AUTUMN 2012
PUBLISHER KATIE BURCHELL CREATIVE DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER SIMON BURN EDITORIAL TEAM KEVIN “CRASH” CORRIGAN DAVID L. DORWARD KIRA DORWARD HEATHER GHEY BROADBENT RIC KITOWSKI JOCELYN KLEMM DIANA JANOSIK-WRONSKI CONTRIBUTORS GEORGE CHURCH JIM CONNELLY ANDREW HIND NATALIE NEAL PROOFREADER SALLY MORELL EDITORIAL DESIGN SDB CREATIVE GROUP INC. ADVERTISING DESIGN & PRODUCTION CAROLINE SWEET, SKY CREATIVE GROUP LTD. ADVERTISING SALES KATIE BURCHELL BARRIE BURCHELL TRUDY GENTILE frontlinemedia1@sympatico.ca Tel: 905 857 2536 While every effort has been made to ensure that advertisements and articles appear correctly, Frontline Media cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of this publication. All material is intended for information purposes only. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Owned & published by Frontline Media, P. O. Box 340, Caledon, Ontario L7E 5T3 Tel: 905 857 2536 Email: frontlinemedia1@sympatico.ca Caledon Living is published 4 times a year (January, April, July, October)
and delivered via Canada Post.
www.CaledonLiving.com © 2012 1735715 Ontario Inc. Caledon Living is a Registered Trademark PRINTED IN CANADA ON PAPER FROM A SUSTAINABLE SOURCE, USING VEGETABLE-BASED INKS. PLEASE SHARE MAGAZINE WITH A FRIEND, AND THEN RECYCLE.
CONTACT US Readers are invited to contribute comments and views. Stories and ideas are always welcome for consideration. Write to us at: Caledon Living, P.O.Box 340, Caledon, Ontario L7E 5T3 Or email: frontlinemedia1@sympatico.ca
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from the publisher
Creative and inspiring: Art & food In the summer issue we mentioned we had moved our office to the Alton Mill Arts Centre. Well, I’m happy to report we love it here! I wanted something near home to keep the commute to a minimum, with pleasant and inspiring surroundings. It turns out this restored old mill on the bank of Shaw’s Creek is perfect. Home to many talented artists and artisans, their strong creative vibe provides the perfect environment for a publishing company. So enthralled by the talents our new neighbours possess, I want to introduce you to them in this issue (page 38). And on the subject of the arts, look out for the three “Inspired Creativity” arts profiles in the Autumn: Hills of Headwaters supplement (page 49). We are excited to publish the results of the 2012 Headwaters Culinary Challenge. This much anticipated annual event, which we started in 2006 in Caledon, now includes the entire Headwaters region, bringing together three local chefs, a secret ingredient, and just a few hours to see who can produce the best dishes. As always, the competition was tough and exciting, the creativity impressive. As the Fall season embraces us, enjoy all of Nature’s beauty that Caledon offers.
Katie Burchell Publisher
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contents autumn 2012 2 raw recipes using mushrooms
art 38
46 49
Meet the neighbours: Alton Mill Arts Centre My love of art Autumn: The Hills of Headwaters The Arts: Three local profiles
food 12 2012 Headwaters
Culinary Challenge
24
Profile: Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms
27
Recipes: Mushrooms in the raw
wine connoisseur 30 Can you judge a wine
by its label?
business 33 Advanced Taxidermy and
Wildlife Design: Chase the dream
well-being 56 Why our purpose is the key to
lasting success and fulfillment
heritage 59 Bolton “Fresh Air Camp”
1922–1999
community 65 Caledon Community Services motoring 68 Jaguar XJL review 10
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food
The Culinary Challenge is proving to be a popular annual event, growing in reputation with judges and readers alike. For the judges it’s becoming a reunion. This year we have expanded the Culinary Challenge to now encompass the entire Headwaters region.
5 WORDS DIANA JANOSIK-WRONSKI PHOTOS SIMON BURN
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THE CONTENDERS 1
Chef James Bruder, The Millcroft Inn & Spa, Alton
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Chef Gilles Roche, Gourmandissimo Catering & Fine Food Shop, Caledon East
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Chef Mark Mogenson, Black Birch Restaurant, Hockley Valley
THE JUDGES 4 5 6
Hans-Ulrich Herzig Patrick Desmoulins Don Cruikshanks
WINE CRITIC 7
Ric Kitowski
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Each year the Headwaters Culinary Challenge comes up with a secret ingredient, and a quantity of that ingredient is delivered to each contender the morning of the event. Each chef has just a few hours to come up with an appetizer and main course. They are judged for their creativity, originality, taste and presentation. We are always interested to see what drinks they pair with their culinary creations too. As everyone gathered on the morning of the challenge at the Motion Mazda dealership in Orangeville, the secret ingredient was at last revealed to the judges: mushrooms! And not just any mushrooms. Three types had been provided to each of the three challengers by Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms in Shelburne (see profile on page 20). Lion’s Mane is one of the more visually interesting types of mushroom. The cap grows in a clump of small centimetre-plus filaments like a bushy wig! Rare, they are considered a gourmet treat and are even said to have medicinal qualities.
Blue Oyster Mushrooms appear
in clumps of small, satiny blue-hued mushrooms with white stems. More solid and flavourful than most other oyster varieties, they have a sweet taste, shrink little, and retain their shape and springiness when briefly cooked.
The Judges Our judges are already quite familiar to Caledon Living readers. It says a lot that they are always eager to return to the Headwaters area to taste our local chefs’ creations. All three are extremely well qualified to judge some of the best the region has to offer.
Hans-Ulrich Herzig
Hans-Ulrich is the owner of H.U.H Imports Inc. in Newmarket. The company is an importer, distributor and wholesaler of high quality Swiss food products www.huhimports.ca. Hans-Ulrich is also a member of several chefs associations and the Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce. His official title actually belies Hans-Ulrich’s extensive experience. The Swiss connection is not surprising because he arrived from there over 30 years ago. High points in his long career were being a member (and team captain for many years) of regional teams and the Canadian national team in the1980s, competing in many international competitions world-wide including five times at the Culinary Olympics. HansUlrich also was chairman of the judges of many culinary competitions, and also Executive Chef at The Toronto Prince Hotel for almost 30 years.
Cinnamon Cap (Nameko) Mushrooms originated in Japan and
their small heads, which also grow in clusters, resemble cinnamon in colour, with white stems. Flesh is firm in texture and it has an earthy forest flavour enhanced in some cooking techniques.
So the party of judges, Caledon Living's wine expert Ric Kitowski plus this writer/amateur chef, drove off enthusiastically to see what delicious creations would be proffered. We were not disappointed. Mushrooms, it seems, were every chef’s “thing”! 14
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This year, Motion Mazda in Orangeville generously provided a wonderful new Mazda CX-9 to chauffer the judges in great style. The vehicle sparked immediate discussion as no one had been in one before, and conversation broke the ice for the day’s activities.
Patrick Desmoulins
Patrick is Executive Chef for the University Club of Toronto. This prestigious and historic Club was first established in 1906, and more formally in 1909, as a luncheon club for university graduates. Membership includes persons from business and finance, academe, and members of the law and judiciary, even Supreme Court Judges. You can find out more about the Club at www. universitycluboftoronto.com Patrick hails from France, where he trained in Dijon, coming to Toronto in 1979 via South America where he worked for the Hilton chain. He is a versatile chef who both cooks and is also schooled in pastry making. Here, he first worked for the Four Seasons Hotel’s Truffles restaurant, Auberge Gavroche, and Oliver’s Bistro, and joined the University Club in 1989. Patrick revealed this year that he is tri-lingual in English, French and Spanish, and he has just returned from a short stay in Mexico. He enjoys incorporating Latin flavours in the dishes he produces.
Don Cruickshanks
The first thing Don Cruickshanks told us about himself is that he is a “jeans” kind of guy who rides a motorcycle and likes to cook. This year Don announced he is the proud owner of a Gold Wing bike. Just after judging was over, he took to the roads on it for a long anticipated trip to Nova Scotia— and its gourmet delights! Don's modesty hides his many accomplishments as a chef. To start, he is a retired instructor of 20 years from the Georgian College Culinary School. A licensed baker, he even set up the baking curriculum for the Fiji Institute of Technology. Don is not one to let moss grow beneath his feet. He now runs a catering company called “At Your Service.” Don is a founding member of the Muskoka & District Chefs Assoc. For the Canadian Gift & Table Association’s (CGTA) biannual show for retail buyers, he runs the test kitchen and new product showcase. Don also runs a barbeque school for Napoleon Home Comfort. He won the Bronze Medal at the 1988 Hotel Olympics, and also judged in the Frankfurt World Culinary Olympics in the 1980s. AUTUMN 2012 CALEDON LIVING
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The Millcroft Inn & Spa Graciously greeted at the entrance by our hostess Sally, we were shown into “the pod” in Headwaters Restaurant at the Millcroft. For anyone who has eaten there, “the pod” is a prized location as it is a separate small room which romantically overlooks the millrace that had powered the original mill. The table was beautifully set in a very modern way. “Very interesting menu,” the judges unanimously agreed. The first course was an organic mushroom tart which featured all three mushrooms. It was imaginatively served on a piece of dark grey slate and was topped with a vinaigrette sauce made using the cinnamon coloured caps. Along with the mushrooms were corn, cherry tomatoes and young shoots, all from the Millcroft's own garden. Chef James Bruder appeared towards the end of the course to discuss his work (Enrico Schulze was the pastry chef). Growing and expanding the Millcroft’s garden had been an important objective for him, he said, “a lost skill.” He had been “excited to see mushrooms as the secret ingredient,” he exclaimed, as he loves working with them. The main course, a Sous Vide of Beef, featured not only the beef, but a cinnamon cap and roasted garlic flan, buttered Lion's mane, blue oyster compound butter, Swiss chard and a triad of mushroom essence. The plate sides were decorated with each type of mushroom. The judges were unanimously impressed with this course. “He knows what he is doing,” commented Don Cruikshank right away. “The au jus is very nice,” he continued. Patrick elaborated,“The mushroom is the main flavour; you can taste it from the butter to the au jus. The chard does not overpower the mushrooms either.” The main course was almost the perfect way to use these mushrooms, and the secret ingredient touched every part of the plate, they further commented. Hans-Ulrich Herzig (known as “Ulli” to his colleagues) capped it all by saying, “I am very impressed with what they are doing here.” Who knew you could use mushrooms in a dessert? Not required for the competition, Chef James managed to serve us a pistachio risotto with carrot flower and candied orange. Topping it all were cinnamon caps. The judges noted the distinct flavour in the risotto and the excellent presentation. As much as cooking styles change,classic is still the end result. The chefs chatted about specific dishes in a restaurant being the ones you like to come back for. And this was “worth coming back for” Patrick added. The main course, a Sous Vide of Beef with Cinnamon Cap and roasted garlic flan, buttered Lion’s Mane and Blue Oyster compound butter, with Swiss chard and a triad of mushroom essence.
