Harry Walker Prkwy & Stellar Dr - Newmarket's Entertainment District

More residential units are planned for around Main St Newmarket not bars

Newmarket's Entertainment & Activities District features excellent school break options.

It's becoming more apparent that Newmarket's Main St. will not suffice as an entertainment district in the growing town of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. There are simply too many residents living in units above and around the establishments for any sort of real night action to take place without recurring noise issues. Seniors buildings overlook it's square as well, adding to the negative impact late night entertainment has in the zone. Not so in Newmarket's unofficial; entertainment / recreational district, a kilometre stretch along Harry Walker Parkway North from Davis Drive to about Ringwell Dr.

Remember bowling? Winter activity revised.

1220 Stellar Features latest in Escape Room technology

Along that stretch you'll find no less than two hotels, the local craft Arch Brewery and retail outlet,  an axe throwing facility, Laser Play with licensed lounge and an upstairs Kids PlayZone, bingo hall, NewMakeIT where creative artists and set builders can be 3d creative - in fact both nearby escape rooms Crypto and Arch Brewing both make signage using them -  and an entertainment and leisure complex at the heart of it all, at 1220 Stellar Dr.and H.W. Parkway, that houses a billiard hall with off- track betting, bowling - including York Region's largest 5 pin centre, an escape room - dance hall, karate centre, and Stellar Hall which features everything from live bands to hip hop to comedy sand dinner theatre and of course weddings and special events. Wow, who knew!? And with the area infused with industry, there are no night time neighbours kept awake evenings and nights by the exciting events that go on.

Recently I had a chance to chat with a few of the business owners and operators in the unofficial entertainment district including Arch Brewing, Crypto Escape Rooms and Stellar Hall and look forward to featuring them in some upcoming online info pieces and video profiles.


Arch Brewer Brewing Company, on Pony Drive adjacent to the Holiday Inn Hotel, is open 7 days a week and open to the public. Here you can see the beer as its brewed and labelled and bottled on site! Cool paraphernalia adorn the walls too with some Souvenir-like buy-ables, samples, and upper floor lounge.

The Crypto Escape Room features the latest in escape room technology where participants are forced to figure out mind bending escapes built into their fantastical themed rooms and based on the traffic I witnessed just while interviewing the owners outside their 1220 Stellar Drive location - down the hallway from stellar hall on the 2nd floor - they are on the right track.

Book for New Year's Eve in Newmarket @ 905-830-9441

Stellar Hall and Event Centre, also in the complex at 1220 Stellar, has been featuring special event nights that showcase live entertainment from rock to hip hop to comedy and dinner theatre, keeping up a long standing tradition for the location which 40 years ago was the biggest live act venue for miles and featured top Canadian Entertainers like Tommy Hunter!

Stellar Bowl - York Region's largest 5 pin bowling centre -  on the main floor level, is also alive and well taking up the ground level spot at the complex along with Bigg Wiggs Billiards. Both of which recreational entertainment venues are becoming rare entities in this day and age for self entertainment and recreation. Stellar Bowl is also open all Xmas break, offering glow in the dark bowling while listening to cool tunes or enjoying a drink.

Town won't license this Main St location as a nightclub

I believe the town needs to start recognizing this " industrial" area as also the entertainment district and supporting it as so, including relaxing zoning regulations on occasion to adjust to the times.

This unit left sits empty on Main St. as the town will not license it for a Nightclub or bar - despite the location having been one of Newmarket's longest having been known as Fitzgerald's, Sneakers Sports Bar and the White Rabbit over the years.

And while the town may not have been successful in attracting much industry to it's crosstown industrial designated area, these industries seem to mix well in the zone. So...as they say...if it ain't broke don't fix it. Although, we can enhance it, and transit past 7:30 pm would be nice.

Stellar and Harry Walker Parkway - The Heart of Entertainment and Activities in Newmarket

Arch sits on perch engraved using 3d technology from NewMakeIt

Visit Newmarket's Entertainment and Activities District soon and check out the new and old businesses, entertainment and activities available for Xmas and March break and night time activities including the Stellar Hall featuring the (click to book)  New Year's Eve Stellar Hall Ball and in the new year look for their upcoming regular monthly Jam as well as  a new feature band / talent contest series!

Stay tuned to TPE for more. Just Google Entertainment Newmarket to stay in the loop!
Or get on the Mail list @tpeproductions@gmail.com.

Later,

TP

2014 Newmarket Ball Hockey Challenge Road to Olympic Gold

Fact: The 2014 Canadian Men's Olympic Gold Medal winning team got together in the off season prior to the Olympics to play ball hockey. This, off season conditioning and 'get to know" your line-mates in- action activity, helped the Canadians to having a dominant tournament, where they lost not one game, and incredibly, allowed only 3 goals against. Some say it was the best performance by a Canadian team ever. I say, Car!

