without technology are pretty linear in our thinking.”

“We have to acknowledge that technology may have changed how people are learning. It’s a bit of give and take with the traditional faculty saying,  ‘This is how you learn.’ But we have to adapt to how the next generation learns.”

It’s all about the big picture. By working with technology and things like Skype and Facebook, Sheridan’s learning experience will become even stronger, even more current. “Students are going to be solving problems of tomorrow. That’s going to be a big deal and we need to work together. We will be viewed across the country as a leader with technology. We will be innovative and looked upon as an institution by industries that want to work with Sheridan.”

A scary thought, graduation. Growing up, getting a job, entering “the industry.” But that’s Zabudsky’s aim; to make it an easy, successful transition into the workforce. But just in case, he has some advice to spread as graduation looms for many of the student body.

“Follow your passion,” Zabudsky says. “Say yes to everything, get as many experiences as possible. Embrace everything. Immerse yourself, run for student government and get involved.” This isn’t the first time someone suggested that I say yes to everything. It’s good advice.

“If you don’t test yourself, you won’t know what you’ll love.”

Q&EH :: Interns & The Girls Next Door

There are not a lot of bonuses to being an intern in the publishing industry — unless, of course, you get one of the coveted spots here at Chill. Recently, we let our two interns have their way with some of the hottest Girls Next Door. You may have caught their show on E!, and watched the crazy lifestyle that some of these ladies lead.

Meet the Shannon Twins. They live next door. To me? No. To Burton? No. Try Hugh Hefner. You got it — They’re bunnies, Playboy bunnies. Burton and I had a chance to sit down and chat with the lovely twins. Here’s what we talked about:

Chill: Tell the Chill audience a little bit about your new comedy-drama, “Somewhere,” which is expected to release later this year.

Shannon: “Well, we have a new movie coming out that was directed by Sofia Coppola and stars Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning. I can’t say too much more, but I think you can expect to see it release around September. I play Bambi in the movie, Dorff’s girlfriend, and Karissa plays Cindy, who is, obviously, Bambi’s twin sister.”

Chill: What can we expect from the movie? Would you expect fans of “The Girls Next Door” to carry their fandom over to “Somewhere?” Does it reach out to a similar audience?

Shannon: “Well, Stephen Dorff plays a Hollywood actor in the film. However, he has a daughter that surprises him and comes back into his life, and he all of the sudden wants to take care of her. He has his whole career made in acting, and he has to find time to be with his daughter. So, it is different, but, I do think it is meant for a similar audience.”

Chill:  Are you girls still taking part in “The Girls Next Door” now that you’re moving on to do other things, like “Somewhere?”

Shannon: “There is actually a new show coming out called Bunnies Next Door and it’s about the girls at the Playmate House, rather than the actual house next door. Karissa and I are going to be all over it.”

Chill: How did being on the cover of Playboy magazine affect your life and what kind of impact did it have on you?

Shannon: “I think that Playboy is very classy. It makes women look very beautiful, and it’s definitely not trashy. Everybody that I spoke to loved it and was so happy for us. Everybody supported us, including our family.

Chill: Explain the process of getting involved with Playboy.

Shannon: “There are many ways — sometimes people get scouted, sometimes people apply, and sometimes people simply send their photographs to the mansion. We sent our photos in the second we turned 18 and got a call a few weeks later.”

Chill: What is Hugh Hefner like when he’s not in the spotlight? Is he different when the cameras are off?

Shannon: “He’s just the way you see him on “The Girls Next Door.” He’s very, very nice. I think the best way to put it is by saying that he’s a kid at heart. He likes to have a good time and do what the girls want to do. He’s all about having a good time.”

Chill: What is life like at the Playboy Mansion, in your own words?

Shannon: “Oh. My. God.”

Chill:  No, really. What’s it like?

Shannon: “I love this place. Whatever people think of it, that’s what it is — plus more. You never wear a bikini, your clothes are off before you even get into the damned house, and it’s full of girls. There are never any guys inside, besides security. Oh my God. I love it.”

Chill: Is that what you were expecting?

Shannon: “Not at all. It was a total shock. I was 18, didn’t really know who Hef was, I had never even really looked through a Playboy Magazine, and I definitely didn’t know what a Playmate was.”

Chill: What is a Playmate?

Shannon: It’s much more personal than simply being involved with Playboy — It’s like being in a big, happy family.”

Chill:  This all sounds like fun. What is the best way for us, and any other guy reading this, to sneak in to the Mansion?

Shannon: [laughs]. “We always get people sneaking in. They jump the fence and join the party.”

