interview with helder melo; director of site operations

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4 August 201 1

Helder Melo is Director of Site Operations at Harbourfront Centre, an organization he has been with for thirty years. Helder is a very busy man, but graciously donated some of his time so that we could learn a little bit about what he does. Site Operations is just one of the many responsibilities that Helder balances on his schedule. He oversees a staff of over one hundred in the following areas: site setup, maintenance and repair; the Marine department, which includes managing three hundred boats moored on site, twenty leased vessels, boat rentals, courses, as well as running the Sailing School; parking; food services and Security. The construction projects around the site currently take up the bulk of his time but he consistently ensures that all departments are running smoothly on a daily basis. The new design and location for the World Café were chosen by a team headed by Helder and Harbourfront Centre CEO William Boyle. Feedback so far has been positive - especially from the Department of Health! Cooks now work in professional kitchens, which was not possible when the Café was a temporary structure. The multi-pronged Canada Square project will revitalize the area just north of the Power Plant. The underground parking will be ready by July 2012. The public square on the surface will include green space, open areas and a market of vendors. Helder is very aware of the volunteer contribution to Harbourfront Centre and greatly appreciates the work of the volunteers. In 2009 Helder was instrumental in organizing a harbour cruise for the volunteers as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the volunteer programme. For the past two years, volunteers have enjoyed free skate rentals at their annual skating party, courtesy of Helder’s department. The Security department is also responsible for issuing the volunteer photo ID’s. Many of his other departments do not lend themselves to direct volunteer participation but Helder did suggest that there might be room somewhere in the marine operations. An entrepreneur at heart, Helder deeply enjoys the business side of his work. He also derives much satisfaction from the successful completion of a construction project. Finally, Helder cares very much about staff morale and he takes pride in the good work and job satisfaction of his staff members.

Interview by Lynn Allen Coordinator, Volunteer E-Newsletter Committee

Helder Melo

Interview with Helder Melo; Director of Site Operat ions

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It has been an amazing summer! Canada Day kicked off our busy season with a record-breaking 166 volunteers contributing over 594 hours at the one-day festival! Hot on its heels were On the Pulse, Corazon de Mexico, Colombian Colours and the Tirgan Iranian festival. We kicked off August with Island Soul, followed by What’s Classical and Fortune Cooking with its tantalizing food demos. The last two weekends in August will feature community partnered festivals: Masala! Mehndi! Masti! and Telus TaiwanFest. We would not have been able to pull it off without the help of volunteers like you. Dorothy and I would like to express a most heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for all your help. It has been a glorious summer and the weather has been exceptionally beautiful this year. We realize that many volunteers take off for a break or go on a much needed vacation. For everyone who has responded to our requests to take a few extra shifts each weekend, your help has been very much appreciated. All too soon, the summer season will come to an end. By the time you receive this newsletter we will be busy with the last festival of the summer season – the ever popular Hot and Spicy Food Festival on the Labour Day weekend! I hope that you have enjoyed the summer season at Harbourfront Centre. We are starting to prepare for the fall and of course, the 32nd International Festival of Authors (IFOA) that will be taking place from October 19th to 30th, 2011. Please check the last page for the line-up of events. The next Volunteer Meeting is on September 10th. There will be a presentation of the highlights of HarbourKIDS: Monster, information on Miss Lou’s Walk Good Storytelling Programme and details on the IFOA training sessions. Please come to the meeting if you would like to volunteer at the festivals. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the summer. I hope to see you at the meeting on September 10th. Once again, thank you for all your help! Genevieve Volunteer Coordinator

An amazing 255 layer, 57-inch tall cake!

Diana Webley with volunteers Gladys Paz, Elnora Fleming and Oxana Prigaro cutting up the cake for

distribution on Canada Day!

Message from the Volunteer Coordinator:

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Kitty (above) judging the shortcake

competition

Yuki (left) fitting a Canada Day visor on a little patron

Hot Spot Summer 2011: Canada Day, On the Pulse…

Larry (left) spreading Canadian cheer and Aleksandra (right) doing the Ekos survey

Thomas (left) helping with the giant chess and Il Hyun (right) trying his hand at curling

Michael (left) and Anne (right) giving out Canadian flags

Anita calling out the colours

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Na Eun helping with a sticker selection

Demi at the Acts of Sweetness tent

Betty sharing a laugh with children

KeonYoung encouraging a young artist

Hot Spot Summer 2011: Corazon de Mexico, Colombian Colours…

Yolanda sharing an artistic moment

John ensuring visitors know What’s On

Lydia showing them how it’s done

Kyn-Hyung directing a patron

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Minyoung helping at the crafts

tent (above)

Ypung Ho leading the ludi game (left) Gwendolyn

helping people find

their way (below)

Hot Spot Summer 2011: Tirgan Iranian Festival, Isla nd Soul…

Bainian doing the EKOS Survey (above)

Kitty leading her team with food samples

(right)

Kim at the Acts of Sweetness tent (below)

Jina enjoying the beat

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The dynamic volunteers at the Tehran Tea House did more than simply serve refreshing drinks during the Tirgan Iranian Festival. They also came up with the concept of recreating a traditional Persian tea house when Tirgan organizers requested an experience that would transport festival attendees to Iran. Tea houses are a central space for social interaction in Iran. People of all ages and walks of life congregate in them to meet with friends and family. “It’s like clubbing, but for all day!” recaps volunteer Mehrad Karamlou. The volunteers were most proud of the Shahr-e-Farang, a peep show projected behind a castle-shaped screen, that they designed and built themselves. This type of peep show, typically depicting exotic locations, was a popular form of entertainment in tea houses until the 1960s.