James Buder, Millcroft Inn & Spa James Buder, the Executive chef at The Millcroft Inn & Spa, has a passion for fine local products and he strives to work within the 100 mile diet. He leads the culinary team in creating new twists on classics with his strong backgrounds in South East Asian, Provincial, French and Fusion cooking. James graduated from Stratford Chef School in 2002, with Canada Chef Honours. He then moved to Niagara where he was introduced to the “Go Local” program and worked at Inn on the Twenty in scenic Jordan. In 2005 and 2006, Chef James acted as Head of Production at Langdon Hall in Blair, where he assisted in the establishment receiving the coveted Five Diamond rating. The next step in James’ career brought him to Court of Laurelwood in Waterloo as Executive Chef. His dedication to excellence led him to The Charcoal Steak House and Martini’s in Kitchener, where he stayed from 2007 to 2012. “I love taking classic dishes and pushing the boundaries, elevating the flavours and presentation. Being able to take an ordinary dish to an extraordinary dish with the basic philosophy of time, care and attention to detail is a true pleasure,” says Chef James. The Millcroft Inn & Spa 55 John Street, Alton, Caledon www.millcroft.com
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Gourmandissimo Catering and Fine Food Shop The happy party piled into the luxurious Mazda for the pretty drive to Caledon East and Gourmandissimo Catering and Fine Food Shop. On the way we passed some contenders from previous years, and there was reminiscing about the great dishes they too had prepared. We were led to the upstairs dining room and Chef Gilles Roches was there to greet us, along with his wife, Adriana. He busied himself behind the cooking counter as Adriana led us to the table that was elegantly set for us in the next room. There was some teasing about perhaps being sat at the counter to watch Gilles at work! Chef Gilles’ introductory course was called a “Cinnamon Cup.” It was not what we thought. He had imaginatively made a culinary illusion of cappuccino with cinnamon and cinnamon mushrooms. “Gilles is really thinking outside of the box,” Don exclaimed. The “cappuccino” was in fact a mushroom soup, served to look like a cup of that magical coffee, right down to the coffee cup doubling as a soup bowl! The taste was exceedingly light and wonderful. Patrick noted how an emulsion served as the foam for the “coffee” and it was decorated with cooked mushroom stems. Don added, “As soon as you taste this, it's ‘ahhh’ … it's the KISS system: Keep it simply scrumptious! This cappuccino is to die for!” The main dish was, in fact, two creations, taking advantage of the properties of each mushroom type. The first was a “barley risotto” served with Blue Oyster mushrooms and Truffle oil. Chef Gilles confided that he too loves mushrooms and they are strong enough to stand on their own, no protein needed. “He’s captured it,” Don jumped in once more, “and the butter comes into play again.” The second plate was the Lion’s Mane mushroom served on an Asian stir fry. Adriana commented that this type of mushroom is used extensively in Asian cuisine, so Chef Gilles tried to stay true to form. Ulli commented how light it was and Don followed with how the noodles were not influenced by any flavour, also noting that the mushroom gills had been removed to avoid their bitterness. Chef Gilles’ visit to the table included some jokes about how much the mandolin was used in food preparation. “Every one had an excellent presentation,” Ulli remarked of the dishes.
Gilles Roche, Gourmandissimo Catering & Fine Food Shop Gilles was last year’s Culinary Challenge winner. He trained in Monte Carlo and went on to hone his skills in France, Rome, Milan, Munich and Geneva. His resumé is impressive; he has won a silver medal in the Culinary Olympics, the Cordon D‘Or medal for culinary professionalism and his culinary skills have literally been sought out by European royalty. He has prepared meals for princes, kings and dignitaries, including the wedding of Princess Caroline of Hanover. Gilles' exposure to classic French and Italian cuisine influences the dishes he now offers patrons at Gourmandissimo, which he owns with his wife Adriana. Most locals are also familiar with Gourmandissimo as event caterers, and Gilles will even come to your house to cook for small groups. In 2006, Gourmandissimo partnered with Orangeville Best Western Inn and Suites as their exclusive caterer. Gourmandissimo Catering & Fine Food Shop, 16023 Airport Road, Caledon East www.gourmandissimo.com
A “barley risotto” served with Blue Oyster mushrooms and truffle oil.
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Black Birch Restaurant The Mazda and its occupants now turned from Caledon East to the Hockley Valley. As we crossed Highway 9, the Judges remarked how we had not been in this area before. There were also comments about the countryside and how great it looked then, but also how picturesque it becomes with the fall colours, and how it is worth a repeat visit at that time. Don pondered out loud about how nice it would be to drive his motorcycle on this road. Our pleasant route along the Hockley Valley Road took us to the Black Birch Restaurant. The quaint country setting immediately struck the judges. One of them spotted a colourful bird at the feeders. Inside, black birches screened onto the translucent decorative fabric panels dividing the interior brought the outside in. Chef Mark Mogenson was doubly challenged as a competing chef that day because he had actually been open for lunch and had just finished that rush when we entered. Like the other competing chefs, he also confessed a great affinity for mushrooms. The appetizer was served and Chef Mark had taken a completely different approach than the others. Attractively presented in a rectangular “threesome” type of dish, he had individualized the mushrooms. Each type was paired with a complementary protein to play on each other’s flavours. The Blue Oyster mushroom was coupled with chicken; the Lion’s Mane was poached in the same water as the smoked salmon with which it was served, to pick up that flavour; and the Cinnamon Caps were served with venison. Don quickly remarked that Chef Mark had captured the Lion’s Mane well and there was a “nice cure” in the salmon. Ulli observed the good presentation of the appetizer. With French and Italian influences in his bistro, Chef Mark’s next course was a real classic. He produced a risotto combination with shredded Lion’s Mane mushrooms in the body of the dish, and Cinnamon Cap and Blue Oyster mushrooms were battered and served over the top. “Again he has featured the mushrooms,” said Don. The quaint “country cozy” exterior and its great setting easily camouflaged the surprisingly great food inside, they all agreed.
Mark Mogenson, Black Birch Restaurant Mark comments, “As an undergrad in chemistry I found I was a natural cook. By 4th year I knew lab work wasn't for me.” He found “chemistry of a different kind” in cuisine. Mark did a two-year chef’s course at George Brown College and then worked in Toronto. He found a mentor in Chris Klugman, a chef with an extensive background in upscale restaurants. Through him, Mark worked with the likes of Michael Stadtlander and Jamie Kennedy. A few restaurants where he also has worked in the GTA are Karin, Bistro 990, King Ranch, Winston's and Panache. In addition, Mark was chef at Ste. Anne's Spa in Grafton. Adding international experience to the mix, Mark includes, "I have also worked in Luxembourg and on cruise ships." Black Birch offers upscale country bistro cuisine, freshly prepared. Whenever possible, Mark uses local and organic ingredients to create an exciting and constantly evolving seasonal menu of both traditional (with French and Italian influences) and vegetarian dishes with a modern, playful flair. Black Birch Restaurant 307388 Hockley Rd, Orangeville www.blackbirchrestaurant.com
Mark’s appetizer features all three mushrooms. Blue Oyster with chicken, poached Lion’s Mane with smoked salmon, and Cinnamon Caps with venison.
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The pairings BY RIC KITOWKSI This is the second Culinary Challenge in which wine pairings were included and critiqued. While the three participating restaurants were specially selected for their cuisines, it was good to see they gave considerable thought to the presentation, including the proper selection of stemware, and to the wine selections themselves. The Millcroft Inn’s first pairing was a fresh and crisp Pinot Grigio 2011 produced by Tieffenbrunner from Italy’s Alto-Adige region. The acidity in the wine was a well thought out complement to the tomatoes and the tartness of the appetizer’s vinaigrette, although the wine itself may have been overpowered by the overall weight of the dish. With the main course, a New Zealand Pinot Noir 2010 from Kim Crawford offered the right balance for the weight of the dish and just the right notes of acidity to cut through its buttery richness. The beef was tender, which didn’t require a more heavily tannic wine than the one that was chosen, and its earthy notes complemented similar aromas in the mushrooms. Overall, two very good and classic choices. While not required for the Challenge, The Millcroft Inn also presented a dessert course paired with a 2010, slightly off-dry, Riesling from Tawse Winery. An excellent choice, not too sweet, with just the right biscuity notes to build on the dish. Gourmandissimo started with a Pinot Blanc 2007 from Strewn Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Soup with wine is never an easy match and, as Mushroom Cappuccino suggests, this was a richer style. A fuller style of wine was needed to match the weight of the dish, yet with enough acidity to cut through its richness, and this Pinot Blanc was up to the challenge. Being an older vintage, the wine had developed some earthier aromas which were a perfect complement to the earthiness of the mushrooms. Next, was an Argentinean Pinot Noir (Saurus Select 2008) from Familia Schroeder in Patagonia. This was a dish without protein so a more tannic style of red wine would have overpowered, and Pinot Noir was a good choice. At 14% alcohol the wine seemed a bit strong at times, but the classic earthy aromas balanced nicely with the mushrooms and truffle oil. For the final pairing, Adriana opted for Sleeman’s Honey Brown
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Lager instead of wine, a refreshing alternative and an interesting choice. It’s a fuller style of lager—lager often being the go to choice for Asian food—and with its sweeter notes balanced the dish nicely. Beer doesn’t usually open up more in the glass and so, unlike a wine selection, there wasn’t always something new to come back to with each bite. Overall, very good selections and some nice surprises. Black Birch’s three distinctively different flavoured appetizers, with three different proteins, created a wine challenge. It would be difficult to pick one wine that would have matched all the elements of the first course perfectly. For a white wine, Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling would have been a good choice and Mark and Gerry selected the Sauvignon Blanc 2011 from Stoneleigh in New Zealand. As a red wine choice, Gamay or a lighterstyle Pinot Noir would also have worked. The Sauvignon Blanc pairing worked well with the chicken and blue oyster mushroom as well as the cured salmon and lion’s mane mushroom appetizers, where the weight of the food and the wine were balanced, but it was overpowered by the smokiness of the venison and cinnamon cap mushroom combination. Mark had ensured a good match for the lion’s mane by poaching it in the same wine, thus making a bridge between the wine and the food. With the Mushroom Risotto course, Primitivo would not necessarily have been my first choice (usually earthier wines like Sangiovese or Pinot Noir come to mind), though the selection from Vinicola Mediterranea in Puglia worked well. It was a good match in terms of weight and the dish seemed to bring forth the smokier notes and dark fruit aromas in the wine. The acidity in the wine helped to ease the richness in the dish, and neither overpowered the other. Overall, a strong effort meeting a challenging dish and offering something new to consider. We have many restaurants in our area that care about the wines on their lists and how to make them part of the overall dining experience. Clearly these three restaurants were able to add another dimension to this year’s Headwaters Culinary Challenge through their creative pairings.
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And the winner is ... 1
Mark’s risotto with shredded Lion's Mane, and battered Cinnamon Caps and Blue Oysters served on top.
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Gilles’ “Cinnamon Cup”, a mushroom soup ingeniously served like a cappuccino.
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James made a pistachio risotto dessert with carrot flower and candied orange, topped with Cinnamon Caps.
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James Buder’s elegant appetizer, a tart featuring all three mushrooms, with corn, cherry tomatoes and young shoots from the Millcroft’s own garden.
