publisher’s page
Bountiful harvest days ahead What do you do on a Saturday morning? Many of us, myself included, enjoy popping over to the Orangeville Farmers’ Market to pick up some fresh local fruit and vegetables. So I quickly agreed to Diana Wronski’s offer to write an article about the people behind the market, the many friendly personalities that make a Saturday morning such an interesting and educational experience. Earlier this summer we were lucky to gain another market, on Sunday mornings, at Hockley Valley Resort. Have you been? If not, pop over; after shopping, you can stroll through their gardens to admire the wonderful produce, and perhaps chat with the chef, often found picking and cutting, preparing for lunch. We’re also sharing a couple of recipe ideas with some seasonal ingredients, and taking a look at a long-established local business, Harmony Whole Food Market, which supports and stocks many local products. Orangeville is home to many fascinating people with interesting talents and hobbies. David Dorward recently met Matt Broom, a serious comic book collector, and drooled over his 40,000-plus comics! Also in this issue: TV personalities Jim Connelly and Peter De Sousa show us a nursery they’ve recently renovated, Bob Hulley delves into the history of Orangeville’s water supply, and auto journalist Kevin “Crash” Corrigan brings the new Chevy Cruze Eco up to the rolling hills for a weeklong thorough road test. Many of you have heard of the ongoing proposal to turn two thousand acres of prime agricultural land into a “mega quarry.” The numbers involved are quite alarming to many local residents, particularly 300 trucks driving in and out every hour! Broadcast journalist Donna Tranquada has written an article outlining the evils of the project and, in the name of fair play, we’ve also included a piece written by John Lowndes, a principal with The Highland Companies which recently filed the quarry application. Both sides of the argument supply web sites for further reading. This is an important local issue so please take a look at the facts, decide your position, and take action accordingly.
AUTUMN 2011 PUBLISHER KATIE BURCHELL CREATIVE DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER SIMON BURN EDITORIAL TEAM DAVID K. DORWARD KEVIN “CRASH” CORRIGAN ROBERT B. HULLEY RICHARD VAUGHN DIANA JANOSIK-WRONSKI CONTRIBUTORS SIMON BURN JIM CONNELLY PETER DE SOUSA JOHN LOWNDES DONNA TRANQUADA PROOFREADER SALLY MORELL EDITORIAL DESIGN SDB CREATIVE GROUP INC. ADVERTISING DESIGN & PRODUCTION CAROLINE SWEET, SKY CREATIVE GROUP LTD. ADVERTISING SALES KATIE BURCHELL BARRIE BURCHELL MYRNA BRAYFORD 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, 15 Hewitt Street, Orangeville, Ontario L9W 3A2 Tel: 905 857 2536 Email: frontlinemedia1@sympatico.ca Orangeville Living is published 4 times a year (March, June, September, December) and delivered via Canada Post.
www.CaledonLiving.com © 2011 1735715 Ontario Inc. Orangeville Living is a Trademark PRINTED IN CANADA ON PAPER FROM A SUSTAINABLE SOURCE, USING VEGETABLE-BASED INKS. PLEASE SHARE MAGAZINE WITH A FRIEND, AND THEN RECYCLE.
Enjoy the harvest!
Katie Burchell, Publisher
READ OUR ONLINE ISSUE www.orangevilleliving.ca
contents autumn 2011 home 34 Sweet dreams
for new granddaughter
community 12 Stories from the stalls 42 Does the mega quarry
threaten the Hills of Headwaters?
food 23 Global influences and
local ingredients
business 20 Profile: Harmony
Whole Foods Market
people 32 Matt Broom:
A life in sequential art
heritage 27 Orangeville’s water health It’s
plum season!
motoring 39 Road Test:
2011 Chevy Cruze Eco Sedan
COVER
Rose St. John of Amanda’s Country Bakery at the Orangeville Farmers’ Market PHOTO BY SIMON BURN
Bert Nieuwenhuis, lamb and wool producer
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Good day, Certainly an interesting article by Richard Vaughn in the most recent Orangeville Living magazine about the TG&B railway station. You of course realize that for a short time there were two railway stations in Orangeville. The TG&B arrived in 1871 and the Credit Valley Railway arrived in 1879. If I am not mistaken, their station was in the general area of the former Panorama Motel. The CV station did not last long as the TG&B station was more centrally located and, of course, much more convenient to downtown Orangeville. The two lines crossed at Melville, with the TG&B heading more or less south and east toward Bolton. This track was removed around the time of The Depression, sometime in the early 1930s. So today’s Credit Valley Explorer travels south on the former TG&B right-of-way to Melville where it becomes the former Credit Valley right-of-way south to Brampton. You are right that the railway(s) brought prosperity to this region and there is SO MUCH railway history that I still don’t know. I’m sure that there are many other readers who are just as fascinated with the railway history of Orangeville as I am. Regards Phelps Goodman, RR5 Orangeville
The Credit Valley Railway In the summer edition of Orangeville Living we explored the rich history of the Toronto Grey and Bruce/Canadian Pacific Railway as it related to the community. But, as some readers have correctly pointed out, for a short period of time there was a second railway in town. For several years, the TG&B enjoyed a monopoly in Orangeville. In 1879, however, a rival line arrived on the scene, the Credit Valley Railway. The CVR line travelled from Streetsville in Toronto through Brampton, Inglewood, Alton, Melville (where it crossed tracks with TG&B) and ultimately into Orangeville where a station was built at the intersection of Broadway and Fourth Streets. In 1885 the new CPR began buying up lines in southern Ontario in preparation for its transcontinental expansion. Among those purchased were the rival TG&B and CVR. Discovering they had two railway lines running virtually side by side from Toronto to Orangeville, the CPR clearly had to eliminate some stretches of tracks. They decided to follow the Credit Valley route as far as Melville and then TG&B’s route into Orangeville to its more centrally located station. From there, CPR continued to run along the TG&B line to Owen Sound and Teeswater. Interestingly, today’s Credit Valley Explorer travels south on the former TG&B right of way to Melville, where it becomes the former CVR right of way south to Brampton. Richard Vaughn
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IMAGES COURTESY DUFFERIN COUNTY MUSEUMS & ARCHIVE LEFT P.1166.993a RIGHT P.2947
letter
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out & about EVENTS
FARMERS’ MARKETS
Sept 15 King’s College School Open House
Orangeville Farmers’ Market
Come to see the school in action and to meet teachers, students, and parents. www.kingscollegeschool.ca
Every Saturday until Oct 22. 8:00 am – 1:00 pm. Located on Second Street, next to Town Hall Opera House. www.marketonbroadway.ca
Sept 22 – Oct 10 Headwaters Arts Festival
Hockley Valley Resort Farmers’ Market
17-day extravaganza that celebrates the very best local creative talent. www.thehillsofheadwaters.com
Every Sunday morning until Sept 25 793522 Mono 3rd Line, Orangeville. www.hockley.com
Sept 22–25
Hank Williams ‘Live’ 1952 Joe Matheson plays tribute to the country music legend. www.theatreorangeville.ca
Announcing the launch of Orangeville Culinary Challenge
Sept 25 Headwaters Stable Tours
We’ve been running this prestigious event in Caledon Living magazine for seven years, and we’re excited to bring it to Orangeville. Three local restaurants, using a secret ingredient given to them just three hours prior to judging, have to come up with a creative appetizer and main course. !f you would like to nominate your favourite restaurant to compete, send us an email!
