Little by little, communities throughout Canada are getting back on their feet after the recession, but according to Sandra Sweet, there are many families here in Oshawa that are still struggling, with some having a harder time compared to last year.

Sweet, the executive director of Simcoe Hall Settlement House, said that these people still haven’t found jobs, and now that their employment insurance has run out, the situation has become more hopeless as the days go by. There’s just no way they can make it on their own, she added.

The Simcoe Hall Food Bank serves as an important resource for these families not just to get food, but other necessities such as clothing and medicine as well. Last year, the food bank attended to over 11,000 locals. 35% of them were children.

The only way these food banks can meet the needs of the people is through campaigns and projects such as the recently held Kiwanis Spring Food Drive.

The one-day event was a success thanks to the efforts of hundreds of student volunteers who spread out across the city, distributing flyers to over 20,000 homes. The flyers asked homeowners to leave any food donations they could spare on their porch the next weekend, which the students picked up and brought to the food bank.

Find out more on how to help the Simcoe Hall Food Bank by logging on to www.simcoehall.com.

The finishing of a regional courthouse in downtown Oshawa signifies yet another step in the right direction for the renewal of the city, said Oshawa’s Mayor John Gray in a ceremony to celebrate the structure’s completion a few days ago. The ceremony was held in the building’s spacious lobby, with the attendance of politicians, City officials, and judges.

With the building’s completion, Mayor Gray hopes that this builds into a trend that brings Oshawa back to its former glory after being affected by the recession.

The new and shiny courthouse is situated along downtown Oshawa’s Bond and Mary streets, replacing the former eight locations that played host to the city’s legal matters. Starting on March 2010, all criminal, civil and family proceedings will take place in the new building’s 33 courtrooms.

Although ready for occupancy and use, the new courthouse will take its time to fully open over the next few months.

The plan of constructing a new and more streamlined courthouse has always been in the region’s political drawing board for years. It was only in 2007 that government officials chose the city of Oshawa as the designated area for the courthouse.

Oshawa looks to be on a good run, and with a good head start for 2010, expect to hear some significant developments from the city.

Figures from research done by the Royal Bank of Canada show that the combination of bidding wars and higher interest costs have resulted in a significant drop in housing rates – the first time this has happened in five quarters.

According to the bank, home ownership costs have gone up, something that hasn’t happened since September of 2008. Evidence of this hit on the housing market can be proven with the release of the Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index, which indicated that housing prices in September rose to about 1.3% from the month before, the fifth straight month that prices have soared.

Marc Pinsonneault, who currently serves as the National Bank Financial Group’s senior economic analyst, notes that the activity is correlated to an improvement in market conditions over 2009 to date, with more homes selling than the ones coming up on the market.

Furthermore, statistics released this month by the Canadian Real Estate Association show that this trend doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. According to the group based in Ottawa, existing home rates rose up by 20.7% last month from October of last year, by far the largest percentage leap in the last 20 years.

Donna Villeneuve, a native of Oshawa, doesn’t consider herself as someone who jumps into trend bandwagons, at least not when it comes to fashion. She does however; admit to having a slight “obsession” with joining trendy and hip fitness classes, like TRX and Zumba – something she swears by as a different form of exercise, but one that’s done amazing things for her body. In fact, she says she’s officially hooked to the workout.

Bet you haven’t heard of these regiments right? That’s alright; lots of people don’t know what they are either.

The TRX system is a popular and new trend that traces its roots to an ex-navy SEAL who sought to keep his squad in shape. TRX is primarily focused on forms of weight training, using the body for resistance. It’s quite similar to some forms of yoga that require complete balance.

Zumba on the other hand, is a more popular fitness craze that gives a high-intensity cardio workout bound to challenge even the most experienced fitness buffs. The program is said to have started in the 90’s in the country of Columbia (Zumba does have a South American ring to it). The workout is a mish-mash of dance styles like cha-cha, salsa, belly dancing and even modern day hip-hop. Yes, it’s quite hard to imagine, you’ve got to see it for yourself.