Our three Judges are getting to know the area well. They are always eager to return and judge the best we have to offer. There was much discussion and careful tallying of scores for each participant's efforts. In the end, it was James Bruder of the Millcroft Inn & Spa who was hailed as this year’s winner of the Headwaters Culinary Challenge.
4 2012 Headwaters Culinary Challenge
WINNER James Bruder The Millcroft Inn & Spa
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food I profile
Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms
FUNGI FACTS Many people assume we grow our mushrooms in manure but they’re grown off of woodchips.
Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms generously supplied the three mushroom varieties for this year’s Headwaters Culinary Challenge. Owners Sean and Shannon Declerc started their business in 2007 by growing Shiitake mushrooms. Within five years their offering extended to include Shiitakes, Oysters of various colours (blue, white, pink, brown and abalone), Lion’s Mane, Cinnamon Caps, White and Beige Shimeji, Enoki and Red Reishi. They also sell Portobellos, white and brown (Cremini) mushrooms. “The regular varieties are available year round and there is some seasonality for the specialties. Even though they’re grown indoors, mushrooms still know what season it is. We also dry the specialty mushrooms,” Shannon explains. The most popular mushrooms with their customers are Shiitakes, followed by Oyster mushrooms of all colours. “In the summer months everyone comments on the Pink Oysters. Because of their colour they look like roses. All year long the Cinnamon Caps or the Lion’s Mane probably compete for the most attention, the Cinnamon Caps for their beautiful orange colour. Colour always draws people in and the Lion's Mane, because of its texture, really does look almost furry.”
Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms can be found every Saturday from May until the end of October at the Orangeville Farmer's Market on Broadway. Harmony Whole Foods carries their dried mushrooms and they sell from the farm by appointment at 519 925 3215.
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In the summer months we probably sell 1000lbs of mushrooms a week.
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recipes I food
Mushrooms in the raw WORDS NATALIE NEAL
As mushrooms are featured throughout this issue of Caledon Living, we invited local raw food expert Natalie Neal to share a couple of her favourite, and highly nutritious, raw mushroom recipes.
Portobello mushrooms with almond cauliflower garlic mash MUSHROOMS portobello
4 large
MARINADE coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil balsamic vinegar coconut palm nectar nama shoya or soy/tamari sauce cayenne pepper cinnamon pink himalayan salt
⅓ cup, melted ¼ cup ¼ cup 3 tbsp sprinkle sprinkle pinch
Mix all the marinade ingredients into a bowl, and submerge the portobello caps. One hour is enough for them to be ready, but overnight in the fridge, even a few days, is better. Reuse the marinade sauce as a salad dressing or reserve some of it for the gravy sauce.
MASH (Gluten-free) raw almonds cauliflower lemon juice lime juice garlic extra virgin olive oil pink himalayan salt pepper water or almond milk
2½ cups 4 cups 3 tbsp 2 tbsp 1 small clove 1 tbsp pinch to taste ⅓ cup or less to make creamy
Place almonds and salt in a high-speed blender or food processor and process into a fine powder. Next, add the lemon and lime juices, garlic, pepper and cauliflower. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly add water or almond milk until the mixture begins to take on a smooth, whipped texture. You may need to stop frequently to clean the sides of the bowl and help it along. This mash is guilt free, gluten-free and wonderfully nutritious, it's one of my favourite recipes that can be paired up with almost anything.
SHIITAKE MUSHROOM GRAVY
raw almonds shiitake mushrooms water garlic Bragg liquid aminos pink himalayan salt
⅓ cup 2½ cups ½ cup 1 clove 1 tbsp pinch
Soak almonds overnight, drain and dry the next day. Soak mushrooms in water until tender. Drain, and keep water to one side; it's full of nutrients! Then in a food processor, finely grind almonds. Add mushrooms, mushroom water, garlic, liquid aminos and salt. Process to a paste, adding warm water as necessary. AUTUMN 2012 CALEDON LIVING
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Chaga wild mushroom from Canada's north
Raw cocoa pecan walnut chaga mushroom brownies raw pecans raw walnuts raw cocoa powder coconut palm nectar or honey chaga extract almond meal cinnamon & nutmeg TOPPING avocado coconut palm nectar or honey raw cocoa powder chaga extract vanilla extract pink himalayan salt
1 cup 1 cup ½ cup ¼ cup 4 tbsp 2 tbsp dash 1 ¼ cup 6 tbsp 3 tbsp 2 tsp pinch
In a food processor, break up pecans and walnuts into granular pieces, but not into a paste. Pulse in the cocoa, coconut nectar or honey, Chaga extract, almond meal, cinnamon and nutmeg until the mixture becomes sticky and starts to clump together. Transfer to a baking dish and spread evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1hr or until it sets. Cut into brownies. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Make the topping fresh when serving the brownies by blending all the ingredients in a food processor until creamy.
Chaga mushroom is considered a supplement that can strengthen your immune system and help you fight all kinds of diseases. Compared to other varieties of medicinal mushrooms, Chaga contains 25 times more antioxidants. In addition, the antioxidants of Chaga absorb free radicals (cancer cells), and neutralize them before they can do damage to the tissue cells.
TIP There is always exception to the
rule and to best absorb Chaga’s benefits, consuming it raw is not as beneficial. Boiling, freezing and alcohol extraction are still the best known methods for breaking down chaga’s cell wall made out of chitin, same as a lobster shell, to release Chaga’s powers.
TIP
Serving suggestion
Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and dried unsweetened coconut 28
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Soaking makes raw nuts and seeds digestible and free of digestive inhibitors, resulting in better absorption of nutrients.
wine connoisseur
Can you judge a wine by its label? WORDS RIC KITOWSKI & JOCELYN KLEMM
WINE LABELLING RULES Fortunately in Canada we have fairly strict rules when it comes to labelling. There are a few important elements you’ll find on most wine labels: PRODUCER’S NAME If you are familiar with the producer, this can be an indication of the wine’s style and quality. VINTAGE The wine’s age tells you whether to expect something youthful or mature. You’ll have to read or seek advice about “good” vintages to take full advantage of this feature. REGION AND COUNTRY This is where the grapes are grown, and where the wine comes from. The more precise the geographic information (e.g. the vineyard name is identified), the higher the expected quality and likewise the price. GRAPE VARIETY Useful if you have a favourite variety, or are looking for something in particular. It won’t necessarily indicate how the grape variety was treated (e.g. aged in barrels), and this could influence the style of wine. ALCOHOL CONTENT Stated as a percentage of volume. The maximum number you should see on a bottle of table wine is 16%, and most will be around 12.5–13%. Fortified wines, like port, will be closer to 19%. BOTTLING INFORMATION This indicates where the wine was actually bottled (the winery or some large commercial factory). This would read as mise en bouteille au château or domaine on French labels, and imbottigliato on Italian labels. CLASSIFICATION For those countries with a wine classification system, there will be an acronym on the label. For example, VQA (Canada), AC (France), AVA (USA), DOCa (Spain), or DOC (Italy). Europe is moving to a DOP classification which will eventually standardize most of the systems. Classifications, however, are not an indicator of quality of the wine, just confirmation of what is in the bottle and that the winemaker followed certain rules.
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We’ve seen a lot of research lately indicating the degree to which the label can influence a person’s decision to buy the wine, or not. It can influence wine novices because they may like the look of a certain label, and experienced wine consumers because of the winery name or the region. But beyond the aesthetics and recognition factors, the label can hold many clues as to what to expect from that bottle of wine. Wine labels differ greatly from country to country, even region to region. Wineries from New World regions like California or Niagara feature the grape name prominently on the label: “Chardonnay” or “Cabernet Sauvignon” for example. If you are familiar with those grape varieties, this can be useful. However wineries in the Old World, such as Italy and France, tend to use geographic or regional-based labelling styles: for example Chianti Classico (Italy), Burgundy (France), or Rioja (Spain). The strict laws of these regions dictate which grapes can be grown there, and how they can be grown. This is somewhat useful, assuming that you know which grape or grapes are associated with each region. In the Old World there are exceptions. Regions like the Alsace in France and Friuli in Italy, as well as most Eastern European countries and Germany, do use the grape name approach. Some wine labels omit both varietal and geographic information altogether. Some examples are Gentil (a blend of white grapes from Alsace), Ornellaia (a Bordeaux-style blend from Italy), or Noble One (a Semillon-based dessert wine from Australia). These can be more expensive wines made by producers who want
to use grape varieties not permitted by local regulations. The back label is usually the domain of a winery’s marketing team, so expect less standardization. You may find a little map of the winery’s location, some information on the grape varieties in the wine, how dry or sweet the wine is, how long it was aged in barrels, foods to pair, aging recommendations, or serving temperatures. Initially the bar code on the back label was used only for scanning at cash registers. But now, in Ontario, the LCBO has developed a Web App for smart phones that provides a link to the LCBO Web site where you can find out more about the wine, the price, and which stores are carrying it. Wineries are also adding Quick Response Codes (QR) to the back labels which link back to the winery Web site where even more information can be accessed, including winemaker technical sheets and recipes. Wines from the US have had a health warning for many years. Starting this fall, Health Canada is requiring all back labels to indicate the possible presence of allergens in the finished wine. In addition to the “May contain sulfites” warning now in use, you may soon see “May include egg products” if the winemaker used albumen (egg white) to fine filter the wine, a common practice in higher quality wines. Whether it’s the image of a kangaroo on the front label, or pairing and aging information on the back label, always keep in mind that it was designed and written to entice you to buy the wine over another, and may be more general than useful. Some of the more famous wines in the world provide no back label information at all, presuming the wine speaks for itself. You be the judge!
Richard Kitowski and Jocelyn Klemm are The Wine Coaches and authors of the best-selling guide to the basics: Clueless About Wine. Sign up for their newsletter at www.thewinecoaches.com
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business
Advanced Taxidermy and Wildlife Design
Chase the dream Walk into Advanced Taxidermy and Wildlife Design and you will think you have just entered an amazing wildlife art gallery! In fact, three dimensional art is exactly the ‘nature’ (pardon the pun) of the business achieved by partners Shawn Galea and James McGregor. The creatures which you see look so good that you’d think they are all real. But most are not! Mainly they are mounted recreations and replicas. Shawn actually started the hobby first, and then introduced it to James. Always interested in the outdoors and wildlife art, as well as art in general, his experience in jewellery design familiarized him with the moulding process. This led him to reproduction work. Self-taught, he tells the story of how he needed to perfect a casting compound which would cure on cold, wet surfaces. He consulted major corporate chemists for advice, and actually was told by one that such a product could not be physically created. Imagine the chemist’s surprise when, about a year later, teenager Shawn showed up in his lab, having accomplished the impossible. The chemist, now retired, reminds Shawn of this every time he sees him!