Crowds lined up all weekend to check out the tea house and to quench their thirst

When Adhi met Ghia !

Tehran Tea House…an iconic Middle Eastern instituti on

Mehrad Karamlou (left) and other Tirgan volunteers beam with pride next to their custom built *shahr-e-farang

Given the popularity of Tirgan and the diversity of Harbourfront Centre visitors, the Tehran Tea House was a one-of-a-kind vehicle for young Iranian-Canadians to learn more about their heritage, while curious visitors of all backgrounds experienced an iconic Middle Eastern institution.

Imagine Genevieve’s surprise when she introduced two new volunteers who had come from Indonesia. As Genevieve introduced Ghia Sjah to Adhi Kusumawardana, she found out that they were married to each other! These art lovers were attracted to the diversity of cultures that they discovered at Harbourfront Centre shortly after moving to Oakville last fall. Ghia started volunteering in the spring. She felt Harbourfront Centre would be a good fit for Adhi, a photography student at Sheridan College, when she learned about the volunteer event photography team. Ghia has had a variety of volunteer positions (including assisting her husband!) that fulfill her desire to contribute to an artistic production and to meet a wealth of people. Both Adhi and Ghia are impressed with the professionalism of the Volunteer Program and its staff. We hope this will keep them coming back for a long time!

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October 19 - 30, 2011 The International Festival of Authors (IFOA) brings together the best writers of contemporary world literature for twelve days of readings, interviews, lectures, round table discussions, and public book signings each October. The IFOA presents a number of special events including readings by Scotiabank Giller Prize, Governor General’s Literary Awards, and Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize finalists, as well as the awarding of the Harbourfront Festival Prize. IFOA Ontario, the festival's touring programme, now stops in sixteen locations across the province. IFOA Ontario runs from October 16 to November 8.

Lindsay Gulin will be moving on to new endeavours this August. Over the last seven years Lindsay considered it a privilege to work with a most wonderful and dedicated group of volunteers. You all made coming to work a whole lot of fun for Lindsay. She believed that her team definitely could not have accomplished what they did without all of your hard work! Lindsay wishes everyone all the best in the future. She hopes our paths will cross again! Elizabeth Sheffield will be moving on to new endeavours as well. She has been with Harbourfront Centre for four years. Elizabeth worked extensively with volunteers as part of the IFOA events.

Although Elizabeth’s responsibilities were mainly administrative, she has come to know some of the volunteers very well, especially those who helped out with hospitality at author events. Some of Elizabeth’s favourite memories of her time here are meeting and working with all the different staff, volunteers and authors. Elizabeth enjoyed her time here, and will miss it! The Volunteer Department wishes Lindsay and Elizabeth happiness in their new adventures!

Goodbye to Literary Staff Lindsay and Elizabeth

Elizabeth Sheffield

Lindsay Gulin

32nd International Festival of Authors:

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Call for Volunteer Storytellers! Miss Lou's Walk Good Storytelling Programme

Are you an energetic individual who loves storytelling and engaging audiences? Harbourfront Centre is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to animate Miss Lou’s Room, a bright and colourful space dedicated to “Jamaica’s Folklore Ambassador”, Miss Louise Bennett-Coverley. We will create a fun and interactive space for families to enjoy together on the weekends.

We are looking for volunteers who will engage the public, have excellent communication skills and who are passionate about storytelling, acting and performance. A six month commitment is requested. Throughout the year, each volunteer shift will be 4 hours in length, on Saturdays or Sundays, depending on the volunteer’s availability.

HarbourKIDS:

October 8th – 10th, 2011

Be a part of HarbourKIDS Monster and have fun! Help kids venture into the Monster’s Lair, meet a monster, be the star of their own Monster Movie , listen to stories about monsters or even make their own monster! Find out more about HarbourKIDS: Monster at the Vol unteer Meeting on September 10 !

Pamela Neblett, telling a story with gusto!

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A Sign-up Tip:

The online volunteer management system was upgraded recently. Here is a helpful tip on how to sign up for volunteer shifts. Step 1: Select a shift Step 2: Save your choices Step 3: Go to your assignment tab Step 4: Confirm your shifts

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“Dance under the Disco Ball”

November 12, 2011

5:00 pm - 9:30pm

Lakeside Terrace

Wear your 70’s disco outfits and dancing shoes…

Impress everybody on the dance

floor and win prizes

Tickets @ $10.00 per volunteer/guest will be on sale

on September 10 & October 8-10

Volunteer E -Newsletter Sub -Committee: Lynn Allen, Coordinator; Lidia Jarmasz, Writer/Editor; Magdalen Lau, Writer; Nida Haroon, Design/Layout; Gwendolyn Moncrieff-Gould Design/Layout; Tom Bilenkey, Coordinator, Photography Team; Genevieve Peng, Advisor.

Mark your calendars:

Volunteer Meeting: • Saturday, September 10, 2011, 11:00 am in Miss Lou’ s Room • Invited speakers:

o Katherine Sanders – HarbourKIDS: Monsters o Christie Jaggi – Call for Storytellers

Upcoming Festivals: • October 8-10: HarbourKIDS: Monsters • October 19 – 30: 32 nd International Festival of Authors

Year End Volunteer Party: • Saturday, November 12, 2011, 5:00 pm in Lakeside Te rrace

interview with helder melo; director of site operations

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