King MOSAiC Spring 2013

spring 2013

King

MOSAiC a r t s

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h e r i t a g e

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n a t u r e

Ansnorveldt I Kettleby I King City I Laskay I Lloydtown I Nobleton Pottageville I Schomberg I Snowball I Strange I and surrounding area

CONTENTS 11 NATIVE PLANT F GARDEN

F Photo by Garry Conway

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THE BEAT GOES ON AT THE SCHOMBERG FAIR 4

Two King Artists with Huge Canvases and Even Bigger Hearts Helen Lucas and Ernestine Tahedl

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The Beat goes On at the Schomberg Fair!

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The Village of Kettleby

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Poem - "If I Could Change" Essay - "I Hate Writing Essays" Illustration for International Women's Day

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A Dog Named Fresca

The Top Ten Joys of a Native Garden

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Events in and around King… just ASK! - Local community events:

Wanted: Reptile and Amphibian Sightings!

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Igniting a Love for Science at Villanova College

15

Woodpeckers Concussion Proof Drillers - Cold Creek Stewardship Report

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Our Local Gathering Places

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Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3 - Contemporary Native N.A. Art from the Northeast & Southeast

A VERY F9 SPECIAL DOG

Let's Talk Databases!

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Flowers and Hearts The Humber: A Canaidan Heritage River

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Biologist at the Table

21

Take The Last Train From Schomberg

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Nobleton Lights Up

18F

CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ART

March to June

MOSAiC Volume II Issue 2

King MOSAiC is published

by Arts Society King www.ArtsSocietyKing.ca

The mission of Arts Society King is “to establish and maintain an organization in King Township that fosters inspiration, understanding and appreciation for the arts, heritage and nature.” Our primary objective is “to provide support services to the arts, heritage and nature communities in King Township for the purpose of enhancing communication, education and the promotion of their respective activities.”

Distributed four times a year (December, March, June, September) via Canada Post to all households in King. Copies also available from King Township – Municipal Offices; Libraries; Museum; local businesses (King City – Locale Restaurant, Country Day School, Pine Farms Orchard Country Café, Seneca College; Nobleton – Cappuccino Bakery, Crupi's Interiors, Dreamwood Furniture, Postmaster House, Specialty Meats; Schomberg – Artista Custom Framing, Piety Ridge Primitives, Richvale Saddlery, Sheena’s Kitchen, The Grackle; Kettleby – Cedar Cabin, Dorios Kettleby Bakery; AND in Alliston - Gibson Centre, South Simcoe Arts Council; Aurora - Caruso & Company, The Aurora Cultural Centre, York Region Arts Council; Bolton - Forster’s Book Garden, Naked Vine; Creemore: Mad & Noisy Gallery; Kleinburg -Hawthorne House; Maple - petits chefs Academy; Markham - The Cat’s Meow Café; Newmarket - Covernotes tea & coffee house; Richmond Hill - Covernotes tea & coffee house; Rosemont - Dufferin County Museum; Tottenham - A Taste of Freedom Restaurant; Toronto - TRCA, Ontario Nature, Sotheby's Real Estate.

Printed on recycled paper using vegetable based inks in an FSC certified plant.

Editorial content is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use or reproduction of the contents of this publication without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher is responsible for errors in advertising only to the extent of the cost of that portion of the advertising space occupied by the error.

EDITORS editors@kingmosaic.ca Judy Craig Sue Iaboni

ADVERTISING sales@kingmosaic.ca Judy Craig Nancy Stenhouse

DESIGN PRODUCTION Penny Gilbertson

COVER Ernestine Tahedl "Serenato Pastoral" 68 x 36 acrylic on canvas

WEBMASTER Geoff Simpson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & ARTISTS Virginia Atkins Sharon Bentley John Bradbury Robert Brown Giovannina Colalillo Garry Conway Charles Cooper Gordon Craig Judy Craig Louise Di Iorio Josie Dorio Chantal Duclos Kelley England Kathleen Fry Wyatt Harrison Pam Heron Sue Iaboni Jon Jarro Matt Kenel Michele Kortinen Andrea Loeppky Lorne Macrae

ON-LINE VERSION AT

Victoria Marando Ed Millar Ramon Regozo Laura Robson Hope Rogers Tony Rolph Pam Rolph Romeril Christopher Rowley Valerie Rowley Margit Sampogna Paul Schneider Jim Scott Denny Starritt Lisa Marie Steenhoek Ernestine Tahedl Cheryl Uhrig Phyllis Vernon Cathy Webster Dr. Arthur Weis Barry Westhead Nicholas Zomparelli

Postmaster House & Gallery.

7 Old King Rd., Nobleton.

The home for King Music Centre, ASK and Humber River Shakespeare.

Available daily for community use two galleries or the whole main floor.

FREE for King community group meetings.

Nominal fee for charged events.

Reservations - Call Sarah 905 859 2787 Weekdays 3 to 9 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or info@postmasterhouse.com

KingMosaic.ca spring 2013

MOSAiC

3

Photo by Hope Rogers

Helen Lucas and Ernestine Tahedl laugh as they share memories of their trip to the Florence Biennale in 2003.

They giggle like schoolgirls as they describe their hotel, and their crush on the handsome carabinieri on horseback.They fill in each other’s lost words and reach for each other’s hands as details of another memory flood in.

Lucas and Tahedl are two extremely famous international artists, known particularly for the scale and brilliant colours in their work.They both recently won the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. Both artists were influenced by the landscapes in western and rural Canada, and were drawn to King and its natural beauty.They work from studios in their homes, where they can look out their windows and feel inspired by their surroundings. The roads that led them here, however, are very different.

Tahedl grew up in Austria, the daughter of a wellknown stained glass Viennese artist, Heinrich Tahedl. She recalls him going out for the evening in Vienna and leaving her with access to his studio and clear expectations: “I want a finished piece when I get home.” He allowed her to dabble in any medium: drawing, painting, or printmaking.

What a wonderful opportunity for her to learn and grow.

At the young age of 15 she was enrolled in the Vienna University of Applied Arts.

Upon graduation,Tahedl began to work with her father on several stained glass commissions. In 1963, at age 23, her reputation as a stained glass artist had spread to Canada and she was commissioned to work on some murals at the new Alberta School of Technology in Edmonton. After two years and several more important projects, including a 9-panel mural at the Edmonton Post 4

MOSAiC spring 2013

E. Tahedl

Office, she moved to Quebec where her stained glass creation, The Sanctuary, was an important part of the structures in the Expo 67 Canadian Pavilion.

Later, in the 1980s, she turned to landscape painting.

During trips with her husband to British Columbia, Baffin Island, the Antarctic, and the Galapagos Islands in South America, she became entranced with the grandeur of the elements: particularly water and earth, and trying to capture “the essence of a place” in her paintings. She found a strong spiritual connection with nature; reflected in her Canada series, in a millennium project, and in her pond series of paintings in the 2000s.

Lucas’ beginnings as an artist were far more fractured.

Growing up in Saskatoon where her Greek father had won a hotel in a poker game, her parents’ preoccupation with the hotel and their strict adherence to Greek traditions meant she spent a lot of time alone in her room with not much to do but draw, and paint. After high school, Lucas convinced her mom to send her to the Ontario College of Art where she began to paint in earnest.

She was so successful that her first show got a very positive review in all 3 Toronto newspapers: the Globe and Mail, the Telegram and the Star, and some damning instructions from the Greek Church – she was to stop painting at once.

For a time Lucas turned her talents to religious icons.

A personal breakthrough came with her 1973 book of drawings titled Angelica, and deemed a “feminist” primer.

By giving herself permission to produce this book, Lucas says she learned to live without guilt for rejecting the restrictions imposed by her Greek parents. The book is an autobiographical collection of drawings and text where the heroine, Angelica, finds freedom and love, and develops a hunger for living.

TwoKing KingArtists Artistswith withHuge Huge Two Canvasesand andEven EvenBigger BiggerHearts Hearts Canvases

by Sue Iaboni

by Sue Iaboni

to Kenya too. Some of the other dove paintings were on display at St. Alban’s in February.

And their Diamond jubilee Medals awarded recently?

Not specifically for their stunning canvases as one might expect, but for their generous community spirit. Tahedl’s medal was awarded by the British High Commission for volunteering with the Royal Canadian Academy where she served as vice president for several years. And Lucas’ medal was awarded by Canada’s Governor General for her generous donations of dove paintings to Rwanda. Both feel real pride, and Ernestine was especially moved when her granddaughter asked if she could borrow the medal and wear it to her 9th birthday party! M

Photos by Hope Rogers

From here, Lucas moved on to illustrating another book; The Christmas Birthday Book, with author Margaret Laurence, and to painting flowers, for which she is bestknown. Her larger-than-life blooms are bursts of vibrant colour, full of joy and warmth and, in Helen’s words, “the beauty and courage of the flower.” During her lifetime she has had over 50 solo shows, in Canada, the United States, and England. She was awarded an honorary Doctoral degree from York University in 1996 and has donated a number of paintings to the campus. She is so well-known that public figures such as Brian Mulroney have visited her King studio to admire and purchase her work.

