Local Resources

Here are a bunch of links to different sites that should provide you with more information!

1. About Whitby - http://www.whitbydirect.info/about_whitby/

2. History of Downtown Whitby - http://downtown.whitby.ca/index.php?axiom=item&display=article&uid=13

3. Local History - http://www.whitbylibrary.on.ca/local_history/

4. Recreation - http://www.town.whitby.on.ca/index.php?page=156

Thank you!

Interview/Profile of Local Resident

Interview with Local Resident

I recently did an interview with one of Whitby’s local residents about the election that is coming up and what kind of things they would like to see addressed.

Q: How long have you been a resident of Whitby?

A: 8 Years.

Q: Do you know about the basic history of Whitby and how it came to be?

A: No.

Q: The elections are coming up. Are you going to vote? If so, who? If not, why or why not?

A: Not sure who I am going to vote for.

Q: Are there any issues that you think should be addressed?

A: Health care and more money for working families. Also, more grants for post-secondary students and higher minimum wage.


Profile 
I recently did an interview with a local resident of Whitby about the recent election that is coming up in a couple of weeks and the types of things that they would like to see addressed. The said local resident has lived in Whitby for 8 years. When asked if they knew the basic history of Whitby and how it came to be, the resident said no, not so much. I then asked them if they plan on voting in the upcoming election. They said they weren’t sure whom they were going to vote for. They don’t know enough about their platforms to make a decision, but they do plan to vote. In terms of the types of issues that they would like to see addressed they said that they would like to see better health care and more money for working families. They also spoke about more grants for post-secondary students and higher minimum wage.

Brief History of Whitby, Ontario

The town of Whitby has an extensive history. In this article, I will be discussing Downtown Whitby, also known as the Heart of Whitby. Whitby got its name after a seaport in Whitby, Yorkshire, England. Whitby is a Danish term dating back around 867 AD when Denmark invaded parts of England. It is a construction of “Whitteby” which means “White Village”. 

Jabez John Lynde

Early settler Jabez Lynde bought his land in 1804. His second house that he made still stands today as the Whitby Museum at Cullen Gardens since its establishment in 1812.

The development of downtown happened in 1836 with the help of Peter Perry from Lennox and Addington Countries. With his help, the infamous Brock and Dundas streets aka. “The Four Corners” was made!

In March 14^th, 1852, Whitby was selected as a “Country Town” for Country of Ontario. Whitby held a government seat which included: Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa and everywhere else north past Lake Simcoe.

Peter Perry

Homes from the WW1 era where being converted into newer apartments in the 1950’s. Through the 50’s and 60’s, there were newer buildings that were being made such as post offices, the town hall and the Masonic hall. In 1968, Amalgamated occurred which is when they combined the old buildings with the new buildings.

Camp X - Whitby, Ontario

During World War II, Whitby was home to “Camp X”, which was a secret spy training facility founded by Sir William Stephenson.

Local Nuclear Issue

Seeing as the local election is right around the corner, there are many issues to be addressed. In the article that I chose, the issue in question is whether or not to construct up to 4 new nuclear reactors. This raises much health and safety concerns because of what has happened in Japan.

"I don't think (more nuclear energy creation) is the reality of the future and I don't believe that's what our young people want to see in their lives," says New Democratic Party candidate Trish McAuliffe.

With the construction of the reactors, they will create more job opportunities and seeing as the reactors that are already active are working perfectly fine, maybe it isn’t such a bad idea. "Anything that's going to create some jobs, as long as it's safe and practical; I think it's good for Durham's economy." Stated Liberal candidate for Whitby-Oshawa, Trevor Bardens.

 It’ll be interesting to see what happens after the election!
Link: http://www.durhamregion.com/news/whitby/article/174875

News Story

This article is about the town of Whitby is going to contribute $1 Million into a new Culinary facility at Durham College. The reason why I chose this article is because I am going to Durham College next year and at one point, I wanted to pursue a culinary career, so it is something that I can relate to. Anything that benefits the students is okay with me.

In the article, it was stated that about 300-400 students leave to go to study culinary so now, nearly 1000 local students won’t have to travel far from home to study. The whole project will entail a $12 million, 30,000 square foot building for hospitality, tourism and food programs. The construction of the new building is expected to begin in May and wrap up by the end of the year.

Link: http://www.durhamregion.com/news/whitby/article/175030

Local Attractions!

In the 8 years that I have been living in Whitby, I constantly find different things to do. Some of the things that I find interesting and/or entertaining may not be what anyone else finds entertaining but this is my blog.

In terms of the whole town of Whitby, there are many programs and activities that are available to the public such as fitness programs. There are also swimming and skating programs. If you have children then there are many kinds of activities, camps and youth programs that are offered. There are also a variety of programs for the seniors.

*Iroquois Park Sports Centre

There is also a sports centre called “Iroquois Park Sports Centre” where they have many different sorts of activities. It is 240,000 square feet and six arenas, including a 1,500-seat feature arena. It has two swimming pools, a 600-seat restaurant, and a Pro Shop. The Centre is situated on 47 acres of parkland offering 4 softball diamonds, 1 senior level baseball diamond, a skateboard park, soccer pitch, playground area, 6 tennis courts, open spaces and parking for 900 cars. Now talk about fun!                                          

For you adults, there are many bars/pubs and also many restaurants to go to. There are a wide variety of food choices to be made! Also, downtown Whitby is the place to be on a weekend. There are many bars and restaurants open and it is so live down there. The nightlife is amazing!

In terms of participating in activities outside of recreational centre’s, there are many local parks and playgrounds for the kids, an abundance of forest with trails for hikes and bike rides and much more!

 

You aren’t going to find things just sitting at home so you have to go out and venture around! Some of my favorite things to do are going to the movies, the mall (which you may want to travel to the next town because the Whitby Mall is very small) and go on walks. I like to walk around in the forest with some of my friends. We fine our own things to do.

There isn't much left to say in terms of activities. The only thing I can say is to come to Whitby and experience it for yourself!

Whitby Living - Introduction

Hello everyone! This is just an introduction to Whitby Living! In this blog, I will be discussing things such as the history of Whitby and also reviewing some news articles coming out of Whitby. I will also be talking about the types of things there are to do here too!

I hope you guys enjoy!

-Jonathan