Behind the art Advanced Taxidermy and Wildlife Design was established by Shawn Galea (President) and his partner James McGregor (Vice President). These two met in high school when they were 16 and started this as a hobby. Twentyseven years of very hard work later, they have built a business which has set the bar for the industry. Their company has won first place more than 33 times in international competitions and now both partners act as judges themselves. They count Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s as valued clients. Besides these and other corporate clients, their customer list is gold-plated with celebrities and NHL players. Even Outdoor Canada magazine has listed Shawn and James among the 30 most influential people in the history of Canada’s fishing, hunting and conservation. When I interviewed Shawn, he had just returned from a show in Las Vegas. Recently he has been as far afield as Dallas, Reno, Sacramento, Salt Lake and Chicago. For these
WORDS DIANA JANOSIK-WRONSKI
events, a special rolling booth has been built to be wheeled off the truck trailer and opened on site. As well as winning the competitions, their company has won Best Booth in various trade shows in over nine consecutive years. In fact they are often invited to participate! Shawn Galea’s name is revered beyond Canada for his art and he is sought out by clients in the USA, Europe and the Orient. When I visited, a life-sized reproduction of an African crocodile was being boxed for shipment to a Saskatchewan client who wanted to keep a memoir of his African trip in his 45,000 square foot home.
Art for the home The lifelike, completely synthetic crocodile mentioned above typifies the work Advanced Wildlife Design does. It has a large business in fish trophies for enthusiastic anglers and they estimate doing about 2,000 such projects a year. The reproduction route they take is good for a variety of reasons. With “catch and release” programs in effect in so many places to help conserve fish stocks, all the sportsman needs to do is take a good photo of his trophy catch and send measurements, so a lifelike memoir can be created of the one that didn’t get away! “I’m a sucker for doing little kids’ first fish,” Shawn grins. “I do about 70 of those a year.” The memory will be lifelong, too, with flawless detail and more accuracy because real skin would deteriorate over time. A completely synthetic copy is created from the casting compound Shawn created when young. Moulds are taken from real fish. His stock of moulds is so big that any size fish or species is possible. “It can take about 12 coats of paint for perfect fish scales,” James adds. One project involved a diorama of a killer whale swimming through a salmon school and kelp beds for a 30-foot wall of an outdoors store. Big and small, they do them all! A smaller part of the business remains taxidermy of such items as hunting trophies or skins from institutions for educational display. But even these animals are imaginatively and artistically treated, beyond the average taxidermy. Shawn refers to their work as “the purest form of wildlife art.” It is “DNA accurate”, to use the business terminology. Deep understanding is required of animal species, including colouring at different times of year, anatomy, and so forth. Both partners can hold their own with scientists because of the depth of their knowledge. In fact, they are often consulted by scientific institutions to help identify species. Due to their extensive practical experience and deep understanding, they often spot things scientists do not. Both Shawn and James claim they can tell the species while it is still in the bag, or know where it was caught simply by the AUTUMN 2012 CALEDON LIVING
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This is a labour of love.
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Shawn Galea, Advanced Taxidermy and Wildlife Design.
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colouration. This doesn’t apply to just fish, but wolves, foxes and other kinds of animals! Even a famous wildlife artist comes to their gallery to use their work for reference. Most of Shawn and James’ pieces become elements of home décor. They present the animals in natural habitats and dioramas, instead of merely mounted on the wall. I was taken by one sculptural work with fish supported on metal wires, which became a scene where they were swimming through lily pads, the wires forming the stems of the pads. Intended to be viewed in 3D, the piece sits on a coffee table, like any sculpture. Shawn is also interested in creating unique products that become functional pieces of furniture. His latest idea is a poker table displaying a diorama with everything from replica crocodile heads to fish inside the base. It’s all custom-made, including the woodwork, to what the client wants. Other creations decorate wine racks, coffee tables, display cases and wherever else they seem to fit into the décor. Both Shawn and James point out that wildlife display has entered the mainstream of décor, featured by such designers as Martha Stewart and Candace Olsen.
More neat stuff Every artist has done unique things; Shawn and James are no exceptions. After being in business for only three years, they were approached by the Royal Ontario Museum to do a copy of the largest Coelacanth ever caught. These fish were thought to have gone extinct millions of years ago until one was pulled up by a fisherman off the coast of South Africa in 1938. Therefore they are nicknamed as “living fossils.” A second replica was commissioned by a museum in Alberta, and then the mould went missing. It was ultimately found in nearby Guelph several years later, and is back in the happy company’s possession. Another unusual project was a 55-foot humpback whale, so large that it had to be built in a farmer’s barn. The inside steel support structure weighed 1,600 pounds alone. It took ten persons and three weeks to complete the project. Commissioned by a Boston company for display in a fish museum, it took two days to transport there via flatbed truck and created quite a stir on the way! A lot of work is done for films and, if anyone recalls the movie Tommy Boy with John Candy, Advanced Taxidermy and Wildlife Design created the deer for an important scene. Backdrops are also created, as well as armatures, and it is often the special effects company which orders them. Sometimes Shawn and James never know where their creation will be used until they recognize their work on screen! “A labour of love,” as they call it, Shawn Galea and James McGregor have chased their dreams to success!
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WORDS ANDREW HIND
ABOVE Barbara McDiarmid BELOW CJ Shelton, Dancing Moon Studios
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PHOTOS
art
S SIMON BURN
We’ve spent the past few months getting to know our neighbours, an eclectic collection of artists specializing in a range of diverse mediums. Having developed a strong appreciation for their talents and unique stories, we decided to introduce them to you.
Craig Bell, Crimson Feather Gallery
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art STUDIO 100 Headwaters Arts Headwaters Arts is a year-round, volunteer based membership organization that promotes the development, appreciation and enjoyment of all arts in the Hills of Headwaters. Collaborative marketing efforts promote the region as a centre for artistic excellence, providing artists with greater exposure, sales and networking opportunities. Headwaters Arts has grown from a single event, established as a 3-week festival in 1996, to a year-round organization that contributes dramatically to the community. There is a new show every month, so it's worth dropping by on a regular basis to see what's new.
Anne-Marie Warburton, Gallery Gemma Shannah Davison, Shannah Rose
STUDIO 101 Shannah Rose Shannah Rose provides handmade designer women's wear. Owner Shannah Davison began designing and sewing when she was 13, coming from a long line of high-end seamstresses including her mother who now works with her. After designing theatre costumes in and around Toronto for 17 years, about 10 years ago Shannah started Shannah Rose. “Timelessly elegant women’s wear is the idea behind Shannah Rose. It is the belief that, when one is dressed in a well-fitted, beautifully made outfit, there is an inner glow that shines through. A Shannah Rose piece is handcrafted in high quality fabrics using techniques passed down through family traditions to ensure our garments are cherished and will provide joy for a long time.” Shannah Rose has a selection of Ready-to-Wear pieces, as well as providing both Made-to-Measure and Custom Designs. STUDIO 102 Gallery Gemma Jewellery Anne-Marie Warburton, artist/owner of Gallery Gemma Jewellery, enjoys distinction as the only jewellery creator amongst the many art galleries of the Alton Mill. She is unique, just like the pieces she lovingly and skillfully crafts. Each piece that she designs is one-of-a-kind, artwork in its own right. Anne-Marie Warburton studied at the prestigious GIA in New York, and continually broadens her skills and knowledge by taking art classes and yearly instruction with a master goldsmith. “To me, learning my craft is a lifelong pursuit of excellence,” she explains. Working with Anne-Marie at Gallery Gemma is Ginette Lockhart, a metal smith and accomplished designer. Together they create jewellery of their own design, do custom jewellery for clients, and perform repairs, restyling and pearl restringing. Gallery Gemma also represents other jewellery artists from all over the world. STUDIO 104 The Bartlett Gallery This contemporary fine art gallery is owned by a Newfoundland native, Wayne Bartlett, and is run by Teresa Brownell, Director, and Lynda Clare Grant, Manager. The gallery features a frequently rotating collection of works by local and internationally renowned artists including James Gordaneer and Jean Claude Roy. “We’re certainly not ‘edgy’ ... but we try to push the envelope a little,” says Teresa. “We go above and beyond in catering to our collectors as well as our visitors. There is no pretentiousness in our Gallery ... it’s comfortable and welcoming.”
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STUDIO 105 Shaw’s Creek Café The perfect break while enjoying all the Alton Mill artistry is found within the warm confines of Shaw's Creek Café, located on the main floor. Cozy and welcoming, this café serves delicious coffee, tea, treats, lunches and desserts. “We specialize in fresh, delicious baking, soups, chili, weekly sandwich specialties and wonderful salads—all made from scratch,” explains Peter van Ryn, Office Coordinator. “Enjoy a great mix of garden and gift wares tucked in and around the Café.” Shaw’s Creek Café stands on its own merits. You have to try their lemon square; it may even outshine some of the artwork displayed at the Mill! STUDIO 109 Crimson Feather Gallery Craig Bell and Elaine Heath, talented artists in very different fields, have come together as partners in the Crimson Feather Gallery. Elaine Heath paints in watercolour, oil and acrylic, and is best known for her large flower paintings that define each room at Inglewood's Bethell House. Craig Bell, an award-winning photographer, often utilizes innovative printing processes to combine printing with painting. Elaine and Craig use Crimson Feather to display their own work as well as that of interesting guest artists. A new show is mounted each month. “We’ve been at Alton Mill for just over a year. It’s a fantastic place to hang out. It drives us to produce, and it allows us to share with folks who view our work as well as the works of artists we’ve come to respect,” says Craig. STUDIO 200 Julia Vandepolder Julia’s paintings are an exploration of abandoned and collapsing urban and rural architecture. She explores the details of these structures, focusing on unique patterns formed through weathering and decay. Her artwork has won numerous prestigious awards, most recently the ‘DRAWING 2012’ First Prize Award at the 13th Annual Juried Exhibition at the John B. Aird Gallery. She continuously exhibits at public and private galleries across Ontario, and her work is featured in numerous private and corporate collections across North America, including BMO Financial Group. Julia is currently working on a new body of work, through the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council’s emerging artist grant, and is making new paintings for upcoming shows. STUDIO 201 The Hive Ever hear of an art medium known as encaustic? If not, head over to the Alton Mill where you will discover the ancient, luscious technique of painting with beeswax and oil paint in a studio aptly named The Hive. Artist Andrea Bird has been working with and teaching this fabulous medium for over a decade. Her extensive exhibition and teaching history bring experience and enthusiasm to The Hive. She has a genuine love of encaustic and continues to deepen her understanding of this medium by moving into new spheres in her work. The Hive showcases encaustic paintings by a diverse group of painters, and is a place of community creativity.
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We’re certainly not ‘edgy’...but we try to push the envelope a little.
‘‘ Linda Clare Grant, manager of the Bartlett Gallery.
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Harry Posner, Shaw’s Creek Café BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT
Ann Randeraad, Margi Taylor, Janet Simmons Sweet
STUDIO 205 Margi Taylor Artist Margi Taylor is one of the longest tenants in the mill, her studio and office here since 2004. “I had the opportunity to see the mill evolve, from a small 6-studio building adjacent to a derelict old mill, to a beautiful art centre filled with creative individuals from all disciplines,” says Margi. “My arts education and interests in design and communications have led me on a career involving promotion and marketing, but my love for art and the creative process has motivated me to paint and to do print-making,” says Margi. She continues to explore and push her boundaries, broadening her reach while looking at old things in a new way. While she has favoured traditional techniques, her current focus includes water colours painted with an abstract edge. STUDIO 206 Dancing Moon Studios CJ Shelton is an accomplished and versatile artist who has spent over 30 years mastering her craft. Classically trained as a fine artist and technical illustrator, she is well known for her highly detailed architectural and animal portraiture. She skillfully works within multiple art forms and combines a variety of mediums such as pen and ink, watercolour, pencil crayon, pastels and acrylics. “I am also trained in therapeutic art and shamanic healing, and facilitate unique small group workshops in mandala making and sacred geometry,” explains CJ.
