Spring 2015
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PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND QUINTE REGION
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Sons of France make Prince Edward County their own
by Michelle Hauser
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custom county waterfront retreat
by Catherine Stutt
IN THIS ISSUE
Each issue available online at: www.countyandquinteliving.ca
44
60
Art in the Life of Eugene
by Lindi Pierce
portraits of survival
Signposts hoard’s station
Moshynski Seventy Years After Dachau by Cindy Duffy
22
The Barn Quilts of Prince Edward County
38
54
66
by Lindi Pierce
The Story of Sir John A.
Bruce Westwood
Macdonald’s Early Years
by Alan Gratias
House calls
by Sharon Harrison
young john a.
in The Quinte Area by Peter Lockyer
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COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
Saitarg’s GQ
ON THE COVER
Vincent Depoivre working his magic on madeleines. Photo by Daniel Vaughan.
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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND QUINTE REGION
Director of Specialty publications Ron Prins: rprins@metroland.com editor Catherine Stutt: editor@xplornet.com
Sandra Foreman Gerry Fraiberg
Sharon Harrison Daniel Vaughan
ADMINISTRATION Heather Naish hnaish@perfprint.ca Distribution Paul Mitchell 613.966.2034 x 508
Orlinda Johnston 613.966.2034 x 526 ojohnston@metroland.com
County & Quinte Living is published quarterly and is available free of charge through strategic partners, wineries, golf courses, real estate, and chamber of commerce offices, retail outlets, and advertiser locations. County & Quinte Living may not be reproduced, in part or whole, in any form without prior written consent of the publisher. Views expressed by contributors are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of County & Quinte Living. Subscription rate $25 a year. HST included. County & Quinte Living is a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.
design & production Kathern Bly and Monica McTaggart Susan K. Bailey Marketing & Design info@skbailey.com
Office: 250 Sidney Street, Belleville Mail Address: P.O. Box 25009 Belleville, ON K8P 5E0 613.966.2034 www.countyandquinteliving.ca
Photo editor Daniel Vaughan: daniel@vaughangroup.ca Advertising Executives Andrew Blais 613.966.2034 x 505 ablais@metroland.com
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cindy Duffy Sharon Harrison Catherine Stutt Alan Gratias Peter Lockyer Michelle Hauser Lindi Pierce
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from the
Editor’s Desk couple of weeks ago, in early April, we braved the rain/ snow/sleet/locusts on a drive to Picton on a mission of critical importance. The first goal was to acquire two historic books from Frugal & Company - which quickly turned into three books and a vintage licence plate. I left with excellent editions of Willis Metcalfe’s Marine Memories, a signed copy of Azel A. Guest’s Strong Like the Mountain, and a hardcover of Nick and Helma Mika’s The Settlement of Prince Edward County, all of which will join Bill Murtha’s recent gift of Richard and Janet Lunn’s The County on my rapidly growing Prince Edward bookshelf. Our next stop was Lockyer’s Country Gardens just south of the roundabout, which, since we’re enjoying some historical reflections, was the first roundabout ever built on a provincial highway in Ontario. Yes, it was. People will argue the point. They’ll be wrong. Another first for this historic area. It was a cold and miserable typical day so far in 2015. I like the colder 8
COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
weather. Three years ago this month I was in Alert, 500 miles from the North Pole. It was a balmy minus 21 degrees. It was a dry cold, though, which apparently makes a difference. It was not a dry cold in Picton. It was damp and cold. Except at Lockyer’s. I’d never been there, and I love gardening, so it was time to visit. I’d noticed their ads in the magazine, and made it a purposeful destination. This year we’re starting tomatoes and peppers from seed, rather than picking up seedlings and we needed supplies, and Mr. Underwood wanted flowers for his photo. Kindly, Darryl carried the typewriter into the greenhouse, where JC, Barkley, and River greeted us. As a former dog trainer, Darryl was smitten with the golden retrievers. As someone who thinks he’s going to freeze to death if the temperature isn’t unbearably hot, he was in his own personal heaven. There may be no more magical place than a greenhouse in the spring, with the heat and humidity and brave little seeds bursting with their stems burrowing through soil into the light. It seemed like there were acres of seedlings under canopy, surrounded
by vibrant tropical plants, hydrangea for Easter, and African violets existing seemingly for the sheer joy of letting us look at them. A few days earlier, I had dropped in to see Karen at Village Green in Foxboro, and watched as her assistant carefully started the heirloom seedlings for which the store is known. There is something pure and wonderful about the confidence and faith in starting something from seed, whether it’s a vine or a vineyard. The visit to Lockyer’s, to the Village Green, to the boutiques of Bloomfield and Wellington to the multigenerational businesses throughout our area was a reminder of the belief our advertisers have in their businesses, the faith they will prevail through hard work, sacrifice, and good decisions. Some of these businesses are decades old, some a century, others very new, and they are linked through a deep commitment to their dreams. There are a lot of stories in County and Quinte, many of them in the people behind the ads. Drop in and say hello. Tell them you read about them in CQL. Get them to share their journey. You’ll meet great people, friendly dogs, and maybe happen upon a tropical oasis in the middle of a snowstorm. Everyone has a story to tell, and we are fortunate to be able to share some of them. Thanks for turning the page.
Catherine Stutt, Editor, County and Quinte Living editor@xplornet.com
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ADVERTISER INDEX ACCOMODATIONS The Wexford House ....................... 41 Williams Hotels Inc. ....................... IBC BUILDERS/DEVELOPERS Armitage & Laurie Fine Homes........ 57 Ducon Contractors .......................... 42 Sage Design & Construction ............. 7 COMMUNITY Invisible Ribbon Gala........................ 59 Glanmore.......................................... 60 Gleaners Food Bank Gala...........36-37 Municipality of Brighton .................. 12 Quinte Children’s Foundation Gala.....52-53 Trent Port Marina............................ 47 FASHION Divine Diamonds.............................. 36 Magpie............................................. 61 Quinte Mall ...................................... 24 FOOD/DINING/WINE Campbell’s Orchards ...................... 27 From the Farm Cooking School ..... 37 Great Canadian Cheese Festival...... 53 Personal Service Coffee ................. 19 HOME DÉCOR/GIFTS Black River Trading Company ........... 5 Gilbert & Lighthall............................ 61 The Birdhouse ................................. 13 HOME IMPROVEMENT/DESIGN Betz Pools......................................... 27 BlackBird Stone & Tile...................... 51 Carpet One..................................... BC County Arborists.............................. 25 County Fireplace Company.............. 13 Dynamic Home Technologies........... 30 Fireplace Specialties ........................ 17 Red Ball Radio ................................. 26 St. Lawrence Pools............................. 3 Sine’s Flooring.................................. 49 The County Fireplace ...................... 61 Vanderlaan Building Products.......... 52 VanVark Electric ............................... 21 William Design Company ................ 31
LANDSCAPE/GARDEN Farmgate Gardens............................. 9 Picture Perfect Landscaping............. 10 Steve Crowe Excavating................... 26 Terra Vista Landscaping.................... 33 Walsh Mountain Ironworks .............. 35 Wentworth Landscaping ................... 6
v Seed & Suet v Bird Feeders & Accessories v Nest Boxes, Benches v Bird Baths, Books, Gifts v Garden Flags Tel: 613-397-3230 Toll Free: 1-877-480-7434 Email: connie@thebirdhouse.ca www.thebirdhouse.ca Tues.-Sat: 9:30-5:00 • Sun: Noon-4:00
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - DENTAL Belleville Dental................................ 46 Dr. Younes Dental Care ................. IFC Riverside Dental .............................. 20 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - FINANCIAL Cumberland Private Wealth............. 65 H&R Block........................................ 16 State Farm........................................ 37 Scotia McLeod.................................... 7 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - GENERAL Encore Tents..................................... 56 Eyes N Optics................................... 24 Ontario Coachways ......................... 64 Susan K. Bailey................................. 49 Vaughan Group ............................... 32 Vision & Voice................................... 11
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - REAL ESTATE Chestnut Park Real Estate................ 63 Remax - Barry VanZeoren................. 62 Royal LePage – Elizabeth Crombie.. 62 Royal LePage – Judy Caswell /Sarah Phillips .................................. 62 Royal LePage – Sandra Foreman..... 40 Royal LePage – Vicki/Sara Forgie..... 62 WELLNESS/FITNESS/BEAUTY Salon You & Day Spa........................ 48 PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY WINERIES ......................................... Pages 10-11 Casa Dea Closson Chase County Cider Co. The Grange of PEC Huff Estates...................................... 61
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COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
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Prince Edward County their own
Article by Michelle Hauser Photography by Daniel Vaughan Not so long ago the French tricolour flying on the Loyalist Parkway might have struck passersby as out of place. Today however, the iconic flag, hoisted in front of Maison Depoivre in Bloomfield, makes all the sense in the world. It is a siren call for foodies and connoisseurs of casual luxury, a French invasion where the act of surrender is highly recommended. “Explain to us why two French guys wanted to come to this area?” Christophe Doussot said this is the question on everyone’s lips when they visit the French B&B and fine food boutique he co-owns and operates with partner Vincent Depoivre. The entrepreneurial couple, who exude a charismatic blend of European sophistication and boyish charm, tell people their love affair with Prince Edward County was many years in the making.
