In The Hills Winter 2011 by In The Hills Magazine

V O L U M E 18 N U M B E R 4 2 0 11

M A G A Z I N E

O F

C O U N T R Y

L I V I N G

I N

T H E

H E A D W A T E R S

R E G I O N

Our annual salute to Local Heroes New books and music

Tempting Providence Spirit of Christmas A holiday story

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E D I T O R ’ S

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V O L U M E 1 8 N U M B E R 4 2 0 11 PUBLISHER | EDITOR

Signe Ball O P E R AT I O N S M A N A G E R

Kirsten Ball EDITORIAL

Picture a Tree

Snowflakes

By Barbara Reid Published by Scholastic Canada

Meet the author at BookLore Saturday, December 3

for the entertainer in spirit

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

On page 32 of this issue there is an extraordinary photograph of a redpoll with a snowflake on its head. I apologetically asked the extraordinary photographer, Robert McCaw, if the image had been digitally manipulated (apologetically, because I was pretty sure I knew the answer, but these days ...). No, just one of those lucky moments, he said. A lucky moment maybe, I thought, but capturing that moment in crystalline clarity had nothing to do with luck. In our Local Hero profile of Ken Weber – who we like to think of as “our own Ken Weber” (even though we know we share that happy distinction with the many, many people whose lives Ken has touched the world over) – he acknowledges he’s been lucky with the opportunities in his life. Then, summoning the spirit of film producer Samuel Goldwyn, he adds, “but I’ve always found that the harder I worked the luckier I got.” It has become a bit of a tradition to dedicate much of our winter issue to the remarkable people whose optimistic spirits and hard work make this community a better place to live. From retired professor Ken Weber to the kindergarten kids at Herb Campbell Public School, from the combined efforts of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens to the deeply personal crusade of accessibility advocate Anne Harland, all our heroes, like snowflakes, are highly individual, but collectively they wrap a cold world in a warm blanket. Again this year Jeff Rollings has written most of the tributes to our heroes, but he begged off on Brandy Robinson, who initiated Orangeville’s Living Library and happens to be his wife. And the profile of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens was contributed by Nicola Ross who has previously reported on the group’s activities for this magazine over the course of their long battle against the Rockfort quarry. Finally, coming back to that snowflake-crowned bird, here’s advance notice to get out your own cameras this winter and start shooting. In our spring issue we’ll be announcing the details of a photo contest – at least we’re calling it a contest. There will be “winners,” and their work will be published in a later issue, but the real goal is to provide an opportunity for our readers to capture the essence of life and landscape in the hills and share their images with others on our website at inthehills.ca. May the winter be kind to you.

Peter Buckle | Robert McCaw Pete Paterson I L L U S T R AT I O N

Shelagh Armstrong | Jim Stewart DESIGN | ART DIRECTION

Kim van Oosterom Wallﬂower Design ADVERTISING SALES

Roberta Fracassi | Julie Lockyer ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

Marion Hodgson Type & Images PROOFREADING

Janet Dimond l Susan Robb WEB MANAGERS

www.inthehills.ca l www.foodinthehills.ca Valerie Jones, Echo Hill Web Sites www.kidsinthehills.ca Bethany Lee, Focus on Media COVER

by Shelagh Armstrong — In the Hills is published four times a year by MonoLog Communications Inc. It is distributed through controlled circulation to households in the towns of Caledon, Erin, Orangeville, Shelburne and Creemore, and Dufferin County. Subscriptions outside the distribution area are $22.6o per year (including hst). Letters to the editor are welcome. For information regarding editorial, advertising, or subscriptions: PHONE E-MAIL

519-942-84o1

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MonoLog Communications Inc. R.R.1 Orangeville ON L9W 2Y8

www.inthehills.ca — The advertising deadline for the Spring (March) issue is February 3, 2o12.

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

I N

T H I S

I S S U E F E A T U R E S 17

D E P A R T M E N T S

LOCAL HEROES

Our annual salute to extraordinary people by Jeff Rollings 32

LETTERS

FOUL-WEATHER FRIENDS

The birds of winter by Don Scallen

THE DIGEST

Snowshoeing by Nicola Ross

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

46 HEADWATERS NEST

Powering Down by Bethany Lee

Susan Mein

New books by local authors by Tracey Fockler

HISTORIC HILLS

The TG&B railway by Ken Weber

48 TEMPTING PROVIDENCE

A play from Newfoundland by Michele Green

HOMEGROWN IN THE HILLS

Giddy Yoyo by Nicola Ross

54 THE YEAR IN MUSIC

New CDs by local musicians by Lisa Watson

70 WHAT’S ON IN THE HILLS

A calendar of winter happenings

60 SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS 32

GOOD SPORT

Countryside news by Douglas G. Pearce

40 THE YEAR IN BOOKS 13

MUST DO

Our favourite picks for winter

Our readers write

A short story by John Denison

78 A PUZZLING CONCLUSION

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

L E T T E R S

Empty plates Rosemary Kilbourn When I read Tom Smart’s article about Rosemary Kilbourn’s wood engravings and stained-glass windows (Light, Line & Lyricism, autumn 2011), I was reminded of her exquisite stained-glass window in the chapel at Hart House, University of Toronto. As you enter this tiny, non-denominational chapel, her strikingly beautiful window is directly before you. I occasionally give tours of the university to relatives, friends and students, and Rosemary’s window (shown left) is one of my favourite stops. Paul Aird, Inglewood

Worm questions

The article Worms in the Woods by Chris Wedeles (autumn 2011) was really interesting, but it raised a lot of questions. 1) If North American worms were wiped out by the glaciers, presumably there’d be a “worm line” 100 km or so north of the southernmost point of glaciation. South of that, you’d have American worms (and plants that have co-evolved with them); north of that, not. Is that actually the case? 2) Surely a lot of these trees in Canada are identical to, or close relatives of, tree species that have evolved in the presence of worms? 3) Trees in Europe seem to manage in the presence of earthworms. How does that work? Duff layers seem to exist in European forests. What’s different in North America? If you can point to a paper or papers on these topics, I’d be very interested. Doug Muir, web comment Chris Wedeles responds: Yes, there is a “worm line” at the southern glaciation line. To see a map, and for more information, go to Great Lakes Worm Watch: nrri.umn.edu/worms/. The key point is that northern forest communities did not evolve with the same worm community with which they now exist. As is often the case with exotic species, they do not exist “in balance” (a phrase I don’t really like, but is illustrative in this case) with the ecosystems in which they are introduced. Impacts become exaggerated. So while native earthworms do consume organic material, their numbers and impacts are not devastating. Forests and other ecosystems have had thousands of years to “adjust” to native earthworms. No such adjustment has happened in the mere ecological span of 200 years since introduction of exotic worms began. Conservation biologists consider the two most severe ecological issues to be loss of habitat and introduced species. Sadly, I suspect the longterm impacts will be more severe than those we have witnessed so far.

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

Heron,

Thanks for opening my eyes a little more about the people living in their vehicles (Empty Plates, autumn 2011). That’s reality. I know people who have had to do that to survive. The cost of rental is extremely high and I cringe every time I have to go into the grocery store. If items are not on sale, I usually can’t afford to buy them anymore. Being a full-time student, my household bills keep getting behind. I’m 44 years old, with a whole lot of work experience. It is very difficult to get a job in Orangeville. It is expected that you will work at the employer’s insistence, all the shifts. This causes so much havoc with single parents, daycare issues and those with medical issues. They don’t seem to care. What happened to being hired for the same eight-hour shifts so that the employee could organize family time, health and rest, and feel accomplishment. Instead, they are considered to have a job, but don’t know if they will get enough hours to put a meal on the table, apart from the other necessities. This leads to depression in the community. I feel the way to help solve some of this issue is to go back to the old work hours. Catherine, Orangeville, web comment

not bittern

Green heron (left) photographed by letter-writer Dave Frantz. American bittern (centre) and green heron (right) photographed by Robert McCaw.

In his letter to the editor (autumn 2011), Dave Frantz stated, “Thanks to this article [spring 2010], we were able to identify, without doubt, the American bittern sitting in our tree.” Unfortunately, the bird he photographed was a green heron. The rust and white striped breast, yellow eye and yellow under the lower mandible are far more distinctive characteristics for this bird than the straw and brown striped breast of an American bittern. I’ll bet the past article was a good one regardless. David Bruce Johnson, Creemore — The picture of the bird sent by your letter writer in the autumn issue, I believe, is a green heron, not an American bittern. To start with, it is unusual, although not unheard of, for bitterns to roost in trees. Second, the markings and colours match a green heron. Compare the pictures above. Notice the distinctive cinnamon colour on the neck of the green heron (which is clearly visible in the picture in the magazine), and the white stripe running from the throat. This has been a good year for green herons and I have been lucky to spot many in several different locations within Caledon. Bitterns are more elusive and I have only seen one or two this year. I love In The Hills and look forward to each issue. Gordon Morton, Palgrave Editor’s note: It was a bittern pill for us to swallow, but thanks to the many avid readers and birders who took the time to set us straight.

More onMthe ega quarry I enjoyed Tim Shuff’s article Birth of A Protest (summer 2011) very much. It was both thought-provoking and a bit frightening. Are we really prepared to accept the damage to the area, the known and unknown risks associated with such a project? I hope not. One of the most typical justifications for such an undertaking is that the province of Ontario needs this material for buildings, roads, etc. There is some merit to this argument, if the materials are solely for consumption within the province, perhaps Canada. However, I was disappointed that the article does not emphasize that The Highland Companies are in the process of purchasing a railroad to Owen Sound. Does this not lead to the conclusion they will be destroying our land, water and environment only to ship material abroad? This being the case, how does this project really benefit the people of Ontario? Nick Green, Orton — I’m extremely grateful and appreciative of the work Tim Shuff and others are doing in regard to the Melancthon mega quarry. We cer tainly are getting an education on the provincial aggregate industry. Somehow or other the establishment of the Melancthon mega-quarry must be prevented. It is a recipe for disaster and would devastate the area if it went ahead. We have to put the opposition to it on a war footing. The Highland Companies should stick with “taters” and not get approval to proceed with the highly risky business of “craters,” nor attempt to manage and control the large volume of water on a daily basis that will be required during the quarry’s operation. Also the real threat of water contamination that could affect many, many people and all life forms cannot be contemplated. Tony Howard, Shelburne — I read with misgiving the letter from your correspondent, Nick Cox, published in your autumn issue. He bitterly criticized the article about the proposed Melancthon quarry because it presented data in a format unacceptable to him, and he stated that he discontinued reading the article at that point. We all, of course, have the right not to read authors of whose style we disapprove, but Mr. Cox seems to be implying that because the format is, in his view, incorrect, ergo he can learn nothing from the article. To believe that one cannot learn from a writer who presents information in a form different from one’s expectations is, it seems to me, evidence of a closed mind; and I hope that in using the article to display to his students an instance of incorrect format that he will also impart his prejudice. Perhaps if Mr. Cox had taken thought that he was reading a magazine of general interest to the average country dweller, and not a scientific journal publishing hypotheses intended to promote debate among learned experts, he would not have been so censorious? K.A. Jones, Caledon For more reader response to Tim Shuff ’s articles, Birth of a Protest, Mega Quarry by the Numbers, and Can Gravel Be Green, see the comments section at the end of each article at www.inthehills.ca.

ONLINE IN THE HILLS We welcome your comments! For more commentary from our readers, or to add your own thoughts on any of the stories in this issue, please visit www.inthehills.ca. You can also send your letters by e-mail to sball@inthehills.ca. Please include your name, address and contact information. In the Hills reserves the right to edit letters for publication.

CORRECTION Beaverwood Farm Our apologies to carriage driver and trainer Kirsten Brunner, and anyone who tried to call her, for the error in the phone number for Beaverwood Farm in our autumn issue (Good Sport: Putting the Cart after the Horse). The correct phone number is 519-833-7169. For information, see www.beaverwoodfarm.on.ca. IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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Doom â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the past few millennia, as empires rose and fell, local economies advanced and retreated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; world economic activity overall expanded only slowly, and with periodic reversals. However, with the fossil fuel revolution of the last century and a half, we have seen economic growth at a speed and scale unprecedented in all of human history. We harnessed the energies of coal, oil and natural gas to build and operate cars, trucks, highways, airports, airplanes, and electric grids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all the features of modern industrial society. Through the one-time-only process of extracting and burning hundreds of millions of yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worth of chemically stored sunlight, we built what appeared (for one brief, shining moment) to be a perpetual growth machine. We learned to take what was in fact an extraordinary situation for granted. It became normal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But as the era of cheap, abundant fossil fuels comes to an end, our assumptions about continued expansion are being shaken to their core. The end of growth is a very big deal indeed. It means the end of an era, and of our current ways of organizing economies, politics, and daily life.â&#x20AC;? The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Reality, by Richard Heinberg (New Society Publishers, 2011).

Gloom â&#x20AC;&#x153;To protect economic growth we have been prepared to countenance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and have even courted â&#x20AC;&#x201C; unwieldy financial and ecological liabilities, believing that these are necessary to deliver security and keep us from collapse. But this was never sustainable in the long term. The fi nancial crisis has shown us that it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even sustainable in the short-term. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The truth is that we have failed to get our economies working sustainably even in financial terms. For this reason, responses to the crisis which aim to restore the status quo are deeply misguided and doomed to failure. Prosperity today means nothing if it undermines the conditions on which prosperity tomorrow depends. And the biggest single message from the financial meltdown of 2008 is that tomorrow is already here.â&#x20AC;? Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet, by Tim Jackson (Earthscan, 2011).

Poop Scoop â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go for a bracing winter stroll in a major US city and you will be inhaling more than vehicle fumes. A new study has demonstrated for the fi rst time that during winter most of the airborne bacteria in three large Midwestern cities come from dog fĂŚces. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Noah Fierer at the University of Colorado, Boulder, found the high proportions of airborne dog fĂŚcal bacteria after analysing samples of winter air from Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago â&#x20AC;Ś Fierer says that at the relatively low concentrations found â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10,000 bacteria per cubic metre of air sampled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the bugs are unlikely to cause disease.â&#x20AC;? New Scientist, Aug 13/11. www.newscientist.com

One-Dog Town â&#x20AC;&#x153;To control Shanghaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing pet population and curb rabies, Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most populous city has introduced a one-dog policy. In a move reminiscent of the infamous family-planning measures introduced in 1976, residents are only allowed one dog per household.â&#x20AC;? New Scientist, May 21/11. www.newscientist.com

Bridget Driscoll â&#x20AC;&#x153;Her claim to fame is that she was the first person to be killed by a motor car. The 44-year-old woman and her teenaged daughter were visiting London on August 17, 1896, to watch a dancing performance on the grounds of the Crystal Palace. While they were walking along the terrace, she was struck by a car that was offering demonstration rides to the public. The car was moving at only four miles an hour when it hit Mrs. Driscoll, but the impact proved fatal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the inquest, the coroner delivered a verdict of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;accidental death,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and warned that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;this must never happen again.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? CCPA Monitor, Oct/11. www.policyalternatives.ca

Mad Madge â&#x20AC;&#x153;While natural philosophers generally celebrated the invention of the microscope during the Scientific Revolution, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, denounced it vociferously. Microscopic images were â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hermaphroditical, that is,

mixt figures partly artificial, and partly natural,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; she wrote in Observations upon Experimental Philosophy (1668). â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If the picture of a young beautiful lady should be drawn according to the representation of the microscopeâ&#x20AC;Śit would not be like a human face, but rather a monster.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Julie Baldassi, in The Walrus, Oct/11. www.walrusmagazine.com

Agnes Macphail â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although she spent a career in politics, she was not a career politician. She went into politics for what she could do, not what politics could do for her. There was an integrity in her that is sadly lacking in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaders. Politicians always start off with these great principles, but they soon sacrifice them on the altar of expedience, which Agnes Macphail never, never did.â&#x20AC;? Will Ferguson, in Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s History, Aug-Sept/11. www.canadashistory.ca

Casino Capitalism â&#x20AC;&#x153;Speculative financial transactions add up, each day, to $1.3 trillion, 50 times more than the sum of all the commercial exchanges.â&#x20AC;? Adbusters, Nov-Dec/11. www.adbusters.org

Local Crokinole â&#x20AC;&#x153;It may have sister versions around the world, but the game of crokinole as we know it today was likely born in southwestern Ontario. The earliest known crokinole board was created in 1876 in Sebastapol, Ontario, by Eckhardt Wettlaufer as a birthday gift for his five-year-old son Adam. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;crokinoleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is derived from the French croquignole, which describes the action of flicking with a finger. Similar versions of the game, including British shovelboard and East Indian carrom, are considered precursors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The World Crokinole Championship is held each year in Tavistock, Ontario, near Sebastapol.â&#x20AC;? Sandy Klowack, in Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s History, AugSept/11. www.canadashistory.ca

Beatitude â&#x20AC;&#x153;The meek shall inherit the earth â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but not the oil and mineral rights.â&#x20AC;? John Paul Getty. â&#x2030;&#x2C6;

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

A R T I S T

I N

R E S I D E N C E

clockwise from top : Sheldon Mills, 2o" x 16"; A Day in the Village, 16" x 12"; Christmas on Mill Street (detail), 18" x 12"; Holly Lane, 2o" x 16"

Susan Mein Susan Mein brings fond memories of growing up in small-town Ontario to her whimsically detailed acrylic paintings. A self-taught artist who began painting at an early age, Susan’s slightly naïve style adds extra charm to her nostalgic interpretations of rural life, which include scenes from here in the hills. She raised her family in Ottawa, but retired with her husband Doug to the Hockley Hills where they now live in a house she designed. Giclée prints of her work will be for sale at the Holiday Treasures Show at Dufferin County Museum & Archives until December 4. www.susanmein.ca IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

must do

A highly selective guide to the picks of the season.

must

shop local

Looking for high-quality, handcrafted gifts for the special people on your list? There’s no need to head south and battle for parking at Toronto’s One of a Kind Show. Instead, just skip on over to Dufferin County Museum & Archives for the Holiday Treasures Show & Sale. The sumptuous offerings include original works by more than 45 of this region’s ﬁnest artists and artisans. You’ll ﬁnd festive hats, scarves and other knitwear, functional and decorative pottery, glass and wooden items, paintings and cards, and all kinds of seasonal decorations. Now in its eighth successful year, the Holiday Treasures Show & Sale is on until December 4. The museum is located at Airport Road and Highway 89. Special admission price for the show is $3. For hours and more information, see www.dufferinmuseum.com.

must Come February, all the Valentine’s Day schmaltz will get a kick in the pants when Caledon Townhall Players presents the premiere of Can Lightning Strike Twice? Writing under the pen name Roxanne Thornton, Erin playwright (and retired Erin high school teacher) Pamela Niesiobedzki-Curtis has crafted a broad romantic farce in which Don “Juan” Deﬂeur visits his old buddy Howard on a stormy night to seek advice on his problems with his mistress and his older female benefactor. Enter the irate mistress, and in the rapid-ﬁre (literally)

must From top, works by Bob Dunn, Jim Lorriman and Yvonne De Viller.

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mayhem that follows, Don is shot at the exact moment he is also struck by lightning. Instead of dying he is transformed into a woman and suddenly experiences life from the other side of the gender divide. Evening performances of this wacky, romantic cautionary tale take place at the Old Townhall Theatre in Caledon Village on February 16–18, 24, 25 and March 2, 3, with a matinée and dinner theatre on February 25. Showtimes and prices at www.caledontown hallplayers.com, 519-927-5460.

“Carol”

From the time Charles Dickens ﬁrst published his novella, A Christmas Carol, in 1843, the story has been retold and reworked like no other. At the heart of every adaptation, though, remains the heartwarming redemption of the greedy and loveless Scrooge. This season you can take your pick from at least three versions of the timeless tale. Theatre Orangeville presents a musical adaptation in which, along with the ghostly apparitions, there is dancing, singing by the T.O.Y.S. choir and traditional carols. December 1 to 23. Box ofﬁce: 519-942-3423; theatreorangeville.ca

laugh

Humber River Shakespeare Company presents pure Dickens, with ﬁve actors dressed in Victorian costume reading the original story at two local venues: December 11, 7pm, at St. Andrew’s Stone Church, 17621 St. Andrew’s Rd, Caledon; and December 18, 2pm, at The Alton Mill, 1402 Queen St, Alton. Box ofﬁce: 416-209-2026; www.humberrivershakespeare.ca

Rose Theatre in Brampton presents A Christmas Carol, The Musical, an adaptation that ran for ten years on Broadway, staged with falling snow, exuberant dancing and ﬂying ghosts. It runs from December 15 to 18. Showtimes and details at 905-874-2800; www.rosetheatre.ca

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feed a family

You can do your Christmas shopping and help out a Caledon family in need without ever leaving home – all via the gala online auction presented by Caledon Community Services. Friends of CCS are invited to go to the website and ﬁnd more than 250 large and small items (with new ones added daily) donated by a host of local businesses and individuals. The items up for bid range from hockey tickets and toys, to electronics and clothing, to vacations and jewellery – all organized by category. Or if you prefer, you can help out a family directly by purchasing one of the six items in the “Best Stuff” category. For example, you can “Feed a Family for a Week” for $250. However, the proceeds from any purchase you make in any category go toward the organization’s goal of raising $40,000 to carry on such programs as its food bank, Santa Fund, seniors’ support, and educational counselling. To get started, just go to www.ccs4u.org, click on “You’re Home for the Holidays” – and start bidding. But act fast, bidding closes at 11pm on November 30.

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Come out and cheer on your hometown hockey team at the third annual Alton Millpond Hockey Tournament on January 28. Teams (30 years or older) from Alton, Belfountain, Inglewood and Caledon Village will spar off in pursuit of the Millpond Cup, refereed by former NHL ofﬁcial and Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Scapinello. The puck drops on the frozen pond for the ﬁrst of the village teams’ four games at 9:30am. There will also be a women’s game at noon. During the day, players and fans alike can refuel with hot chocolate and snacks or relax in the beer tent sponsored by the Caledon Lions Club. It all wraps with a barbecue dinner put on by the Caledon Optimists ($30). All proceeds go to the Millpond Rehabilitation Fund. IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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LOC A L H E RO E S Our fourth annual celebration of extraordinary people B Y J E F F R O L L I N G S P H O T O G R A P H S B Y P E T E P AT E R S O N

Once again we tip our hats to some of the people who make our community such a rich tapestry. While all these remarkable individuals rush to deny their hero status, the accomplishments of each speak for themselves. Over four years of presenting Local Heroes, we’ve learned that there are myriad ways to make a positive impact. This time we meet people who raise the bar by bringing our history to life, by caring about our health and spirit, by standing up for our environment, and more. We can all be proud to call them our friends and neighbours, and to say,

simply, “Thanks.”

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As an elementary school principal, Brandy Robinson saw a lot of bullying. She found her energy was best spent not only dealing with the bullies, but helping to strengthen the victims and empower the bystanders to be allies – people who stand up and speak out for the victims.

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She brought this concept to her recent roles as diversity co-ordinator for Dufferin Child and Family Services and chair of the Dufferin Diversity Network. One of the Diversity Network ’s goals is to raise awareness about the richness and strengths of diversity in the local community, and Brandy found the perfect approach: the Human Library. In a Human Library (originally called a Living Library), the “books” are people who represent a broad range of diversities – anyone who is subject to stereotyping and misunderstanding. At Human Library events, “readers” sign out the human books and engage in half an hour of oneon-one conversation. They can ask questions and seek understanding, while the books challenge their perceptions. Brandy believes all the “isms” – racism, ageism, heterosexism – are rooted in misconceptions about people who are different from us. The library allows readers to explore these differences and even learn to value them. The experience can also turn the readers into allies. There are also books that challenge some of the subtler “isms,” including what Brandy calls “looksisms” – stereotypes related to, say, a youth with piercings or a fat person. The library’s defining concept is that it is about “us,” not “them” – it’s about neighbours meeting neighbours. “When you get to know each other as neighbours, then all you are is neighbours. All those differences disappear,” she says. The first Living Library took place in Denmark in 2000. Brandy brought the idea to the Diversity Network in 2009 after seeing a CBC news feature on one of the first North American events. With the help of a committee, she brainstormed a wish list of books as well as people who fit the categories. She admits it’s not a particularly systemized way of doing it, but it works. The process has been repeated for three years now, bringing in new and returning books. And each year the library is fi lled with an amazing group of people. This is all the more impressive because, as Brandy points out, it takes a great deal of courage to be a book, especially in a small community where there is no anonymity. Brandy and the committee are helped out each year by a group of citizens and organizations from the community, and she is quick to pass on the credit. “That team and the team of books is who we really have to thank. Not so much me. All I did was watch the show,” she says. Well, not quite. As “chief librarian,” her personal commitment to the library’s goals has been pivotal to its ongoing success. “Doing the library is my way of being an ally to a lot of difV E R ferent diversities,” Brandy says. “That’s really what I feel our work is about.” — BY L AU R A L A R O CC A

Brandy Robinson initiated the Human Library to raise awareness about the richness and strengths of diversity in the local community.

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The next Human Library is planned for September 29, 2012, at the Orangeville Library.

When you call the Highlands Health Network clinic in Orangeville to schedule an appointment with Dr. Milone, you never know who you’ll get. That’s because this husband-and-wife duo, teachers, leaders in their profession, role models for active living, and proud advocates of medicine in Headwaters, share more than just a marriage. They also share a family practice. Stephanie and Stephen met on their first day of medical school at the University of Toronto, brought together by an ice-breaker card game. During the summer after their second year, they took an elective to train at the hospital in Walkerton. On the commute from their home in Mississauga they passed through Orangeville. Stephen says, “We saw the hospital was new and the community looked nice, and we thought, ‘This could work.’” The following year the physician recruitment committee for Greater Dufferin hosted a booth at a U of T recruitment drive, and the Milones signed up for an eight-week elective at Headwaters Health Care Centre. Stephanie says, “It gave us a chance to get to know the community.” What they found was a perfect fit. Stephanie cites a long list of advantages to working here. “We can practise the way we want and still have time to enjoy what the community has to offer.

