Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville - Hometown News April 2023

The Dessert Plate:

Bringing back the golden age of store-front bakeries

Smiths Falls - Brian Turner

editorial@pdgmedia.ca

If you don’t think there’s a substantial demand for store-front bakeries, you weren’t anywhere near Main Street West in Smiths Falls one day last month when The Dessert Plate officially swung open their doors and were inundated by throngs of hungry shoppers that kept the place packed for most of the day.

Tanya Compton and her husband Paul and a crew of friends and family have been hopping ever since.

Tanya, a graduate of the Algonquin College Pastry Chef program and an 11 year professional veteran of the ovens, plans to offer a mix of traditional offerings along with some newer-age creations. She’s definitely an old-school baking artist who rushes nothing and leaves pre-packaged ingredients at the suppliers, choosing to follow traditional recipes mixed thoroughly with her own flair. She notes that people are buying so much more than great food when they enter her facility; they’re get-

ting a trip back to their youth powered by tastes and smells that bring memories of good times around the kitchen where family favourites were created with love. But the Dessert Plate is so much more than a convenient place to indulge your pastry dreams; they’ve created a spacious and welcoming seating area and have a full menu of specialty coffees, teas along with a substantial choice of sandwiches. This

has to be your lunchtime destination! Sandwiches are offered on sourdough and ciabatta and there’s a selection of gluten-free breads and other baked goodies as well. I took home a sampler of their squares and cookies along with a slice of pineapple upside-down cake for a big fan of this treat. The short-bread squares were melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and the pineapple cake passed the taste-test

of a very critical expert with flying colours. Their breakfast cookies, which we also tried, are extremely well-titled as they provide a mouth-watering meal in your hand with enough healthy energy to get your day started.

The task ahead for Tanya and her culinary crew is to gauge the tastes and desires of her growing customer base that currently seems to just love everything at the

Dessert Plate. After all, it’s been a desert on the craftmade dessert front for some time before she came along. Then she hopes to produce a schedule of baking days to offer new favourites on different days of the week, optimizing the kitchen’s output. That may take some time as new regulars will have to first work through a varied and long list of choices which includes layer and bundt cakes, muffins,

scones, tarts, and squares. It will be very hard for anyone to pick a favourite. And cheesecakes are coming. They’re currently open Wednesdays through Fridays from 11 am to 7 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm. The location is 5 Main Street West in Smiths Falls and you can reach them at 613-205-0558.

Now that the Dessert Plate is open, there’s no excuse to skip the best part of any meal!

Ginawaydaganuc Village planned for Mississippi Mills

The upper room at Almonte’s old town hall was packed to standing room only on Sunday, March 26 for a presentation about a new development being proposed for the municipality. Ginawaydaganuc Village is a non-profit organization with an Indigenous-led economic development plan to construct an eco-sensitive education and tourist centre, which will promote Indigenous ideologies about interconnectedness and relationship building, somewhere

within Mississippi Mills. The group told Hometown News they have potential locations close to Almonte but haven’t finalized a land-deal at this time. The event saw the audience seated in a large circle and included traditional ceremonies, songs, and dance by Algonquin Hooper Dancer & Singer Mariah Miigwans (Chabot-Smith), Inuit throat singers Jennifer Kadluk and Annie Qimirpik, David Finkle & Anthony Brascoupe on guitar and fiddle with Jaime Morse and her son JJ performing a traditional jig. Traditional drummers Patsea Griffin, Laura Leonard and

Carmel Whittle performed a drum song to open the event. Their multifaceted plan aims to create short-term lodging, healthy cuisine opportunities, retail space, social gathering and workshop space. It will also provide Indigenous teachings, and educational opportunities that promote sustainable living and working practices. The project will also include a special focus on support and opportunities for businesses that are developing products and services to assist mankind's efforts to harmonize with the environment.

Continues on page 3

Regional - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Tanya Compton with an array of desserts. Photo credit: Brian Turner.

Photo courtesy of Ginawaydaganuc Village. [https://ginawaydaganuc.ca]

Photo credit: Brian Turner.

Publisher

Patricia Krotki

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Reporters

Kathy Botham

Sally Smith

Janelle Labelle

Brian Turner

Shannon McLellan

Photography

Kathy Botham

Page Two

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More power (tools) to ya!

Carpentry Course; another graduate joined her.

She told us about saws and drills. She took blades out of the circular saw, showed us the different teeth used for different purposes, how the blades were different thicknesses. We talked about battery powered and plug-ins. She showed us how to saw — body, eyes and mind totally involved. She showed us the electric drill and the impact driver. All loud. All noisy. Big tools for small hands. We even used the mitre saw.

And then we stopped for lunch.

Now it was time.

editorial@pdgmedia.ca

I really don’t want to go, I thought. Maybe I could be sick. That’s it…I’ll just call in sick.