These two singularly talented women got to know each other when Ernestine asked Helen to judge a local art show. Soon after that they attended the Florence Biennale in 2003.They travelled together on a flight that took them to the wrong destination. Their hotel reservations were lost and they had to go elsewhere. They had no access to cell phones to call for help. But they had a wonderful time and have been best friends ever since.

As they sit chatting over a coffee and Helen’s homemade baklava, one is aware of the years of creativity and production behind them. They have had a number of shows together: in Sarasota, Florida in 1998 with two other Canadian artists, and three times at the John B. Aird Gallery in Toronto: 1997, 2000, and 2004. For their 2000 show they created a magnificent millennium display of Canadian wildflowers and landscapes. But after all these years, are they slowing down? Not in the least: A large Retrospective exhibition of Tahedl’s work from 1946 to 2012 showed in Austria and then Croatia in 2012.

This exhibition will be travelling on to Slovakia in May, and then to Berlin in September, 2013. She is also working on a series of brand new paintings which, along with a lecture and workshops, will form a major exhibit, Terra Incognita, at the Aurora cultural Centre, from April 18 to June 15.

Although she does mostly landscape painting now, she still keeps her hand in the stained glass world, and recently worked on a project with local artist Greg Locke, using a new technique for her called fused glass.

The cover of this issue of King MOSAiC features part of a landscape painting entitled Serenato Pastoral, acrylic on canvas, currently on display at the Air Canada Centre.

It was also used in the fused glass project mentioned above. Tahedl says that inspirations for this and many of her landscape paintings come from the landscape around King.

Lucas has moved in a different direction. After the death of her partner in 2005, she turned for solace to a neighbour and a trip to a local church, St. Alban’s in Nobleton. She found comfort there, and images of doves began to flood her mind, images of the Holy Spirit she found more spiritual than overtly religious. She wrote and illustrated a book, I Have the Key to the Church, and she began painting the doves that were hovering in her head.

Through contact with someone in London, England, Lucas heard about the atrocities in Rwanda and the lack of adornment in Rwanda’s humble churches. She donated 13 of her dove paintings to the churches there, and sent some

Helen Lucas with author Margaret Laurence.

The Aurora Cultural Centre, 22 Church Street, Aurora proudly presents Terra Incognita (Unknown Landscape) a solo exhibition of new, large-scale acrylic paintings by Ernestine Tahedl, RCA, OSA from

April 18th to June 15th.

Inspired by recent travels to Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula, the exhibition is accompanied by a series of photographs taken by the artist that served as a catalyst for her work.

Gallery hours Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Admission is free. AuroraCulturalCentre.ca Helen and Ernestine helped initiate the ASK Studio Tour King in 2006 and encourage you to attend this 8th show with 27 King artists – featuring 7 new artists – sculptors, jewellers, quilters, ceramicists & painters.

Saturday & Sunday - April 27 & 28. ArtsSocietyKing.ca

Artist Reception (April 27th, 1- 4 p.m.)

Artist Talk and Screening of the Bravo film The Artist’s Life: Ernestine Tahedl (May 11th, 1 – 3 p.m.)

Artist Workshop - Experimenting in the Medium of Acrylic (May 8th, 9 a.m. – 3p.m.) spring 2013

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T

he Beat Goes On at the Schomberg Fair!

by Virginia Atkins

Maybe the thrill doesn’t quite match rafting the Nahanni canyon nor meeting your best-beloved at the altar, but your first glimpse of the Schomberg Fair will set your heart a-pounding. Dressed in its busy galaxy of booths and corrals, carousel music and multicoloured flashing lights, the midway beckons! Animal shapes, smells and sounds will entice you; crafts, home baking and school displays will amaze you, and the demolition derby will pump your adrenalin!

For nearly 163 years heartbeats have accelerated, beginning when “On foot, on horseback, by coach, by train, and by car, they came in the fall and then in the spring to Schomberg Fair. ...to show their cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hay and grain as well as their crafts. ...to visit with their friends and to make new ones. This has been a tradition...” a very lively tradition since 1851 when the original King Township Fair rotated among nearby villages, permanently settling in 1872 at Brownsville (Schomberg) in October harvest time, which in 1957 officially became Canada’s Thanksgiving.

The success of the Fairs encouraged formation of the Schomberg Agricultural Society (SAS) and its membership in the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies. The OAAS now provides leadership to 230 societies, 24,000 volunteers and welcomes 4,500,000+ visitors annually. It aims to promote agricultural awareness and strengthen ties between rural and urban communities.

When the countryside was linked in 1902 to Oak Ridges by the Schomberg & Aurora Railway (fondly nicknamed the Annie Rooney) connecting with the Toronto & York Radial Railway, city visitors flocked north on the Yonge line to enjoy a day at the farmers’ market or attend the Fair. In 1909 ten acres of land for the Fair were purchased by the SAS; gradually there were improvements for such uses as harness racing in

After the Schomberg Lions helped in 1964 to establish a new club house on the property for youth activities such as Scouts, Cubs and Guides, the 1970s sparked innovations such as the ‘Fair Queen’ contest, Saddle Club shows, the first Tractor Pull and the grand opening of the 1976 Fair by hockey’s great King Clancy. 1979’s rumbled to the crash and bash of the first Demolition Derby, a crowd- pleaser still on this year’s program. By the eighties, the ‘Queen’ had lost her title and became the ‘Ambassador’ which now includes male and female contestants. Over time, Fair facilities have had many up-grades such as drainage, lighting, water supply, washrooms, secure fencing and some sidewalks. A mobile stage was built and has had a long useful life.

No stopping the energetic volunteers of the Fair committees, who welcomed the famous Conklins’ breath-taking Midway entertainments, rides and games, now offered by the “World’s Finest Shows.” If you prefer cattle and carrots to candy floss and clowns or Ontario-bred Belgians to bugles and bangles, the livestock and farm displays will delight.

Stick around until 2050 to see SAS mementos locked in the time capsule kept at Painting of the Fair by John Bradbury acrylic, 22"x28" the Schomberg Public Library, but today 1920, lawn bowling in 1928 and a year later an ice rink. you can learn about the Spring showcase just a few Unexpected changes affected the Fair: Annie Rooney’s minutes from home. King Township’s biggest entertaindemise in 1927 meant fewer visitors; Hurricane Hazel ment and lots of us would add – the best... with somedestroyed some facilities in 1954. Soon there were so thing for everyone! M many Thanksgiving fairs that the SAS Board decided to Editors' Note: Read more about the Annie Rooney on page 21 launch its Spring event.

- "Take The Last Train from Schomberg" by Ed Millar.

In 1961 the Schomberg Agricultural and Community Arena was built on land given by the Wray family, May 23 to 26. Schomberg Agricultural Spring Fair later deeded to King Township.Today its continuing use - Promoting Agriculture from the Ground Up. as the Spring and Fall Fair venue is a topic of debate SchombergFair.com for everyone aware of the long record of agricultural success which underpins Township history.

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The Village of Kettleby

by Kathleen Fry

ause at the traffic light at Jane Street and Lloydtown Rd. and look east - an unassuming road leads you down into the village of Kettleby.

Follow the curving road down the hill into the hollow and you’ll find one of the most charming spots in King Township. The settlement called Kettleby had an early beginning with the 1st land grant issued in 1801 to Dorothy Burger (who never actually visited the area but sold it in 1803 to John Bogart Sr.) The entire township was originally surveyed in 1800 but as original lots were divided up the need for a new survey arose and by 1879 the area including Kettleby was surveyed again – although this time it was assessed as an area already established and populated.

What I love about Kettleby is that walking through is like taking a class in 19th and early 20th century Canadian Architecture. Many styles and characteristics can be seen from the grand to the more modest, ecclesiastical – readapted or still in use, commercial and residential all gather together in the valley. The church is a fine example of Gothic revival with local stone and lancet windows and beautiful stained glass. In the western canon of architectural styles there are examples of Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian. But one can’t focus on the grander styles to characterise this village.

Without the loyalist cottages, Victory housing and ranch style homes we wouldn’t have the eclectic mix that is Kettleby.

Kettleby Creek meanders through the valley, crossed by a few bridges and cutting a deep v in the landscape. For many years the damning of this creek

by Septimus Tyrwhitt formed part of the mill pond created for his grist mill and distillery. Known locally as Shadow Lake, the pond was a favourite of the residents and the scene of swimming, boating, fishing and ice skating. The dam was washed out by five floods over 50 years and was not rebuilt after a flood in 1934.

P

Running Through Kettleby by Andrea Loeppky

Without the dam the former mill pond bottom was slowly reclaimed. This area is now the picturesque setting for the annual Kettleby Fair.

Kettleby had its boom years. It was on the route from Lloydtown to New-

market until the Lloydtown Aurora Rd was re-routed further south off Jane St. By the mid 1800's a growing industrial community developed with woollen, oat and grist mills, a distillery, and cooperage.

In 1851, the Kettleby Post Office

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opened. One prominent resident Jacob Walton, an important local businessman, opened a Blacksmith shop in 1845, operated a general store, and was postmaster from 1853-1891. By 1855 a chapter of the Sons of Temperance was organized and meeting hall built. The group remained active throughout the century with many events and a thriving membership, but the hall was eventually moved to Black Creek Pioneer Village. By 1870 the population of Kettleby topped 100. However, resources like timber that helped fuel the economy had been depleted and when the railway by-passed the village, Kettleby began to decline as an industrial centre and became a rural hamlet.