We can be on call from home, and it’s a fiveminute commute. And the big thing is our colleagues – the family doctors and the specialists are all very close. We’ve made friends. We didn’t come here for the money, but for the type of life we were looking for.” Since opening their practice in 2006, Stephanie and Stephen have shared the full patient load of a single family doctor. Both also work at the hospital in their own specialties: emergency medicine for her and anesthesia for him. Despite a heavy workload, and three kids under the age of eight, they’ve established themselves as leaders both locally and in the wider medical community. In May this year, the Milones ran the halfmarathon distance (21.1 km) in the Mississauga Marathon. The training regimen was brutal – up to two hours a day, five days a week, for 17 weeks, but Stephen says, “We’re always promoting a healthy lifestyle to our patients, so we thought ‘no excuses.’” Turning the whole thing into a fundraiser for the hospital equipment fund, the Milones raised over $5,200. The couple has twice been recognized for their efforts teaching new doctors. The Ontario

College of Family Physicians named them jointly Community Teacher of the Year in 2008, and last year they were awarded Preceptor of the Year by the Rural Ontario Medical Program. (A preceptor is a skilled practitioner who supervises students in a clinical setting.) The latter win was particularly gratifying because the nomination came from medical residents under their guidance. Stephanie is the first to say they’re proud of these accomplishments, but she adds, “We don’t do it to get awards, but because we love to teach.” Training programs at Headwaters Health Care Centre benefit us locals too. Five family doctors have come to practise in Headwaters after training here. At the top of the list of the Milones’ priorities are sons Ben, 7, Daniel, 4, and daughter Grace, a year and a half. Stephanie says, “We get by with very minimal outside childcare.” And Stephen explains, “Each of us takes one workday a week off to be home with the kids. They’re involved in all the town offers.” The kids are no strangers to the medical world either. They accompany their parents to the clinic and even on hospital rounds. Who knows, with parents like these, maybe someday there will be even more Drs. Milone when you call for that appointment.

Stephen and Stephanie Milone share a single-doctor caseload and were jointly named Preceptor of the Year in 2010.

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Puzzle: If Ken from Caledon writes 52 books, sells more than 5 million copies, gets translated into 22 languages, and spends 12 years on the best-seller list in Japan, what do you call him? Solution: Canada’s most successful author no one has ever heard of. Well not quite no one. Ken Weber, academic, author and Historic Hills columnist and puzzle meister for this magazine, has a loyal following here in the hills. And it’s hardly just here that Ken’s name continues to be warmly recognized. Born in Grey County, Ken began his career as a high school teacher. That led to a job as a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto, where he focused on special education. Many of the textbooks and teaching support materials he wrote on the subject are still used in more than 60 countries. As a teacher, Ken discovered that mysteries and puzzles were an excellent way to gain students’ attention, especially that of “slow learners.” The ones he developed caught the eye of his publisher, and the Five Minute Mysteries series was born. Each book features a series of short, baffling whodunits with a clever solu-

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tion that challenges readers’ sleuthing skills. A success from the start, the seven-book series wound up on several international best-seller lists, won numerous awards, and has been featured in publications ranging from Reader’s Digest to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine to the Russian version of Esquire and the Turkish version of Maclean’s. The books also landed him regular gigs as “Mystery Man” and “Professor Trivia” on CBC radio and television. With his appointment to Professor Emeritus in 1996, Ken began to pursue another passion. “When I was a kid, my dad had a hardware store,” he recalls, “and it was a real sitters’ palace. All the farmers from back in the day would come in and tell their stories. Ever since then I’ve been fascinated by history.” Although he has no formal training as a historian, he is passionate about promoting Canadian heritage, insisting that rather than dry and dusty, it’s

Best-selling author Ken Weber, shown at home in his ofﬁce near Caledon East, has launched a “third career” as a speaker on Canadian history.

“actually very exciting.” Beyond bringing local history to life for readers of this magazine, Ken has also contributed to several Canadian historical publications, and that has led to what he calls his “third career,” as guest speaker for a wide variety of community groups. “I miss teaching a lot,” he says. “This allows me to hold forth on a topic I love.” Seems his audiences love it too – he’s booked solid until 2013. Ken and his wife Cecile are avid hikers and he donates all his speaking fees to the Escarpment Land Preservation program of the Bruce Trail Association, which recently named them “Benefactors.” His commitment to education also led to his ongoing association with Robert Land Academy, a private military school for troubled boys. Over 30 years, he says, “I’ve been on the board of governors, a patron and a general factotum.” At 71, Ken has no plans to consign himself to history. “I’m not the type to put my feet up,” he says. Asked how he has achieved so much in his life, he ponders a moment and answers, “Luck. But I’ve always found that the harder I worked, the luckier I got.”

There’s an unofficial slogan among people involved with the Alton Mill: “I love this place.” Jordan and Jeremy Grant are the men behind the $5-million restoration of this 1881 limestone building, now a central showcase for the arts in Headwaters. The developer brothers, owners of The Seaton Group, inherited their vision for the Alton Mill from their father Jack. He had first got to know the property in the late 1980s, and could see possibilities for redevelopment. When the Grants took over ownership in the early 1990s, they considered various options. “We looked at the possibility of loft condos or seniors’ housing, but there were too many obstacles,” Jordan says. “Ultimately we decided a public use is the highest and best use.” And so the idea of an arts centre began taking shape. The building complex was originally a textile mill and later a rubber factory that produced balloons and condoms. But industrial operations

Jordan and Jeremy Grant ham it up next to the dam at the restored Alton Mill: “Some people think we’re cuckoo for taking this on.”

ceased in 1982 and the vacated 23,000-squarefoot building fell victim to vandals and rot, though most of the stone walls remained solid. Jordan says, “We knew it could be a huge heritage asset, but there was also a huge hurdle: the cost of restoration didn’t compute with the potential revenue. There was no way it could work without gap funding.” Forming a partnership with Headwaters Arts, a non-profit association of 160 artists in the region, the brothers obtained $1.75 million in federal and provincial grants, contributing $3.25 million of their own to finance the project. Just as important, says Jeremy, was that the partnership “provided an entry into the arts community. Our tenants are members.” Headwaters Arts’ office is located in the mill. It has access to a gallery, and earns a percentage of some sales. “It’s an ongoing arrangement with no end date,” Jeremy says. While a small easterly portion of the building was opened in 1997, the larger westerly space didn’t open until January, 2009. In total there are 20 studios, together with three art galleries, retail shops, a café, a small museum and space for special events, such as weddings or business functions. Situated next to its historic millpond on Shaw’s Creek, complete with dam and

waterfall, the mill’s beautiful grounds also host theatre, music and art events. After a couple of years in full operation, the vision has taken root. Occupancy and attendance have been consistently high, and Jordan says the centre is “covering its costs, though there’s been no return on the fi nancial equity, or the sweat equity.” The Grants have been recognized with a Heritage Canada Foundation National Achievement Award for their work, but they’re not done yet. Turning their attention to the millpond, Jeremy and Jordan are working with a stakeholder committee to improve its value, both as an environmental and cultural resource. They’re also considering the dam’s potential for power generation. Other projects are underway too: There’s a plan to put a roof on the adjacent annex building, currently an open courtyard; they’re further developing the site’s potential for special events; and they’re considering starting a farmers’ market. “Clearly there’s a human element here,” Jeremy says, coming back to the motivation behind such a monumental two-decade-andcounting project. “Some people think we’re cuckoo for taking this on, but we didn’t do it for the money.”

Jordan and Jeremy Grant

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You need only to flip through the mountain of documentation to know the environmental program at Herb Campbell Public School goes way beyond a regular school curriculum. This is a passion. Kindergarten teacher Kim Clark and Grade 3 teacher Olivier St-Hilaire are modest about the movement they started at this 730-student elementary school, located in the hamlet of Campbell’s Cross at Caledon’s south end. According to Olivier, “It just kind of grew.” Maybe so, but in only four short years the school has developed one of the most comprehensive and envied approaches to environmental education in the country. The school holds gold certification in the Ontario Eco Schools Program, which is based on five pillars: energy conservation, waste minimization, school ground greening, curriculum and environmental stewardship. That means the students at Herb Campbell consistently go the extra mile. The waste reduction program, for example, includes an innovative “upcycling” program in which non-recyclable materials, such as juice pouches, are collected and sold to a private recycler. Kim says, “One of our parents packs them all up and ships them off.” As part of the schoolyard greening, students planted hundreds of native seedlings around the nine-acre

property, and their studies include monitoring larger trees on the property. They have also put in a community garden that includes an outdoor classroom and butterfly and vegetable gardens. Last spring the school and its environmental council published a book called Discover Wildlife Near You: An Outdoor Nature Guide. It features studentcreated profi les of 56 species of common local critters. The book demonstrates how an environmental curriculum can cover a variety of subjects at once. Each profi le contained elements of math, science, geography and writing. The book project also gave students the opportunity to learn about publishing. Sometimes even gym class involves weeding the garden. “One of our concerns is community,” Olivier says. “We want kids to take what they learn here and apply it throughout their lives.” To further that end the school invites outside organizations to bring in their expertise. Credit Valley Conservation, for example, offers lessons on watershed conservation. And Eat Local Caledon presents a cycle of workshops related to growing, cooking and eating local food. Next year the students

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Representatives of Herb Campbell’s student eco-leaders (there are two in each classroom) and the kindergarten classes are assembled next to the school garden with some parents and teachers. In the rear are Vice-Principal Tina Middlebrook (far left), with grade-three teacher Olivier St-Hilaire beside her. Principal Matt McCutcheon is in the centre, and Caledon councillor and eco-program supporter Allan Thompson is in front of the post. Kindergarten teacher Kim Clark is second from the right.

will also learn about selling food. Come spring they plan to expand the vegetable garden to include root crops, gourds (helped by trustee Stan Cameron, a self-described “avid gourd grower”), and the Three Sisters (corn, squash and beans) of Native agricultural practice. In October the students will sell their harvest at their own on-site farmers’ market. For their dedication to improving the health of the planet, Herb Campbell students won the 2009 grand prize in the junior category of Earth Day Canada’s Great EcoKids Challenge. This year the school was the national winner of the Green School, Green Futures Award, sponsored by FedEx and Tree Canada. The award included a cheque for $3,000, which will be used for future environmental projects. Both Kim and Olivier credit the support of the whole school community for making the environmental program a success, but Principal Matt McCutcheon shakes his head at their modesty: “Don’t let them fool you. I’ll bet they work 70 or 80 hours a week.” As every kid’s favourite frog has observed, “It’s not easy being green.”

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Next time you are travelling south along Winston Churchill Boulevard approaching Olde Base Line, look left. If you arrive at some gracious old stone gates marking a driveway, you’ve gone too far. Back up 100 metres or so. Now, look again. You will see one of Caledon’s most historic barns. It’s a stone barn – a rarity in our hills. The house is stone too. The surrounding land, though beautiful, isn’t the best for agriculture. The farm is called Rockfort for a reason. Oftentimes the farmer’s plough would hit bedrock – but not just any bedrock, it hit dolostone, a sought-after commodity in the rapidly expanding Greater Toronto Area where it is gobbled up to construct highways. Now, take a moment to thank The Coalition of Concerned Citizens. It’s due to this group of dedicated citizens that you are not cowering in your car as yet another loaded gravel truck rumbles by, not listening to the industrial din of a mining operation, and not looking into a quarry fi lling with water at the risk of neighbouring drinking wells. When Penny Richardson looks over this view she is thankful the old barn is still there. “I just think it is the way it should be,” explains the woman who, with the staying power of Jean Chrétien, was at the helm of this group of determined citizens. In fact, the CCC started opposing the Rockfort Quarry application just as Chrétien started his second term in office. Formally organized in 1997, it stuck with the fight until its

emphatic but hard-won victory at the Ontario Municipal Board late last year, some 13 years and three prime ministers later. “Virtually no one thought we would win,” Penny recalls. It took a lot of “terrier DNA” and, she adds, a whopping $1.8 million to hire lawyers, biologists, geologists and more to battle it out with James Dick Construction Limited. Along the way they found allies in the Town of Caledon, Credit Valley Conservation and the Niagara Escarpment Commission, all of which believed, as the CCC did, that Dick’s application was flawed. The 10 to 20 individuals who make up the core of the CCC and turned up at organizational meetings every Sunday morning (long weekends excepted) for 13 years, have to attend to two more duties. First, they must decide what to do with

Citizens Concerned, but happy citizens. Front row: Don Lobb, Lillie Ann Morris, Peggy Reid, Jennifer Rogers, Willa Gauthier, Penny Richardson, Vickie Wild, Rolf Kindbom, Catharine Seagram, Edward Long. Back row: Ward Pitﬁeld, Jim Reid, John Gregory, Bob Gardner, Rod Symmes (on the fence), Bob Stanley, Philip Howes. Lorraine Symmes, a key member of the group since its inception, is absent.

the several thousand dollars in excess funds they still had in their war chest when the fight was won. Ideas range from undertaking research, such as classifying Caledon’s wetlands, to passing the money to another group that is or will one day have to fight another battle. But perhaps the bigger decision involves the future of the Great Big Garage Sale. Attracting thousands of people from miles around, this much-loved annual event raised about $300,000 over the years. Will the CCC keep it up or pass it along to another local group in need of funding? You’ll have to wait for the answer. After a well-earned break from activity, the group is reconvening this month to figure out their next move. Meanwhile, Penny has some advice: “If the land means anything to you, then make sure you know what’s under your feet; be aware of municipal rules and pay attention to — BY NI CO L A R O S S what is going on out there.”

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Community Living Dufferin and Theatre Orangeville There’s a certain “huh?” factor when people first hear about the partnership between Theatre Orangeville and Community Living Dufferin. That’s because the two organizations don’t seem to share much common ground. Over its 17-year history, Theatre Orangeville has become a leading light in professional performing arts, with both local and national stars taking the stage at the Town Hall Opera House. Meanwhile Community Living Dufferin is a non-profit organization that has been supporting children and adults with developmental disabilities since 1954. However, David Nairn, Theatre Orangeville’s artistic director, argues there is a commonality at the core of each organization: “A lot of people who are drawn to the theatre are outsiders in some way. They’re usually not big hockey fans, for example. I guess you might call them ‘artsy.’ So they know what it’s like to be different. It’s the same with people at CLD.”

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When the two groups combined to open the “Dreams Building,” a 24,000-square-foot, shareduse facility in East Garafraxa, it was the first such organizational pairing of its kind. The project was made possible through $600,000 in local funding, raised by the Building Dreams Together initiative, a $2.7 million grant from the federal government, and a mortgage for the balance. Community Living Dufferin’s portion of the building is home to QPAC (an internal employment program for CLD clients), the Options program which provides recreational opportunities, and office space for staff. Executive Director Sheryl Chandler says one of the biggest benefits of the Dreams Building is financial. Rent on CLD’s former premises was $18,000 a month. Here the mortgage is $7,000.

The former premises cost $2,100 a month to heat. With geothermal in the new building, the bill is now $120. Sheryl says, “I’ve become the world’s biggest fan of geothermal heating.” Considering recent cutbacks in provincial funding for Community Living organizations, she adds, “We’d be in trouble now if we were still in the old place.” As for Theatre Orangeville, while its performances take place at the Opera House, all the behind-the-scenes activities had been shuff led around through several locations over the years. Rehearsals and set building took place in Toronto. In its portion of the new building, the company now has not only rehearsal space but construction and storage space for sets, props and costumes. “It’s beyond measure what it has done for our organization,” David says. “We’re not gypsies anymore. There’s stability here. Other theatre companies would give their eye teeth for that stability.”

David Nairn of Theatre Orangeville and Sheryl Chandler of Community Living Dufferin in the new Dreams Building where, among the many beneﬁts of the partnership, the theatre ﬁnally has a permanent home to build and store its sets.

But the partnership goes well beyond just sharing space. The two organizations have also launched an initiative called Creative Partners on Stage, a drama program for CLD clients. “When we first started the drama program,” Sheryl says, “there were some concerns from the theatre people about ‘How do we treat these guys?’ But as time went by everyone realized they didn’t need much support related to their disability.” The first group, called the Spotlights, was so successful that a second group, called the Footlights, was added. In total 30 CLD clients participate, and there’s a waiting list. David says, “The program has enabled some actors to develop their skills and confidence to the point where they could walk into a regular Orangeville Music Theatre audition and get the part.” The innovative approach has garnered attention around the province and at the national level. Several other Community Living agencies have contacted Sheryl to ask her about how they did it. She tells them, “Think outside the box. Sometimes you’ve just got to say ‘yes.’ If you don’t, you can’t take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you.” And it doesn’t have to be theatre: “It could be a dance company or a music company or people who do film, or something else. For the people we support, it’s about expanding themselves. It’s an opportunity to try on different things and see how they fit.” The partnership has had an important impact on the culture of the theatre company too. “Personally I think the most exciting thing is the way it has developed our sense of social responsibility and relevance,” David says. “I bet we’ve covered more of those issues than any other theatre company. And not just developmental disabilities. We’ve done topics like homelessness and elder abuse and at-risk youth. Everyone’s just more aware.” David was invited by MP David Tilson to make a presentation to the House of Commons All-Party Arts Caucus in Ottawa last February, where he showcased Theatre Orangeville’s success in youth programming along with the CLD collaboration. Although the building itself is finished, other projects are planned at the site. Sheryl envisions community gardens, a soccer pitch and walking trails. Most significant is a plan to turn a natural bowl in the landscape at the rear of the property into what’s been dubbed Gore’s Corners Amphitheatre. The outdoor venue would host a wide range of cultural performances, contributing to the region’s tourism and economy. A committee has been formed to examine ways it could function at arm’s length from the non-profit operations, while still creating a revenue stream for CLD to use for additional services. David Childs, former chair of the CLD board and a driving force in creating the partnership, said in his speech at the grand opening of the Dreams Building that “the absolute impossible got done.” That happened thanks to a team of committed individuals from across the community who all shared the vision and, as in any good stage performance, played their part. Now, after a year in operation, everyone is pleased with how it’s going. Sheryl says she is “surprised how few problems there have been. I thought there’d be more. And it’s so nice here on the nights there’s a rehearsal.” Says David, “It’s not a partnership of organizations. It’s a partnership of people.” Creative Partners On Stage presents Songs from Mary Poppins, March 24 and 25, 7 p.m., at the Town Hall Opera House in Orangeville. See www.theatreorangeville.ca for details.

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

D E S I G N E R

G I V I N G

Dianne Acheson Dianne Acheson says, “I’ve always believed retail is theatre, and fundraising is just the same.” The Hillsburgh resident and owner of Acheson’s, a fashion and decor store in Orangeville, must know. She’s a whiz at both. Her store, packed with dramatic displays – even a gigantic tree that seems to sprout from the ceiling, demonstrates Dianne’s commitment to theatrical retail. And it’s a formula that seems to work. The business has grown over more than 20 years from a 300-square-foot corner in her husband’s pharmacy in Harriston, where an expanded store still thrives, to the second outlet in Orangeville, boasting over 5,000 square feet. Acheson’s has twice been named Retailer of the Year by the Canadian Gift and Tableware Association, which gushed in 2008 that the business “proves you don’t have to be big to be mighty.” Dianne brings that same creative flair and practical mightiness to her support for the community. Frequent in-store charity events are held in aid of organizations such as Starthrower Foundation, which educates young people in Haiti (founded by Orangeville resident Sharon Gaskell, who was featured as a “Local Hero” last year in this magazine). Acheson’s raised $7,000 for Starthrower in 2010. Dianne and her staff also sponsor two of the foundation’s Haitian students.

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

This past spring when Dianne heard the Orangeville Food Bank was experiencing a shortfall in donations, she held an in-store party at five o’clock in the morning to watch Will and Kate’s royal nuptials live on television. Fifty people turned up, all bearing food bank donations. She also hosts in-store promotions for Family Transition Place and others. Beyond the store walls, Dianne participates in the Headwaters Health Care Centre annual fundraising gala, donating gift bags and proceeds from the sale of $100 teddy bears. She has raised funds for the University of Guelph Equine Hospital, and even sponsors an Orangeville girls’ baseball team called the Wildcats. Dianne produces her biggest event in support of the Caledon-based Kids and Horses Foundation, which provides opportunities for children from low-income families to ride and learn about horses. Last year’s fundraiser included a fashion show, bountiful food and drink, and guest speaker Margaret Trudeau, who had recently published a memoir about her struggle with depression. The event raised $20,000. At this year’s event, held in October at the Royal

Dianne Acheson and Coco: Watch for Dianne to cast the store’s in-house cockatiel as the star of a future fundraiser.

Ambassador in Caledon, the star power was comedian Jessica Holmes of Royal Canadian Air Farce fame, and the tally rose to $26,000. “The secret is to have something people want to see. You have to be over the top,” Dianne says. “Generally, people feel good when they give, but you need to give them something in return for their support.” Dianne argues she’s just doing her bit like everyone else: “One thing I’ve learned is how generous this community is.” Maybe so, but few of us can claim that we raise “at least $50,000, maybe $60,000” for charity every year. As to the time it all takes, she insists, “Once you do it and have a template, it’s not that bad.” Always on the lookout for a novel, fun excuse to hold a fundraiser, these days Dianne has her eye on Coco, a six-month-old cockatiel who resides like a mascot in the store. “I’m already planning for when she’s old enough – the engagement party, the wedding, the baby shower. Sure, why not?” Dianne’s philosophy about mixing business and community is simple: “We need more good.” Dianne Acheson hosts her annual event in support of Starthrower Foundation at her store on First Street, Orangeville, throughout the day on December 8.

Anne Harland has the Brampton Guardian folded neatly to a colour rendering of proposed renovations for a heritage building in downtown Brampton. “Look at this,” she says. “Notice anything missing?” To the keen eye of this tireless crusader for accessibility, the few steps shown leading up to the front door of the renovated building, and lack of an access ramp, practically leap off the page. “I called the City yesterday when I saw this. They told me it’s a historic building, so it’s not required.” A resident of Valleywood in Caledon, Anne was diagnosed with FSH (facioscapulohumeral) muscular dystrophy when she was 21. Though the disease is gradual and irreversible, for many years it progressed very slowly, and Anne led an active life. She taught high school, played racquetball and skied. One by one, FSHD put an end to those passions, severely limiting her ability to walk and the use of her hands, along with other problems. Though she can still take a few steps, she uses a scooter in public and a walker in her home. Having been so active, Anne knows what it’s like to live life without mobility problems, and she’s acutely aware of each loss as it occurs. She

Diagnosed with FSH muscular dystrophy when she was 21, Anne Harland has become a champion of accessibility for the disabled.

says, “People who were always disabled are sometimes prepared to accept more than those who were once able-bodied.” It’s one of the things that makes Anne such an effective accessibility advocate. She not only knows how difficult things are, she also knows how easy they should be. Since leaving teaching Anne has made it her mission to raise awareness about the challenges faced by people with mobility problems. “I think of myself as a freelance volunteer,” she says. Though frustrating, some of her own experiences illustrate her case. For example, she made a presentation to the Ontario Legislature as they considered the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, passed in 2005 with the aim of making the province completely accessible by 2025. She arrived to find the hearing room wasn’t wheelchair accessible. Closer to home, on a visit to the new Brampton hospital, she had to search all over for a wheelchair-accessible washroom. “The hospital is the one place where you might think they’d ‘get’ wheelchairs,” Anne quips. But she wasn’t surprised. She had read that a disabled member of the hospital’s accessibility advisory

committee had arrived at a meeting only to discover the kiosk for parking payment couldn’t be reached from a wheelchair. In 2003 Anne started the Canadian FSHD Network. Now with 70 members across Canada, the group provides support to people with FSHD and their families. It also works to raise awareness and funds for research. With the walls of her own disease slowly closing in, Anne realistically admits, “I’m not sure if I’ll be walking at all by this time next year.” She recounts what it’s like to wake up every morning and think, “Is today the day?” Still, Anne’s practicality and optimism shine through. “It’s not all doom and gloom. If you look at doors that are open to you and walk through them, you can get on with your life.” ≈ For information about the Canadian FSHD Network, contact Anne Harland at 905-8431403; harland.milne@sympatico.ca To view Assumptions, a video Anne made to raise awareness about what life is like for people with disabilities, see the link with this story at www.inthehills.ca.