Public Circuit Tour, showcasing riding stables, boarding facilities, training centres’, and therapeutic riding facilities. www.thehillsofheadwaters.com
Sept 30 – Oct 2 Home & Lifestyle Show
Hosted by Greater Dufferin Area Chamber of Commerce at the Orangeville Fairgrounds www.gdacc.ca
Oct 1 2nd Annual Forging Competition
Participants compete for prizes as they showcase the skills of their craft, one of the world’s oldest professions. www.thehillsofheadwaters.com
Oct 1–2 Orangeville Art Group 42nd Fall Show & Sale
Display and sale by local artists, including Meet the Artists program. 10am until 5pm, free admission Orangeville Fairgrounds. www.orangevilleartgroup.ca
Oct 1–2 3rd Annual Erin House Tour
Tour stunningly designed and decorated homes paired with a delicious meal. For tickets contact Stephanie Gairdner at 519 833 0872. www.villageoferin.com
Oct 28 Pasta Sociale!
Authentic Italian cuisine at Hockley Valley Resort www.hockley.com
Nov 5 Orangeville Chorus
Sweet Adeline’s International presents ‘A 30th Anniversary Show’, at the Orangeville Opera House. Tickets at box office 519-942-3423. 10
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Got an upcoming event? Get in touch, and we’ll do our best to publish it. We are currently compiling our list for December – February. frontlinemedia1@sympatico.ca
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community I farmers’ markets
STORIES FROM THE WORDS DIANA WRONSKI
STALLS
It’s all too obvious to talk about the freshness and appeal of produce at local farmers’ markets during the ‘sowing and reaping’ months of the year. It’s really the passion driving the people and their stories ‘behind the stalls’ which make the difference. Orangeville Living recently toured both the Orangeville and Hockley Valley Resort Farmers’ Markets. Many vendors come to both markets, some from Toronto, Markham and even further away, with a panoply of wares not commonly found!
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Meet the markets!
Orangeville’s Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, known as the “Market on Broadway,” has been around the longer of the two, at 20 years now, and was re-established in 1991, having previously run in the 1940s. Orangeville entrepreneur Janice Gooding, owner of As We Grow on Broadway, was part of the Town Council which started it as an initiative of Plan 2000 to help revitalize the downtown. With the general resurgence of farmers’ markets, Council started this one with the help of Farmers’ Markets Ontario and really involved the community in those early years. Janice then ran it for another 16 years, first taking the project on with her Council duties, and later on contract. About four years ago, the Orangeville Business Improvement Area (BIA) took it over. BIA members are businesses in the downtown core and, in the market itself, there are
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PHOTO: SIMON BURN
Ploughshare Farm’s passion shows as it’s an organic, horse powered farm located at Mapleton’s Organic Dairy in Moorefield, west of Arthur. Why the horses? Draft horses minimize the use of and reliance on oil, and there is less compaction of soil in the fields.
community I farmers’ markets about 28 growers/producers and five to twelve crafters. The focus is local growers, from within 100km. Hockley Valley Resort started its market last year, near the main approach to the resort. If you miss the Saturday market in Orangeville, this one is on Sundays! Brainchild of John Paul Adamo, Vice President, this farmers’ market started because he saw area vendors going to Toronto and thought he could provide them with a closer venue to save gas and other costs.
More than meets the eye It’s all about the passion! Ask anyone involved with the markets and their eyes light up as they talk about what they do. Rodney Hough, Orangeville BIA’s president, talks about resources stewardship which concerns the vendors. The focus of the market is on true growers and producers within 100km. When interviewed, he was heading out to do a regular tour of personal farm visits, to see what the vendors do and how the BIA could help, key to bridging how the market comes together. The Orangeville Farmers’ Market is an integral part of the downtown and a tourism driver, as buyers come from as far afield as the GTA, Guelph and even the US and Europe! Enormously successful—as many as 4,000 visitors can attend on a single Saturday. Many vendors agree it’s one of the best to attend and other towns have expressed their wish that they had one like it too! It’s also becoming a real meeting place for locals, and it’s evident that sellers have strong relationships with buyers, waving and greeting each other by name. Important
“Tupperware Lady” Marilyn Lawrence
to developing its roots is being a family-oriented place. Music, events such as corn roasts, and children’s activities courtesy of the Town of Orangeville Parks and Recreations Dept. are offered. Local residents and students are given the opportunity to busk here. The market actually grows and nurtures many talents in the community. For one, the Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival started at the market, and they still use the same white bucket for donations to cover costs! To make it a real family outing, you can even take your dog! Where else could you go shopping with the whole family and take your family’s best friend too? And even water bowls are provided! John Paul Adamo’s vision for Hockley Valley Resort came from his boyhood, growing up in Italy. Also trained as a chef in Switzerland and the US and interning in Italy, he learned the European passion for local, fresh food, picking from garden to table for meals. What you didn’t grow, you got daily at the market. So committed is the Resort that the tennis courts were removed to make way for a massive vegetable and herb garden where the chefs can be spotted on a regular basis, selecting foods for clients’ plates. “Customers are more sophisticated these days,” he says, “and this means a lot to them.” They have even been known to ask if they can buy some to take home! The outdoor pizza oven offers wood-fired pizzas at their market. And a vineyard is planted, currently with about 700 vines and seven varieties of grape, and more planned for the future. With the 22 vendors, plus crafters, signed up for Sunday market, John Paul feels their visitors, and locals, can easily bring something of the amazing region home with them! Farmers’ Markets Ontario is the umbrella organization, working with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, aiding in the renaissance of such markets since 1991. Talk to food producers at both markets and you will find that many are proud members of various food movements. MyPick® is a verification program which grew out of a need for consumers to be able to identify when they were buying directly from local farmers or resellers. This assures getting just picked freshness from the grower’s own farm and supporting local agriculture. Local Food Plus (LFP) is another nonprofit organization committed to growing locally sustainable foods, and it certifies farms and processors for environmentally and socially responsible practices, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, creating meaningful jobs, and fostering the preservation of farmland and farmers. This is in addition to signage for “naturally raised” or “organic” and/or “regularly” grown.
