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Come out to the Woodbridge Italian Festival this weekend!

Monday, July 26th, 2010

woodbridge_italian_festival_2010_07_26

The 22nd annual Woodbridge Italian Festival promises a weekend of fun for the entire family! It will feature live music, dancing, the Miss Woodbridge Italia pageant, a classic car show, sports demonstrations and much more. Be sure to catch local politicians battling it out on the soccer field against media personalities in the VIP Soccer Challenge. And if that’s not enough soccer for you, there are four other exciting soccer matches to watch!

The festival takes place at the Ontario Soccer Centre on Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1. Admission is free. There will be both indoor and outdoor vendors and exhibitors, with delicious food, refreshments, merchandise, and services. The vivaNext team will be outdoors, so be sure to look for our blue tent!  Stop by to get the latest information on vivaNext projects and to receive a great giveaway.

Hope to see you there!

Woodbridge Italian Festival 2010

Where: Ontario Soccer Centre
7601 Martin Grove Road (just south of Highway 7), Woodbridge
When: July 31 & August 1, 2:30 – 11pm

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Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Canada Day

This Thursday, July 1st, come out and celebrate Canada’s 143rd birthday with the York Region community and the vivaNext team. Canada Day provides an opportunity to get together with friends, family and neighbours, and celebrate the culture, achievements and communities of our great nation. That’s why we hope to see you at the Town of Richmond Hill Canada Day Home Show or at Newmarket’s Kanata Summer Festival.  York Region has a lot of be proud of, and a lot to look forward to in the future (including a rapid transit system that will help manage growth and improve transit travel times!).

Support local community groups and businesses at the Canada Day Home Show, and bring the entire family along for a pancake breakfast, live entertainment and a bike demonstration at the Kanata Summer Festival. Visit the vivaNext booths at both events to ask your questions, share your comments, and get up-to-date with the latest developments in the vivaNext plan.

Two great events and one special day - Happy Canada Day from the vivaNext team!

Canada Day Event Schedules:

Town of Richmond Hill Canada Day Home Show

Where: Sports Complex, Richmond Green Park
1300 Elgin Mills Road East, Richmond Hill
When: July 1, 10am – 5pm

Kanata Summer Festival

Where: Fairy Lake Park
Water Street, Newmarket
When: July 1, 11am – 4:30pm

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Are you ready for some summer fun?

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
The vivaNext team at last year's Aurora Street Festival

The vivaNext team at last year's Aurora Street Festival

The 15th Annual Aurora Chamber Street Festival is taking place this Sunday, June 6, from 11am to 5pm – and the vivaNext team will be there!

A great way to kick off the summer season, the festival features family-friendly fun and entertainment for kids of all ages – and admission is free! With unique street performances, including acrobatics, fire-eating, comedy, juggling and magic, as well as live music, a vintage car show, and delicious food, the Aurora Street Festival offers a great way to spend the day and enjoy the York Region community.

With over 500 vendors along Yonge Street, be sure to look out for the vivaNext booth. Better yet, stop by and grab a free bag of popcorn, ask your questions, and find out more about vivaNext projects.

We’ll be at the festival, rain or shine – so the only question is, are you ready for some summer fun?

15th Aurora Chamber Street Festival

Date & Time: June 6, 11am – 5pm

Location: Yonge Street, Aurora (between Wellington Street (North) and Murray Drive (South)

Admission: Free!

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Exciting improvements en route for Richmond Hill and Vaughan!

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

collagepcc

As we said in the previous blog post – we’re on our way! Exciting improvements are en route for Richmond Hill and Vaughan, and we want you to get involved by coming out to our upcoming public meetings.

Over the next two weeks, four meetings will be taking place to discuss vivaNext rapidway projects, and you are invited! Two public meetings are being held for the Yonge Street rapidway, from Highway 7 to 19th Avenue, and two for the Highway 7 rapidway, from Yonge Street to Pine Valley Drive.

These rapidways – dedicated centre lanes in the road for Viva vehicles – will not only improve transit travel times, they are also a key part of Richmond Hill and Vaughan’s visions for the future, and York Region’s plans to manage future population growth.