Why did I say I’d do this anyway?

Just because it said Power Tools for Women, and I’m a woman, and I’m small, and power tools sound fun… and scary…and my guy has a lot of power tools in his shop, and he’s out there a lot working with them, and maybe I could join him because I’ll be s-o-o-o good with them…sigh.

Even Saturday morning I was still whinging.

What could I wear? Do I bring gloves and goggles?

At least I have steel-toed

work boots … jeans, sweat shirt. Nothing blousy or dangly, no loose jewellery like rings and things.

I took off my ¼-inchwide silver ring my guy had made and given to me six years ago…sigh.

Do I really want to do this? I asked again. I slowly plodded out to the car; my guy drove because he needed the car. I sat in dark silence, a heavy sigh every five minutes, my fists clenched…my teeth, too.

The workshop was in Perth, an elegantly designed big, old, red brick building, cold and draughty, the former Wampole Box Factory. Of six, three turned up.

Amy, the instructor, was a graduate of the Perth Campus Heritage Joinery and

We were making a twostep foot-stool that day; some of the pieces were already cut but we had to do the rest, like use a jig saw to cut a notch, an electric drill to drill holes, the impact driver to drive in screws. We brushed on glue, put in plugs, then sawed the protruding pieces with the flush-cut hand-saw.

Three hours went quickly.

I was very smug in the car on the way home, my footstool in the back seat…not crooked at all – as had been suggested by my guy!

For the next week I was pretty elated telling everyone about my stool, talking about the workshop, very ‘aw-shucks’ about my excellent work.

But it wore off after a while, the interest wasn’t there anymore; It seemed to me people walked the other way when they saw me coming.

So I decided to take my power-tool skills on the road with a travelling acting group.

The play was The Judgement of Paris.

I was the Wood-Nymph.

opinion: Am I the only one? the teenager

The adolescent stage is between 13-19 years of age. They are filled with untapped potential, but the teenage years are often not seen as positive. It’s the stage of life where we are fraught with insecurity and self-doubt. The stage where we make mountains out of molehills. We sit around feeling isolated, lonely, and believing we are the only ones. The brain is still developing and there are a lot of life lessons learned during this period of life and it doesn’t always go smoothly. It can be explosive and full of drama.

Author Cassandra Clare writes, “All my life I've felt like there was something wrong with me. Something missing or damaged. Every teenager in the world feels like that, feels broken or out of place, different somehow, royalty mistakenly born into a family of peasants.”

Carrie Wynne

I don't know anyone that wishes to go back to that time in their life again, yet it’s a time of great discovery about ourselves and the world around us. There has been so much emphasis on redefining adversity and pressure as anxiety. Am I the only one that wonders sometimes, if this is a deliberate attempt to profit from bad mental health, as opposed to just handling difficult situations? I digress.

I read an article by Dan Siegel, a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, a decade ago in Psychology Today that helped shape my view. He described the teenage years with the acronym “ESSENCE” of Adolescence as follows:

Emotional spark: emotional storms and moodiness. A powerful passion to live life fully, capture life being on fire.

Social engagement: turning towards peers, not parents, seeking supportive relationships. Falling prey to peer pressures to gain membership into a group.

Novelty: seeking risk taking behaviour, courage to leave the familiar and ex-

plore the uncertain.

Creative exploration: pushing against the status quo, imagining how things could be; the thrill and passion of discovery.

There’s no greater warrior than a mom protecting her child, however overprotective parents raise the best liars. It’s the damage control phase for parents. We must find a way to manage these turbulent waters with our child while also giving them the freedom they need to explore unfamiliar territory, step out and take chances.

Moving from childhood to adulthood requires teeth and grit. Life is full of circumstances that are beyond our control. Let kids learn and unlearn on their own. Let them fall and stand up again. It’s a hard thing to do when our tendency is to protect. There’s an old saying that we should prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.

The opinions stated in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hometown News’ management, staff or writers.

Hometown News is available at Your Independent Grocers across the region. Pick up your copy at:

Andress' (Smiths Falls) • Barnabe's (Perth) Mitchell's (Carleton Place) • Patrice's (Almonte) PLEASE SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES.

Cartoon by Patrick Labelle.

Regional - Sally Smith

Power tool in hand, Sally Smith set out on her road trip.

Photo credit: Sally Smith.

community

Therapeutic Wellness Centre opens on Maple

therapy is very intense counselling.” There are many different approaches they use for both depression and anxiety.

There are things they can’t do. They can’t prescribe medication and they can’t diagnose conditions like schizophrenia. If the two find there’s a need, they’ll “refer out” with the hope that people will eventually come back to them for counselling.”

ties might, or might not be in the coming months and years. And with those who had lost friends, who were losing partners, who were downsizing a home, looking at retirement homes. All of these are big events in a life, he says.