Meet the vendors! So who are the vendors and where do they come from? A leisurely stroll around both markets revealed some very interesting people and their stories. Not everyone could be mentioned here, so there are many more anecdotes and histories to ‘unearth’! Ploughshare Farm’s passion shows as it’s an organic, horse powered farm located at Mapleton’s Organic Dairy
community I farmers’ markets
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in Moorefield, west of Arthur. Why the horses? Draft horses minimize the use of and reliance on oil, and there is less compaction of soil in the fields. In fact, the horses are a rare breed called Suffolk Punch, and only about 2,000 exist worldwide. Owned by Yehuda Nestel and Shannon Stirling, the farm is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), where members pay in advance of the season for a share in the farm’s produce. They are dedicated to building a local food system that values the land, the people and the animals working the farm, and the consumers! It is also a C.R.A.F.T. Ontario farm (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmers in Training), where a network of farmers educate the next generation in sustainable and ecological agriculture. Caledon Farm is located north of Alton and vendor Sybil Walker proudly points to their “hand grown” labelled produce, locally and sustainably raised. The farm is a member of LFP, so she talks about the importance of this movement that started in nearby Caledon, and is now international, with the purpose that each and every area should become selfsustaining. Their produce is sold to the oldest restaurant in Toronto, among others, she says with a big smile. Two growers, who just fall into the radius, come all the way from Beamsville in the Niagara region. Sun Ray Orchards’ owner Tammy Short grew up in Shelburne and says Orangeville is “on the way.” “The kids are now old enough to help,” she adds, and it’s her first year at the market. With her husband Larry and their large family, they grow fruit, including cherries and apples, through the range of seasons on their 250 acre farm founded in 1942. Their raspberries won the Premier’s award this year, she beams. Paul Grabowski of Warner’s Farms has 60 acres of peaches, apples and vegetables. Also verified with LFP, his farm has been in the family since 1920. In Niagara, these growers are a few weeks ahead in the season and offer some diversity to local crops. They say it’s worth the drive to Orangeville! Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms, owned by Sean Leclerc from Shelburne, has over 20 kinds of dried mushrooms, never mind fresh varieties most of us have never heard of before. “We’re all about the mushrooms,” vendor Matthew Griffin exclaims. The healing powers of mushrooms are a major interest at this booth. The day Orangeville Living visited they had Yellow Oyster mushrooms for sale. Rare and hard to grow, this variety is supposed to detoxify the body, lower blood pressure and reduce tumour growth. How can you resist a name like Best Baa Farms from Fergus? Elizabeth Bzikot and her family specialize in sheep milk products and had ice cream out for all to try. Committed
1 Sybil Walker, Caledon
Farm 2 Lorelei Danho-Johnson, Best Baa Farm 3 Susan and Stacy Coates, Saucy Girl Foods 4 Helen Danchuk and grandson Dillon, Helen House Pierogies
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5 Joanna Baars, Arthur Greenhouses
6 Preserves from Black Willow Farm
7 Sabrina Tagliaferro, Vital Essence
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community I farmers’ markets to the environment, they only sell within 100 miles and are also LFP certified. As a child of Central European parents, they certainly brought back memories of my father’s longings for smoked sheep cheese from the Tatra Mountains, unknown here when I was growing up! For people wanting to explore the diversities of food even more, Anthony and Cheryl Dawson of Black Willow Farm offer farm raised Elk products, including Elk venison (one of Canada’s “heritage meats”) and capsules from their velvet antlers which some consider medicinal. The animals are raised in a year-round, stressless forest setting, free from medicated feeds and growth hormones. They quickly point out the meat is much leaner than beef or chicken. The virtual absence of fat reduces shrinkage dramatically and satisfies the appetite with more proteins and nutrients. Cheryl also sells home grown produce and maple syrup. Bert Nieuwenhuis naturally raises lamb north of Laurel and Janet offers hand spun, dyed wool from their flock for knitters. Leitch’s Honey, at the market for eight years, has about 250 hives between Brampton and Shelburne. Randy Leitch started keeping bees about 34 years ago while in the 4-H Club. One of the few makers of raw, organic, chocolate, Mark and Bridgitte of M&B Alchemy Inc. in Orangeville also carry other nutritionally rich ‘superfoods’. Saucy Girl Foods’ homemade jars of creative hot and cold soups will be carried by Harmony Foods, in case you miss them over the winter! Arthur Greenhouses (from Arthur of course!) is in its fourth season here with vegetables, herbs and flowers, and they are verified local growers. Owners, Joanna Baars and Patrick van den Eijnden, and their children came from Holland because of better business prospects than at home. Want rubs for the meats you bought to make your barbeques really special? Fire in the Kitchen Spice Co.’s creator lives in Orangeville. A Toronto fireman with a penchant for cooking, he learned his passion from his mother, a caterer. All his creations are tried out on his firehouse buddies and the names reflect their firefighter roots. “Three Alarm” aptly describes the very hot rub, “Smoke Eater” is an early fireman nickname, and his fish rub, Captain Bradley’s Ocean Rub, is actually named after his fire captain! Need garlic for that too? Don’t forget the very trendy garlic scape products! Hidden Meadows Farm in Caledon plants 10,000 of them! Deborah Robelard co-owns the farm with her retired computer programmer husband, Andrew. She also talked about their other heritage produce including several hundred “ground cherry” or “husked tomato” plants, a species well known and used by Mennonites. Let’s not forget the baking! There are numerous vendors, including Di’s Home Bakery which sells goodies that Diana Oosterhof bakes three days a week on her dairy farm in Grand Valley. Primarily butter, fruit and savoury tarts are homemade by Lori Griffin from Elmira, whose baking heritage is Pennsylvania Dutch. They have been sold by Paul Kuster at The Art of the Tart for the past four years at the market. 18
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And who can leave the markets without indulging while there? Helen House Pierogies is a retirement business for Helen and Peter Danchuk, who cook the pierogies they make during the week, and sell them at the market, plus locally sourced sausage. The relish you put on your plate is their creation too. Saskatchewan born, they worked all over Canada before finally settling in Orangeville. Speers Farms’ is MyPick® verified and at their cookhouse trailer Wayne Speers serves meat from his Red and Black Angus cattle raised on the family farm in Amaranth dating back to 1841!
More than food People think of food as the backbone of these markets but, in fact, much more also draws buyers there. Take the “Tupperware Lady”! One of two original vendors, Marilyn Lawrence is from Orangeville and has been there since the Orangeville market started, never missing a day. She has accompanied the market’s move to several locations. “I believe in supporting my town,” she says, and she is also very involved in Ribfest. Marilyn has built many relationships and friendships from being there, so market day for her is a ‘social time’ too. If you want to dress your dog in style (any size), “Dressed to the K-Nines” from Caledon can make something to suit Fido. New to the market, they will not only do gift baskets of homemade food and treats, but can also look after your dog’s birthday party! Mary Jane Langille, Personal Touches, from Grand Valley has handmade headbands, combining fine merino wool blends and goat mohair in a fluffy warm and ancient lining technique called “thrumming” from Canada’s east coast. Who knew orchids could grow in Caledon? Paradise Gardens’ greenhouse is a recent market arrival and Jane Tsai’s mother, who loves orchids, imports her varieties straight from Taiwan. There are several jewellery sellers and the Buxtons of Chic Raven from Collingwood hand make pieces inspired by vintage silver plated spoons and forks. They even give you a card telling the researched year and date when the original implement was made, along with your purchase!
Here’s the best part Top Canadian chefs are looking for and using locally sourced produce now. Because of the growers’ passion, ‘foodies’ will find specialty produce at the farmers’ markets that is not seen at more ‘run of the mill’ suppliers. Many of these producers, in fact, supply fine dining establishments and markets locally, in downtown Toronto, and all over the GTA. Weekly displays include such exotic vegetables as star shaped Bordeaux spinach with red ribs, multi-coloured chard, conically shaped cabbages, Egyptian Walking Onions, purple beans, and many others—plus helpful cooking advice! Go ahead! Impress your friends and family, not only with dinners made from true gourmet ingredients, but accompanied with stories of the people who produced them!
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business I profile
Harmony Whole Foods Market For those of you who like to look after your health and enjoy natural wholesome foods, Harmony Whole Foods Market is the perfect place to shop. Harmony supports local growers and producers, stocks organic products, and has experts on staff to guide you in your nutritional and homeopathic needs. Orangeville Living dropped by to chat with Marketing and Community Outreach Co-ordinator Nicky French to find out more.