Kids, now is your opportunity to get into the mix and maybe one day becoming an Olympian yourself on Sat March 15 2014, The 10th Annual Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road Hockey Challenge , Ontario's longest running ball hockey event, to be held this year at  395 Mulock Drive Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, at the town office building and parking lot.

Join in the Fun St Mar 15 395 Mulock 10:30 AM Start

There will be a round robin tourney style games for those aged 7 to 12 and for ages 13 - 18 as well as "pick up game" and activities for all ages  as well as prizes and skills contests. A tennis ball is used for all games only. Free Entry, hot chocolate and nourishment will be available as well for team participants. Hot food and beverages also available to the public provided by Piccola Italia.

Be a Leader! Form a team and you could win a $ Award - The Mike Thornhill Friendship Award

Youths may pre-sign up to ensure team entry or to be placed on a team by emailing their (team) name, contact name / team organizer and phone number to tpeproductions@gmail.com or players can show up the day of the event before 10:30AM Sat March 15 to register or for more or to volunteer or call 289-221-0928 .

All ages pick up games will also be available for anyone to play in all day as well as indoor access for warmth, bathrooms, featured entertainment, and award presentations.

Youth can access more detailed games rules highlights from last year and past event history and pics here.

Newmarket Youth Road Hockey Challenge Tourney Ontario's Longest

Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road Hockey Challenge

Thank you for your interest in the 2014 Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road Hockey Challenge – Ontario’s longest running annual shinny tourney - now in the 10^th anniversary year.

The FNYRHC was originally started in a mixed income neighbourhood to engage the youth and expanded over the years to be inclusive to everyone with no cost to players.

For some the tourney is the only organized sport they will ever play.

Youths of any gender form their neighbourhood or group teams & enter in advance, then practice during March Break up to the Sat ending tourney. Participants are also fed, and entertained and the winning team gets their name on the Mulock Cup trophy.

The tourney selects one player, deemed a leader in the community, The Mike Thornhill Scholarship Award – in memory of a local youth killed by violence.

For 2014 we’d like to add a new, younger, age category for kids up to 12 as well as an award for a kid to play ice hockey - with equipment and registration taken care of.

The F.N.Y.R.H. Challenge includes up to 12 teams per category, up to 10 players per team in round robin format, ages up to 18 years inclusive as of Dec 31 2014. All ages pick-up games also are held.

There are a number of interactive additions planned and some activities coordinated with the local businesses, including the Opening Face-off Party held the Friday night before to raise additional funds and thank the sponsors and volunteers.

Some Past Supporters

The list of past sponsors and supporters is impressive and we expect for the 10^th anniversary year to add more bells and whistles possibly including hosting the Stanley Cup!

Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun called it a great idea! 

Some sponsorships may still be available.

Help keep a great Canadian tradition alive @ 289-221-0928 

or

tpeproductions@gmail.com or see event history here.

Bradford beats Newmarket for Road hockey Crown

It was a great day for youth last Saturday with the Bradford Rampage busting into to Newmarket and walking away with the annual shinny crown.

The Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road Hockey Challenge in it's 9th year had it's first out of town winner, pushing teams to already be vowing to wrest The Mulock Cup back next year!


Admittedly with a smaller budget than in years past, and with only a handful of volunteers to pull it off, we were happy I think just getting through this year.

Ever reffed while making hot chocolate? I have! Okay, I did have someone take over before rushing out to start the third.

But that being said the competition was close with both the semi-final and final games of the youth tourney portion being decided by a single goal.

The semifinal, featuring the Mulock Hawks and the Brayfield Bears went 8-7 Bears, while in the final it was Brayfield vs the Bradford Rampage with the Bears just falling short 9-8 in the end.

Bears player Tyler Gray was awarded the Mike Thornhiill Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to the community. Tyler who volunteers for his community's annual family picnics, clean-ups, as well as delivers the community newsletter and is always there for any community event - staying to the end. He represents the type of youth leader we feel need be recognized and awarded. He has also has been a returning member of the Bears team for a number of years taking the initiative to knock on doors in order to do so! Good job Tyler and congratulations!

See Video Highlights here

This years event had a definite Elvissy feel to it with local living Elvis Priestly ( Dorian Baxter) also hanging out to play some all ages roadhockey and do some singing. Singer guitarist Matt also sang and played some acoustical tunes while youth social network founder Jazzled's Wendy Marais also stopped by to help out!

The Lion's Club hall served as an ideal spot for teams to register, regroup, and get warm in between games - and eat up the free hotdogs and drink the hot chocolate!

Skills Contest prizes were awarded by Canadat.com - cool duffle bags stuffed with goodies and a CanadaT.com card redeemable at the Main St Newmarket South location for a cool printed T-shirt!