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COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
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Christophe spent his 20s working in Toronto from 1994 to 2003. After returning to France, he continued to travel to Canada, often visiting a friend in Picton. For him, falling in love with the County was a slow and steady build. With each trip he grew more and more impressed with the remarkable cultural evolution he saw. In the summer of 2010 he brought Vincent with him. “It was my first trip to Canada” recalled Vincent, “And I fell in love.” On the return flight, he asked Christophe, “Why did you decide to move back to France?” Christophe was honest about how much he missed
Canada, “One day,” he said, perhaps not imagining that day was at hand, “I would really like to move back.”
Within six months of that life-changing flight, Christophe and Vincent became the proud owners of the 150-year-old white farmhouse, one of the Barley Farms, on Highway 62. It would take two more years of careful preparation - refining their threetiered offering which includes B&B, gourmet cooking workshops, and a French fine food boutique - before Maison Depoivre officially opened its doors in the summer of 2013.
don’t believe in or we’re not familiar with.” In all they do, they say their primary goal is to, “Share what we love.”
During their inaugural season, the épicerie fine became the backbone of their business and started attracting a loyal following. “We both love food,” said Christophe, “And we knew
Maison Depoivre’s most popular product is the organic extra-virgin olive oil from Mas Saint Pierre. “It is a small company, south of Montepellier - they press the olive the day it
there were already a lot of B&Bs in the County and we wanted to bring something new.”
is harvested,” explained Vincent, “It’s so fresh, it is like biting directly into the olive.” Also popular are the vinegars from La Guinelle, a vineyard on the Mediterranean Sea in the Banyuls region, close to the border with Spain. “One is saffron-infused and another is clove and cinnamon-infused and is based on a medieval recipe.”
The shop’s selection of products from across France is exquisite. Those looking for a special gift for a food lover, something of unimpeachable quality and originality, will find it at Maison Depoivre.
Christophe and Vincent have chosen products with which they have a personal connection. “We have a story for each of them,” noted Vincent, stories which are relayed to customers as each purchase is carefully wrapped in tissue paper - whether someone has spent $20 or $200.
Running a sma is a big task. Le Running a small business
It was during that eight-hour flight when the two men sketched the outline of a business plan for Maison Depoivre. By the time the plane’s wheels touched down at Charles de Gaulle they had a shared vision of how to bring their unique brand of joie de vivre - grounded in quality, authenticity, and conviviality - to Prince Edward County.
“Authenticity is something we talk about a lot,” said Christophe, “We don’t want to stretch ourselves trying to sell something we
A fringe benefit of importing their favourite foods is that it staves off homesickness. Christophe recalled when he returned to
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France in 2003, “Going to the grocery store and just going crazy buying everything I could not find in Canada.” He admits the fine food shop, while a smart business decision, was partially a selfish one as well. The boutique dovetails nicely with the gourmet cooking workshops led by Vincent, Maison Depoivre’s resident chef and keeper of the secrets of how to bake the perfect French baguette. Secrets which include shelving the rolling pin in favour of fingertip work akin to piano playing - think the opening notes of Beethoven’s 5th. And then there is steam. Pouring a cup of water into a pan on the bottom rack of the oven is brings the crust to a state of crispy perfection. Doing the latter, as Vincent does with a theatrical flourish while wearing red shoes and drinking white wine, may also contribute to a superior baguette. Vincent is careful to note his workshops should not be confused with a cooking class, “The cooking workshop is for everybody. I don’t want to make you cut onions or carrots. I want it to be easy, convivial, like when I’m with my friends in France.” People gravitate to the workshops because they are excited about preparing something they wouldn’t normally make such as camembert soup with a puff pastry hat, chicken liver pâté, cheese soufflé, or Vincent’s famous madeleines. As Vincent cooks, instructs, and entertains, he makes no apologies for the quantity of butter in his recipes. He emerges, unrepentant, from the fridge with a tiny pyramid of yellow pads stacked on a plate and says with a grin, “It is completely sugar-free!” Butter-shame, gluten-guilt and skim milk substitutions are not allowed at Maison Depoivre - which are as good as any reasons to spend an afternoon there. Between the fine food shop and the gourmet cooking workshops it is hard to imagine Christophe and Vincent also find time to run a B&B. Hospitality and hard work are in their blood, which is a good thing because by the summer of 2014 the B&B side of their business was booming, thanks in part to a magazine article. “We had about 10 to 15 requests every day during July and August after that,” says Christophe. When the 2014 season was over Christophe conceded, “It was more work than we imagined. It requires physical energy but also you have to be on mentally as well. To run a B&B you have to be quite social.” In spite of the exhaustion, their anticipation for the 2015 18
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season is palpable. “Every day you re-do the rooms,” said Vincent, “And every evening you are wondering what kind of people you will have tonight. It’s always wonderful.” Christophe added, “Meeting new people is probably one of the things we enjoy the most.” Christophe and Vincent marvel at the growth of their business in such a short time and they are overwhelmed by how the community has received them. “When we opened we were very surprised other B&Bs didn’t feel threatened - but they were very welcoming,” noted Christophe. “Our customers are excited we’re sharing our culture and identity.” Over the past few years Maison Depoivre has had other champions, namely Prince Edward Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELACFDC) who helped them with a startup loan when no bank would finance them. Carla Vincent, a Commercial Loan Officer with PELACFDC says Maison Depoivre is one of their great success stories, “I could see right from the get-go they were bringing
something unique.” While PELACFDC does the same due diligence as a bank, they also look at the potential for a business to grow over time and the economic spin-offs that might result from it. “When we presented the project to PELACFDC we thought, well maybe they are going to think we’re just two crazy Frenchmen.” Christophe laughed as he thinks back on it, “But their reaction was ‘oh my gosh your project is great.’ It has been three years and they are still helping us to go further.” Indeed, no one calls them crazy but they do get ‘nice’ pretty frequently, often accompanied by a note of surprise. The stereotype of the snobby Frenchman persists, but Christophe and Vincent are determined to disprove it. Maison Depoivre is wonderfully elegant, but it is not pretentious or intimidating. Christophe and Vincent are sons of the French countryside who’ve made Canada, and Prince Edward County their own.
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The Barn Quilts of
Prince Edward County
Preserving the County’s century-old barns, one barn quilt at a time. Article by Sharon Harrison Photography by Daniel Vaughan & Sharon Harrison
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It seems a perfect fit for Prince Edward County. Known for close to two centuries for its deep agricultural roots, the County’s old farms are slowly disappearing. The County landscape is changing. Farmers are no longer farming in the numbers they once did, and farm buildings are being sold. A handful of the dilapidated, timber-framed structures are on the verge of collapse, often succumbing to the ravages of time, weather, or fire. Some of the tumbledown barns undergo demolition; others are shored up or patched like a well-worn rag doll. Some have already fallen down, but it is not all bad news.
story to tell - a unique history all its own. They are functional workhorses who have earned their keep over many years of service. They were not constructed as objects to admire - although many do just that - they were made for service, and they had a job to do. While some are simply constructed, and sometimes crude in their design, many of the structures are architectural marvels. They sit upon foundations of gathered stone, where gigantic hand-hewn wooden beams rise high to the rafters. There are many examples of incredible feats of engineering, the likes of which are rarely seen in today’s construction techniques.
A good number of the County’s once resplendent barns are slowly being saved. A few are being re-purposed, undergoing conversion to alternate uses. A number of wineries are acquiring these gems, realizing their beauty as well as their potential, transforming them to their former glory and beyond. Some of the County’s largest and most significant barns are being brought back to life, ensuring their longevity for another century, but while the County houses a good number of barns in varying conditions of health, age, and stages of life, the barns once gone, are irreplaceable.