Q: How long in business? A: 33 years. Owner Jennifer Grant opened the store in 1978, but we only had 800 square feet back then, and stocked primarily bulk whole grains, flours, nuts and dried fruit, bulk teas and spices, cheese, local honey and eggs and some produce—the focus was on food. Q: What inspired Jennifer to open the store? A: Jennifer believes in the concept of whole foods, and back in the late seventies, there wasn’t such a store in Orangeville. As we grew, to approximately 5,500 square feet today, we included vitamins and supplements, cosmetics and personal care products. Q: What makes your business unique? A: We have created an environmentally-friendly store design with energy efficient fixtures. Our fresh produce is sourced from local growers as much as possible, and there are experts on hand in the store to help you, including a Registered Nurse, Homeopathic Doctor, and Certified Aromatherapy Practitioner.
We also give gluten-free store tours, seminars, and product demonstrations.
Q: What’s hot right now? A: Açaí berry products (juice, capsules and cleansers), sea buckthorn products, chemical-free cosmetics, gluten-free foods, and anything Dr. Oz talks about! Q: What are your popular buys? A: On an ongoing basis, organic produce and meats, ancient grains (quinoa, amaranth, millet), coconut water, anti-aging supplements, joint care products and natural makeup. More and more consumers are realizing organic food is healthier for us and the planet, and buying local produce reduces carbon emissions and provides fresher and healthier products. Harmony Whole Foods Market, Credit Creek Plaza, 163 First Street, Orangeville. Tel 519 941 8961 www.harmonymarket.com
Orangeville based Leitch’s honey 1kg liquid honey $9.99 375g comb honey $9.99 250g bee pollen $12.49
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More and more consumers are realizing organic food is healthier for us and the planet, and buying local produce reduces carbon emissions and provides fresher and healthier products.
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Nicky French
What’s
HOT
Açaí berry products Juice $56.99 Cleanse $34.99 Capsules $17.99
Açaí berries are packed with many health benefits Suppress appetite Boost metabolism Increase energy & stamina Reduce effects of aging Improve digestive system Boost immune system Fight cancer & disease
Harmony stocks a wide range of glutenfree products Mesa Sunrise cereals $4.29
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Global influences and local ingredients WORDS & PHOTOS SIMON BURN
When someone recently asked me what I do, I jokingly replied, “I’m a dromomaniac gastronomist with a camera!”. Apt, I thought. When one travels with a camera so much, trying local dishes and delving into regional ingredients, it’s hard not to be influenced by these experiences. I’m always coming home and trying recipes influenced and ideas from my travels. Late summer/early autumn is my favourite time of year. The weather is starting to cool a little, the local farmers’ market stalls are laden with harvest bounty, and the orchards are abundant with juicy peaches, plums, apricots and apples. Plums are classed as a superfood because they contain so much goodness and contribute significantly to your well being. Combined with oats and cinnamon, you can make plum & oat squares to eat as a healthy and nutritious snack. These are infuenced by travels around the UK, and memories of my grandmother’s oat slices. Eggplant is my favourite fall vegetable, possibly because I’ve eaten them in many different, tastily prepared ways in Spain, Italy, Morocco and France. Grilling them and adding good quality oils and herbs makes a great starter or side dish, but what about putting them on fresh toasted bread and eating as a snack? Try this simple recipe—eggplant, tomato & mint bruschetta. It takes just minutes to make on the BBQ or stove. Use ripe and juicy local tomatoes and mint from your garden. This recipe was influenced by a recent food and travel shoot in Malta. A great appetizer to serve guests at your last patio parties before the weather turns too cold.
recipes I food AUTUMN HARVEST AVAILABILITY Fruit Apples Sept Blueberries Sept Cranberries Nectarines Sept Peaches Sept Pears Sept Sept ✔ Plums Raspberries Sept Sept ✔ Tomatoes
Oct
Nov
Oct
Oct Oct
Nov
Oct
Vegetables
Beans Beets Broccoli Brussels Carrots Cauliflower Corn ✔ Eggplant Peppers Potatoes Spinach Squash Zucchini
Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept
Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct
Nov Nov Nov Nov
Nov Nov
For a full list of seasonal local produce, check out the availability page at
www.foodland.gov.on.ca
✔Autumn produce used in our recipes.
Eggplant
Plum
Excellent source of dietary fibre
Its many health benefits has gained it the label of superfood
Very good source of vitamin B1, B6, and potassium Nasunin in eggplant skin is a potent antioxidant
Good source of vitamin A, calcium, iron, and fibre Great for cleansing intestines, maintaining blood sugar levels, and good digestive health
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food I recipes
Eggplant, tomato & mint bruschetta I N G R E D I E N TS eggplant tomatoes bread extra virgin olive oil apple cider vinegar mint parsley garlic sea salt pepper
Prep time 10 min Cooking 5–10 min
2 small Italian 2 small 1 small loaf 5 tbsp 2 tbsp handful, fresh handful, fresh 3 cloves sprinkle sprinkle
Equipment BBQ or griddle pan Small dish
Thinly slice the eggplant and tomatoes. Grill the eggplant for a minute or two on each side, until nice brown grill lines appear. You can also do this in a griddle pan on high heat, but you may need to do two or three batches. Mix your olive oil (the best you can afford) and apple cider vinegar in a small dish. Finely chop the garlic, parsley and mint, and mix in. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to season. Cut your slices of freshly baked bread nice and thick, and give a quick toast on the BBQ, both sides. To serve, simply dip the eggplant into the oil mix, and lay each slice onto the bread, alternating with tomato slices. Spoon some pieces of garlic, mint and parsley on top of the slices, and garnish with small mint leaves. TIP This recipe works really well if you add some cheese on top and broil until cheese melts—it’s really tasty! I always use Manchego for this!
Serves 6–8
The secret to this recipe is
fresh & top quality ingredients!
We used a
healthy
wholewheat artisan bread
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Plum & oat squares
A great way to get the kids to eat more fruit!
I N G R E D I E N TS plums rolled oats flour butter brown sugar honey cinnamon sea salt
5 1½ cups, quick or steel cut 2 cups, organic ¾ cup + 2 tbsp, organic ½ cup, organic, unrefined ¼ cup 1 tsp 1 tsp
Prep time approx. 15–20 min Cooking 40–45 min Makes 10–12 squares
Equipment 10”x6” baking dish Mixing bowl
Preheat oven at 400°F. Cut plums in half and twist off halves from stone. Cut into thin slices. Put approx. six slices to one side. In a bowl, mix flour, oats, salt, cinnamon and sugar with a fork. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in sugar and honey. Pour melted butter, sugar and honey into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and mix with fork or spoon. Finish by using your hands, kneading mixture into a ball of dough. Take one half of the dough and flatten it out in the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish, edge to edge. Lay down your slices of plums on top, edge to edge, and then do the same with the second half of the dough. Take the few plum slices you kept aside and arrange on top as a garnish. Bake for 40–45 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into squares and serving. They will keep for two days if kept refrigerated.
Try this recipe with
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heritage
WORDS + PHOTOS ROBERT B. HULLEY
Orange Lawrence sold a parcel of land on the corner of Little York St. and Mill St. to his sonsin-law Thomas Jull and John Reid. They built this stone flour mill on the site in 1857.
Courtesy of the Dufferin Water has always been important to Orangeville. One has only to County Museum. (P-0268) walk along Broadway and see the symbolic waterwheel monument on the boulevard to gain a sense of the role water power has played in its development. Back in 1844 Orange Lawrence, after whom Orangeville is named, saw the potential in harnessing Orangeville’s water power. As Stephen J. Brown wrote in his book, If Walls Could Talk, “Lawrence bought up all the property he could along Mill Creek and proceeded to develop mills or sell them to people who could [develop them themselves].” The Creek runs almost parallel to and south of Orangeville’s business district. At one time it provided enough power to run almost all the saw and grist mills in Orangeville, as well as a woolen and carding mill and a tanning factory.
