Community Spotlight

Source: Shelburne Free Press

Written By Paula Brown

For 14 years Rose De Marco has had the vision of opening her own café, and now after years of planning, her vision has come to fruition. 

DeMarco’s Caffe, located at 115 Owen Sound Street in Shelburne, began brewing coffees and serving desserts to customers on July 28 as they officially opened their doors to the community. 

“It’s a little bit emotional, but’s it’s also a sweet feeling,” De Marco told the Free Press. “I was sitting here [in the café] with my sister and she told me I should open and I said I wasn’t ready, but I sat there again and decided to take the paper down and turn my light on; I was ready to serve. I can honestly tell you I am so happy that I carried out this vision and I’m so grateful.” 

The establishing of DeMarco’s Caffe began in 2009 with the idea of creating a cozy, small space to serve unique blends of coffee and desserts. Over the next decade, De Marco would come up with different ideas of what her café would include, but it wasn’t until December of 2018 that she would sit down to begin researching and writing down all her plans. 

“I couldn’t help but follow through with it. I tried to run away form it many times through out the years, but in 2018 I had this urge that felt like, this vision I had was going to be taken and it was going to be gone,” said DeMarco. 

De Marco first launched her business online in 2019 and introduced her own specialty blend known as DeMarco’s Jamaican/Italian Peppermint Expresso. During that time, she worked on the plans for the brick-and-mortar location in Shelburne, which would open almost three years later. 

Much like their signature expresso blend, DeMarco’s Caffe itself is a mix of Rose’s Jamaican origins and her husband, Antonio’s, Italian roots. 

When talking about the experience she hopes customers get from visiting the café, De Marco speaks largely on the feeling of love. 

“I’m here to serve the people and I want them to feel love from every drink knowing that it was brewed with love. I want them to feel welcome, happy, and to sit down and know that they’re in a place of love,” said De Marco. 

DeMarco’s Caffe sells a number of drink and dessert items with an ever developing and growing list. The drink menu includes hot drinks such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate as well as cold beverages like smoothies and iced refreshers. 

The selection of desserts ranges from a variety of cheesecakes and cakes, to cannoli and cookies. 

“I believe that this café is going to be a place to bring love into the community and will be instrumental to Shelburne,” said De Marco. 

Art of 8 Martial Arts team fielded five athletes in the annual WAKO Canadian National Championships. It is a very prestigious tournament that sees the best Canadians from coast to coast compete. We brought home 1 Championship (gold), 1 silver, 1 bronze. Jaxen WIldman got invaluable experience competing on the big scale at only eight years old. We are excited to see him perform in the future. Our only adult at the nationals, Robert Caswell (41yrs), performed incredibly and won his first tournament bout by Technical Knockout. Unfortunately, he received a serious low blow in his second fight and it prevented him from continuing his quest for gold.

Athlete Name: Gabriel Goe

Division: Low Kick Rules (punches to the body/head, kicks to the legs)

Athlete Age: 13yrs

Outcome: Bronze • Eligible to be a part of 2023 WAKO Canadian Junior Team

Athlete Name: Jai-Kristoëff Jones

Style/Division: K1 Kickboxing Rules (punches to the body/head, kicks to the legs, knees to the body)

Athlete Age: 14yrs

Outcome: Silve;• Eligible to be a part of 2023 WAKO Canadian Junior Team

Athlete Name: Oshiya Newby Morgan

Style/Division: K1 KickboxingRules (punches to the body/head, kicks to the legs, knees to the body)

Athlete Age: 13yrs

Outcome: Gold• Eligible to be a part of 2023 WAKO Canadian Junior Team

Upcoming Competitions

A team of four will be travelling to Iowa, USA to compete in the very prestigious annual TBA-SA Classic World Championships where we will compete under Muay Thai Rules with punches, elbows, knees and kicks. Jai-Kristoëff has also qualified to represent Team Canada at the WBC World Youth Games;in Calgary (August 12-14).We are working to bring 5 world championship belts to Orangeville this summer:

• Jaxen Wildman - 8 years old

• Mjöer-Micah Jones - 7 years old

• Jai-Kristoéff Jones - 14 years old

• Martello Jones - 37 years old

We also have a few other non-tournament bouts coming in July and August with a mixture of both adult and youth athletes competing.

Other important facts:

• Oshiya is the first national K1 Kickboxing champion from Dufferin County, and also the first female athlete from this region to do it.

• Art Of 8 Martial Arts Academy is the first Dufferin County martial arts school to field a team in these highly competitive (K1 Low Kick) divisions at the national level

• Art Of 8 Martial Arts Academy will be the first school from this community to field athletes on Team Canada in the above divisions at the respective World Championships in 2022/23

Photo Credit and Article: Art of 8 Martial Arts

Source: Orangeville Banner

By: Joshua Santos

Photo Credit: Art of 8 Martial Arts

Three martial arts students from Orangeville are celebrating after winning medals from a national championship this month.

Oshiya Newby Morgan, a student at Art of 8 Martial Arts Academy in Orangeville, won a gold medal at the WAKO Canadian National Championships from June 3 to 5 in Niagara Falls at the Scotiabank Convention Centre.

“It was fun,” said Newby Morgan. “It was a bit challenging because it was for a big title. It was something I had to put my mind to, and it was something to strive for, to win.”

To prepare for the competition mentally, Newby Morgan listens to music, sleeps, eats, and drinks a lot of water. Physically, she participates in drills and practices techniques before going on stage.