So there you go. If you want to try these relatively new exercise plans, look them up at the web, or consult a fitness instructor in your area. Who knows, it just might work for you.

Employees from Oshawa’s General Motors plant are in for some good new as GM recently announced that the plant will start production of Buick’s new Regal model in 2011. The development was particularly well-received by Oshawa’s GM factory workers, who haven’t had any good news in a long time, largely due to the company’s financial woes and the global economic crisis.

The new Buick Regal sports a sleek design along with an interactive drive expected to draw in consumers. The model is inspired by the 2009 European Car of the Year, the Opel Insignia, and is included in the renaissance for the Buick brand, this according to General Motors spokesperson Adria MacKenzie.

She further states that the Regal is a complete overhaul of the Insignia, and as a result has been scoring positive reviews.

Aside from warm consumer reviews, the Insignia’s sales figures in the Chinese and European markets have been impressive, with sales in Europe expected to reach 150,000 for 2009.

Exprerts agree that this latest development is connected to the agreement GM made with workers as well as the federal and provincial governments last year.

Whatever the case, the news comes with great timing. It’s certainly a breath of fresh air for workers who expected to enter the holidays with low expectations for a better future.

If you’re new to Oshawa, one of the best places to head to when you’re looking for a good old time is the The Down ‘Omer. Sure, the joint might not have a website or that much information available on the internet—although a few local fans attend to a Down ‘Omer Facebook page—but it’s maintained a steadfast and diehard following for over 40 years and counting. The Down ‘Omer prefers to let their offerings speak for themselves, with great live music, delicious food, a friendly staff, and a traditional pub feel awaiting those enter this historically colorful bar.

Situated on Ritson, which is just two blocks north of Hwy.401, the Down ‘Omer—or Omer as it’s called by the locals—is a small bar that packs a punch with its daily roster of happenings. The place is currently owned and managed by Robin and Sutha, and for the last six years has come up and put into effect ideas that have made the bar immensely popular in the area.

To give you a sneak peek, the bar serves chicken-wings by the pound on Monday to Wednesday, Thursday is steak night, Friday is halibut special, while pasta is the dish to get on Saturdays.

For entertainment, open mic and karaoke nights are scattered throughout the week. On some nights, local talented musicians take the stage to entertain guests.

So, does that sound good enough for you? Head down to the Down ‘Omer if you’re in town, you won’t regret it. We promise.

The 2015 Pan Am Games are expected to bring good opportunities to the Greater Toronto area, something that local construction stakeholders are very excited about.

Out of the other countries vying for the chance to play host to the event like Lima, Peru, and Bogota, Colombia, Toronto was lucky enough to be picked during the first round of voting, which took place earlier this month.

John Mollenhauer, president of the Toronto Construction Association, says he and his colleagues are absolutely thrilled at the possibilities and prospects the Pan Am Games will bring to the community. He comments that hosting such a large-scale event will not only generate much needed jobs, it will also direct cash flow on much needed improvements and developments.

Although the winning bid is centered on Toronto, it is more focused on the regional level, largely improving already existing facilities as well constructing new ones in areas such as Hamilton, Markham and Oshawa.

Although still far away, locals are already buzzing about the event, which is set to take place on the proposed dates of July 10 to July 26, 2015. The Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games on the other hand are proposed to take place on August 7 to August 14, 2015.

Oshawa Ontario, the Motor City of Canada, is home to General Motors Canada and the estate of its founder, Parkwood Estate – now made a historical site and starring in famous movies like X-Men. The company has always been the driving force of the city’s economy ever since it’s founding in 1876. But there is a lot more to the city beyond the motor industry.

Located 60 km facing east of Toronto, Oshawa boasts of more than 2,000 acres of open space and parklands to explore among them Lakeview Park of Lake Ontario. Natural habitat complemented with a number of exciting and fun festivities all year round and the presence of the largest shopping mall in the region should be more than enough for anyone regardless of age or origin.

Keep in touch to know more of our city’s upcoming events and the places to stay and visit!