Category: Community Events

Categories
Community Events Going Green Rapidways

Who knew picking up trash could be fun?

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!

Categories
Community Events Going Green Rapidways

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

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.

Categories
Community Events General Ways to win

Learn how vivaNext is planting seeds for future growth at the spring Home Shows!

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

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

Where:
Markham Fairgrounds
Elgin Mills & McCowan Roads

14th Annual Newmarket Home & Lifestyle Show

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

Where:
Magna Centre
800 Mulock Drive

Categories
Announcements Community Events Rapidways Urban Planning

VivaNext comes to Yonge Street

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!

Categories
Community Events Fun & Games

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

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.

Categories
Community Events

Bring on the warmth!

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!

Categories
Community Events

The holiday season kicks off this Sunday in York Region with the first of five Santa Claus parades to take place during the month of November.

To help the big guy in the red and white suit greet all of the thousands of people who will line the various parade routes to see him, vivaNext helpers have been invited to join him. They’ll be walking in front of our beautiful blue Viva vehicle specially decorated for the parades and impossible to miss.

Each helper will be wearing a 4-sided cube costume measuring 24” wide by 30” high that showcases the vivaNext changes coming to York Region. As they walk along and wave to the crowds, their cubes will rotate in formation to reveal four unique and colourful streetscapes in Newmarket, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham – each one representing the urban transformation that vivaNext rapid transit projects will help to create.

We  hope they will be as much fun for you to watch, as they will be for our parade marshal to coordinate. We look forward to seeing you en route!

Parade Schedule:

November 8 – Vaughan – starts at 2:00pm
click here for a parade route map
November 15 – Richmond Hill – starts at 1:30pm
click here for a parade route map
November 21 – Newmarket – starts at 11:00am
click here for a parade route map
November 28 – Markham – starts at 11:00am
click here for a parade route map
November 28 – Aurora – starts at 6:00pm
click here for a route map

Categories
Community Events Ways to win

vivaNext segway team drives awareness at Vaughan Mills

Our vivaNext segway team was so successful at driving awareness for our projects at Markville Mall and the Markham Home Show earlier this month, we decided to put them to work once again at Vaughan Mills this past weekend.

Take a peek at our short video and see for yourself what a hit they were with passing motorists and pedestrians alike.

BTW, this is the last day of our contest. If you haven’t entered yet, there’s still time to do so by texting* the word “vivaNext” to the number 101010. Good luck!

* Wireless service provider charges may apply.
Categories
Community Events Rapidways Subways Ways to win

Be on the lookout for our vivaNext ‘segway’ team at Vaughan Mills this weekend

Two members of our segway team texting to win. When you see them near Vaughan Mills Mall this weekend ask how you could win the new iPod nano®.Two members of our segway team texting to win at Markville Mall. When you see them near Vaughan Mills Mall this weekend ask how you could win the new iPod nano®*.

Over the past two weekends, our vivaNext ‘segway’ team made appearances outside of Markville Mall and the Markham Home Show. Even in the pouring rain, they were a tremendous hit, attracting a lot of attention from Markham area residents. This, in turn, allowed us to drive awareness of vivaNext projects and communicate how to enter our new contest for a chance to win the new iPod nano®*. It’s so easy you could do it right now. All you have to do is text the word vivaNext to the number 101010.**

Now our vivaNext ‘segway’ team is preparing for their next appearance outside of Vaughan Mills this coming weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, they will be out in force to talk with Vaughan area residents about vivaNext projects in their area including the Spadina subway extension and the Highway 7 rapidway, which will both extend to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. As well, our vivaNext team will have a booth set up inside the mall from Friday through until Sunday, to ensure that we are able to talk to as many people as possible about our projects.

We hope to see you there!

Outside mall segway hours:
Saturday, October 24      noon – 4pm
Sunday, October 25        noon – 4pm

Inside mall booth hours:
Friday, October 23         10am – 9pm
Saturday, October 24     10am – 9pm
Sunday, October 25       11am – 7pm

* “iPod nano” is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, Inc. is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.
** Wireless service provider charges may apply.
Categories
Community Events Ways to win

The vivaNext ‘segway’ team will continue to drive awareness at the Markham Home Show this weekend

Team vivaNext member, Donald Chang, speaks with a woman interested in the rapidways coming to York Region Friday at the Home Show.
Team vivaNext member, Donald Chang, speaks with a woman interested in the rapidways coming to York Region Friday at the Home Show.

They’re back! Our vivaNext ‘segway’ team was such a big hit at Markville Mall last weekend, they’ll be making an appearance again this weekend at the Markham Home Show.

In addition to driving awareness of vivaNext projects, they’ll be getting the word out about our new contest where you could WIN the new iPod nano®* simply by texting the word Viva to the number 101010.**

Our vivaNext team will also have a booth inside the Show, where they’ll be showcasing time-lapse animations of vivaNext projects. It’s a great opportunity to see what York Region could look like in the future.

Show hours:
Friday, October 16      1 – 9pm
Saturday, October 17   10am – 7pm
Sunday, October 18     10am – 5pm

For more information, please click here.
If you would like to see a map and get directions, please click here.

VivaNext team members will also have a booth inside at Upper Canada Mall this weekend, where they’ll be talking to people about vivaNext projects and showing them how they could WIN the new iPod nano®* when they text the word Viva to the number 101010.**.

Mall hours:
Friday, October 16      9:30am – 9pm
Sunday, October 18     11am – 5pm

We hope to see you in one or both of these places this weekend!

* “iPod nano” is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, Inc. is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.
** Wireless service provider charges may apply.