This community has changed over the years and yet somehow remains unchanged. Booming business like the mill are part of the past and now a bakery (try their shortbread – so delicious!) and a gas station at the top of the hill are all that exist commercially. This hasn’t changed the community that exists here.

A very active community – with fairs, and artisan sales, fireworks and live performances - continues to thrive. M spring 2013

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If I Could Change Copyright © Jim Scott 2012 Written by Jim Scott for the "100,000 Poets for Change" - a global event, 700 venues around the world.

In a letter to Jim, the Green Party's Ottawa office said "What a magnificent statement of what the Green Party believes so deeply must be the great vision the world must share. It is very inspiring!"

If I could change one day it would be this day.

Where we believe we have the right to take all we desire on sight

I’d make it the day when we could see the wrongness of our destiny

And shatter every natural golden rule

So we might try to change the course we’ll take.

The universe decreed right from the start.

So we might stop and look behind with eyes that can no more be blind To all the depredation in our wake.

So, through our blood stained tears of guilt for all the wastelands we have built, We’ll mourn the wondrous beauty that’s now lost.

And we’ll account our selfish ways of unchecked greed that filled our days No more in terms of profit, but of cost,

If I could change one dream it would be our dream.

I’d centre our vision toward the day when we might wake to quietly say We’ve found the new tomorrow at our door.

When we can see we can remain amid The Balance we’ll sustain; So we can also be sustained once more.

That here’s a place where we can live where, yes, we still can take, but give

And recognize the debt we now must pay.

Yet more back to the Earth than that we took.

That here no more we tear apart her very soul, her very heart

If I could change one mind it would be my mind.

I’d start to believe that I’d be heard and so would shout out every word That told of where our attitude was wrong.

I’d start to trust these thoughts I bear that yet, with effort, we’ll repair The damage we’ve inflicted for so long.

With confidence I’d find anew the strength to share with all of you This true direction humankind should go.

And, never doubting I might fail, I’d lead toward that Holy Grail Of balance; though that path I do not know, But trust, that with your help, we yet will find.

Upon which all of us depend, but look Instead with eyes that see how wonderful our lives can be Unthreatened by our own unsated greed.

Now driven not from want, but basic need; Allowing earth to heal instead of bleed; To worship not the harvest, but the seed, And so from avarice be ever freed To join once more the Universal scheme.

If I could change one day it would be this day.

I’d make it the day we’d start to see the rightness of our destiny

If I could change one heart it would be your heart.

I’d open it up to what once was, to love the Elder ways because There lived the time when man and earth were friends.

When all of nature, all of man, fit well within that master plan Ordained to satisfy our mutual ends.

Not as we see our world’s now turned where we ignore the lessons learned

The day we changed the course we choose to take.

The day we stopped and looked behind upon the years when we were blind And smiled that they are now all in our wake.

The day we made the pledge that we are never going to break.

To join once more The Balance, and within it ever stay.

From evolution’s omnipresent school.

“I Hate Writing Essays” by Chantal Duclos should have been so simple. He might as well have asked for the planting of a mouthful of dragon’s teeth, and then expected fully armed men to pop up from them like daisies. If she was good at writing essays, this wouldn’t be so difficult. If she was bad at procrastinating, this wouldn’t be so problematic. The criteria seemed simple enough: literary devices, myths, and a theme. The literary devices she knew, and the myths were even listed next to relevant themes, just in case.

The myths were things she knew quite well; friendly, familiar fables that she had read about on her own personal time, without education breathing down her neck. Amphion played his lyre so beautifully that the rocks formed themselves into a city. She typed so nicely that the letters organized themselves into an essay. Yeah, right.

If we all lived in Greek myths, then things would definitely not be the same. She would not be sitting on her computer, fingers flying, in search of a decent essay. She would be on an epic quest in search of a bovine with a celestial brand on its backside, a chaotic display of drunk, dancing, Dionysian damsels, or perhaps a ferocious feline

It

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MOSAiC spring 2013

with a human female face (as well as fowl feathers). Could any of them write the essay for her?

Probably not. They were much too busy leading the way to the future sites of great cities, celebrating wine and ecstatic liberation, or strangling people with their riddles.

Strangling. Now there’s a thought. If the sphinx could ask a riddle and have someone strangle in their own lack of an answer, could she just as well be assigned an essay and suffocate in her own lack of creative writing? Be creative. Build up to something significant and climatic; make clever, witty links between sentences; and, of course, speak in groups of three. Don’t tell a story.

Well, alright. At least it’s easy to tell a story about not telling a story.

Editors’ Note: Chantal, while a Grade 12 student at Aurora High School in 2007, had been given a week to write a creative essay about Classical Greek Myths. “True to my nature”, says Chantal, “I procrastinated until the last minute, and begrudgingly wrote about how much I hate writing essays.” We think many of us can remember that kind of stress back in our high school days. The great news – “my teacher must have had a good sense of humour because ironically enough, I got 100%.”

Congratulations to Giovannina Colalillo of Schomberg! Giovannina was once again asked by the Ontario Federation of Labour to create the illustration for International Women's Day, March 8 2013.

A Dog Named Fresca In early July 2005, a very special dog came into my life.

I had bought her, sight unseen, from the only workingline Belgian Tervuren breeder in the USA at that time.

As I drove to the airport, I had some misgivings regarding how this eight-week old puppy, that I had decided to name Fresca, had handled the long flight. I unlocked the door of her crate and any worries instantly disappeared as she joyfully tumbled out, tongue and tail working enthusiastically.

As a puppy, Fresca was a quick study – very smart, eager to work, athletic: she loved to play tug and had a passion for her ball – which is the reward I used almost exclusively when training her.

She had a brilliant career in dogsport but, in early 2010, it became apparent I needed hip surgery and I had to retire her. After my operation, this devoted little dog became my nursing aide – she would pick up articles I could not bend to reach, fetch my walking stick or slippers, and generally watch me to see how she could be useful, as well as giving me comforting love. When I recovered, she helped me in the garden, carrying her personal wicker basket to load up with fresh vegetables and then carrying the heavy basket back to the house. But she still needed more to do.

It occurred to me that it would be a natural progression to use her affection for people and passion for being useful, to helping others. So we applied to join Therapeutic Paws of Canada. After easily passing her entrance exam, her first assignment came – weekly visits to the King City Lodge Nursing Home where many of the residents are cognitively challenged. Our first visit somewhat surprised the residents and many were suspicious of Fresca, despite her constantly wagging tail and gentle approach. Some residents would shrink away fearfully, while others would pat her, but warily.

Let’s talk DATABASES! Kelley England, What is a “database”? Well to start - it is not the internet! The most basic definition would be a collection of various sources: newspaper articles, magazine articles, academic journals… etc., all available online. Think of it as an electronic library that you can easily access and search from either the library or from the comfort of your own home.

The King Township Public Library has a wealth of online databases. The topics are diverse and there is suitable content for all ages. Whether you are researching a project or paper, or perhaps you are looking to make repairs on your car; our collection of online resources will easily meet your research and personal information needs.

Once you are on the library’s website www.king-library.on.ca, click on “find resources online” and then all you need is your library card!

Here is a sample of available databases: NEW at the Library Britannica Online – contains headlines from “The New York Times”, the “BBC”, the “SBC Australian News Service" and over 27, 000 images, maps and videos. It also offers over 23,000 biographies.

NEW at the Library!

Britannica Image Quest – Looking for pictures? This database gives you access to approximately 3 million rightscleared images from over 50 of the best collections, including the Natural History Museum, National Geographic Society and Getty Images.

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by Valerie Rowley

However, after seeing her a few times and realizing that she didn’t bite, the residents began to eagerly anticipate our weekly visits and the wheelchairs would line up in the entranceway as their occupants competed to be the first to pet her. With her customary patience and good humour, she dealt with several wheelchairs enthusiastically driven over her paws and some heavy-handed pats. She seemed to know that these elderly people just needed to touch her soft fur and feel the love she gave. Some residents were too unwell to get out of bed and, although it was not strictly allowed, the supervisor gave her permission to spring lightly onto the bed and curl up in their arms for a while.

One elderly gentleman, who was unhappily missing his own dog, hadn’t spoken for weeks. He would sit silently in his wheelchair, just staring out of the window.Then we had our first visit. As Fresca touched his arm with her nose, his sad face suddenly wreathed in smiles. Soft, if unintelligible, words of love came pouring out as his arms tightly wrapped around her neck and he rained kisses on her head. She kissed him back and he wept. So did I. Every time we visited after that, he was waiting for her – as were so many others.

I thought we would have many more months of visits like these, and we were aiming to add children’s hospitals to our list, but it was not to be. Fresca was suddenly, shockingly, diagnosed with liver failure in September 2012 and, despite a month of desperate treatments to try and save her she slipped from this world in mid-October. She was only seven years old. I received over forty messages of condolence; such was the impact that this little brown dog with the huge heart had on people. She was my sweet-natured, loyal and devoted companion who remains deep in my heart and not a day goes by that I do not think of her...

