Oxford WSA calendar of events 2013-2014
Monday, September 16, 2013 O.M.A.F.R.A. 8.00pm
"Ingamo Homes"
Our first speaker of this season will be Diane Harris, executive director of Ingamo Homes since 1996.
Ingamo Homes is a 21-townhouse unit second-stage transitional housing facility in Oxford county for victims of domestic violence who are struggling to get back on their feet. Opening in March 1989, they handed the first key to a family; " She took it, put it in the lock and began to turn her life around "! Since then, over 1000 families have come through the gate of Ingamo and made changes to their lives. Women and their children who live at Ingamo stay approximately 16-18 months in total. In addition to providing a home, Ingamo also provides support, safety planning, children's programs, legal court support and counselling. Diane Harris joined the agency in 1990 and became the Executive Director after the agency lost government funding. She and the board of directors have been instrumental in building up the funding base allowing the doors of Ingamo, along with its many services, to remain open and available to women and their children.
Ingamo Homes is a 21-townhouse unit second-stage transitional housing facility in Oxford county for victims of domestic violence who are struggling to get back on their feet. Opening in March 1989, they handed the first key to a family; " She took it, put it in the lock and began to turn her life around "! Since then, over 1000 families have come through the gate of Ingamo and made changes to their lives. Women and their children who live at Ingamo stay approximately 16-18 months in total. In addition to providing a home, Ingamo also provides support, safety planning, children's programs, legal court support and counselling. Diane Harris joined the agency in 1990 and became the Executive Director after the agency lost government funding. She and the board of directors have been instrumental in building up the funding base allowing the doors of Ingamo, along with its many services, to remain open and available to women and their children.
" Identity Theft & Mortgage Fraud "
Thieves are getting smarter, so be sure you are up to date on how to protect yourself. Our second speaker this evening will be Farhanch Haque presenting topics like : * " Why are we still talking about fraud"
* What's new; cyber-tactics ( malware, phishing, email takeover )
* Return to basics ( cheque frauds, mail theft, etc. )
* What can we do about it? : Increased awareness and education
* Fraud management framework- How the banks are improving fraud prevention efforts
Farhaneh has been with TD bank for 19 years and is currently the Director, Mortgage Adviser in RESL. In her current role she is responsible for growing TD's Share of Voice in the mortgage lending space through media engagement, participation in industry events and online presence. In addition, she offers training support for the Retail Advisors, Mobile Mortgage Specialist teams and Real Estate professionals. Outside of work Farhaneh seves as a board member and secretary for step ahead, an organization dedicated to support High school students to prepare and apply post-secondary education. She also is an Active supporter of Ernistines Women's Schelter.
* What's new; cyber-tactics ( malware, phishing, email takeover )
* Return to basics ( cheque frauds, mail theft, etc. )
* What can we do about it? : Increased awareness and education
* Fraud management framework- How the banks are improving fraud prevention efforts
Farhaneh has been with TD bank for 19 years and is currently the Director, Mortgage Adviser in RESL. In her current role she is responsible for growing TD's Share of Voice in the mortgage lending space through media engagement, participation in industry events and online presence. In addition, she offers training support for the Retail Advisors, Mobile Mortgage Specialist teams and Real Estate professionals. Outside of work Farhaneh seves as a board member and secretary for step ahead, an organization dedicated to support High school students to prepare and apply post-secondary education. She also is an Active supporter of Ernistines Women's Schelter.
October Bustrip
Thursday, October 3, 2013
"Fall Bus-Tour to Niagara Region”
Be sure to join us on our Fall Tour! Meet us at 8:45am at the Woodstock Walmart. The bus will leave at 9am sharp.
