WWW.KAWARTHALIFE. NET | JUNE 2014 | VOLUME 13 #2
HOMETOWN GIRL
SERENA RYDER
ARTIST
SPELUNKIN’ IN WARSAW
LAURIE
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Dear Friends
Contents 2014
Finally, winter has released its icy grip on Kawartha. It’s time to get outside, check the cottage for winter damage or see how the garden fared in the wind and cold. This year your garden may need some extra TLC as our garden gurus interviewed for this issue will attest. No doubt your summer will be filled with familiar pleasures, but this year might be the year to experience some new adventures. When’s the last time you went spelunking? Or visited a local history museum? Visit a farmer’s market to taste something new, meet local artists and artisans at a local show or in their studio, or perhaps rent a canoe and go for a paddle if you’ve never tried it before. Kawartha is full of opportunities. Kawartha is also full of inspiration for artists. In this issue we are delighted to reconnect with Serena Ryder, Canada’s rising musical star. Serena is currently living on the west coast but carries a fondness for Kawartha. Not hard to see why.
Don MacLeod Publisher - Kawartha Life
PUBLISHER: Don MacLeod ACCOUNT MANAGER: Kim Harrison, 289-638-1533 kimkawarthalife@hotmail.com EDITORIAL: Birgitta MacLeod CONTRIBUTORS: Darren Catherwood ©Copyright 2014: All rights are reserved and articles may not be published without the written permission of the Publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this paper, the Publishers assume no liability for loss or damage due to errors or omissions. The Publishers cannot be held accountable for any claims or results thereof as advertised in this publication.
Juno Awards Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year
2008 Canada’s Best New Artist of the Year
COVER STORY
Serena Ryder
Birgitta MacLeod.....................................................................6 Cover photo Bjarne Jonasson; above photo Autumn DeWilde; below Warsaw Caves
ARTIST: LAURIE ROCKMAN
Tooned In
Birgitta MacLeod.........................................................................10 DESTINATION
The Boyds That Built Bobcaygeon
Birgitta MacLeod .........................................................................14 SEASONAL
Impatient To Garden
Birgitta MacLeod .........................................................................16 DESTINATION
Fifty Years Of Spelunking In Warsaw
Birgitta MacLeod..........................................................................18 RECIPE
Make It Maple
Birgitta MacLeod........................................................................20 June 2014
5
COVER STORY
Serena Ryder Birgitta MacLeod
R
ising Star and local musical artist Serena Ryder is riding a celebrity train to international success. Cohost of the 2014 Juno Awards, she brought home two of the etched crystal trophies for herself, for Artist the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Her newest album Harmony is her bestselling disc to date, having achieved platinum status. Her hit Stompa hit triple platinum and What I Wouldn’t Do is racing up behind at double-platinum. Only a few years ago, in 2008, she was Canada’s best New Artist of Year and a year later, winning for Best Alternative Album of the Year. Now she is firmly established as one of Canada’s great songwriters and performers. Kawartha Life caught up with Serena by phone in Marina del Rey, California, where she currently resides. “I live right by the ocean. It’s a pretty chill neighbourhood. I really like it. It’s pretty quiet, not touristy. It’s like a small town, which I love,” said Serena. “I don’t drive so I can walk and bike everywhere. It reminds me of Millbrook, where I grew up. I really like that.” Although Serena was born in Toronto, her childhood in Millbrook with its small town freedoms was just the right environment for the confident and creative young singer. “We had a great house in Millbrook,” said her mother, Barbara. “The backyard was like a park and there was a forest in the back. Serena could get on her tricycle and ride to the fairgrounds where there was a playground.” Serena shares these fond memories. Her life is busy and exciting now but there are some things she misses about Kawartha. “I miss the nature. I love trees and woods. There are beautiful woods and trails that surround the town. I love being around woods and trees. Nature is a big part of who I am and the musician I am.”