Manager, King Township Public Library www.king-library.on.ca

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mendations, reliability reports, safety, and price comparisons for your next big purchase.

Mango Languages - You could learn another language quickly and efficiently.

Mango is an online language learning system that can help you learn languages like Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian, Portuguese, German, Mandarin, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian, English and more.

These are just a few of the databases that the Library offers.

Check out the library’s website for a complete listing of all our databases www.king-library.on.ca.

DID YOU KNOW that this database includes “Consumer Reports Magazine”? This gives you access to recomspring 2013

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Discover King Campus 282 hectares of woods, lake and fields

We W e iinvite nvite y you ou tto oe experience xperience o our ur n natural atural ssurroundings. urroundings. W Whether h ther he walking w alking or or hiking hiking tthrough hrough the the e trails trails or or enjoying enjoying a view view of of the the lake, lake, you’ll certainly find campus warm and picturesque. y ou’ll c ertainly fi nd tthe he c ampus w arm a nd p icturesque.

Att K King Campus, we believe we have not A ing C ampus, w eb elieve tthat hat w eh ave a rresponsibility esponsibility n ot only protect o nly tto op rotect our our natural natural environment environment but but to to create create innovative innovative and care ssolutions olutions tthat hat help help ssustain ustain a nd c are ffor or tthe he e lland, and, even even as as we we grow. grow.

Best off a all, we’re doing here King City.

B est o ll, w e’re d oing iitt rright ight her e iin n Ki ng C ity.

Get tto Get o kn know ow u us. s. senecacollege.ca s en e c ac a ol le g e . c a 113990 3990 Dufferin Dufferin Street, Street, King King C City, ity, O Ontario ntario L7B L7B 1B3 1B3

THE TOP TEN JOYS of a Native Plant Garden

by Pam Heron

1. Conservation About ten years ago, we started gradually converting part of the lawn (about a quarter of an acre, now) into a native plant garden. It seemed to be the “green” thing to do – for water conservation, pesticide elimination, invasive species eradication, power mower pollution reduction, and so on.

2. Animation The native plant garden is full of butterflies and birds and other little beasts – and to the horror of some visiting urban folks – snakes! Every stroll is accompanied by their fluttering and rustling, or, in the winter, their foot prints. It’s a naturalist’s delight – and only steps away.

3. Conversation It’s always fun to talk about your passion, especially for a retired teacher. A lot of people are getting interested in native plants now and it’s great to talk

paintings. My own creative projects – ceramics, batik, rug hooking – always feature native plants.

Maybe the plants don’t grow any better because I wander around looking at them – but I do.

once we get it home – a great upper body workout to complement all that walking and “pottering” about.

5. Donation Every year in the spring, I pot up hundreds of native plants for the Laskay Hall Plant Sale (May 11 this year). Potting plants is like popping bubble wrap – highly satisfying and somewhat addictive. For the price of a load of topsoil, I can donate hundreds of dollars to a cause I care about. Customers get inexpensive, field-grown plants that are hardy and easy to care for, and both the plants and the customers come back year after year.

8. Sensation What better excuse to keep a gas-guzzling pickup than the fun of having a half-ton of material dumped from a front-end loader into the truck bed behind you, with all the accompanying thumps and bumps? Tonka toys for big kids! Wood chips, manure, top soil, sand, and compost are all obtained inexpensively this way.

10. Profusion Being able to say “help yourself to the flowers” to family, neighbours and friends is a delight. Nosegays appear at the Laskay Hall Raspberry Social (July 9 this year) and last summer a lovely young couple collected buckets of flowers for their eco-conscious wedding.

9. Occupation Don’t forget that all that stuff has to be unloaded by shovel and distributed

For a Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) article about my garden as wildlife habitat, Google “Against All Odds – Pam Heron”.

6. Education Mother Nature is a patient, although relentless, educator as well as a generous collaborator. As I have evolved through various stages of emphasis (from ‘wildflowers’ to exclusively native plants to wildlife habitat) I have learned

Photos by Garry Conway

with them at the Plant Sale, when they come on garden tours or when we are out and about.

4. Inspiration My partner, nature photographer Garry Conway, has showcased his macro shots of native plant blossoms at the ASK Studio Tour (April 27 and 28 this year). My neighbour photographs the flowers for some of her

many lessons.The most important one is to go with her flow.

7. Meditation Meandering through the labyrinth of paths amidst the ever-changing growth is a walking meditation. Native plant blossoms are not as big and showy as the exotic cultivars, so require a slower pace and a closer inspection. Think Glenn Gould instead of Liberace. spring 2013

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Events in and around King Township

.....just

Until June 16 – An Exploration of Cape Dorset Art at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 10 to 4 p.m.

Celebration of art & culture of the Inuit people of Cape Dorset (Kinngait) through three distinct exhibitions.

Adults $15. Seniors/Students $12.

Members free. www.McMichael.com or 905 893 1121.

March 2 to April 7 – Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival at the Kortright Centre for Conservation.

MapleSyrupFest.com March 7 - Nature Evenings - Reptiles & Amphibians - Family Friendly!

7 p.m. at the King City Library. Ever wonder where reptiles and amphibians go when ponds freeze over and snow blankets the ground? Ontario Nature staff will describe these fascinating creatures that have roamed around King for millions of years. Also learn how to become a citizen scientist. This is the first of a series called Nature Evenings arranged by ASK, Cold Creek Stewardship, Dufferin Marsh and K.T. Public Library.

See also April 11 and May 2.

ArtsSocietyKing.ca See article on page 13.

March 9 – 9th Annual "drive yourself" Farm Tour. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. $10 per car. Tickets (with maps) available the day of the tour at the Schomberg Community Hall on Main Street or the week before at other sites. The farm tour offers families and friends a chance to feel the brisk air, enjoy the countryside and tour some of the farms in and around King Township. See newborn animals and learn some of the basics of a farm operation. Call Janet 905 859 0834 or visit SchombergFair.com March 9 to June 2 – Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3 at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 10 to 4 p.m. Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design, New York. See article on page 18.

March 11 to 15 - March Break Workshops. Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the King Township Museum. Different activities each day of the break including art instruction, Easter crafts, basic sewing and more.

Join the fun at the museum this March Break. 905 833 2331 KingMuseum@King.ca March 15 - Irish Dinner, 6 to 8 p.m. at King City United Church, 50 Elizabeth Grove. Savour mouth watering Irish stew, mashed potatoes, yummy desserts and enjoy entertainment. Irish tunes, Irish humour and dancing by the Miller School of Irish Dance "leprechauns". $15 per person. Family (2 adults, 2 children) $35. Call 905 833 5181 or kcuc@bellnet.ca. kcuc.ca

March 16 – St. Patty's Day Party Five Line Rhyme Tyme, at the Postmaster House, 7 Old King Road, Nobleton, from 6 to 10 p.m. Irish Stew, Irish beer & wine and a fun filled evening of laughter and limericks. Tickets only $20. Registration Required. Call 905 939 9357 or info@ArtsSocietyKing.ca

The McMichael Sunday Concert Series presented by The McMichael Volunteer Committee at 1:30p.m. in Gallery 8. Included with admission to The McMichael, Kleinburg.

March 17 - Hyoseon Sunny Kim Duo, April 21 - Emma Banfield, Classical Ensemble, May 19 - Ed Vokurka, Jazz, June 16 - Lynn McDonald, Jazz Vocalist March 18 – Trip to Canada Blooms & National Home Show leaving old Schomberg Arena 9:30a.m. returning from the Direct Energy Centre at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $22 for bus and ticket.

Bus will stop at Nobleton arena at 9:45 a.m. To reserve your seat call Linda before March 12th at 905 939 2069.

March 22 – ORTA Hike in Happy Valley Forest, King Township starting at 9:30 a.m. 10+ km; Fast pace; 2+ hours. There & back hike or snowshoe. Meet at the 16th Sideroad and NE corner of Weston Rd. Leader Russ Burton, 905 830 2862.

OakRidgesTrail.org

March 23 – Don’t Forget Earth Hour at the Dufferin Marsh, Schomberg, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Turn off your lights and come out to the marsh. Watch the stars and enjoy a warm drink by the fire. DufferinMarsh.ca March 25 – Bring New Life to an Old Garden with Sean James. Nobleton King City Horticultural Society’s general meeting at 7:45 p.m. at the Nobleton Community Hall. All are welcome. Members free. Guests $3.

Contact Deborah Socol at fireflies52@hotmail.ca March 26 – Water in the Garden lily ponds and leopard frogs with Martin Galloway, teacher of horticulture and owner of Chalk Lake Nurseries. Schomberg Horticultural Society’s general meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Schomberg Community Hall, 325 Main St. All welcome.

Contact Carol Field 905 833 3324.

March 28, April 25, May 23 – Write Now @ King! Meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. at the King City Library. All writers, aspiring and sometimes published, welcome. Explore and share writing techniques.

Call Sue at 905 833 0490.

April 10 - Reading by Maureen Scott Harrie, Artist-in-Residence at Koffler Scientific Reserve at Jokers Hill. 7:30 p.m. Award winning essayist and poet, Maureen will spend the next several months exploring the KSR site getting to know the students, researchers and volunteers. "I'm curious about places and the meaning they have for people, and interested in different ways of knowing (e.g. science, poetry, walking, observing...) Dr. Art Weis, Director of KSR, commented "Science is one way to characterize the natural world. Artists such as Maureen reveal truths about the ways we fit ourselves into that world."