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

FOULWEATHER FRIENDS S TORY BY D ON SC ALLEN | PHOTO GR APHY BY ROBER T Mc C AW

We scanned the spruce trees at Caledon Central Public School for birds sheltering from the early morning temperatures of -17째c. A bracing north wind on this January day drove the cold deep into our parkas. I had joined expert birder Chris Punnett and two other members of the Upper Credit Field Naturalists for their annual Christmas bird count. This count takes place within a 24-kilometre circle centred on Caledon Village. Teams of birders survey slices of that pie and then convene in the evening to report their observations. The Upper Credit count is just one of thousands of Christmas bird counts that take place every year throughout North America on a selected day from December 14 to January 5.

female and male (inset) common redpoll

FOULWEATHER FRIENDS S TORY BY D ON SC ALLEN | PHOTO GR APHY BY ROBER T Mc C AW

female and male (inset) common redpoll

evening grosbeak

That Chris Punnett had forgotten his hat on this day lent a “Survivor” quality to the outing. But perhaps drawing strength from his stiffupper-lip British heritage, he did not complain. This begs the question of how birds, many small enough to nestle comfortably into the palm of a hand, endure the type of penetrating chill that was quickly turning Chris’s ears red. Much of the answer lies in the reality that native birds, unlike us, have had tens of thousands of generations to evolve coverings and strategies to protect them from the cold. So on this bitter January day the Upper Credit Naturalists were able to find 3,775 birds of 39 species in the count area. The count for 2010, conducted on a warmer winter’s day, found 4,053 birds of 46 species. This article features an admittedly selective group of the smaller birds that regularly turn up on these Christmas counts. These small birds endure our winters by stoking their bodily furnaces with seeds, insect eggs and larvae. Many of them also avail themselves of the high-calorie offerings at our bird feeders. Others eschew our handouts entirely, choosing to tough it out as they have always done, relying on the bounty that nature provides. Many are year-round residents, such as chickadees and nuthatches. Others invade southern Ontario in noisy, rollicking f locks from the boreal forests of the north. Some of 34

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

golden crowned kinglet

black capped chickadee the most familiar of these northerners are redpolls and pine siskins, small finches that often travel together during the winter. Goldfinches, birds that stay with us year-round, are often part of these f locks as well. In fact, it may be the goldfinches that lead these northern finches to water, so to speak. Goldfinches know where the local nyjer feeders are. Redpolls and siskins simply need to glom onto a flock of goldfinches to find these reliable food sources. The epicentre of fi nch feeding in the hills has to be the array of feeders hanging outside Caledon Mountain Wildlife Supplies in Caledon Village. The ravening hordes of finches that descend on proprietor Brian Thayer’s nine feeders consume prodigious amounts of seed. He keeps fit by lugging bags of nyjer and a seed mixture called “Finch Feast” outside. “When the siskins and redpolls arrive, it’s a feeding frenzy,” he says. These northern finches don’t always spend the winter among us, but Ron Pittaway of the Ontario Field Ornithologists tells us when to expect them. Just as the Farmers’ Almanac forecasts the weather, Pittaway forecasts finches. For years this distinguished birder has asked naturalists throughout northern Ontario to observe the seed

and fruit production of trees in their area, especially spruce, white birch and mountain ash, the most important trees for northern finch. “I have them rate them as poor, fair, good, very good, excellent or bumper. This is a standard rating system,” says Pittaway. He then uses the information to predict the varieties and numbers of finches and other northern birds that will abandon their high latitude haunts to seek food here in the south. A northern seed crop generally rated as poor or fair will likely translate into lively finch activity at our feeders. On the whole, Pittaway’s forecasts are remarkably prescient. For example, a poor white birch seed crop in the north last fall led him to predict a strong movement of redpolls – birds that depend heavily on birch seed in the winter – into southern Ontario. The lovely redpolls acted as if they had read his forecast, arriving here early in the season and remaining through the winter. We shouldn’t expect a repeat of the redpoll invasion this year though. Pittaway expects them to remain in the north, feeding on a bumper crop of seed from dwarf birch in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. However, his 2011-2012 forecast does predict a return of pine siskins to southern

Ontario. Pittaway also suggests that pine grosbeaks and their stunning yellow cousins, evening grosbeaks, may appear among us this winter. If evening grosbeaks find your feeder, prepare to shell out – these gluttons can empty a sunflower feeder alarmingly fast. An endearing quality of the birds that visit us from the north is their trusting nature. Take, for example, Chris Punnett’s experience at his Mulmur home in 2009. As he filled a feeder hanging on a clothesline, hungry siskins inched closer and closer to him. “As I hung one of the feeders back on its hook they descended on it within inches of may hand,” he said. “I stayed where I was and the siskins didn’t seem concerned about my presence, so I reached out very slowly and touched one of the siskins. Not only didn’t it f ly off, but it actually didn’t stop feeding. So I ran my finger gently down its back a couple of times. Apart from an occasional sideways glance, it kept eating.” The bustling activity at feeders like those of Chris Punnett and Brian Thayer might suggest that birds are common in the winter landscape. The reality is different. Birds are usually thinly distributed in our fields and woodlands. On a fine sunny day last January, I walked the Bruce Trail in Caledon from Grange Sideroad to Puckering Lane, then west to Brimstone and back up the escarpment to return to

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GHVLJQHU MHZHOOHU\ IRU PHQ the Grange. For much of the hike all I could hear was the crunching of the snow underfoot or the wind whistling through the trees above. Quietude is an overarching quality of the winter woods. Sometimes I can walk for half an hour or more without hearing a bird, save the occasional cawing of a distant crow. On this hike, as is typical, when I did hear the lively chatter of chickadees and other small woodland birds, I knew there was likely a feeder nearby. Birds are drawn to feeders like Saturday morning coffee drinkers to Tim Hortons. The most familiar and probably most beloved of the birds that come to our feeders are chickadees. Inquisitive and bold, they are accomplished food sleuths, investigating the nooks and crannies of their territories for tiny insect eggs and small seeds. Chickadees, familiar with the largesse of humans, watch us carefully to fathom whether we might offer up something tasty. So confiding are these animated winter sprites that they can even be enticed to feed from our hands. Many of us have experienced this simple joy. Some of my students had this opportunity for the first time at Albion Hills Conservation Area last winter. Upon encountering a band of chickadees we stopped and extended palms cupped with sunflower seeds. Twenty energetic, talkative children fell silent, anticipating the touch of tiny chickadee feet on their hands. The children were spellbound with

wonder and delight. It was sheer magic. Chickadees usually travel in mixed flocks in the winter with nuthatches â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both white and red breasted â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and downy woodpeckers, their most usual confreres. Like the mixed herds of gazelles, zebras and wildebeest on the African savannah, different species of birds vary in their ability to see and hear. The subtly different senses of chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers may serve to complement each other in detecting predators. Research has found, for example, that downy woodpeckers rely on chickadees to warn them of approaching danger. Different abilities may also help flocks of mixed species locate food as the birds make their rounds in the winter landscape. And travelling in a group may serve an assertive purpose as well, with large flocks able to occupy more productive territories than smaller groups. Brown creepers and golden-crowned kinglets sometimes join these mixed f locks. Both creepers and kinglets range widely throughout the hills in the winter, but neither species is easy to find. These birds are seldom drawn into the orbit of a feeder. They are tiny and well camouflaged â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially the brown creeper which can disappear in plain sight, its mottled brown plumage a match for the bark on which it forages. Kinglets and creepers are also

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

thinly dispersed across the landscape, probably because of the scarcity of their winter foods. And the winter call notes that creepers and kinglets use to communicate are faint and high pitched. Middle-aged birders count themselves lucky if they can still hear their voices. So fi nding a brown creeper or golden-crowned kinglet in winter is an accomplishment, even for a seasoned birder. The first step is simply acknowledging that they can be found. Small numbers are almost always present in our woodlands. The second step is hiking in appropriate habitat. For brown creepers this is mature woodland where they creep, for want of a better word, along the trunks of rough-barked trees, searching for insect eggs and larvae. For kinglets it is woodland that contains conifers like hemlock and balsam fir. The third step is to stop and listen frequently. Even the footfalls of a solo hiker will drown out their weak calls. I am always delighted when I fi nd them. While cross-country skiing at Mansfield last winter, I paused and listened frequently, eventually locating two or three brown creepers. In true creeper fashion they would climb a tree from its base, then plummet downwards to repeat the

process on another tree. Encountering these vibrant beings in frozen winter woodlands is a simple pleasure. I found only one golden-crowned kinglet last winter. It was f litting through the upper branches of a balsam fir along the Bruce Trail between Charleston and Beechgrove sideroads in Caledon. Despite listening and looking carefully, I couldn’t find any others, even though kinglets usually travel in small groups. There is good reason for kinglets to keep company with their own kind. They are the smallest birds on the winter landscape, roughly half the weight of a chickadee. These tiny fluffballs face a daunting challenge maintaining their 44°c metabolism on bitterly cold winter nights. One solution is the very effective insulating qualities of their feathers. Another is sharing body heat. Kinglets snuggle up to each other after dark. Even with these strategies the majority of overwintering golden-crowned kinglets likely perish before spring arrives. Whenever I come across kinglets in the winter woods I find their feeding behaviour baffling. They must be one of the most difficult birds to photograph for they are constantly on the move. Like manic dervishes they hop from branch to branch constantly, seeming never to pause long enough

pine sisken

to feed successfully. Bernd Heinrich, author of Winter World, also wondered about their feeding habits. “Try as I might,” he wrote, “I cannot see them actually catching and eating anything, even as I get within three or four feet of them. They feed on prey too tiny for me to see.” Heinrich, trained scientist that he is, set about to discover the kinglets’ secret by killing a few and examining their stomach contents. To his great surprise he found the stomachs full of tiny inchworms. He subsequently discovered that these caterpillars overwinter, frozen solid, on branches and the needles of conifers. These caterpillars-on-ice appear to be the key to kinglet winter survival. Was Heinrich’s killing of these tiny birds justified? Here’s how he accounted for his actions: “Finding out [kinglets] eat moth caterpillars in the winter is not only a satisfying accomplishment, but it is also a discovery of a link in their survival. To care for the welfare of kinglets, it is necessary to care for the moths.” He could have added that to care for the welfare of the moths it is necessary to care for the trees their caterpillars feed on. Trees are of no consequence for snow buntings, however. These are birds that breed in the vast desolate terrain of the high Arctic, a landscape entirely devoid of trees, save perhaps ankle-high willows. In winter they gravitate south and occupy open

country reminiscent of their Arctic habitat. Like the finches, snow buntings travel in large flocks in winter. You either see no snow buntings at all or scores of them. And like other flocking birds they have very good reasons to stick together. Because they forage in open country, snow buntings are dangerously exposed to hawks and other predators. Flocking allows them to share the costs of vigilance. Individuals can take the time to feed, protected by the many eyes of their companions. Last January, as I watched a flock of snow buntings settle to feast on grass and wildflower seeds, some of them, like me, likely spotted the predatory northern shrike perched on a hilltop apple tree. As if on cue, the buntings rose and, buoyed and buffeted by 35-kilometre winds, swept away westward. The presence of birds in the winter landscape is life-affirming. They demonstrate a remarkable hardiness and adaptive grace. Surely we possess enough of those qualities ourselves to get out and enjoy them. Why not conduct your own winter bird count? Fresh air, exercise and discovery will be your rewards. But please remember to wear a hat. ≈ Don Scallen is a naturalist who teaches elementary school science in Brampton. Robert McCaw is an internationally acclaimed nature and wildlife photographer based in Moffat, Ontario.

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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by Nicola Ross Barb Campbell (left) shows Nicola Ross the tricks to running in snowshoes.

P H O T O S P E T E PAT ER S O N

Off-trail on snowshoes People participate in a given sport for any number of reasons. Perhaps it’s the camaraderie of golf, or the aerobic expenditure of squash, or the peacefulness of kayaking. For those who snowshoe, the main attraction is the ability to venture off the trail. Rick McCoy, an enthusiast who organizes snowshoeing events for the Dufferin Hi-Land Bruce Trail Club, says, “I almost prefer snowshoeing [to hiking] because of the freedom from having to walk down one path. You get to explore.” 38

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

That description sold the sport to me, so I arranged to head out to Forks of the Credit Provincial Park one brilliantly sunny day with Barb Campbell, an experienced “snowshoeer” (snowshoer and orienteer) from Palgrave. She agreed to show me the ins and outs of snowshoeing, with some bonus instruction on orienteering. Orienteering, according to the Canadian Orienteering Federation, “is the sport of navigation with map and compass … The object is to run, walk, ski, or mountain bike [or snowshoe] to a series of points shown on the map, choosing routes – both on and off the trail – that will help you find all the points and get back to the finish in the shortest amount of time.” It’s something Barb has done competitively and recreationally, often with the Caledon Navigators, a group dedicated to year-round orienteering. Barb provided me with a pair of lightweight metal snowshoes, about 18 inches long and 6 inches wide. They bore no resemblance to the old wooden beaver tails of my childhood. I slipped my trail runners into a rubber harness and pulled three straps tight. It was quick even with cold fingers. Don Coates, who sells snowshoes in his Inglewood store, Caledon Hills Cycling, says these new “lowprofi le” snowshoes are quite small, have easy-to-use harnesses, and range in price from about $125 to $250. While the snowshoes Barb and I were using were not intended for soft, deep snow (you would sink in), they had aggressive grips on the bottom that, as I was to learn, would allow me to climb up and run down some very steep slopes. In addition to being ideal for orienteering, these snowshoes would be great for the kind of recreational, out-for-an-hour-or-a-day activity one might do here in the hills. In an interview, Orangeville snowshoeing enthusiast Carol Sheppard told me she and her husband Ken “are out every weekend once the snow comes.” Carol switched from crosscountry skis to snowshoes when she found that the speed of going downhill on skis unnerved her. In addition to the enjoyment of going off-trail, Carol said, “I like the control of snowshoeing.”

It’s a sentiment shared by the Town of Mono’s deputy mayor Ken McGhee. He and his wife Gwynn use their snowshoes almost every day in the winter when they are walking their dogs. “You don’t need a groomed trail [as is best for cross-country skiing]; you meander where you want to go.” But snowshoeing is not only a sport for people interested in a peaceful walk. It can be a fantastic workout if that’s what you are after. The weight of the snowshoes makes it more strenuous than walking. Add a pair of ski poles, as many people do, and some deep snow, and you’ll soon be shedding a layer of clothing. Back in Forks of the Credit park with Barb, I had an opportunity to test the sport for myself. We’d warmed up with a short hike down to a kettle lake covered in untrodden snow. We couldn’t resist the temptation to make tracks, so we crossed the lake enjoying the silence and the warm sunshine. We also used the opportunity to try running, something that proved to be easier than I’d expected with a big hunk of metal attached to each foot. Next, Barb wanted to demonstrate just how versatile snowshoes are. We were standing atop a small hillock that dropped down a steep bank. Barb instructed me, “Run down that slope.” I looked at the incline and thought, I wouldn’t walk down it in running shoes, much less run down it on snowshoes. So she demonstrated, and sure enough the grips on the bottom of her snowshoes gave her great traction. So off I went too, and quickly realized how this unusual form of footwear could expand my winter explorations. Snowshoes would not only allow me to navigate down steep, slippery banks, but let me climb up them too. Now I understood why Carol said that when she heads out it’s usually to climb to the top of the Pinnacle in Mulmur or through Hockley’s steep hills and valleys. I was also intrigued by one of the adventures offered by the Dufferin Hi-Land Bruce Trail Club. Twice a winter Rick takes people out for a moonlight snowshoe. “It’s absolutely fantastic to go out on a clear night with a full moon,” Rick explains. “It’s very peaceful.” Barb and I didn’t require our compasses to find our way back to our cars, but she showed me an orienteering map for the park and demonstrated how to use a compass. It was a great lesson from a pro – Barb is not only a fit adventure racer, she’s a tremendous navigator. But competitive as she is, even Barb admitted the greatest thing about snowshoes is that they allow you to explore the countryside. ≈

where to snowshoe The Bruce Trail is an excellent place to start snowshoeing. If you head off-trail, however, make sure you are on publicly owned land and not private property. Mansﬁeld Outdoor Centre has 300 acres of wooded and open land. There’s no snowshoeing on crosscountry ski trails (it ruins them), but you can head off-trail for $10 per person. Mono Cliffs and Forks of the Credit provincial parks have great on- and off-trail snowshoeing. All local conservation areas have trails and open areas to snowshoe. Most charge for parking. You can rent snowshoes at both Island Lake and Terra Cotta conservation areas.

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

The Untamed Garden by Sonia Day Victorian ladies deemed peonies to be a symbol of bashfulness. Not even close, says Sonia Day, writer and gardening columnist for The Toronto Star. “With their blowsy, D-cup blooms strutting atop those precarious chicken-leg stems they are (to modern eyes at least) the Dolly Parton of the garden.” With wit and luscious language, Sonia deconstructs ﬂower lust, myth and history, both past and present. Gorgeously illustrated with photos, paintings, botanical drawings and saucy artwork, The Untamed Garden is sure to inspire passion in the hearts of all green thumbs. Sonia Day lives just west of Headwaters. (McClelland & Stewart, $26.99)

Landscapes and the Proposed Mega-Quarry

THE YEAR IN BOOKS our annual review of new books by local authors and illustrators BY T R AC E Y FO C K L ER

by Donna Wells In this book of beautiful photography, long-time Headwaters resident Donna Wells captures the long views and simple lines of the Melancthon farmland and rivers threatened by the proposed mega quarry. Donna says her purpose is to inspire an emotional reaction in the viewer and “create a visual description of the area and the way of life that will be altered irreparably” if unfettered development is allowed. Proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to ndact (North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Task Force). (Donna Wells, available at BookLore or order online at www.lulu.com, $30)

Dream of your spring garden, solve a legal case, pursue your spiritual life, renovate your diet, or just bury yourself in a rollicking good tale. There’s plenty of opportunity to do all that and more in this year’s offerings of local books. So, when the weather outside gets frightful, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, put up your feet and snuggle in for a delightful winter’s read.

Murder in Hum Harbour by Jayne E. Self Sea-glass designer and part-time medical secretary Gailynn MacDonald knows everyone in the sleepy Nova Scotia town of Hum Harbour. Or at least she thought she did until she found the very dead body of Doc Murray aboard his beached boat. Secrets bubble to the surface, and the list of suspects grows to include a distractingly handsome young doctor, her closest friends and even members of her own family. Murder in Hum Harbour seamlessly blends humour, faith and mystery in this marvellous read. Jayne Self is a member of The Word Guild, a national association of Christian writers and editors, as well as The Headwaters Writers’ Guild. She lives in Orangeville. (Harbour Lights, $14.95)

In Full Uniform by Anthony Carnovale Bullying is a childhood problem. Fourteen-year-old Jesse Cullen clings to this belief like a drowning swimmer to a lifeline. Someday, he believes, the students who torment him at school will grow up and out of their cruel games. But when terrorists crash airplanes into the Twin Towers, Jesse’s illusions are shattered. Bullying isn’t conﬁned to the hallways at school; it’s everywhere, and he sees only one end to his pain. Suicide. Orangeville’s Anthony Carnovale is the teacher-librarian at St. Michael Catholic School in Bolton. He based In Full Uniform on the true story of a 16-year-old Brampton student who took his own life after years of bullying. The book is now required reading for the staff of the DufferinPeel Catholic District School Board. (iUniverse, $15.95) 40

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

A Recipe for Continuous Bloom by Lorraine Roberts Continuous blooms are what every gardener strives to produce throughout our frustratingly short growing season, but no matter how carefully you plan, precious weeks may go by without a flower of interest brightening your plot. Thankfully, Lorraine Roberts – co-owner and operator with her husband Robert of Caledon’s Plant Paradise Country Gardens – has come to our rescue. Gorgeous photography accompanies her recommendations, as well as information about which species attract birds and butterflies, resist hungry deer, are drought tolerant and have eye-catching foliage. Best of all, this guide is specific to the tricky Ontario climate and is ideal for use in the Headwaters area. (Plant Paradise Country Gardens, $29.95)

Out of the Wood By Rosemary Kilbourn This book presents 80 reproductions of wood engravings created by Rosemary Kilbourn over a period of 50 years, most of them during her long-term residence at The Dingle Schoolhouse in Caledon. The engravings, many of them representing the escarpment landscape surrounding her home and spiritual subjects, are accompanied by short, elegaic fragments of text that elucidate her unique aesthetic. The book includes an introduction by Tom Smart whose proﬁle of the artist appeared in the fall of issue of this magazine. (The Porcupine’s Quill, $27.95)

Deadly Voyage by Hugh Brewster In 1986, Mulmur’s Hugh Brewster worked with Dr. Robert Ballard – leader of the team who discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985 – and helped identify artifacts seen on the ocean floor. From there he went on to oversee the creation of the popular children’s book, Polar the Titanic Bear (illustrated by fellow Mulmur resident Laurie McGaw) and wrote his own books, Inside the Titanic and 882½ Amazing Answers to All Your Questions About the Titanic. With expert flair, Hugh distills his vast factual knowledge of Titanic lore into Deadly Voyage, a fictional account of a Canadian boy, his parents and the events surrounding that fateful crossing. Award-winning author Hugh Brewster’s latest novel in the I Am Canada series is perfect for readers aged 10-14. His previous book, Prisoner of Dieppe, was published in 2010. (Scholastic, $14.99)

This Child, Every Child Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong Every child in the world has a right to health, education, protection from discrimination and harm says the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. By comparing the lives of young people through their diverse cultures and living conditions, This Child, Every Child explains how different countries are living up to this promise – or not. Shelagh Armstrong’s beautifully drawn illustrations capture David J. Smith’s description of the village-toglobal impact of each fundamental right. Shelagh grew up in Orangeville and is an award-winning illustrator whose work has been commissioned by The Royal Canadian Mint and Canada Post, and is featured regularly in this magazine. (Kids Can Press, $19.95)

You Be The Judge by H. Clark Adams Q.C. Congratulations to Clark Adams! His 2010 self-published book Your Turn to Judge was picked up by Dundurn Press and is now receiving nationwide circulation and acclaim. Fourteen new cases (along with the original 40) take you inside the complicated world of small claims court. Both sides of the argument are presented. You are then invited to bring down the gavel on behalf of the plaintiff or defendant. The second half of the book reveals how Adams ruled and why. Test your knowledge of the law. Take a moment to reﬂect on what your rulings reveal about your own ethics, and enjoy the stories – some serious, some bizarre – behind the lawsuits. Orangeville’s Clark Adams practised law for 35 years and sat as judge in small claims court for 15 years. (Dundurn Press, $19.99)

Haunting Violet Out for Blood Volume Three of the Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey A new teen novel by Mono’s Alyxandra Harvey is always cause for celebration. This year we’re lucky enough to have two. Borax powder thrown on a fire, flowers threaded on string, a few drops of laudanum in the tea: all tricks of the trade 16-year-old Violet uses to assist her mother, Mrs. Willoughby, spiritual medium to the seance-mad, upper crust society of Victorian England. During a particularly lucrative score at the country manor of a wealthy lord, Violet barely has time to feel the usual guilt settling in her gut when something truly extraordinary happens. The ghost of a drowned girl appears before her cynical eyes and demands she bring her murderer to justice. Haunting Violet combines Gothic suspense with just the right measure of humour and romance. (Walker & Company, $21) Out for Blood, the third volume in the internationally popular Drake Chronicles, introduces us to Hunter Wild, a senior at the vampire-hunting Helios-Ra Academy. Hunter is strong, brave, quick-witted and loyal to a fault, which is why she can’t believe the sudden outbreak of illness among the students could be originating from within the walls of the academy. With the unlikely ally of Quinn Drake, vampire son of the Royal House of Drake, Hunter soon finds she has battles to face on all fronts – her school, friends, feral vamps, her beloved grandfather and, most dangerous of all, her heart. (Walker & Company, $12.50) continued on next page IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

Explore Water! Explore Simple Machines! Big City Sights There’s No Crying in Baseball Beach Volleyball is No Joke

The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped Just the Rules by Tosca Reno Caledon fitness guru Tosca Reno’s latest book in the Eat-Clean Diet series (over a million copies sold) is dedicated to conquering the most difficult obstacle standing between you and your optimum weight: the dreaded last 10 pounds. Starting with a diet free of overprocessed, sugar-filled food, Tosca takes you step-by-step through the process, from the best workout to avoiding the mental gremlins of self-sabotage. As always, the book includes detailed meal plans and new recipes to help expand your Eat-Clean repertoire. (Robert Kennedy Publishing, $21.95) Just the Rules is a handy pocket guide to the Eat-Clean philosophy. It covers the basics: what foods to eat and avoid, how to read labels, the real deal on the so-called “diet meals” in the supermarket’s freezer section, and much more. (Robert Kennedy Publishing, $10.95)

by Anita Yasuda It’s been a banner year for Mono’s Anita Yasuda with the publication of five children’s books. Explore Water! and Explore Simple Machines! are activity books in the same series as Yasuda’s previous title, Explore the Universe! Facts, projects, words to know and a history of our relationship with water, wedges, catapults and much more fill the cartoon-illustrated pages. Kids are sure to love the edible “Glacier on the Move” activity made from ice cream and coconut-packed ice, chocolate chip rocks and a cookie-sheet hillside. Or perhaps they’d rather build their own milkcarton castle with a pulley drawbridge. Guaranteed fun for children in elementary school. (Nomad Press, $13.95 each) Big City Sights is a beginner’s graphic novel that’s sure to engage early readers. Tyler has plans for his family’s trip into the city: dinosaur skeletons at the museum, lunch in Chinatown, and then up to the top of the tallest building to take in the sights from an observation deck. When the museum is closed and the rain starts to fall, Ty must find a way to salvage their visit. (Stone Arch Books, $6.95) There’s No Crying in Baseball and Beach Volleyball is No Joke follow the adventures of Tyler and his classmates at Victory School for Super Athletes. Tyler’s ability to throw or spike a ball with absolute accuracy is hindered only by his ego and love of pulling pranks. Both chapter books for young readers entertain with fun language while teaching gentle lessons about friendship and social behaviour. (Stone Arch Books, $6.95 each)

Red Coat Diaries True Stories from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