Formed in late 2013, under the leadership of Pat Dubyk, the Prince Edward County Barn Quilt Trail is aiming to recognize and bring attention to the region’s old barns. The idea is a simple one, and is meant to highlight unmarked historical places, landmarks, and other outbuildings of significance by drawing attention to them.
Rustic, century-old barns stand majestic upon the bucolic, island landscape. All have withstood the test of time, and each has a
Barn quilt trails are a fairly new idea. The movement began in Ohio in 2001 and grew steadily throughout the U.S. and more
COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
It is pleasing to hear of those structures remaining as working barns, many decades after their initial 19th century construction. Still, some structures sit forgotten, waiting for their story to be told, and now it seems, in some small way that may be changing.
“There is a beauty in the way barns are built.” – Richard Karlo
“The County barns we see standing are all we have left. There won’t be any more like these and we lose more of them every year.” – Richard Karlo
COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
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EYES N OPTICS
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COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
recently into Canada. Prince Edward County is one of the latest communities to participate in the North American network of barn quilt trails, under the guidance of the Ontario Barn Quilt Trails. The idea to bring a barn quilt trail to the County first came about when Pat’s husband Ron was visiting southwestern Ontario. He noticed a number of decorative painted boards on the side of barns and other buildings. Ron hadn’t seen a barn quilt before, he didn’t know what this rural folk art was, but he was intrigued. The colourful icons captured his attention, and once he discovered more, he envisioned a similar initiative being well received in the County. What exactly is a barn quilt? There is no fabric, and no stitching is required. Think wood, paint, and colour – and think big. A barn quilt is constructed from a large piece of medium density overlaid (MDO) plywood, and is painted in the design of a single quilt block, usually from a traditional quilting pattern, although there are variations on the theme. In most cases, the blocks are typically eight feet square, and for ease of painting and installation, they are divided into four separate sections. Smaller sizes are used to accommodate those buildings whose features, such as window or gable placements, don’t allow for the larger size. All are big, bold, and beautiful - and eye-catching - with rainbow colours dazzling against an oftneutral backdrop. The trail is a collaborative effort, with many helpers contributing to the project, including
painters and installers, as well as various local businesses who have provided materials, services, and expertise. All are volunteers. Pat and Ron could not do this alone. It is a community effort for a community project. While Pat is the driving force behind the barn quilt project, Ron is by her side advising, encouraging, and guiding. A small group of loyal painters meet regularly, where they measure, tape, prime, and paint the panels. Two coats of primer are applied to seal the boards, and depending on the design and colours, up to four coats of exterior paint. The use of water-based paint is a conscious and environmental choice, and allows the boards to breathe, ensuring durability. Schoolchildren from local area schools also play their part in this exciting venture. As a recently retired school librarian, it was close to Pat’s heart to have the opportunity to work with grade three and four students, as they enthusiastically embarked upon the project, creating their own designs, helping calculate measurements, taping, and painting the boards. The children’s unique artwork is proudly displayed on the exterior at CML Snider School in Wellington, and Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School in Bloomfield. The first panels were installed in April 2014 and now there are more than 60 barn quilts across the County, more than doubling Pat and Ron’s initial expectations. Pat described 2014 as an overwhelming year, and she enjoyed every minute of it. About 40 barn quilts are scheduled for installation through
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2015, although that number may well be exceeded.
recognize the familiar names of lone star, log cabin, and mariner’s compass.
The ever-expanding trail presently consists of a self-guided driving tour running along the Loyalist Parkway corridor from Picton to Wellington. It diverts southwest to County Road 32 (Mallory Road), weaving along County Road 12, onto Stanley Street and Mill Street, leading into Bloomfield, before rejoining Highway 33 to Wellington. There are two walking tours in the villages of Wellington and Bloomfield. A brochure planned for May 2015 will map the barn quilts in time for the start of tourist and summer driving season.
The two-dimensional art pieces give the effect of an optical illusion, and it’s as if peering through a kaleidoscope, seeing swirls and myriad variations of colour, and feeling the movement of the design. Patterns vary from simple and subtle monochromic, and are superbly effective in their simplicity. Others are more detailed, and the abundance of primary colours refreshingly pleasing, especially when the palette strays from the familiarity of the colour wheel. Contrasting shades allow for maximum impact and yet it is often the design as much as the playful use of fantasy hues capturing the imagination.
As highways and backs roads are traversed, the barn quilts reveal themselves, one by one, like a treasure hunt. A handful is tucked away, hidden just out of sight, begging to be noticed. It is causing people to slow down, to stop awhile, snap a photograph, familiarize themselves with a location, enjoy an old barn or two, and take in some countryside. The landscape changes almost weekly with the excitement building for each new installation. Barn lovers and quilting enthusiasts alike will delight in this latest County trail, as will anyone who has a love for colour, design, and geometry. The barn quilts vary from traditional geometric to distinctive and individual patterns, where the aim is to ensure the theme stays as close to traditional block quilt representations as possible. Each is uniquely different, some are quirky with many having a personal connection to its owner or location - there are even several stained glass depictions. Stars and swirls, windmills and pinwheels, fans and blades abound, and quilters will
This is a trail for all seasons, a unique outdoor rural art gallery where buildings become gallery walls. The idea perfectly captures the essence of the County connecting people, engaging communities, and uniting neighbours. The trail embraces the County’s cultural heritage, recognizing its long-standing farming history, preserving its architectural importance, and acknowledging the area’s vibrant quilting and art communities. The community is richer for Pat and Ron’s vision, and their ability to embark on an idea and to make it work, and for their role in beginning a new chapter in the County’s diverse and evolving landscape. Barn quilts and Prince Edward County - a perfect fit. Further information on the Prince Edward County Barn Quilt Trail can be found at www.pecbarnquilttrails.com.
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Four years after first reading about Prince Edward County, a busy Toronto couple spent Canada Day 2014 celebrating their new waterfront home and its expansive outdoor living spaces.
Paul and Lisa read about the County in 2010 and soon after began searching for a home of their own. They were attracted by more than the peaceful escape and easy commute to their busy
“We created broad natural ledges for plantings which negated the need for railings. It is all very open.”
professional lives in Toronto. “We knew people who had settled there and were completely in love the County,” recalled Paul. “It is such a unique micro culture and it offers I think one of the most incredible places in all of Canada to settle in a historic agricultural based community constantly evolving into a world class cultural destination.” Their dream was to find a farm-like setting on the lake, something family-friendly reflecting their love of nature and outdoor living. “We wanted a comfortable home that was not pretentious or overbearing and we looked at several places, but once we saw our current home we stopped looking elsewhere. It was everything we had ever hoped for; it still is,” continued Paul. Finding the perfect waterfront home in a desired setting was only the first step. Transforming the property into their vision, and capturing the vistas was next. “Our home offers incredible views of the lake and surrounding farms and the natural land on our property is quite vast,” noted Paul. “The challenge was how to design additional outdoor space that would blend into the existing landscape and complement the natural beauty. We did not want the new landscaping to look like it had been added on to what was there. We wanted it to flow naturally and be functional while integrating seamlessly into the existing landscape.” To achieve these earthly goals, Paul and Lisa turned to Terra Vista Landscaping. “We heard of Terra Vista by word-of-mouth
originally. Clients we knew spoke very highly of them, and after meeting a few times, it was easy to go forward.” Erin Jones, who along with her husband Trevor owns and operates Terra Vista, remembered initially speaking with the couple and finding them immediately open and straightforward with a strong vision of their property. The relationship launched with meeting at the property. “Paul and Lisa wanted to confirm we could do what they envisioned, and wanted to ensure the outdoor space would work.” There were a lot of emails back and forth in late 2013 and early 2014. Trevor, who is the company’s lead landscape designer, presented ideas to Lisa, based on her input, but a full site visit and actual work on the property wasn’t possible until well into spring, thanks to the unforgettable winter of 2014. The property features a beautiful home overlooking the water, and had extensive but tired landscaping. It hadn’t been well maintained and it wasn’t working for Paul and Lisa’s anticipated use. “They wanted a country retreat with all of the conveniences. They are both very busy professionals and they wanted to enjoy their property, not work on it.” Paul recalled their initial wish list. “We wanted to feel like we were on vacation at an incredible seaside resort. We like to entertain so we wanted a large functional living space. We love to eat, so of course we wanted a large space to cook and dine. We wanted hot tub, as well as outdoor fireplaces.”