STUDIO 202 Lucille Weber “As a new tenant to the Alton Mill I am anticipating this to be an exciting venue in my career as an established artist,” says Lucille, with barely contained excitement. As a painter, Weber will work on site, seeking inspiration from the setting. Her studio is on the mill’s top floor, overlooking and within earshot of the babbling Shaw’s Creek. She has always felt it calling out to her, and now she will fill the room with her vibrant artwork and offer private and semi-private art sessions. Lucille will be hosting themed exhibitions every two months. STUDIO 204 Janet Simmons Sweet Janet, a full-time fine artist, has been at the Alton Mill for over four years, experiencing the transition from a partially renovated old building to the revitalized, vibrant Art Centre it is today. She paints in oil or acrylic and lists Rembrandt, with his attention to dramatic light in rich, saturated colours, as being her greatest influence. All the works in her studio have been created on-site, the majority inspired by local Caledon landscapes found on her daily trip from home. “The most remarkable part of the Alton Mill is that, after four years and the many changes, the shine has never come off,” enthuses Janet. 44
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STUDIO 208 Bridget Wilson Design From an early age Bridget always had her hands busy! Impatient from the start, she flittered from medium to medium, eventually enrolling in the Visual Arts Program at York University. For a time, that’s where her artistic endeavours ended. Busy with life in general, her pursuits of creativity were abandoned until she happened upon a stained glass workshop. Then there was no looking back! Over eighteen years of self-study and professional workshops, she has progressed through various forms of art glass to her present state of fusing. Bridget teaches at her studio at the Alton Mill Creative Arts Centre when she is not playing with glass! Bridget Wilson
STUDIO 209 Ann Randeraad Pottery One wobbly pot and Ann Randeraad was hooked on the world of mud and throwing pots. With no formal training, Ann is mostly self-taught through books and videos. She was the midnight potter, running to the basement late at night when her young kids were finally sleeping and, with much repetition, turning those organic shapes into more recognizable pots. Twenty years later, she is equally passionate about clay. Her studio displays a wide range of her wares for sale. She can also be found on Saturday mornings at the Orangeville Farmer’s Market. STUDIO 211 Steve Wilkie Steve’s works are predominantly landscapes and architecture for the stage, inspired by his travels abroad as well as locales right here in Caledon. His images are produced using archival products and top of the line equipment. “The images I make on the set are used in ads for the different productions, including posters and web sites.” Steve has had his gallery at the Alton Mill for just over a year, and anticipates being here for many years to come. STUDIO 213 Barb McDiarmid Barbara's interest in art began at an early age, and become a hobby throughout her adult life. She is now fully committed to her art, and can be found most days in her studio working in her newly found niche of encaustic. Barb loves to embed organic objects such as dried flowers into her work to give it a life-like quality She also works in oil, watercolour, acrylic and with collagraphy and mono prints. STUDIO 215 Paul Morin Gallery Newly opened at the Alton Mill Arts Centre, this gallery showcases the artistic endeavours of Paul Morin, focusing primarily on traditional cultures. At times, we might see Paul producing three dimensional installations or music and video compositions which relate directly to his paintings. His studio is also an incredibly inspiring place to participate in varied art classes and workshops. Paul’s landscapes and thought provoking abstract paintings are inspirational glimpses into the abstract of nature and the nature of abstract. STUDIO 216 Aurea Lux Photography Gallery Aurea Lux showcases the photographic talents of Simon Burn and George Church. George has lived in the Orangeville area all of his life and pursues his love of photography at every opportunity. His camera is always close to hand. "I have always taken notice of my surroundings and believe in trying to capture the beauty of the clarity of a simple stunning moment in time." he enthuses. Simon has been shooting both commercially and for fun for more than 20 years. "It's my hobby, my passion, first and foremost." he exclaims. "The fact that people will pay me for what I do is a bonus though!" Simon travels around world shooting travel, food and lifestyle for various publications and clients, but equally enjoys spending time in the Headwaters region shooting landscapes and producing fine art prints. AUTUMN 2012 CALEDON LIVING
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My love of art
WORDS JIM CONNELLY
You can learn to appreciate original art as a worthwhile investment that can aesthetically define your living space.
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The magic of being drawn to a piece of artwork often comes through the experience of meeting the artist and learning firsthand what the art means to its creator.
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Art has the capacity to evoke many emotions. It can tell a story on many different levels and is open to interpretation. Growing up in Scotland, I was surrounded by art and very quickly fell in love with it, seeing how it can characterize a room and even a whole home. I studied at the Glasgow School of Art before emigrating to Canada with my family. The love and appreciation of art never left me and I’ve taken up my paint brushes again after a long spell away from the easel. It now gives me much pleasure to see a piece of my art installed in a client’s home. When I meet with a client, it is usually a personal referral by word of mouth or through their interior designer, frequently for artistic wall treatments that my company specializes in. Often times the client may not have considered a central theme, whether it be a colour palette or being able to really articulate their personal design style. Working with the client and designer, I start the process by asking for their favourite colours, then showing them some artwork that could provide a central theme to define the direction for the rest of the room. According to an art blog by Andrea Carson, when you decorate your space with original art, it helps to differentiate the look of your space from that of your friends. Andrea says, “When you thumb through top interior design magazines, they all have original art on the walls.” Check out artbombdaily.com to find originals created by emerging artists and, as the web site encourages, “Buy What You Love.” There is a plethora of original artwork to be purchased in the Caledon region. Go on one of many studio tours where you can meet the artists and learn from them about the different types of art mediums that may be purchased. Many local and emerging artists showcase their creations at the Alton Mills Arts Centre, which is now home to a growing number of fine art photographers too. Fine art photography
is a highly desirable way to cheer up an interior space. Local photographer, and good friend of mine, Simon Burn has recently opened a photography gallery at the Alton Mill. Simon is an incredibly multi-talented photographer/ designer/brand guru and all-round cool dude! My own home was showcased in an earlier edition of Caledon Living. It presented my art, and also that of my artist friends and colleagues with whom I have swapped pieces. Many of the artists who have worked for my company are OCAD or European trained artists. My wife Maureen wanted a mix of art mediums and other artists’ work besides mine gracing the walls in our home! It is such a pleasure to personally know the artist behind the artwork. The magic of being drawn to a piece of art often comes through the experience of meeting the artist and learning firsthand what the art means to its creator and what inspiration occurred in the creative process. The background story to the piece of art on the opposite page is the belief that you should always follow your dreams. This artwork is one in a series called “Follow Your Dreams” that I recently completed for the beautiful home of publicist Laura Stratton. This mixed medium art piece includes textured plaster, gold leaf and Swarovski crystals, topped off with epoxy resin. The “Follow Your Dreams” series is my interpretation of how there are no boundaries in achieving our happy endings. My paintings show the celestial sky that we drift through while dreaming. Swarovski crystals light the way to guide us; gold and copper elements with crystals energize us on our journey as we sleep. I’m very fortunate to dream the most amazing adventures and to remember the dream when I awake. I believe that we can make our dreams into reality through persistence and hard work. The most important thing is to never give up.
In addition to buying what you love, consider these pointers: Establish an art budget independent of your decorating budget. Get the best that you can afford; if you can’t afford an established artist’s work, buy the best from an emerging artist who could become famous—look at the investment! Think of art as a way to bring a room to life and be a reflection of your personal style. Measure the space where you plan to hang the art before purchasing! Consider purchasing art on-line, but ask about the return policy and specify high resolution images. Look into rental or rent-to-own plans at art galleries, e.g. the Art Gallery of Ontario. Check out the Toronto Artist Project, an annual show and sale of juried artwork with many artists to choose from. My friend Simon Burn, a talented photographer and designer, who now has his work on sale at the Aurea Lux Photography Gallery at Alton Mill Arts Centre. His large canvas prints make a stunning focal point to any room.
Go on a guided art gallery tour in Toronto’s Yorkville Galleries—watch for this in the Globe and Mail. Get professional help with framing.
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Inspired creativity
Beth Grant Merle Harstone Jo Phenix
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“Inspired by nature” is a fitting description for the plethora of creative professionals and artists who call the Hills of Headwaters home. In this issue of Autumn: The Hills of Headwaters, we discover the artistry that is inspired by the region’s tranquil landscapes, our rolling hills and valleys, and the multitude of waterways that reflect the history and heritage of years gone by. In Headwaters, we are fortunate to be surrounded by artists who share their creativity by opening their doors, inviting us into their studios or onto the stages of heritage theatres. At Century Church Theatre in Hillsburgh, Jo Phenix and her husband Neville have established a theatre tradition in their community that also cultivates tomorrow’s theatregoers and performers. We look inside the glass studio at Dragonfly in Orangeville, where Beth Grant spins glass beads inspired by the Canadian North. And finally, we take a walk through Merle Harstone’s studio in Caledon, where her abstract paintings resonate with the history and nature of the region. Welcome to the Hills of Headwaters, where you will be inspired! We’re just steps outside Toronto’s back door, yet worlds away from life in the city!
The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association Executive Director: Michele Harris Writing: Rodney Barnes Photography: Simon Burn
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Beth Grant
Reflecting nature in glass Beth Grant brings the glass rod into the blue flame of her torch and twirls the stick slowly in the heat. At 2000 degrees the glass begins to glow and Beth touches the mandrel in her left hand up to the tip of the rod where she starts to spin the bead. In the flame, the glass becomes soft and pliable, oozing thick like honey or caramel. Beth’s hands work precisely, wrapping the mandrel carefully until she decides the bead is large enough, and then separates it from the rod. She rotates the bulb of glass in the heat to smooth any edges before rolling it in flecks of green and grey glass, where it will pick up the look of a Northern Canadian pebble. Canada’s outdoors holds a significant influence over the Grand River artist, whose trips to the Northwest Territories and elsewhere provide Beth with inspiration and examples to model her work after. “A lot of my work is inspired by experience outside,” says Beth. This bead specifically is part of a set that comes from her time spent at Echo Beach. It matches some pottery by Al Pace, the Hockley resident who’s coordinated and lead many of Beth’s trips up north. Beth’s trips started while she was studying botany in university. Every summer she headed to the East Arctic to survey and collect samples, and subsequently fell in love with the place. “I just felt at home up in the North,” she says. About seven or eight years ago, her passion for Canadian landscape found expression through art. Her friend Joan Hope, owner of Dragonfly in Orangeville, persuaded
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Beth to attend a glass bead workshop and “within the first week I was hooked,” she recalls. “A lot of people are intimidated by a 2000-degree flame, but I wasn’t.” Beth’s studio is now based out of Dragonfly, where she makes and sells her beads and other glasswork. The location helps her develop a relationship with her customers, who often witness the work being made and come to a better appreciation. “They’ll often say to me, 'I didn’t know how much time it took to make',” she says. Beth has also seen the artist community grow up around her as she’s grown with it. “It’s great to see it growing,” she says, mentioning the increase in studio tours and traffic to the shop over the years. “Even people who live locally are still discovering the store.” And being part of a community of artists has also helped inspire her work and creativity. Beth is starting to work with a jewelry maker, one of her first collaborations with another artist. “It’s a lot of fun being in the artistic community,” she says.