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heritage
ABOVE Monument
commemorating the use of water power in Orangeville’s history. It is located on Broadway near Mill Street. BELOW In 1895 Orange-
ville’s first water mains were laid to carry water from a spring located just to the west of Town. Today there are 12 wells and four storage facilities. This tower is located on B-Line and has the capacity to hold 1.25 million imperial gallons of water.
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It was not the size of Mill Creek that caught Lawrence’s attention, because it is quite small and is only one of the many tributaries of the Credit River. It was its steep incline that caught his interest. He recognized its potential power. In later years, with the arrival of the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway which more or less followed the same path as the Creek through Orangeville, the same steep gradient that benefitted the mill owners would prove a challenge to the railway. On occasion, it required as many as three engines to boost heavy freight up the hill. The rail line between the Orangeville Station and Fraxa Junction on Concession III in Amaranth Twp, located approximately four miles to the northwest, climbs 610 feet in elevation, or slightly more than three times the height of Niagara Falls! Throughout southern Ontario, both saw and grist mills were important catalysts during the early settlement period. In several ways, they formed the nuclei of many towns and villages and Orangeville was no exception. The mills always attracted many other tradesmen, retail business and services, as well as professionals. Mills were necessary for processing lumber and grain from the surrounding farmsteads, and a trip to the mill was an occasion to acquire provisions, visit the local blacksmith or harness shop and conduct business. Besides, what would a trip to town be without a visit to the local hostelry to meet friends and neighbours, and catch up on the local news before the trip home? Water is just as relevant to Orangeville today as it was back in the mid to late 1800s. A series of 12 wells tap into a large aquifer, which lies beneath the Orangeville area, to provide the Town’s municipal water supply. Last year, for example, the daily demand for water averaged just over eight and a third million litres from those wells. On one hot summer day last year, water consumption peaked at slightly over eleven million litres. However, as Tim Thompson, a water specialist with Orangeville Public Works, pointed out, “It was even higher than that before we introduced the water metering program in 2003, together with other water conservation programs.” The aquifer is a huge storage house of water, and although it is seldom if ever seen by anyone, it remains one of Orangeville’s most valuable resources. An aquifer is made up of pockets of gravel, sand and silt containing water, as well as pools of water lying between small and large cavities or layers of rock beneath the surface. Orangeville is fortunate in that it has what is known as a high recharge rate, meaning that the depleted stored water is replaced naturally at a rapid rate. While the community is by far the largest user of the town’s water supply, there are also several commercial and industrial concerns that draw both municipal water and substantial amounts from area streams, ponds and private wells. These include agrarian businesses, construction companies, quarries, fish ponds, a large reservoir and conservation areas, to name but a few. One user that may be familiar to many older residents is the Orangeville Bottling Works operated by the Walker family. For many years they
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Dufferin County Museum collection.
heritage sold soda, ginger ale and patented soft drinks under their own trade names which included WHISTLE orange pop. Its distinctive bottle bears a striking resemblance to the shape and style of the ‘Marilyn Monroe’ Condominiums in Mississauga. After a number of years the company was granted the licence to bottle Coca Cola, based in part on the pure refreshing taste of Orangeville water. Water is now considered to be of such high priority that the Province is committed to protecting Ontario’s watersheds and drinking water supplies. It requires anyone taking more than 50,000 litres of water a day from a lake, river, stream or groundwater source to obtain a permit issued under strict guidelines from the Ministry of the Environment. As Jennifer Hall, Senior Regional Communication Advisor for the Ministry said, “The Ministry monitors water taking to ensure they are being carefully managed. We require permit holders to submit data reports, we carry out inspections, and we respond to reports of interference and unauthorized takings.” There are many small streams in the Orangeville area of Dufferin County which collectively form the headABOVE Walker’s distinctive waters to three major Ontario Rivers; WHISTLE pop bottle. the Credit, the Humber and the Walker’s Beverages South Branch of the Nottawasaga. were licensed bottlers of Coca Cola These headwaters comprise ‘tree since 1935 as well as like’ patterns of multiple source producing their own streams, of which Mill Creek is one. brands of orange, ginger ale, cream A common and widely used definisoda, and root beer. tion, used in locating a river’s source is provided by the United States Geographic Service. “The length may be considered to be the distance from its
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mouth to the most distant headwater source.” This definition fits all three rivers that start in the vicinity of Orangeville. All begin in marshy areas, since they are the first collection points for rainwater flowing across the ground surface. Once water can no longer soak into the soil because it is already saturated, it flows downward as a sheet of water. Something similar happens in paved parking areas where sheets of water flow to the nearest catch basin. In the natural environment the sheet of water is directed to a rivulet, then to small streams which form the upper tributaries, or headwaters of a river. All three headwaters are a short distance from Orangeville and together they span the entire width of the Southern Ontario Peninsula, from Toronto and Port Credit on Lake Ontario to Wasaga Beach in the north on Georgian Bay. All three end in broad torrents from their humble beginnings. One of them, the Humber, is designated as a Canadian Heritage River. Gary Wilkins of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority said, “In 1999, the Humber River was designated a Canadian Heritage River by the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and the Federal Minister of the Environment. The heritage designation acknowledged the Humber’s outstanding human heritage and significant contribution to the development of Canada through exploration, settlement and commerce. The Humber is one of only thirty-eight rivers in the entire country that has been designated a Canadian Heritage River.” Water has played a significant role in Orangeville’s history. Even with the intervention of the ‘railway era’ in which Orangeville was a significant player, steam or vaporized water was still the moving power. What the future holds for Orangeville’s vast water resource, only time will tell. In ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’, Bill Bryson observes that ninety-seven percent of all water on Earth is in the seas. Of the three percent of the Earth’s water that is fresh, most exists in ice sheets. Only the tiniest amount—0.036 per cent—is found in lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Bryson wryly comments, “I hardly need to point out that we would be lost without it.”
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His comic collection is over 40,000 ...he has the spare bedroom completely filled, floor to ceiling, with comics, toys and action figures.