“It’s a scary time for some people… a lot of anxieties surround that.”

Smiths Falls - Sally Smith

editorial@pdgmedia.ca

It’s a small room, soft colours, two big windows, a triptych of pictures on the wall. There’s one chair (for the therapist), facing a two-seater couch (for the client or clients).

Michelle Sparling-Bodechon and Sean O’Brien sit on the couch together (joking a bit that it’s not where they usually sit), and talk about their new business in Smiths Falls — The Therapeutic Wellness Centre.

It’s easy to find — on Maple Avenue — very close to downtown. Up the stairs, turn right, walk to the end of the hall and the door is in front of you.

The two are working at building their business in town. They advertise

through word-of-mouth, flyers pinned up at various locations, and, Michelle says, the clients are coming. She admits some times of the year are busier, like September, with summer months bringing a lull, adding that at the moment it’s a bit slow.

Smiths Falls is a good place for them. “There are not a lot of psychotherapists in town that do psychotherapy in person,” she explains. Their intent is to stick around.

But what is it they actually do?

Psychotherapy deals with “more intense mental health concerns like severe depression or anxiety — anything that involves the mind, and working with it.

“It’s a controlled Act in Ontario and only certain people can do it. “Psycho-

The two are young—Michelle, 26, and Sean on the verge of 28.

So how do they relate to old, depressed people?

Michelle laughs a bit and gestures at Sean. “That’s his specialty,” she says.

Sean says he picked up many of his people skills from watching his Dad, a mechanic, work, both listening to how he spoke to clients and then how he dealt with them. “People came in and talked about losing partners or placing partners in homes…talked about people with dementia, with Parkinson’s. These things can be really challenging.”

He worked, too, with the elderly in long-term care homes. There he met those at the end of life, listening to their fears, working with those with chronic illnesses, wondering what their abili-

“For me, to support the elderly is kind of like supporting family. I feel I can empathize, picture myself as if I was there.” He explains he was raised by his grandmother, as well as his father, and his grandfather was like a father figure to him when he was very young.

“I remember my experiences with him. I think that has a lot to do with my connection to the elderly.”

His early work experience included six years at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre as a correctional officer. “It’s got its quirks,” he says, a bit emphatically. “It’s a traumatic environment. I learned a lot there…”

Sean works in areas of depression, anxiety, and men’s issues ranging from social awkwardness, sexuality, gender and sexual orientation, sexual questioning, through to couples therapy.

Michelle says she gets on well with kids, especially teen-

agers, and wonders if maybe that’s age related, she grins, as she’s pretty young herself.

“I connect with them. They feel comfortable with me. I’m honest and forward, and I think they appreciate that. I’m curious, too. It seems to work well.”

She adds “…there’s lots of anxiety,” explaining that societal expectations are enormous. For example “you have to look and do things a certain way, you have to achieve a certain thing in life.” And teens have their own expectations, too. Her therapy sessions include, hopefully, making clients understand “it’s okay not to always give 100 percent.”

So where are the two going from here?

They’re going to stick around, maybe hire more psychotherapists, perhaps a physiotherapist and a massage therapist.

But for the moment they’re carrying on as always, and along the way they’re collecting success stories, one being a young person who was finding it difficult even to get out of bed in the morning, but, with therapy, now gets up, gets at it, brushes teeth and gets on with the day.

Michelle admits there are sad stories, too, for example meeting someone once and

never seeing them again. “I know anxiety is holding them back. With anxiety it’s hard to get in for the first session…let alone come back for the second.”

And she throws out a bit of advice if considering couples’ therapy. More often than not, when booking a session as a couple, one of the two backs out. Don’t let that stop you, she says. “You can still come even if your partner doesn’t want to.”

If considering therapy, the two try to make themselves available almost immediately. Both are aware that when people call “they don’t want therapy in four months, they want it now.”

Cost is decided between the two of them and their client, sometimes on a sliding scale basis. Number of sessions is discussed, too, with Sean explaining the greater the number the greater the impact…it’s negotiable.

Finally, as the interview ends, and Michelle and Sean stand up from the two-seater couch, she says, grinning, “…therapy can be fun. It depends on the people and what they make of it.”

For more information, go to the website ttwc.ca, email them at info@ttwc.ca or call 613-924-2652. They are located at 6 Maple Avenue, Unit 202, Smiths Falls.