It’s a lot of fun being in the artistic community
Beth Grant can be found at Beads on Broadway, at the back of Dragonfly, at 189 Broadway in Orangeville. View some of her work at www.bethgrantglass.com
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Merle Harstone
Painting from a place of beauty Merle Harstone’s paintings, so full of colour—laughing, dreaming, ruminating—can hardly be confined by the abstraction her style calls for. In “Meditative Posture Belly Roll,” one of a series of acrylic paintings inspired by meditation, she points out the very distinct outline of the human figure, the gentle slope from the hip to waist and the soft pink encouraging peacefulness and calm. In some the use of mixed media—porcelain, glass, wire—adds a physical tension to the piece, or forces a reflection on perspective. In other works the geometry and placement of specific elements suggests a journey, carrying themes of birth and growth. Painting is the language Merle uses to express herself, she says, but also to think things through. Her art provides her with a means to struggle. Sometimes it is through virtue of the process, as much as the finished work, that she says helps “the piece become the counterpoint to restore balance.” In this way, these paintings capture who she is at that time. “When you come to everything you do,” she says, “we bring who we are at that point.” Merle started painting ten years ago, after taking a one-week course at Magiolly’s in Orangeville where she was immediately drawn to the abstract style. “People either get it or they don’t,” she says. “It will be natural or it will be painful.” For Merle the calling was a natural one. “It was like singing and dancing,” she recalls. “It was wonderful for me to be lead into it and now work in it.” Her inner life is not her sole source of inspiration; she draws much from her surroundings. Merle grew up in Don Mills and lived in Mississauga for a time before moving to her current residence in Caledon, on the same land where the historic town of Silver Creek used to reside. Silver Creek was once a regular stop for the stagecoach that would pass through on its way from Owen Sound to Port Credit. The railway put in south of
Merle Harstone works out of Silver Creek Studios at 16797 Kennedy Road in Caledon, and is open any time by appointment. View her work at www.silvercreekstudios.ca 52
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the location caused the town to shutter. The remains of the grist mill and wagon wheel repair shop can still be seen, partially buried on Merle’s property. “It’s cottagey but it’s homey, it’s so homey,” Merle says as she walks by the creek that runs alongside her yard. “It’s like a big, warm hug. We’ve felt more at home here than ever.” The sounds and atmosphere around Caledon all contribute to her art. “I love the beauty of the place,” she says. “It feeds me, it nurtures me.” As does her connection with other artists in the area, with whom she’s part of the Caledon Hills Studio Tour, among other communities. “I feel connected to the home and the house and the land,” she says. “And to feel connected to the people as well is wonderful.”
Jo Phenix
Building a community’s theatre tradition Inside the red brick church, sitting grandly along the main street of Hillsburgh, a vaulted ceiling and muted lights hold in the hushed chatter among the pews. We’re about to see Century Church Theatre’s production of “Nobody’s Perfect,” a comedy involving a single father who gets himself into a mess after posing as a woman and winning a writing contest held by a feminist magazine. The situation is further complicated by his teenage daughter and her mischievous grandfather. The play takes on gender issues that are progressive for a small theatre, but under Jo Phenix’s direction they are explored with charm and wit. Jo helped establish Century Church Theatre with her husband and the help of the Erin Arts Foundation 13 years ago, one year after moving to the area from Georgetown. Originally based out of Centre 2000 in Erin, before the community centre was converted to a cinema, the company will have spent eight seasons at their new location in Hillsburgh this year. Jo and Neville have done an incredible job, building a theatre company from the ground up. “There was no theatre tradition here before us,” says Jo. “One challenge for us was to establish a theatre habit.” A habit that seems to be coming along quite well. The theatre has presented about 100 plays since they started, with the professional group involved in three productions over the summer and the community company putting on three during the fall and winter. Selling tickets alone doesn’t raise enough money to keep the theatre afloat, says Jo, but the support from the community has been generous. “We love the area; we love the village,” she says. And the relationship is mutually beneficial as, “Businesses in town can tell when there’s a show.”
Youth are also an important focus for them. Today’s kids will be tomorrow’s theatre-goers, says Jo. Many of their plays involve young performers and every year the theatre puts on a pantomime, open to families and children in the community. “There seems to be a desire among the youngsters to be involved in theatre, to perform,” she says. “We’re very glad to provide them with the opportunity right here.” After 25 years of working in theatre together, Jo and Neville know very well how the arts can change a community. “It’s not hockey. It’s not baseball or soccer,” says Neville. “It’s culture. It’s not TV; it’s not movies. It’s live—and that’s the magic.”
Century Church Theatre is located at 3 Hill Street in Hillsburgh. You can view their show schedule online at www.CenturyChurchTheatre.com AUTUMN 2012 CALEDON LIVING
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AUTUMN EVENTS October 21 EMPTY BOWLS FOOD BANK FUNDRAISER Alton Mill Arts Centre www.altonmill.ca
October 31 HENRY AND ALICE: INTO THE WILD Theatre Orangeville www.theatreorangeville.ca
October 22 KING’S COLLEGE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE www.kingscollegeschool.ca
November 16 WINDOW WINTER WONDERLAND & CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING Theatre Orangeville www.theatreorangeville.ca
October 26 HALLOWEEN HAUNTED FOREST AT ‘TERROR COTTA’ www.creditvalleyca.ca October 27 HAUNTED FOREST Caledon Public Library, Alton www.caledon.library.on.ca Until October 31 100th ANNIVERSARY HISTORY EXHIBIT Headwaters Health Care Centre www.headwatershealth.ca
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November 17 CHRISTMAS CRAFT SHOPPE Caledon East United Church www.caledoneastunitedchurch.ca November 17 CHRISTMAS BAZAAR Palgrave United Church www.palgraveunited.ca From November 17 O CHRISTMAS TREE! Alton Mill Arts Centre www.altonmill.ca
November 24 SANTA CLAUS PARADE Village of Erin www.erin.ca November 29 WOMEN FULLY CLOTHED – OLDER AND HOTTER Rose Theatre Brampton www.rosetheatre.ca December 1 SANTA CLAUS PARADE Bolton www.boltonkin.com
For the latest event updates and details visit: www.thehillsofheadwaters.com
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well-being
purpose
Why our is the key to lasting success and fulfillment
WORDS ROBIN ALTMAN
Have you ever played darts and tried to hit the bull’s eye? Not easy, right? But when you do, boy, what a satisfying feeling it is. When you don’t, you look for the next best thing: “How close did I get it?” The closer your dart is to the bull’s-eye, the better you feel. Same thing applies to our purpose in life. When we’re living with purpose and working with purpose, it’s just like hitting the bull’s eye. We feel happier, in flow and fulfilled. The farther we are from our purpose, the worse we feel.
First, I discovered that my purpose wasn’t about a single destination, one job or one goal, but that I could live with purpose and be on purpose every day of my life. I also gained a greater understanding of myself and others, and was able to articulate what fulfills me. What’s more, I felt like I had something to contribute to the world, I had a purpose, and I was fully motivated to execute on it. Because of its multiple benefits and uses, defining my purpose allowed me to start living a more congruent, authentic and fulfilling life. I then began to share this with my clients. Below is a summary of the benefits we experience.
What exactly is purpose? Philosophers past and present have grappled with this concept since time immemorial. Many of them agree with world-renowned contemporary philosopher, Marianne Williamson, who suggests that “The Purpose of our lives is to give birth to the best that is within us.” Our purpose is a way to articulate our best self. If every day we use the best that is within us, we are living with purpose. As we challenge ourselves to become even better, we are fulfilling our life’s purpose. And when we offer this best self in service to others, we are providing our most valuable—and fulfilling—contribution to the world. This is what Deepak Chopra means when he writes, “The seventh spiritual law of success, the Law of Dharma or Purpose in Life, says that everyone has a purpose in life—a unique gift or special talent to give to others—and for every unique talent and expression of that talent, there are also unique needs. When we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our spirit. This is the goal of all goals.” Through my own journey of self-discovery years ago, I was able to devise a way to define and articulate my purpose, and this is how I turned my life around.
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Top 5 ways that our purpose holds the key to lasting success and fulfillment:
1
Our purpose defines what motivates and gives us direction and meaning. We get most excited and perform at our peak when we focus on what’s important to us. Based on its key components, our purpose allows us to create a tailor-made road map for how we want to channel our time and efforts. It allows us to pinpoint gaps, articulate needs, create alignment and add meaning in all areas of our life;
2
Our purpose is the most important assessment tool we can use to create a successful, fulfilling and authentic life. It offers a framework of who we are at our core. It allows us to evaluate business and career opportunities, prospective partnerships, potential relationships, project proposals, activities and other endeavours. In connecting with our purpose, we therefore gain the confidence required to make better decisions.
Growing into our best selves is how we become elite performers who produce world-class results in a personally fulfilling way;
3
Our purpose helps us save time and achieve positive results. Armed with a well-defined purpose, we have the ability to identify more creative choices that align with our best self in any given situation. When we’re connected to who we are and what we want, we become the subject matter experts (SMEs) of “ourselves.” We are able to evaluate opportunities, issues and choices with more ease, and take action quickly with increased success;
4
Our purpose gives us strength and perspective.
5
Our purpose is our personal brand: It offers clarity and understanding of the distinct personal characteristics that are at play when we’re at our best.
When we’re living with purpose, we’re less daunted by obstacles and challenges. We have a deeper understanding, a higher goal, we see more options, and therefore become less emotionally attached to outcomes. Our purpose is so aligned with who we are, that we derive just as much fulfillment from the journey as we do from the reward, and sometimes more. Our purpose gives us built-in resilience and determination;
It’s the unique style we use to get things done. While others may have the same responsibilities as us, when we live with purpose we are putting our personal stamp or fingerprint on everything we do.
