Community feeling alive at skating club show
May 1, 2004 (Markham Economist & Sun)

Last weekend I was privileged to be part of my first Markham skating show.

At the time, I didn't give much consideration to it. Being a town employee it was, after all, another special event and I've had my share of them over the years.

What I wasn't prepared for, however, was the outpouring of volunteers and the sense of community I received working alongside them.

Costumes, staging, lights and sound were prepared and operated by mothers and fathers of the performers.

From Good Friday until Easter Monday, the village arena was a beehive of organized teamwork that would make any Fortune 500 company green with envy.

There are those among us who would argue "our" little town has grown up too quickly; that urban sprawl and industry have replaced the sense of neighbourhood and the colourful cast of individuals who make us each so unique.

To those of that mindset, I say don't despair. As long as shows like the Markham Skating Club's continue to exist, there will always be hope communities, though built to accommodate the needs of residents are, in fact, created by the tireless efforts of the individuals who call them home.

GEORGE MCLELLAN
MARKHAM