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Petrolia Lions Club family Easter drive-thru event draws a crowd

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Vehicles were lined up before noon April 15 at the entrance to Petrolia’s Greenwood Park for the start of this year’s Easter “Eggstravaganza.”

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It was the 34th running of the event organized by the Petrolia and District Lions Club to bring some Easter joy to local families.

Normally, it’s an in-person family event at the service club’s hall and pavilion in the park next to the arena in Petrolia, but the pandemic has turned it into a drive-thru for the past two years.

More than 200 children went home last year with candy and treats, “and this year we’re set for 300,” said event chairperson Cheryl Schleihauf.

Vehicles made their way by tables set up through the arena parking lot, where 20 members of the service club and eight members of its LEO youth group dressed up as Easter characters handed out treats.

Natalee Bourn, left, and Austin Welch help man a drive-thru Easter family event the Petrolia Lions Club hosted Friday at Greenwood Park in Petrolia.
Natalee Bourn, left, and Austin Welch help man a drive-thru Easter family event the Petrolia Lions Club hosted Friday at Greenwood Park in Petrolia. Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer

Families were greeted at the final stop by Jeff Classen dressed as the Easter Bunny.

Schleihauf said the club decided to stick with a drive-thru this year but aims to return to an in-person event in 2023.

“It’s something to give back to the community,” she said, adding the event fits with the service club’s focus on programs serving young people.

The drive-thru was scheduled to run for two hours and those attending were invited to bring donations for local food banks.

The Easter event was initially a project of the former Lioness Club and continued when that group combined with the Lions Club about two decades ago, Schleihauf said.

Members of the LEO club also handed out information about the Lions and the youth group.

“We’re always looking for new members,” Schleihauf said.

The club currently has 57 members, with about 16 members in its LEO youth group.

Schleihauf said the club moved to online meetings when the pandemic began but has since resumed meeting in person, although members are still able to attend remotely if they wish.

A $60,000 grant from the Trillium Foundation allowed the club to upgrade its hall and install audio-visual equipment in 2020.

Schleihauf said the service club already has a busy schedule set this year for its hall and food trailer that can be booked for community events.

“We’re busy every weekend May, June, July and August,” she said.

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Greeley Mob Mixer draws interest for unique, flash mob-style networking events in Greeley

Greeley Mob Mixer draws interest for unique, flash mob-style networking events in Greeley

What began as a way for the community to support local businesses, restaurants, breweries and distilleries in Greeley has grown into a much-anticipated monthly networking event where many have formed friendships and business relationships.

The Greeley Mob Mixer, a monthly networking event, is the brainchild of Katie Gale, Ryan Roth, Beryl Durazo, Brady Hull and Emilio Vallejos. The five friends come from different backgrounds and businesses such as insurance, finance, the nonprofit sector and radio broadcasting.

“What we really wanted to do was bring the community out and have them start frequenting restaurants and other businesses that were really slow,” Gale said. “We knew they (local businesses) were having some slow times and it was hard to get business during COVID, so we wanted to help boost business.”

The group came up with the name “Greeley Mob Mixer” since the event would be like a flash mob-style gathering set for a pre-planned day at a specific location in Greeley. And with Wednesdays typically being a slower day during the week for businesses, Gale and the crew decided to host the event on Hump Day.

“So we would bring a ton of people into the business, they would get business, and all of us as business owners would be able to network, talk to each other and exchange business cards,” Gale said. “So it’s a win for us as business owners of the community and a win for the businesses that we frequent.”

The Greeley Mob Mixer is a once a month networking event that is free and open to all members of the community. (Photo credit Greeley Mob Mixer)

The group’s most recent mixer took place Wednesday at WeldWerks Brewing Co., 508 8th Ave., with nearly 100 people shuffling into the brewery to enjoy some craft beer and food from the brewery’s new restaurant, The Annex. As bartenders kept the taps flowing filling up glasses, the kitchen was busy cranking out orders of fries with lemon aioli, pork belly lettuce wraps and other delectable eats.

In addition to WeldWerks, the group has hosted events at John Galt Coffee Co., The Kress Cinema and Lounge, Stella’s Pinball Arcade and Lounge and Crabtree Brewing Company.

In the beginning, the five founders figured they might get a draw of 15-20 people to each event. But news of the mob mixer spread like wildfire, and now, events draw two to three times that amount each month.

“The ability to mob a local business is awesome, and to give a business that exposure, especially when we were coming out of COVID, and have people spend money is really something special,” Roth said. “We have developed a really loyal following.”

Former Greeley city manager Roy Otto, The Myster Collection founder Paul Noffsinger and entrepreneur Zander Marshall were just a few of the folks who attended the event.