Where and how do we find our purpose? Discovering and articulating our purpose is not as complex as it sounds. Rather, it is something we already have inside us. To become aware of it, we identify the core strengths, values, talents, gifts, passions and dominant styles that characterize who we are when we’re at our best. We explore how these attributes work together in a way that is most meaningful to us. Living with purpose is like hitting the bull’s eye over and over again. It’s an ongoing process we engage in. We test it out day to day, tweaking and refining as we go. The clearer and more specific we are about our purpose, the easier it is to hit, and the more lasting success and fulfillment we have. As a professionally-trained, certified coach with 20 years of business experience in Media & Entertainment, Robin Altman helps executives and creative professionals get connected to who they are and what they want, and then build strategies to achieve their full potential, professionally and personally. Robin is certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF). She obtained her Bachelor of Commerce with a Major in Marketing from Concordia University and received her Certification in Leadership Coaching from Adler International Learning in conjunction with the University of Toronto. For more information: www.radiatecoaching.com
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heritage
Bolton
“Fresh Air Camp” WORDS HEATHER GHEY BROADBENT
1922 – 1999
Family Services, first of the Neighbourhood Workers Association and then Metro Toronto, started this summer camp for city kids, principally from the poorer neighbourhoods of Toronto, in 1922. They accumulated the original 346 acres from the Place, Mullins, Henderson and Fuller families. A great deal has been written in the past about this wonderful camp but rarely mentioned is the area where it stood. However, it had a major impact on both the economy and the residents for all those years. Prior to that time, wheat, barley, clover and alfalfa were grown as cattle feed for the animals raised on the very hilly land known locally as kopjes, a surprisingly appropriate Afrikaner word for the moraine landscape at that location. Local people recall that the earlier owners always ploughed around the hills, instead of up and down, to contain erosion.
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heritage The four principal Camps were Hastings, Sherbourne (for girls), Rotary (for boys) and Howell for mothers and infants.
The pretty Tudor style cabins are long gone, and the immaculate lawns and recreational areas have been reclaimed by nature.
THEN
NOW
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Current local memories are rarely of holidaying there, but more often of working, delivering goods, or being Councillors, plus general memories of seeing the ‘city visitors’ who greatly outnumbered the local residents of Bolton during the summer months. Impact on the area was enormous and, as mentioned, of great economical benefit. Residents recall all sorts of impressions that are still surprisingly vivid. Long lines of mothers, and occasionally fathers, and children walked all the way from the Rail Station near the Sixth Line of Albion, down into the village in the valley, through the centre (earlier called the Seventh Line of Albion), up the hill on the east side of the village, and on to what is now called the Old King Road (present King Street East between the traffic lights did not exist until the 1950s), past the Eighth Line, to the border between Peel and York (almost another concession) and north again uphill to the Camp entrance. Then another long walk in the Camp took them to the various centres. Measured recently, the route to the entrance is 4.5 kilometres, 2.8 miles! Imagine doing that in weather like this summer! However, I am reminded that some Albion Township children walked that distance to and from school each day, even in the winter. For several years an old truck, driven by Lorne Sheardown, carried the luggage and mothers with small children and babies, and occasionally returned for stragglers. About ten days later villagers would witness the procession back to the station before the next group arrived. Ray Bottoms, President of the Albion-Bolton Historical Society, recalls taking several eight-gallon cans of milk from the nearby Bolton Dairy—as a young man—to the camp every day. They removed the rear and passenger seats from their VW for the summer to hold the cans. Hartley Byrnes, Harold Bishop and Ron Herman were three Camp Caretakers who are now remembered. Harold went to the local pharmacies for supplies. Ron is particularly recalled because he carried an enormous key ring and you knew he was in a store because he always plunked it down on the counter near the till. Beamish’s were the local butchers, and Dan Henderson delivered meat to the camp. Lorne Sheardown spent a great deal of time cutting the grass in all the play areas during the years he worked there. His sister Ruth and her friend Glenna, daughter of Hartley Burns were councillors and they learned to swim there. Miss Carruthers was the Camp dietitian, an excellent cook and popular with local women as she shared her special recipes. She thought that liver was very good for the children and served sliced liver and onions once every week. She also devised a recipe to successfully disguise the liver taste in a type of meat loaf. But most of all Miss Carruthers is remembered by everyone who knew her for her bright blue hair.
For ten years Ruthe Watson Whitehead, now wife of Councillor Richard Whitehead, worked each summer as an Assistant Chef at the girls’ Sherbourne Camp, and Lois Henderson Downey worked in the boys’ Rotary Camp. Ruthe recalls the time the butcher hadn’t been asked to slice the enormous liver order, so she and the other assistants took their break and went for a swim, returning when the slicing was completed. Her husband, who lived nearby in his youth, recalls later teaching their daughter Kate to ‘skip’ stones on the campground’s river. Local Councillor Rob Mezzabelli’s father holidayed at the Camp as a child. Members of Caven Presbyterian still recall happy summer picnics at Rotary Camp for a few years from 1967, mainly because the children had exciting rides down the Zip Line, remnants of which still remain on site. Others remember going into the camp property in fall to pick berries. They recall that the property was always beautifully manicured. Many local people, young and old, had summer jobs in many different roles. There were also many buildings throughout the property. Most are gone today and those left are largely vandalized. It will be difficult to decide which can be rehabilitated. The late George Rutherford and others built the original little “Tudor” style sleeping cabins, which were sold long ago. But some still exist in local gardens as tool sheds, playhouses or summer cottages. Even as a relative newcomer, I recall telephone conversations with Ruth Atkinson Hindmarsh, Chair of the Board when the Star Foundation ran the fundraising for the camp. We worked on different projects, but she reminisced when she realized where I lived. I was also a regular speaker on local history when the North York School Board ran the ‘outdoor school’ there. As an ‘after dinner speaker’ on Saturday nights in the Elder Hostel period and more recently, with Isabelle Bottoms, to the Montessori High School, we recalled the exceptionally good manners of those students. Without exception, visitors were fascinated with the immediate area’s history, particularly the tiny cemetery just north of the camp on Columbia Way. Several Elder Hostel visitors remembered staying at the camp, and lifelong friendships made there. Bolton Army Cadets practised at the camp and were occasionally joined by other Brigades. The young men were particularly welcome at the Bolton Village Dances. Several years ago I was informed that there is a small area of farm burials on the property. An effort to locate the exact place was unfortunately thwarted by the illness and demise of both my informant and his relative. There is another story about a ‘Peeping Tom’ regularly spotted near the female councillors’ sleeping quarters. The girls made preparations, he was caught, and subsequently went home with bright red hair, never to be seen in the campground again. I suppose, if it happened today, they would get sued. AUTUMN 2012 CALEDON LIVING
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heritage
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Unfortunately the extensive vandalism continues to a disheartening degree.
When out of the community, Members of the Albion-Bolton Historical Society find with amazing regularity that, when they mention where they live, almost everyone has a connection to the camp as either as a camper, councillor, or fund raiser. It’s not really surprising when it is understood how many people did stay here during those seventy-five plus years. Today’s estimates, from various sources, rarely tally but it was obviously an absolutely enormous number of children, weekly and annually, over the years. In the recent past the owner of the property realized that the campground could not be developed so, for its environmental importance, it was offered for sale, with the Toronto Region Conservation Authority being the obvious future caretaker. It is of dual importance as the area contains parts of the watershed of both Cold Creek and the Humber River. At one time it was thought that the Town of Caledon might manage any future use of the site and a professional evaluation of buildings was undertaken. Some appeared to be salvageable and the earlier ones were ‘heritage listed’ by the Town. Unfortunately the extensive vandalism continues (by both humans and animals) to a disheartening degree. Purchase of the land for the Toronto Region Conservation Authority was accomplished through the Region of Peel Greenland Procurement Fund Subcommittee (Chaired by Caledon Councillor Richard Paterak) and the City of Toronto. It should be mentioned that this (now) approximately 255 acre area is equally important to both Regions as it provides essential ‘water holding’ capacity in times of extreme weather. As more and more homes, commercial and industrial structures, pavement, etc. are added to the Greater Toronto area, water holding regions become critical as opportunities to add to flood control measures become rarer. 62
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The lessons of the 1954 disastrous hurricane are not, and should not ever be, forgotten. Hurricane Hazel is also remembered for the time when Cold Creek rose alarmingly at Bolton Camp and floated the Snack Bar downstream, lodging it under the road bridge. TRCA has clearly taken possession of a property which is very dear to many people from a wide area. This should work in a positive way for the Authority’s ‘future use’ plans. There are many trails on site which should add enormously to the wonderful trail system in Caledon, and discussions include the possibility of children and adults from all over the Humber watershed being able to use the area in Weekly and Day Camps again. Many, many people were kind enough to talk to me about the Fresh Air Camp, and I really appreciate their help in the preparation of this article.
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profile l community
Caledon Community Services WORDS KIRA DORWARD
For many living in Caledon, privilege is something taken for granted. However, not all members of our community are so lucky as to be without special resource and social support needs that would otherwise be unavailable if not for the dedication of Caledon Community Services. This organization, based in the Royal Courtyards in Bolton, has been servicing the community for over forty years. A multi-funded, not-for-profit, health, employment, resettlement, small business development and social service agency that utilizes the resources of volunteers and donors, CCS provides a wealth of social support programs designed around a culture of inclusiveness, to improve quality of life in Caledon. In a community without public transportation, CCS provides this much needed service. Available seven days a week, rides are provided for seniors and people with disabilities— to dialysis, medical appointments, grocery stores, and social events. Agency vehicles and volunteers pick up their clients at the door, escorting them to and from the vehicle. Volunteers and clients form strong personal bonds, which makes dealing with long-term illness a less traumatic experience. With their transportation service, CCS provides a lifeline to members of the community who are wholly dependent on external support, and they made 28,871 trips in 2011. This program requires substantial fundraising and CCS is currently seeking increased health funding from the provincial government. In addition to transportation, CCS offers programs encompassing employment and training, the LIFE for Youth program, supportive housing and respite care, community assisted living, language instruction and conversational classes for newcomers to Caledon, and drop-in counseling services for which there are always care councillors present. As well as being Caledon’s Small Business Enterprise Centre, CCS’ huge group of partners, often with offices located within CCS itself, provides “one-stop shopping” for community services in a centralized and convenient location. A new initiative set to launch in November is The Exchange, a food support program that will be far more than a traditional food bank. Employment skills training, nutrition classes, family cooking classes, seniors activities, farming partnerships, and even some sales options overseen by a youth enterprise are all part of the vision of what will be available at this new community facility.
A 4,800 square foot community hub on Healey Road will house a fresh and non-perishable food support program as well as a training kitchen, counseling offices, and communal space for staff and clients. Focusing on poverty reduction in Caledon, The Exchange will distribute food to those in need in the community, as well as providing training and education opportunities, engaging both clients and community members to become involved. Investments and volunteers are sought for construction of the program site, its extensive furnishings and equipment, and its day-to-day operations. CCS is the largest organization for volunteers in Caledon, averaging 400 per year at all participation levels. From “all ages, all stages” of life, no contribution, financial or otherwise, is too small. CCS’ largest fundraising initiatives, Chez Thrift (on Queen Street by Dollarama) and the ReUstore (located at the Region of Peel Recycling Centre), are the long-standing and most convenient ways to support Caledon Community Services. Shopping and donating at CCS’ social purpose enterprises is a way of ensuring that this community hub continues to provide support to those who need it, as well as being an organization available for those who wish to improve the community in which they work, live and raise a family. Caledon Community Services is an organization “for the community by the community” and continues to grow as it reaches its fifth decade of operation. For more information, please visit www.ccs4u.org AUTUMN 2012 CALEDON CALEDONLIVING LIVING
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A DV E RTO R I A L
Putting your goals in sight with Conquering professional wealth management By Mike Huet and Robert N. Masutti, Investment Advisors with RBC Dominion Securities
You may already be familiar with the benefits of investing for the future. But there’s another side to the story: professional wealth management that can help to minimize overall taxes, safeguard your assets against undue risk or ensure you leave a legacy for your family and charity. As your wealth grows, so too do the complexities associated with wealth. This is often the case for successful business owners, executives, large families and those enjoying or approaching retirement. In this space we’d like to share some of the benefits of wealth management that we’ve discussed with our own clients.