RED COAT

by Aaron Sheedy

DIARIES

Mounties are icons of bravery and square-jawed fortitude True Stories from the against wild Canadian winters (and wild Canadian lawbreakers) ROYAL CANADIAN of times past. Today, Mounties still play an important – MOUNTED POLICE edited by Cst. Aaron Sheedy though perhaps less romantic – role in all levels of our judicial system. Caledon’s Aaron Sheedy takes us inside the world of the RCMP with 26 stories of heroism and humour from the men and women in red serge. RCMP Constable Aaron Sheedy is the narcotics detector dog handler at Pearson International Airport and is a member of the Ontario Tactical Troop. (Mosaic Press, $21.95)

Raising Boys in a New Kind of World

Booger by John Denison Fifteen-year-old JW has a lot on his plate. Exotic animals conﬁscated by his veterinarian father ﬁll his house, his mother moved in with Mark Nash, Famous Rock Star and Rotten Person, a greedy developer wants to tear down the local burger joint, and he’s about to lose Inventors (only the biggest competition at his school) for the second year in a row to his arch nemesis, Douglas “Don’t call me Dougie” Brown. What’s a guy to do but launch Project Alpha Amoeba, Quest for Life with a piece of asteroid (Guaranteed Genuine), a can of Diet Coke and an egg? The unexpected result changes JW’s life forever. Booger ’s riotous pace and clever use of language is sure to tickle the funny bone of young teens. John Denison lives on a farm in Erin. His short story, “Spirit of Christmas,” is featured in this issue beginning on page 60. (Why Knot Books, $19.95)

by Michael Reist Our kids are growing up in an age of hyper-speed information and the limitless playground of cyberspace. Video games fulﬁll a primal need for goal setting, achievement, community and power. Unique problems are developing, says veteran teacher Michael Reist, especially among boys. Attention spans are shrinking and opposition to authority is on the rise. Raising Boys in a New Kind of World assists parents struggling with school issues, homework, bullying and discipline, and presents strategies for creating better communication. Michael Reist is head of the English department at Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School, and is also a writer, speaker and mediator. He lives in Caledon East. (Dundurn Press, $24.95) 42

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

Adventures at Camp Lots-o-Fun by Marilyn Helmer DJ – otherwise known as Power Man – thinks Camp Lots-o-Fun should be renamed Camp Not-so-Fun. Between the pouring rain and a mean kid in his cabin, the week is turning into a bust. Good thing Power Man has a super-powered imagination and can ﬁnd tarantulas, bears, lake monsters and aliens from outer space in the most unlikely of situations. With the help of Chris (the cabin’s sleep-deprived counsellor) and Sockster, the sock monkey (Power Man’s secret ally and protector), DJ transforms camp from glum back into fun. Marilyn Helmer’s previous chapter books for young readers include Sharing Snowy and The Fossil Hunters. She lives just west of Headwaters. (Orca Book Publishers, $6.95)

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Along Comes God Bringing Dreams to Life by George R. Slater Life-changing encounters, prophetic dreams, inexplicable coincidences? The explanation is in the helping hand of God, says Caledon’s George Slater in his new book, Along Comes God. The volume of personal stories – eight of them from Headwaters residents – details an array of experiences, from miraculous medical recoveries to lives saved through a whisper of premonition. Don Cherry kicks off the collection with an account of how his conviction in God helped him beat the depression he suffered at the end of his hockey career. (Ambassador International, $13.99) Dreams are explained through Jungian analysis in this reissued edition of Bringing Dreams to Life. George Slater helps you interpret your own dreams using the book’s worksheets, deconstruct images and symbolism, and learn how to use your ﬁndings to improve your waking life. (Kingfisher Communications, $13.95)

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Chicken Soup for the Soul Inspiration for the Young at Heart Christiana Flanigan, contributor Orangeville’s Christiana Flanigan’s essay in the latest offering of Chicken Soup for the Soul speaks volumes about the joys of retirement. There was no part-time job for her or her husband Pat after they left their working lives behind. The open road called, and the Flanigans responded by jumping in the car with a few essentials and setting off for parts unknown. Ontario is rich with tiny hamlets and unexpected waterfalls, momand-pop restaurants and breathtaking vistas only accessible by cross-country skis. We spend so many of our years tied to a schedule. Retirement, Christiana says, is for adventure. (Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, $16.95)

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ALSO ON THE SELF-PUBLISHED SHELF

Jashar Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment by Liz Jansen Motorcycles are powerful, solitary machines. No wonder the women who break stereotypes and choose to ride them ﬁnd tremendous freedom in all that metal and chrome. Liz Jansen has done a superb job of collecting women’s stories, as well as telling her own, and presenting them in this inspirational book about overcoming personal obstacles and taking the road less travelled. (Trillium Wordworks, $19.95)

Making It Big in Canada The Life of William Ramsay of Bowland by Douglas L. Derry Caledon’s Douglas Derry mines his family history to document the life of William Ramsay. From his humble beginning as the illegitimate child of a farmer’s daughter in Scotland, Ramsay remarkably rose in wealth and status to become vice-president of the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway and a lifelong director of the Imperial Bank of Canada. (Poplar Lane Press, $20)

A Fearful Symmetry by Stephen W. Shawcross Burma, 1944. The survivor of a downed bomber plane, ﬂeeing enemy territory in the heart of the jungle, stumbles across a tiger attacking a Japanese soldier. A single decision sets both men on a fateful path to be played out decades later in the unlikely locale of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Stephen Shawcross, perpetual world traveller, considers the Headwaters area to be one of his many homes. (Donut Train Press, $16.95)

Hearth and Homework by Lisa Watson I am content to wash my floors And I am content to listen to boring Chatter, and flatter ’til blush makes us human — excerpt from “Follow Your Nose” Orangeville’s Lisa Watson, singer/songwriter and music reviewer for this magazine, presents Hearth and Homework, a delightful chapbook filled with lyrical poems of domestic love and beauty in its many forms. Her pencil sketches of old Ontario churches and farmhouses complement her words and add a heartfelt feeling of home. (Lisa Watson, $15)

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

by C.D. Wood Beladar, a royal underling who worships the dark arts, claws his way to power and sets his sights on Jashar, home to a peaceful people. Shelburne’s Craig Duncan Wood spins a classic tale of good versus evil in this fast-paced Christian fantasy novel. (Word Alive Press, $19.99)

Shadows on the Flag by Russ Graham Private investigator Don Carling believes his latest assignment to follow a woman’s straying husband will be a straightforward case with the added perk of a trip to Paris. What follows is anything but simple as Carling races against time to stop an international terrorist plot. Shadows on the Flag is the second thriller in Russ Graham’s Don Carling mysteries. He lives in Orangeville. (Wheatmark, $24.50)

Spirit’s Inspiration by Jill Thomas Orangeville’s Jill Thomas explores Carl Jung’s and Caroline Myss’s concepts of archetypes through storytelling. Short, parable-like vignettes illuminate simple truths about the human condition and reveal how the paths we choose lead us to happiness or despair. (Goldeye Publications, $16.95)

Lincoln County War by Paul O’Brien Lawless cowboys, cattle rustling, horse thieving, murder and general mayhem ﬁll the pages of Lincoln County War, a history detailing the late 1800s in New Mexico. Archival photos bring the cast of characters to life, including Billy the Kid and Alexander McSween (a ruthless man with Canadian roots), as they battle for power and property. Paul O’Brien lives in Caledon East. (Giant Beaver Publications, $17.95)

A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider edited by N.J. Lindquist and Wendy Elaine Nelles Short stories, poetry and inspiration make up this second feel-good anthology of Hot Apple Cider from The Word Guild, a Christian association of writers and editors. Included in the collection of nation-wide contributors are Orangeville’s Jayne E. Self and Drayton’s Glynis Belec. (That’s Life Communications, $23.99)

Nia David Showbiz, and more by Allan Wargon Shelburne’s Alan Wargon has outdone himself with three new books published this year. The ﬁrst is Nia, a story of love and the maddening, destructive nature of obsession. Next, the life of a biblical king is explored in David, a biographical novel delving into themes of democracy and decency. And ﬁnally, Showbiz, and more contains a novella, an epic poem in sonnet format, and shorter prose pieces describing love and loss during the Holocaust. (Pied Piper Books, $24.95 each)

The Sidewalk by Patricia Brez Construction on an ordinary piece of sidewalk in a small Ontario town uncovers a mystery dating back 55 years. Sidewalks, and the countless stories of the people who once walked on them, provide inspiration for Violet Hill’s Patricia Brez in this novel about family secrets refusing to stay buried. (Moose Hide Books, $21.50)

The Camera Guy by Richard Goodship Bill Waters, forensic investigator, sees the spirits of the dead at his crime scenes, an ability which gives his professional life a decided edge. When a demon begins consuming their souls, Bill must ﬁnd a way to stop it before it threatens everything he holds dear. Retired forensic investigator and Orangeville resident Richard Goodship draws on his wealth of experience to create this police procedural with a twist. And congratulations, Richard, on selling the movie rights! (Amazon Kindle, $2.99) ≈

Tracey Fockler works at BookLore, an independent bookstore in Orangeville, where she also facilitates a book club. IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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Man in Motion Parents and grandparents will easily remember the Rick Hansen Man in Motion tour that took place 25 (short!) years ago. Paralyzed from the waist down, Rick was determined to raise awareness and funds for spinal cord injuries by wheeling through 34 countries in 26 months. He completed his now-famous Man In Motion World Tour and raised $26 million. The Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay, currently making its way across Canada, arrives in Orangeville Dec 6. The free celebration starts at 6pm beside the town hall. Feature performances by Sweet Adelines, Theatre Orangeville Youth Singers and Chandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Dance are followed by the oďŹ&#x192;cial Rick Hansen Relay segment, which includes the arrival of the Rick Hansen Medal at 6:30pm. www.rickhansen.com 46

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

ometimes you know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming. The wind whips through the trees. The house creaks in a way that sparks an eerie premonition. Suddenly you know that somewhere, perhaps down the road, perhaps on the other side of the county, a branch will finally give in to gravity, the weight of it enough to knock out a hydro line. And that is when your little world powers down. If you have lived in the hills for awhile, you get to know the signs that lead to power outages. There is a particular way the trees crack and groan, and a certain pattern to the way the wind drives and swirls the snow that herald whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ahead. If you are prepared, you will have candles in drawers in every room. You will have matches there too, so you can do your work quickly as you go from room to room. There will be flashlights parked near doorways or tucked into jacket pockets for just such occasions. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always have water in a pot on the stove and, if you are really sensitive to natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warning, you might even put on the kettle for a pot of tea and give the kids something to eat before the power goes out. Your children will bemoan the loss

of their favourite TV shows. Sigh. Sad faces all around. But, wait! They still have their phones and handheld games. Those will add a low glow to the room, but only for so long. Eventually batteries die. Sigh. Sad faces again. Now, pushing the logs into the woodstove or fireplace becomes the focus. With no power to pump the well, perhaps your family will bring in snow to melt if the outage is prolonged or you have thirsty animals to care for. Everyone takes their turn. Blankets are shared and campfire conviviality fi lls the room. Winter campout is on â&#x20AC;&#x201C; indoors! Books are read. Snacks and warm drinks replace regular meals at the table. Everyone sleeps together in the warmest room in the house. Little ones, scared and tired, turn their frightened

I L L U S T R AT I O N S H EL A G H A R M S T R O N G

Go Fish! Follow the blue dots on Island Lake and you will find a very popular winter activity, just steps away from the beaten path: ice fishing! When the temperatures drop below freezing, ice fishing becomes the most popular activity at Island Lake Conservation Area, just east of Orangeville. Generally, the season begins after January 1, when seven inches of ice has formed on the lake. Minnows are for sale, and tackle, augering and, yes, the iconic blue huts can be rented, so you don’t need to bring your own. Reservations are recommended for weekends and holidays. For more information, visit www.creditvalleyca.ca

I ♥ You! Celebrate Valentine’s with your sweeties at a Family Fun Night in Caledon on February 9. It features crafts, activities, dancing and bedtime stories, as well as face painting for small fee. Come dressed in seasonal red or pink. 5–7pm at the Caledon Parent-Child Centre in Bolton. (Lots of other fun events for families are listed on the CPCC website too.) www.cp-cc.org faces toward their parents for comfort. Even kids “too old” to be afraid sneak in a cuddle. Everyone listens for signs of the storm subsiding. Ears are attuned to the alternating harmonies of low whistling winds and staccato rattling panes, waiting for the barely audible finale of falling snow. An empowering sense of survival takes over while you wait. “Remember the storm last year – it lasted for days,” your kids claim, proud of their contributions. “Remember how we made toast with the silly giant fork in the fireplace? Remember we missed school for a whole week?” Hyperbole and tall tales fi ll their memories. And then it happens. Slicing through the serenity, the radio, TV and fridge come simultaneously to life. The clocks throughout the house beep to remind you there is a schedule to keep. The lights are on and it’s time get moving. “Awww!” your kids will say. Sigh. Sad faces. ≈ Bethany Lee is the online editor of www.kidsinthehills.ca, a sister site to www.inthehills.ca, where she also writes a regular blog.

Let’s Get Busy! On March 14, Richard Scarry’s Busytown rolls into the Rose Theatre in Brampton. One of our faves, these stories have been enjoyed by families for over 50 years. Follow the adventures of Huckle Cat, Sally Cat, Goldbug, Lowly Worm and others, with songs and audience participation. For showtimes and tickets see rosetheatre.ca.

Cherished families and friends – 2011 has just ﬂown by, hasn’t it? Pregnancies have been announced, babies born, growth charts marked and little ones have turned into big ones. Kids In The Hills is just over a year and a half old now. “Long days and short years,” as the saying goes. We’ve had some great contributions and wonderful support from local parents and businesses, and we’re always looking for more. Have a story idea? An event? Be sure to contact me at bethany@inthehills.ca. See you in 2012! —Bethany

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Tempting Providence, the intriguing life story of a Myra Bennett, nurse to the outports, comes to the stage in Orangeville. BY MI C HEL E GR EEN

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

ouse calls. Not too many decades back, doctors spent half the day in their “surgery” or clinic and the rest of the day travelling rural roads, often battling inclement weather to make house calls to those who could not or would not come to them. Those days are long gone, but Tempting Providence, a play that will be presented in Orangeville by Theatre Newfoundland Labrador in February, offers a glimpse back at one remarkable woman who devoted her life to the ultimate in house calls. Tempting Providence is the true story of nurse Myra Bennett. Dubbed “The Florence Nightingale of Newfoundland,” she patrolled 320 kilometres along the rugged coastline of the Great Northern Peninsula. Travelling by foot, horse, dogsled and boat, she provided isolated communities from Sally’s Cove to Port aux Choix with their only source of medical assistance. Born in 1890 in London, England, single, 30-yearold nurse Myra Grimsley had originally planned to emigrate to Saskatchewan. However, she was persuaded to come to Newfoundland by the picture of dire need there, as described to her personally by the wife of the colony’s governor. Her original two-year contract paid $75 a month. She married ex-merchant marine Angus Bennett within a year and settled in the remote coastal village of Daniel’s Harbour, which became her base for the rest of her life. “This is a play about a stranger in a strange land,” says Robert Chafe, the St. John’s playwright commissioned by TNL to write the piece, “so my approach all along was that we get to see the land, and all the challenges that come with it – the weather, the distances – through Myra’s eyes, to have her tell us what she is seeing, to paint that picture in our mind’s eye.”

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Deidre Gillard-Rowlings (right) plays nurse Myra Bennett with Darryl Hopkins as her husband Angus Bennett. Holding the newborn behind are actors Robert Wyatt Thorne and Willow Kean.

According to artistic director David Nairn, this presentation is a fi rst for Theatre Orangeville. “We co-produce with a lot of theatre companies in Ontario, but this is the first time we have partnered with a theatre outside the province.” One of Theatre Orangeville’s longrange goals is to take its own uniquely local productions and showcase them further afield – provincially, nationally and possibly internationally. TNL already tours extensively, so Nairn looks on this artistic partnership as an opportunity for Theatre Orangeville to learn the tricks of efficient touring. Since the premiere of Tempting Providence in Newfoundland in 2002, TNL has presented 460 performances to more than 70,000 people across Canada and internationally in Ireland, England, Scotland, Tasmania, Australia and the U.S. David Nairn saw the show last year at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival in Cow Head, not far from Myra Bennett’s home, and fell in love with it. “I thought it was spectacular and knew that our audiences would love it,” he says. “When we announced that we were bringing it to Orangeville, people in the community came forward to say they were from Newfoundland and they were thrilled we were doing a story set in the province.” Indeed, Orangeville and environs seems to attract Newfoundlanders.

One such transplant is Barb Hartley, manager of the local Scotiabank, who has made Orangeville her home since 2007. Barb hails from Long Harbour, on Placentia Bay. Having spent the majority of her life in Newfoundland, she acknowledges that life there is challenging. “Although the weather is often horrible, on a beautiful day there is no nicer place to live. But now that I live in Orangeville, I could never move back – I’m getting used to four seasons!” she says. Barb grew up in the 1950s and ’60s hearing stories of courageous local pioneers like Myra Bennett and says she can’t wait to see the play. She recalls the isolation of living in a small outport where nearby communities were accessible only by boat. The “cottage hospitals” were more like health clinics than actual hospitals. She also remembers the “Christmas Seal,” an American torpedo boat purchased in 1944 by the Newfoundland Tuberculosis Association and converted to a f loating tuberculosis clinic for the coastal communities of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Christmas Seal, which operated until 1971, derived its name from the sale of Christmas seals for fundraising. Nurse Bennett’s home in Daniel’s Harbour and the rugged coastline district she served were no doubt similar to those isolated communities continued on next page

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“We left on April 13th, 1921 – Friday the thirteenth. It was a grey day over Liverpool and nobody seemed to be happy. The transport workers were threatening a strike and this had moved the shipping ﬁrm to schedule their departure date one day earlier in order to avoid a work stoppage. The men who were stowing the freight were being rushed a bit to get the ship ready for sailing, and they did not like it. One, a doleful Irishman, was even predicting disaster for them. “It’s tempting Providence, it is!” —From Myra Bennett’s diary, on her voyage from England to Newfoundland tempting continued from page 49

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Barb recalls. Lacking roads or railway to the outside world, their single connection was a coastal steamer that operated only in good weather. With the nearest hospital several hundred miles to the north, it fell to “The Nurse,” as she was known, to deal with all but the most critical situations. Myra Bennett estimated she delivered 750 babies, extracted 5,000 teeth and, in one of her greatest medical feats, reattached the nearly severed foot of her brother-in-law, saving his limb. “Bennett was an incredibly private woman,” playwright Robert Chafe says. Although she kept journals and diaries, they reveal little about her emotions as she fulfilled her often arduous tasks, but Chafe found a conversation with her son Trevor enlightening. “Trevor told me that the only time he ever saw her upset was when she lost a child while tending to a birth. As for everything else, her loneliness, her frustration, I took great artistic liberties in extrapolating and fi lling in the gaps.” However, a well-wrought script and compelling subject matter can still fail to come alive without inspired direction. That magic touch has been brought to Tempting Providence by director Jillian Keiley, who joined Chafe early in the creative process and conceptualized the production’s austere staging. “With Jill Keiley’s clean and brilliant direction, a description of a storm and nothing but an overturned table and chairs becomes as telling and evocative as fi lm footage,” Chafe says. Myra Bennett died in 1990 at the age of 100. During her life she received many awards for her work, includ-

ing an honorary doctorate from Memorial University and Member of the Order of Canada. When not tending the sick and injured, she found time to raise three of her own children, four foster children, be involved in the church, make her own bread, tend garden, milk the cows and make clothing. Her house in Daniel’s Harbour, built by her husband, along with the 1942 addition of a clinic, was designated as a heritage site in 1991. It may be no wonder that Newfoundlanders feel such pride and enthusiasm in the retelling of Myra Bennett’s story. But why has the story of a modest rural nurse been such a success worldwide? Jillian Keiley has witnessed audience reactions fi rst-hand and offers this response: “There is something in the story of a person facing the challenge presented by true isolation that resonates with regions of the world that have their own version of remoteness. Rural Ireland and Tasmania, and many parts of Canada especially, understand the fortitude it would take to manage such an impossible job. Many people also relate to this story of an immigrant who finds herself in her own brand of isolation in her new community. Myra’s strength and courage is pretty inspirational, no matter where you are from.” ≈ Tempting Providence will be performed at the Town Hall Opera House from February 23 to March 11, 2012. For times and ticket orders, 519942-3423; www.theatreorangeville.ca

Michele Green is a freelance writer who lives near Belfountain.

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by Ken Weber

Show us the money! By 1873 the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway had laid track from Toronto to Owen Sound on a route through these hills that was shaped as much by financial squabbling as it was by engineering challenges.

hen the Toronto, Grey & Bruce was granted its charter by the new Province of Ontario in March, 1868, the main idea was to get a rail line from Toronto (actually, Weston) to Owen Sound. It also planned a branch line from a mid-point such as Mono Mills or Orangeville over to Lake Huron. Not only would the TG&B connect important lake ports to Canada’s developing rail network, it would also open up a swath of the province that had been comparatively isolated. For the people of these hills, rail access would be life-altering. For merchants, a rail line – more important, a local station – would mean a whole new level of inventory expansion and control. For industry there would be expanded markets. And to farmers a

rail line would be night become day. Using horse and wagon to transport bulk commodities such as wheat for more than 12 miles was simply not economical. So farmers in, say, Albion Township, always had a cash-f low problem. If one had a bumper crop, all his neighbours did too, resulting in far too much wheat for the mills in Bolton or Caledon East to handle. But with reasonable access to a railroad, their world would change. So it’s not surprising that news of a railway stirred excitement in these hills in the late 1860s. But sober reflection played a role too. To buy land for a route and to build lines and infrastructure, the TG&B needed money. And to get through, over or around the escarpment, there were engineering decisions to make.

The “Wheelbarrow Line” Goes Down The TG&B became the butt of cynical jokes when it chose to build a “narrow gauge” system (featuring a track width of 3'6"/1,o67mm). The reason was money. Narrow gauge used smaller, less expensive rolling stock and was cheaper to build. But the loads it could carry were also smaller, and it was incompatible with the standard gauge (4'8"/1,435mm) used by most other Canadian railways. (To get TG&B trains from Union Station to its terminal at Weston, it was necessary to install a third track inside the Grand Trunk’s standard gauge tracks.) When the TG&B was absorbed into the CPR in 1884 the entire line was rebuilt in standard gauge.

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As it turned out, the engineering issues were solved fairly quickly. Building the first leg from Weston to Bolton on relatively flat land was easy, and between Orangeville and Owen Sound the topography did not offer a huge challenge. However, the Bolton-Orangeville section, with the Humber River to the east, the Credit to the west, and Caledon Mountain in between, was a potential engineering nightmare. But it was money that decided the route. The easiest way would have been to avoid the mountain (and Caledon Township) by running east of the escarpment to Mono Mills and on to Orangeville. But this obvious choice had sent the price of land skyrocketing along that route. And that, combined with a mighty howl from Caledon Township, caused the planners to reconsider. In the early planning stages of the TG&B, Caledon had committed major funds to ensure the rails would go through that township. It had also encouraged pricing restraint among landowners. With those incentives, the company did indeed chose the westerly route from Bolton, effectively shutting down forever Mono Mills’ hope of overcoming Orangeville as the northern gateway. (The decision would also lead to the construction of the famous, later infamous, Horseshoe Curve to surmount the escarpment.)

Like other small railway companies in the 19th century, the TG&B was formed by a small group of entrepreneurs who sold stock in the company, issued bonds, negotiated government grants, and then dangled the future in front of municipal councils. Caledon Township tossed $45,000 of ratepayers’ money into the pot, a trump card that not only altered the route but helped secure stations at Charleston (Caledon Village) and Alton. Although cynics called them bribes, the contributions by municipalities were officially known as “bonuses.” A bonus was risky because it was promised before track was laid or the route even chosen, but it could go a long way toward ensuring the rail line – assuming it actually got built – would accommodate the contributing municipality. For some townships the decision was reasonably straightforward. Albion put in $40,000 because Bolton, its key community, was certain to be on the line. The bonus from Amaranth was $30,000, because it would benefit from the branch line toward Lake Huron and from the important Orangeville station at its southeast corner. Even thinly populated Melancthon coughed up $1,200 in 1871 when it learned the rails might head north through Shelburne. Inevitably, there was controversy.

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At the ofﬁcial groundbreaking of the TG&B in Weston on October 5, 1869, Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Arthur, had to be taught how to use a shovel.

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Was the ‘Bonus’ Important? In 1870, it took $2.5 million to build, equip and staff the completed TG&B. Just under $9oo,ooo (about 35 per cent) of that was raised through bonuses. The municipalities in these hills contributed about $175,ooo; Owen Sound and Grey County about $3oo,ooo. The rest was raised from Wellington, Bruce and Huron counties and the City of Toronto.

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Vaughan Township benefitted enormously from the new rail line, but did not contribute a cent because it knew the TG&B had to go through its territory to get from Weston to Bolton. Citizens of Mono Township set up a cry of protest when, even though it was bypassed (along with Mono Mills and Primrose), the township council still “bonused” $45,000. Councillors argued that the line ran near Mono’s border, but this was also true for East Garafraxa which didn’t put up a dime. Orangeville had a similar population to Amaranth’s, and raised eyebrows by putting up just $15,000. (In its defence, the village was still recovering from its abandoned efforts to build a tramway to the Grand Trunk line in Brampton.) A major dustup involved Luther Township whose council offered a $500 bonus if the line made it to Grand Valley by 1870. When the first train chugged through a year late, Luther refused to pay. In response, the rail company built the Grand Valley station a mile out of town.