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And they wanted it all finished by Canada Day, which left Terra Vista 10 weeks from start to finish. It was a challenge, but one made much easier by the flow of communication between Terra Vista and the clients. “Lisa has an unmatched eye for design,” stated Erin. “She envisioned exactly how each space would be used, and how it should look. It was wonderful to elevate the project through her eyes.” There were spaces defined by zones – reworking the entrance, creating a private space off of the master bedroom, and the expansive outdoor living space off of the kitchen, including a stunning pergola. From the beginning, the design was clear and consistent, and Paul echoed Erin’s appreciation of the relationship.
outdoor kitchen and dining areas now lead to seating areas, including one centred beneath a powerful and majestic 30-foot-long steel and western red cedar pergola. “Steel, stone, and glass provided a modern look, accented with the warmth of wood,” stated Mitch Wiskel, a key member of Terra Vista’s landscape architectural team. Custom fabricated by Walsh Mountain Ironworks in Brighton, it is a focal point, conceived and designed by Trevor and Mitch. The steel beams rest on eight-foot steel uprights and the blend of steel and warm cedar fits elegantly into the design. There is open patio space adjacent to the pergola, all with incredible vistas of the waterfront and surrounding farms. There is generous seating beneath the protection of the pergola, surrounding a custom stone linear gas fire flame – one of two on the project.
“They were both great,” said Paul. “They are very intelligent and committed to working with us to develop a design to reflect our goals, but always with wonderful suggestions to improve the overall result. Mostly, we remained faithful to the design that Trevor and Erin and Lisa developed. Lisa is a talented designer, and very quickly we all realized we had a common design aesthetic. It was a really productive and enjoyable collaboration.”
Across the patio from the pergola sits a hot tub, sunken into the deck. Working closely with Dale Dowdell from Oasis Backyard Living, Trevor and his crew designed a vault beneath the hot tub to house the mechanical components without sacrificing space or effect. “It mimics an infinity-edge pool and keeps the sight lines clean,” Mitch described.
Work started with dismantling the existing decks, removing old flagstones, pavers, and limestone boulders. “We cleared the canvas,” explained Trevor. “We kept some of the materials – the natural stone - for reuse, and built dry stone walls with them.”
Views and ambience were significant factors in the design. “We played off of the natural slope to capture the view of the lake,” Mitch continued. “We created broad natural ledges for plantings which negated the need for railings. It is all very open.”
The priority was the main patio area off of the kitchen and screened porch, where
The spaces and levels are all wrapped in mortared Wiarton stone, sourced to match
existing components on the house. “It takes a lot of craftsmanship to accomplish this and that has always been our focus,” said Erin. Sight lines, structures, and textures were all closely integrated into the design, with constant consultation with Lisa. “She was very involved in selecting materials and has a gift for transforming a project from concept to reality,” said Erin. “She was hands on all the way.” Although the 1,700 square foot main outdoor living area is the project’s biggest element, equally important work occurred at other locations around the home. A deck with a complementary pergola sits off of the master bedroom, providing a private relaxing space for the couple. Improvements to the driveway area were also part of the plan. Paul and Lisa converted the garage into a workout room and they wanted to better define the driveway approach for guests. The design involved removing the interlocking stone from the driveway but leaving it in the parking area. New landscape features accentuate the pathway and create a strong linear focus on the front door. Reworking the area also gives Paul and Lisa more privacy, and a pleasant view. “They didn’t want to look at the driveway while they were exercising,” said Mitch. “It creates a better sense of space and added another outdoor room.” As Terra Vista and crews were working almost dawn to dusk on the exterior, they were coordinating closely with Loyalist
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“On clear nights we always remember to count our lucky stars.”
Contractors, the interior renovators. “It’s a long steep single lane driveway and we had a very tight timeframe and parking and traffic control was paramount,” recalled Trevor. “We worked in tandem with Loyalist Contractors,” continued Erin. “It’s important for us to be familiar with the interior as well. It’s all about extending a theme and a lifestyle through complementary design. You can now look through any vista of the house and see a feature of the landscape project. The interior and exterior are unified. It’s spectacular.” With the hardscaping complete, Trevor turned his crew’s attention to the gardens, which were in desperate need of refreshing. Trevor consulted with Paul and Lisa and determined their ideas for design, and equally important, the time of year they would most likely be spending the most time at the property. “We wanted the gardens to be at their peak when the house was occupied,” he explained. His crews refreshed the gardens, brought them back to life, recreated some, created others in new locations, removed the undergrowth, and used what was viable. “It is never our intention to rip out everything,” said Erin. “From stone to plants, we try to utilize and enhance what is already there.” Lisa was looking for opportunities for splashes of colour and Trevor was thinking of the seasons to come. “Trevor is a longterm thinker,” his wife shared. “He considers what will satisfy the client immediately, and keep them happy in the future. This is a huge project for clients who have a definite vision of how their family and friends will use the
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COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
home and property for many years. It has to be right; it has to be able to evolve naturally.”
time along that shoreline previously and I didn’t want to leave.”
Finishing touches were installed. Subtle and elegant landscape lighting transforms the space as the sun sets, and an automatic sprinkler system maintains the plants and lawns, leaving the owners to enjoy their County home.
Ultimately, he had to turn the land over to its owners, who are equally impressed and make full use of what Lisa calls their magical paradise all year. “We are thrilled,” said Paul. “It is already so much more than we had ever hoped or imagined. Winter means less use of the outdoor space, but we are making great use of the hot tub all year. In the summer it is where we eat most of our meals, read our books, and generally just hang out.”
The Terra Vista crew worked with their subcontractors through more than 10 weeks of initially unseasonably cold weather, then eel fly season, and then into the heat of early summer, transforming Paul and Lisa’s vision into reality. “It is an unbelievable result,” smiled Trevor. “I hadn’t spent that much
“On clear nights we always remember to count our lucky stars.”
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H use calls Article by Lindi Pierce Photography by Daniel Vaughan
“We both lived within a long block of the hospital. If anyone said to call in Cronk or Pearce, well we’d likely already be there. Affable, available and able - that’s what we strove for!” Evenings were for returning phone calls, and making house calls.
Retired Belleville physicians Dr. George Pearce and Dr. Bruce Cronk sit in the latter’s book-lined study, its walls and shelves filled with memorabilia of a long career, talking about the way things used to be. The doctors are some of the last of the old guard; they have stories to tell. There are memories that choke the voice with tears, and brighten the eyes with pride. Military service and the enduring loyalties it created figure large in each physician’s career. Dr. Pearce served in the RCAF, Dr. Cronk with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. Both men embody oldfashioned concepts like honour, duty, and chivalry, and the feeling that comes from being brothers in arms. Bruce Cronk was destined to be a physician. His father graduated in 1915 from Queen’s University; by July he was in Gallipoli as assistant chief surgeon with the Royal Army Medical Corps. “No antibiotics, nothing. If a wound was infected, it meant amputation. A grisly time.” Upon discharge, serendipity led Dr. Sam Cronk and his bride to a practice in Belleville. Their son Bruce attended Queen Mary School and Belleville Collegiate Institute. Dr. Cronk examines a photo of his athletic younger self in hockey uniform, posing against the boards. “Notice how some of the boards are painted and some not? The BCI athletic society took down the old gallows
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COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
from Belleville’s last hanging and used the lumber to build the rink.” Dr. Cronk earned his M.D. at Queen’s, and took further training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He received job offers at several American hospitals, but in 1951 Dr. Cronk, now a cardiologist, came home to Belleville to share a new medical office on Macdonald Avenue with his dad, a surgeon. In those early years, Dr. Cronk and Dr. Jim Loynes were the only specialists in internal medicine in Belleville. They would travel from Napanee to Port Hope to see patients at district hospitals, rather than have them transported in the early, unequipped ambulances which doubled as hearses. “They could embalm you but they couldn’t resuscitate you,” the doctor jokes bleakly. Dr. Cronk was the sole cardiologist between Kingston to Oshawa trained to insert pacemakers. The early example on his bookshelf is almost the size of a hockey puck and weighs three to four ounces. “How would you like that under your skin? Nowadays you can phone your cardiologist from Florida and have her adjust your pacemaker by remote.” He recalls dragging the heavy portable cardiogram machine across farmers’ fields to get to a patient. “A roll of copper wire went with it; you hooked the patient to the nearest water pipe to ground him against shocks.” Dr. George Pearce’s mother was a practical nurse, caring for invalids, new mothers, and the elderly in their homes. As a boy, George moved with her to various live-in care positions. When he was seven or eight they lived with a family whose young son was diabetic; George was intrigued. That interest resurfaced in later years, leading him to
research Belleville’s Dr. James C. Collip and achieve public recognition for him as a codiscoverer of insulin. After high school George changed from his intended path of radio physics at the University of Western Ontario to medicine, earning his M.D. in 1955. He came to Belleville General Hospital in 1962 as a family doctor. In time, he undertook yet another specialty. “Many of the doctors looked forward to hunting camp week so we ran out of people doing anaesthesia. “GPs were understandably reluctant to take on this responsibility. To meet the need for a fulltime anaesthesiologist at the hospital, Dr. Pearce took training at Cook County Hospital, Chicago. During his training Dr. Pearce became aware of a tension between specialists and family doctors. Specialists disparaged generalist family doctors’ perceived lack of expertise, and family physicians claimed specialists “Wouldn’t last a day in family practice.” Dr. Pearce joined the side of family practice and in 1970 he completed two and a half years of graduate training leading to a Certificate in Family Medicine. “That’s part of the doctoring thing; studies take so long and you never really get done,” Dr. Pearce concludes with a sigh. His careers in the military and medicine are interwoven. During medical school he enrolled in the University’s Air Training program, which involved summer training, and five years of service upon graduation. Dr. Pearce received his wings as an Air Navigator in 1950 and reported to RCAF Station Edgar on the Pine Tree Line, one of the systems of
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radar stations operated by NORAD for cold war surveillance. Other Northern postings followed. By 1957 he was serving as Senior District Medical Officer at NORAD’s underground nerve centre in North Bay. It wasn’t all work. He recalls being pressed into service as navigator when the base commanding officer took a flight in a CF-100.