If you’ve been to a vivaNext public meeting before, you know that our open houses provide a great opportunity to learn more about the vivaNext plan, ask questions, share your comments and meet the team that is making rapid transit a reality for York Region.

We are moving forward with our rapidway plans, in line with the recently revised funding schedule, and we look forward to speaking with you and answering any questions you may have!

Public Meeting for Yonge Street rapidway -
Highway 7 to 19th Avenue

Please note that the same material will be presented on June 2 and June 3.

Date: June 2
Time: 6:30 – 8:30pm
Location: Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, Plaza Suite
10268 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill

Date: June 3
Time: 6:30 – 8:30pm
Location: Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church, Wallace Hall
10066 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill

Public Meeting for Highway 7 rapidway –
Yonge Street to Pine Valley Drive

Please note that the same material will be presented on June 9 and June 10.

Date: June 9
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Richmond Hill Country Club, Georgian Room
8905 Bathurst Street, Richmond Hill

Date: June 10
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Toscana Room
3201 Highway 7 West, Vaughan

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Who knew picking up trash could be fun?

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

earthday_2010_04_23

Did you know that Earth Day is the biggest and most celebrated environmental event in the world?

On Thursday, April 22, vivaNext staffers were among the one billion people in 170 countries who took part in this global event to tackle local environmental challenges. We donned our bright Viva blue shirts and raced the clock – and each other – to see who could pick up the most trash along one stretch of the future Highway 7 rapidway in York Region.

Who won? Well, everyone wins when we each do our part to clean up the planet!

You may be surprised to learn that organizers of the very first Earth Day celebrations were also supporters of live-work-play communities. Then again, perhaps you see the connection between sustainability and pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented spaces.

We certainly feel a strong connection with the values of Earth Day here at vivaNext HQ; our rapid transit service is a key part of achieving smart growth goals and creating better connected, more livable communities in York Region. On Earth Day, and every day, we are working hard to design and build a rapid transit service that offers a green travel alternative, makes it easier for you to get around, and helps to shape growth in an environmentally sound way.

Check out our video and see how we did. Tell us if you participated in any Earth Day activities or submit your video!

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Can you guess what Earth Hour, vivaNext and your laundry all have in common?

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

earth-hour_2010_03_232This coming Saturday, March 27, at 8:30 p.m., hundreds of millions of people around the world will turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour in support of Earth Hour.

Earth Hour is an annual global event that is held on the last Saturday of each March to raise awareness of climate change, and to encourage each of us to make choices that will lessen our impact on the environment.

This remarkable initiative first began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 with 2.2 million participants taking part. The following year, it had grown to more than 50 million participants in 35 countries and by 2009, hundreds of millions of participants in 88 countries showed their support. Based on this phenomenal growth, there is every reason to believe that Earth Hour 2010 will be the biggest and best yet. Those of us who work in the vivaNext office plan to participate, and hope you will too.

So have you guessed what Earth Hour, vivaNext and your laundry all have in common yet? Just like hanging your clothes to dry, taking rapid transit is one of the little things you can do on a regular basis to lessen your impact on the environment.

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Learn how vivaNext is planting seeds for future growth at the spring home shows!

Monday, March 15th, 2010

spring-home-shows_2010_03_151Now that spring is in the air, it’s time to get out and explore a vast array of fresh ideas for your home and garden at the spring home shows. Hundreds of local businesses will be there to showcase the latest and greatest in interior and landscaping design.

As you walk around and take it all in, be sure to look for the vivaNext booth. We’ll be there chatting with local residents about how vivaNext rapid transit projects are planting seeds for future growth in York Region. The vivaNext team will also be handing out seeded bookmarks that can be planted in your garden. As well, you’ll have the opportunity to enter our draw for a deluxe gardening tool kit that will be given away at the close of each home show.

We look forward to seeing you there. Happy spring everyone!