Chill: How do you like to Chill?

Shannon: “I love partying, working out and hanging out with my girls. I also really love travelling. I have been travelling almost every weekend, making appearances in Hawaii, Mexico and Canada.

Chill: Do you ever get sick of being a twin?

Shannon: “I hate when guys want to get with a twin — to them, it doesn’t matter which one of them they get, they just want one of them. But, we’re two different people and it’s kind of hard to have your own identity.”

Chill: What’s next?

Shannon: “I want to do more acting. Ever since we filmed “Somewhere,” acting has become my passion. I still want to stay involved with modeling, that’s for sure, but I think acting is slowly taking over.”

Chill: What advice can you give to aspiring models, actresses and actors?

Shannon: “Just be as natural as possible. A lot of people, especially girls, try to be something they’re not. People need to embrace their own beauty. There’s no need for fake boobs, no need for fake hair, don’t wear a lot of makeup — just be as natural as possible. People will accept you more for your natural beauty than they will for something fake.”

Chill’s Summer Anthems

SUMMER – THREE GLORIOUS MONTHS FULL OF SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND EXCITEMENT.

Think back on your childhood and I bet almost every rock anthem in your head has some memorable connection to the season of sun. The industry has changed a lot since then – and so have the marketing schemes, radio play lists and even how we listen to music. So, what’s going to be the big ear-worm for the summer of 2010?

HERE ARE CHILL’S PICKS FOR THIS YEAR’S SUMMER ANTHEMS:

Weezer: “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” Are your feet tapping yet? They should be – because this is one of those songs that you’ll be putting on repeat. When you head down to the cottage, venture on that summer road trip you’ve been planning – this is the song that will get the entire car singing. Start chasing the girls – because you ain’t got all night.

Jack Johnson: “You and Your Heart” Lay back and drift off into that warm fuzzy feeling that is Jack Johnson. The surfer and musician has done it again – and this single from To The Sea can put a smile on the face of anyone. Enjoy – and let this song pull you into the world of Jack Johnson – and the way summer should be, amazing.

The Dudes: “The Girl Police” I am obsessed with The Dudes and their sing-a-long style of easy rock. This is a great Canadian band right here – and their album Blood Guts Bruises and Cuts is the summer album you’ve been looking for. You can chill out to these guys on the patio or at a party – and I assure you everyone will be happy.

Catchy stuff – and the lyrics are all about stealing girlfriends, so watch out!

Travis McCoy: “Billionaire” Lets switch gears for a second. This is hip-hop that is sure to get any party going – and this song just screams summer. It’s a light, fun, and memorable tune that you and your friends can smile and sing-a-long to. McCoy is the front man of the rock band Gym Class Heroes – so if you dig his solo work, check out his full band too.

Anthems SUMMER – THREE GLORIOUS MONTHS FULL OF SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND EXCITEMENT.

Think back on your childhood and I bet almost every rock anthem in your head has some memorable connection to the season of sun. The industry has changed a lot since then – and so have the marketing schemes, radio play lists and even how we listen to music. So, what’s going to be the big ear-worm for the summer of 2010?

HERE ARE CHILL’S PICKS FOR THIS YEAR’S SUMMER ANTHEMS: 2010 IF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD’S ROCKIN’, DON’T COME A KNOCKIN’ by Michael Burton City and Colour featuring Gord Downie: “Sleeping Sickness” This song is incredible – a compilation between two high-regarded Canadian musicians – Dallas Green of City and Colour, and Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip. It’s a slow, passionate, and incredibly powerful song that has cemented itself in Canadian music history. This song sends shivers down my spine, and no summer music playlist would be complete without it.

Get up, do it, and start clapping your hands to the beat of this summer hit.

Them Crooked Vultures: “Mind Eraser (No Chaser)” Check this song out from the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, it will definitely heat things up. This incredible three-piece band is mixture of hard, heavy hitting rock – and head bobbing rhythms that is a little on the aggressive side. It really sounds like Queens of The Stone Age – with a little more “umph,” if you know what I mean. This is a really great tune that will keep summer pushing – right to the very end.

Arkells: “John Lennon” The Arkells – hailing from Hamilton Ontario have developed into one of the biggest Canadian rock acts of this year. Originally discovered in a college battle of the bands – their single John Lennon is an incredible rock balled that has great moments of jazz influence.

Very, very chill – and it’s the perfect tune to throw on while hitting the road, or just sitting in your backyard.