As mobbers made their way through the door at WeldWerks, Roth was busy greeting them and encouraging attendees to toss a business card into a bucket for a chance to win prizes.

First-timers and regulars were both welcomed with open arms and enthusiasm.

There are no dues, fees or cost to attend the mixers. All the founders ask is that you support the business hosting the event by purchasing food, drinks or other items. Mobbers can attend as many, or as few, mixers as they wish, and registration is not required to attend — just show up, meet people and have a good time.

“If you can make it great, if not, there will be another one next month,” Roth said. “It’s been amazing, and it truly is the highlight of my month to see this thing we have created and see these individuals together that might not have otherwise met one another and connected.”

GREELEY, CO – APRIL 13:Attendees mix and chat during the April Greeley Mob Mixer at WeldWerks Brewing Co. in Greeley April 13, 2022. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)

The best part of attending mob mixers is that there’s no pressure to get up in front of everyone to give a 45-second elevator speech about who you are, what you do and why you are at the event.

With mixers taking place in a new location every month, mobbers get the opportunity to visit businesses and organizations they might not typically have the opportunity to go to or have even known about.

The group is also working on other ideas for mixers such as a poker walk in downtown Greeley in August.

“We just want to mix things up, socialize and have fun,” Roth added.

Mixers take place at 5 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. Locations of the mixer are posted on the group’s Facebook page at https://bit.ly/37hZdY8.

Attendees don’t have to be business owners to attend. Staff, employees and representatives of businesses, organizations and nonprofits are also welcome to attend the monthly mob mixers. All ages are also welcome to attend.

For more information, questions or to inquire about becoming a host business for an event, email the Greeley Mob Mixer at greeleymobmixer@gmail.com.

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Pierre Poilievre draws huge crowds, but which candidate will have the memberships?

Pierre Poilievre





Stephanie Taylor and Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press







Published Saturday, April 9, 2022 6:40AM EDT




With 10 days left for candidates to enter the Conservative party leadership race — and 20 before $300,000 worth in fees are due — what’s capturing the attention of those watching as of late are the crowds.

More specifically, who’s drawing them in and who isn’t.

Pierre Poilievre would fall into the first category, as the longtime Ottawa-area MP has been consistently appearing before massive groups of people at rallies across the country.

“The sort of draw that he has to bring people out is unprecedented,” said Connor Hollingshead, president of the Conservative campus club at Simon Fraser University, who says he’s not endorsing anyone.

Poilievre recently spoke to students in Vancouver at an event co-hosted with Conservatives at the University of British Columbia. Later that Thursday, he addressed a rally crowd that his campaign said swelled to more than 1,000.

Staying late to smile for photos and greet those who waited out long lines to meet him has also been a common occurrence at events — as has selling memberships.

Signing up new members and then doing the followup work to make sure they fill out their ballots correctly and mail everything in on time is what successful leadership campaigns are about. 

As of Saturday, candidates have under two months left to sign up members before the June 3 deadline.

Among the buzz being generated around Poilievre, who was the first to enter the contest, is who is attending his events.

Not only is the Conservative faithful flocking, but also those who don’t typically frequent political events, including the under-40 crowd.

“The Poilievre movement has taken off all across the country, and it’s only the beginning,” tweeted Sen. Leo Housakos, a co-chair on his campaign.

Hollingshead says he saw some of that firsthand. About 150 people, most of them students, came to the campus event. He said that was the largest crowd they have seen in five years, when reality TV star Kevin O’Leary ran for the party’s top job in 2017.

“He is certainly a different breed of politician,” Hollingshead said of Poilievre. “He’s speaking to a lot of the frustrations that young people have in this country.”

Railing against the price of a home is one of his go-to messages. In Vancouver, Poilievre also pledged to uphold free speech at universities, at one point joking that a sudden loud sound was censors coming to get him.

When he promised to defund the CBC — a popular Conservative rallying cry — the crowd cheered. He also peppered his speech with mentions of historical figures like Winston Churchill and John Diefenbaker.

For UBC graduate student Avril Lee, it’s not just what Poilievre says, but how he says it.

“My mom is on Instagram and we both follow Pierre … and we easily watch his videos daily. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re serious. His messaging is very clear and simple.”

Longtime Conservative strategist Melanie Paradis, who is remaining neutral in the race, says Poilievre’s crowds are impressive, comparing them to the support seen around Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

The key will be turning that into memberships, she says.

But Paradis cautioned that photos of the room don’t always tell the full picture of what’s happening on a campaign.

“Andrew Scheer won the 2017 leadership in church basements. Nobody took pictures of his rallies,” she said Friday.

