400 New Jobs Planned for Oakville

🏊 Two weeks now, months of progress

Our Summer Accelerated program is two weeks of daily lessons. Thirty minutes a day, Monday to Friday, at the same time each day.

Daily practice adds up fast. Two weeks of getting in the water every day, with instructors who know exactly what to work on next, can result in months of progress.

It's great for new swimmers, younger kids, and anyone who's fallen a bit behind and wants to catch up quickly.

Summer is the perfect time. Once school and activities start back up, finding time for a lesson can be a challenge.

Sign up for one of our three remaining sessions starting from:
July 27, August 10, and August 24.

🎁 New to Making Waves? Your first lesson is free.

A new Oakville bakery is bringing ancient grains back to the table. The Einkorn Shoppe opened at 1428 Speer Road in late June, specializing in fresh-milled bread made from einkorn, an old wheat variety that owner Gibbs Petit-Frere says is nutrient-dense, easy to digest, and hard to find elsewhere.

Petit-Frere mills whole einkorn grain on-site for every loaf, then bakes the bread fresh using traditional techniques. The menu includes sourdough sandwich loaves, Montreal-style bagels, cinnamon loaves, muffins, and quiche with an einkorn shell. He's self-taught and started baking einkorn in 2023, selling at the Bronte Farmers' Market before opening the shop.

The bakery delivers locally across Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Mississauga, and Etobicoke, with expedited shipping available across Canada. Petit-Frere plans to expand the menu once he hires more help.

The province is planning a four- to eight-storey science facility on vacant land north of Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, bringing about 400 jobs to the town.

The building would house radiation protection labs and environmental science operations currently run by two provincial ministries. Co-locating the labs would allow shared use of advanced equipment and save money over time.

Ward 7 councillor Scott Xie is asking town staff to address emergency management and public safety concerns before the application comes back to council. He wants assurances there won't be safety, noise, or environmental impacts on the hospital, nearby residents, or the Glenorchy Conservation lands.

Oakville's newest aquatic centre opens to the public today at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. The facility includes a 25-metre six-lane pool and a leisure pool, both available for drop-in swims starting at noon.

The pools will host swimming lessons, lane swimming, aquatic fitness programs, and recreational swims for residents of all ages. Summer registered programs begin in August, with fall registration opening August 11.

The pools are part of a 65,000-square-foot community centre that opened in late May, which also features a fitness area, gymnasium, program spaces, and a 18,000-square-foot library branch.

Saturday's tornado warning didn't stop the annual Strawberry Festival from going ahead in downtown Oakville, though the event started two hours later than planned.

Lakeshore Road East between Thomas and Dunn was packed with visitors picking up locally grown strawberries, trying strawberry shortcake from Black Forest Pastry Shop, and catching live sets from the Oakville Symphony and Super Sonic Hearts Band. Jubilee Market handed out free strawberries and smoothies, while Fred Astaire Dance Studios ran drop-in lessons ahead of an evening dance party.

The festival nods to Oakville's history as Canada's strawberry capital. James Wesley Hill, who escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad and settled here in 1850, established one of the area's most successful strawberry farms. His house still stands at 475 Maple Grove Drive.

The Bronte Legion is asking for donations after heat and a severe storm tanked its Canada Day fundraiser. The July 1 event at 79 Jones Street is the branch's biggest revenue day of the year, last year it brought in $22,000, but this year came up less than half that goal.

Catherine Maitland, ways and means chair for Branch 486, says the scorching heat kept many regulars away. Then a sudden afternoon storm filled the stage tent with water and forced the final band to cancel when their equipment got soaked.

The funds cover building maintenance, remembrance programs, and veteran support. As of mid-July the Legion had raised about $2,000 and is hoping for another $10,000. Anyone who can help can donate by emailing [email protected].

Monday, July 20
☁️ Overcast
High: 26°C | Low: 13°C

Tuesday, July 21
⛈️ Thunderstorms
High: 30°C | Low: 17°C

Wednesday, July 22
🌦️ Light drizzle
High: 21°C | Low: 15°C

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Thank you for your support!
~ Nick