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June 2014
Nature is a big part of who I am and the musician I am. — Serena Ryder
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“But I can’t complain, I have the ocean,” she added. Her favourite flavour of Kawartha Dairy ice cream, in case you were wondering: “chocolate, straight up”. A close-knit and supportive community can make a real difference in a young artist’s development but the path can take several directions. You can be a big talent in a small pond. You can feel hemmed in by limited possibilities. Serena experienced a bit of both. Her talent was evident at an early age. “She was the little girl with the really big voice,” said Barbara, who recalled how Serena would get ‘gigs’ at the local Lions Club and they’d pay her with a doll. “At seven years old she went to Halloween Howl dressed up like a little vampire and she got up on that stage. She was fearless. She’d get up there and belt it out. Every time she had a chance to sing she was doing it,” said her mom. By the time she was a teenager, however, Serena really wanted to be more closely connected to the arts community, to be able to go to local events and play gigs. She was learning from other musicians and it was a bit of a drag, relying on your parents to drive you back and forth. When she was seventeen Serena moved out of the house and lived on her own for about a year in Peterborough. “For a year I worked as a nanny to a little girl, Ayasha. She’s now eighteen. I can hardly believe it,” said Serena. She also played gigs wherever she could. “But living life as an adult at seventeen was tough and I came back home for another year.” After that she struck out on her own in Toronto. At seventeen she made her first recording, 8
June 2014
a cassette entitled Serena, and a year later her first CD, Falling Out, was released. Her first big break came when a live recording she made at a Quebec club was picked up and given airtime by CBC radio. After that the
milestones came faster and bigger: the successful recording, If Your Memory Serves You Well, in 2006 and her first Juno in 2008. A memorable performance in 2011 had her going head to head and note to note on stage with Melissa Etheridge. Her voice is full, slightly raspy, and originates from some place deep within her. From all accounts she was born with this big voice and broad range. She didn’t have any formal vocal training as a young girl. She’s a folk singer, a blues singer, a lover of those old-time classics, a rocker girl. Her lyrics let loose and give voice to her observations and interest in the human condition, to the stories we carry. “I’m a very spiritual person and I have so much faith in humans, nature and the divine. I’m definitely not a religious person but I’m definitely a spiritual person. I believe in people and humanity,” said Serena. Serena writes the old-fashioned way, with
pen and paper, taking advantage of inspiration wherever it may strike. “Inspiration is ever changing. It’s ethereal. I’m very satisfied to never understand how and where it comes from.” “My home is my current favourite place to write. I wrote my last record at home.” It’s a place she says, where you can concentrate your dreams and thoughts. “I feel like we’re all just telling our own story. I’m really blessed to have the freedom to tell a story with my music. We’re all storytellers and I’m able to solidify my stories with songs and music.” Her parents always supported her artistic goals. When other weekend musicians suggested she keep her options open, maybe consider a career outside of music, her mom told her to make the most of her love of music. “It’s always been her life and given her great joy. I totally wanted to encourage her. My own mother was a bit heavy and discouraged me and I didn’t want that for her. I said you’re so talented and this is good for you and you are really good. This is your time so grab it.” “I always knew she was amazing. I’m just bursting at the seams for that girl. I’m so proud of her.” In April Serena and her dad gave her mom a birthday surprise. Serena got her dad to drive mom to Toronto, where Serena was shooting her newest video. Invited into a non-descript building in an industrial mall, Barbara discovered Serena, birthday cake in hand and the whole crew singing happy birthday. “It was so fun,” said Serena. “She has a cameo in my music video. The day will be commemorated forever in the music video.” There’s a line Serena just loves from her friend and one-time bandmate, Jesse Pilgrim of the Silver Hearts: “there’s no one else as gorgeous as a girl from the Kawarthas.” Yup. That would be Serena Ryder. Plans are afoot for Serena to play in the area this summer, but at press time the details were unconfirmed. For more information about Serena and the latest on upcoming show dates, go to her website serenaryder.com. &
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ARTIST: LAURIE ROCKMAN
Tooned In Birgitta MacLeod
F