Follow Maureen fieldnotesjokershill.blogspot.com

April 10, 12-14, 19-21, 25-27 – Blackhorse Theatre – “The Trouble with Clifford” a comedy by L.E. Hines. Evening 8:15 p.m. Sunday Matinee 2:15 p.m. at 17272 Mount Wolfe Rd. Caledon/King border. Tickets $17, Seniors (60+) $13. Box Office at 905 880 5002. Blackhorse.ca

Jon Jarro

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MOSAiC spring 2013

April 11 - Nature Evenings - Spring Birds & Migration - Family Friendly!

6:30 p.m. at Schomberg Library. Join Dan Stuckey, Seneca College, Environmental Land Management Program for a presentation on spring birds and migration followed by a walk to view the mating dance of the American Woodcock. Bring your binoculars. Contact Mary 905 833 5321 x 5226.

April 16 – King Travel Diary Series – I always wanted to go there, at 7 p.m. at the Nobleton Library. Wendy & Tony Rolph present Travels in Yunnan - Ecological Adventures from the Yangtze to the Mekong. Tour indigenous communities and world heritage sites along the major rivers of China's remote south-west.

ArtsSocietyKing.ca King-Library.on.ca.

April 18 to June 15 - Terra Incognita (Unknown Landscape) Tuesday to Saturday 10 to 4 p.m.

Aurora Cultural Centre. Free. This solo exhibition of large-scale acrylic paintings by King artist, Ernestine Tahedl, RCA, OSA was inspired by recent travels to Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Artist reception (April 27, 1 to 4 p.m.).

Artist Talk & Screening of Bravo film The Artist's Life: Ernestine Tahedl (May 11, 1 to 3 p.m.) and Ernestine is offering a rare, hands-on workshop for painters with some previous experience (May 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $75.

Spaces limited.) Call 905 713 1818.

AuroraCulturalCentre.ca See article pages 4 & 5.

April 19 - Schomberg Lions Club Fish & Chip Dinner. Two sittings: 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Schomberg Community Hall, 325 Main Street. Make sure to get your tickets early as the last one was sold out. Reservations & tickets, call Lion Susanne at 905 939 4024 or visit SchombergLions.com.

April 22 – Garden Design Simplified with Heinke Zemancik. Nobleton King City Horticultural Society’s general meeting at 7:45 p.m. at the Nobleton Community Hall. altflora.com/nobleton.

April 23 – The Joys and Hazards of a Large Country Garden with Trish Symons. Schomberg Horticultural Society’s general meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Schomberg Community Hall, 325 Main St. All welcome.

Contact Carol 905 833 3324.

April 26 - United Church Women's Fashion Show by Sora's. 7:30 p.m. at the Schomberg United Church, 31 Church Street.

Contact Linda at 905 939 2069.

April 27 - That 50's Thing!

Kettleby Pottageville Lions Hall.

Welcome to a 50's car show, 50's fashion show & dance demonstration with decorations from Pottageville in the 50s. Schomberg Lions are providing hot dogs, hamburgs, french fries. Cash bar. York Pines United Church is fundraising to make the church accessible.

Call Cyndy 905 939 7158.

April 27 & 28 – ASK Studio Tour King, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission. Visit 19 studios/sites throughout scenic King; meet over 30 acclaimed King artists & guests, and browse for that perfect piece! Maps available at the KT Museum, KT libraries, Postmaster House and online at ArtsSocietyKing.ca.

May 1 – Community Showcase (6 to 7 p.m.) & Volunteer Appreciation Evening (7:15 p.m.) at the Kingbridge Conference Centre & Institute, 12750 Jane St. Contact tbarresi@king.ca or King.ca May 2 – Nature Evenings - Frog Night Out - Family Friendly! 8 p.m. at Dufferin Marsh. Learn about and listen to the frogs with Mary Asselstine, Environmental Stewardship Co-ordinator, King Township. Discover the threatened Chorus Frog and what we are doing to protect its habitat.

DufferinMarsh.ca May 4 – Community Yard Sale, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Trisan Centre, Schomberg. Indoor community yard sale hosted by the Township of King. $20 per table or two for $35.

Participants may also donate unsold items to Goodwill at the end.

Contact jbell@king.ca May 9 – King City Secondary School Music Night, at the Markham Theatre, 7 p.m. Come and see the Senior and Junior Concert Bands, Jazz Big Band, Stage Band, and various small ensembles perform. Everyone is welcome. Call Mr. Tom Walker at 905 833 5332 x419.

ArtsSocietyKing.ca

MAspring13:Layout 1 22/02/13 2:40 PM Page 13

May 11 – Schomberg Horticultural Society’s Plant Sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Community Hall on Main Street, Schomberg. Annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. Perfect gifts for Mothers’ Day. Call Linda 905 939 2069.

May 11– Laskay Hall Plant and Bake Sale, 9 a.m. to noon, at Laskay Hall on Weston Road, just south of King Road. Field-grown native and exotic perennials at very reasonable prices! Enjoy coffee and a homemade treat while you make your decision!

The Weston Road clean-up will be done at the same time – volunteers welcome.

Call Laskay Hall at 905 833 0222.

May 11 – Springfest at Cold Creek Conservation Area. Family event with bouncy castles, high ropes, rock climbing, nature walks and a family barbecue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $10 per car. Contact jbell@king.ca May 14 - Multimedia Film Festival of York Region. 7 to 9 p.m. King City Library. Come out and experience some of the region’s emerging and established filmmaking talent at this screening. 905 833 2331 KingMuseum@king.ca

May 16 - King Spring Plant Sale.

Nobleton Gazebo & Library Grounds.

Join Nobleton/King City Horticultural Society (plant sale), King Chamber of Commerce (annual Lady Flavelle Geranium Sale & Pickup - $25 per flat. Prebook your order. Call Helen at 905 717 7199 or info@kingchamber.ca and King Township (discounted sale of composters and rain barrels).

Contact Deborah Socol at fireflies52@hotmail.ca or altflora.com/Nobleton or KingChamber.ca May 20 – Nobleton Victoria Day Fair. All day, Nobleton Arena grounds. Lion’s Club Guide Dog Walk at 10 a.m. Nobleton Lions Parade starts at library at 11 a.m. Nobleton Village Association in partnership with the Township of King present live entertainment by the “Powder” band, GTA Midway, face painting, clowns, lots of food and an array of vendors with everything from clothing to candles. Reptilia bring their exotic critters.

Nobleton King City Horticultural Society’s Plant Sale, all afternoon. This fun-filled day ends at dusk with the greatest private fireworks display in Ontario by the Nobleton Fire Department firework.

NobletonVictoriaDay.com.

May 23 to 26 – 163rd Schomberg Agricultural Spring Fair. “Promoting Agriculture from the Ground Up” theme – midway, children’s entertainment, livestock, home crafts (antiques, horticulture, schoolwork, agricultural exhibits) fair farm, pony rides, food and vendors.

Thurs 23rd Pay-one-price midway opens at 6 p.m. Fri 24th: Gates open 5 p.m. with Demolition Derby at 7 p.m. Sat 25th: Gates open at 9 a.m.

Mammoth Parade at 11a.m. Arena opens at 11a.m. Bavarian Garden at noon. Announcement of 2013 Ambassador at 6 p.m. Lots of entertainment family fun!! Sun 26th: Dufferin Marsh Bird Walk at 6:30 a.m. Meet at bulletin board on Dr. Kay Dr. and then enjoy the Lions Pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Community Hall. Fair opens at 10 a.m. Arena opens at 11 a.m. Family Fun Day, Baby Show, and Mutt & Pet Show. Info 905 939 8283 or SchombergFair.com May 25 to June 12 – South Simcoe Arts Council presents “Arts on Main Festival 2013” - Cookstown, Alliston, Beeton & Tottenham.

SouthSimcoeArtsCouncil.com

ArtsSocietyKing.ca

May 25 - 14th Annual Nobleton/ Kleinburg Rotary Club "LOBSTERFEST" Dinner & Dance. 6 p.m. to midnight, at Dr. William Laceby Nobleton Arena. All you can eat lobster & beef! Silent auction! Live entertainment! Tickets $75. Contact Lucy 905 859 0999 or Lucy@Kingprint.ca May 27 – Creating a Low Maintenance Garden with Diane Greenfield. Nobleton King City Horticultural Society’s general meeting at 7:45 p.m. at the Nobleton Community Hall. altflora.com/nobleton May 28 – Peonies the Imperial Flower with Diana Pooke. Presented by the Schomberg Horticultural Society. 7:30 p.m. at the Schomberg Community Hall, 325 Main St. Contact Carol 905 833 3324.

May 29 - Awards Gala for York Region Multi Media Film Festival.

Newmarket Theatre, 505 Pickering Cres. from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets $30 students, $35 adults. YorkRegionFilmFestival.com June 8 to September 21 Schomberg Farmers' Market. Every other Saturday in the Schomberg Fairgrounds. Schomberg Fair.com

June 8 - Dufferin Marsh Wine Tasting.

