Beaver THE OAKVILLE Voted Ontario's Top Newspaper Four Years in a Row - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 MISSISSAUGA PAINTS Concert band has long history Artscene FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2010 3087 Winston Churchill Blvd at Dundas (905) 569-9200 PRINTER EMPTY? REFILL AND SAVE UP TO 60% Upper Oakville Shopping Centre 905-842-5600 www.thinkrefill.ca refill A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 48 No. 47 "USING COMMUNICATION TO BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIES" 48 Pages $1.00 (plus GST) She's got the scoop Dream Centre ready to take flight Kerr Street centre officially opens May 7 By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER FIREFIGHTERS FUNDRAISER: Renee Frondella enjoys her ice cream after she doused Captain Tim Draper's helmet with her mint chocolate chip during 31-cent Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins on Lakeshore Road with proceeds going to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation on Wednesday night. Dreams really can come true. It's not a Disney Princess tale out of Hollywood, but a real life story unfolding in Kerr Village. It is a rags-to-riches plot, in the heart of Oakville's poorest community. It's called the Dream Centre. Its aim is to let youths of all ages, and their families, know that there is hope, that dreams can come true. There is no fairy godmother, but a community of people with good hearts and a mindset that all people are human beings with hopes, challenges -- and dreams. The 19,000-square-foot facility is set to open officially on May 7 and kick into action on May 8. It boasts a gymnasium with a THX sound system, fully-equipped kitchen, dining hall, individual, sound-proofed music rooms, youth lounge with 20-ft. glass windows, computer lab, a rooftop garden/lounge, outdoor playground, children's play room, food market and more. It will offer cooking classes headed by none other than Anthony and Gaye Longo of Longo's and music programming from Appleby College -- one of Canada's finest private schools. That's a far cry from the basement rooms currently serving KSM -- the dining hall that was renovated from what used to be the parking garage of "It's a dream come true, but it's really about making young people's dreams come true." Benjamin Ward, executive director, Kerr Street Ministries a small apartment building and the one room in which there is a TV, couches, computers and piano. Dubbed The College, it functions as the youth lounge. "There is the computer lab, the lounge and the music studio," says KSM communications manager Jody Yeilding using a description that is too kind of the old centre. "That's not a music studio, that's a piano," said Kerr Street Ministries (KSM) executive director Benjamin Ward who smiles at Yeilding's optimistic outlook, but says he's a realist. Realist or not, he's at the helm of See Dream page 30 291 Speers Road, Oakville 905.827. Over 200 Cars! MASSIVE MOVING SALE Moving May 17th to 1501 North Service Road West, Oakville SRING 2010 OAKVILLE MAZDA BECOMES