Spring Home Shows Schedule

Markham Spring Home Show 2010

Where:
Markham Fairgrounds
Elgin Mills & McCowan Roads

When:
Friday, March 19  (1pm to 9pm)
Saturday, March 20  (10am to 6pm)
Sunday, March 21  (11am  to 5pm)

14th Annual Newmarket Home & Lifestyle Show

Where:
Magna Centre
800 Mulock Drive

When:
Friday, March 26   (5pm to 9pm)
Saturday, March 27  (9am to 6pm)
Sunday, March 28  (10am to 5pm)

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VivaNext Comes to Yonge Street

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
vivaNext Public Information Meeting

Attendees listen intently at a past public information meeting.

VivaNext rapidways are going to make a huge difference to people travelling around Newmarket.  With their own dedicated rapid transit lanes, special transit-priority traffic signals at intersections and welcoming vivastations with many special features, Viva will soon get people around Newmarket faster and more comfortably than ever before.

We’re excited to be moving forward on the vivaNext rapidway that’s planned for Davis Drive, with some pre-construction activities already in motion. And now we’re moving forward with our second Newmarket rapidway, which will run north-south along the busy stretch of Yonge Street from Mulock to Davis Drive.

On February 22, we’re hosting a special public information meeting to introduce this rapidway segment.  We’re going to have our whole team on hand, ready to answer all your questions about where Viva will stop along the rapidways, the design for stations and platforms, and how the special traffic features will make it easier and safer for drivers along Yonge Street. We’ll also be joined by our friends from the Town of Newmarket, who will talk about the long-term vision for this community as it continues to grow and expand, and how our leading-edge rapidways are part of that future plan.

We’re hoping that everyone who is interested in vivaNext rapidways and the Newmarket of the future will join us for an informative, inspiring evening.

When

Monday, February 22
Open House 6 to 8 p.m.
Presentation 7 p.m.

Where

Ray Twinney Complex
Lounge 1
100 Eagle Street West
Newmarket

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Have a ball learning what’s en route with vivaNext at this weekend’s Winterfests!

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

winterfest

You don’t have to be into winter sports to get out and have fun with family and friends in the middle of winter. This coming weekend, February 6 and 7, Winterfests are taking place throughout York Region featuring all kinds of fun-filled activities including pancake breakfasts, dog sled rides, horse drawn wagon rides, snow bowling, live entertainers, and of course, amusing games like our vivaNext ball toss.

We don’t want to reveal too much, but you could receive an exciting prize after you have a ball learning what’s en route with vivaNext – from the rapidways and subway extensions to great shopping and comfort zones.

For your chance to play and learn more about vivaNext, simply look for our vivaNext team and booth outdoors on Saturday at the Newmarket Winterfest and outdoors at the Vaughan Winterfest on Sunday. We look forward to seeing you there!

Winterfests Schedule

Newmarket Winterfest 2010
Saturday, February 6

Indoor at the Newmarket Community Centre
200 Doug Duncan Drive, Newmarket
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Outdoor at Fairy Lake Park
Water Street, Newmarket
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, February 7

Indoor at Ray Twinney Complex
100 Eagle Street West, Newmarket
Noon to 4 p.m.

Vaughan Winterfest 2010
Sunday, February 7

Vellore Village Community Centre
1 Villa Royale Avenue, Woodbridge
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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Bring on the warmth!

Friday, November 13th, 2009
Look for people walking near this bus to donate mittens, gloves and hats for those in need.
Look for YRT\Viva staff walking near this bus at York Region holiday parades to donate mittens, hats and gloves for those in need.

Planning to attend one of York Region’s many holiday parades over the next few weeks? If so, you can help our operating partner, YRT\Viva, spread winter warmth to those in need by bringing new mittens, hats and gloves to be donated to charitable organizations in York Region.

YRT and Viva, York Region’s two great transit services, work together as one amazing system to provide seamless connections across all nine municipalities, and easy access to other transit systems operating in neighbouring regions including Toronto, Durham and Peel.

VivaNext, York Region’s plan for the next generation of Viva rapid transit service, will truly put the rapid into rapid transit and make it even faster and easier for you to travel to, from and within York Region.

Whichever holiday parade you go to, just look for YRT\Viva staff accepting donations from the crowds while proudly walking and waving alongside the beautifully decorated blue Viva vehicle – at 40-feet long, it’s hard to miss!

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