Ginawaydaganuc Village planned for Mississippi Mills

Regional - Brian Turner

editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Continued from page 1

The main Village design will feature five buildings (one round plus four two-story oval/oblong-shaped) constructed with sustainable and environmentally friendly materials and topped with living green roofs. They are hoping to break ground next year. The project’s proponents are lead by a board of directors which includes Elder Barb Brant of the Turtle Clan,

Mohawk Nation of Tyendinaga, John Henri Commanda, Anishinaabe (Ojibway) of the Eagle Clan, who is a member of Dokis First Nation, Karen Bisson, C.E.O. of Turtle Lodge Trading Post Inc. and a member of the Metis Nation of Canada, and Romola V. Thumbadoo, PhD, Geography, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, who is the volunteer coordinator of the Circle of All Nations. Karen Bisson told us that the number of people on their advisory board is growing as well.

They received a start up grant from Indigenous Tourism Ontario last summer and are currently working on other government funding streams. As this is a non-profit organization, they are also looking to the community for contributions of all kinds. As Karen put it, "If you feel you have something to contribute, please step forward! We need you!"

The group indicated their next steps are the development of steering

committees to break the job down into smaller parts. They are also in need of skilled people in all areas of management and development, including human resources, grant writing and management, and project management.

To anyone who would like to help give them a leg up in any way and/or create a partnership of some kind, please email info@ginawaydaganuc.ca

Chi miigwetch for your support!!!

Photo credit: Brian Turner.

Photo courtesy of Ginawaydaganuc Village.

lifestyle

Garden Matters: Rhubarb: plant once, harvest for years

off and dispose of them (not in the compost) as they are poisonous. Then cut off the other end of the stalks. Take the rhubarb to a sink wash and cut into desired lengths. It seems to me the more you pick the more stalks grow, thru to about mid-July when the leaves start to turn yellow and die, as it goes dormant until next spring when it reappears.

There is nothing nicer than homemade rhubarb and strawberry pie in early spring or any time of year, as rhubarb freezes really well.

By Judy Wall Master Gardener

Beer, Wine and Spirits

The world of rum - the underrated spirit

Brian Preston | The Travelling Sommelier | brianpreston@hotmail.com

This month I am going to focus on one of the spirits that I think many don’t appreciate as much as they should in Canada, which has always been a country where Canadian rye whisky reigns supreme. Drizly is an alcohol e-commerce platform and they are forecasting after surveying 1000 adults in the USA in October 2022 that in 2023 more than one-third of respondents said they were likely to spend the most money on rum (33%), which triumphed against Bourbon (32%) and American whiskey (31%). Tequila claimed the highest stake at 35%, but that is USA and not Canada so we won’t dwell on tequila.

In regards to first choice for a spirits base in a ready-todrink (RTD) cocktail, 34% of those surveyed ranked rum above whiskey (31%) and gin (17%), with vodka a preferred choice of 61% of consumers. Additionally, 47% of respondents said they anticipate drinking RTDs during all seasons this year, and finally, 34% of respondents said that they will ‘proactively shop for drink deals’ in 2023 due to inflation.

It is forecasted that between 2021 through 2026, premium rum volume sales are expected to climb by a compound annual growth rate of over 7% according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. One of the latest is by a Trinidadian who left Starbucks as their VP Global retail and beverage innovation: Marc-kwesi Farrell lives in New York and in 2018 founded ‘Ten to One’ premium blended rum – a light (white) and darkwhich uses rums from four different Caribbean countries. The white is a blend of column still rum from the Dominican Republic,

with higher ester pot still rum from Jamaica which comes in at 45%abv, perfect for cocktails. The dark rum is a masterful blend of 8 year old Barbados and Dominican column still rums, combined with high-ester Jamaican pot still rum, and Trinidadian rum. It is aged in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and is a complex rum to enjoy on its own or on the rocks.

Neither have any additives (no sugar, colouring or flavouring which is used by other well known brand rum producers). It is $45USD but not yet available in Canada. So if you travel, bring back a bottle as your Duty Free.

But now for some premium rums available here at the LCBO that you should try, to expand your spirits palate!

Bacardi 10 Year Old Gran Reserva Gold Rum, LCBO#548420 in Smiths Falls at $48.20, described as an iconic velvety Puerto Rican rum that is barrel aged under the Caribbean sun for a minimum of 10 years. It exudes tropical banana and pear, caramelized vanilla and a touch of oak.

Ron Zacapa 23 Centenario Rum, LCBO#273516 at $84.95 Save $5.00 until April 23rd, a Guatemalan beauty which "Has the brown/chestnut appearance of older oloroso sherry; unblemished clarity. Opening sniffs encounter deep scents of brown sugar and toffee; six more minutes add succulent aromas of candied walnut, toasted marshmallow, treacle and dark, old honey. Entry is round, supple, oily and creamy in texture, with highlights of burnt sugar and cocoa; midpalate is suddenly quite earthy, grassy and

lean, with pocket flavors of treacle and marzipan. Concludes medium-long, sappy bittersweet and almost nutty/nougaty." Spirit Journal 2011 Rating: 4 Stars Highly Recommended. This is so smooth and complex, to be enjoyed on its own, and it is one of my favourites!