things up. “Sylvia kept me going. She gets letters from some of the local women to this day.”
Both Dr. Pearce and Dr. Cronk pursued studies and undertook many different projects over their long careers - there was no straight line from medical school to practice to home and family to retirement.
Dr. Pearce also worked locums in remote communities. In a tiny portable clinic in Armstrong, he readied badly injured patients for airlifts to Thunder Bay. He made happy memories with his two young sons on a locum in Moose Factory. A 1969 Canadian Executive Service Overseas placement running a tiny clinic in an impoverished St. Vincent community was a Caribbean family holiday, of sorts.
The doctors compare notes. Dr. Pearce recalls his Arctic postings, then notices a photo of an igloo and asks Dr. Cronk if he ever slept in one.
Even back at home, hospital procedures were not so complex back in the 1950s and ’60s and sometimes the patient’s needs were met in unorthodox ways.
Indeed, there were many nights in igloos. Dr. Cronk shares his memories of a three-year Defense Research Board Arctic acclimatization study he participated in with an international team. A photo in his study shows the doctor hugging his lead sled dog Meatball. He talks about igloos. “You can’t let them get too warm, or ice forms and they lose their insulating properties, and then your Inuit friends move you over 50 feet and rebuild.”
Dr. Cronk recounts the story of a hemophiliac patient requiring urgent surgery. The only blood type match was that of the surgeon. “He hopped up onto a table beside the patient, donated a pint of blood, and proceeded with the surgery.”
Dr. Cronk studies his old black leather doctor’s bag.” It was a graduation gift. The handles came off; I put them back on. It’s seen a few miles of travel, the eastern Arctic, a good part of Newfoundland, a long way up and down the West Coast.”
Another memory is of Dr. Harold Williamson, known as ‘Surly with the Fringe on Top’, for his gruff demeanour and his wiry hair. Dr. Cronk passed the fracture room, where Dr. Williamson was setting a child’s broken leg. Dr. Jim Loynes was holding the boy still, and the lad was “screaming blue murder.” Later, Dr. Cronk retraced his steps, and noticed the three comrades sitting on a gurney, feet dangling, eating enormous ice cream cones.
He recounts the time BGH donated hospital equipment to a medical outpost on Bella Bella on the east coast of Campbell Island, about 100 miles north of Port Hardy, B.C. The RCAF delivered the equipment; Dr. Cronk and his beloved wife stayed to set
Dr. Williamson’s wife Evelyn was a psychiatrist. Once, on a train trip to Toronto, she inquired the time of a Presbyterian minister sitting beside her. He apologetically explained that church had better uses for its funds than clerics’ wrist watches. That
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Christmas, a coupe drove up to the minister’s home and Surly presented him with a watch and a gruff, “Merry Christmas.”
filling in for a family doctor in Elliott Lake. He met a worried husband and his labouring wife at a prearranged spot along the roadside. Dr. Pearce drove the woman to Blind River - an hour away - rang the bell at the locked and darkened hospital, delivered the healthy baby, and returned to work at 5 a.m. He remembers it so vividly, “Because everything went so well and could have gone so badly.” These are the small miracles over which physicians routinely preside.
“The great thing was meeting so many wonderful people who became your friends,” Dr. Cronk reminisces. “BGH was a family - we had parties and everyone came, from admin to the most recently hired orderly. If something broke I would try to fix it.” His daughter Ann displays a photo collage of the entire staff, a retirement gift created by one of the cardio techs. “It was a happy time.” “Things were very different in the early days of my practice. We have a wonderful medical system, but it seems the very things that have improved medicine for physicians, staff, and patients - vastly improved facilities, increasing specialization, size of staff, and advanced medical technology - have caused us to lose something along the way.” The best doctors still have it - empathy. Both doctors recall 85 to 90 hour work weeks. “We had similar work habits - work was the number one priority,” explains Dr. Pearce. “We both lived within a long block of the hospital. If anyone said to call in Cronk or Pearce, well we’d likely already be there. Affable, available and able - that’s what we strove for!” Evenings were for returning phone calls, and making house calls. Dr. Pearce’s daughter Susan remembers waiting in the car while her father visited patients’ homes, becoming aware of great poverty so close to her own happy home.
Dr. Pearce recalls the arrival of the special status Tibetan refugees in Belleville in 1971. The refugees were welcomed, and then isolated until they could be examined and treated for, “some very interesting tropical diseases,” a process which would ordinarily be done before leaving the country of origin. Dr. Cronk’s fondest memory was relived daily. “Going to work every morning, wondering what challenge I am going to run into today. There was always a challenge - and when you know what it is, can you fix it?”
they left after dark. She was shocked to see the hospital lights on - her eight-year-old understanding was that the place would close during her dad’s absence. Dr. Cronk looks back over his long career. It wasn’t always joyous. “What I dreaded in the late 1950s and early 1960s was polio. I could do everything in my power, and still a little person wound up not being able to walk. It haunts me still.” Dr. Pearce talks about the changes that have taken place at BGH, still housed in the original red brick Victorian buildings when he first came to Belleville. He salutes Harriette Lyon Jaques and Jane Clement Jones, pioneers who brought that early facility to life in 1886. “Many hospitals in Ontario are a result of ladies being upset at the lack of services.”
Despite the long hours away from home and family, there are many great memories. Outdoorsman George recalls a summer holiday at a cottage on Faraday Lake, gift from the husband of a patient, “A summer of young families, entertaining, and keeping busy saving children from water and insects.”
Medical infrastructure has changed in so many ways. Dr. Pearce recalls the days when there were no specialized medical centres; doctors’ offices were in converted older homes. The former GP wanted for Belleville what he saw at state-of-the-art hospitals during his training, and worked to achieve it. He recalls acquiring the first fetal ultra-sound, a small sensor, dwarfed by today’s roomful of technology.
Dr. Cronk’s daughter Ann also recounts a rare cottage holiday. Her father stayed late at the hospital over last-minute details, so
When asked about his fondest career memory, Dr. Pearce responds instantly. “Oh golly, it’s got to be Mrs. O’Hagen.” He recalls
Asked what advice they would offer to young doctors starting out, the physicians are emphatic. “Go to the far North where people really need help. Focus on your patients as people, not collections of symptoms. Technology, specialization, and today’s frantic pace can distance doctors from their patients. Engage with the whole person, empathize.” The conversation is winding down; the doctors are growing weary from all the questions. “It was a great life, George,” offers Dr. Cronk. “Well worth the struggle,” replies Dr. Pearce. “Don’t know how we could meet so many people.” They agree, and slip into silence.
A few weeks after Lindi spoke with the doctors, Bruce Cronk, who wrote the first letter to the editor of this magazine, passed away, leaving a tremendous legacy living on through his former patients, colleagues, friends, and family.