enelon Falls artist Laurie Rockman aspired to be dancer as youngster and is still dancing through life, in various ways, as an adult. Her delightful, witty and sometimes fiercely perceptive cartoon greeting cards are sold across Canada. The pen to paper designs begin in her sunlit studio but the ideas percolate well before that. She might hop on her bicycle or go for walk down to Sturgeon Lake to give shape to her ideas. Inspiration can strike at any time, in the shower, in the middle of the night, while hanging out with friends. Long before her designs were dancing on the page, Laurie was dancing on stages in Toronto and New York City. While a student in York University’s fine arts program she was drawn to all types of modern dance but discovered a natural flair for flamenco. She was so good that when she returned to Toronto after five years in the Big Apple, she was eagerly snapped up by the Paula Moreno Spanish Dance Company in Toronto. So how does an artist go from castanets to cartoons? Like a lot of creative people, Laurie expressed herself in many ways. “I’ve always doodled. My father was a doodler. I’d wake up at 7 am on Sunday mornings and doodle for two hours. As a child I absolutely loved Saturday morning cartoons.” In university she saw the potential for her drawings. “A
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June 2014
friend in the art program was cartooning and I glommed on to that. I said “show me how you’re doing this.� She gave me a few tips and then I tried it and loved it. I was impressed with the results and I got that tingly feeling you get when you’re on to something.� Laurie’s own studies in visual art and life drawing helped her hone her skills. She was still dancing when she created Mug Shots, a company she imagined would sell mugs with her cartoon designs printed on the side. She knew she couldn’t dance forever. “Ya gotta know when to leave the party.� In short order the popularity of her cards took off and she ended up with only one season of mugs. It was on the way to the One of Kind Show in Toronto to sell her wares she decided it was time to end her dance career on a high note. She put all her energy in to her business, now known as Mug Shots Greeting Cards. Laurie understands that the business side of art is as critical as the creative side. She considered selling her designs to a larger card company but her eye-opening experience revealed that as the artist, not only would she’d make very little for her design but she’d lose the copyright to it as well. So she put her retail and sales experience to work and marketed her cards herself. Her designs evolved quickly. “I started out being sort of nice but the big turn came one morning and I was in the shower and it came to me, ‘Piss on Birthdays’. I sold so many of those cards. I swear I put my son through college on that card alone!� The next really popular card was “They’ve fallen and they can’t get up�. It’s a card that references a decades old TV commercial but still brings smiles today. “If a design is going to be successful it has to stand alone without the reference as well,� explained Laurie. Laurie’s cards are good sellers because she knows her audience well. She pokes fun at middle age, the aging process, at menopause and life’s milestones. “I never know when inspiration will hit. It could be anytime, anywhere, something someone says, sometimes a seed is planted from something and I let it germinate.� She is the embodiment of light-hearted. As she describes in her artist’s statement, “I have the wonderful ability to see the lighter side of life and the human condition, as well as beauty in imperfection. I believe that cartooning is the gentlest, most profound way to depict the truth.� While the creative juices still flow vigorously, Laurie has decided to make some changes to the way she does business. Rather than personally attend the larger shows such as One of a Kind or the wholesale gift shows she has hired a representative. Happily, she’ll be taking her cards to local shows and you’ll be able to meet Laurie at the Buckhorn Spring Craft Show on May 17 & 18, the Cobourg Waterfront Festival on Canada Day weekend, June 28 to July 1; and the Haliburton Arts & Crafts Festival from July 28 to 30. In the meantime she revels in the delightful setting and community she has found here in Kawartha. “What other job can you spend your whole day laughing at your own jokes? It’s a good day when I make people laugh.� &
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DESTINATION
The Boyds That Built Bobcaygeon Birgitta MacLeod
W
ithout the Boyds, there’d be no Bobcaygeon. Not the Bobcaygeon we know today at any rate. Bobcaygeon, and much of Kawartha, was transformed by the particular ambitions and hard work of Mossom Boyd. This year, the lumber baron’s building, which housed his office and overlooks the canal in Bobcaygeon, will celebrate its 125th anniversary. By all accounts, Mossom an unruly young immigrant who came to the colonies after cooling his heels for too long waiting to be called up for military duty. We went on to become a wealthy businessman whose family traveled in elite circles here in the Canada and abroad. Born in India, Mossom and his sister were orphaned as teenagers and sent to live with a guardian in London. Considered “difficult”, the two were quickly handed off to an aunt in Ireland. With few prospects aside joining the British army or visiting the pubs, Mossom caught a boat to Canada to find his fortune. The year was 1833. Mossom was 17 years old and had very little to his name. Nevertheless he received a grant for 100 acres on the north shore of Sturgeon Lake and he did what all the other settlers were doing. He picked up an axe and started to clear the land. Mossom was quiet and kept to himself. Neighbours were impressed that he cleared his land himself. Ann Langdon, whose journals were published posthumously as A Gentlewoman in Upper Canada, wrote on February 3, 1842: “We have had Mr. Boyd with us for nearly a week, to keep quiet and nurse a cut foot. 14