We will start our tour with coffee & goodies at the Pioneer Flower Farm, Wholesale Greenhouse Specialists, in St. Catharines, before touring their state-of-the -art facility. Founded in 1971 by HenkSikking and his Family, Pioneer Flower Farms is one of the largest bulb forcing farms in North America producing over 40 million blooms per year. Today, Henk along with his sons Henk Jr. and Peter, work with the best bulb stock growers in Holland to produce quality cut flowers and potted plants at their facility. The farm includes 300,000 square feet of greenhouse space and three acres of cold storage necessary for the production of forced blooms. Henk Jr. is in charge of the potted plant divison and Peter runs the cut flower divison while Henk Sr. oversees the entire operation. The Sikkings work closely with a dedicated sales team to make certain that every order meets the customer’s specifications.
The second stop on our bus tour will be the elegant Château des Charmes Estate Winery where we will have a tour of their facilities followed by a wine tasting including ice wine, and then a gourmet lunch created using recipes of Queen's Landing Inn own executive chef using a blend of locally grown & hand crafted ingredients to showcase the wide range of artisan products that are available year round in the Niagara region. Opened in 1994, Château des Charmes' state-of-the-art winery and visitor centre was immediately hailed as an agri-tourism landmark & was the first winery in Ontario purpose-built with the visitor in mind, long before there was a Wine Route or a winery tourism business model. With a family winegrowing tradition that started 7 generations
ago in the Alsace region of France, the Bosc family, in partnership with lawyer Rodger Gordon, founded Château des Charmes in Niagara-on-the-Lake adopting the estate winery model, long practiced in established wine regions. They planted Canada’s first commercial vineyard dedicated exclusively to European vitisviniferagrape varieties which Paul Bosc had been experimenting with since the early 1970's, an achievement long considered impossible in Canada's climate and it revolutionized the grape and wine
industry. Paul has always believed in stewardship of the land on which his vineyards were planted and has been dedicated to the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices in order to produce exceptional quality grapes now and for generations to come.
Next stop is a fully guided tour of the Sir Adam Beck 2 Generating Station, including 3 observation areas, short video, interactive area and gift shop. While man's fascination of the overwhelming power of the Falls has lasted for millennia, this station has captured that potential energy in one of Ontario's largest hydroelectric facilities since 1958, a wonderful example of a natural,
non-polluting and reliable power source that has worked in harmony with the beauty of Niagara for 55 years. Following this tour, we will head to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake where members can spend some free time visiting the quaint shops and finding
unique restaurant venues where they can buy their own supper before the bus picks us up. We leave for Woodstock at 6:30pm sharp and will arrive back at Woodstock Walmart at 8:00pm.
This trip is limited to 56 participants so be sure to sign up at the September meeting!
"Fall Bus-Tour to Niagara Region”
Be sure to join us on our Fall Tour! Meet us at 8:45am at the Woodstock Walmart. The bus will leave at 9am sharp.
We will start our tour with coffee & goodies at the Pioneer Flower Farm, Wholesale Greenhouse Specialists, in St. Catharines, before touring their state-of-the -art facility. Founded in 1971 by HenkSikking and his Family, Pioneer Flower Farms is one of the largest bulb forcing farms in North America producing over 40 million blooms per year. Today, Henk along with his sons Henk Jr. and Peter, work with the best bulb stock growers in Holland to produce quality cut flowers and potted plants at their facility. The farm includes 300,000 square feet of greenhouse space and three acres of cold storage necessary for the production of forced blooms. Henk Jr. is in charge of the potted plant divison and Peter runs the cut flower divison while Henk Sr. oversees the entire operation. The Sikkings work closely with a dedicated sales team to make certain that every order meets the customer’s specifications.