DufferinMarsh.ca June 12 - King Travel Diary Series – I always wanted to go there.

7 p.m. at the King City Library. Singer, Guitarist Tom Kovacs presents the Arctic - Adventure Canada.

ArtsSocietyKing.ca KingLibrary.on.ca June 15 – The Moraine for Life, Adventure Relay.

MoraineAdventure.com June 15 – The King City Festival, King City Memorial Park, noon until 9 p.m. Contact jbell@king.ca June 23 – Schomberg Horticultural Society’s Garden Tour June 23 to July 20 – ASK Festival King 2013. ArtsSocietyKing.ca

Become a Member of ASK for 2013 For information contact info@ArtsSocietyKing.ca

905.939.9357

WANTED: Reptile and Amphibian Sightings!

Photo by Jim Trottier

by Laura Robson

ith spring around the corner marks the beginning of an annual event that has occurred in Ontario for thousands of years.

Amphibians like frogs, toads and salamanders begin their breeding season as soon as the ice melts from ponds, streams even ditches. Have you ever sat outside on a spring evening and heard the loud "peep, peep" of a spring peeper chorus? This tiny little frog rarely grows over an inch in size but has a call that can be heard over one kilometre away!

While they certainly make a healthy racquet in the springtime, amphibians worldwide are facing staggering declines with 41% of all species facing the threat of extinction. Reptiles, such as snakes and turtles, are doing even worse in Ontario with 75% of all species at risk disappearing forever from our beautiful province!

Ectotherms like reptiles and amphibians tend to be most diverse in the warmest parts of the globe because of their need to get warmth from the outside environment. Ontario may not strike you as the warmest place on the planet but we actually have an amazing array of turtle, snake, salamander, frog and toad

W

species. Living in King Township, where you are surrounded by forests and green landscapes, you are still lucky enough to share your space with many of these fascinating creatures. Although many people ‘love-tohate’ these creepy-crawlers, reptiles and amphibians are a group that you want to keep around your property.

Here are three reasons why: 1) Many snakes eat rodents and can help keep their numbers down around barns.

2) Frogs and salamanders are good indicators of ecosystem health.

3) Turtles, especially Snapping Turtles, are great scavengers of rotting fish. They help keep small ponds and lakes clean and free from algae blooms.

One way to return the favour of all these services is to help track sightings of these species for scientists. Ontario Nature, a non-government organization, is co-ordinating the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, where citizens can report their sightings. All you

need is a photo, the date you observed the animal and a location (e.g. coordinates, address, or a description of the location).

For more information, including all forms to submit sightings, visit www.ontarionature.org/atlas or e-mail us at atlas@ontarionature.org or give us a call at 416444-8419 x243 or visit us at the King City Library on Thursday, March 7th at 7 p.m. as part of the Nature Evenings organized by ASK, Cold Creek Stewardship, Dufferin Marsh and K.T. Public Library.

Editors’ Notes: New this year as part of ASK Festival King 2013! – Family Nature Days (July 6, 13, 20) brought to you

by ASK, King Township and Toronto & Region Conservation. On July 6th at either 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. join Ontario Nature staff for a Reptile and Amphibian discovery hike at the Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve, 18462 Bathurst Street (North of Green Line). For more information on all Family Nature Days – ArtsSocietyKing.ca

spring 2013

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Photos by Wyatt Harrison & Nicholas Zomparelli

Igniting

a love of SCIENCE

In

the short 12 years that Villanova College has been open, it has developed into a well-rounded community of amazing students and inspiring staff.

There are many opportunities for students to get involved and extend their high school experience beyond the classroom, including social justice, athletic and academic avenues. However, there is a specific area in which one student noticed a gap. As an avid science student, Victoria Marando saw that there were few opportunities for stu-

Get Technology WORKING for YOU!

In-home Computer & iPad Training & Support call Geoff Simpson

416-997-3159 King Township & surroundings

The McMichael Volunteer Committee presents a series of concerts featuring outstanding Canadian musicians.

Concerts begin at 1:30 pm in our new Gallery 8 Performance Space, and are Free with admission to the McMichael.

Classical

April 21/13

Emma Banfield

Classical

Ann Clifford

May 19/13

Ed Vokurka

Studio Tour King April 27 & 28, 10 to 5 p.m.

June 16/13

Lynn McDonald

MOSAiC spring 2013

Arts • Heritage • Nature

Music to the Ears

Hyoseon Sunny Kim Duo

anncliffordsculpture.com

scientific holiday, ‘Mole Day,’ earlier this year. A mole is a chemical measurement which equals 6.02 x 10^23 so on the day that matches that number, October 23rd, chemistry students around the world have a celebration.Villanova’s Science Society celebrated by making a cake, playing mole-themed jeopardy, and creating an educational video for the viewing pleasure of the VC student body. You can check it out on the school’s YouTube channel!

This new group has long term goals of going to the Science Expo and competing at the Science Olympics at York University. Feedback has all been positive so far. Next year Victoria will be going on to university to study life sciences, but she hopes that an equally dedicated student will carry the torch and the VC Science Society will continue to grow. M

McMichael Sunday Concert Series

March 17/13

uniquely displayed - King Train Station c.1852 king township museum

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learns in a very unique way.The themes of the first few months were focused on hands-on experiments to supplement and enhance classroom learning.

One involved the unique properties of water and fire. If the students’ hands were soaked in water then covered in methane bubbles they could safely be ignited.This is an exhilarating feeling and students actually experienced holding fire.

Another experiment was called “elephant toothpaste.” This process involved dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and potassium iodide. The resulting substance caused a violent reaction with a lot of foam and heat, and the initial reactants appeared to quadruple in size. The “scientists” could not comment on whether an elephant had ever tried to use it.

The students also celebrated the

dents to explore science outside the classroom on a regular basis. During her senior year of high school, Victoria decided to do something about it.

Her journey started in the summer, before anyone was even thinking about school. Victoria began contacting people from other schools, asking about their science programs and clubs. She then emailed her science teachers to ask if any would be interested in moderating a new club. Her teachers were completely on board and one in particular, Ms. Rosanna Cappellucci, took on the role. Once approved by the school administration, the Villanova College Science Society was born!

Victoria currently plans meetings, experiments, and activities for club members.

A wide range of concepts has been explored and the enthusiastic group

e-Confidence.ca

Mollie Bianchi, Robert White,Victoria Marando "holding" fire.

Call For Artists

Jazz Jazz Vocalist

23rd Annual Autumn Art Sale Application Deadline: May 31/13 Visit McMichaelVolunteers.com for Details

Become a member of ASK for 2013

SUPPORT CULTURE IN KING For information contact info@ArtsSocietyKing.ca

905.939.9357 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg 905-893-1121 McMichael.com

ArtsSocietyKing.ca

Woodpeckers Concussion-Proof Drillers The Cold Creek Stewardship Report, by Gordon Craig Early morning drumming, drilling, and slow melodic thumps can be heard in the forest throughout the year. Woodpeckers are establishing territory, calling for mates or foraging.

They drive their beaks into hardwood and bark at 20-30 strikes per second to expose beetles and grubs or hollow out a nest cavity.

High-speed filming has clocked the woodpecker beak forward trajectory at 6–7.5 metres per second resulting in a deceleration gravitational force (g) on impact of 600 to 1500 g. A negative 80 to 160 g force experienced in sports or car accidents is sure to produce brain concussions in humans. How do woodpeckers avoid brain injury?

Firstly, woodpeckers do have small mass brains which according to the laws of physics (force = mass x acceleration) result in less induced force than larger brains would experience. Secondly, the orientation of the woodpecker brain is tilted upward presenting a broader surface area to reduce the force per unit area than in humans. Thirdly, the short duration of impact in woodpeckers (less than a millisecond) results in less trauma compared to that of human accidents (2-20 milliseconds). Let's look at the several special design mechanisms built into woodpecker skulls that protect them.

The front of the woodpecker skull has an inner layer of flexible bone plates that slows the deceleration of the brain with each strike.

This flexible bone patch may differ among species depending on the hardness of material they prefer; in some species the bone

takes on a sponge-like structure. The beaks are also flexible and dissipate energy by bending slightly. The lower beak receives the majority of the force and distributes it through neck muscles and away from the skull.

Unique to woodpeckers is a musculotendinous tissue, the hyoid, which is connected to the base of the tongue, splitting and wrapping around the back of the skull then rejoining to anchor on the top of the skull, acting like a sling to cushion each strike. These individual features collectively reduce the stress to the woodpecker's brain to avoid injury. The unique mechanical structures of the woodpecker skull have been adapted into the design of micromachined devices to suppress high-frequency mechanical fatigue in electrical circuitry.

Experience the sights and sounds of all the woodpeckers of the northeastern forest with a walk through the Cold Creek Conservation Area woodlots. You will see Downy and Hairy woodpeckers that look similar but differ in size. Listen for the “thunk, thunk” of a large Pileated with its deep red crest. You might see a Red-bellied hunting for grubs and in spring and summer the Common Flicker can be found in trees and on the ground foraging.