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Portraits of Survival: Art in the Life of Eugene Moshynski Seventy Years After Dachau
Article by Cindy Duffy Photography by Daniel Vaughan Seventy years ago this spring, as the Second World War ending, American soldiers arrived at the Dachau concentration camp in southern Germany liberating more than 30,000 prisoners. Opened in 1933, Dachau was the first of many Nazi concentration camps, a prototype for others still to come. Initially most of the prisoners were German Communists and Jews but after the1940 Nazi invasion of Poland, 13,000 Polish men were sent there, becoming the majority. Prince Edward County artist Eugene Moshynski was just 16 years old the day German soldiers came to his parents’ house in the Polish town of Lodz, taking him and his older brother Edward. He recalls his mother following behind, desperately pleading for their release until the soldiers forced her back. He would never see his parents again. The brothers were packed onto a crowded train car meant for livestock and shipped to Dachau to work as slave labour for the Nazis.
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Eugene remembers clearly that sunny day five years later, April 29, 1945, when a small group of American soldiers, accompanied by a couple of journalists, risked their lives crossing the front lines where the last days of the war lingered. They made their way to Dachau, less than 20 kilometres from Munich, liberating the camp a few days earlier than the Nazis had anticipated, and the day before Adolf Hitler committed suicide in a Berlin basement. “The American soldiers had arrived. They looked so strange but so welcome…if there are angels, the 35 soldiers were our angels of freedom,” Eugene wrote in his memoirs. Miraculously both brothers survived. Looking back on his time in Dachau, Eugene credits his survival to luck and his artistic talents. Although he was healthy when he arrived, two years of heavy manual labour, outside in the cold with inadequate clothing, and starvation rations, were taking their toll. Eugene knew in order to survive something had to change. At Dachau’s hospital the Nazis routinely used inmates for experimental purposes, or to practice surgical procedures. Observing a friend had gained weight and looked stronger after a hospital stay, Eugene volunteered to have his healthy appendix removed. Luckily he was chosen and later that same day doctors accepted his brother, too. Typically a hospital stay would only last a few days after surgery but Eugene used his artistic talents to entertain the staff by drawing caricature portraits, extending the brothers’ hospital stay to one month. The warm place to live and slightly better food likely saved their lives. Dr. Ken Madison & Associates
Through contacts made while in the hospital, Eugene was able to secure another inside job - this time drawing on his brief time in technical school before the war. He and a few friends worked in a machine shop manufacturing weapons parts. It required a daily six-kilometre march from the main camp to the factory but it was inside work and meant an extra ration of food. Eugene shared these stories in his daughter’s living room. Susan Moshynski is a well-known local artist as well. After 20 years in Toronto earning a Fine Arts degree from York University and then working as a graphic designer, she moved back to the area and now lives beside her father on Rednersville Road. Eugene and his late wife Barbara built both homes. Barbara was also a Polish survivor of Nazi enslavement. At 13, she was taken from her home and forced to work on a farm in Germany. She passed in April 2013. The story of how Eugene and Barbara Moshynski came to live and raise their family on Rednersville Road reads like a Russian novel spanning three generations. Eugene recounted this story in a memoir he wrote a decade ago when he was 82 years old, titled Will My Son Be a Prisoner of War. With Poland under the rule of Russian Czar Nicholas II, Eugene’s maternal grandparents’ family was persecuted because of his grandfather’s political organizing. They were forced to leave their home and trek on foot from Warsaw to Siberia where his grandfather was sentenced to slave labour in the mines because of his past political activities. Chained to a wheelbarrow day and night, he got out of the mines alive, whereas many others perished, and only through
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his wife’s plea to her employer, a high-level Russian official. Never losing hope they would someday return to Poland, the family made their life in Siberia settling in the small town of Omsk. Kazimira, Eugene’s mother, was born there. She too, had many stories to tell (she was wounded during the First World War after being conscripted into the Russian army and sent to the front disguised as a male soldier). When the Bolsheviks took over during the Russian Revolution, once again the family was forced to flee. His grandparents, along with Kazimira, now married to another exiled Pole, Stanley Moszczynski, had to leave Stanley’s thriving business and, along with their toddler son Edward, make the trek back to Poland, this time by train. Little did they know fewer than two decades later the Nazis would invade Poland, robbing them of their livelihood and taking their two eldest sons. All of this hardship seems very far removed from Susan’s comfortable living room overlooking the Bay of Quinte. The room also serves as her art gallery and many of her paintings hang on the walls, mostly landscapes in brilliant watercolours, pastels, and acrylics. A couple depict scenes from nearby Presqu’ile Provincial Park where she was Artist in the Park last year. Eugene sat comfortably on the couch. Impeccably groomed, he wore dress pants and a suit jacket with a crest bearing the numbers 11729 above the letter P. He explained this was his identification number at Dachau, and the P identified him as Polish.
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Even with the passing of time, and the creation of distance, crossing the Atlantic Ocean to settle in a new country, his memories of the horrors of Dachau have not dimmed. In fact, perhaps unfairly, some of them, kept buried for so long, have resurfaced in his later years. In an attempt to purge these haunting memories and for his family, his children, and grandchildren Sam and Ian, he decided to record these stories. He also hoped documenting them might prevent the horrors from happening again. “Such horrific incidents keep coming back. I had blocked them out for a long time because life must go on, but now in retirement they return to haunt me,” he confessed. “When I should be enjoying peace and tranquility I relive the bad times in endless nightmares and even in my idle thoughts during the day. Perhaps sharing this story will bring some relief.” After the war, unable to return to Poland, he spent time in Germany doing odd jobs. He was a witness during the Dachau trials held by the Americans where many Nazis were sentenced to hang for their part in the atrocities.
With few options, he followed his brother to a camp for displaced persons in Coblenz, Germany where he met Barbara. They married and immigrated to Canada in 1948. Initially life was very difficult in Canada especially since neither of them spoke English, social programs were almost non-existent, and with little formal education they were forced into low paying jobs. They were often paid less for the same work because they were recent immigrants. Eugene eventually got a job at the Bata shoe factory and they settled in Trenton. During his early days in Trenton while hunting with friends, Eugene was drawn to a spot by its wonderful view of the bay. “At that time Rednersville Road was gravel and not even wide enough for two cars to pass”, he recalled. The property was for sale and this is where Eugene and Barbara built their home and raised their two children - Susan and her brother Edwin. Despite the barriers Eugene and Barbara persevered, concentrating on raising and supporting their two children. While working at Bata, Eugene finally had a chance to continue the
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Both Susan and her father have also worked as political cartoonists. Her father’s work was mostly for the Trentonian and Susan continues as a published cartoonist today. formal education interrupted by the war, taking a commercial art course in his spare time. He painted signs by hand for local businesses and governments. Soon the sign business was lucrative enough for him to leave Bata and start on his own. Over the years Eugene developed many artistic talents, perfecting a technique for making invisible repairs to antiques such as china, statues, and pottery. He was known for painting period themes on lampshades, and was often commissioned to paint works for other people, including portraits. Both Susan and her father have also worked as political cartoonists. Her father’s work was mostly for the Trentonian and Susan continues as a published cartoonist today. Given their family history Susan says this work came very naturally to them. “We were always politically aware. Coming from his background it was deeply engrained that it’s important to know what’s going on around you so it doesn’t happen again.” The number of artists living and working on Rednersville Road has grown since Eugene first settled there with his family many years ago. Susan speculates the artists are drawn to the area’s natural beauty. To showcase this local talent, in 2008 Susan and another local artist, Danuta Cromwell organized the first annual Rednersville Road Art Tour featuring the work of artists living along the road including her father. The art tour was so successful it continues to run every Labour Day weekend. The view of the Bay of Quinte is indeed beautiful from Susan’s living room/art gallery on a sunny afternoon. The horrors of her father’s past seem distant, but then the eye is drawn to a wooden display case on the dining room table. Behind glass doors are mementos from Dachau, mementos Eugene risked his life to make. There is a miniature chess set and knitting needles made on the lathe in the machine shop where he was forced to work, one remaining sock from a pair he knit with these needles. There are instruments for making fine measurements taken from the abandoned shop after the camp was liberated, and all of these objects serve as concrete testaments to his survival. As if to emphasize this point, the afternoon sun shines brightly in through the windows onto his daughter’s paintings, casting their reflected light onto the display case glass.