Dirty Heads (ft. Rome from Sublime): “Lay Me Down” A blend of hip-hop and classic reggae rips through this sonic surf beat with fun rhythms and a relaxed vibe of feelgood lyrics. “Lay Me Down,” The Dirty Heads’ first smash single with Sublime’s frontman Rome, is reminiscent of the laid back SoCal lifestyle that is felt and adopted by fans of reggae, ska and hip hop. It’s about good times, summer, fun, and sun-soaked party energy. We think The Dirty Heads are reviving the Sublime-style reggae rock that makes for perfect summer beats. Rolling Stone agrees – they were honoured as “Best Reggae Rockers” in the “Best New Bands of 2010” line-up.

Train “Hey Soul Sister” Maybe it’s the uplifting mandolin riff or the reggae beat and catchy lyrics. We can’t quite put our finger on it, but we think this is one of the most chill songs of the summer. Once you get over the creepy part where he talks about his untrimmed chest, “Hey Soul Sister” is the type of summer beat that can get stuck in your head for days. Actually, it’s already stuck in ours.

Michael Franti (ft. Lady Saw): “Shake It” We have two words to describe this song: party starter. It’s an undeniably happy groove that literally forces you out of your muskoka chair and onto the dance floor. Cottaging, boating, pool parties – it doesn’t really matter – this one has to be on your party mix. Little known Michael Franti has a slew of these party-starting dance hits. Look him up. Thank us later.

Chill’s Guy’d To The Summer Musical Festival

TD CANADA TRUST TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL: TORONTO JUNE 25-JULY 4 Within its 20-year existence, the Toronto Jazz Festival has featured more than 20,000 artists – 85 per cent of them being homegrown here in Canada. This year promises 350 jazz and blues performers – with many of these concerts being completely free.

Even if jazz isn’t your thing – this is a great way to spend a night on the town for close to nothing. And hey, you never know – you just might fi nd the next big band to chill out to.

CISCO OTTAWA BLUESFEST: OTTAWA JULY 7-18 The Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest is an annual summertime outdoors music festival held in the beautiful city of Ottawa. But please, don’t let the name fool you – it may say blues, but this festival has everything.

Iron Maiden, Great Big Sea, Matthew Good, The Flaming Lips, and even Weezer are on the bill. This massive festival runs for 11 days – so I hope you’ve got friends in Ottawa, or a comfortable tent to camp out in.

Start thinking of excuses to skip work, lots of them – you can’t miss this.

WARPED TOUR: TORONTO, MONTREAL & EDMONTON JUNE 25-AUGUST 15 What’s really impressive about Warped Tour is its production. This summer music festival travels across Canada and the U.S.A. To move all those bands, along with six different stages, the convoy is an entire fl eet of trucks speeding down the highway. You have to see it to believe it.

But this is where you will catch more than 60 bands playing in one single day. Metal, punk, ska, rock and pop – it is all here. At Warped Tour you can see fi ve of your favorite bands in one day, and get hooked on some new ones while you’re at it.

This festival is open to all ages, starts at noon and runs all the way into the night. Bring your sunscreen.

S. C.E.N.E MUSIC FEST: ST. CATHERINES JUNE 27 There’s something special about the S.C.E.N.E Music Fest. Is it the girls? The summer air? Maybe the incredible music?

For one day – downtown St. Catharines is over-run with over 160 local, and international bands. Now into its 15th year, the event started out with only 20 bands and has grown into a huge all-day music extravaganza.

This is where you need to be to catch the best Canadian music available today. This event features everything – funk, rock, country, reggae, hip-hop and punk bands, many of them Canadian. This is Canadian music at its fi nest. It mixes summer, live music, and partying in one day and literally takes over a city.

FESTIVAL OF FRIENDS: HAMILTON AUGUST 6-8 First, you need to know that this is a free music festival. Free – that’s right, so come on over. This year the Festival of Friends is expected to draw over 300, 000 people to the city of Hamilton. Gord Downie is set to headline, with more artists added to the bill every day.

What more can you ask for? Fun – for free. Come and chill out with thousands of music lovers of all different ages.

WAKESTOCK: COLLINGWOOD AUGUST 6-8 Wakestock has gotten a bad rap for how rowdy things can get sometimes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give this Collingwood music fest another chance. Things are changing with this event featuring skate and wakeboarding competitions that are sure to provide some serious summer fun.

Headlining this year is Alexisonfi re alongside a slew of great hip-hop and rock bands.

BAYFEST: SARNIA JULY 8-10, 16-18 Sarnia is the host of Bayfest 2010 with artists like Rush, The Black Eyed Peas, and Alan Jackson. This concert series is held outdoors, so you’re going to need blankets, water, and maybe a nice lawn chair to keep you comfy.