June 2014
He is a favourite of mine; he is not brilliant or animated, but has much goodness and kindness, and simplicity of character, and is an example to all our young men for industry, attention to business, and study of economy.� Once the land was cleared, Mossom, like so many other settlers, watched the thin layer of topsoil wash away into the lake. Timber, not farming, was where Mossom would find his fortune. Fortunately, local mill owner Thomas Need was in need of someone to mind his enterprise while he was away in England. The unmarried Mossom Boyd stepped in and the rest, as they say, is history. Thomas Need spent more and more time in England and Mossom eventually bought out his share if the business. Then Mossom built a timber business of grand proportion. He married the most eligible girl around, Caroline Dunsford, had a half a dozen children and bought more land and more timber rights in the surrounding area. When the lovely Caroline died a year after their youngest child was born, Mossom wrote to a lady acquaintance he knew in Ireland and convinced her to come to Canada. She did, making the trek to Bobcaygeon entirely on her own, as Mossom failed to meet her in Quebec. This plucky lady, Letitia Cust, had three children with Mossom. The business boomed. The Boyd lumber empire expanded in Quebec, Manitoba and even British Columbia. The Boyds build a large and elegant home and in 1889, an office for the timber business. The children were educated by private tutors then sent to fine colleges and finishing schools. The next generation wore European bespoke fashions. Boyd Timber employed or provided business to a huge segment of the local population until 1904 when the Bobcaygeon mill closed for lack of timber. All the while, they never threw anything out. Remarkably, the Boyds kept everything, even the paper records for everything they bought. Everything. When the contents of the family home were auctioned in 1982 after the death of descendant Sheila Boyd, the
paper records were taken to the National Archives and Trent University. It took three transport trucks to ship it. It took six months to catalogue the accumulated chattels and the auction at McLean’s lasted five days. Sadly, there was no money or government interest in preserving the grand home in the 1980s, so it sat empty. Finally, it burned in 1995 and the remains were demolished. But happily, many Boyd artifacts have found their way back to the community and are now on display in the Boyd Heritage Museum, housed in the original 1889 building. Even as recently as this spring, Boyd belongings were returned to Bobcaygeon by Parks Canada. On Saturday, May 17th there was a special celebration to mark the 125th Anniversary of the Boyd Lumber Building. If you missed it, there are plenty of fine opportunities
this season to glimpse into the rarified world of Upper Canadian wealth and prestige, to see some fine garments, gilded dinnerware and other personal items from the family that put Bobcaygeon on the map. The Boyd Heritage Museum is located at 21 Canal Street East. The site is entirely operated by volunteers and funded through donations and fundraising, so your contribution goes a long way to keeping local history accessible. For more information, visit www.theboydmuseum.com. &
June 2014
15
SEASONAL
Impatient To Garden Birgitta MacLeod
A
fter a long, cold winter, there’s no room for impatience for gardeners in Kawartha. As it turns out, there’s no room for impatiens either. Green thumbs are itching to get into gardens this year, but spring’s step forward is not so quick in 2014, so experts are advising you to hold off on ambitious plans for laying in your bedding plants. In Kawartha it’s generally best in any year to wait until the first of June, when threats of frost have passed, before you set out your annuals. In the meantime there are plenty of outdoor chores to keep you busy. First on the list: check for winter damage. “We dropped a zone this winter,” said Deb Macphail of Johnston’s Greenhouses in Peterborough, “from a zone 5B to a zone 4. We’re pushing the boundaries by bringing in plants that sit on the border of our zone.” Magnolias, Japanese maples and some roses will likely be affected. It’s not just the cold that affects the perennials, shrubs and trees. “The wind and heavy use of salt, which gets blown around, causes damage too. If you didn’t prepare well in the fall, things may take longer to come back and may have been damaged,” said
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June 2014
