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9 | durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, April 14, 2022 | One silver lining of the pandemic is that virtual meetings have made local government more accessible to the public. Beyond questions of pandemic safety, many community members say virtual meetings mean they don't have to worry about child care, transportation or other barriers that make it difficult for some people to attend evening meetings in-person. As COVID-19 protocols in Durham ease, will local school boards continue to offer virtual meeting options? The Durham Catholic District School Board made the move back to in-person meetings on March 28 with no virtual alternative at this time. However, officials are looking at options. At the March 28 meeting, trustees passed a motion directing staff to bring back a report on what would be required to continue livestreaming board meetings. Other school boards in Durham are going with hybrid options, for at least the rest of this school year. At the Durham District School Board, board and standing committee meetings will move to a hybrid format in April. Trustees will have the option to attend online or in person, while public participation in meetings will be virtual. Meetings will continue to be streamed via YouTube. In Clarington, the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board is offering hybrid meetings that allow for both in-person and virtual attendance and participation until at least the end of the 2021-22 school year. Trustees with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board recently voted for board meetings to resume in-person from April 1 to June 30, 2022 with a continued livestream option, while committee meetings will remain virtual until Sept 30. Conseil scolaire Viamonde, one of two French language boards with schools in Durham, is also planning to keep a virtual option. "Given that our territory is so broad and that the technology now permits easy virtual meetings, I believe that even when the board resumes their (in-person) monthly sessions, they will continue to allow members and public to attend virtually," says Steve Lapierre, interim director of communications and marketing for Viamonde. Durhamregion.com recently talked to members of the public about how virtual meetings impact their connection to local government. Jennifer Sims, a parent to two DDSB students, didn't watch school board meetings pre-pandemic when they were in-person -- but has now been watching online for about two years. "Being able to listen to the meetings from home is so convenient and makes the meetings accessible to everyone who has internet access," she says. "I enjoy learning how the process works and the reasons behind why decisions are made." Alicia McAuley Ashfield also didn't attend DDSB meetings before the pandemic, but started watching meetings online in summer 2020 in an effort to keep tabs on the board's plans for virtual learning. "The virtual format makes it very easy to watch and participate in meetings. I particularly appreciate that while the meetings are streamed live, the videos remain on the DDSB's YouTube page and can be viewed whenever it's most convenient, which is ideal if the meeting time conflicts with dinner or bedtimes for young kids," she says. SHOULD SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS BE VIRTUAL? IN-PERSON? BOTH? JILLIAN FOLLERT jfoller t@durhamregion.com NEWS 'BEING ABLE TO LISTEN TO THE MEETINGS FROM HOME IS SO CONVENIENT,' SAYS LOCAL PARENT The Durham Catholic District School Board holds board meetings at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Education Centre. DCDSB photo Durham has a new place for creators to create with the recent opening of Velvet Season Studios in Ajax. The studio's four carefully curated rooms can be used for photo shoots, product shoots, videos, events -- and whatever else clients come up with. "When people ask what this business is, I always joke that it's four pretty rooms you can use for whatever you want," says Vanessa Azzoli, who co-owns Velvet Season with Missy DeLeon. The two are college roommates turned longtime friends who jumped at the chance to go into business together when they saw a gap in Durham's creative infrastructure. Azzoli has a background in marketing and advertising and noticed photo studios were few and far between in Durham. "This concept is very popular, especially in the advertising world," she explains. "You don't have to worry about decor and setting up and tearing down. You just go, you take you photos in this beautiful place and then you leave." Within a week of talking about starting their own studio, the pair was searching for a commercial space. The first six months in business have been a whirlwind of learning and building the brand. "The fact that we have 20 years of friendship behind us, I know her strengths, her weaknesses and she knows mine," DeLeon says. "It was kind of a no-brainer to have her as a partner. We just work really well together." Velvet Season's four space are all different. Glendale is the "showstopper studio" with dramatic blue walls accented with touches of fuchsia and purple. There's natural greenery and lots of light -- it's the favourite for both owners. Lumina is all about whites, muted greys and natural earth tones. "Lumina is the most popular for bookings, I think because it offers a lot of variety," DeLeon says. "People book specifically for certain pieces we have in the room. Our black and gold chairs -- and definitely our peacock chair is one of the most popular items." There's also The Loft -- a cozy space with pillows, blankets, and twinkly lights -- and a product studio with plain backdrops that can be used to take marketing shots for products. Decor in the rooms is changed up every few months to keep things fresh. "Before us everyone was travelling into Toronto or Markham or Richmond Hill to get photos done," Azzoli says. "When people come in they're like, 'oh finally, there's something like this in Durham." Are you opening a new business in Durham? Tell us about it! We also want to know about business anniversaries, store closings, amazing local makers and small biz owners. Send your ideas to reporter Jillian Follert at jfollert@durhamregion.com NEW STUDIO OFFERS EYE-CATCHING SPACES FOR CREATIVES JILLIAN FOLLERT jfoller t@durhamregion.com BUSINESS 'I ALWAYS JOKE THAT IT'S FOUR PRETTY ROOMS YOU CAN USE FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT,' SAYS VELVET SEASON CO-FOUNDER Velvet Season Studios opened in Ajax in September 2021, offering "a creative space for creative people." The studio has four spaces that can be rented for photo shoots or events. Velvet Season Studios photo VELVET SEASON STUDIOS Website: velvetseason.ca Address: 501 Clements Rd. W., Ajax Email: hello@velvetseason.ca Facebook: facebook.com/ velvetseasonstudios Instagram: @velvetseasonstudios