The second stop on our bus tour will be the elegant Château des Charmes Estate Winery where we will have a tour of their facilities followed by a wine tasting including ice wine, and then a gourmet lunch created using recipes of Queen's Landing Inn own executive chef using a blend of locally grown & hand crafted ingredients to showcase the wide range of artisan products that are available year round in the Niagara region. Opened in 1994, Château des Charmes' state-of-the-art winery and visitor centre was immediately hailed as an agri-tourism landmark & was the first winery in Ontario purpose-built with the visitor in mind, long before there was a Wine Route or a winery tourism business model. With a family winegrowing tradition that started 7 generations
ago in the Alsace region of France, the Bosc family, in partnership with lawyer Rodger Gordon, founded Château des Charmes in Niagara-on-the-Lake adopting the estate winery model, long practiced in established wine regions. They planted Canada’s first commercial vineyard dedicated exclusively to European vitisviniferagrape varieties which Paul Bosc had been experimenting with since the early 1970's, an achievement long considered impossible in Canada's climate and it revolutionized the grape and wine
industry. Paul has always believed in stewardship of the land on which his vineyards were planted and has been dedicated to the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices in order to produce exceptional quality grapes now and for generations to come.
Next stop is a fully guided tour of the Sir Adam Beck 2 Generating Station, including 3 observation areas, short video, interactive area and gift shop. While man's fascination of the overwhelming power of the Falls has lasted for millennia, this station has captured that potential energy in one of Ontario's largest hydroelectric facilities since 1958, a wonderful example of a natural,
non-polluting and reliable power source that has worked in harmony with the beauty of Niagara for 55 years. Following this tour, we will head to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake where members can spend some free time visiting the quaint shops and finding
unique restaurant venues where they can buy their own supper before the bus picks us up. We leave for Woodstock at 6:30pm sharp and will arrive back at Woodstock Walmart at 8:00pm.
This trip is limited to 56 participants so be sure to sign up at the September meeting!
November meeting
Wednesday, November 6, 2013 O.M.A.F.R.A. 8:00pm
"Upper Thames River conservation District: “Working Trees for Working Farms”
Learn how windbreaks can protect our soil and increase crop yields! Also learn about programs available to offset costs.
John Enright is a Registered Professional Forester residing in London. John graduated from Lakehead University with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1980. For the past 27 years John has worked as private land forester for the Upper Thames River conservation Authority, specializing in farm woodlot management and reforestation. During that period John has overseen the planting of 2 million trees in windbreaks buffers and highly erodible land retirement.
"Upper Thames River conservation District: “Working Trees for Working Farms”
Learn how windbreaks can protect our soil and increase crop yields! Also learn about programs available to offset costs.
John Enright is a Registered Professional Forester residing in London. John graduated from Lakehead University with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1980. For the past 27 years John has worked as private land forester for the Upper Thames River conservation Authority, specializing in farm woodlot management and reforestation. During that period John has overseen the planting of 2 million trees in windbreaks buffers and highly erodible land retirement.
December meeting
Thursday, December 12, 2013 O.M.A.F.R.A. 8:00 pm
“Christmas Flower Arrangement”
Gerda Pier of Belmont, will be our teacher this evening! Bring along your pruning shears and your inner floral designer for a fun filled evening and take home some Christmas spirit!
Gerda was born and raised in Groningen, the Netherlands. In 1999, she moved together with her husband Bas to Canada. They have two children, Dallas (10) and Mariah (9), and operate a broiler farm near Belmont, Ontario. In her free time she likes to garden, read books and do crafts. Gerda has given various workshops and still does upon request. Her workshops vary from flower arrangements, jewellery and card making, to interior design.
“Christmas Flower Arrangement”
Gerda Pier of Belmont, will be our teacher this evening! Bring along your pruning shears and your inner floral designer for a fun filled evening and take home some Christmas spirit!
Gerda was born and raised in Groningen, the Netherlands. In 1999, she moved together with her husband Bas to Canada. They have two children, Dallas (10) and Mariah (9), and operate a broiler farm near Belmont, Ontario. In her free time she likes to garden, read books and do crafts. Gerda has given various workshops and still does upon request. Her workshops vary from flower arrangements, jewellery and card making, to interior design.