Deb. Evergreens such as Alberta spruce will show damage with areas that look like rust. Brush these dead areas and hope for the best, she advised. It will take a while for the ground to warm up this year, but you can still go in and get your hands dirty. It’s okay to plant shrubs now or, as Adri Eastman of Stone Gate Greenhouses in Bobcaygeon recommends, early spring is good time to amend your soil. “You want a proper consistency, so you can add things such as peat moss, compost, sometime sand. You’ll probably find perennials that didn’t winter over as well.” But be careful tramping around. If you have low lying areas that flooded this spring, keep off the grass. Be patient and let it dry out. Now about those impatiens. Gardeners in the area, certainly those to the south, may have had their gardens sideswiped by a
fungus that attacks the impatiens walleriana, those colourful shade-loving annuals that have been a favourite for generations. “They looked great in the greenhouse but as soon as you took them outside they die,” said Adri. The flowers fall off, then the leaves and then the stems disappear. You might have thought you were doing something wrong but if you checked under the leaves, before they fell off, you’d have found a powdery white mildew. Unfortunately, the fungus stays in the soil for years and years, so it will be hard to eradicate. It’s become such a problem that growers have been asked and agreed not to offer the plants for sale this year. “If we all stop growing impatiens then we’ll eradicate the fungus quickly,” explained Deb. This year, do your garden and your fellow gardeners a favour and choose an
alternative. Coleus or begonias, including wax begonias and dragon begonias, may become your best friend for shady spots. But you have to take care of them. “They won’t take care of themselves. You have to water and feed them regularly,” said Deb. If you’re looking for inspiration or a break from the snow, there’s no spring tonic like a visit to the greenhouse to soak up the warmth, the humidity and the beguiling aroma of dirt. In Bobcaygeon, Stone Gate Greenhouses, formerly Meadowbrook Greenhouses, has its grand opening on Thursday, May 1st. The greenhouse is located at 247 Cosh’s Road, north off of County Road 8. In Peterborough, Johnston’s Greenhouse has been a family-owned business for more than fifty years. The garden centre is located at 871 Crawford Drive and is open every day except Sunday. & June 2014
17
DESTINATION
Even the caves were largely ignored. “People knew about them locally but it was private land. It wasn’t thought about in the way we think about special areas in the landscape now. It was just there.” That changed in the late 1950’s when the watershed of this area was defined and some thought was given to identifying natural resources and areas for recreation. The result: a place where families, campers and day trippers can get down and dirty, literally. “The caves are just fun. It’s an underground jungle gym,” said Terry. “Just come out and do it. You can’t get lost. It’s At its deepest and coldest, the ice age piled really kid friendly.” on about two kilometers of ice across much The park experience has been enhanced in of Ontario. As it melted and retreated, the recent years with shiny new comfort stations, landscape we live on now was drastically improved campsites, rental canoes and altered. The retreating ice scraped away at kayaks and a paddling map as well as group the surface of the land but it was the camping facilities. “You can spend the day meltwater that had a much stronger hand in here and be busy the whole day,” said Terry. creating the caves. The Park’s continued popularity means At a higher elevation, water from the you should have a camping reservation for melting glaciers pooled in the gigantic Lake weekends in July and August. Before you Algonquin, the dregs of which form Lake come you should also pack clothes you can Simcoe today. To the south east, at a lower get dirty, sturdy shoes (no flip flops please), elevation, the similarly ginormous Lake sunscreen, a picnic lunch and a flashlight or Iroquois formed. Today is it the relatively puny headlamp. A headlamp is best as it keeps Lake Ontario. The landscape, what John your hands free exploring. If you can’t find Williams, Manager of Conservation Lands and one before you come, no worries. The park Resources called a ‘terminal moraine’, could sells headlamps and other necessities on site. only hold back that much water for so long Warsaw Caves’ official half-century until there was a breach. Water came rushing birthday is August 19th, and some special down what’s called the Kirkfield Spillway in a events are planned for that day. There will be torrent that continued for thousands of years. other special celebrations this summer and Just imagine the Indian River looking more for all the details, visit the website like the Niagara River. www.warsawcaves.com. You can download The steady flow of water dissolved the the spelunking map, plan your visit and limestone, eating away at the landscape to make camping reservations. Warsaw Caves form the caves we see today. “It took is located at 289 Caves Road in Warsaw. & thousands of years to run off in a raging river. Seeing the 80 to 100 foot cliffs in the park gives you an idea of how much has been eroded,” explained John. The erosion formed more than the caves. “It’s a weird landscape. Some areas had soil deposited in them and some areas are a limestone plain with very little soil,” said John. The rocky landscape is known as an alvar and is home to some rare flora and fauna. “It wasn’t very farmable so during European settlement, there was some logging and some pasturing but it was largely left untouched.”