El Dorado Special Reserve 15 Year Old Rum, LCBO#705418 $ $73.15, crafted from a combination of rums in Guyana as old as 25 years and rested in old bourbon casks, amber colour filled with aromas of roasted coffee, candied orange, nuts, dark chocolate and spice. The rounded palate is complex and versatile with notes of grilled tropical fruit and spice which lead to a silky smooth finish. I first discovered this great rum in Belgium on sale with a labeled rum glass and brought it home as my Duty Free at the time. It also comes in a lovely 12 year old for $45.40 Save $4.00 until April 23rd.

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old, LCBO#19826 $79.95 Save $5.00 until April 23rd Appleton Estates has the honour of being Jamaica's oldest distillery. This flavourful rum pours deep amber and boasts aromas and flavours of vanilla, marmalade, oak, and toffee. An ultra-smooth palate leads to a medium-bodied and fruity finish. Serve neat after dinner or pair with jerk chicken thigh sliders. I have been a fan of Appleton Estate rums of several varieties for many years and I am sure you will like it too! There are others, but now you can look for them and discover the preferred drink of pirates and old scuba wreck divers like me, me hearties!

Early spring signs of rhubarb, when the plant starts to come alive poking through the ground, always excites me. Rhubarb is a perennial long-lived plant, which requires very little from me each season. Add a little compost around the crown early spring, watch for stalks which hold large clusters of seeds which should be cut off before seeds form - this puts the energy back into the plant so it can produce more rhubarb stalks. To harvest the rhubarb, you pull the stems holding them close to the ground and pull. Bring a large kitchen knife out to the rhubarb patch, to cut the leaves

Chop the rhubarb into smaller pieces about 1” long and package them in plastic bags, measured to the qty. required for certain recipes such as: Rhubarb muffins, rhubarb pie, rhubarb to go along with other fruits for a mixed fruit crumble, or rhubarb squares. Rhubarb stew preserved in jars is also easy if you don’t have much freezer space. It can be added to granola and yogurt for breakfast, and so many more uses for rhubarb.

Rhubarb harvested fresh has no chemicals/pesticides and is healthy to eat.

Consider growing rhubarb in your garden if you don’t already. I call it my superfood. Easy to grow, easy to care

for and easy to harvest. The American Institute for Cancer research society https:// www.aicr.org/resources/blog/ health-benefits-of-rhubarb/ says: The edible part of the rhubarb plant — the stalk — contains anthocyanins, which yield its bright red color. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid found in foods such as berries, red onions, black beans, red grapes and black plums. They act as antioxidants in test tube studies, but in the human body, their protection seems more likely to come from their role in cancer-preventive cell signaling. Anthocyanins have demonstrated protective effects on blood vessels and blood pressure, and recent research suggests that anthocyanins may offer anti-cancer benefits, too.

I am no doctor, therefore do your own research based on your health requirements. Dr. Google has many a great recipe for this sometimes over-looked vegetable. Yes I said vegetable, not a fruit, which many of us use it as. I learned recently of some sweet and sour condiment recipes which use rhubarb, such as Rhubarb Mostarda, which I will be trying this season to expand my use of rhubarb.

Students add Black History Month connection to RMEO’s collection

Smiths Falls - Janelle Labelle

editorial@pdgmedia.ca

On Wednesday, March 8, RMEO welcomed its first visitors of the year. Anne McGarrity's grade 6&7 class from Duncan J Schoular Public School attended the museum to present a poster to add to the museum’s display. Present were members of the RMEO board, current and former town councilors Dawn Quinn and Lorraine Allen, museum volunteers, and Constable Sean Keogan from the Smiths Falls Police Service.

Becky Allen, RMEO’s executive director, welcomed the students and teachers into the museum for this year’s first tour.

Four students displayed a poster they had created, and explained the huge impact that Ontario-born engineer Elijah McCoy had on the evolution of the steam engine. McCoy invented a self-lubricating oil drip system for the train, which made trains eight times more efficient and reduced engineer injuries. The students explained that railway engineers would request McCoy’s invention by name, and this gives us the expression “the real McCoy.”

The students presented RMEO with a poster that

learn more about Elijah McCoy via a QR code which links to a virtual presentation they created, along with other presentations. The class had been learning about the impact of various Black Canadians or Black experiences in Canada during February, Black History Month. “We are trying to fill the holes of history,” said student Jade Lough. “There are holes where racism erased Black people from history,” expanded classmate Logan Ruttler.

Alex Brown, who created the presentation about Elijah McCoy, said she was overwhelmed by the museum’s response. “They said what I did would be part of the museum from now on. That’s a lot to think of.”

