Volume 100, Issue 5 SEPTEMBER 2014

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GALA 2014

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2014 WIA ExecutivePresident Kathleen McDonnellPast-President Bruce RosensweetVice-President Your Name Here?Secretary Jay BascomTreasurer Liz McDonald Membership chair Alison GzowskiEvents chair Mark HowardClubhouse co-chair Eliza MooreClubhouse co-chair Sean BonarTennis co-chair Mike FrenchTennis co-chair Yolanda SnelsLawn bowling chair Stephanie SmithWIA Weekly Team Allyson Woodrooffe Liz Amer Samantha Mills Wendy Peters

Thank you Teri McMahon for putting together the Gala issue!

Round RobinsSat. August 30If rained out, postponed to Sundays.Start time: 10:00 a.m. Please arrive earlier to register and warm up. Fee: $5.00 Participants: Members & guests (guests must purchase a pass).

TournamentsWomen’s Singles – Sat. Sept. 6Men’s Singles – Sat. Sept. 20If rained out, postponed to Sundays.Start time: 10:00 a.m. Please arrive earlier to warm up.Fee: noneParticipants: WIA Tennis members only.

Round Robins & Tournaments

Best. Gala. Ever. We say that every year, don’t we? And more often than not, it’s true! Certainly Gala 2014 registered right up there on the fun-o-meter. The beer flowed. The weather cooperated (mostly - Monday’s brief thunderstorm cut the Children’s Midway a bit short, but everyone got their prizes just the same.) And did anyone even notice the absence of mud puddles that usually appear around the Gala tent? The new paving stones already look like they’ve been there forever. Now if we can just get around to repairing that hole they had to tear in the fence to bring them in....

On the subject of fences, the most FAQ at Gala was “what’s with the fence around the Willow Square?” Some assumed it was yet another MarSec folly. In my more sardonic moments, I thought it would make the perfect drunk tank for Saturday’s dance with the Mercenaries. (Not needed, fortunately - the crowd was huge, but well-behaved.) As it

turned out, Parks workers had put up the fence in preparation for the installation of the restored Landing Stage, which was then mysteriously postponed. Maybe it was MarSec after all....

There’s really nothing you can say about Gala that hasn’t been said already. Except this: Jennifer Scott-Wood is retiring after nearly 30 years as resident Bingo-prize shopper and setter-upper. The cool sports equipment, nifty kitchen gadgets, big buckets of Gummi worms and other great stuff that winners cart away from the clubhouse - it’s all due to Jennifer’s hard work and bargain-hunting skills. That kind of volunteer commitment is what sustains Gala and makes this community so special. A huge thanks from all of us, Jennifer.

It takes a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work to pull off Gala, and earlier in the season we were in a quandary, with no VP to coordinate everything. Executive

members and many, many volunteers pitched in, but the person most responsible for making Gala 2014 such a phenomenal success is Alison Gzowski. Talk about stepping up to the plate. Alison hit it out of the park!

And with that somewhat belaboured baseball metaphor, I’ll sign off.

– Kathleen McDonnell

President’s Notes

UPCOMING EVENTSSept. 14 Terry Fox RunOct. 5 WIA Executive Nomination deadlineOct. 19 WIA AGMOct. 25 Hallowe’en Dance

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ADULTS1. iPad Mini won by Kristine Wilson2. Kobo eReader won by Jeremy Ruskin3. Package of Island Delights (Homemade Jams by Nupur Gogia and Barb Roerick / bottle of wine / WIA Centennial Book / Loblaw’s Gift certificate for $50 won by Lesley Birmingham4. Harbour Castle Gym package (one month membership plus personal health assessment won by Gaye Jackson5. Tennis Racket donated by Marc Irman won by Alva McNab6. Rectory Café Gift certificate for $75 won by Inta Gravlejs7. Island Café Gift certificate for $50 won by Evan and Elizabeth Roerick

8. Island Fitness package: 6 yoga lessons donated by Karen McKinnell plus 1 Kettle bell class from Constantine won by Ernest Takyi9. QCYC pig roast – 2 tickets won by Chris Webster10. Firkin Pub gift certificate $50 won by Alice and Phoebe Norton11. Firkin Pub gift certificate $50 won by Annika 12. Firkin Pub gift certificate $50 won by Sheila and Jim Belisle13. Loblaw’s gift certificate $50 won by Sheila and Jim Belisle14. Stilt walking lesson from Shadowland won by Greg

