{ a fiesta . a cake . then a siesta }

This past weekend, during an ice storm, we celebrated 3 birthdays. We tried hard to leave the snow behind with a cheap and cheery fiesta-themed party - breaking out the Sombreros, Mexican decorations and even a pinata. The evening was capped up with one of the ugliest birthday cakes ever created (compliments of Fortinos).

{ burlington . aka hollywood west }

Often lovingly referred to as Borington, Burlington should actually be renamed Hollywood West. After all, Ryan Gosling once attended Lester B Pearson and Jim Carrey played hookie at Aldershot High School.


Oh, and until writing this post I had no idea that the very annoying (sorry) host of Good Day L.A., Jillian Barberie, is also from our small town.


Born in Burlington, Ryan Taylor is Canada's top male model recently signed to fashion giant IMG.


Although not really considered a celebrity, Burlington's-own Frank Rondell-Chiarelli does impersonate the larger than life, late celebrity Ray Charles


And who could forget Finger Eleven (aka Rainbow Butt Monkeys)? The top 40 alternative metal band from Burlington.


And although not 'technically' a celebrity, Burlington's own Michael Lee-Chin is Canada's 11th richest Canadian also donated $30-million to Toronto's newly-launched Michael Lee-Chin Crystal at the ROM. Well, he's a celebrity in my books.

So next time you utter the word Borington, think about these incredible Burlington-connections and be proud.

{ pov . performing arts burlington }

There's a lot of talk right now about the Burlington Performing Arts Centre building project. In fact, the Burlington Post ran a multi-page spotlight in this Sunday's edition. I wanted to weigh in as a resident, a branding expert and an advocate of arts + culture.

Burlington, the brand

I spent the last 15 years developing and building brands for tier 1 consumer goods companies. Many people think of a brand as a logo or a name, but in fact a brand is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer based on experiences. And the truly successful take control over what their brand stands for and build those experiences for their consumers.

I moved to Burlington from Toronto about 4 years ago. I came from a city that had a distinct personality - a thriving metropolis of cultures that came together and not only co-existed, but co-experienced. Yet, I enjoyed moving to Burlington...I was close to family, in a friendly city with friendly neighbours, and could leave my door unlocked if I so wished. The problem is, 4 years later I'm still not sure what Burlington stands for. It lacks a distinct personality, the heart of which to build experiences from. Without that heart, Burlington is simply a nice city to live in. Not necessarily a desired destination.

As a resident, I would love to see arts and culture thread its way into the fabric of our city. I dream of a day when I can enjoy an enriching night out in Burlington...a day when my friends from Toronto will drive the 25 minutes to lap up a Burlington show with Burlington talent...a day when creative boutiques and gourmet restauranteurs flock to our city to sell their wares...a day when Olympic champions, Hollywood celebrities, and elite theatre performers state that they made their start in our city...and a day in which Burlington solidifies itself as a desired suburban city based on the experiences and perceptions of its residents and visitors.

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts & opinions. A community and corporate services meeting to discuss the proposed construction of the Performing Arts Centre will be taking place on Tuesday @ 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, 426 Brant Street.

For more info, see the Performing Arts Burlington website.