Tony Humphrey, retired railway engineer and RMEO board president, thanked the students for their presentation. “Today, I have learned something new. Thank you for sharing this with us, and for being our first visitors this year,” he said. He led the class on a tour of a large locomotive, and they found McCoy’s invention right here on an engine in Smiths Falls.

Student Scarlett Brennan described the outing as “very fun, because we got to teach the adults. Usually they teach

sit and listen to us.”

Encouraged by the museum’s response, Mrs. McGarrity had her students reach out to Mayor Shawn Pankow in order to spread more awareness of Black Canadians’ contributions to the world. On Thursday, March 23, the class took a trip to Smiths Falls town hall to meet with Mayor Shawn Pankow and Councilor Stephen Robinson, and to present another poster to be hung in town hall. Ronnie Martin, who was tasked with reaching out to the mayor on behalf of the class, was happy to meet the mayor. “He’s a busy man. I felt happy that he opened his agenda for us.”

Harlow Harris, who helped present at town hall, explained matter-of-factly, “we came to basically change the world and help stop racism. It was an awesome experience.”

Mayor Pankow thanked the class and presented them with a book of Canadian symbols. "I've never been more proud of my town than I am right now,” he said. “It’s really inspiring to have these students educate our community on our history.”

The mayor asked Mrs. McGarrity and Mrs. Holman, the school principal, for more posters to distribute around town. Keep your eyes open for this informative and inter

Join your local Source Protection Committee to protect drinking water sources for your community –and the future.

Do you care about the health of your family, your community and your environment? We are recruiting one enthusiastic person to represent public interests for the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region. The Source Protection Committee oversees the implementation of science-based source protection plans to protect municipal water sources in the Mississippi Valley and Rideau Valley watersheds. We meet several times a year in various locations across the region.

For more information contact: Marika Livingston Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region 613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1148 marika.livingston@mrsourcewater.ca

Mrs. McGarrity’s grade 6 & 7 class visited the town hall to present a poster in honour of Black History Month. Photo credit: Janelle Labelle.

Fur, Feathers & Scales

The power of pets

The moment I walk into our home after a long day at the office, I’m greeted by our two jovial English Bulldogs with their big round sweet brown eyes, and our purring furry orange cat, who have been waiting all day to give us their version of unconditional love. In this moment, the weight of the world instantly melts away.

Owning a pet can provide us with many excellent benefits that go well beyond simply having a furry, feathered or scaled companion. Here are 5 reasons how having a pet can enrich your life:

1. Increase better overall health

Pets provide more opportunity to get outside, exercise, and socialize! Research even suggests that pet owners could see a reduction in health conditions such as heart disease, as pets can help provide emotional and mental stability during stressful times. Pets also assist in the treatment of long-term diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia and many other medical issues.

2. Ease feelings of loneliness and depression

Coming home to the unconditional love of a pet can help individuals fight against, and recover from depression and sadness. Pets provide great companionship, are minimood boosters, and can make their owners feel happier while increasing feelings of self-esteem and confidence. Dogs especially are well known for being wonderful companions who can detect when their human is feeling down and will try it’s best to cheer them up. Their intuition is what makes them great support and therapy animals, and animal-assisted therapy is effective in treating PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

3. Provide joy Whether your friend is four-legged and furry, feathered, or is scaled and swimming around its fishbowl, I think we can all agree that pets bring continuous joy to the lives of people around them. Imagine waking to the sound of cheerful chirping on a sunny day, or watching man’s best friend chase

Shannon McLellan

down a frisbee in the yard on a crisp fall afternoon. Not to mention, the endless hours of joy and laughter those crazy cat videos’ supply!

4. Pets are good for kids

Having a family pet can help teach children responsibility, such as feeding your special pet, taking the dog for a walk, or cleaning out the bunny cage just to name a few. Pets can even help kids with learning! Studies have shown that children who may be apprehensive to read aloud in class, gain confidence when given the opportunity to read to animals as they see them as a non-judgemental pal. Pets can even help teach children the circle of life. Even though we try and shield our children from grief and sadness, dealing with the death of a pet can help kids cope with other difficulties and challenges later on in life.

5. Pets are FUN!

Let’s not forget one of the biggest reasons we are drawn to owning a pet, they are fun and full of personality! On top of the

other four reasons listed above, increasing fun in our lives while at the same time saving the life of an animal is a win-win situation for all.

Meet Snow's Puppies

visit: ittakesavillagedogrescue.com/adoptable-dogs

We love to snuggle with humans, each other and our Momma, Snow. We also like to give lots of kisses and nibble on fingers

and toes. Our Momma is our favourite, she takes extra good care of us, making sure we are clean, well-fed and behaving.