Did the Money Make a Difference? Mono Township complained for years that its bonus had been a wasted investment, but the towns and villages of these hills (except for Mono Mills) along with the surrounding countryside experienced a mini-boom. There

The double-headed ‘Caledon’ was built in England in 1871 for the TG&B and was the ﬁrst of its type in Canada. Although it attracted a lot of attention for obvious reasons, it turned out to be too underpowered to meet its main purpose: climbing Caledon Mountain. The articulated design gave it added maneuverability – and a bad habit of jumping off the tracks.

were new markets, an expansion in available goods, new opportunities and, above all, a new lifestyle: people here had become connected to the outside world. Ironically, it was the TG&B itself that failed to thrive. For one thing, the branch line from Fraxa (by Orangeville) never did make it to Lake Huron, ultimately terminating in Teeswater. However, it was the decision to build a narrow gauge system (see sidebar) that more than anything ruined the TG&B as a corporate entity. In 1883, the system was leased to the Ontario and Quebec Railway and just a year later it was absorbed into the mighty CPR. By this time all talk of bonuses from municipalities to win railway lines had long since passed. In fact, councils hardly ever talked of local passenger railroads again – until the 1960s, and then it was only to say goodbye to them. ≈ Caledon writer Ken Weber’s bestselling Five Minute Mysteries series is published in 22 languages.

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Recorded at Valleyview Studio, Ancaster – 2010

On the other side of raising his family, James has successfully connected with life before kids to pursue his musical ambitions. A heart-on-his-sleeve romantic, his latest CD has a campﬁre feel with echoes of John Denver and Neil Young. With 14 original tunes, this second CD (I am late reviewing by a year) was created on the heels of his ﬁrst, Into The Wind, in 2009. I am enjoying his enthusiastic harmonica and the 007 electric guitar styling. James appears to be well supported by his family – Charlotte DesRoches has done a splendid job photographing her dad for the sleeve. Favourite Tracks: I’m Waiting and Winter – a snowy meditation with some delicious percussion.

THE MAINLANDERS STRANGERS NO MORE Recorded by Daniel Romano – 2011

I think this is the most important new work, or at least artist, I have encountered in my gig as reviewer. Tamara Lindeman’s for-real poetry transcends Joni and Leonard – a fabulous new generation of music. And her vocals, well, we’ve got a little Beach House, a little Lucinda Williams, a dash of Feist and some McGarrigle overtones. Exquisite lyrics and phrasing on a bed of fabulously complicated rhythms and chording patterns. This is desert island material for me. Tamara’s mum is our Joan Hope of Dragonﬂy Arts on Broadway, who fairly gushes around the consummate artist she has raised. Favourite tracks: Everything I Saw (“was mine”) – took the words out of my mouth about my new house, and Know It to See It (“and I don’t see it in you”). I hear this girl.

THE WEATHER STATION ALL OF IT WAS MINE

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

Rea Studios, Puslinch – 2010

Good old boys, these three fellows are real Canadiana with a Maritime-y sound and storytelling ﬂair. This CD unravels like a tapestry from one coast to the other. Friendly lyrics paint mental images of moments in time and are a peek into Joe Canada’s house. Strains of Roger Whittaker over solid folk-style instrumentation (including bouzouki) are further coloured by enthusiastic guests on harmonica, ﬁddle, viola, drums and penny whistle. A céilidh in a CD, if you ask me, including 15 originals in this second full-on effort. (Old Country Store was reviewed here in winter ’08.) These guys play around (but don’t tell everyone, they’ll all want some), so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to catch their act. Dancing will happen, I’m sure. Favourite tracks: Home from the War and Tunnel of Time, a busker’s requiem in a lively two-step.

BY L IS A WAT S O N

Hello! Haven’t we all been busy making happy music lately. I can barely keep up with it. All types are coming at me. Someone even sent me a CD of an unbelievably good bagpipe player, Michael Grey, called Nine Blasted Notes. Michael is out of this area, but I highly recommend his work. Other submissions are of such a high standard I sometimes feel I have no business writing about them except to “sing” their praises. It is an arduous project to meet expectations when you’re recording music. Besides the expense (I have known some musicians to spend upwards of $10,000 to $20,000 to recreate what they hear in their head), there is a mountain of detail to manage in the studio, and later in the marketplace. My own CD is overdue by six months, but I’m okay with that because it’s going to be everything I want it to be (and I will certainly let you know about it). My point is, in my evolution as a music-maker, I know whereof I speak about the mechanics of production. Sass Jordan’s new CD ran late for me to review and Hello Kelly didn’t make it to me either, but it wouldn’t hurt to look for both of them online. On my own “100 Day Challenge” I learned the following: you can neither hurry nor slow the tide, technology and I can be friends, and where to buy good dark chocolate in bulk. Here are the highlights from this year’s local music scene. Listen up!

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Recorded by Martin Davis Kinack at The Nest – 2011

Producer Marty Kinack has a brilliant nose for music (Broken Social Scene, Hayden, Sarah Harmer) and he has lent his considerable expertise to these three Darlings. Simple Beach Boys kind of patterning, along with some interesting rhythm set-ups with Mamas and Papas/Indigo Girls vocals that are subtly and purposefully discordant, create a resonant harmonic that permeates at a cellular level. (And I do consider myself a harmony connoisseur.) These young women also belong to the local Harmony Rainbow Group. When they say, “Let the girls play!” they do – and they do some more. Songstresses Jocelyn Claire, Jessi Leigh and Steph Saxton have only this ﬁve-song CD to their name so far, but it gets them gigs. Favourite tracks: Hard to pick a favourite, but I’ll go with Watershed. My favourite line is “when a child is born so is the mother – ooo, baby, you slay me.” Bravo girls.

FEIST METALS Recorded in Big Sur, California – 2011

Ooo...look at me! Reviewing Feist again. I’ve swiped mags from offices all over Orangeville with references to her latest offering. Metals features more of what we love about her, including the usual impeccable backup and ornate arrangements. There’s a nice, mellow mix of horns, all manner of strings and keys, as well as classy application of synthesizer. And then there are the vocals. Ah, what a lovely voice she has. And how interesting I find her harmonies. So many of them have this strange “funny bone” effect on me (there has to be a little english engineered on them). Between that and her heartfelt lyrics, it “hertz” so good. Favourite tracks: The first track hooked me right away, The Bad in Each Other, and The Circle Married the Line: “It’s as much what it is as what it is not.” And no, Leslie, it certainly is not wrong to want more.

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Recorded at VWave Productions, Toronto – 2010

I don’t pretend to be a rock guitar expert, but TJ’s ﬁrst CD a couple of years back pretty much blew me away – him being only 16 at the time. Since then his work has developed even more subtlety and maturity. He has the voice of an old soul, intuitively discovering the nuances of the newly invented electric guitar. Again, I’m no expert, but I hear George Benson, Jimi Hendrix, Don Ross and John Mayall. This particular work has more fabulous guests and a David Foster opulence. Favourite Tracks: Mountain Blue and Divinus Lunem. Aside: I don’t know how one names a tune as opposed to a song, but imagery is everything. Well done.

TJ WHITELAW TJ WHITELAW

Recorded by Daryl Neudorf at Operation Northwoods, Mono – 2010

This here’s the real McCoy, folks. Bluegrass in the tradition you remember and imagine. Fabulous playing, boys. Yes, I love bluegrass as well. Simple and authentic lyrics with rippin’ ﬁddle, banjo and mandolin, and wow-full harmonies totally in keeping with old-timey bluegrass. This is barn dance material. Some spot-on originals and some clever redos of tunes by Bill Munroe, Tim Massey/Rick Pardue and Wayne Barnett. Favourite tracks: Hobo Blues, a poignant original, and The Ballad of Cassie Chadwick – naughty girl.

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continued on next page IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

ANNE LINDSAY HURRY ON HOME

Warner Music Canada Co. – 2011

Oh, Jim, my ladies all still think you are super cute (so thanks for the fabulous sleeve photos). Better yet, you continue to deliver the inspired rhythms and sophisticated lyrics we’ve always counted on. These songs are highly intimate musings on love, loss and longing, set on the big landscape of the crazy times we live in (“Everyone watched the wedding... all the royal fuss ... Monday we were back upon the bus / Driving through the neighbourhoods and factories that are us”). Jim is a quiet and avid community advocate (most recently lending his talents to Foodstock). He also continues to collect outstanding talent to work with him, including our own ﬁddle diva Anne Lindsay. The CD comes with a Jim Cuddy Band tour guide, so I put it on my fridge. Favourite tracks: How in the World and Everyone Watched The Wedding.

SHANKS SKORDALIA

Produced & engineered at Orange Barn Productions by Arthur Sadowski with the Shanks – 2011

I always take the Shanks very seriously. Kidding! I love these guys. They’re so much fun. A must-see in concert, Ian Starkey and the Shanks are full-tilt rockers with a dash of Leonard Nimoy. With great lyrics and phrasing, they’re a treat for timing and dramatics. A kind of musical brain gym. There’s a lot of that going on here in the hills – music by intellectuals. Ian’s (sorry, Pistolwhip von Shankenstein’s) vocals lean heavily toward discord, which is always intriguing – it’s a talent, believe me. Crazy, energetic bass and percussion makes for some serious head banging. Favourite tracks: Bent Rose (“She was a candle in the shithouse.” Love it) and I Light Stars, a devotional. Ian is a father of four and a churchgoing man: “There are times when I would send my only son to be with you.” Wow, that’s some line. 56

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

Hannah has gracefully stepped into the next phase of her career, recording this CD in New York and hiring musicians here to perform. All of this treatment has uncovered a larger sound for Hannah’s conversations around love. A female James Blunt, Hannah is a captivating beauty with ornate vocal stylings and phrasing. She and I were both scrambling to get this review ready as she put the ﬁnishing touches on this family-supported project that will be on the shelves for the Christmas run. My daughter Jessica has already bought two advance copies. Favourite tracks: From Here – there’s hope for the broken-hearted, and Hello My Name is Time, a poppy assertion of girl power.

HANNAH CHAPPLAIN HANNAH CHAPPLAIN

Engineered by Tim Vesely at The Woodshed – 2010

This is nice, reviewing Anne Lindsay again. She’s a very shiny lady. I enjoy knowing her and, of course, adore her music. She has a lot of original pieces on this offering, with a variety of Eastern-European-roots juice. Anne has a playful style built on a serious and studied foundation. In other words, she knows what she’s doing so she can afford to have fun, with conﬁdence in every note. She has happy company and fabulous backup by friends and family (her three sons seem to be very supportive). There’s a Romanian traditional, some jigging and reeling going on, and some outstanding accordion by Joe Macerollo on a piece called Waltz for Annie, written by Oliver Schroer. Favourite tracks: Downwind in an Updraft, with David Woodhead slapping the electric bass, and I love hearing her pal Jim Cuddy helping out with the vocals on the title track Hurry On Home.

Dark lyrics – great kids. I saw this family-based band play at Shanktoberfest. They were incredible, and although this is not a type of music I gravitate to (they call themselves a ska punk band), they are clearly maturing with the new addition of sister Sara Kellie wankin’ out on violin. Talented all, the band’s membership is influenced by the Misfits, Choking Victim, Leftover Crack and, hmm, The Beatles. I hope that forms a picture for you. Gravelly, screaming vocals and lyrics that push shock value leave me feeling quite unsettled. Young people burning off some steam to be sure, but they have vibrant energy and the foundations for a very fine band. I won’t pick a favourite out of the five on the CD, but I invite feedback on this one, and hope they get the peer support to keep on making music.

R.I.P. 519 GRAVEYARD SHIFTERS

ED ROMAN ORACLES & ICE CREAM

JIM CUDDY SKYSCRAPER SOUL

Produced by Gord Kellie – 2011

Recorded at Area 51 Recording Studio, Melancthon – 2010

Where did this guy come from? I don’t care. It’s been really fun getting to know his work. He’s seriously imaginative, creative and an all-round talent. Okay, this is what I hear in this two-CD set: The Beatles, The Dead, Queen, Pink Floyd and, hmm, Perth County Conspiracy. Ed plays some hot licks, writes some inspired lyrics, and has a whacked out sense of arrangement peppered with what might be a university major in politics and sarcasm. He’s got a masterful sense of humour and irony. Ed recently played at the Headwaters Arts Festival Gala and had us all jazzed Django Reinhardt-style, with friend Ansgar Schroer on harmonica. Special mention: the CD cover art by Yuliya Kostyuk. Favourite tracks: The Roses and 12/28/13. That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

JAMES WOODSTOCK AND THE VEGAN PIRANHAS HOPE AND DESPERATION Recorded at Batty Steer Studios, Mono â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2009

James Woodstock is a lovely man here in the neighbourhood. His gentle, gracious character is reďŹ&#x201A;ected in his CD, a compilation of original songs with lyrics that are succinct and thoughtful â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like the man. Lucky Mrs. James â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a number of tracks are dedicated to their love, others to their happy life and friends, many of whom are represented among the musicians and production team. Valdy-like vocals with a hint of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sister Golden Hair, James and his pals have produced a polished package and appear to have had fun in the process. I particularly enjoyed the western twang of the slide guitar. Favourite Tracks: The title track, Hope and Desperation, and Lives Entwined â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a celebration.

RESONANCE MYSTICMUSICMAN Executive Producer, Casey Cole â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2011

That was a fun day. The ďŹ rst time I listened to Casey Coleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CD, I scrambled to turn down the volume to avoid blowing the speakers in my car. I should be listening to it on a 1oo,ooo watt system. Casey, there should be a warning on your next one, okay? He likes to call his work â&#x20AC;&#x153;conscious rap,â&#x20AC;? and what I can hear of the lyrics is about being good to each other, standing tall, and change in general. Casey has had a challenging life and his music speaks to his triumphant recovery. His taste for rap was born when he ďŹ rst encountered â&#x20AC;&#x153;jungle.â&#x20AC;? Jungle is music mixed on vinyl and played at about 174 beats per minute. Is that good for you? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to be a junglist MC. Caseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music is inďŹ&#x201A;uenced by Talib Kweli, Common and Kanye West, to give you a picture. Favourite tracks: Time To Change Your Tune and Rainy Sunday.

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Lisa Watsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CD, Love Songs for the Open Range, will be released next year. Her book of poetry and sketches, Hearth and Homework, is reviewed on page 44.

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

oan Sewell’s 2007 book, I’d Rather Eat Chocolate: Learning to Love My Low Libido, caused controversy of orgasmic proportions. But while Sewell may prefer chocolate, studies indicate that, at best, women are drawn equally to the two elixirs. A 2010 survey of 1,000 women (by Neff, Saatchi Wellness and Time Inc.) discovered most (73 per cent) would opt for great sex once a week for five years over free chocolate every week for the same period. But that statistic hasn’t stopped Bridgitte Longshore and her partner Mark Handy from launching Giddy Yoyo, a line of handmade raw and organic chocolate bars they make in the certified “little factory” attached to their Mono home. They began retailing the chocolate bars in April this year, piggybacking them on the line of sprouts (grown in a greenhouse also attached to their house) and superfoods they’ve been selling since 2009 (under the company’s former name, M & B Alchemy). “Chocolate is the most pharmacologically complex

food,” Bridgitte explains, then ponders, “Is it a food or a drug?” The newly constructed “little factory” is 2,000 square feet of dedicated space complete with a stainless steel kitchen, state-of-the art equipment, office, sales room, storage area and even a dumb waiter to move product from one floor to the other. The setup could churn out 2,000 bars a day. Although they don’t yet produce that volume, they’re on the way with recent orders totalling 12,000 bars from an American-based company. Descriptions of chocolate’s health properties litter the web. Recently, researchers at Cambridge University found that people who consumed the most chocolate had a 37 per cent lower risk of developing heart disease and a 29 per cent lower risk of suffering a stroke than those who consumed less. Oscar Franco, one of the study’s authors, said, “[There are] antioxidants, flavonoids ... many chemicals

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that come together, interact with each other, so they can produce a beneficial effect.” The authors did not specify the amount of chocolate a person should consume, but Franco warned, “Moderation is key. Everything in

The name Giddy Yoyo evolved when Bridgitte and Mark misheard their partner Robert Williams’ reference to “criollo,” the type of cacao he produces. In Spanish, “criollo” is pronounced “cree-yoyo.” Somehow this became Giddy Yoyo, though neither Bridgitte nor Mark really know why.

excess will have a deleterious effect on your health.” Superfoods, a term coined in the 1990s, denote foods that are packed with health-giving compounds, especially antioxidants, which are believed to fight cancer. Chocolate is a relative newcomer to a list which includes spinach, blueberries, broccoli, garlic, salmon and more. Bridgitte says chocolate is also great brain food. It can shift your consciousness, making you feel better. “But,” she warns, “brainactivating chemicals are very heat sensitive.” That explains the lengths Bridgitte and Mark go to make their “raw” chocolate bars. Their cacao, from which chocolate is derived, comes from Ecuador. It is heirloom Criollo Arriba Nacional cacao grown at high altitudes in volcanic soil. The product is “beyond fair trade,” according to Giddy Yoyo’s extensive website, and is produced by their partner Robert Williams. An American expat who lives in Ecuador, Williams has the cacao picked from wild trees, carried down the mountainside by donkey, and then transported to his factory near the port city of Guayaquil. There the beans are fermented, sun dried and crushed into cacao nibs, which are then transformed into a hardened paste for export to Canada. This unprocessed chocolate, along with cocoa butter and raw cane juice crystals, are the only ingredients in Giddy Yoyo’s 75-per-cent chocolate bars. Along with their traditional bar, they make five others, flavoured with essential oils: ginger, mocha-cardamom, orange, mint and spicy (warm cinnamon and cayenne).

But before chocolate can be poured into moulds and packaged up, it is warmed to 114°f. For a food to be called “raw,” it can be heated up to 115°f. People involved in the growing rawfood market claim heat obliterates much of what makes our food good for us, and chocolate is no exception. Chocolate made with roasted cacao has health benefits, but not nearly as many as Giddy Yoyo’s raw chocolate, according to Bridgitte. She cautions, though, that because heat kills the bacteria and fungus that cacao is prone to, buyers should only purchase raw chocolate with a reliable brand. On their website, Bridgitte and Mark point out many misconceptions and misinformation about chocolate. It “is often held wrongly responsible for or contributing towards cavities, obesity, acne, migraines, allergies and diabetes. In almost all cases refined sugar is the true culprit.” Giddy Yoyo chocolate bars are available across the Greater Toronto Area and a growing number of locations across Canada and the USA. Bridgitte, who looks after sales, says they are targeting the “yoga market,” because it is largely made up of healthconscious people who will pay about $5, the typical amount charged for a 45-gram bar. The price doesn’t deter customers who frequent Euphoria Café on Broadway in Orangeville. Owner Kim Webb says she has people who come in to specifically buy them. Kristina McLean, an Orangeville resident with a fitness consulting business called Fuel Up Fitness & Nutrition, suffers from myriad food allergies. She’s addicted to Giddy Yoyo’s products. “I eat a half bar or more every day. I feel that people can eat them guilt-free and they taste great,” she explains, not long after crossing the finish line of Orangeville’s annual Terry Fox Run. But Bridgitte and Mark, vegetarians both, are likely the best advertisement going for Giddy Yoyo. Despite having six kids between them, aged 4 to 16, they exude energy. I’d give my eye teeth for Bridgitte’s flawless complexion, clear blue eyes and cascading blonde hair. But she wasn’t always the community-oriented, fair-trade-abiding citizen she is today. “I used to live a life where I would go anywhere, do anything,” she explains. “I consumed a lot. It left me feeling very empty.” But that’s all changed. The duo now walks the talk. Kim Webb says, “I buy their product not just because it’s a great product, but also because of who they are. They live and speak a healthy lifestyle.” ≈ Nicola Ross is the executive editor of Alternatives Journal. She lives in Belfountain.

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

spirit of christmas S H O R T S TO RY BY J O HN D ENIS O N

than and Trudy met Jenny in the driveway. “They’re taking Spirit!” Tears were streaming down Jenny’s face. “Who?” “Mr. Hearn! He’s taking Spirit to the auction.” “Why?” “Dad says Spirit’s too old, he can’t afford to keep him. He’s going to get a new plough horse in the spring.” “What’s the auction?” Trudy asked. Ethan watched as the school bus drove by without stopping. Now how were they going to get to school on time? “Ethan, what’s the auction? ” Trudy, Ethan’s little sister, wasn’t giving up without an answer. “Somebody will buy Spirit and they’ll ship him to Europe or Asia.” “Why would they do that?” “They eat horses there.” The kids started running up the driveway, but they hadn’t gone far when Mr. Hearn’s

E 60

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

truck drove by. Ethan stopped, but Jenny kept running. “We’ll never catch him!” Ethan shouted. Jenny spun around. “He’s going to Stoddermeyer’s to pick up another horse!” Stoddermeyer’s farm was just around the corner. Ethan started running again. They all loved Spirit. He was this wonderful workhorse, a huge chestnut-brown Clydesdale with a white blaze and white, feathered hooves. In the good weather he worked hard on the farm, but when winter came Jenny would ride him over and he’d pull the toboggan. “We can’t let Spirit go to the auction!” “We need a plan!”

Mr. Hearn pulled out of Stoddermeyer’s driveway and was heading down the road when suddenly Ethan came sprinting out of the trees waving his hands. Mr. Hearn stopped and rolled down his window. “What’s the trouble, son?” “A wolf grabbed my sister!”

“A wolf?” Mr. Hearn got out of his truck and followed Ethan into the woods. “There aren’t any wolves around here – coyotes maybe.” Ethan was jogging, following the trail he and Trudy had made in the snow. Right on cue Trudy let out a loud scream and came bounding out from behind a spruce tree. She ran into Ethan’s arms. “Are you okay?” “It let go of me.” Mr. Hearn shook his head. All of this made about as much sense as a trout in a rain barrel. “What are you kids doing out here anyway?” “We missed the bus.” “I could give you a ride.” “No, no, we’re fine, but thanks.” As soon as Mr. Hearn drove off, Ethan and Trudy ran into the trees on the other side of the road. Jenny and Spirit were waiting for them. But so was another horse, a big black Percheron almost as gigantic as Spirit. “Jenny! You were just supposed to grab Spirit!” “I couldn’t leave her, Ethan! You want her to be stir-fry or something? Look at her! She’s like – beyond beautiful.”

IL LUS T R AT I O NS BY SHEL AGH A RMS T R O N G

Ethan, Trudy and Jenny were up on Spirit. The black horse was following along behind. “We are in so much trouble,” Trudy said. “Mr. Hearn gave my dad $350 for Spirit,” Jenny said. “Maybe we could buy him back. I’ve got $80 saved.” “I’ve got $77.16,” Trudy said. Ethan said, “I’ve got a hundred in the bank and if I win the contest, I’ll have another hundred.” “So that makes – ” Trudy wrote the numbers in the air. “$357.16! It’s just enough. But what if you don’t win, Ethan?” Ethan thought about that. There was no way he wanted to talk to his parents about this. At the moment he was a horse thief and that wasn’t a good thing to be. “What about the black horse?” Jenny asked. “We don’t have the money for two. We’re going to have to give her back.” This brought tears to the girls’ eyes, but they knew Ethan was right. “We gotta get going or we’ll miss the contest.”

Spirit might be older, but he could still motor when he wanted to. He was now galloping through the forest like he was winning the Kentucky Derby. The black horse was right behind. They came to a fence and Spirit didn’t slow down – over he soared. “I didn’t know he could jump!” yelled Ethan. “I don’t think he knew either! What about the river?” “What about it?” “It’s full of water!” “Whoa!” Ethan shouted but Spirit ignored him and splashed across the water soaking Ethan’s pants. The girls tried not to laugh but it was hopeless.

Mrs. Thompson, the principal, was addressing the school. “As you know, on the last day of class before Christmas we hold the Annual Boswell Public School General Knowledge Contest. This competition is to encourage you all to read newspapers and

magazines and books, to watch the news, to go online, to talk to your parents about all the things that are going on in the world. In my opinion the student who wins this is the smartest girl or boy in the school. So here we go.” For the first round all the kids had to write the answers to twenty-five multiple choice questions. The teachers marked the tests quickly and Mrs. Thompson made her way back to the microphone. “Here are our ten finalists.” Ethan’s name was on the list, but so was Sally’s, last year’s champion. “Now I’m going to ask ten questions. If you know the answer, put up your hand. If you get it right, move over here. If you get it wrong, sit down. Here’s the fi rst question: How many men have walked on the moon?” Ethan’s hand shot up. “Twelve.” “Correct. Next...” “As you can see we have three students still standing. Last year’s champ, Sally, continued on next page IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

spirit continued from page 61

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Max and Ethan. We have three overhead projectors set up. I’m going to ask five questions. Each of you will write your answers so the other students can see. Ready? What do the five Olympic rings stand for?” Mrs. Thompson ran through the next five questions, then announced in amazement, “I think this a fi rst. All three of you have answered every question correctly! Now we’ll have to go to sudden death. If you answer incorrectly, you have to sit down.” It was at this point Ethan made the mistake of looking out the window. His heart jumped. Mr. Hearn’s truck was pulling into the school parking lot. “Uh, Mrs. Thompson, would it be okay if we took a short break? I really need to use the washroom.” “To be honest, Ethan, it looks like you could have used a break some time ago.” Ethan looked down at his wet jeans. “I fell in the river.” Ethan grabbed Jenny and made it out the side door just as Mr. Hearn entered the auditorium. “Mr. Hearn’s here. Take the horses down to the river,” Ethan said. “I’ll come and get you when he’s gone.” Ethan waited as long as he could. When he went back into the auditorium, Mr. Hearn was nowhere to be seen. “What do the initials DOB stand for?” Mrs. Thompson asked. Ethan wrote Date of Birth, but so did Sally and Max. “How many colours are in a rainbow?” Ethan and Sally wrote 7. Max wrote 6 and had to sit down. Sally looked over at Ethan and smiled sweetly. Too sweetly. “Mumbai is the new name for what city?” Ethan and Sally each wrote Bombay. “What do Darwin and Dickens have in common?” Ethan wrote same first name. Sally wrote Charles. “In what movie is Aramis the right answer?” Sally wrote The Three Musketeers. Ethan wrote Slum Dog Millionaire. “Ethan Lowendowski is this year’s champ! Congratulations, Ethan, and here’s your hundred dollars.” All the kids cheered and Ethan smiled sweetly at Sally, but not for long. Mr. Hearn was standing in the doorway, staring at him. Ethan

Ethan and Trudy ran into the trees on the other side of the road. Jenny and Spirit were waiting for them. But so was another horse, a big black Percheron almost as gigantic as Spirit. watched as Mr. Hearn made his hand into a gun and pointed it at him. Then he pulled the trigger and disappeared out the door. Ethan expected Mr. Hearn would wait in the hallway to talk to him, but he’d driven off instead. Probably going to talk to Dad, thought Ethan, not liking the idea. He went to get Jenny. When school was finally over, Jenny, Trudy and Ethan met at the horses. “We need to get home so I can phone Mr. Hearn and tell him we have the money to buy Spirit.” Trudy muttered something. She had her head down. “What did you say, Trudy?” “I said I don’t have $77.16. I forgot I spent some.” She’d bought a Christ-

mas present for Ethan, but she didn’t say that. “How much do you have?” “$36.24” “So how much do we need?” “$33.76” Jenny and Ethan stared at each other, thinking. Finally Trudy said, “Grandma will give it to us.”