KIDS 1. Ukelele plus 4 half-hour lessons with Chris Wilson won by Joan Moore2. Ripley’s Aquarium Family Pass (2 adults, 3 kids) won by Barb Roerick3. Water Fun Pack (with noodles, inflatable rafts, slip and slide, water guns) won by Faye Fenton4. Inflatable boat won by Jacob A.5. Island Café ice cream cones – 5 won by Clyde Coyle6. Island Café ice cream cones – 5 won by Lynn 7. Chapters gift certificate $50 won by Jack Dewdney8. Centreville pass $25 won by Clementine9. Movie pass $25 won by Billie Page

Gala 2014 Thank Youuuuuusssssss!

GALA 2014 Raffle Prizes

Barb RoerickCarol TaitDavid StearnPaul NelsonFrank BovacontiMartin ter WoortHayley MacPhailYvonna NaumanMadeleine McLaughlinInta GravlejsDennis RedicanFrank SullivanAlice NortonLeida EnglarTanya GoldenKristin BasmadjianBella BeazerSusan BakerSabina LatendorfDavid SmileyEllen AllenRick TemporaleHanne WhitfieldLacey Hammond-HarringtonDejan RisticLiz McClellandLynn Purves

Bruce SmithJudie TemporaleAnne BroeckerPat BradleyRosemary SullivanRosemary ParsonJim GoreZsuzsa KelemenLorraine PelletierJesse RosensweetSarah RosensweetJamie SmithMary HayScott SteinMick GzowskiKaren McKinnellChris WebsterAnn LaceyJoanna KiddBruce CameronKarl LouieAmanda ChalmersSarah IvesGaye JacksonAlec FarquharBarry LiptonDaina GreenJoan Moore

Wayne DeWeerdRick/SimonJoe RedicanAnn BufferyMelissa AmerBlair BirminghamDeanna BirminghamWendy PetersBruce CameronTeri McMahonBarbara DresnerKate ShepherdMary PartridgeKathleen DoodyAnne BarberBrad HarleyMarie MetcalfeJerry ShinerAnne KotykRachel DoranRobin EdgerAlex Antoine FortinJennifer DalesJohn JackmanApril HickoxMary-Ann HaneyNoah OliverGarth Roerick

Cathy BroatmanJim MaggiMary BuckBob BuckBruce RosensweetAnna Rehak and SashaRescha BarkerEvan RoerickElizabeth RoerickJaimie RoerickMadalynn RoerickReilley NossiterLucas NossiterOliver FentonMark MillenQueenie SepetdjianAlison StirlingZorah Freeman-McIntyre & the Pig Team

If you volunteered at Gala and don’t see your name here let us know. We’ll thank you in the next issue in really BIG TYPE!– WIA Executive

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LUELLA was built at Toronto in 1880 and was typical of a number of the single-deck steamers that ran to the islands back then. For most of her years she was owned by the Toronto Ferry Company Limited, which also ran the amusement park at Hanlan’s Point. Its principal owner and manager was “Lol” Solman, who also managed the Royal Alexandra theatre. LUELLA ran to Lakeside Home at Gibraltar Point, as well as to the Manitou dock at Centre and to Ward’s Island. As with the rest of the ferries that lasted that long, her ownership passed to the City of Toronto late in 1926 when the city bought out Solman. In 1927 the ferry operation was given to the Toronto Transportation Commission. Amazing as it may seem for an old wooden steamer (she did not even have electric lighting), LUELLA continued to run through

the 1934 season and then was retired. The following year, she was hauled up into the park at Hanlan’s Point, where it was intended to use her as a hot dog stand. But she was in very bad condition by then, and her hull simply disintegrated, much of it being used by local residents as firewood. LUELLA last ran on the Ward’s run, and the WILLIAM INGLIS was built specifically

to replace her. The INGLIS was laid down in the shipyard as COLUMBINE, but never was registered under that name. She began running in the fall of 1935 as SHAMROCK, but was renamed the following winter following the death of Inglis, whose firm built her.

– Jay Bascom

A brief history of Luella

How does one begin to say thank you? From kind words to fundraising, from close friends and family to the community at large, the outpouring of support that has manifested in so many ways has deeply affected Allegra and myself throughout this incredible life-changing journey that we are on! At the risk of sounding cliche, it truly does take a village. We are looking forward to coming home - to the Island and to our community.

