By Kathy Rowe

Welcome back, readers! What a gorgeous summer we had. Many beautiful sunny hot days and warm evenings. In my opinion, an ideal summer for community festivals, outdoor evening concerts and lazy days strolling, biking or playing along the waterfront.

Our summer fun kicked off in June with the Highland Creek Heritage Festival. Once again Mayor John Tory made an appearance. His speech to the crowd was very uplifting. He spoke highly of Scarborough and the residents who make the many tight-knit communities within Scarborough so special. The vendors/crafters, rides and food were enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Unfortunately, the weather was not very co-operative a week later on the day of the Port Union Waterfront Festival. We were lucky that the two canopies belonging to the West Rouge Community Association and the CCRA joined together and provided shelter for the Scientists in School display. Children loved the “playing with our food” display. Kids were able to make their own playdough and engage in experiments with liquids and Skittles. Many thanks to Scientists in School for such a terrific display.

The Sunday evening concerts in July were very enjoyable. Thanks to the clear evenings, all three concerts were performed outdoors behind the Port Union Recreation Centre. The Scarborough Concert Band, Port United Band and the Climax Jazz Band were thoroughly enjoyed by the many who attended. Thanks to these band members for their fine performances.

Now that September has arrived, the CCRA has much to look forward to. A municipal election is coming up fast and we will be hosting an all-candidates meeting on October 10 from 7-9 p.m. at the Legion. We are also helping to organize the first Pumpkin Parade in this area on November 1. If it goes well, we’re hoping it will become an annual event. Please stay tuned for more details on these events in our October issue.

In closing, I’d like to thank the many volunteers who made the summer events in our area possible. This community would be a very different place without our valuable volunteers.