Elvis Priestly -AKA Dorian Baxter showed he has game - albeit I think he's a little more skilled as an orator than a hockey player thank-you very much!!

Volunteers made the day as without them - ref Matthew seen below - we'd of been toast.

We look forward to next year's 10th anniversary and hope to attract more support from the local council and community as it was disturbing not seeing one politician stop by at such an event that offers all kids a chance to play together for community pride. A shame the councillors or mayor didn't show the same pride in their's and form ward teams! When we first started 9 years ago we hoped especially local councilors would embrace it as a way to connect, but it hasn't worked out that way. Maybe next year we'll get a more community oriented council that can see why embracing and participating in events designed to engage all youth are important for the town.

Car!


Special thanks also to

Newmarket Mitsubishi Motorswww.newmarketmitsubishimotors.ca for their sponsorship money. As the event had no government assist funds or town event grants attached to it the private sector support became very much needed!

Bradford Rampage 

WINS!

2013 Mulock Cup

Tyler Gray


WINS!


Mike Thornhill Memorial Award

March Break Free Activity! End Obesity through...

Wow! Talk about working a rough' hood! PACC had to work magic to convince youths to drop their weapons in lieu of hockey sticks for a day! Ha. Getting kids to participate in this day and age of computer games can prove tough as is but with a little assist you can do it!

The "cache"

Neighbourhood kids are seen here preparing for Sat March break end event now held 2014 at Newmarket Town Hall parking lot 395 Mulock Dr!  The Annual Friendly Neighbourhood youth tourney is open to all ages too! 

Skills challenge 10:30 AM Sat Mar 16

"Put the kids back on the streets" - an after school activity - through road hockey beyond this event and help end obesity!

Join TP Saturday Mar 15 2014

Hot food! Hot Chocolate..all free for players! How can you beat that!?




Car!Big thanks to 2013 Sponsor Newmarket Mitsubishi!

these kids were playing with toy guns before our road hockey 'program" got hold... playing with toy guns...rather they aspire to be sports heroes....

RoadHockey Mom

Tourney and pick up games All Free

10:30 AM All Ages Skills Contest  prizes by CanadaT.com


All Ages Pick Up Games. Goes until 5PM

Some of the kids

Bring a stick & join in! 

Or enter a youth team..

Dad has no chance!

Register a team in advance or add yourself to a team 
Call TP @ 289-221-0928 or email  tpeproductions@gmail.com

Blogger given 24 hours to Get Out of Town!

I was sent an e-mail - not mail but e-mail - ordering me to remove any and all references or connection to Town of Newmarkett official events or website and of showing any town logos within 24 hours from my blog post address. I have purposely spelled the town's name wrong so it does not get deemed having been used in any official capacity. Ha.

Designed for / by a youth contest to end graffiti..Will they censor this too?

Q:Does this mean people can't attend town events and post pictures of anything on FB, or blog about it, or reference it if it's a town event?
I don't think so big brother....but you can try. 

I've looked at my blog content at the blogspot location they sent me and saw nothing even remotely connecting myself or TPE to the town in any official capacity nor deemed me trying to connect myself with the town's events in any official capacity nor any other entity as such. I've removed one link essentially promoting them and some event pics now. 

I once called Town's Arch Mcdonald's-like - No more!

I've been told by a considerable number of business owners and residents, including a number of town councillors, that my unofficial promotions of / for events in the town (not always run by town) should be commended. 

On occasion a blog opinion doesn't match the town's official position but so what? I'm not an agent of them nor did I ever claim to be, just a resident I'd thought, who grew up here and still happens to give a crap. Blogs are for opinion and sharing things. Period.

Perhaps someone didn't like me posting a picture of the sign they have which is a life sized likeness of the guy in charge of the budget putting coins in a piggy bank  that was sitting inside the town offices, or the street sign that advertises Newmarket's place in the world according to a magazine's opinion - of which I called both wastes of money. Can they legally silence opinion?

When this last farm goes due to council decisions I won't blog about it now

By the way, I volunteered to be on an organizing committee for a recent Town of Newmarket event, as well as I ran a booth at it with free activities and prizes for kids, and there in front of the rest of the dozen or so attending organizing volunteers, I specifically mentioned to a staffer who'd asked us to spread the word of the event that I could blog about it and was encouraged to but apparently the legal department wasn't informed. 

No matter, I could use the publicity as a fledgling blogger getting pressured for perhaps politically motivated reasons should it come to that I guess. Not saying they are, but someone's miffed. Meantime...Time's a wasting!

These things are mentioned and shown because they need to be. Waste is waste and corruption begins with censorship.

Meantime I must get ready for the upcoming Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road Hockey Challenge upcoming at the Newmarket Community Centre and Riverwalk Commons - but has no DIRECT or indirect CONNECTION TO THE TOWN JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR. Although there was at one time and at that time insisted we use the logo but so we're clear there is  
NO TOWN AFFILIATION WHATSOEVER.  