January Meeting
Friday, January 10, 2014 Craigowan Golf & Country Club 8:00 pm
“New Years Social” Lets Dance with: “Moving Grooving and Verhoeven”
Bring your spouse/friend, dance, socialize and celebrate.
Please remember that this evening is only for our members and one guest each. We will have a lovely sit-down dinner followed by coffee and dessert. Then we will enjoy the sounds of Moving Grooving & Verhoeven, a live Four-Piece cover band that has had rave reviews from some of our members. This band has been playing around southwestern Ontario for more than 15 years. Their repertoire is a mix of different artists and genres, including Blues, Rock, Soul and Country music from over the last 4 decades. They strive to balance interpreting the songs they play in the spirit of the original artists while putting their own stamp on the arrangements. If you aren't in the mood to groove with the music, just sit back and take in a cool drink and celebrate the New Year with WSA.
Shelly Groenestege will give a short presentation about the United Way and their programs for social research and planning counsel, reports of elderly abuse, mental health, violence against women etc. There will be an opportunity to make a donation!
“New Years Social” Lets Dance with: “Moving Grooving and Verhoeven”
Bring your spouse/friend, dance, socialize and celebrate.
Please remember that this evening is only for our members and one guest each. We will have a lovely sit-down dinner followed by coffee and dessert. Then we will enjoy the sounds of Moving Grooving & Verhoeven, a live Four-Piece cover band that has had rave reviews from some of our members. This band has been playing around southwestern Ontario for more than 15 years. Their repertoire is a mix of different artists and genres, including Blues, Rock, Soul and Country music from over the last 4 decades. They strive to balance interpreting the songs they play in the spirit of the original artists while putting their own stamp on the arrangements. If you aren't in the mood to groove with the music, just sit back and take in a cool drink and celebrate the New Year with WSA.
Shelly Groenestege will give a short presentation about the United Way and their programs for social research and planning counsel, reports of elderly abuse, mental health, violence against women etc. There will be an opportunity to make a donation!
February meeting
Wednesday, February 12, 2014 Emmanuel Church 9.00am
“Winter workshop” “Nutrition and Health”
Nutrition and Health is a theme we live with every day of our life and so we know that we will bring to you today an educational day: a day filled with new ideas, a new outlook and lots of fun!
We will start our workshop with a great cooking presentation by Fanshawe College!
Extreme Recipe Makeover: tired of making the same old recipe the same way every time? This workshop will take five tried and true recipes and make them each into three new amazing creations. An appetizer, salad, veggie, meat and dessert will be demonstrated. Whether you are an amateur in the kitchen or a seasoned cook- you will enjoy this workshop. Food, fun and laughter while expanding your recipe diversification and challenging your culinary creativity … the perfect combination!
Lunch: We eat what we cook!!!
In the afternoon we will look at “Dirty Little Secrets of BigFood”. Join Pam Killeen as she exposes the methods food processors use to maximize profits at the expense of human health. She will also reveal what you can do to make sure you and your family are obtaining the most nutrient-dense foods possible. Pam Killeen is the author of: “The Hidden Epidemic” and co-author of the New York Times bestselling book: “The Great Bird Flu Hoax”. She has been independently studying nutrition and natural health for over twenty years. Her interest in these areas stems from overcoming a lengthy battle with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and multiple chemical sensitivities. Currently, she works in London, ON, as a nutritional consultant, but she is also a dynamic and diverse public speaker and radio personality. Her website is: www.pamkilleen.com
We will let loose at the end of our day with an half an hour of ZUMBA! Jessica Black will teach us how.
Get your bodies moving ladies and maybe get inspired to stay in shape with this great workout over the winter months.
“Winter workshop” “Nutrition and Health”
Nutrition and Health is a theme we live with every day of our life and so we know that we will bring to you today an educational day: a day filled with new ideas, a new outlook and lots of fun!
We will start our workshop with a great cooking presentation by Fanshawe College!