It took them twenty-five minutes to reach town. Jenny stayed in the park across the road with the two horses while Ethan and Trudy dashed to Grandma’s room in the hospital. “Grandma!” “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Your mom and dad just left.”

HARD WORK PAYS OFF ENJOY THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. “We need $33.76!” blurted Trudy. “You do, do you? Tell me all about it.” Trudy told her grandmother everything except about the black horse. Ethan said to leave that part out because it was too much money. “That miserable Hank Martin. After all the good years Spirit has given him.” Grandma was as worked up as Trudy. “A horse like that should be allowed to die in his field.” “He’s just being sensible.” Ethan knew that’s what his father would say. “Ethan, there are times when sensible just doesn’t cut it. Now where’s my purse ? Oh dear, I’ve only got twenty dollars. We’ll have to go to the bank.” “Grandma, you have a fractured hip. You can’t leave.” “Ethan, what did I just say?” “You said there are times when sensible just doesn’t cut it.” “Let’s go!” Grandma’s room was about twenty yards from the rear door of the small hospital. Trudy glanced down the empty hallway and signalled the all clear. Grandma put on her coat and hat, and Ethan pushed her, bed and all, at full speed along the hall, out the door, down the ramp and onto the street. The bank was half a block away. The trio drew curious stares, but Grandma just smiled and waved, and no one stopped them. Ethan manoeuvred Grandma’s bed into the drive-thru. The young woman teller slid open her window and started to laugh. “Mrs. Hopkins, you are the coolest old lady ever.” “T ha n k you, Lau ra. We need $133.76. We’re saving a wonderful old workhorse named Spirit.” “Grandma, just $33.76,” said Trudy. “No dear, I want Ethan to keep his prize money. It’s not every day you’re the smartest kid in school.” When Laura came back with the money she a lso brought Mar y Cunningham, the bank manager, and the other tellers. They were all laughing at Grandma in her hospital bed. “Merry Christmas!” they shouted and Grandma waved back. In no time at all the kids had Grandma back in her room. “Get going you two. Your parents will be worried.” Ethan and Trudy ran back into the park, but only Spirit was waiting for them. “Where’s Jenny?”

“There she is!” Jenny was crossing the busy street pulling the black horse behind her. “Where did you go?” “She got loose! Omigod, I was pulling on her rope and she was backing up and she just dropped a pile of road apples on Mr. Rose’s fancy car. We gotta get out of here, now!”

Ethan rode Spirit into the woods at the back of the farm. An old sugar shack stood among the trees and attached to it was an enclosed lean-to for holding firewood. It was mostly empty at this time of year. There was room inside for Spirit and his new friend. The kids ran to the house. Ethan’s parents weren’t home yet. “You two load the four-wheeler. We need hay, straw and water. I’ll call Mr. Hearn.” Ethan raced inside. “Mr. Hearn?” “That’s me.” “This is Ethan Lowendowski.” “I thought I’d be hearing from you.” “We want to buy Spirit. We’ve got the $350.” “Now son, that’s what I paid for the horse. I was thinking more like $600. That’s what I’d get at the auction. I’ll take $500 each if you want to buy the other horse too, and that’s a bargain.” Ethan didn’t know what to say. “You don’t think I drive my truck around for free, do you?” “Can you give me a few days?” “I’ll be by tomorrow at 2 p.m. to pick up the money or the horses. Take your pick. And no more funny business.” “Mr. Hearn, do you know the black horse’s name?” “Noelle.” Ethan told the girls what Mr. Hearn had said. Jenny stroked the black horse’s muzzle. “Noelle, what a pretty name for such a pretty horse.”

The next day Ethan had Spirit and Noelle waiting for Mr. Hearn. His parents had driven into town again to see Grandma. They’d never know about the horses. Jenny said goodbye to Spirit and Noelle. Then she walked home crying. Trudy was upstairs bawling her eyes out. Ethan patted Spirit one last time and Mr. Hearn drove away. Then it was Ethan’s turn continued on next page to cry.

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Independently Owned & Operated

Sales Representative

It was Christmas day and new snow was sparkling like diamonds. Ethan’s dad drove into tow n to pick up Grandma. She’d told the doctor if he didn’t let her out for Christmas she was going to jump out the window naked. As soon as Grandma arrived Ethan’s mom handed out the presents. Ethan got the computer game he wanted and a new hockey sweater from Trudy. Trudy said she couldn’t wait to try her new toboggan. Ethan gave her a complete set of Harry Potter books. Old Larry, their golden lab, got reindeer ears. He seemed to hear better, which didn’t make much sense. Ethan and Trudy tried their best to be happy, but there was a sadness inside so big Ethan didn’t think it would ever go away. When Ethan’s dad wandered outside and his mom was checking on the turkey, Ethan handed Grandma an envelope. “Here’s your money back, Grandma. Things didn’t work out, but thanks for helping. I think you’re the best Grandma ever.” “You tried, Ethan. That’s what counts.”

Just as Christmas dinner ended there was a knock at the door. It was Jenny. Ethan was surprised. “I don’t know what’s going on,” whispered Jenny. “Your mom called and said to come over at 2 p.m.” Ethan’s dad got Jenny a chair and a glass of ginger ale. “I’m glad you’re here, Jenny. I’ve got a story to tell and you’re in it. But before I start, I’m going to fill everybody’s glass up because we’re going to have a toast at the end of this. “Yesterday, I was sitting in Effie’s coffee shop and Mary Cunningham, the bank manager, came in and starts telling me this funny story about Grandma showing up at the bank’s drive-thru window in her hospital bed. I would’ve liked to have seen that. “Then Bob Stoddermeyer says he’s got a funny story Jake Hearn told him about two kids stopping his truck on the road. Apparently the boy was waving his hands and yelling some-

thing about a wolf dragging his sister off into the woods. So Jake goes to have a look and the little girl is fine. Jake can’t figure out what’s going on, but when he gets to his next stop the two horses he had in his truck aren’t there anymore.” Ethan’s dad stopped there and stared at Jenny who blushed. “By this time everybody in Effie’s is listening in, enjoying the stories. Then Sheriff Riley says old man Rose came into his office yesterday madder than a wet hen because some giant horse had left a pile of poop on the hood of his Jaguar. I would’ve liked to have seen that too. Then Bill Sherk says a certain boy called, offering to sell him his Wayne Gretzky rookie card. Bill said he’d give a hundred dollars for it. Boy said he’d get back to him. “Anyway, one thing led to another and before you know it the folks at Effie’s have got me on the phone talking to Jake Hearn. He says he wants a thousand for the two horses and I said I thought that was a little steep, so he says because it’s Christmas and all he’ll take nine hundred. And you know, before I can say anything, money starts falling onto the table including two hundred bucks from Bob Stoddermeyer who says he hasn’t been sleeping at night thinking about Noelle. Then Sheriff Riley suggests I call old man Rose and see if he wants to contribute, and that pretty much brought the house down. “So, Ethan and Trudy and Jenny, here’s an envelope with seven hundred dollars in it, courtesy of your mom and me and the kind folks at Effie’s. I understand your crazy Grandma has agreed to kick in a hundred and Ethan, you’ve got your contest money. “Here’s where we’re going to have that toast.” Ethan’s dad stood up and raised his glass. “Sometimes adults have to be reminded to do the right thing. I’m very proud of all of you. Here’s to three great kids and the Spirit of Christmas. “Now I suggest you get on your coats and boots and hightail it down to the sugar shack where the two luckiest horses in the world are dying to go tobogganing.” ≈

Erin author John Denison, former publisher at Boston Mills Press, writes novels for young adults. His latest book, Booger, is reviewed on page 42 of this issue. For the latest on John’s books, visit www.this-aint-the-library.com. 64

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

Oliver,

905-857-0651

Land Inspector

rirwin@trebnet.com www.irwinrolph.com

50 ACRES + PRIVATE LAKE Elegant Victorian-style stone residence circa 2002. Exceptional craftsmanship + detail throughout. Extremely private setting, mature woods with trails, ponds, streams. A truly extraordinary home and setting. $2,195,000

UNIQUE BUNGALOW, 1.5 ACRES A 10-yr-old 4-bedroom home that surprises everyone. It unfolds from 2,500 sq ft main level into 3,500 sq ft lower w/ gorgeous glass atrium, theatre, wine room & rec room. The back is stunning w/ large rock walls, pool, hot tub, patios & gardens. $1,795,000

SPECTACULAR TREED 2.5 ACRES ON CUL-DE-SAC An impressive open concept home w/ 3,500 sq ft 3-car grg & fin bsmt. An add’l 54 acs & lake is owned jointly by the others on the court & is there for your swimming, hiking & biking enjoyment. High speed available! $795,000

CALEDON EAST BUNGALOW, 5 GORGEOUS HIDDEN ACRES Tasteful renovated home w/ 2 kitchens, w/o fin lower lvl, geothermal heat & air, all appliances, landscaped & irrigated gardens & upgrades too numerous to list. It’s quiet, peaceful and relaxing – great to come home to. $789,000

HOCKLEY VALLEY, DELIGHTFUL 4 ACRES, POND Bungalow hidden in treed setting with 2,200 sq ft on the main lvl & fin w/o lower lvl. Vaulted ceilings, two fam rms, both w/ fireplaces, huge windows with views out into the forest. This is a nature-lover’s setting. Just listed. $589,000

OVERLOOKING HOCKLEY VALLEY Sunlight and shadows dance on this high, glorious, rolling 5 acres. House has views of sunrises and sunsets. Key features include pool, large screened porch, wonderful landscaping, dead-end road, paddocks and peace and quiet. $849,000

AN ACRE NEAR CALEDON VILLAGE Large 3-car garage w/ loft, 4 bdrms, newer windows, roof, solid pine doors, skylight in foyer, formal living rm w/ fp, airtight wood stove in bsmt, sunken fam rm, decks, eat-in kit w/ oak cabinets & all appliances. $585,000

CALEDON EAST 25 ACRES, TWO PONDS Gorgeous 10-yr ranch-style stone home with vaulted great room. Heated garages for 5 vehicles. Wonderful pool/patio/summer sunroom. Details too numerous to list. Just listed. $1,750,000

D L O

Top 5% in Canada

jacquelineguagliardi.com

for Royal LePage 2008/10

519-833-0569 • 800-268-2455

RCR Realty, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated

BROKER

11 ACRE COUNTRY HIDEAWAY Compact, open concept, chalet-style family home with finished walkout lower level and greenhouse privately situated on non-through road near Hillsburgh and Orangeville. Hobby farm potential! $495,000

EXCEPTIONAL ERIN ESTATE Newly renovated 5 bedroom, 4 bath, 1.5 storey home with main level master suite on 5 acres with inground pool, 4-car garage and river frontage near Belfountain. Available now for lease or purchase. $859,000

SHORT COMMUTE TO GTA 4-bedroom country bungaloft on 1.75 acres near Belfountain. Totally renovated with new windows, furnace, a/c, baths and kitchen equals worry free living for you. Parking for all of your toys! $600,000

MILLION DOLLAR VIEWS Nearly new designer decorated, 5-bedroom luxury home on 1.7-acre premium property on quiet court in estate community of 44 homes. Walkout lower level with 10’ ceilings and oversized windows. $719,000

picturesque near palgrave

**Broker of Record *Sales Representative 122 Main Street, Erin

CAIRNCROFT! Fabulous limestone house on 21 acres. 20-years-old, 5 bedrooms, 4,500 sq ft with a stunning view of Toronto’s skyline from the Escarpment’s edge. 45 mins to Bay and Gardiner. $3,395,000 Jamie Gairdner**

NEW GRANGE ESTATE! A fabulous 4-bedroom stone country house + 2-bdrm apt on 82 acres of rolling land o/l countryside. Built to the highest standards. Solid oak floors, plaster crown mouldings, 10’ & 12’ ceilings. $2,980,500 Jamie Gairdner**

WOLFFDALE FARMS! Arena 240’ x 82’, 11 box stalls, room for 41 more indoor stalls. 3 outdoor riding arenas, 124 acres, 7 paddocks. Renovated century home, 2 mins north of Caledon Townline & 24 mins north of Woodbine. $1,495,000 Jamie Gairdner**

FOXCREST! Fine craftsmanship, impeccable finishes. Reclaimed beechwood flooring, gourmet kitchen, incredible office/library with fireplace. Windows overlook fabulous pond. An absolute must see!!! $1,450,000 Jamie Gairdner**

DALCASSIAN FARM! Lovely ranch-style raised bungalow on 50 rolling acres. 3+2 bdrms just refurbished, 6 fireplaces, 14 ft concrete pool & 3-car garage. 7 paddocks, 9 box stalls, hay barn & run-in shed. Zoned for indoor arena. $1,395,000 Jamie Gairdner**

BRIGHTWATER FARMS! Fully operational hunter/jumper horse farm on 30 fenced acs close to Erin. 3-bdrm house w/ mstr on main flr. 1-bdrm apt 2nd flr. 70’ x 185’ arena, 100’ x 200’ sand ring, 7 paddocks, 32 stalls, pond. $1,185,000 Jamie Gairdner**

1868 STONE HOUSE! Marvelous stone house w/ 4 bdrms on 2 acs in Halton Hills. 7 mins to Georgetown Go station. Everything has been modernized without compromising the architecture or construction of the 1800’s. $875,000 Jamie Gairdner**

GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY! Plan of subdivision to be approved plus levies and development charges for buyers account. Once approval for servicing is complete, it’s estimated that 6 lots would be max number allowed. $497,000 Jamie Gairdner**

SOLD

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

905-584-2727 1-866-251-3232 15955 Airport Road, #104, Caledon East Independently Owned and Operated

Career Opportunities Available

www.ReMaxSpecialists.ca

For confidential interview, contact Heather Stimpson, Sales Rep/Manager hstimpton@trebnet.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

HOME, HOME ON THE GRANGE Exquisite 100+ acres at Grange Sdrd & Kennedy Rd. Pristine pastoral & long city views. Rustic barn, large pond, farmland & wooded areas. Quaint home with w/o bsmt, solarium, large inground pool, sep guest apt with kitchen & bath. Priced for a milliondollar estate home on one of the nicest parcels of land in Caledon. $1,499,000 905-456-3232 www.mariabritto.com

JAMES KAVANAGH & VERONICA FOURNIER

SUPERB OPPORTUNITY! Minutes To Brampton, over 1/2 an acre. 4-bedroom country property featuring a warm and inviting living room and dining room combo. With hardwood floors, new kitchen and bathrooms, elegant cabinetry. Shows well! View more pictures online. $539,000 416-887-7242 www.JamesandVeronica.com

MARIA BRITTO

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

BROKER

BRUCE LIVINGSTON SALES REPRESENTATIVE

SALES REPRESENTATIVES

VICTORIA PHILLIPS

SIGRID DOHERTY

TWO SEPARATE HOMES Caledon, nearly 60 acs. 5,000 sq ft house, designer decor. Great rm, open-concept gourmet kit, 5 bdrms, fin w/o bsmt & in-law suite. Second house, nearly 2,500 sq ft, 3 bdrms, chef's kit w/ granite prep area & fin w/o bsmt. Saltwater pool, 7 indoor parking spots, lovely century barn, multiple outbuildings, amazing views. $1,475,000 416-953-4724 www.CountrySpecialist.ca

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

PAUL & CHRISTEL SACHS SALES REPRESENTATIVES

CALEDON EAST Delightful starter home or investment property, completely updated with new kitchen 2010, new roof shingles 2008, new windows, doors, furnace and central air 2009. 1/4 acre lot just south of Caledon East, fully fenced yard and garden shed. Great opportunity to get into the market. Quick closing available. $359,000 416-274-1592

2 BEAUTIFUL LOTS LOOKING FOR HOMES 50 plus acres located on Highpoint Road with woods, long views both north and south. $574,000 34 acres located in the Hills of Mono with year-round stream and great views. $399,000 Call for a booking when you wish to be one with nature. 416-795-4454

CALEDON EAST 3-bedroom family home. Fabulous private lot with perennial gardens, mature trees, huge deck, hot tub, above ground pool. Home offers hardwood floors and ceramics, updated windows, bathrooms, and kitchen. Two walkouts. Access from house to 2-car garage. Walk to school and shopping. $449,900 416-949-1298 www.caledonhomefinder.com

SUSAN HUNTLEY SALES REPRESENTATIVE

LORIS ORTOLAN SALES REPRESENTATIVE

HEATHER STIMPSON SALES REP/MANAGER

A PLACE TO BE! Enjoy pastoral views from this spacious brick family bungalow. Savour home cooked meals in the huge country kitchen and open dining area. Relax in the formal living room and watch spectacular sunsets. End your day with a game of darts or Scrabble in front of the fireplace in the finished rec room. $409,900 905-584-2727 www.susanhuntley.ca

68-ACRE RENOVATED FARMHOUSE IN CALEDON Stunning reno’d 1895 farmhouse on 68 acs w/ terraced views of Caledon Hills. Features 3 bdrms, open concept kit w/ granite counters, 9.5' clgs, crown mldgs, 6” baseboards, 3 bath, 3-car grg, fp, grdns w/ irrigation & pool. Zoned farm residential w/ barn (26' x 40'), workshop & paddocks. $1,499,000 647-232-8419 www.LorisOrtolan.com

BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN REPLICA Situated on over 43 acres in the Hills of Mono. Excellent property features over 2,800 sq ft of luxurious living, 9 ft ceilings, family room with fireplace, gourmet kitchen, generous sized bedrooms, self-contained granny suite. Terrific barn and workshop. $995,000 519-940-5050 www.CountryHomesForSale.ca

TERRICE ESTATE IN MONO Spectacular grounds, majestic trees on approx 70 acres, 11,000 sq ft of living space, carriage house plus workshop. Solid construction using the highest of grade materials. Sweeping vistas of lush greens and water features, terraced perennial gardens, indoor spa, home theatre, 3-season Muskoka room. $5,875,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

FRENCH COUNTRY ON THE CREDIT 15 acres on the Credit River in Inglewood, long escarpment views, home office opportunity for health care. $1,599,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

PRIVACY IN BELFOUNTAIN 4-bedroom stone home on 3.59 acres, indoor pool, large workshop, 2-level fish pond. Close to Caledon Ski Club. $1,499,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

ESCARPMENT VIEWS ON 9.8 ACRES A commuters dream with close access to Hwy 10. 5,000 sq ft, 4-bedrooms ensuite, multiple walkouts to balconies. $1,499,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

STUNNING PROPERTY IN MONO Located on the quiet Hurontario St, custom-built home, guest house, pool, tennis, endless trails and long views. $1,350,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

CUSTOM HOME, EIGHTH LINE ERIN Beautifully manicured 12-ac property w/ ponds, 4,000 sq ft, open concept kit/great rm, 3 bdrm, on demand power generator, b/i sub zero appliances. $1,350,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

EXECUTIVE STYLE ON HUMBER TRAIL Approx 3 acres, 5,000 sq ft, in-law suite, pool, home theatre, 5 bedrooms, custom kitchen, private lot. $1,100,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

HWY 89 AND 1ST LINE MONO 3,850 sq ft bungalow on 9.5 acres with stream running, large great room, sunroom, walkout from finished basement, workshop. $1,069,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

LIKE NEW ON HUMBER TRAIL Completely renovated down to the studs, large principle rooms, inground pool, 6 bedrooms, in-law suite w/ kitchenette, 1.5+ acres backing onto golf course, very private backyard. $989,000 Diana Cooper, Sales Rep

SPECTACULAR ON SHAWS CREEK Set back on 2.5 acres, quiet country road, 6 bdrms, professionally landscaped backyard w/ Muskoka room, 2-level workshop, fish pond, custom kitchen, lots of hardwood, finished basement. $769,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

HERITAGE ROAD, TERRA COTTA 2,000 sq ft set back on 4.5 acres, very private, requires some work, large barn - convert to garage, pond, 3 bedrooms, professional manicured property, purchase & plan your dream home. $700,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

MONO CENTRE ROAD AND HURONTARIO STREET 4.84 acs w/ stream running through it, 3,500 sq ft custom-built kit, home theatre & mstr suite, 3car det plus utility shed, 3 bdrms, 3 newly ren’d washrooms. $649,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

1.6 ACRES EXECUTIVE STYLE, HUMBER TRAIL 5,000 sq ft living space on 1.6 acres, 2-car garage, 4 bdrms, walkout to deck & pool, 2bdrm in-law suite, 2 full kitchens, wrap-around porch. $645,000 Diana Cooper, Sales Rep

VERY PRIVATE ON HURONTARIO, CALEDON Set 600 ft back from Hurontario, hrdwd bush, 2,400 sq ft w/ 3+1 bdrms, main flr laundry, 3 w/o’s to decks, main flr office, 3 fp’s, hrdwd flr, fin bsmt. $579,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

COUNTRY CHARM ON HWY 10 3,000 sq ft of impeccable history. Pine flooring, 3 bedrooms, upgraded bathrooms, private on 1/2 acre, perfect for home occupation, large sitting area on 2nd floor. $469,000 Jim Wallace, Broker

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

Making a move? I offer peace of mind! A local and trusted professional with proven results for 20 years

Kathy Ellis

Sales Representative

905-874-3040 / 519-833-9714 kellis@xplornet.com www.kathyellis.ca

STUNNING CALEDON ESTATE Fabulous 10-acre property with breathtaking views. Stately Georgian-styled residence with gleaming hardwood & marble floors, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, vast windows & multiple gas fireplaces. Finished walkout lower level. $1,095,000

ISLAND LAKE BUNGALOW Great views of the lake! Kitchen w/ granite tops & vaulted ceiling plus a 2nd kitchen on the lower level. Master w/ 6-pc ens & deck access w/ lake view. Nicely finished walkout basement w/ 2 extra bdrms & games room w/ wet bar. 3-car garage. Orangeville. $789,000

MONO MAGIC ON 23.9 ACRES Lovely, completely updated home within 45 second walk to your private oasis with beautiful stocked pond and insulated cabin with fireplace and dock. Swim, fish, skate, hike and simply enjoy. Home has newer kitchen, roof, windows, furnace, floors, and shows very well. Finished basement with 3-piece and spacious office, rec room and 4th bedroom. Superb new 3-bay garage (26' x 36') plus 2-car attached garage. Incredible property, lovely trails, gorgeous forest and an incredible pond, deep, clean and pristine. $885,000

NEW CUSTOM ESTATE HOME Exceptional curb appeal. High quality home on approx 33 rolling acres. Featuring a beamed great rm w/ soaring windows, 2 lofts easily used as guest areas. A lavish master bdrm on the main flr. Pick your paint, hrdwd & kit (w/ allowance). Caledon. $1,795,000

WONDERFUL HOBBY FARM 1-1/2 storey, farmhouse w/ newer addition & many recent upgrades, incl windows. Terrific bank barn w/ water, hydro & cement floor. Approx 11 acres on a quiet road. Protected conservation lands w/ lake across the street. A great set-up for horses! Caledon. $869,000

MARKET GARDEN Lovely 60 acres near Victoria, Caledon for sale with updated and charming home, in-law apt, legal 3-bdrm trailer with its own septic, pond, stream, 10 acres of hardwood bush, arable lands set up with irrigation, great investment property. $1,830,000

CLASSIC CANADIANA IN CALEDON Superb 57 acres, fantastic pre 1900’s home, totally renovated with addition and stunning updates. Gorgeous kitchen, family room and main floor master, 6-piece ensuite. Loft, barn with 11 stalls, paddocks and pond. Stunning acreage close to TO. $2,495,000

INCREDIBLE VIEWS, CALEDON 2 charming homes, 4-stall barn & workshop/ storage facility set on approx 18 gently rolling acs w/ the Niagara Escarpment as your backdrop! The main bungalow home has been totally reno’d. Paddocks, water & hydro to the barn. A great place to call home. $899,000

CALEDON EAST GEM On one of Caledon East’s sought after streets. This large home includes Corian counters, hrdwd flrs, main flr library & a huge dining rm w/ one of 4 fp’s. Sep nanny suite on the 2nd flr. Fin bsmt. 3-car garage + a 2-car garage. Just over 1.5 acs of treed privacy. $999,999