– Cindy Jones

Post-transplant Etiquette: Some Do’s and Don’ts

DON’T hug. We try to avoid hugs because Allegra is very susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. So we won’t hug you, but that doesn’t mean we’re not glad to see you!

DO call or text before you visit, and be flexible if it’s not a good time for us.

DO use our hand sanitizer when you come to visit. This is important to reduce the risk of transmitting anything that may have been picked up from objects such as door handles, handrails, paper money and coins. It’s not a manifestation of paranoia, but rather a practical standard practice which is advised by the health care practitioners to prevent the spread of infection.

DON’T visit if you’re sick. If you’re ill with a bug, or have been in the presence of someone who has something contagious, please avoid visiting until the risk of infection has completely passed.

DON’T bring flowers: Post-transplant patients are told to avoid gardening and cut flowers for at least the first 3 - 6 months, when the risk of Aspergillus infection is greatest. Aspergillus, a fungus present in soil and other damp objects like leather and wood, can seriously infect the

lungs of people whose immune systems are suppressed by post-transplant medication.

– Cindy Jones

Thank you!

Allegra Jones leaving the hospital after her double lung transplant.

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(This year’s Fire Parade was part a remarkable Island milestone: The 30th anniversary of Shadowland’s founding. I recently put the company’s name forward for the 2014 Ontario Premier’s Arts Award. Here’s an excerpt from the nomination letter - Kathleen McDonnell)

My first encounter with Shadowland was an experience I can only describe as life-changing. As a new member of the Island community, I was part of the large (80+) ensemble cast of Island Follies, an epic outdoor production with music, shadowplay and large puppets (one of which was an enormous bulldozer manipulated by a dozen people). These are the elements that have come to define Shadowland’s signature style, and participating in that show transformed my whole idea of what theatre is about. Not just words on a page or actors on a stage, theatre is an event in real time and space, one that is alive and unpredictable, during which the performers and audience form a bond, a community. Shadowland’s work actually goes back to the ancient roots of theatre as communal ritual, before the distinction between “professional” and “amateur” existed.

One of Shadowland’s unique

gifts is the way they use the physical landscape. Their productions are much more than “outdoor” theatre, and in fact, the company is one of the pioneers of site-specific theatre in this country. Shadowland takes the audience on a physical journey that reflects and embodies the metaphorical journey of the characters in the story. I’m recalling The Light that Stands Still, a production from the mid-2000s centred on the Toronto Island lighthouse. After an extended

scene at the water’s edge depicting a historical shipwreck, the audience was ushered down a path of dense brush, dimly illuminated, covered on both sides with sheer blue fabric dotted with images of marine life, human bodies and the wreck itself. As we passed through I suddenly got it: We, the audience, were under water.

There are always “aha!” moments like this in a Shadowland show, when the audience has a moment of discovery, of recognition that goes beyond words. The company is especially daring in the way it integrates the natural world and the unpredictability that goes with it. Their production of Right of Passage ended with a boat full of ghostly figures dressed in white, carrying lanterns, sailing off into the darkness of Lake Ontario. A reviewer called it “pure magic” and it was. There’s a reason why critics use terms like “magical” and “heart-stopping” in describing Shadowland’s shows. When the company’s artists are on their game, they are able to tap into some deep longings in the collective psyche, the ritual, celebratory and communal experience that is the heart of great theatre.

– Kathleen McDonnell

Happy Birthday Shadowland

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As many of you know I have been enjoying great success with my theatrical work, both wigs and hair. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Astrid Janson at VideoCabaret/Soulpepper, with CanStage for Shakespeare in High Park and on YPT’s production of Annie.

However, this does not mean I have abandoned my little salon/barber shop. I am always surprised how often people ask “Are you still doing hair?” The answer is most definitely, yes!

I am very grateful to be able to work at home and I truly value and enjoy the service I am able to provide as the island hairstylist.

– Alice Norton, at the “House of Big Hair”Linda and Rose Wilson, two of Alice’s esteemed clients at the wedding of Linda’s eldest son Kallin Nagelberg.