We are getting ready to head off to our furever home, we will be 8 weeks old in less than a week! We try really hard to use our pee pads and most of the time we are pretty good. Our foster mom tells us we are doing great for such young pups! We love to play and chew on toys and sometimes each other's tails and ears. We are very curious, but don’t get into too much trouble as long as we have lots of toys to keep us busy. We are growing quickly and are going to be large dogs. If you think we are right for you and your family, please complete an adoption application.

Photo credits: Shannon McLellan.

Meet Bunny & Bambi

Bunny’s favourite place is in your lap. The term lap cap is an understatement. She will be the most dedicated work-from-home friend you could ever want and will purr and snooze her day away in your lap if you let her. Bunny is also not shy about asking for attention and will give her foster a little paw to let her know she wants some chin rubs. As you can see from the pictures, Bunny was born with a malformation of her hind paw but her foster assures us this does NOT slow her down at all, she can climb and jump and in fact when not occupying a lap will often be found on the cat tree.

Bunny loves toys, especially wands, balls and things that squeak. She is also a big fan of soccer and will play around chasing after balls and squeaky toys alike. She is an investigator and will check everything out that her foster gets up to as well. She is an intelligent, playful and outgoing gal.

Bambi is equally as affectionate as her sister; she enjoys rubbing up against her foster. Bambi also has a playful side, she isn’t all lovey-dovey, the whole world can be a toy to herjust watch her go! Her favourite toys so far are the ones she can chase after that move. A true lady of

leisure, Bambi prefers a nice soft spot to nap when she has tired herself out and will find the comfiest cat bed in the house.

Little Bambi also has a small abnormality that she was born with, her spine is a bit curved. This does not hurt her and she moves along just fine! She also has some allergies and receives some medications to help her keep those allergies in check. These are given in her food and she is pretty good about it. She is a smart, playful, affectionate and outgoing cat. These girls have been through so much, having been adopted and returned

already once through no fault of their own. We are looking for their final forever family and we're really hoping that special home is out there because these girls just have so much love to give! Although doing very well in their foster home, we really do want to see them settled permanently. They are available to the right family without an adoption fee. If you're interested in learning more about this sweet, 7 year-old pair of beautiful Abyssinian ladies, please send in a detailed application through our website and our adoptions team will be in touch!

Gender: Female | DOB: 2023 | Breed: Chihuahua Mix

Ginger is an anxious little introvert looking for the perfect home to shine. She takes a little time to warm up, but once she does she’s extremely loving and affectionate. She’s gotten a bad reputation as “bitey,” but she’s mostly misunderstood. She likes to nip when she plays, but has no trouble giving you a warning snap if you scare her. When meeting new friends she likes to approach them on her own terms. Once she’s sure they’re safe, she warms up quickly. Treats help a lot. She’s VERY food motivated. Ginger loves walks and loves to play, she’s also happy to spend hours asleep on your lap. She’s been said to prefer men, but she’s fine with

women as long as they give her time to warm up. She seems fine meeting other dogs on walks, and has been said to get along well with cats. She does like to bark at people when she’s on a walk. She talks tough until they get close and then she’ll approach cautiously and go on with her day. Ginger doesn’t have much training of any kind. She’s mostly house trained, but could use some reinforcement on that. She’s very smart though and should pick things up with some care and dedication. Most importantly, she needs a place where she can feel secure and safe to be herself. Once she feels that she’ll be your best, most affectionate pal.

Gender: Female DOB: 2016-01-01

Bambi

Gender: Female DOB: 2016-01-01 Bunny

Agnes woke up in pitch black darkness—she was shivering uncontrollably and drenched in sweat. By morning she was coughing to the point of choking. The 60-year-old could no longer ignore the inevitable. Agnes picked up the telephone receiver and cranked the handle. “Operator, it’s Agnes Lamb, please connect me with 114,” she requested. This was the phone number for Dr. J. S. McCallum who lived a few minutes away, at 110 Brockville Street. His magnificent stone Italianate villa had been built on a five-acre estate by John B. Ward in the 1870s. John’s father was the first Smiths Falls settler, Abel Russell Ward. Today many people know the property as the Davidson House.

The Doctor had only three short blocks to walk before he was welcomed into the Keyhole House, his doctor’s bag in hand. Agnes lived at this prestigious address with her mother, Catherine. A brief examination revealed

Smiths Falls History & Mystery: Call the doctor

by Ted Outerbridge

that Agnes was suffering from consumption, or as it is known today, tuberculosis. Agnes was a wealthy woman. She had received a substantial inheritance from her uncle, Alexander Wood. She had been her uncle’s “trusted companion and housekeeper” for twenty years, according to The Record News. As a member of the social elite, she could afford the finest medical treatment available. Sadly, in 1903, there was no cure for tuberculosis. It was the leading cause of death among adults. Symptoms included loss of appetite and fatigue, fever, hacking, bloody coughs, and debilitating pain in the lungs. The disease gradually destroyed the patient.