THE HISTORIC “LOFT HOUSE” Rare opportunity to own this unique converted barn located on 3 very private acres close to Georgetown, surrounded by peace and tranquility. Spacious rooms with cathedral ceiling, hrdwd flrs, stone fireplace, skylights, walkouts & walkout lower level. $969,000

SPECTACULAR EXECUTIVE NORTH HALTON Overflowing w/ luxurious finishes; plaster trim, coffered ceilings, hrdwd, granite, cabinetry. Approx 4,300 sq ft + 4,000 fin bsmt. Beautifully landscaped prop, saltwater pool, hot tub, pool house, privacy. Exceptional! $1,649,000

ONE-OF-A-KIND MASTERPIECE One of Caledon’s most beautiful properties. This modern work of art is extremely open concept w/ ultra high-end finishings. Tucked into a forest on over 63 acres. Walls of windows, travertine, maple, granite & more. Fin w/o lower level w/ wine room. $2,800,000

SUBLIME CALEDON LOCATION Close to the shops of beautiful Belfountain, mins to the Caledon Ski Club & Devil’s Pulpit Golf Course. Estate home on over 10 acres. Manicured, park-like setting & a floor plan that is geared toward entertaining. 1,500 sq ft great rm addition w/ custom bar. $1,050,000

HOME & COTTAGE ALL IN ONE! Super charmer on quiet street near Forks of the Credit River and Provincial Park. Home has large eat-in kitchen with fireplace and bright sunroom. 16’ x 24’ detached garage all set on a gorgeous 66’ x 165’ lot. $385,000

SUPERB 26.6 ACRES SOUTH CALEDON Charming home with gorgeous fieldstone fireplace, wood vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, picture windows, amazing views. Incredible private property, hardwood forest, seasonal stream and nature. $669,000

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

D L O

MOFFAT DUNLAP REAL ESTATE LIMITED, BROKERAGE

905-841-7430 www.moffatdunlap.com Moffat Dunlap*, John Dunlap**, Peter Boyd, Murray Snider, George Webster, Peter Bowers*** *Chairman, **Broker of Record, ***Sales Representative

PARKMOOR, CALEDON A spectacular property for people who enjoy the active country lifestyle and privacy of 99 acres. Designed w/ country pursuits in mind! Swimming in the deep clean pond, hiking, skiing, biking or snowshoeing along groomed trails. $3,499,000

GEORGIAN MANOR, CALEDON 3 finished levels with 5 bedrooms. Newly renovated kitchen. Huge dining room with fireplace. Elegant master suite. Distant views. Stream. Tennis. Pool. 27 acres. $2,050,000

HIDDEN VALLEY, MONO A 143-acre estate with a substantial main house, an original farmhouse, a guest house, a staff house and large workshop with a 2nd floor studio. 3 huge aquifer/stream-fed ponds, kilometres of groomed trails throughout the varied terrain, an exceptional swimming pool surrounded by a moat with waterfall feature. $3,950,000

DISCOVER TRANQUILITY Peaceful 25-ac property w/ immaculate bungalow. Combined kit/din/fam rm w/ massive stone fp. Huge home office/library/rec rm in lower lvl. Enjoy the view of the lawns, woodlands & pond. Cut trails throughout the property. $675,000

EAST FARM, CALEDON Perfect site to build country estate. Distant views over countryside. 89 rolling acres. Huge paddocks. Maple sugar bush. Orig bank barn & workshop. Attractive 2-bdrm res for guest quarters. Multiple building sites. $1,150,000

QUIET STREAM FARM, CALEDON Prime location. A tributary of the Humber River meanders through the 84-acre farm. Miles of trails with mix of woods, rolling hills and farm fields. Solid farmhouse + separate office + workshop + storage buildings. $1,429,000

THE RANKIN HOUSE, CALEDON Exceptional Bill Grierson designed bungalow on a cul-de-sac in the Terra Cotta countryside. Balconies that wrap around the south and west sides were created to take full advantage of the views all the way to the CN Tower. $1,398,000

GARDINER FARM, CALEDON Renowned thoroughbred farm now a stallion station, thoroughbred nursery & training centre. 111 rolling acres with distant vistas. Indoor exercise track, outdoor galloping track. 100 box stalls & run-in facilities. $2,500,000

TORY GLEN FARM, CALEDON Lovely Caledon horse property. Renovated home with 3 finished levels. Stable with indoor arena, sand ring, 20 stalls, board paddocks. 5 minutes to Palgrave. 35 private acres. $1,995,000

GRAND CALEDON ESTATE A superb country estate of unmatched scenery with outstanding buildings. Main house + 3 other houses. Tennis, pool, sporting clays, ponds, streams, orchard, stunning views. In the heart of Caledonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forks of the Credit Valley. $19,000,000

GRANDE FARMS, MONO 100-acre horse farm owned in 2 separate lots. Fully renovated main house with luxury kitchen and master suite. 24-stall barn, massive indoor arena, staff house. Immaculate paddocks and miles of trails. $3,350,000

KINGSBORO FARM Picturesque farm with updated century farmhouse + coach house. Fully renovated equestrian complex with 19 stalls, huge indoor arena, new paddocks and sand ring. 70 acres. 5 mins to Palgrave. $1,900,000

BRIARDALE, CALEDON Updated farmhouse on 25 acres. Studio building plus century barn and pond. Long trails which leads into Glen Haffy Park. $799,000

POND VIEW, HOCKLEY 3-bedroom, 3-bath home on almost 15 acres. Ponds plus woods ensure total privacy. Lovely fireplace in the living room + walkout to huge deck. Almost new home. $574,900

DOWNWIND, AMARANTH 5-bdrm home on approx 20 acres, 15 mins from Orangeville. Lovely swimming pond w/ extensive decks, sandy beach & waterfall feature. The house has a large open concept kit, breakfast area, family rm w/ fieldstone fp. $849,000

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

I L L U S T R AT I O N S J I M S T E WA R T

Fire2012 & Ice A Family Festival of Flames, Food & Fine Art Sat. Jan. 21 & Sun. Jan. 22, 2012 • Skating on the Mill Pond • Snow sculptures • Raku pottery firing in an outdoor kiln • Country Forge demos • Fiery flambé treats, chili, BBQ and hot chocolate • Indoors: creative workshops & demonstrations by studio artists

What’s on in the Hills A

OPEN YEAR ROUND WED – SUN 10 – 5 & HOLIDAY MONDAYS 10 MINUTES S. OF ORANGEVILLE | W. OF HIGHWAY 10

1402 Queen St. Alton Village

519-941-9300 altonmill.ca

Girls’ Night Out

Dinner and a Makeover

C A L E N D A R

arts+craft NOW – NOV 27 : STILL WATER, MOVING BRONZE Hugh Russel: sculpture. Yaohua

Yan: watercolour. Craig Bell: photos and mixed media. Elaine Heath: watercolour. Wed–Sun 10am-5pm. Crimson Feather Gallery, Alton Mill, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519-217-3370; crimsonfeather.com NOW – DEC 15 : TEXTILES: MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY Various pieces and

Escape & enjoy a sumptuous dinner, free gifts & fun with your friends & co-workers. Your complete makeover includes the latest techniques in: Skin Care • Glamour • Hand Pampering Greystones Inn 63 Broadway, Orangeville $38 pp (3-course meal included) Cash Bar Dates: December 15, January 12, February 23 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Order Your Tickets Now! Call Connie Smith at 519-939-8393

20 quilts tell stories of our community’s past. Museum hours & admission. Dufferin Country Museum & Archives, Hwy 89 & Airport Rd. 1-877-941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com NOW – MAR 13 : DAM GALLERY EXHIBITIONS Nov 11 – Dec 6: Pieces

O F

W I N T E R

H A P P E N I N G S

u NOV 25 – 27, DEC 3 & 4 : ART OF GIVING CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALE

7 artists – 8 mediums. Nov 25, 6-9pm. Nov 26, 27 & Dec 3, 4, 10am-5pm. Turn-of-Fate Studio, 5890 4th Line, Erin, near Hillsburgh. Jennifer McKinnon. 519-855-9639; turnoffatestudio.ca

u NOV 25 – 27 : CHRISTMAS AT

MAPLE GLEN Fresh wreathes, handcrafts,

shortbread, jellies, plus vintage linen treasures. 10am-4pm. 151275 12th Line, W of Marsville, Orton. 519-855-4345; mapleglen.antiques@gmail.com

NOV 26 : HAND-PRINTED CHRISTMAS CARDS Create your own with Liz

Eakins. 10am-3pm. $90, materials $20, register. Mad and Noisy Gallery, 154 Mill St, Creemore. 705-466-5555; madandnoisy.com

of Eight, reception Nov 19, 1-4pm. Dec 9 – Jan 3: Small Art – Big Ideas, reception Dec 17, 1-4pm. Jan 6 – Feb 14: Feature Exhibition TBA, reception Jan 14, 1-4pm. Feb 17 – March 13: Passions, reception Feb 25, 1-4pm. Free. Alton Mill, 1402 Queen St, Alton. thehillsofheadwaters.com

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

artists with pieces that tell a story. WedSun 10am-5pm. Alton Mill, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519-217-3370; crimsonfeather.com DEC 1 : KAZURI JEWELLERY FUNDRAISER FOR AFRICA Support the Stephen Lewis

Foundation and African grandmothers raising AIDS orphans. Cash/cheque only. 10am-7pm. Dragonﬂy Arts, 189 Broadway, Orangeville. Orangeville GoGo Grannies, 519-941-9966; dragonﬂyarts.ca

u DEC 3 : “A MERRY LITTLE

CHRISTMAS” CRAFT SALE Local handcrafted items. 10am-4pm. Honeywood Arena, Cty Rd 21, Mulmur. 519-925-0731; lynng@bmts.com

DEC 8 – MID-JAN : MAYFIELD S.S. VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITS Students exhibit

their artwork at Caledon Library, AlbionBolton branch, 150 Queen St S. Mayﬁeld Secondary School, 905-846-6060.

u NOV 26 – DEC 4 : MAD & NOISY

of-a-kind items from over 45 artists. $3. Nov 18: launch party, 7-10pm, RSVP 1-877941-7787. Museum hours. Dufferin Country Museum & Archives, Hwy 89 & Airport Rd. 1-877-941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com

GALLERY CHRISTMAS SHOW Unique

u NOV 24 : 54 HANDS – HOLIDAY

Ledden: woodturner. Dennis Campbell: photographer. Peter Miehm: painter. Mon, Wed-Sat 11am-5pm; Sun noon-4pm. Mad and Noisy Gallery, 154 Mill St, Creemore. 705-466-5555; madandnoisy.com

galleries open with 27 artists. 6-9pm. Alton Mill, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519-9419300; altonmill.ca

NOV 30 – JAN 8 : STORIES LOST AND FOUND Alice Vander Vennen joins other

Dragonfly artists displayed on the feature wall. Dragonfly Arts, 189 Broadway, Orangeville. 519-941-5249; dragonflyarts.ca

glass, fabric, paint, silver, stone, ceramic and more. Wed-Sun noon-5pm. Williams Mill Gallery, 515 Main St, Glen Williams. 905-873-8203; williamsmill.com

OPEN HOUSE Silent auction, studios,

to win the painting. 2-4pm. $35, register. Alton Mill, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 416-9938885; markgricetheartist.weebly.com

DEC 7 – 24 : SMALL WONDERS All

NOV 9 – DEC 25 : BIG SHOW, SMALL WORKS 35 Mill artists working in wood,

NOV 18 – DEC 4 : HOLIDAY TREASURES ARTS & CRAFTS SALE One-

NOV 27 : TWO-HOUR LANDSCAPE PAINTING DEMO WITH MARK GRICE Chance

gifts made by local artists. Mon, Wed-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun noon-4pm. 154 Mill St, Creemore. 705-466-5555; madandnoisy.com

NOV 26 – DEC 24 : ELEMENTS Taylor

u DEC 10 : CHRISTMAS CRAFT SALE

Handmade crafts and baked goods. 9am2pm. Community Living Dufferin, 065371 Cty Rd 3, Orangeville. 519-941-8971; communitylivingdufferin.ca JAN 2 – 29 : CREEMORECENTRIC SHOW

Get a blank canvas at the gallery, then paint your interpretation of life in Creemore. Art sold through silent auction. Mon, Wed-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun noon-4pm. Mad and Noisy Gallery, 154 Mill St, Creemore. 705-466-5555; madandnoisy.com

JAN 8 & 15 : MOLTEN GLASS Make glass items while learning the basics. 1-4pm. $115, register. TurtleCreek Art Glass, 8106 30/31 Sdrd, Nottawa. Mad and Noisy Gallery, 705-466-5555; madandnoisy.com JAN 21 : GETTING TO AN ABSTRACT PAINTING DD Gadjanski demonstrates.

10am-4pm. Victoria Parks Community Centre, Mono Mills. $70, register. Orangeville Art Group, 519-307-0210; orangevilleartgroup.ca FEB 18 & 25 : TAPESTRY-CROCHET

Create a 3-dimensional bag or vessel using basic crochet stitch. 1-4pm. $90. Station on the Green, Caroline St, Creemore. Mad and Noisy Gallery, 705-466-5555; madandnoisy.com FEB 18 : LANDSCAPES IN WATERCOLOUR

Learn to paint landscapes with Jake Mol. 10am-4pm. $70, register. Victoria Parks Community Centre, Mono Mills. Orangeville Art Group, 519-307-0210; orangevilleartgroup.ca MAR 10 : LIGHT AND MOVEMENT IN PAINTINGS Workshop with impressionist

John David Anderson. 10am-4pm. $70, register. Victoria Parks Community Centre, Mono Mills. Orangeville Art Group, 519-307-0210; orangevilleartgroup.ca

at Risk Elder Abuse program, dialysis unit at Headwaters. Available at Booklore or 519-943-5999/519-942-9789.

u NOV 21 : TWELVE DAYS OF

8th Annual

CHRISTMAS Silent auction of $50 and

up gift baskets from local businesses. Proceeds to “Read for Life.” Library hours, 12 days. Orangeville Library, 1 Mill St. IODE Yellow Briar Chapter, 519-941-0610; orangeville.library.on.ca NOV 22 : Q&A: UNIVERSITY LIFE Bring your concerns and doubts about life after high school. 7–8pm. Free. Caledon Public Library, Albion-Bolton Branch, 150 Queen St S, Caledon. 905-857-1400; caledon. library.on.ca NOV 24 – 27 : CALEDON KENNEL ASSOCIATION DOG SHOW All breed

championship shows, seminars. Nov 26, Royal Canin National Breeders’ Classic, 6pm. Program on website. Free. Orangeville Fairgrounds, 5 Sdrd Mono, off Hockley Rd. caledondogs.com NOV 26 : TWEEDSMUIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BAZAAR Crafts, baking, jewel-

lery, attic treasures, silent auction. 9am1pm. 6 John St, Orangeville. 519-941-1334; janers@rogers.com NOV 29 & DEC 13 : CALEDON BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION SUPPORT GROUP

Meet with trained volunteers and survivors in a safe, conﬁdential environment. 7-9pm. Caledon Seniors Centre, Bolton. 905-857-4068; caledonbcf.org DEC 1 : SENIOR CITIZENS’ SOCIAL Be

Sat. Nov. 19 to Sun. Dec. 4 Tues. - Sat. 10am-5pm Sun. 12pm - 5pm s Closed Mondays Admission $3.00

For info: Toll free 1-877-941-7787 www.dufferinmuseum.com events@dufferinmuseum.com Featuring the creations of more than 45

artists and artisans

entertained with performances by our dancers, actors and musicians. Noon2:30pm. Free. Mayﬁeld Secondary School, 5000 Mayﬁeld Rd, Caledon. 905-846-6060

community YEAR-ROUND (THURSDAYS) : ADJUSTMENTS AFTER BIRTH A support group for

mothers affected by postpartum mood disorders. 1:30-3:30pm. Caledon ParentChild Centre, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-0090; cp-cc.org

DEC 2 – 31 : CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK An Orangeville tradition,

Christmas displays and thousands of lights. Opens Dec 2, 7pm. 6:3010:30pm until Dec 31. Kay-Cee Gardens Park, Bythia St, Orangeville. Donations accepted. Optimist Club of Orangeville. orangevilleoptimists.ca

u DEC 3 : PALGRAVE TREE LIGHTING

YEAR-ROUND (2ND TUESDAY EACH MONTH): MS SUPPORT GROUP

Carol singing, Santa Claus, drinks and snacks. 5:30-7pm. Tree lighting 6pm. Palgrave Stationlands Park. Palgrave Rotary. 905-880-1590; brochon@rogers.com

Brampton & Caledon Chapter. 6:308:30pm, Christ Church Anglican, 22 Nancy St, Bolton. 905-458-0267; mssociety.ca

DEC 4 : B&B CHRISTMAS COOKIE TOUR Tour four local Creemore B&Bs.

NOW TO SPRING 2012 : COLOURFUL ROOTS: THE JOURNEY TO THE SECRET GARDEN Submit your handmade 10 x 10

squares for fabric garden in the new PHC tunnel. Items repurposed into blankets, scarves, mitts and hats. Peel Heritage Complex, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; peelheritagecomplex.org

u NOW – DEC 18 : SHELBURNE LIONS ROCKING HORSE DRAW Chance to win one of Jim Cheyne’s handcrafted rocking horses in time for Christmas. Tickets at Shelburne No Frills and Foodland. 519925-6528; shelburneontlions.ca NOW (ONGOING) : AMARANTH LIONS CLUB OF ORANGEVILLE 2012 FUNDRAISING LOTTERY CASH CALENDAR $20. Cash prizes for the year,

proceeds to Orangeville Theatre youth program, Orangeville food bank, Seniors

Donations to Community Christmas Dinner. 1-4pm. Angel House Bed & Breakfast, 3 Nelson St. Creemore & Area Bed & Breakfast Association, 705-4666505; creemorebb.com DEC 6 : NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Join Family Transition Place in

remembering victims of woman abuse. Orangeville: 11:30am, Family Transition Place. Bolton: 7pm, Caledon Public Library. Both outdoors. Family Transition Place, 20 Bredin Pkwy, Orangeville. 519-942-4122; familytransitionplace.ca

DEC 7 : ALTON CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING Refreshments, vendors, book

sale and more. 6-8:30pm. Caledon Public Library, 35 Station St, Alton. Friends of Caledon Public Library, 905-857-1400; caledon.library.on.ca continued on next page IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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continued from page 71

DEC 7 – 19 (VARIOUS DATES) : CELEBRATE THE SEASON @ THE LIBRARY Share stories, songs and activities

about winter holidays from around the world. Dec 7, 7-8pm, Alton. Dec 8th, 7-8pm, Belfountain. Dec 10, 7-8pm, Margaret Dunn Valleywood. Dec 15, 7-8pm, Inglewood. Dec 17, 3-4pm, Caledon Village. Dec 19, 7-8pm, Albion Bolton. Dec 22, 7-8pm, Caledon East. Caledon Public Library. caledon.library.on.ca

DEC 8 : SENIORS AND STUDENTS CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION @ THE LIBRARY Music and light refreshments.

1:30pm. Albion Bolton branch, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. Caledon Public Library, 905857-1400; caledon.library.on.ca

DEC 11 : TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH, CAMPBELL’S CROSS – CHRISTMAS LESSONS AND CAROLS

Peter Cellars Pub SPECIALIZING IN SINGLE MALT SCOTCH · LIVE MUSIC ON FRIDAYS

McLaren Room

STONE FIREPLACE · WIRELESS INTERNET · PROJECTION SCREEN PERFECT FOR RECEPTIONS OR BUSINESS MEETINGS UP TO 40

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WE CATER ANY DAY · LARGE OR SMALL PARTIES · ON OR OFF SITE LUNCH & DINNER 11.30 AM – 9.00 PM · THURSDAY – SUNDAY & HOLIDAY MONDAYS IN THE HAMLET OF MONO CENTRE · 519 941 5109 · WWW.MONOCLIFFSINN.CA SPECIALIZING IN AUSTRALIAN WINES

Coffee hour follows service. 9:15am. 3515 King St, Caledon. Donations to church. 905-838-1623; ruth.wiggins@sympatico.ca

DEC 11 : RELESSEY OLDE FASHIONED CAROL SERVICE Enjoy carols

and fellowship. Hot cider and goodies follow. 2:30pm. Relessey Church, Mono Centre Rd at 5th Line. 519-941-1100 DEC 12 : WOMEN’S HEALTH @ THE LIBRARY Dr. Ali Miller presents natural

solutions for women’s health. 7pm. Free, register. Caledon Public Library, AlbionBolton branch, 150 Queen St S. 905-8571400; caledon.library.on.ca DEC 17, JAN 21, FEB 18, MAR 17 : PANCAKE BREAKFAST Join us for a

delicious breakfast. 9-11am. $5; kids/ seniors $3.Proceeds to Bolton Sea Cadets. Bolton United Church, 8 Nancy St. Caledon Navy League, 647-233-7182.

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DEC 24 : CRADLE SERVICE Take your child’s picture with animals of the stable. 3:30pm. Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. 519-941-0381; westminsterorangeville.ca

DEC 24 : CHRISTMAS EVE FAMILY SERVICE Joy to the World cantata

with a traditional pageant. 7pm. Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. 519-941-0381; westminsterorangeville.ca

DEC 24 : CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT COMMUNION SERVICE 10pm. Westminster United

Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. 519941-0381; westminsterorangeville.ca

Transfer to DVD

DEC 24 : TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH, CAMPBELL’S CROSS – CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE 8:45pm. Refreshments

follow. 3515 King St, Caledon. 905-8381623; ruth.wiggins@sympatico.ca

u DEC 31 : FIRST NIGHT CELEBRATION MuchMusic video dance in parking lot,

indoor ice skating, horse-drawn wagon/ sleigh rides, live entertainment. Free swim, 6:30-7:30pm. Fireworks, 10pm. Tony Rose Sports Centre, 6 Northmen Way, Orangeville. orangeville.org JAN 13 (FRIDAYS): PARENTING EDUCATION WORKSHOPS For parents of children

6 & under. Childcare available, small fee. 9:30-11am (Sept-June). Free, register. Caledon Parent-Child Centre, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-0090; cp-cc.org JAN 15 : MONO TREE CHIPPING WINTERFEST Sleigh rides, skating, tobogganing,

snowshoeing, cross-country skiing. Snowshoes/skis provided. Crafts, games. Noon-4pm. Mono Community Centre, 754483 Mono Centre Rd. Donations to food bank. 519-941-3599; townofmono.com JAN 21 & 22 : FIRE & ICE WINTER FESTIVAL OF FLAMES, FOOD AND FINE ART Skating, shinny on the mill pond,

snow sculpture, ﬁre-themed works of art, food from Shaw’s Creek Café. Jan 21, 10am7pm. Jan 22, 10am-5pm. Alton Mill, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519-941-9300; altonmill.ca JAN 26 : A YEAR TO A NEW YOU – LIFE COACHING WITH TAMMY ELLIOTT Make

your New Year’s resolution stick! 7-8:30pm. Free. Caledon Public Library, AlbionBolton branch, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-1400; caledon.library.on.ca JAN 28 : ALTON MILLPOND HOCKEY TOURNAMENT Friendly matches between

Alton, Belfountain, Inglewood and Caledon. Beer garden, BBQ. 9:30am-9pm. Free. Donations to Millpond Rehabilitation Fund. Dinner Alton Mill, $30. Tickets 519-927-5365 or Alton Mill, Lions Club of Caledon, Caledon Optimist Club. 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519-927-5365; altonmill.ca JAN 29 : WALK FOR MEMORIES Pledge money and walk to raise funds for the Alzheimer Society of Dufferin County. 8:30-11am. Orangeville Mall, 150 First St. (519)941-1221; alzheimerdufferin.org FEB 11 : CHILLY WILLY GOLF TOURNAMENT Winter golf using tennis balls. All

ages. Tee off 9:30am, lunch at Amaranth Community Centre, 1pm. $40; lunch only $15. Lynbrook Family Golf Centre. Amaranth Lions Club of Orangeville, 519-941-8398; amaranthlions.com FEB 20 : FAMILY X-COUNTRY SKI DAY

Equipment provided free. Après-ski, hot chocolate, cider, chilli. 9am-4pm. Monora Park Pavilion, Hwy 10, just N of Orangeville. Town of Mono/Mono Nordic Ski Club, 519-941-3599; townofmono.com FEB 20 : SNOWFEST FAMILY DAY HOLIDAY

8mm, Super-8, 16mm Film, Video & Audio tape

Slides & Photos ★ Custom production, editing, packaging ★ www.ADD-duplications.com

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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Snowshoe, dog sled and ski races, horsedrawn sleigh rides, ice sculpting, snow castle contests, cook-off. 10am-6pm. Caledon Fair Grounds, Caledon Village. Caledon Agricultural Society, 905-8385182; caledonfairgrounds.ca

FEB 23 : A YEAR TO A NEW YOU – WOMEN & WEALTH With Brenda Hill, investment

advisor with BMO Nesbitt Burns. 7-8:30pm. Free. Caledon Public Library, AlbionBolton branch, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-1400; caledon.library.on.ca FEB 26 : FAMILY OF BRAMPTON FESTIVAL Displays, demonstrations and

concerts by various arts groups. 1-6pm. Afternoon session free; concert $25, with two children under 12 free. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. Brampton Festival Singers/Brampton Library, bramptonfestivalsingersinc.org MAR 8 : INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY LUNCHEON FUNDRAISER Features

inspirational author and motivational speaker Rosita Hall. Proceeds to Family Transition Place. 11:30am. $45; $40 early bird. Best Western Orangeville, 7 Buena Vista Dr. Family Transition Place, 519-9424122; familytransitionplace.ca

kids u SANTA CLAUS PARADES ERIN : Nov 26, 1:30pm. McCullogh Dr

& Main St S. erin.ca GRAND VALLEY : Nov 26, 7-9pm.