Determining your financial goals
Perhaps you wish to protect your wealth today, build the value of your business or plan ahead for the transfer of your estate to your children, beneficiaries and charitable causes. Using your own personal and financial goals as a baseline, a professional, licensed advisor can work with you to understand your personal goals, and collaborate with professionals to present strategies that can help you reach those goals. You advisor can then build on these strategies with potential solutions to be implemented and coordinated with your own tax and legal professionals.
Financial planning: Clarifying your overall financial situation
Often the wealth management process begins with a comprehensive, professionally prepared financial plan. With this calibre of financial plan, you can address all aspects of your financial affairs, including cash and debt management, tax and risk exposures, investment management, retirement planning and estate planning. Your advisor can work with you alone, with your family or with your accountant or legal professional to assist in implementing recommendations from a financial plan.
Retirement planning: Ensuring your retirement lifestyle
With your retirement goals in mind, your advisor considers strategies above and beyond maximizing your RRSP or RRIF, including enhanced retirement plans such as Individual Pension Plans (IPPs) and Retirement Compensation Arrangements (RCAs), or taxadvantaged investment vehicles such as Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs). You may also be presented with insurance-based strategies utilizing tax-exempt life insurance, insured annuities, and segregated funds, and ways to structure your retirement income to enhance your after-tax retirement income.
Taxation: Minimizing your tax exposures
In consultation with your tax and legal advisors, your advisor considers strategies to manage or reduce your tax liabilities. These considerations include restructuring your personal and business assets, and legal ownership, holding companies, trusts and other strategies. It may also include income-splitting strategies to reduce your family’s overall taxes, or tax-loss harvesting, tax-efficient asset allocation and tax-exempt investment vehicles.
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Estate planning: Leaving your affairs neat and tidy
A major focus of wealth management is on protecting your legacy to your family, while making it easier for them to settle your estate. Working with your tax, legal, insurance and trust experts, your advisor can look at your overall estate plan, including major documents such as your Will, Powers of Attorney and Trusts. Then, you may be presented with insurance-based strategies to enhance and protect your estate value, and estate settlement services, which can be especially useful when you have a more complex estate.
Insurance: Protecting everything you’ve built
Insurance is an indispensible and very flexible wealth-planning tool that not only covers the major “what-ifs” in life but can also help build and protect wealth during your lifetime and when your estate is settled. Here your advisor can look at how you can maximize insurance to provide financial security for you and your family in case the unexpected happens, shelter your investment and estate assets from taxes and provide tax-free retirement income and tax-free death benefits.
Credit and lending: Using debt wisely
Working with a credit specialist, your advisor can assess your credit and lending needs to reduce or eliminate unnecessary debt, restructure your existing debt so that the interest is tax-deductible wherever possible and consider the use of “good debt,” such as a spousal loan strategy or non-recourse mortgage to potentially reduce taxation.
Charitable giving: Giving back and creating a legacy
To help you make the most of your charitable giving, your advisor may suggest tax-effective giving strategies such as donating stocks in-kind and establishing family foundations. These strategies form part of a longer-term giving strategy that continues to benefit causes that are important to you over the long term – far more impactful and ongoing than simply writing a donation cheque.
Visit us to learn more
At RBC Dominion Securities in Caledon, we work with clients who are looking to take the next step in their wealth planning – to see that their wealth is protected today and to ensure it lasts for their family, business and the road ahead. As dedicated Investment Advisors serving Caledon and the surrounding area, we are pleased to work with you to better understand your needs for today and the future, drawing on our team of wealth management specialists and professionals from throughout RBC. Please contact us today at 905-951-2551 or visit www.rbcdscaledon.com to learn more.
Mike Huet and Robert N. Masutti are Investment Advisors with RBC Dominion Securities Inc. Member–Canadian Investor Protection Fund. This article is for information purposes only. Please consult with a professional advisor before taking any action based on information in this article.
Mike Huet
Robert N. Masutti
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2012
Jaguar XJL PORTFOLIO EDITION
The very first car I ever rode in was a Jaguar. In fact, I arrived home from hospital closeted in the sumptuous leather seating of a proudly British built Mk I. Of course, I can’t recall with any particular clarity that epic occasion. However, I can remember being chauffeured to my very first day of school in a Cornish Grey Mk II. Yes, while other offspring whimpered at the very thought of relinquishing the security of their mothers’ bosoms, I was already well on my way to
PREAMBLE
WORDS KEVIN “CRASH” CORRIGAN PHOTOS GEORGE CHURCH
So with my new school cap set at a jaunty, yet suitably
becoming what Jeremy Clarkson might describe as a “Jaaaag man.”
Yes, back in those days, a Jaguar was just about the
distinguished angle, I clambered out of the old Jag
fastest thing on four wheels, which is why the criminal
ready to make my mark upon the world. (Actually, the
fraternity loved to steal them for use as getaway cars.
car was almost new, but “the old Jag” sounds much
“Grace, Space & Pace” was the company’s slogan, and
more caddish, which is why I fondly refer to it as such.)
there probably hasn’t been a better suited description
Those were the days when a stylish automobile said
something about its owner and those who rode in the
of an automobile manufacturer since. Back then, no one would dream of uttering the name
rear seat. A Rolls Royce portrayed money and upper-
of a German car manufacturer in the same breath as
class sophistication. A Rover/Mercedes-Benz announced
Jaguar; the company was in a class of its own. So what
your career as a Bank Manager or a Chartered Accoun-
went wrong?
tant and the Jaguar informed the general public that you
Well, although I’ve owned numerous Jaguars over
were either a successful businessman on the move, or
the years and, as a Land Rover/Jaguar technician,
that you’d just held up the local bank in the high street!
worked on thousands, for me to answer that question would involve several hundred pages and a considerable amount of patience on your part, so that’s not going to happen today! However, what I will do for you is supply the reasoning behind my announcing this… Look out BMW, watch your back Mercedes, start looking over your shoulder Bentley, because the cat is back and it’s coming at you, claws out!
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motoring
I couldn’t believe my luck when told I had this vehicle to review. Having been out of the Jaguar world for over a decade, ever since the new XJ was launched I’ve wanted to get my hands on one and pull it to pieces. You see, I’m an old school Jaguar man, one who firmly believes in tradition. So when I climb behind the wheel of Coventry’s finest, I want to be surrounded by acres of woodland and herds of premium cow-coats. I’ll live with the odd oil leak if the engine sounds like the automotive version of the London Philharmonic playing Land of Hope & Glory. Yes, so long as it sports the sexiest logo in the business and spins the heads of female airline service personnel, I’ll quite happily forgive one or two minor failings. After all, that’s what being a Jaaaag man is all about. Of course now, having driven the vehicle for a few days, I’m starting to realize just how idiotic I must sound. Why? Well, because this car is nothing like what I had expected or was led to believe it would be. For a start, with Jaguar recently being placed second only to Lexus in the luxury division of J.D. Power’s 2012 U.S. Initial Quality Study, I can forget the oil slick jokes, and my comical antidotes from the days when I worked on these vehicles are now ancient history.
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REVIEW
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Look out BMW, watch your back Mercedes... the cat is back and it’s coming at you, claws out!
I’d also heard tell of Jaguar ditching its old customer base in favour of luring young iPad clutching youngsters, and that’s proved somewhat wide of the mark too. What the company has actually done is to simply widen its catchment net with the aim of attracting everyone! The woodwork in the new XJ is simply stunning. In fact, as the owner of a gracefully aging Bentley, I did start to wonder whether Jaguar hadn’t rung up a few of its old villainous friends and set them the task of breaking into the Crewe factory to steal some of the interiors aimed for the Flying B brand. Not only that, but there’s chrome in there too! Did you hear me, CHROME! Come on now, I thought just about everyone had bought into the car companies’ patter that chrome is old-fashioned today and the brushed aluminum Coke can finish can look every bit as good. No it doesn’t! Wood, leather and chrome are what I want to find in a luxury automobile. I want my vehicle to appear more AUTUMN 2012 CALEDON LIVING
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Yes, the days of tweed sports jackets and cloth caps may now be gone, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help acclimatize one or two new owners into the brand’s culture. So now repeat after me, and with your most caddish sounding British accent, “Well actually I drive a Jaaaag.”
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inviting than the finest room in my house. I don’t want to open the door to my car and invite friends to step into my modernized bathroom or stainless-steel kitchen! No problem with today’s XJ, then, as its designers have achieved an amazing feat. They somehow managed to blend old school tradition with new school technology, and achieved this to such an extent that it’s almost impossible to see where one starts and the other ends. Speaking of starting, gently press the small start button (made famous by Jaguar in the 60s) on the dashboard and magical things start to happen. A submerged chrome turndial smoothly rises up from the centre console, allowing the driver access to both forward and reverse gears. Now how clever and 21st century is that? Why fiddle with a movable stick when paddle shifters (love them or hate them) are the future? It’s around about this time when you start to realize just how bang-up-to-date this vehicle is. Although the display may appear vaguely like a traditional dash, it is anything but. The sexy cat logo remains on display for a split second or two once you power up, simply and for no other reason than to remind oneself of being a Jaaaag owner. Then, as quick as it appeared, it’s replaced with a modern interpretation of what a driver information pod should look like today. The same occurs on the centre stack which is home to the 600 watt premium audio and the Navigation system with HDD. The whole thing is voice controllable, and there’s even a seat massage system for both driver and passenger.
Now that’s precisely what we Jaaaag men have been waiting for… “Fancy a quick massage in the old Jaaaag?” On the road, the XJL purrs like a kitten. The supercharged 5.0L DOHC 32-valve V8 serves up oodles of power (385hp), and a quick press of the Sport-mode button turns your fluffy feline friend into a scalded cat! You can feel each paw as it claws away at the tarmac, and yet the company has kindly thought to provide the beast with cushioned booties. At least that’s what it feels like while holding the luxurious wood and leather steering wheel. It is a phenomenal vehicle in every sense of the word … to look at, to ride in and to drive. All in all, I’m totally disgusted with the company. There I was, looking forward to ripping my teeth into its latest offering. I wanted to relate tales of oily patches in my driveway and I’d been practicing all my Joseph Lucas (Prince of Darkness) jokes over and over in my head. How dare they do this to me! Of course, there is an upside to all of this. With the company finally entering the 21st century, it’s opening up a whole new era of Jaguar ownership. Yes, the days of tweed sports jackets and cloth caps may now be gone, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help acclimatize one or two new owners into the brand’s culture. So now repeat after me, and with your most caddish sounding British accent, “Well actually, I drive a Jaaaag.”
RATING: 9/10
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BARRISTER & SOLICITOR
The Directory
ART
COLLISION & TOWING
CATERING
FOOD
INTERIOR DESIGN
PEST CONTROL
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