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YOUNG JOHN A. Article by Peter Lockyer Photography by Sandra Foreman Photography
The Story of Sir John A. Macdonald’s Early Years in The Quinte Area
In the 1830s, John Alexander Macdonald was a brash and talented teenager making a name for himself as an apprenticing lawyer in the Quinte area. As Canada celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth in 2015, Macdonald - who rose to become Canada’s first prime minister, and the chief architect of the country - remains the area’s most famous citizen. He is, as Canadian author and journalist Richard Gwyn describes him, “The man who made us.”
had relatives. The Macdonalds struggled in these early years as his father, Hugh, set up a number of small - and mostly failing - businesses in Kingston, Hay Bay, and Picton. From a young age, the family’s hopes for a better future in a new land rested heavily on their gifted son. He was groomed with the best schooling available until at age 15 Macdonald went to work learning the legal trade. Throughout his life, family obligations were a responsibility that weighed heavily upon him.
Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1815. He immigrated to Canada with his family settling in Kingston at age five where his mother
Life was unbearably hard. The Kingston of Macdonald’s boyhood was primitive, and seasonal. In winter when the lake froze, the town was full of
The sculptor Ruth Abernethy with her statue of young John A. Macdonald.
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hard-drinking and rowdy soldiers, sailors, and desperate, unemployed men looking for work - or crime - to feed their families. Macdonald was traumatized as a young boy by the beating death in 1822 of his younger brother James, aged five and a half, by a servant who became violent when drinking. Macdonald’s first wife Isabella Clark, whom he married in 1843, was chronically ill with a baffling illness characterized by weakness and pain, and often confined to her room lost in an opiate daze. The couple lost their infant son just a month after moving into Bellevue House on the outskirts of Kingston where Macdonald had taken his family in the hopes that the country air and quiet space would bring happiness and peace. Isabella never recovered and died in 1857. Macdonald married again a decade later in 1867. He and his second wife, Susan Agnes Bernard had only one child, Mary, born in 1869, who was unable to walk and
talk and lived her entire life in a wheelchair. Within the enormous pressures of his day job forging a young nation, financial pressures, and these personal tragedies, it is little wonder Macdonald became infamous for his binge drinking – at that time a common habit reaching such epic proportions that it founded a national temperance movement led by Letitia Youmans, a Picton teacher. Macdonald was an imperfect man living in very imperfect times, yet when he died on June 6, 1891 in Ottawa, he left behind an enormous body of great endeavours that helped forged a nation. The early years of his life in the Quinte area remain deeply embedded in the tapestry that is Canada. Macdonald described himself as a Quinte boy and often reflected on his years in the area as some of the happiest days of his life. He grew up in a house on the shores of Hay Bay where his father moved the family in
“I really believe without him there would be no Canada.”
1824 The site today is marked by a cairn close to the Hay Bay Church built in 1792 by United Empire Loyalists. He attended school nearby and later in Kingston where a classical education prepared him to begin an apprenticeship at the age of 15 in 1830 with Kingston lawyer George Mackenzie. Within two years, Macdonald was managing Mackenzie’s law office in Napanee and in the early 1830s he was in Prince Edward County looking after the legal practice of an ailing cousin, Lowther Pennington Macpherson of Picton. Macdonald was active in the community, serving on the Board of Education and the Hallowell Young Men’s Society. It was here Macdonald began to make history. In 1834 he held his first court case in Picton’s newly constructed courthouse. While there are many versions of the story behind the court case, Macdonald was forced to defend himself after a street altercation with another prominent citizen. Macdonald won his case and his legal career began. By 1835, Macdonald was back in Kingston after the death of his mentor George Mackenzie who died during a cholera outbreak that year. He was called to the bar in 1836 and practiced law taking on contentious cases – defending a man accused of raping an eight–year-old girl, a Mohawk man accused of murder, and a Swedish man who led an American invasion party of 150 men in 1838. It was in Kingston where Macdonald ran for political office first as a councillor and then as a Member of Parliament.
Macdonald never lost his ties to the Quinte area. As prime minister he attended the sod turning ceremony for the construction of the Murray Canal in the mid-1880s. He was a frequent visitor in Napanee where he conducted legal and political business at the train station. He held a series of phenomenally successful political picnics throughout the area as part of his election campaigns. The gatherings were all part of his political comeback from the Pacific Railway Scandal of 1873 occasioned by a Picton man, George McMullen, with ties to American railway interests who opposed Macdonald’s vision of a transcontinental railway across Canada. McMullen was part of a group who leaked news of American contributions to the Conservative campaign fund when Macdonald refused to back down from his promise of a national railway. The Red River (1869-1870) and Northwest Rebellions (1885), which challenged the national government of Macdonald’s day, were provoked by the execution of a Belleville man, Thomas Scott, by Métis leader Louis Riel. Macdonald shipped soldiers from local regiments by rail to quell the rebellion – the first use of his national railway. Macdonald counted heavily on his Quinte roots to bring out the Protestant vote each election through the efforts of his right-hand man Mackenzie Bowell, the MP for Hastings, owner of the Belleville Intelligencer newspaper, Grandmaster of the Orange Lodge, and a man who became Canada’s fifth prime minister.
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“He had a national vision. He had the ability to compromise, and he had the ability to inspire people to follow him in that vision.”
Mayor Robert Quaiff of Prince Edward County & former Prime Minister The Right Honourable Kim Campbell
In between, Macdonald forged a fragile alliance of Catholics and Protestants, French and English, and citizens from the east and west to forge a new nation called Canada in 1867. In a way, he defied gravity and the natural dictates of the country to trade upon a north-south axis, and to remain as separate, isolated, and vulnerable pockets of people. To unite this uneasy coalition in the face of the ever-present threat of an American invasion, he built a railway across the country – an unrivalled engineering feat in its time. “I really believe without him there would be no Canada,” said Ontario Premier, the Honourable Kathleen Wynn. “I think his ability to bring together disparate groups of people and to find a compromise to allow the country to be created is something we need to remember because we remain a disparate population across this huge geography. We need a national vision. He had a national vision. He had the ability to compromise, and he had the ability to inspire people to follow him in that vision.” “I think there are a number of very important examples in history where an individual really made a difference,” added former Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Kim Campbell. “If that person hadn’t been there, there wouldn’t have been a clone – someone just like him or her who would have had the same views. I think John A. Macdonald 58
COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
is of that category of great transformative leaders.” As the country celebrates his remarkable life during this year’s 200th anniversary of his birth, there are two local initiatives to honour his enduring legacy in the Quinte region. One is the development of a Macdonald Heritage Trail from Kingston through Napanee, Bath, the County, Belleville, and Quinte West encouraging visitors to follow in his footsteps exploring the places once familiar to him. The second anniversary project is the creation of a larger-thanlife bronze sculpture of Macdonald as a young man defending himself in his first court case in Picton. The artwork by renowned Canadian artist, Ruth Abernethy, will be unveiled in downtown Picton on Canada Day 2015. “What I wanted to capture was youth and the idea of risk which was quite appreciable,” said Ruth. “This is 1834 and certainly the possibilities of him losing – there would have been very real consequences, so he was taking a risk to defend himself and I wanted all the panache of a young man who figured he could do this. This was within his reach.” Not everyone is celebrating the birthday. Some of the decisions and policies of Macdonald and his governments - such as the hanging of Métis leader Louis Riel in 1885, the treatment of Chinese workers building the railway, and the corruption and scandal associated with him remain contentious. There is merit to these accusations. Macdonald was a man of his times. He shared commonly held views that are abhorrent to us today, and he was forced to make many tough political decisions that were controversial and unpopular, but in his view were in the
nation’s best interests. Accordingly, the 200th anniversary and celebrations have ignited a firestorm of controversy about Macdonald’s legacy. Macdonald would likely have welcomed these opportunities for vigorous discussion and debate. He never shied away from them during his long political career. He might also hope through the current debate of our past and future, perhaps we will uncover solutions to longstanding issues that could not be resolved in his lifetime. “Macdonald had six majority governments during his time in power,” said Arthur Milnes, the official Bicentennial Ambassador for the City of Kingston. “Reasonable people will study his record in the context of the times and conclude Canada had competent leadership in the first 25 years of Confederation. Macdonald would enjoy the current conversation and controversy, and his critics would be no match for him in debate. It’s very easy to debate from the comfort of a faculty club. It’s much more difficult to do that during an election before the public. Nobody can question he loved his country, and he would agree he didn’t have all the answers.” Despite his shortcomings, Macdonald can be credited with much of the work to found the nation we call Canada. Today, it is without question one of the best places in the world. Macdonald left us a gift to last. “At the end of the day,” said artist Ruth Abernethy, “John A. gave us the format and the platform to do a better job, to continue the ongoing nation building that defines us, and I think that is worth the celebration.”
COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING spring 2015
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signposts HOARD’S S TAT I O N
Article and Photo by Lindi Pierce The train doesn’t stop at Hoard’s Station anymore, but the name persists, for the folks in this hamlet between Stirling and Campbellford remember their long railway history. A glance at the 1878 Belden’s Atlas explains the name well enough. First called Allendale after the laird of Fogorig (see CQL Winter 2013) the village on Squire’s Creek was home to hoards of Hoard’s - Albert, Vernon, Aaron, and Rod owned lots in concessions 1 and 2. A dotted line snakes across the map, intersecting the concession road and the creek, “Proposed Grand Junction Railway.” Several generations of commercial and social activity centred on Hoard’s Station:
Landon’s hotel (1865), the post office (18831946), a gristmill, stockyards, general stores, a blacksmith shop, and a cheese factory. The hamlet’s heart was the railway station. In the mid to late 1800s the railway was the key to a community’s prosperity and growth. Many short-lived lines were established with boosterish enthusiasm. The Grand Junction Railway, a loop linking Belleville, Stirling, and Peterborough (via Anson and Hoard’s Station) was completed in 1879, absorbed by the Midland Railway in 1881, and amalgamated with the Grand Trunk Railway in 1884. Life in Hoard’s Station once revolved around the trains. The pumping station restocked steam engines’ water supplies.
Grain, livestock, and farm produce were shipped out and manufactured goods arrived. In the busy years, four passenger trains and many freights arrived daily, but by 1962 passenger service ended; by the end of the 1980s freight service was gone. Hoard’s Station is no ghost town. A farm supply store, a feed mill, and the auction barn support the area’s valuable farming economy; Chubby’s Family Restaurant and Hoard’s United Church still gather the community together. These days, the old Grand Junction right-of-way forms part of Ontario’s busy recreational heritage trail system.
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Wrought iron gates draw you into this magnificent custom built stone mansion. Stunning tree lined circular drive with over 5 acres of professionally landscaped grounds. Features salt water pool, tennis court, protected shoreline and your own private island on Bay of Quinte. Separate coach house over 3 car garage. This property boasts custom finishes and quality craftmanship!
Vicki Forgie, Broker
$5,000,000
MLS®QR214064175
Dir 613-849-9392
ElizabEth CrombiE
Sara Forgie, Sales Rep.
Tel: 613.476.2700 Toll Free: 1.877.476.0096 elizabeth.crombie@sympatico.ca
vforgie@royallepage.ca www.vickiforgie.com
Dir 613-391-8040
sforgie@royallepage.ca www.agents.royallepage.ca/saraforgie
A MUST SEE! 823 English Settlement Road This very private 20 acre property includes an immaculate 3600 sq. ft. bungalow that offers: in-floor radiant heating, wired-in stereo system, cherry wood cabinetry, large eat-in kitchen, built-in appliances, spacious bedrooms and ensuites. Enjoy the 6 person indoor sauna followed by a swim in the large salt water pool. High quality engineered hardwood flooring throughout with top of the line ceramic in the bathrooms and laundry area. Dwelling has attached large 2 bay garage, plus a separate large detached workshop ready for your hobbies.
Sales Representative
mark rollins, Sales Representative Tel: 613-966-6466
Fine Homes in Brighton
MLS# QR21406331 $729,900
www.rosslynbuilders.com Sarah Judy Phillips Caswell
Barry VanZoeren
Sales Representative Email: bvanzoeren@live.ca
L I N K
D I R E C T
Sales Representative
Quinte Ltd. Brokerage • 613-475-6595
AT
Sales Representative
jcaswell@royallepage.ca • sarahphillips@royallepage.ca Trenton Office: 1-800-263-2177 • 1-613-394-4837
W W W.CO U N T YA N D Q U I N T EL I V I N G .C A
BUILDER / DESIGNER
BUILDER / DESIGNER
FIND EVERYONE YOU NEED RIGHT HERE
Moving Your Vision Forward
Dr. R. Younes
BUILDING QUALITY, BUILDING TRUST
Dental Care Family, Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry
13360 Loyalist Parkway, Picton, ON 613-476-6834 sagedesignandconstruction.com DENTIST
613-208-0807 • 96 Division St. Trenton www.youmakemesmile.ca
GARDEN/LANDSCAPING
Dr. Robert Rawluk, D.D.S. 255 Glen Miller Rd. Unit #3, Trenton
GARDEN/LANDSCAPING
pictureperfectlandscaping.ca
call us
‘Over 30 years in the Quinte Region’ NEW PATIENTS WELCOME
613-968-1940 Belleville, ON
613-392-2732 riversidedentalcentre.com
GARDEN/LANDSCAPING
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HOME IMPROVEMENT
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613.967.1581 Foxboro www.farmgategardens.ca
613-965-1800
773 Bell Blvd. West, Belleville
613.969.6699
* Trenton’s Only Tile Showroom
www.fireplacespecialties.ca
30 CREELMAN AVE, TRENTON
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT Get ready for
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SUMMER
FUN!
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HOME
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I M P R O V E M E NRunning T P R O Fa E Ssmall S I O N A Lbusiness SERVICES PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Running a small business Affordable business services. is a big task. Let u± help. Running a small Running a small is a big task. Letbusiness u±business help. AIRPORT SERVICE isisabusiness task. Let u± help. abig big task. Let u± help. Affordable services. Affordable services. Speak business to an H&R Block Tax Professional today From corporate and self-employed returns to GST returns and tax advice, we offer smart affordable services that make running a small business easier.
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Gerald R. Connor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cumberland Private Wealth Management Inc.
In the first phase of a bull market, anyone can make money. In the next phase, skill separates winners from losers. In the final phase, inexperience can lead to disaster. Fortunately over the past 15 years, clients of Cumberland have benefited from both our skill and our experience. And that’s one reason why their portfolios have seen an average annual return of 4% more than the market since 1999, with significantly less volatility.*
Jason Trueman jasont@cpwm.ca 613-929-4511
Art Salvalaggio arts@cpwm.ca 613-530-0390
www.cumberlandprinciples.com
S a i ta rg ’s G r av i ta s Q u o t i e n T Gravitas Quotient is a measure of o n e ’s r e s e r v e s o f i n n e r w i s d o m .
Bruce Westwood shares his Gravitas with Alan Gratias
Name one universal rule of friendship. Kindness and respect. What are you going to do about growing old? Follow what Epicurus prescribes about the pleasures of old age. What have you not got from your life so far that you hope to get? Peace and Grandchildren What makes your heart stand still? Birds and animals in nature. We all hope there will be one more time. One more time for what? To do it all again. If you were going to launch a new prohibition, what would you outlaw? Fracking and noise. What are you fatally attracted to? Good food, garlic, and almond butter. Give one example of life’s absurdities? A Conservative omnibus budget bill.
What is it that we need to understand about surrender? We don’t lose ourselves. How do you stay clear of the rocks and shoals? Knowing who you are. Why should we hang onto our illusions? Makes it easier to get up in the morning. What would your father make of you now? He would be surprised and amused. When do reality and fantasy merge? Reading fiction. What is the best way to get licensed as an adult? Having children. What is your favourite recipe for unhappiness? Failing to pay taxes for three years. If you were in charge of the world for one day, what would you change? Impose universal literacy.
Photo by Whitney Westwood
About B r uce : Bruce Westwood is more charming maestro than mogul, though business tycoon he was. An imposing man with a thick mane of silver hair, he stalks the country in search of new writers. He is the founder and managing director of Westwood Creative Artists, the largest literary agency in Canada. His large stable of artists includes Yann Martel, Conrad Black, Barbara Gowdy, Rohin Mistry, and Ian Brown. He is Chair of the International Festival of Authors and Past Chair of the Toronto French School. Prior to his literary career, he was involved as a business executive and venture capitalist in many successful enterprises including CEO of Royal Gold Enterprises, Bittners Packers, Pop Shoppes, and Meridian Technologies. As a Montrealer who splits his time between Toronto and the south of France, he is a recent convert to the lure of Prince Edward County and its dining and quiet pleasures. He is helping his daughter Whitney, the founder of WhitneyLinens, build a house in Sophiasburgh where he hopes to visit frequently. His son Ashton is a successful wine merchant and restaurateur in Montenegro. By Alan Gratias
Discover your Gravitas Quotient at www.gravitasthegame.com
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