Main St & Community Centre. BOLTON : Dec 3, 11am. Queensgate & Queen. boltonkin.com SHELBURNE : Dec 3, 5pm. townofshelburne.ca

u NOW – DEC 3 : LETTERS TO SANTA Write your letter to Santa. All

Caledon library branches provide seasonal stationery and post them for you. Free. 905-857-1400; caledon.library.on.ca NOW – MAR 12 (MONDAYS) : STORYTIME @ THE LIBRARY Half hour of stories,

rhymes and songs for all ages. Free, with parent/caregiver. Caledon Public Library, Albion-Bolton Branch, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-1400; caledon.library.on.ca NOW – APR 24 : RHYMES WITH ORANGE – TEEN CREATIVE WRITING GROUP Young adult (14-18) creative

NOV 26 : HEADWATERS AUXILIARY CANDY CANE FAIR Photo with Santa, $3.

Face painting, kids’ dollar store, bake & craft sale. Proceeds to hospital equipment. 9-11:30am, noon-2:30pm. Headwaters Health Care Centre, Orangeville. 519-9412410; headwatershealth.ca

u DEC 3 : BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

Games and prizes. 9am-noon. $5; $20 family. Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. 519-941-0381; westminsterorangeville.ca

u DEC 5 : CHRISTMAS STORYTIME

Songs, ﬁnger plays, cookie decorating. 9:15-10am, 10:15-11am. Free, register Dec 1. Orangeville Public Library, 275 Alder St. 519-941-0610, ext 5233; orangeville.library. on.ca DEC 7 : MUSIC WITH BRIAN Dance, sing, play, learn about instruments for ages 0-6. 10:30am-11:15am. Free, register Dec 1. Orangeville Public Library, 1 Mill St. 519941-0610, ext 5233 or 5004; orangeville. library.on.ca

u DEC 8 : CRAFTING WITH ELVES

Crafts for kids 6 and under, with adult. 10:30am-11:30am. Free, register Dec 1. Orangeville Public Library, 1 Mill St. 519941-0610, ext 5233; orangeville.library.on.ca

u DEC 9 : CHRISTMAS STORYTIME

Songs, ﬁnger plays, cookie decorating. 10:15-11am, 1:15-2pm. Free, register Dec 1. Orangeville Public Library, 1 Mill St. 519941-0610, ext 5233; orangeville.library.on.ca DEC 16 : GIFTS FROM THE HEART WORKSHOP An interactive craft workshop

branches of Caledon Public Library. Other storytimes and youth programs begin Jan 2012. 10am. 905-857-1400; caledon. library.on.ca

JAN 30 – FEB 4: CHILDREN’S EARLY LEARNING – PROGRAM REGISTRATION

NOW – JUNE (TUESDAYS): LET’S GET TOGETHER Connect with other families

FEB 9 : VALENTINE’S FAMILY FUN NIGHT Crafts, dancing and bedtime

structured play-based learning programs. 9:15-11:30am. Ages 6 & under. Free, register. Inglewood United Church, 15672 McLaughlin Rd, Inglewood. Caledon ParentChild Centre, 905-857-0090; cp-cc.org

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DEC 17 : STORYTIME REGISTRATION @ THE LIBRARY For preschoolers, all

Baby playtime, Mother Goose, parenting, fun with phonics, and more. 9:30. Free. Caledon Parent-Child Centre, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-0090; cp-cc.org

NOW – ONGOING (2ND & 4TH SATURDAYS) : CREATIVE SATURDAYS IN INGLEWOOD Family time drop-in and

celebrate family, friends and special times

for adults & children 2-6. 9:30-11am. $5/child. Childcare, small fee. Caledon Parent-Child Centre, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-0090; cp-cc.org

writing in a safe, welcoming environment, all levels. 7-8pm. Orangeville Public Library, 1 Mill St. Free. 519-941-0610; orangeville.library.on.ca

to explore parenting a child, 6 & under, with special needs. Light dinner. Siblings welcome. 5:30-7pm. Free, register. Caledon Parent-Child Centre, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-0090; cp-cc.org

F I N E D I N I N G . C A S UA L E L E G A N C E . H I S TO R I C C H A R M .

stories. Face painting, small fee. Dress in seasonal red or pink. 5-7pm. Caledon Parent-Child Centre, 150 Queen St. S, Bolton. 905-857-0090; cp-cc.org

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MAR 14 : RICHARD SCARRY’S BUSYTOWN

Follow the adventures of Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm and more, with songs and audience interaction. 1 & 4pm. $30-$40. Child pricing available. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca continued on next page

u NOV 18 – 20, 25 – 27 : MOTHER GOOSE, BY MARGARET EGGLETON KAYE Traditional English pantomime

with audience participation. Nov 25, 26, 7pm. Nov 26, 27, 2pm. $12. Century Church Theatre, Trafalgar Rd & Station St, Hillsburgh. 519-855-4586; centurychurchtheatre.com IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

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environment +outdoors

Mature subject matter. 8pm. $28-$48. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca FEB 15 – 19 : SHE LOVES ME Anonymous pen pals work together, blissfully unaware they’re writing to each other at night. Feb 15-18, 8pm. Feb 19, 7pm. Feb 18 & 19, 2pm. $33-54. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca

NOW (ONGOING) : TUESDAY HIKERS’ PROGRAM Hike the Bruce Trail, 10-

15km, year-round, rain, shine or snow. 9am. Various locations. Free. Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club, 905-216-7559; caledonbrucetrail.org

FEB 16 : THE COMEDY LOUNGE Featuring

Comedy Now regular Pete Zedlacher. 8pm. $25. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca

NOV 29 : ONTARIO’S BATS: WHITE NOSE SYNDROME With Lesley Hale, science

and information branch, MNR. 7:30pm. Orangeville Seniors’ Centre, 26 Bythia St. Upper Credit Field Naturalists, 519-925-3968 JAN 10, FEB 14 & MAR 13 : ORANGEVILLE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MONTHLY MEETING Jan 10: Plant Species at Risk in

Ontario. Feb 14: Dwarf Conifers. Mar 13: Creating a Pollinator Garden. 7-9:30pm. Orangeville Seniors’ Centre, 26 Bythia St. orangevillehort.org JAN 31 : EDIBLE & MEDICINAL PLANTS Identifying, harvesting,

drying and preparing plants, with Alexis Burnett. 7:30-9pm. Orangeville Seniors’ Centre, 26 Bythia St. Upper Credit Field Naturalists, 519-925-3968; uppercreditﬁeldnaturalists.org

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IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

ﬁlm of Caledon artist Cory Trepanier’s painting excursions in the Arctic wilderness. 7:30pm. $20, online or phone. Galaxy Cinemas, Orangeville. 905-880-2029, intothearctic.com

u DEC 11 & 18 : A CHRISTMAS CAROL

DEC 15 – 18 : A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL Complete with falling

BBQ lunch, après-ski goodies. 8am. $100. Caledon Ski Club, 17431 Mississauga Rd. William Osler Health System Foundation, 416-747-3388; oslerfoundation.org

theatre

Fully Approved Centre for Insurance Repairs / Structural Repairs / Towing Systems / Generators / RV Appliance / Roof Airs / Awnings / Pre-Owned RV Sales / RV Storage Inside or Outside

DEC 8 : INTO THE ARCTIC II Documentary

MAR 1 : SKI DAY: HEART ON THE HILLS Continental breakfast, lift ticket,

when Atari, bubble skirts and blue eye shadow were cool? Join the graduating class, set to the biggest hits of the ’80s. Nov 17-19, 25, 26, 8pm. Nov 20, 27, 2pm. $18; children/seniors, $15. Grace Tipling Hall, 203 Main St E, Shelburne. LP Stage Productions, 519-939-9038; lpstageproductionsinc.com

Specializing in Reliable Service and Repairs for All Models from Pop-Up Trailers to Rear Engine Diesels and Horse Trailers

The incomparable State Ballet Theatre of Russia presents the beloved classic. 7pm. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca

Peter Beckett, reclamation and wetland ecologist. 7:30-9pm. Orangeville Seniors’ Centre, 26 Bythia St. Upper Credit Field Naturalists, 519-925-3968; uppercreditﬁeldnaturalists.org

NOW – NOV 27 : BACK TO THE ’80S – THE TOTALLY AWESOME MUSICAL Remember

YOUR ONE STOP RV SHOP

u DEC 7 & 8 : THE NUTCRACKER

Humber River Shakespeare Company presents Dickens’ holiday classic. $15; children $10. Dec 11, 7pm, St. Andrews Stone Church, 17621 St. Andrew’s Rd, Caledon. Dec 18, 2pm, Alton Mill, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 416-209-2026; humberrivershakespeare.ca

FEB 28 : FUN WITH MOSSES With Dr.

Christmas Gifts for RVers in our Accessory Store

Secondary School, 5000 Mayﬁeld Rd, Caledon. 905-846-6060 ext 448.

NOV 24 – 27 : THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER Imagine what happens

with the worst kids around storm Sunday school and take over the Christmas pageant. Nov 24-26, 8pm. Nov 26 & 27, 2pm. $15; 12 & under, $12, from Acoustic Traditions (Sobey’s Plaza) or online. Westside Secondary School, 300 Alder St, Orangeville. orangevillemusictheatre.com

u DEC 1 – 23 : A CHRISTMAS

CAROL Ghostly apparitions, festive

dancing, the Theatre Orangeville Youth Singers (T.O.Y.S.) and traditional carol singing. $32.38-$39.16. Theatre Orangeville, 87 Broadway. 519-942-3423; theatreorangeville.ca

u DEC 2 & 3 : WINTER MIRACLES

Mayﬁeld’s dance department’s winter show. Dec 2, 7pm. Dec 3, 1 & 7pm. $15; seniors/students, $10. Mayﬁeld

snow, exuberant dances, ﬂying ghosts, and the streets of Dickensian London. Dec 15-18, 7pm. Dec 17, 18, 2pm. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca JAN 19 : THE COMEDY LOUNGE Featuring comedy club and festival veteran Simon B. Cotter. 8pm. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca JAN 21 : LATE NITE CATECHISM 3: “TIL DEATH DO US PART” Bring your

sense of humour for a session with the country’s feistiest couples’ counsellor. 8pm. $37-$57. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca JAN 24 : AGA-BOOM Pure chaos of circus wizardry from the veteran clowns of Cirque du Soleil’s Allegría and O. 7pm. $33-$53. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca JAN 27 – FEB 4 : JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Pantomime by Bev Nicholas.

See what trouble a handful of magic beans can get you into. Jan 27 & 28, Feb 3 & 4, 7pm. Jan 29, 1:30pm. $15. Grace Tipling Hall, 203 Main St E, Shelburne. Tipling Stage Company, 519-925-2600; tiplingstagecompany.com FEB 7 & 8 : ROMEO & JULIET Presented

by the State Ballet Theatre of Russia, set to Prokoﬁev’s music. 8pm. $61-$81. Child pricing available. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca FEB 10 : THE SECOND CITY PRESENTS iLOVE Relationships in the age of social

networking. There are Plenty of ﬁsh in the sea, but can we all live in eHarmony?

FEB 16 – MAR 3 : CAN LIGHTNING STRIKE TWICE? A gunshot, lightning and

a robbery comically combine to change a “Don Juan” in trouble with the ladies. Feb 16-18, 24, 25, March 2, 3, 8:15pm. Feb 25, 2:15pm. Dinner theatre Feb 25, 6:30pm. $15; $12 matinee; $28 dinner theatre. Old Caledon Town Hall, Caledon Village. The Caledon Townhall Players, 519-927-5460; caledontownhallplayers.com

FEB 22 : SHUMKA DANCERS Original

musical scores, stunning sets and costumes, performances from Canada and Ukraine’s ﬁnest artists. 8pm. $44-$64. Child pricing available. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca FEB 23 : THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY Hilarious, fully improvised play

in Elizabethan style with power struggles, star-crossed lovers, kings, swordplay and rhyming couplets. 8pm. $30. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca

FEB 23 : RHYTHM OF THE DANCE A live band, three tenors and 22 dancers, combining traditional dance and music with state-of-the art technology. 8pm. $45$65. Child pricing available. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca MAR 22 : THE COMEDY LOUNGE

Featuring popular Much Music personality Trevor Boris. 8pm. $25. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-8742800; rosetheatre.ca

MAR 28 : TED OUTERBRIDGE Don’t miss this high-energy magical adventure ﬁlled with breathtaking new illusions. 7:30pm. $34-$54. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca

music NOV – MAR : LIVE MUSIC AT ROSE THEATRE All performances at 8pm,

unless noted. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; rosetheatre.ca NOV 25 : GEORGE CANYON 2011 The accolades keep coming for Canyon, top of the Canadian Country charts since 2004. NOV 28 : YAMATO: THE DRUMMERS OF JAPAN A heart-pounding spectacle of

athleticism, grace and precision. 7:30pm. NOV 29 : JOHN MAYALL Master of the

blues performs from his hit albums. NOV 30 : ANDRÉ-PHILIPPE GAGNON The one-man hit parade! Known as the man of “400 voices.” DEC 1 : EMILIE-CLAIRE BARLOW Crowned Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2008 National Jazz Awards, and a three-time Juno nominee.

DEC 2 : QUARTETTO GELATO Exotic blend of classical masterworks, operatic arias, tangos, gypsy and folk songs.

u DEC 4 : HANDEL’S MESSIAH Brampton Festival Singers with the Great Lakes Symphony Orchestra and several renowned soloists. 7:30pm. bramptonfestivalsingersinc.org u DEC 20 : MARK MASRI Masterful vocalist, songwriter and pianist returns with an inspired holiday performance. JAN 20 : CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: LED ZEPPELIN’S IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR

Recreated live on stage, note for note, cut for cut. JAN 27 : MAVIS STAPLES 2011 Grammy winner who has blazed an R&B trail while never forgetting her gospel roots. FEB 9 : DAN HILL Legendary singer/songwriter performing his award-winning hits. FEB 24 : PETER APPLEYARD Celebrated percussionist/vibraphonist and TV personality delights with his music. MAR 2 & 3 : REPLAY THE BEATLES This “rockumentary” tells the true story of the Beatles from beginning to breakup. MAR 7 : MICHAEL KAESHAMMER Canada’s young boogie-woogie king with his elaborate piano arrangements and improvisations. MAR 8 : ANGÈLE DUBEAU ET LA PIETÀ One of Canada’s prominent virtuoso violinists dazzles with precision, energy and style. MAR 9 : DANCE INTO THE LIGHT Eight musicians performing Phil Collins’ hits, approved by the artist himself.

u NOV 26& 27, DEC 4 : ACHILL CHORAL SOCIETY – SING WE NOW OF CHRISTMAS Nov 26: 8pm, Holy

Family Roman Catholic Church, 60 Allan Dr, Bolton. Nov 27: 3pm, St. Timothy Roman Catholic Church, 42 Dawson Rd, Orangeville. Dec 4: 7:30pm, St. James Roman Catholic Church, 2118 AdjalaTecumseth Townline, Colgan. $20; 13 & under, $10. 519-939-0020; achill.ca

u DEC 4 : ANNUAL FUNDRAISING CHRISTMAS CONCERT IN THE CHURCH “U4IA,” a men’s barbershop

quartet with special guests. 2pm. $10. Corbetton Church at Dufferin County Museum & Archives, Hwy 89 & Airport Rd. 1-877-941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com

to the Rick Hansen Foundation. 7:30pm. $35. Orangeville Opera House, 87 Broadway, Orangeville. Real Players Play For Real, 519-942-3423; theatreorangeville.ca

DEC 11 : CAROLS IN THE CANDLELIGHT Contemporary lesson and service.

4pm. Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. 519-941-0381; westminsterorangeville.ca

DEC 15 : MAYFIELD’S WINTER MUSIC NIGHT Concert bands, choirs, and

vocal jazz ensembles. 7pm. $10; seniors/ students $5. Mayfield Secondary School, 5000 Mayfield Rd, Caledon. Mayfield Secondary School Music Department, 905-846-6060 JAN 27 : BRUCE LEY – GATHERED ALL TOGETHER Original arrangements of

popular standards. 8pm. $30; students $15. Orangeville Opera House, 87 Broadway. Orangeville Concert Association, 1-800424-1295; orangevilleconcerts.ca FEB 11 : CALEDON CHAMBER CONCERTS

Serenade Ensemble presents songs by Beethoven, Bizet and Gershwin. 8pm. $30; students $15. Tickets online or from BookLore, Howard the Butcher or Forster’s Book Garden. St. James Anglican Church, 6025 Old Church Rd, Caledon East. 905-880-2445; caledonchamberconcerts.com

FEB 11 : ORANGEVILLE BLUES & JAZZ FEBRUARY BLUES BASH Fundraiser

with live music, silent auction, cash bar and food. 6:30pm. $30 advance; $35 at door. Best Western Plus Orangeville Inn & Suites, 7 Buena Vista Dr. Tickets at BookLore, or 519-941-9041; objf.org FEB 17 – 19 : ORANGEVILLE FIDDLE AND STEP DANCE CAMP Instruction

in traditional Canadian old-time fiddle music. $165. The Maples School, 2nd Line Amaranth, Orangeville. 519-941-5683; fiddle.on.ca/fiddle MAR 17 : CALEDON CHAMBER CONCERTS

Catherine Wilson’s “Ensemble Vivant” (piano, violin, cello). 8pm. $30; students $15. Tickets online or from BookLore, Howard the Butcher or Forster’s Book Garden. St. James Anglican Church, 6025 Old Church Rd, Caledon East. 905-8802445; caledonchamberconcerts.com ≈

DEC 6 : MUSIC IN MOTION BENEFIT CONCERT 25th anniversary of the Rick

Hansen Man in Motion Tour. Proceeds

To submit your community, art or non-proﬁt event, go to www.inthehills.ca and click what’s on on the menu bar. That takes you to the listings page. Click submit your event and complete the easy form. For the spring (March) issue, submit by February 1o. We reserve the right to edit submissions for print and web publication. For up-to-date listings between issues, go to www.inthehills.ca and click what’s on on the menu bar. IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

MARKETPLACE ART & CRAFT

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

in watercolour by Joan Gray

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FURNITURE

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PET Portraits

DOGS, CATS, HORSES References provided from happy customers!

(cont’d)

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• Wild Birdseed / Feeders / Nesting Boxes • Pet Food & Supplies / Wildlife Feeds • Crafts / Books / Nature Accessories “We’re here to help you help nature.”

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CLEANING SERVICES

FOOD CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

R&M Stucco Superior quality & service • Interior/exterior plaster/stucco finishing Marco or Rose Mary Andreozzi

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BIO-IDENTICAL HOR MONES Saliva Hormone Testing Physicians Network for Patients Individulized Treatment TruBalance Healthcare (Canada) Direct: 647.884.0663 | www.trubalancehealthcare.com

TO PLACE AN AD, CALL 519-942-8401 OR EMAIL INFO@INTHEHILLS.CA 76

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

MARKETPLACE INTERIOR DESIGN

PET SUPPLIES & SERVICES

(cont’d)

homework help, personal tutoring, exam reviews, prep courses, mastery courses, video game design camp 1-866-519-MATH (6284) 519-307-0989 295A Broadway, Orangeville www.mindovermath.ca

Interior Decorating and Design 519-939-7193 or 519-925-1322

VIDEOGRAPHY

LAND SURVEYING P.J. Williams Ontario Land Surveyor

413 First Ave. East, Shelburne Open: 8am-4pm weekdays Free Consultation on Weekends by Appointment Phone: 519-925-0057 or 519-941-6231 Fax: 519-941-6231 www.pjwilliams.ca

PARTIES

Drop in to paint ceramics and play with clay

Birthday Parties in our NEW studio

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Breeding exotic Bengal Cats Kittens expected throughout the year

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TUTORING

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MARKETPLACE: CLASSIFIEDS DON’T GET ANY CLASSIER For Spring Issue Call by February 3, 2012

P U Z Z L I N G

S O L U T I O N S

from page 78 Something for the Kids at the Redickville WI There is a total of 87 triangles. A Weird Window Repair in Shelburne

Payment Plans

A member of the Precept Group Inc.

35 Main Street, Erin Tel: 519-833-9393 • 1-800-930-4293

2 metres

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creative advertising communication 519.940.0192 typeandimages.ca

PET SUPPLIES & SERVICES These are signs that your pet’s current food needs to be looked at: • Overweight • Frequent paw licking • Hairballs • Biting root of the tail • Dry, flaky or greasy skin • Smelly ears or skin • Excessive shedding • Stiff joints/arthritis • Recurring ear infections 47 Broadway, Orangeville 519-942-8187 113 Victoria St W, Alliston 705-434-3311 226 First Ave E, Shelburne 519-925-3471

TREE SERVICES

After School in Caledon East There are six boys. If Walter is twice the age of the smallest boy and all are a year apart then the smallest is ﬁve and Walter is ten. Vince is nine, Urban eight, Timothy seven and Steve six. Variations on a Palgrave Theme agape, agave, algae, gavel, glare, grape, grave, lager, large, larva, laver, pager, paler, parge, paver, pearl, ravel, regal Cattle Rustlers in East Luther A full moon does not rise in the west.

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

a Puzzling Conclusion

by Ken Weber

A Weird Window Repair in Shelburne Wally and Raj studied the cracked storefront window. It appeared ordinary enough, a plain square window measuring two metres by two metres.

Something for the Kids at the Redickville WI

On a warm spring day in early spring, Mrs. Davies was gardening in front of her house in Caledon East when a group of boys on their way home from school stopped to say hello to her. Not having seen them during the winter, Mrs. Davies turned to the smallest boy and said, “You have all changed so much since I last spoke to you. How old is each of you now?” “I’m a year older than he is,” Steve said, as he pointed to the smallest boy. “And I’m a year older than Steve,” Timothy added proudly, upon which Urban added that he was a year older than Timothy. “Don’t forget me!” said Vince. “I’m a year older than Urban.” “That leaves just you then,” Mrs. Davies said to Walter, the biggest boy. Walter put his hand on the shoulder of the smallest boy and announced that he was twice as old as his little buddy and a year older than Vince. “Ah, that helps,” said Mrs. Davies. “Now I know all your ages.”

At the founding meeting of the Redickville Branch of the Women’s Institutes in 1902, the following challenge was offered to both the women who came to join the branch and to the children who accompanied them to the meeting. Challenge One was presented to the women as a brief breakthe-ice exercise. Challenge Two was designed to keep the children busy during the meeting.

2 metres

challenge one You have 6o seconds to estimate the number of triangles in the pattern below and then select a response from the following choices. There are between There are between 2o and 3o triangles. 4o and 5o triangles. There are between There are between 6o and 7o triangles. 8o and 9o triangles.

After School in Caledon East

2 metres

What are the ages of these boys in Caledon East?

Then they looked at the work order issued by Shelburne’s “No-Job-Is-Impossible” repair service. It said: “Customer wants half the window boarded up, but also wants to end up with a window that still measures two metres across and two metres from top to bottom.” Underneath these instructions some wag at the ofﬁce had written, “Seems weird, but remember, no job is impossible. Ha! Ha!” As it turned out, Wally and Raj completed the job in no time.

challenge two Exactly how many triangles are there in the pattern above?

What was their solution?

A N

I N

T H E

H I L L S

M I N I

Variations on a Theme in Palgrave The task is to make as many ﬁve-letter English words as you can using only the letters that appear in Palgrave.

palgrave After checking our solution, rate your own results: Less than seven words – barely adequate. Seven to fourteen words – not bad… Fifteen to eighteen – very impressive! More than eighteen – you’re better than we are!

M Y S T E R Y

Cattle Rustlers in East Luther The leader of the three men meeting in the Orangeville coffee shop had used the word “anachronism” twice and waited each time for his two associates to ask what it meant, but they kept discussing the plan. “So tomorrow night,” the tall, thin one said, “what happens is at dusk I drive due west from Colbeck and pull over just short of Monticello and wait until you phone me and then I…” “No, no!” the leader almost shouted. “No cell phones. Not ever. We don’t want any tracing. The moon is your signal. Tomorrow night’s a full moon. When it’s high enough for you to see it above

Monticello, then you come around to the back of the ﬁeld where the cattle are. I’ll be there.” “But what if it’s all cloudy and…” “Forecast is for a clear night. Don’t even think about cloud. Besides, we need moonlight to see what we’re doing. Now you…” The leader turned to the third man. “You’re in the truck, right? On the road into that conservation parking lot on the east side of Luther Lake, right?” The third man was nodding. “Yeah, yeah. I wait till I see the moon over the trees on the other side of the lake,” he said, “then I drive to the ﬁeld. You two’ve

got the cattle bunched up by the time I get there, so we load and go. Quick as one, two, three.” “Yes!” The leader smiled for the ﬁrst time. “It’s all about the timing. We get the timing right and we got ourselves a nice little herd of Red Angus. Who knows? Could be we’ll start a whole new trend. No reason cattle rustling has to be anachronistric.” “I think it’s pronounced anachronistic,” the third man said with a quiet smile. At that, the tall, thin man smiled too. Even if the weather co-operates there is a ﬂaw in the rustlers’ plan. What is it? solutions on page 77

IN THE HILL S WINTER 2011

CONTEMPOR ARY HOME DECOR

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