Fifty Years Of Spelunking In Warsaw Birgitta MacLeod
A
bout a million people have explored the Warsaw Caves since the geological attraction opened in 1964. Have you?
This year one of Ontario’s top tourist and outdoor recreation attractions celebrates its 50th anniversary. It’s easy to see why Warsaw Caves has been rated as one of the top fifteen family attractions in Ontario. You can go spelunking (that’s cave talk for exploring) the seven caves, canoeing, hiking, swimming, camping, fishing, birdwatching or just hang out in nature. You don’t need a guide or separate admission ticket to see the caves and the first two caves are fairly easy. “You go on your own and crawl around in there. You’re really down and dirty in there. Some you can walk or crouch through. After you try some of the easier caves, screw up your courage and try some of the others,” said Terry Wiegard, Park Supervisor. The caves are a treat on a hot summer day. “You can stand above cave number three on a hot summer day and feel the cool air coming up. Sometimes there’s still ice in cave three in June.” If your kids, or you (c’mon, admit it), have spent too much time in front of a screen, the park is terrific place to let them loose to go out and explore, the way you used to when you were a kid. You will get dirty. You may get wet. You will have loads of fun. Of course, the caves existed long before the Otonabee Conservation Authority opened up the area next to the Indian River in Warsaw. Their origins can be traced to last ice age, about ten thousand years ago. 18
June 2014
The caves are just fun. It’s an underground jungle gym. — Terry Wiegard, Park Supervisor
June 2014
19
RECIPE
Make It Maple Birgitta MacLeod
Créme Brûlée Foodland Ontario
This easy-to-make créme brûlée is even more special with the addition of Ontario maple syrup. Preparation Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 35 minutes; Chilling Time: 3 hours; Serves: 6 The quintessential Canadian pantry would not be complete without maple syrup. It’s the first harvest of the year and our sweet inheritance from the First Nations. Maple syrup has all kinds of nutrients not found in other sweeteners, including manganese, zinc, riboflavin, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Visitors to the sugar bush in March this year were likely disappointed. Winter’s tight grip and frigid daytime temperatures meant the sap just wasn’t flowing. Fortunately, nature bides her time well and in April maple producers were busy once again. There are several producers in Kawartha. You can find a full listing of sugar bushes for your area at www.ontariomaple.com. Now that the season’s harvest is here, why not make a showstopper of a dessert for your next dinner party. With any luck you’ll be eating outside, finally. It’s actually fairly simple to prepare and most of it can be done in advance. Just follow this recipe from Foodland Ontario and wait for the oohs and aahs. & 20
June 2014
Ingredients: n 2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream n 1/2 cup (125 mL) Ontario Maple Syrup n 2 Ontario Eggs n 2 Ontario Egg Yolks n 1 tbsp (15 mL) vanilla n 1/4 cup (50 mL) packed brown sugar
Preparation Instructions: In small saucepan, heat cream and maple syrup over medium heat just until small bubbles begin to form around the edges; remove from heat. In large measuring cup, whisk eggs, egg yolks and vanilla until well blended. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture until blended. Divide among six 3/4-cup (175 mL) ramekins or custard cups. Set ramekins in shallow pan and place pan in oven. Pour in enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until edges are set but centres still jiggle when gently shaken. Carefully remove from water; let cool on rack. Cover and refrigerate for about 3 hours, until chilled and set, or for up to 2 days. Just before serving, place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet; blot top of custards with paper towel to dry. Sprinkle sugar evenly over custards. Broil as close to heat source as possible until sugar melts and bubbles, about 30 to 60 seconds. Let cool to harden.
Nutritional Information: n 1 Serving: n Protein: 5 grams n Fat: 31 grams n Carbohydrate: 29 grams n Calories: 410 n Fibre: 0 grams n Sodium: 55 mg.
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