This will be the perfect way to chill and take in some big-name bands from across North America.

Just For Laughs

INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL BACK IN TORONTO

READY TO LAUGH? GOOD, BECAUSE THE JUST FOR LAUGHS COMEDY FESTIVAL IS ON ITS WAY TO TORONTO FROM JULY 6-11, WITH OVER 100 COMEDIANS ACROSS 14 VENUES.

This knee slapper of an event features comics like Wayne Brady, on the series Everybody Loves Raymond. He will be there.

You’ve heard of Just For Laughs – unless you are living under a rock, and I mean a literal rock. It’s a household name, and the biggest thing in comedy. The festival itself was founded in 1983 – and is hosted in four major cities: Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, and Paris. The Montreal festival being the most famous, is considered to be one of the biggest comedy festivals.

The event has entertained the likes of over 350,000 people in the city of Toronto – and doesn’t just include stand-up comedy. If you’re cheeky enough, and I know I am – go see “Stephen Harper, The Musical.” With a title like that – it has to be good. Or you can catch a show by Toronto’s own Second City; maybe take your special lady to a show all about relationships. Or if you like sketch comedy, that’s going down on July 8 and features Canadian Comedy Award-winners The Imponderables.

There really is something for everyone – it’s kind of a big deal. This festival has seen the likes of Sarah Silverman, John Cleese, and even helped Russell Peters turn himself into a household name. So, you never know, you could be watching the next great comedian break out into international fame.

Alternative shows, more local grassroots programming and hilarity.

Until July 11.

Www.hahaha.com/toronto

This Is Hardcore: Anneliese

Click to read this article online.

You Can’t Start A Movement Without Pissing Some People Off

Click to read this piece online.

Click to read online

Should It Stay Or Should It Go?

Oakville Town Council has been at a crossroads for finding a way to solve the late night noise and disturbances at the Westoaks Trails Skateboard Park. A solution presented by town staff is the removal of the skateboard equipment entirely.

Late last week residents that live adjacent to the park appeared before council to express their concerns. One resident described the noise created at the skateboard park as “maddening.”

“It’s always going, it’s not like a soccer game that starts and then ends,” Craig Ferguson said at the meeting – a concerned Oakville resident.

“The soccer field and baseball diamonds are different, the lights go out and the gates are locked. They can’t be used after hours. This place is out of sight and out of mind. It creates a secluded nature where anybody looking for seclusion can go,” he said.

The West Oak Skateboard park is separated from its neighbors to the west by a natural valley, and is surrounded by two soccer fields and one baseball diamond.

NOTE: There is follow-up meeting at the Town of Oakville on June 1, 2010 from 7-10pm to further debate this issue.

The park – installed in July of 2009 cost $110,000 to build – has received complaints by residents surrounding the park, concerning youth that frequent the park after-hours. Graffiti, alcohol consumption, litter and inappropriate language has been reported since its construction.

The skateboarders of Oakville suggest otherwise – and that the people causing trouble are not skateboarders, and are youth visiting the park late at night who do not use the facility as it is intended.

“There are some bad apples that come to the park to drink, but that’s not to say that doesn’t go on anywhere else,” said Wesley Rausch – a 19-year-old Oakville skateboarder.

Rausch spends several hours of his day at the Westoaks skateboard park and mentioned that if the equipment was removed – it wouldn’t stop people from visiting the park late at night.

There are two other skateboard parks in Oakville – one at Shell Park just east of Burloak Drive, and Glenashton Park – which is west of Eighth Line. There have been no complaints regarding the other two skateboard parks.

Several proposed solutions

Town staff proposed several solutions to the problem including the complete removal of the park, it’s relocation, or even temporary storage of the equipment.

The equipment at the Westoaks parks is bolted into a concrete pad – and can be removed and stored. The cost of removing and storing the equipment was estimated between $10,000 – $20,000 – with the concrete pad staying in place at Westoaks Park.

While the complete relocation and construction of another park – will range anywhere from $60,000 – $75,000. Town staff mentioned that these figures are not within the town’s budget.

“If we don’t have skateboard parks to go to, then were going to be skating on the streets,” Josh Ranelles said. “Where are we supposed to go?”

The issue has been motioned to be sent back to council this Tuesday, with town staff gathering information regarding the construction of a sound wall, and that the Halton Regional Police be requested to attend.

http://www.oakville.com/articles/debate-skateboard-parks-oakville/

Travis Magazine- Volume 4 Issue 2

Who The Hell is Sandy McKean?

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The Ongoing Story Part 2

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