Extreme Recipe Makeover: tired of making the same old recipe the same way every time? This workshop will take five tried and true recipes and make them each into three new amazing creations. An appetizer, salad, veggie, meat and dessert will be demonstrated. Whether you are an amateur in the kitchen or a seasoned cook- you will enjoy this workshop. Food, fun and laughter while expanding your recipe diversification and challenging your culinary creativity … the perfect combination!
Lunch: We eat what we cook!!!
In the afternoon we will look at “Dirty Little Secrets of BigFood”. Join Pam Killeen as she exposes the methods food processors use to maximize profits at the expense of human health. She will also reveal what you can do to make sure you and your family are obtaining the most nutrient-dense foods possible. Pam Killeen is the author of: “The Hidden Epidemic” and co-author of the New York Times bestselling book: “The Great Bird Flu Hoax”. She has been independently studying nutrition and natural health for over twenty years. Her interest in these areas stems from overcoming a lengthy battle with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and multiple chemical sensitivities. Currently, she works in London, ON, as a nutritional consultant, but she is also a dynamic and diverse public speaker and radio personality. Her website is: www.pamkilleen.com
We will let loose at the end of our day with an half an hour of ZUMBA! Jessica Black will teach us how.
Get your bodies moving ladies and maybe get inspired to stay in shape with this great workout over the winter months.
March meeting
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 O.M.A.F.R.A. 8.00 pm
" The Bruce Trail ”
Today our executive member GerdaSchryver together with Wila S., Helmy, Toni, Coby, Marian, Mariette, Wilma B, Vera, and Dorrie, all members of the WSA will guide us trough there personal journey on the Bruce Trail. These ten ladies started to walk the Bruce Trail in 2005 and finished in June 2013 in Tobermory. The Bruce Trail is Canada’s oldest and longest footpath that provides the only continuous public access to the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. It is one of North America’s most celebrated natural environments. Hiking the Bruce Trail, you see Canada Nature at its best, walking through fields, climbing mountains, going up and down endless steps for a total of 885 km!
" The Bruce Trail ”
Today our executive member GerdaSchryver together with Wila S., Helmy, Toni, Coby, Marian, Mariette, Wilma B, Vera, and Dorrie, all members of the WSA will guide us trough there personal journey on the Bruce Trail. These ten ladies started to walk the Bruce Trail in 2005 and finished in June 2013 in Tobermory. The Bruce Trail is Canada’s oldest and longest footpath that provides the only continuous public access to the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. It is one of North America’s most celebrated natural environments. Hiking the Bruce Trail, you see Canada Nature at its best, walking through fields, climbing mountains, going up and down endless steps for a total of 885 km!
April meeting
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 O.M.A.F.R.A. 8.00 pm
“A Trip to Vietnam”
Klaske and Jisk Schuurman will be giving us a presentation about their experience on their Trip to Vietnam. They went to visit
friends that worked for Frysland Campina. They helped the farmers to get a better milk production. On their trip they were also challenged with transportation, cooling and many other things. Klaske and Jisk immigrated to Canada 25 years ago. They live on a dairy farm near Bugessville and enjoy it every day.
“Annual business Meeting"
During the annual business meeting, voting will take place for new members in the executive team. Kim de Klein from OMAFRA will be assisting with the election.
“A Trip to Vietnam”
Klaske and Jisk Schuurman will be giving us a presentation about their experience on their Trip to Vietnam. They went to visit
friends that worked for Frysland Campina. They helped the farmers to get a better milk production. On their trip they were also challenged with transportation, cooling and many other things. Klaske and Jisk immigrated to Canada 25 years ago. They live on a dairy farm near Bugessville and enjoy it every day.
“Annual business Meeting"
During the annual business meeting, voting will take place for new members in the executive team. Kim de Klein from OMAFRA will be assisting with the election.
Year end Family picknick
Details will follow in the spring newsletter