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Excelsior! people
Matt Broom: A life in sequential art
WORDS DAVID K. DORWARD
PHOTO: SIMON BURN
I admit it. I was a comic book addict for many years, starting my addiction off primarily with the Marvel Age of Comics. Spiderman, Kid Colt, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and the offerings of DC, Batman and Superman haunted my dreams and took the proceeds from my pop bottle drives to feed my habit. In those long forgotten days, you didn’t acknowledge as an adult that you liked comic books. You asked for and were given a brown paper bag to put them in so you didn’t have to admit to your guilty pleasure. Fast forward to 2011 and SHAZAM! Comic books have become mainstream popular culture and big business at the movies. The Holy Grail for collectors includes Action 1 and Detective 27, the first appearance of Superman and Batman. In 2010 a reportedly mint condition of Action 1 sold for $1.5 million US. Not a bad rate of appreciation for a comic book which sold for 10 cents in 1938! Here is the plot to date: Matt Broom is the 35 year old, mild mannered manager for the five Orangeville Tim Horton’s by day and a comic book aficionado by night, and any available daytime hours. Matt attended the University of Windsor for two years studying communications, as he thought he wanted to be a journalist. Realizing the job market for journalists was poor, and being Orangeville born and raised, he returned to Tim Horton’s where he had started behind the counter in 1991. Matt likes Orangeville for its friendly small town feel, even though he knows it is growing and changing. While at University of Windsor, he found the city just too big and loud. Last year he married and his wife Amy, who is from Alton, likes Harry Potter and is a big fan of TV shows such as Mash and The Office. Amy is very tolerant of his hobby which sees him buy 40 to 50 new comics monthly. His comic collection of over 40,000 plus, and growing, is located in his apartment and storage units. Matt says rather philosophically, “There are far worse things you could do with your money.” In his modest apartment (he is saving to buy a house), he has the spare bedroom completely filled, floor to ceiling, with comics, toys and action figures. Matt finds and buys back issues of his favourite comics at antique malls, garage sales, used book
stores and flea markets, as well as from on-line US retailers and auctions such as Mile High Comics and Million Comics. Matt’s passion for sequential art, as some people refer to comics today, started at age 6 or 7, as it does for so many comic fans, myself included. He clearly remembers buying his first comic, Fantastic Four #259, and the great visual impact the art had on him. His favourite comic authors are George Perez and John Byrne and his all-time favourite comic characters are Hawkeye (Marvel) and Superman (DC). Matt loves the visuals of the Hawkeye character, a master archer, and he still loves the Superman costume which creators, Shuster and Siegel, reportedly based on a carnival strong man with tall boots, tights and cape. Many Canadians are unaware that Superman has a strong Toronto connection as Joe Shuster moved to Cleveland, Ohio at age 10 from Toronto where, legend has it, he was a paperboy for the Toronto Star. I can confirm that the newspaper Clark Kent works for in the first comic appearance in Action 1 is the Daily Star, later changed to the Daily Planet. Coincidence or fate, that the genesis of one of Matt’s favourite characters was within easy driving distance from Orangeville? You decide! This summer Orangeville’s Galaxy Cinema has already seen the successful opening of THOR, Green Lantern and Captain America. 2012 promises to be a bumper year for comic book movies with The Avengers, Batman in The Dark Knight Rises, and rebooted Superman and Spiderman movies. Matt says he enjoyed THOR as its high budget resulted in spectacular visuals. He felt using a relatively unknown actor in the THOR lead role let the movie sell itself. The comic book business has changed greatly in Orangeville. During the height of the comic book craze in 1992-1993, before over production and gimmickry instead of story lines imploded the industry, there were three comic book stores in Orangeville. Today there is one comic book store, The Gauntlet, where Matt buys many of his new comics and figures. The comic book industry has changed tremendously with the advent of the internet. Matt calls comics an “aging hobby” but feels that such industry sponsored events as the May annual free comic book day are helping bring youth back to comics and away from their computer screens. The favourite characters of many generations are now immortal and will never die in popular culture. We can certainly look forward to many more years of adventures with the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman! AUTUMN 2011 ORANGEVILLE LIVING
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home I decorating
Sweet dreams for new granddaughter WORDS JIM CONNELLY & PETER DE SOUSA
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Our story begins “Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton Tail and Peter. Peter rabbit sports a cute blue jacket.” Welcome to the world of Beatrix Potter and how this iconic children’s story was the inspiration for a granddaughter’s nursery design concept. The arrival of a first grandchild meant that a nursery fit for a Princess was in order. Masterpieces Studio has had the pleasure of completing many projects in this client’s beautiful home. She is a successful businesswoman, world traveller, and well-known patron of the arts. The inspiration for this project sprang from a piece of wrapping paper with illustrations of Beatrix Potter’s famous little rabbits. Many of us have grown up with our own Beatrix baby mugs, dishes and bedtime stories, so this idea conjured up happy childhood memories, both for us and our client.
Before we started the art concept, our client had already purchased several key pieces of furniture and wanted the mural to complement them. On a trip to California, she discovered a beautiful crib/bed that can accommodate a growing child. As the baby grows, the crib can be reassembled in different ways to convert it into a little bed. Another key piece was a small antique curio cabinet housing family heirloom jewellery handed down through a great-great-great-grandmother, great-great grandmother and grandmother, and waiting to be passed on to the new arrival. We painted soft swirls on the sides of the cabinet to mirror the finish on the walls. Now this little curio cabinet can compete with the best jewellery store display case. News Flash – After visiting Grandma today, the contents of the curio cabinet may change to her collection of silver vintage baby rattles. The chair in the nursery is big and comfy with storage compartment that pulls out and slide away. Grandma has thought of everything!
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We painted soft swirls on the sides of the cabinet to mirror the finish on the walls.
The whole atmosphere of the nursery was to be dreamy fairytale magic. The walls were painted a soft colour, and then we created small mini-murals to tell the story of Beatrix Potter’s magical world. Between the murals we introduced the same swirling, trailing vine motif that was on the inspirational wrapping paper as a soft background. It looked like dreamy velvet ribbons blowing in the wind, playfully twirling and spinning their magic. The fairytale scenes are painted in a vintage style, very soft and gentle with a faded, aged patina. Murals depicting four little rabbits sitting in front of their mother who says, “Now run along and don’t get into mischief!” and little mice playing with bobbins of thread all make for a wonderful place to dream. This nursery takes you on a magical journey with the murals and finishing touches by a design-savvy grandmother. Every detail has been taken into consideration for her granddaughter, including a very sweet touch with a mini ballet tutu in soft tulle material with a matching little headband. At our Masterpieces Studio, we can take an original piece of artwork or a photograph and reproduce that image to any size specification. The enlarged image can go on any interior or exterior wall, with absolutely no join lines. From a photograph, we made a portrait of the client’s granddaughter and then embellished it with Venetian Plaster to create a piece of art to be treasured for years to come. We invited our friend Nicholas Rosaci, TV celebrity from City Line and the Marilyn Dennis Show, to create something whimsical for the room. Nicolas is high energy and incredibly talented. We gave him full rein to create some fun. His finished project is a whimsical mobile. Nicholas painted twigs, attached large blue exotic flowers to the twigs and, to make it dreamy, soft pink birds on strings. Swarovski Crystals were added in the centre of the flowers and for the birds’ eyes. In this nursery, our client’s granddaughter will dream of adventures with those famous little rabbits, running through swirling vines and, of course, not getting into mischief!!!
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Masterpieces Studio Tel 416 781 5588 www.masterpiecesstudio.com
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motoring I road test
2011 Chevy Cruze Eco Sedan WORDS KEVIN “CRASH” CORRIGAN PHOTOS SIMON BURN
I don’t know how many people I’ve said this to, but I’m going to repeat it again… “If you want to call yourself a proper driver, then you have to learn to drive a stick shift!” There are several good reasons behind this, one being the fact that many desirable sports models are only made available in standard. Another stems from the thought, “What would you do if you were a passenger in a stick shift vehicle and your driver became injured?” After all, this is North America where you could be a hundred miles from civilization at any given time!