“When you don’t see people out and about, that’s not indicative that nothing is going on. Rather, they’re like a duck: They’re smooth and calm on the surface, but they’re kicking their little feet as fast as they can under the water.”

One candidate who’s been keeping a lower public profile and is known for his hustle in Tory circles is Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who was recently added to the official list of candidates after he submitted his first $50,000 fee and met other party-stipulated thresholds.

“Patrick has attended nearly 200 events in the last three weeks and is excited about the number of memberships that have been sold,” campaign spokesman Jeff Silverstein said Friday.

Michelle Coates Mather, a spokeswoman on Jean Charest’s campaign, says the former Quebec premier has 1,500 volunteers, 400 organizers and was nearing $1 million in campaign fundraising.

“The constant obsession with the status of our campaign on Twitter just confirms for us that some of our opponents are afraid our momentum,” she wrote in an email to The Canadian Press, referring to how some have compared his crowd sizes to those of Poilievre’s.

“At the end of the day tweets are just tweets, photos of crowds are just photos, it’s membership sales that count.”

Paradis says members like to pick winners, and photos of packed rooms can be a motivator for supporters and volunteers.

Leslyn Lewis, who placed third in the party’s 2020 leadership race and is popular with the party’s social conservative wing, recently announced she raised the $300,000 required to be on the ballot.

She too has hit the road, campaigning in communities across the Prairies and most recently in Calgary and Red Deer, Alta., at times drawing hundreds and selling memberships at her events.

“We have been having great attendance at Leslyn’s events and are encouraged to see such high engagement across campaigns,'” campaign manager Steve Outhouse wrote in an email.

“Having multiple strong candidates bringing in new members bodes very well for our party’s fortunes in the next election.”

Candidates are set to appear face-to-face for what will likely be the first time on May 5 in a leadership debate hosted by the Canada Strong and Free Network to kick off its annual conference in Ottawa.

Poilievre, Lewis and Charest have confirmed they will go, as have MP Marc Dalton and independent Ontario MPP Roman Baber.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2022

— By Stephanie Taylor in Ottawa and Brenna Owen in Vancouver

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‘Wonderful’ Winterfest draws crowd to ODAS Park (8 photos)

'Wonderful' Winterfest draws crowd to ODAS Park (8 photos)

‘This event shows some light at the end of the tunnel,’ says Moonstone man. ‘It’s nice to do something outdoors and get that feeling of normalcy back’

Orillia families are gathering for wintry fun and excitement today at the third annual Severn Winterfest at ODAS Park. 

This year’s event feels extra special, says event president, Chad Cooke, after the 2021 event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

“There is a ton of interest in this year’s event,” Cooke said. “I think people are very ready to be out and feeling more normal.”

Cooke says the community response to the event has been all positive so far.

“People are spreading the word about this event more than I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a really good day.”

Masking is mandatory for indoor activities, but there are no protocols for the outdoor activities, Cooke notes.

The marquee events for the day are the demolition derby, which gets started at 1 p.m., the Polar Bear Dip which gets underway at 4:30 p.m., and the ice bar, which is open all day until 10 p.m.

“I think the biggest thing people are looking forward to is just getting out of the house,” Cooke said. “It’s going to be a nice day to enjoy some fresh air.”

Ian Culbert and his son Duncan made the trip from Moonstone to enjoy the ice house on Saturday morning.

“We are here to enjoy the great outdoors,” Culbert said. “We enjoyed the ice house and now we are headed for the slide.”

Culbert says Duncan is most looking forward to enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate during today’s festivities.

“This event shows some light at the end of the tunnel,” Culbert said. “It’s nice to do something outdoors and get that feeling of normalcy back.”

The Housser family, who lives just down the street from ODAS Park, was checking out the ice bar after enjoying the pancake breakfast.

“We are excited to try out the slide today,” said the mother of the family, Lorna. “I’m most excited to go on the bouncy castle,” added Lorna’s daughter, Hannah.

The Housser family says it feels “wonderful” to get back out into the community after months of pandemic isolation.

The event costs $10 for an adult, $5 for school-aged kids, and is free for children five years old and younger. All funds raised through the event will go to the Orillia Agriculture Society and will also be put toward next year’s event.

“It’s the Agriculture Society who puts this event on and maintains these grounds,” Cooke explained. “They run the fall fair and a ton of other events.”

Cooke also encourages community members to join the Severn Winterfest committee to keep the event going strong for years to come.

“I know the Perch Festival just cancelled because they didn’t have volunteers or sponsors,” he said. “We’ve been shorthanded. I think we have a decent amount of volunteers today, but we were shorthanded to build all this stuff.”