Newmarket’s community centres may be shuttered for now, but a new virtual hub of recreation and culture has launched in its place to help keep residents of all ages entertained during these tough times of staying at home as much as possible to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Town of Newmarket’s recreation and culture department has launched an online resource known as Home Sweet Home, a virtual hub of educational, healthy, and fun ideas for local families curated by staff members.
Each week, recreation and culture staff will share their favourite links and resources to help residents stay active and connected while staying at home and doing their part to practise social and physical distancing during this unprecedented disruption to daily life caused by the pandemic.
In a welcome video at the hub, recreation and culture director Colin Service introduced himself and said department staff are all working from home to find new ways to bring activities to residents.
“As a Newmarket resident, I get to come to work every day and have a hand in creating amazing experiences for my wife, my three children, extended family, friends, and the great people who make up this community,” Service said.
“The other day, I was walking along the Tom Taylor Trail, a woman was walking in the opposite direction, we each stepped off the path to ensure we gave each other space,” said Service. “She looked at me and said, ‘When this is all over, I hope we don’t stop looking out for each other’. As we navigate these unusual times, the town is committed to looking out for the social, physical, and emotional well-being of our community.”
The Home Sweet Home hub features crafts and do-it-yourself projects, cooking and recipes, virtual field trips to aquariums and museums and armchair travel, live online entertainment, online library resources, and a community resources section.
The community resources page makes it easy to volunteer or donate to the many Newmarket charities and groups working to help the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, drivers are needed for many organizations who pick up and deliver medicine and groceries for its clients.
“This initiative is just one of the many ways we are helping Newmarket citizens flatten the curve and stay engaged until we can once again open our facilities and deliver the great programs and events residents love,” town officials said in a statement.
Residents are encouraged to share their Home Sweet Home moments on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to help others discover fun ways to pass the time at home.
Share on your favourite platform with #HomeSweetHome #Newmarket and tag @TownofNewmarket.
If you have a link or content to share with the community, email [email protected] and include the words "Home Sweet Home” in the subject line.
