May 28, 2016 Small Arms Jane’s Walk (and the only @Doors_OpenTO in @citymississauga) went beautifully

Photo accompanying Jim Tovey’s tweet is from an earlier Small Arms Building event.

A tweet from Jim Tovey sums up the May 28, 2016 Small Arms Jane’s Walk beautifully:

Thrilled to B hosting the only @Doors_OpenTO in @citymississauga with @JaanPill & @S_A_Society #SharedHeritage

Jim Tovey, who was elected six years ago as Ward 1 Councillor, City of Mississauga, did an A-1 job hosting the May 28, 2016 Jane’s Walk, entitled Small Arms Building – Then and Now.

Similarly first-rate speaking roles were performed by Chair of the Small Arms Society Diane LaPointe-Kay and Kate Hayes, Manager, Aquatic (and Wetland) Ecosystem Restoration, Credit Valley Conservation.

Jim Tovey did A-1 job hosting the only @Doors_OpenTO in @citymississauga (also known as the Small Arms Jane’s Walk) at the Small Arms Building in Mississauga! Jaan Pill photo

Chair of the Small Small Arms Society, Diane LaPointe-Kay, outlines options for repurposing of the Small Arms Building with a focus on the arts and a wide range of similar creative endeavours. Jaan Pill photo

May 28, 2016 Small Arms Jane’s Walk: On our way from the Small Arms Building to meet Kate Hayes of Credit Valley Conservation at the Lake Ontario shoreline, we stopped for a discussion about the wooden baffles at the Long Branch Rifle Ranges. In response to a question for a walk attendee, Jim Tovey (holding microphone) noted that the aim is to restore the Long Branch Rifle Ranges to a state approaching their original condition. Jaan Pill photo

I took some iPhone pictures at the afternoon Small Arms Jane’s Walk; I’ve posted some on Twitter. Other people also took smartphone photos and I’ll get some of those as well. My own Nikon DLSR camera I was not able to use as I had forgotten to re-insert an SD card that I had taken out earlier in the day.

Wooden baffles such as this one served as sound barriers at the Long Branch Rifle Ranges. Jaan Pill photo

I’ve revised my checklist for such recording projects, to ensure that I double-check the presence of an SD card in my camera.

We used a wheelchair to cart around the portable amplifier that we used; that option worked out well.

Recording and amplification a team effort

Many people helped us with the recording and sound amplification requirements of the event, to all of them we owe many thanks; teamwork in this line of work as in any other makes such a big difference; it’s the name of the game.

Kate Hayes (holding mic), Manager, Aquatic (and Wetland) Ecosystem Restoration, Credit Valley Conservation outlines the current status of the Lakeview Waterfront Connection Project. Jaan Pill photo

I got some great audio recordings, which I will probably spend much of the summer transcribing and posting.

Usually when leading a Jane’s Walk, I am very tired and sometimes in the past it has taken me a while to gather up enough energy to start writing posts about the walk.

However, for the past two years I’ve taken on the role of a walk organizer and have not led any walks. That set of circumstances works well for everybody.

The urban planning work, with such a strong level of community input, that underlies the Lakeshore Waterfront Connection Project and Inspiration Lakeview is phenomenal – highly inspiring and practical.

As another attendee also remarked, each time I attend a tour of the Small Arms Building, I learn something new about the history of the site. That was certainly the case on Saturday, May 28, 2016. As well, a brief visit to the TRCA / Sawmill Sid and Sawmill Sheila woodlot was similarly of much interest, as has been the case of previous visits. On the current occasion, the topic of conversation was the recent movie shoot that has been taking place at the woodlot. The movie business is a big-time industry in Ontario; it’s a delight to know that the Small Arms Building and the Arsenal Lands continue to serve as a setting for a wide range of movie and television productions.