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motoring I road test
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That won’t happen with the new GM Cruze Eco Sedan because there’s a fairly long jump in gear ratios from 4th to 5th, and then a whopping great huge one from 5th up into top gear! Honestly, it’s like driving a 5-speed with an extra overdrive gear. It’s wonderful, and I can’t for the life of me understand why this hasn’t been done before. Well actually it has, because it reminds me of a rearengine VW 411E station wagon that I owned a decade or three back. The vehicle sported a 5-speed gearbox, but the 5th gear was designed predominately for highway cruising. The rest of the time you simply drove it as a standard 4-speed, which was pretty much the norm back in the 70s anyway. If you’ve been paying attention lately, you’ve heard of the new 7-speed automatic transmissions. In fact, 8-speed units are now becoming popular. Great, but then why did the manual gearbox get to 6-speeds and then suddenly stop? Of course, applying 7 or 8 gears raises some issues. First, where do you put all those gears, and second, how close together would the shifts need to be before it became impossible to drive? Plus there’s the fact that not everyone wants to be constantly changing up and down through the gears. It doesn’t take an Einstein to work out that the higher the top gear ratio, the lower the RPM, which equates to less fuel consumption. So why have overdrive gearboxes not been made standard within the industry? After all, wouldn’t everybody enjoy saving a little more fuel? One reason could be that taller gearing puts a lot more strain on an engine, and perhaps manufacturers see this as raising possible warranty issues. (Obviously GM must place a lot of faith in its new ECOTEC power plants.) Another is that it tends to lower one’s feeling of performance, and we live in North America where power is thought of as King! All I can say to that is … educate drivers on how to drive
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Then there’s the fact that, regardless of what some car companies have told you, you’ll get better fuel economy out of a manual gearbox than you ever will from an automatic transmission. Naturally, that’s providing you know how to drive one! Of course, this brings me nicely to my test vehicle of the week, the new 2011 Cruze Eco Sedan, because it comes as a 6-speed manual, and that’s actually a large part of what makes this vehicle so eco-friendly. Yes, the Cruze has gathered huge praise since its launch (2011 AJAC Car of the Year). Choose any model in the lineup and you’ll come away happy, but this one is rather special, and let me explain why. First, it’s powered by the new 1.4L ECOTEC turbocharged 4 cylinder which, by the way, is a sweet little engine. It also boasts something called an Automatic Air Shutter System which basically adjusts the airflow into the engine bay as and when required for engine cooling purposes. Now that is a smart idea! After all, you need much more airflow around the radiator in heavy downtown traffic than you do while cruising along the highway. That’s simply common sense, so why add to the wind resistance when you don’t need to? However, that’s not the real news with this vehicle, at least not for me. What I really like about this model is what’s attached to the 6-speed gear lever. GM must have been reading my mind, because I often go searching for another gear on the highway only to discover that aren’t any more left! Come on now, I know there are a few gear jockeys out there reading this, and I’m definitely not the first to search for a 6th gear on a 5-speed gearbox!
If you’re prepared to learn stick shift, it pays off with Best in Class fuel economy
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for economy, and teach them how to change gears properly. After all, most people who experienced stick-shift vehicles in their youth and had to pay for their own gas already know how to drive economically. You just change up when you feel the engine is capable of taking the next gear. At other times when you want power, you simply hold the gears for longer and let the engine rev out! Any good driving instructor could teach that in a matter of minutes. The 4-door Chevy Cruze Eco Sedan is built to appeal to those who want maximum fuel efficiency without spending a packet. My test vehicle priced out at just $21,855 including taxes and destination charges. So why couldn’t this idea work for all cars? After all, if you choose to drive a V8 Camaro, the same basic concept could be applied. In fact, this would work on just about every vehicle on the road, perhaps with the exception of the really small-engine cars, but they get pretty decent fuel economy anyway! Well, let’s get back to the car in question and see how it stacks up! Now I’d call this a good-looking car, and from the outside it appears to offer great value for money. In fact, with the stylish multi-spoke alloy rims that my test vehicle sported, I’d say that GM has excelled themselves on that point. The interior is also above what one would expect from a vehicle in this price range. The dash layout is bang up-todate in styling and could readily reside in a vehicle costing
several thousand dollars more. I’ll also credit GM for something else which has often troubled me. Coming from a detail shop background, I’ve often said the most important things to get right in a vehicle are the two items which drivers touch the most, the steering wheel and gear selector. Kudos to Chevy because these both feel better than some much more expensive vehicles I’ve driven! The seating, although cloth (which I actually prefer on hot summer days), supplies a comfortable ride and is firm enough to offer decent back support. The vehicle performs well on the road and, apart from perhaps benefitting from a little heavier steering ratio, I’d deem the vehicle a very nice drive. All in all, the Cruze Eco Sedan offers great value for money and, if you’re prepared to learn stick shift, it pays off with Best in Class fuel economy at 7.2L/100km City and 4.6L/100km Hwy. So there you have it… A little old-school thinking, coupled with modern engineering, and we’re Cruzing past gas stations with big grins on our faces. Well done GM!
Pros: Good looking and great on fuel Cons: Nothing worth mentioning Verdict: This vehicle makes so much sense
Rating
87%
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community
Does the mega quarry threaten the Hills of Headwaters? We invited two people with opposing views to give opinions on this hot topic. John Lowndes works for The Highland Companies and defends their proposals, and local Donna Tranquada argues why it’s a very bad idea.
JOHN LOWNDES
I was lucky enough to have grown up on a beef farm outside of Alton, in Dufferin County, where I attended Orangeville District Secondary School. In that time I learned that those of us lucky enough to live, work and play in the more than 350,000 acres that make up the county are blessed with many virtues. We enjoy the best of two worlds: strong community ties fostered by a rich agricultural heritage, earned through hard work and honest values, yet also an increasingly dynamic and sophisticated urbanity, expressed by music festivals, art walks, fashionable
DONNA TRANQUADA
PHOTO: MARY-KAY LYNDE
The sun shone brightly over our small farm in Dufferin County yesterday as I worked in my garden, weeded the vegetable patch and marvelled at the golden wheat in nearby fields. It was one of those perfect days in the country. Our little ‘homestead’ is perched on top of a hill about 90 minutes northwest of Toronto.
A view overlooking the land downstream that would be affected by the quarry 42 42
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We’re surrounded by rolling pastures, gabled farmhouses and weathered grey barns that have survived a century of seasons. It’s one of the most stunning regions of Ontario and is known as ‘ The Hills of Headwaters.’ But looming
boutiques and a variety of restaurants. For these reasons, this community is the envy of people who recognize the appeal of the lifestyle available in smaller centres that are surrounded and supported by productive natural resources. As we continue to grow, we need to keep an eye on the future, ensuring that we provide opportunities that can sustain future generations who want to live and work here. How do we do that? One of the many benefits of this area is the abundance of natural resources like wind, aggregates and agriculture. Specifically, Melancthon contains the largest deposit of high quality limestone (Amabel dolostone) in Ontario, outside of the Niagara Escarpment. Why is that significant? Well, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Ontario is literally running out of the high quality aggregate it needs to build new homes, schools, roads, hospitals and other critical infrastructure. In fact, the province of Ontario recently announced a $100 billion, 10-year infrastructure building program that will not be possible without new sources of high quality limestone such as that found in this area. Why not bring limestone in from somewhere else, some may ask. The challenge with aggregate is that so much of its cost is related to transportation. It therefore has to be extracted as close as possible to where it will
be used. The MNR and other planners anticipate that the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area of Ontario will require a minimum of 100 million tonnes per year for the next 20 years. Existing supplies will be depleted in less than half that time, creating a looming shortfall. In trying to address this shortfall, Ontarians have the opportunity to think about where their aggregates should come from and how to best balance social, economic and environmental concerns. We think most people would agree that we should not continue to quarry in sensitive areas such as the Niagara Escarpment, the Oakridges Moraine or the Greenbelt. At the same time, you can only build a quarry where the geology lets us—specifically, where the stone actually is. And that’s in Melancthon. As you may know, we recently filed an application with the MNR to develop and operate a quarry in Melancthon. Let me be perfectly clear about our intentions and our process. This project will not proceed until there has been a full governmental review and until we have met or exceeded all of the current regulatory requirements. Every aspect of the design, location, environment, technical features, social and economic benefits and impacts has been analyzed and documented as part of the rigorous government process created to oversee quarries in Ontario. The application is subject to intense scrutiny from all relevant governmental ministries and >>
over the landscape is the threat of a mega quarry that will destroy vital farmland, jeopardize fresh water and devastate our environment. As you drive westward from our farm, the land rises to a vast and fertile plateau in Melancthon Township, north of Shelburne. It’s the highest point of land in southern Ontario and contains the best grade of soil in the province, Honeywood silt loam. Farmers love it. Not only is it fertile and rock-free, it sits upon a massive limestone aquifer which is a perfect drainage system for growing potatoes and other crops. Fifty percent of the potatoes consumed in the GTA are grown on this plateau. The region is also the source of water for four watersheds, including the Grand and Nottawasaga rivers. It’s estimated that one million people downstream rely on the fresh water. Local wells, ponds and streams count on the headwaters for replenishment.