Dr. McCallum would have prescribed bed rest, a healthy diet, and lots of fresh air. In addition, Agnes would have been provided with an ample supply of attractive bottles embossed with “Dr. J. S. McCallum, Medical Hall, Smiths Falls”. These gorgeous vessels were available in a variety of sizes and contained pain medication such as laudanum, a highly addictive tincture of opium which was also a cough suppressant.

Agnes died following 11

weeks of treatment on August 11, 1903. Dr. McCallum would have placed a call to 71w, the phone number for J. J. Marsh, local Funeral Director & Embalmer—and private ambulance service and a “Dealer in all kinds of Furniture.” Agnes was entombed at the Wood Mausoleum and Cemetery. The property is located on “Vault Hill” just outside of Smiths Falls in the Township of Rideau Lakes. It was built as a spectacular show of wealth, and was reserved for Wood family and friends only.

Several visitors to the Keyhole House have claimed that they can sense the spirit of Agnes Lamb in the house. There is a theory that Agnes was sitting in a chair in a second floor bedroom when she left this world.

John Sangster McCallum was born on November 6, 1847, and was a 31-year-old physician when he married 21-year-old Janet Clark on February 4, 1879. They lived on Main Street before moving to 110 Brockville Street in the 1880s. They had a daughter and five sons. Three of their sons served in World War I including Lieutenant John S. McCallum who received the Military Cross for distinguished conduct on the firing line. He was also a McGill University graduate of the 1909 class of medicine.

An 1884 business directory listing for Dr. McCallum describes him as a “Physician and Surgeon, Coroner for the County of Lanark, also Druggist and Stationer. A Complete Stock of Pure Drugs, Dye Stuffs and Chemicals, Medical Hall.”

The McCallum Drug Store or Medical Hall was located on the northeast corner of Beckwith and Main Street. It was part of the J. S. McCallum commercial block consisting of three stores on Beckwith Street. Designed by architect George Thomas Martin, it was built in 1891. Martin was the same architect who designed the Keyhole House where Agnes Lamb lived. At one point there was an awning with “CIGARS” printed on it over the drug store entrance. Drug stores in 1891 were a bit different

from what we know as a drug store today. They sold drugs such as morphine and heroin without a prescription. Today these are considered illegal or controlled substances. In addition, one could find a huge range of products from lipstick, candy, and toys to soap, sodas, and cigars.

McCallum was an avid curler and was involved in the first matches played on the Rideau River near the Frost & Wood factory in the 1870s. They used massive, crudely shaped rocks weighing close to ninety pounds.

In 1884 McCallum became the first to own a telephone in Smiths Falls with a line connecting his house on Brockville Street to his McCallum Drug Store. The telephone line consisted of a heavy iron telegraph wire which ran over houses and treetops. One year later a switchboard was installed in the R.W. Steacy Jewelry store. By 1886 the telephone exchange consisted of 17 members as documented in The Eastern Ontario Directory.

On a very cold January 20, 1887, George Frederick McKimm published his first edition of The Rideau Record newspaper. It was printed on a hand turned printing press, in a small room, on the second floor above the McCallum Drug Store.

In the late 1890s, McCallum was one of a group of ambitious volunteers who formed a horticultural society and proceeded to lease and transform an uncultivated pasture into a magnificent park. This public paradise featured varieties of ornamental trees, mani-

cured gardens, and winding pathways. A weed infested ditch was cleaned and lined with stones, to become the picturesque Matheson’s Creek which fed into a pool. The town council provided funds to build a grandstand, and the park was named in honour of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee in 1897. Victoria Park is located on the South side of the Rideau Canal basin in Smiths Falls.

McCallum was a town councillor for many years and in 1910 he was elected Mayor of Smiths Falls. The temperance movement was in full force that year and one of his duties included suspending police Chief Charles Edwards on the grounds that he had been intoxicated.

In 1935 when Dr. John S. McCallum was suffering from senility and a fracture of his right hip, it was his turn to call the doctor. He picked up the telephone receiver and asked the operator to connect him to 60, the phone number for Dr. J. T. Hogan. McCallum died at his home on February 12, 1935, at the age of 88. He is buried at Maple Vale Cemetery.

Ted & Marion Outerbridge are currently restoring the Keyhole House, a Smiths Falls heritage home built in 1892. They are also being swept away by local history & mystery. You can follow them on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok @thekeyholehouse or email ted@tedouterbridge.com.

Dr. J. J. McCallum , Medical Hall northeast corner of Beckwith & Main Street. Photo credit: Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum.

Dr. J. S. McCallum, Medical Hall Bottle. Photo credit: AJ Photography.