Remember...24 hours..!(spoken like from the Flintstones ala Rock Hudson!)

March Break, What to Do in Newmarket New Event Location

Old Poster same message..GAME on!

Having a dilemma about what to do during the March Break? How about taking a walk back in time for a day? Or if you're a teenager a week practicing road hockey until the Sat break ending tourney and event.

Like when I was a kid..in a simpler time, activities meant your mom yelling,  

  "Get out from Underneath my feet!" and you'd reply, " I'm not under your feet" and she'd say, "Get outside and play" and you'd be forced to create something to do. 

Depending on your age, friends, time of year and imagination, you may take a number of options into consideration - like building a snow fort or tree-house, maybe putting on a goofy play to music in a friends backyard or perhaps planning a neighbourhood fundraiser carnival or pick-up soccer or organizing a road hockey game. Sometimes kids would get even more anmbitious and form a team by knocking on friend's doors and seeing how many we could get, then challenging another street or neighbourhood to play.

That's the kind of spirit the annual Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road hockey Challenge has tried to harness over the past 10 years as we continue to offer youths 13-18 and now 6-12 some free road hockey tourney play as well as pick up for all ages and free hot chocolate and nourishment as well as a chance to compete against their peers - and in recent years added "pick-up" games for all ages.

2005 tourney right on the street!

For 2014 the event will take place at 395 Mulock Dr Newmarket Town Office parking Lot.

Winterfest Carnival in Newmarket

       WINTERFEST IN NEWMARKET 

 Well I had the bright idea of running a Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road hockey Challenge booth at the Newmarket Winter Carnival, and so I guess you get what you wish for as it was most certainly a cold day! Brrrrrr!

How to fit two full nets in a van

Despite the deep freezer of a day which likely affected attendance - although I'd guesstimate a thousand people or so dared the weather- the event was a lot of fun with lots of freebies and deals too!

Wow! What's this?

The $1 Lions Club Pancake Breakfast is always popular whenever I've attended but after setting up the road hockey booth & ensuring our  food and drinks were on target, it was already 10:45 a.m. with pancake service only to 11, so I hustled over but alas..too late. Sniff.

Can I play?

No matter, I managed to snag some free chili from the Rotary Club! Mmm..Then I took some

Yes, of course! Games on!

as well as some pizza slices to Ashleigh & Jeff and Jason who were die-harding outside at the road

Mmmmmaple candy made on the spot!

 hockey challenge booth. It was so cold I decided to forgo any Don Cherry-like outfits and rants and just concentrate on promoting the road hockey event to anyone interested.

Deli House Catering  who we had come in to serve up our outdoor fare to the public showed up with the hot food and hot chocolate in the nick of time and we scurried to get everything in place. Pickles literally froze on the condiments table and as well had to put up with an overzealous health inspector who

Looks suspiciously like the wood carver! Ha

stood by in the sub zero temperatures checking temperatures of the hot dogs and burgers before they could be served....and of course he just had to come when we'd just gotten a rush of people!Doh! I wonder if the girl guides serving pizza got this kind of scrutiny! Yikes! But they got through it and despite no winter gloves for the cook who was placing his hands directly on the cover of the b.b.q. to keep warm, pumped out some goods although power to keep the hot chocolate hot seemed an issue at one point - nevertheless a fun time for all was had.

The attendees were mostly families - not too many youths but some, and the ones who came played  shinny and signed up as well, so it was a win win all day! Plus we used up leftover xmas presents including books, hats, stuffed animals and cd read-alongs donated as prizes making the day fun for all - including some surprised but happy parents.

It's cold but bear with it!

 One girl of about 12 was reluctant to play but after her brother did and came back with a prize I told her all she had to do was participate and she'd get one too. Well she stepped up and went through all the obstacles scoring the 1st try and as I yelled "scores!" a big smile came to her face and I said, " Okay grab your ball and take it ti Ashleigh at the table and pick out a prize!

Who's next! Prize every time you participate!" I yelled to no one in particular as the atmosphere and the cold seemed to merge, creating a peaceful existence with the elements and as the sounds of laughing and a woodcarvers chainsaw filled the air I left the reigns to my cohorts and wandered about.

Orb!

The carving was way cool as was the making of some kind of maple candy in snow troughs, but the orb was a bit of a disappointment. Orb you say? What's that you say? Well I thought it was something like a ball one could run around in on snow but ..perhaps...it needed ....snow!!!


At any rate from the live onstage/ice entertainment to the displays and participation type events to the food and wintry themed booths the Newmarket Winter Carnival had a little bit of wintry something for everyone it seemed!

TP

Jeff and Ashleigh