potatoes. Highland filed a 3,000 page application to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to tear up the fields and excavate the largest open pit quarry in Canada for the lucrative aggregate market. The proposed size is staggering. The mega quarry would span 2,300 acres. It would be deeper than Niagara Falls and plunge 200 feet below the water table.
Agriculture or aggregate Enter the Highland Companies. Over the past few years Highland, which is backed by a $22 billion Boston hedge fund, has purchased about 7,500 acres of the 15,000 acre plateau. At first Highland said its focus was growing potatoes and, after assembling so much land, it’s now the largest potato producer in Ontario. However, in March, Highland confirmed suspicions that it was far more interested in the limestone beneath the
Forever is a long time In order to keep the quarry from filling up with water and draining the watersheds, Highland says it will have to pump 600 million litres of water a day. Forever. That’s the same amount of water used by 2.7 million Ontarians each day. At a public meeting hosted by Highland in the spring, I expressed doubts about a pumping system running in perpetuity. The hired water-management consultant replied, “We have the technology.” Well, the Japanese thought they had the technology to protect their nuclear reactors from earthquakes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was equally confident about its levees around New Orleans. Pumps fail and, when that happens, the results will be catastrophic for those downstream.
Not welcome in the neighbourhood The mega quarry would also be a troublesome neighbour for the Niagara Escarpment, which runs through the >> AUTUMN 2011 ORANGEVILLE LIVING AUTUMN 2011 ORANGEVILLE LIVING
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community agencies, community groups, third parties and independent experts. We recognize that our site is in prime agricultural lands, and that there will be a small loss of farm land as it is converted to naturalized berms and side slopes. At the same time, most quarries end up as lakes which means they must remain un-rehabilitated until the excavation is complete. With these factors in mind, we have designed a rehabilitation plan to maintain agricultural capabilities, minimize the disturbed area, and do so progressively as the quarry advances. Rehabilitation will start immediately and stay within 100 metres of the open quarry face. This means the extraction area of the quarry at any one time will only be a fraction of the licensed area, and much smaller in relative terms to other quarries. Berming and landscaping of the excavated area would be continuous. With vegetated side slopes to the farms on the quarry floor, the landscape will look more like a shallow valley than a big hole. There are many interested parties contributing to the dialogue and refinement of our project. Every comment we have received and will receive is and will be carefully reviewed and considered. We welcome
public scrutiny and feedback and continue to engage with community representatives and government officials to hear their views about the project and respond to questions. Everything we value as a society—our health, families, sports and recreation, employment—all stem from a healthy economic foundation. This quarry provides Melancthon with a long-term, healthy economic foundation, contributing approximately $1.2 million per year in royalties to the community—equal to the entire property tax base, not to mention the benefits of having 465 people working and living locally. As we reflect on how best to balance aggregate extraction with today’s changing social and environmental concerns, we believe that Melancthon represents a win-win solution.
Hills of Headwaters and is recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve. The Florida Everglades and Galapagos Islands share the same designation. The Niagara Escarpment Commission says it is “one of the world’s unique natural wonders.” The Escarpment also supports 300 bird species, 53 mammals, 36 reptiles and amphibians, 90 fish and 100 varieties of special interest flora including 37 types of wild orchids. Yet, the largest quarry in the country would stretch alongside this environmentally sensitive area. No government would ever allow a quarry of any size near the Florida Everglades or in the Galapagos Islands.
under intense pressure to order a special EA for Highland’s application.
Deep down on the farm Once Highland extracts the limestone it intends to farm the bottom of the pit. That’s right, the bottom. The company claims it will spread topsoil in this deep, massive scar and, if the pumps don’t fail, it will grow crops. But according to current provincial guidelines, Highland is under no obligation to rehabilitate the quarry pit because it would be below the water table.
For more information about the Melancthon Quarry, please visit www.melancthonquarry.ca and about the company visit www.highlandcompanies.ca
Going, going, gone Along with the beauty of its landscape and pristine environment, Dufferin County is also known for its rich bounty of fresh local food. Restaurants and farmers’ markets in the country and downtown Toronto boast about the quality of the vegetables, fruit and meat. We’re fortunate to have prime agricultural land producing safe and sustainable food so close to our kitchen tables. To remove this land from production forever would be reckless and shortsighted. To quote Toronto Chef Donna Dooher, “We’re on a slippery slope when we start exporting our land and importing our food.” So, while the sun is shining and I work in the garden, there is much to contemplate in the Hills of Headwaters.
No Environmental Assessment Incredibly, the largest proposed quarry in Canada is not subject to an Environmental Assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act. In fact, under provincial law, no quarry of any size faces an Environmental Assessment. Given the magnitude of the mega quarry and its potential impact, the Ontario government is now
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For further information visit: www.ndact.com and www.citzens alliance.ca and Stop the Quarry on Facebook.
Orangeville Living locations
If you didn’t receive your copy in the mail, or need a spare copy for a friend, you can find Orangeville Living, available free, at the following locations:
ALTON
HOCKLEY VALLEY
ORANGEVILLE
ROSEMONT
Millcroft Inn 55 John Street
Hockley Valley Resort 793522 Mono 3rd Line (Off Hockley Road) Hockley General Store RR 5 994227 Mono Adjala Townline
Best Western Inn and Suites 7 Buena Vista Drive
The Globe Restaurant Hwy 89 (between Airport Road & Hwy 50)
BELFOUNTAIN Belfountain Inn 792 Forks of the Credit Road
DUFFERIN Dufferin County Museum Airport Rd & Hwy 89
ERIN Erin Gallery 27 Main Street
MONO CLIFFS Mono Cliffs Inn 367006 Mono Centre Road
SHELBURNE
Liberty Tax 116 Main Street West
Booklore 121 First Street Liberty Tax 5 First Street Orangeville Flowers 78 John Street
VIOLET HILL Mrs. Mitchell's Restaurant/ Granny Taught us How Hwy 89 (between Shelburne & Alliston)
Orangeville Furniture 633419 Highway 10 North Pear Home shop 185 Broadway Town of Orangeville Townhall 87 Broadway
Read online at
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CATERING
CONSIGNMENT STORE
MORTGAGES
PARTIES
PEST CONTROL
PHOTOGRAPHY
ORANGEVILLE LIVING AUTUMN 2011
HOME DECOR
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
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ORANGEVILLE LIVING AUTUMN 2011