First Annual Brad Henderson Memorial Poker Challenge

Saturday Sept. 136:30 p.m. - last boat Ward’s Island ClubhouseRegistration from 6 - 6:30 p.m.Bar opens at 7 p.m.Entry fee: $40 Buy-ins after 6:30 and re-buys will be accepted

Half the entry fee goes to the Island Terry Fox Weekend, the other half to the prize pool. A unique trophy will be awarded to the winner, with bracelets to the top three finishers, plus a prize pool. Preregistration to Geoff Currie at gccurrie@gmail.com would be appreciated but not mandatory. Everyone welcome, so spread the word!

Exciting Gardening EventOn June 5 2015 approximately 80 international garden bloggers

will be visiting our community, while attending their International Conference in Toronto. They will be generating an impressive amount of web-based information about our gardens and our community. Because of this request, the biannual island garden tour will occur on Saturday June 6 and Sunday June 7, 2015. The island is beautiful in June. Please let us know if you are interested in showcasing your garden. Contact Anne Kotyk 203-0216 annekotyk@yahoo.ca and Doryne Peace 203-0968 dpeace0968@rogers.com

– Doreen Peace

Michael Christmas exhibited his large woodcarvings in a group show in July at the Show Gallery on Queen Street near Ossington. The photo of Mike (with his fan club) was taken at the show’s opening.

Big Hair News

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Emergency First Aid: a one-day course

Eli Howard with the WIA’s new defibrillator.

Sunday October 5, 2014Ward’s Island Clubhouse

Thanks to a donation from the Mikey Network, the clubhouse is now home to an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). Next step? Learning how to use it, and other life-saving measures. The course will cover CPR; Defibrillation; First aid and prevention of heart attack and stroke; Choking; Severe allergic reactions (Anaphylactic Shock); Bleeding (cuts, scrapes, bruises, amputations, impaled objects and bleeding nose); Fainting; and Shock. This course is Canadian Red

Cross certified, WSIB approved and valid for 3 years. The cost, partially subsidized by the WIA, will be between $40-$60 per person, depending on the number of participants.

To register send an email to wiacentennial@gmail.com. A WIA executive member will follow up to confirm details and cost.

From Menacing to Hiawatha: Toronto Island and Its People in the 18th and 19th CenturiesSeptember 18, 2014, 7:00 p.m. at Ward’s Island ClubhouseDinner 5:30 Island Cafe

Toronto Island has been known to Aboriginal peoples for millennia. Please join Donald Smith, Professor Emeritus and author of Mississauga Portraits: Ojibwe Voices From Nineteenth Century Canada, M. Jane Fairburn, author of Along the Shore: Rediscovering Toronto’s Waterfront Heritage and Maxwell King, educator and member of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation for an evening of lively discussion on the presence of the Mississaugas in the Toronto area in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The New Look, multi-media, 21” x 5.5” x 6”, 2014

An exhibition of new work by Alastair Dickson

September 3 to 28, 2014Opening reception Wednesday September 3, 7 to 9 p.m.

The Rectory GalleryWard’s Island, Toronto, CanadaGallery hours until September 14: Daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.After September 14: Call 416-203-2152 or check the website at www.therectorycafe.com

“These works continue my interest in the improvisational nature of art making. Spontaneity, ambiguity and absurdity are balanced by a rigorous yet idiosyncratic selection process.”

Alastair Dicksonwww.alastairdickson.com

SHELF AWARE

 

Wednesday August 27 Pizza and Karaoke Night Contact Maeve to sign up 647 567 9691 LABOUR DAY WEEKEND ARTS FESTIVAL Friday August 29 7pm Charlotte Cornfield *dinner starts at 5:30. Original tunes performed by the talented Charlotte Cornfield Saturday August 30 1pm – 6pm Artists Market Please contact Maeve to book your table 647 567 9691 Sunday August 31st 6pm A big family-style roast chicken dinner and cheap pints at the Cafe, and then at 9pm Dance! Dance Dance! Sam Cash and the Romantic Dogs will start up inside the clubhouse! Monday September 1st 9am – 12:30 Brunch en Blanc Wear white for our third annual hold-on-to-summer brunch 7pm-9 Music with staff and friends of the Island Café The café will be open 7 days a week all September Sunday-Thursday 8am-8 pm Friday and Saturday 8am-8:30pm Friday September 19 – Scandalous Friday September 26 – Harvest Celebration with Kitgut and All Day Breakfast Stringband Pizza nights continue through September And Thursday September 18 From Menacing to Hiawatha: Toronto Island and Its People in the 18th and 19th Centuries – join us for a special dinner and presentation