Five athletes from the academy travelled to the competition. Newby Morgan’s classmates, Jai-Kristoëff Jones received a silver medal and Gabriel Goe obtained a bronze medal. The three medallists are now eligible to be part of the 2023 WAKO Canadian Junior Team.

“It was really good high-level competition, as it is expected because this is one of the largest national competitions in a while since COVID,” said Martello Jones, owner of Art of 8. “Athletes came from as far as Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, British Columbia and across the country.”

Newby Morgan said her instructors helped prepared her mentally. She has been attending the academy for about two years now.

“They encouraged me to do better and pushed me to my limits,” said Newby Morgan.

She finds she is now stronger than before and her motor skills are better.

Newby Morgan and Kristoëff Jones competed in the K1 division of punches to the body and head, kicks to the legs and knees to the body. Goe was in the low kick category of punches to the body and head and kicks to the legs.

"We focus on their cardiovascular fitness as well as strength and functional fitness to develop their speed and power," said Martello. "We do a lot of physiological training, to help all the athletes understand the psychology of what is required to be in the ring and build communication strategies with coaches and athletes as they perform.”

Newby Morgan is the first national K1 kickboxing champion from Dufferin County, while Jones has qualified to represent Team Canada at the WBC World Youth Games in Calgary from Aug. 12 to 14.

Jaxen Wildman gained invaluable experience competing on the national stage at eight years old. Robert Caswell performed well and won his first tournament bout by a technical knockout. He, however, received a devastating low blow in his second fight, preventing him from continuing his quest for gold.

A team of four will travel to Iowa, USA to compete in the TBA-SA Classic World Championships. They will compete under Muay Thai rules with punches, elbows, knees and kicks.

There are also a few non-tournament bouts coming in July and August with a mix of both adult and youth athletes competing.

The academy is the first Dufferin County martial arts school to field a team in the highly competitive K1 and low kick divisions at the national level.

Dufferin County Canadian Black Association

Source: Humans of Impact Website.

Writte by Jessica Indovino.

Please visit the humans of Impact Website for details: www.humansofimpact.ca

My name is Jessica Indovino. I’m currently completing the Early Childhood Education program at Georgian College in Orillia. On March 26, I spoke with Alethia O’Hara-Stephenson, founder of Dufferin County Canadian Black Association(DCCBA). They are a wonderful organization that provides education to young Black people who feel that they are being racialized. Before I did this interview, I didn’t think racism was an issue in Ontario, but I have come to realize that even though Black people have access to education and are entitled to human rights, racism is a large issue. Dufferin County Canadian Black Association’s mission is:

 

“To provide leadership for the continued development and enhancement of the Black community through civic engagement, education, programs and services and advocate for equity and wellbeing for the Black community in Dufferin County. To be a central hub for resources, tools and programs that are unique to the needs of the Black Community in Dufferin County.”

They have a goal and they are working hard to advocate for people. For example, when parents didn’t feel comfortable that their children were reading books with the “N” word, they found updated copies of the book to ensure that children would not be exposed to this language, accommodating both the children and the parents. They provide a voice, advocacy and a safe space. This social enterprise is connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They demonstrate Quality Education by making sure all children, regardless of race, are receiving proper education in a place where they feel safe and welcome. The association demonstrates Peace, Justice and Strong Intuition by raising awareness about the issue and allowing young people to have a voice.

The DCCBA makes profits from different sources, including sponsors and partners: companies such as Fieldgate Homes, Benjamin Law, Ontario Clean Water Agency, etc.. Anyone is welcome to sign up and they welcome new staff as a demonstration that more people are standing up for a safe environment where everyone has the voice they deserve. O’Hara-Stephenson appreciates her team’s accomplishments and all they have accomplished. She has plans to expand her organization beyond Dufferin County so more people can benefit. It’s easy to talk, but it takes a big person to step up and be the change they want to see.

My career goal is to become a teacher and during the interview, O’Hara-Stephenson told me “every child is capable, smart and capable regardless of their age, race, ability/disability or religious background. Make a conscious effort to include every child.” I completely agree and will keep an open mind and treat all children the same because we are all human and deserve equal treatment. I predict big things for DCCBA in the future; this enterprise cannot end racism, but it is giving young Black people a sense of security and a place where they are not judged and where they belong.

 

 

On Saturday February 20, 2021 the Council of the Township of Amaranth, in association with the Dufferin County Canadian Black Association (DCCBA), recognized Black History Month by raising the Pan-African flag at the Township Municipal Office.

The Dufferin County Canadian Black Association (DCCBA) is committed to being a true community partner working with other established agencies to bring value to the Dufferin County community.

The impetus for the creation of the Association followed many discussions with community members and stakeholders about the growing Black population in Dufferin County (Blacks including those of African decedent and individuals from the Caribbean and Latin diaspora) and the need to provide a voice, advocacy, a safe space along with educational programs, support services, community outreach and scholarship opportunities benefiting families and businesses within Dufferin County.

The Dufferin County Canadian Black Association is inclusive and welcoming to all who wish to volunteer, provide feedback, attend events and sign up for future programs.

The Township of Amaranth is a proud supporter of the Dufferin County Canadian Black Association and the Township has recently created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community Advisory Committee.

 

For more information on the DCCBA please see:

www.dufferincountycba.org

 

For more information on the Township of Amaranth Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community Advisory Committee please see:

http://www.amaranth.ca/en/municipal-government/Committees-and-Boards.aspx

Source: https://www.amaranth.ca/en/news/flag-raising-ceremony-black-history-month.aspx