Innisfil Journal - Photo Galleries

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Community Photo Galleries

Shinny — hockey, pure and simple
A frozen sheet of ice at Innisfil Beach Park Road attracted dozens of skaters as they laced up for a spirited game of shinny last Saturday. In the tradition of pond hockey, they threw their sticks in the middle of the ice, where they were separated one-by-one to pick teams. Then it was time for the good ‘ole hockey game. There were no face-offs. No icing calls, and no penalties. No referees required. No coaches. And no parents. There’s no pressure to perform in this game. This was a game played for pure fun — the way hockey was meant to play. Innisfil’s recreation department prepared the outdoor rink, which should be in full use during Winterfest Feb. 22-24. [more]

Belle Ewart floods
Water — there was just too much of it in Belle Ewart this week. The sudden January thaw saw dozens of homes surrounded by flood waters as culverts and ditches in the Belle Aire Road area couldn't handle the amount of run-off from melting snow. [more]

Santa delights Cookstown
The children of Cookstown wished for a perfect day for a parade last Saturday (Dec. 8) and Santa came through again. The weather was nearly perfect for the village's parade, which was short but very sweet. After the parade made its way down County Road 89 through the heart of Cookstown's antique district, Santa made his way to the fire hall, where children sat on St. Nick's knee and gave him their Christmas wishes. [more]

Artists show their stuff
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Tiny dancers fly through sky
Dozens of model plane pilots showed off their aerobatic skills near Cookstown during the Canadian Scale Aerobatic Nationals. The 40-pound planes twisted and turned in the air as their pilots commanded them with remote controls. The freestyle event allowed pilots to show off their skills as their model planes danced just above the ground then rocketed high into the sky. While the freestyle wowed the general public, there were also more serious drills the pilots put their planes through. Judges marked the pilots on how well each maneuver was handled. Sam Filippelli, one of the organizers, said the planes, which are made out of balsa wood, foam and fibre glass are able to perform such incredible feats because they are so light. The relatively large props and engines that produce 80 pounds of thrust allow the planes to hover like a helicopter and fly at high speeds as well. [more]

Cookstown welcomes steam show
Frank Stephens likes living in the past — so he was right at home at Cookstown’s Georgian Bay Steam Show Saturday. Sitting in his 1929 Chrysler, the 77-year-old has been part of the annual show since it started 42 years ago. “I was there at the first show, and I’m still coming,” Stephens said. “People ask me what I want to keep doing this for, but I tell them I’m not dead yet.” Stephens drove one of the old steam tractors on display at the show when he was only 14 years old. “But I don’t know how long this will keep going,” he said. “The younger ones don’t seem as interested in it anymore.” Judging by the amount of people watching the tractor pulls, sheep shearing and marvelling at the vintage cars and farm machinery Saturday, the steam show is still popular. The steam show parade took place at 4 p.m. Saturday, giving onlookers at chance to see every piece of machinery in action. The show continues Sunday and Monday, located on Victoria Street just south of County Raod 89. Admission is $5. Children under 12 are free. [more]

Sunset fulfills need for speed
The sun is only a few hours away from setting in a hazy summer sky. Atop a hill on County Road 11, just a few minutes outside of neighbouring Churchill and Stroud, this 39-year-old racetrack starts showing signs of life — life in the fast lane at Sunset Speedway. As evening rolls around, the setting of the sun marks not only the end of a day spent working under the hood but the beginning of a supercharged evening behind the wheel. [more]

Day campers romp through summer
Kids at the town’s day camp at Innisfil Beach Park did what the do best July 24 — have fun. They participated in a version of leap frog, painted a banner for their trip to a Blue Jays game and got dizzy in an obstacle course that included spinning around a tennis racket. [more]

Piping in the drums
Filling the Innisfil Community Centre June 24 with the radiant sound of the homeland, pipes and drum musicians from all over Innisfil gathered for a mass performance that had spectators dancing and tapping their feet. In attendance were many of the community’s honourary war veterans and legion members who were complimented with front row seats to the celebrations. [more]

Baseball — a summer tradition
There’s nothing like a rousing game of baseball on quiet summer evening. The ping of the aluminum bat, the smack of a ball hitting leather, energetic cheers of fans supporting their team. The sounds and sights of the grand old game are alive and well in Innisfil. The Innisfil Cardinals Pee Wee team provided plenty of entertainment when they beat Wasaga Beach 14-12 in a nail biter June 19. [more]

Innisfil's Summerfest takes off
Innisfil’s Summerfest got off to quick start under sunny skies Friday with the midway offering fun for youngsters, crafts for he older crowd and carnival games and a tattoo tent to entertain the teenage set. The festival, which will feature several live bands over the weekend, started with at bang when the Rick Greenside Band featuring Catherine Watson took the stage. Later Johnny Cash tribute band Legend in Black kept the musical fires burning. The festival continues all weekend. Saturday’s features include a fishing derby, a comedy magic show, a karaoke show, the Legends of London group and fireworks at dusk. Sunday the Innisfil Pipe and Drums band entertains at 1 p.m. All the action is at Innisfil Beach Park on the shores of Lake Simcoe, which is located at the end of Innisfil Beach Road in Alcona. [more]

Cookstown goes medieval
Cookstown went medieval Saturday as knights in shining amour and damsels in distress invaded the Agricultural Fairgrounds. Knights jousted in the brilliant sunshine while archers tested their trusty bows in an event that generally went unnoticed by the general public. But diehard lovers of everything medieval — officially known as the Society for Creative Anachronism Inc. — were in their glory. Cookstown’s Onda Masters (her medieval name is Fallon) has been a member of the local chapter for three years. Dressed in the casual garb of a typical woman in 14th century England, Masters says her love of history brought her into the fold. “It’s great because I love getting dressed up and acting goofy,” she said. “But the history part is certainly enlightening.” Masters said there are about 24 local members, but the Cookstown event attracted knight, ladies, lords and peasants from across Southern Ontario. [more]

Waterfront festival
The weather was perfect for Barrie’s Waterfront festival Saturday helping to attract thousands to the annual event. Street side entertainers and live bands wowed onlookers while the midway rides were popular with the kids. Barrie Mayor David Aspden and city councillors were flipping burgers to raise money for Royal Victory Hospital. The festival continues throughout the weekend with live bands the Philosopher Kings, Shaye and Jeremy Fisher entertaining. The Philosopher Kings hit the B101 stage in Memorial Square at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Shaye performs on the same stage at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The music continues into Monday with Vancouver’s Jeremy Fisher hitting the B101 stage at 4:30 p.m. Organizers of this year’s event have kept Dunlop Street open, but Fred Grant Street and Lakeshore Drive are closed to traffic. The family can head to the waterfront as the sun sets Sunday to enjoy the sights and sounds of the fireworks display. For more information, visit www.barriewaterfront.ca [more]