Visit ColdCreek.ca for pictures and calls of all these woodpeckers, videos of nest building and foraging and copies of the articles describing the nature and physics of these special birds. M

Red-Bellied Woodpecker photo by Barry Westhead

SPONGY BONE

SKULL BONE

HYOID

BEAK

Electron microscope cross section from the spongy bone skull area of two woodpecker species.

St Patty's Day Party Irish Food & Beer, Music & Fun!"

1 cm

Woodpecker skull with location of spongy bone and hyoid.

March 16th 6 p.m.

Postmaster House 7 Old King Rd. Nobleton

G-force tolerance curves for woodpeckers and humans.

Five Line Rhyme Tyme Irish Limerick Contest You don't need to bring us a rhyme Just join us and have a good time But if you should care Your limerick to share Why, that would be simply sublime!

$20 per person Call - 905.939.9357 OR info@ArtsSocietyKing.ca ArtsSocietyKing.ca spring 2013

MOSAiC

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G

ing around 1650, were offered provocative political pamphlets, the latest news and gossip, scientific and technological updates, commercial opportunities, and stimulating debates on literature and music.

Even middle class workers could afford a few pence a day on coffee and education, and coffee houses were soon nicknamed “penny universities.”

This historic tradition has carried on into the 21st century. Here are just a few of the places in King Township where locals and out-of-towners come together to relax and converse, to share and to learn. Some are on the main street of our small towns while others are tucked away on the back roads, but all have their own unique and devoted following:

Photo by Pam Rolph Romeril

etting together to eat, drink and converse can be traced back to history’s earliest times. Street vendors and public cooks were readily available in Ancient Rome.Thermopolia, or small restaurant-bars, offered food and drink, and eating out was an important component of social life.Teahouses and taverns catered to travellers in early China. Medieval travellers and pilgrims dined at inns, taverns, monasteries and hostelries.

According to the Larousse Gastronomique, the first café was established in Constantinople in 1550.

It was a coffee house, and that's why similar establishments are known as "cafés" today. Patrons of the coffee houses that sprang up around Europe, start-

Our Local Gathering

by Louise Di Iorio, Phyllis Vernon and Cathy Webster

GRACKLE COFFEE COMPANY

Grackle by Margit Sampogna

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208 Main Street, Schomberg Tuesday to Friday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

905.590.0069 GrackleCoffee.com

Dorio’s Bakery in the village of Kettleby has a devoted following within the King Township community: Regulars drop by for their fresh bread, biscotti and Italian pastries, and for the mouth-watering pizza, lasagna and other hot dishes. But other customers come from much farther away. Autumn brings a steady stream of visitors looking for the most scenic vistas for fall colours, and they are delighted with the views from Kettleby Road. One autumn day a bus full of Japanese tourists stopped and emptied into the café: Josie and Manny were surprised and delighted to find that Dorio’s was marked on their route!

The summer attracts a variety of car rallies: aficionados of British, Ferraris, and Classic cars love the winding roads of King Township and the bakery is one of their favourite stops. Equestrians value the quiet protection of Kettleby Road and they feel quite safe when they tie up their horse in front of the bakery and relax over an espresso and biscotti. The comforting smells of home cooking tempt hikers to wander off their track, and motorcyclists and racing cyclists are more than willing to take a short break at Dorio’s before they head out on their adventures once again.The bakery offers a quiet haven for friends and families yearning for a quieter time and place.

DORIO'S KETTLEBY ITALIAN BAKERY 449 Kettleby Road, Kettleby, Ontario Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

905.727.3045

Photo by Robert Brown

Drop into Grackle Coffee Company in Schomberg on any given morning and you will be lucky to find a seat. This hang-out is open to residents and their friends from 7 am until well into the evening every day except Monday. Amanda Baker, owner, and her accomplice, Jody, greet everyone by name and often know their coffee order by heart.

For those who need something to go with their organic coffee, there is a selection of locally baked goods, home-made soups, and fresh sandwiches made with local ingredients. Other products sold in the store; jams, mustards, honey products, and other condiments, as well as milk and yogurt, and ice cream in the summer, are also organic and local. All take-out cups, napkins, and cleaning products are bio-degradable and environmentally friendly.

Who are the regulars at this location? Volunteers from the various Schomberg organizations gather here to plan events such as: Fall In Love With Schomberg, A Main Street Christmas, and the Schomberg Village Street Gallery. Environmental groups get together here as well.

There is a large table on one side that folks refer to as “the meeting table.” Often, Amanda will open up the shop to those groups who prefer to meet in the evening.

Grackle is located in the 1919 plumber’s house, and is decorated in “early garage sale.” Tables and chairs are an eclectic collection of antique and fleamarket. The walls are adorned with work by local artists, woodworkers, and crafts people. Everything is for sale. Tshirts and hoodies with the grackle logo are available for purchase too. Shelves and bookcases are stacked with brochures and pamphlets advertising nearby events. Amanda seems to have made it her mission to support and promote members of her local community.

And they, in turn, support her.

Pine Farms Orchard on the 16th Sideroad attracts a surprising assortment of regular and occasional visitors. Pine Farms offers something to amuse or interest just about anyone, young or old, so families are among the most dependable and appreciative of guests. After they drop their children off at the many nearby schools, parents often meet there to have a coffee or a late breakfast and to touch base with other parents.

Teachers will drop in for lunch or for meetings after school and may find themselves seated beside groups of cyclists who have found the café to be a refreshing stop on their journey. Hikers from the Bruce Trail Association and the Oak Ridges Trail Association are regular patrons, as are members of the University Women’s Club hiking group.

Book clubs meet there, and so do the members of the local Red Hat Society. Word about the orchard and the café has spread far beyond King Township, and visitors from Toronto and nearby towns often drive up for a day away from the hustle and bustle of city life. All of these patrons appreciate the character and charm of one of our most treasured destinations – it remains a favourite, special place for those seeking companionship, knowledge, respite, and comfort.

Places

Photo by Phyllis Vernon

PINE FARMS ORCHARD 2700, 16th Sideroad, King City January to end of April: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

May to December: 7 days a week, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Open Holiday Mondays 905.833.5459 contact@pinefarmsorchard.com

Sheena's Kitchen - Legendary lemon cake and butter tarts to die for...

Anyone in King Township can tell you where to find them... along with a long list of other divine pastries, scones, biscuits, crumbles and pot pies.

Housed in the historic Old Mill on Main Street, Sheena's has been an institution in Schomberg for 18 years.

From a six foot table at the York Farmers' Market to a tea room at Crawford Wells in King City, Sheena's became a 'destination' for locals and city folk visiting the country. Moving to Schomberg in the mid 90s, Sheena Henderson clientel followed, plus a whole new group of aficionados won over by her delightful Scottish charm and her brilliant baking. Spring to fall the verandah overlooking Main Street is packed, while the tearoom proper offers a cozy retreat year round.

Sheena's is more than a 'quaint' tea room... it serves as an important social hub in Schomberg; a place for locals to gather for tea, lunch, conversation and exchange of confidences, for newcomers to discover and for community groups to meet and, her fame extends far beyond the Township. On a typical summer Friday afternoon, weekend cottagers will often pull off Hwy 400 making a special detour for Sheena's chicken pies, that lemon cake and those butter tarts to die for.

SHEENA'S KITCHEN - Dine in or Take out 357 Main Street, Schomberg Open 7 days a week, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

905.939.4640

Cappuccino Bakery, Nobleton’s popular new Italian café is attracting new clientele from King Township and beyond. Long-time patrons at its former location next door looked forward for months (even years) to the planned expansion, and although they sometimes miss the coziness of the former Cappuccino’s, they love the beautiful spaciousness and the expanded services of the new one.

Co-owner Frank Agostino acknowledges the café has been wildly successful since its opening in May 2012, as it fulfills a variety of needs for its clients. He opens up at 5:30 in the morning and in construction season workers enjoy their first espresso with friends. Business then steadily continues as local and commuting patrons drop in to buy their bread (fresh-baked daily on-site), meet with friends for coffee and a snack, breakfast, lunch or dinner, grab a sandwich and coffee for the road, or take a quiet break with the newspaper and a home-made dessert.

For a more complete meal, the extensive and exceptional hot table offerings can be eaten in or taken home, or patrons can choose from the menu. They also will cater home events or provide a personalized birthday cake. The place is particularly busy on Sundays when families enjoy a meal out together in a pleasant location with something for everyone. Cappuccino closes its doors for the day at 9:00 p.m., having served its community well.

Sheena’s by Margit Sampogna

Order your fresh Mennonite Turkeys, Festive Hams & Lambs

CAPPUCCINO BAKERY 5970 King Road, Nobleton Open 7 days a week, 5:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

905.859.4414 spring 2013

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CHANGING HANDS: ART WITHOUT RESERVATION 3 Contemporary Native North American Art from the Northeast and Southeast Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design, New York

On at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection from MARCH 9 to JUNE 2, 2013 Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3/Contemporary Native North American Art from the Northeast and Southeast concludes a cycle of exhibitions organized over the past decade by the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. These exhibitions have presented a diverse panoply of new work by Native American, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists from Canada, the continental United States, and the Pacific Rim. Representing both established and emerging artists, all three Changing Hands exhibitions have focused on art that points toward the future, presenting works by contemporary artists who embrace and take inspiration from cultural traditions while also expressing contemporary creativity and innovation.

Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 1 featured Aboriginal art, craft, and design from the American Southwest, including many of the most celebrated artists working in both traditional and innovative mediums. Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2 showcased

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work by artists from the regions west of the Mississippi River, including Alaska, Hawaii, and northwest Canada.

Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3 presents works created in the past seven years by Aboriginal artists east of the Mississippi, including the indigenous regions of the Northeast and Southeast Woodlands, up through the Canadian Sub Arctic, and recasts their art through the lens of international contemporary art and design.

Guest-curated by Ellen Taubman in collaboration with the Museum of Arts and Design’s Chief Curator David McFadden, Changing Hands 3 shows a diverse group of approximately eighty-five artists who represent several generations, all fully engaged by contemporary techniques, materials, aesthetics, and iconography, and actively pursuing a new understanding of Aboriginal work.Among the more than 130 works on view, some demonstrate revitalized uses of traditional mediums such as bark, wood, clay, metal, and fibre; others are site-specific installations, or examples of performance, video, and digital art—approximately twenty-five of which were made expressly for this exhibition.

Featured artists are presented without tribal designations, and the exhibition is organized around the following three significant themes that illuminate artistic, intellectual, and cultural reso-

nances among Aboriginal artists: “Evolution and Exploration” examines how Native artists are reinterpreting their cultural traditions through contemporary perspectives; “Natural Selection” features a group of artists whose works respond to and investigate nature through the lens of contemporary art; while “De-Coding History/Historical Provocation” presents works that are often politically nuanced and contrast the realities of history with the mythology of cultural assimilation that has marginalized much indigenous art.

“Changing Hands 3 provides audiences with a sensory experience of the complex, multilayered work of contemporary Native artists as they confront cultural expectations, reclaim lost traditions, and create a new identity for themselves shaped by historical, political, and personal circumstances,” says Ellen Taubman, Changing Hands curator.

“Through an extraordinary melding of past and present, and direct opposition between stereotype and tradition, the Native artists featured in the exhibition confront what Native art has meant and what it means today.”Accompanying the exhibition is a lavishly illustrated catalogue that includes essays exploring issues of identity, cultural disruption, creativity, the marketplace, and the future, by artists, critics, curators, and cultural and art historians. All three Changing Hands volumes underscore

1. Troy Jackson, b. 1955, Tahlequah, Oklahoma; lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma Putting the Pieces Together, 2011 Clay, mixed media Courtesy of the artist

3. Michael Massie, b. 1962, Happy Valley–Goose Bay, Labrador; lives in Newfoundland pompositea, 2011 Sterling silver, bloodwood, antler, ebony Courtesy of Spirit Wrestler Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia

5. Mindy Laureen Magyar (b. 1975), Mountain Lakes, New Jersey; lives in Washington, DC Chair, 2010 Charles Eames Shell chair frame, canvas, cotton and rayon thread, rubber Courtesy of the artist

4. Wanesia Misquadace, b. 1971, Cloquet, Minnesota; lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico Sonny boy’z Harvest Basket, 2010 Birchbark, mixed metals, Lake Superior pebbles, sinew Courtesy of the artist

On contents page 3 : Jordan A. Bennett (b. 1986), Stephenville Crossing, Newfoundland; lives in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador Re:Appropriating the Wheel, 2012 Mixed media, including found objects and audio Courtesy of the artist

2. Skawennati (b. 1969), Kahnawake, Quebec; lives in Montreal, Quebec TimeTraveller™: Episode 05, “Saying Goodbye” 2012 Production still from Machinima on Blu-Ray DVD 10 minutes Courtesy of the artist

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and expand the ways in which indigenous art and artists of our time are perceived, understood, and appreciated within the mainstream of contemporary art and design.

Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3/Contemporary Native Art from the Northeast and Southeast is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. The exhibition catalogue is made possible in part with the support of the Smithsonian Institution’s Indigenous Contemporary Arts Program.

Photo by Bud Newton Photo by Ramon Regozo

Iluba roses at 20 Bells Lake B & B.

Flowers and Hearts

by Lorne Macrae

R

oses have long enjoyed being the flower of choice in many a culture. The giving of a rose is a symbol of affection and love. Who has not experienced the sad drooping of rose heads after just a few days? Off fall the red petals. The bunch that was tied and dried for memoryʼs sake, ends up turning a drab brown. The romance or sentiment lingers, but the beauty and fragrance are lost.

Technology to the rescue!

In far away South Africa a woman is experimenting with different techniques for preserving roses. Her idea is picked up by scientists at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Over a period of years with much innovative research and testing, the beautiful Iluba rose emerges. A process is developed in which some of the water in the flowerʼs cells and tissues is replaced with natural preservatives which allow the blooms to absorb moisture from the air around them. They stay fresh, and fragrant too, for at least 20 times longer than the conventional airfreighted flowers from central America.

So who would be attracted to the benefits of a long lasting Iluba rose? (It is important to note that the name Iluba Rose covers different varieties of roses in 15 different colours). Motherʼs Day and Valentineʼs Day would likely be the top choices for giving. Imagine gazing at a floral vase in November that was gifted in May. Naturally, for anyone who needs to continue replacing floral arrangements in a public space such as hotels, restaurants and business reception areas, this means new economies, with just one purchase every 5-6 months, and less throw-away. Finally, these roses are fully biodegradable and safe for composting.

This is where Jim Scott and friend Karen Kastner of Nobleton, come into the picture. They set up a partnership after vasetesting a dozen Iluba roses for many months, having heard about them from South African friends. Since these roses lived up to their full expectations, the partners secured the rights to market them in and beyond King Township. A new King enterprise was born, which is now expanding into floral arrangements from these premium colourful long-lasting roses. The partners also hope to support the Township florist community by making these roses available to them at wholesale prices.

With Karenʼs expertise in design, and Jimʼs marketing talents, these beautiful Iluba arrangements will last and last and last. Now what could be a better way to spread a vision of longlasting and heartfelt love?

Contact: perpetualflowers@hotmail.com Editors' Note: Chance To Win Some Iluba Roses!

Come to ASK's Five Line Rhyme Tyme on March 16th and enjoy Irish Fare & Beer in celebration of St. Patricks Day. Iluba roses will be awarded to the writer of the best limerick of the evening.

For more information see "Events in and around King... just ask" on pages 12 & 13. ArtsSocietyKing.ca

The Humber: A Canadian Heritage River

by Matt Kenel

W

hether strolling along its banks near Lake Ontario or hiking through its headwaters on the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine, there is no denying that the Humber River is a natural wonder. But did you know that it also shares a special honor with some of the nationʼs most spectacular rivers?

In 1999, the Humber River was designated as a Canadian Heritage River; one of only forty-two across the country. Other designates include the Grand and Thames rivers in south-western Ontario, as well as the Thelon River in Nunavut Territory, the South Nahanni River in Northwest Territories and the Fraser River in British Columbia. The Canadian Heritage River System (CHRS) designation helps to conserve and protect the best examples of Canadaʼs river heritage; gives them national recognition; and encourages the public to enjoy and appreciate rivers.

The Humber was recognized for its contribution to the development of the country as well as its importance in the history of First Nations peoples, the early Euro-Canadian explorers and settlers of Upper Canada. The backbone of this rich human heritage is certainly The Carrying Place Trail; a millennia-old trading route between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe. Starting from the mouth of the Humber River, the 60 kilometre route was well travelled by the First Nations and eventually enabled exploration and facilitated trading by the French and the British. Since 1948, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and its predecessors have been primarily responsible for managing the Humber. TRCA continues to work with the public and all levels of government to protect, restore and celebrate the Humber.

Stretching 126 kilometres from its headwaters to Lake Ontario, the Humber contains more than 1,600 kilometres of streams, creeks and channels!

Approximately 10 per cent or 8,700 hectares of the watershed is in public ownership, including 198 municipal parks and conservation areas, and over 213 kilometres of public nature trails. The Humber

River is also the only Canadian Heritage River that is accessible by subway! Indeed, the Humber River continues its long history as a place for human exploration, renewal and recreation and a place where natural and cultural heritage come together.

In a recent effort to further promote the importance of the Humber River, TRCA and Humber Watershed Alliance, with the support of municipal and community partners, will soon complete the installation of twelve bronze plaques throughout the Humber River watershed. Intended to celebrate the Humberʼs designation as a Canadian Heritage River, six plaques will have a map detailing the Carrying Place Trail, and six will highlight the role of the Humber in the Canadian Heritage River System (CHRS). Each CHRS plaque was cast with a message celebrating the Humber River in three languages: English, French, and one of three aboriginal languages Huron-Wendat, Onondaga, or Mississauga. Two CHRS plaques were made of each aboriginal language and will be placed at appropriate locations throughout the watershed including the King Township Museum, Oak Ridges Moraine Trail access point at Weston Road and 16th Sideline, and the terminus of the Carrying Place Trail at Highway #9 and Weston Road. Other plaques will be placed at the Palgrave Rotary Mill Pond Park in the Village of Palgrave, Boyd Conservation Area in Woodbridge, the Humber Gateway/ Oak Ridges Parkette at King Road and Yonge Street and will complement existing plaques within the City of Toronto at the mouth of the Humber River, Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue and the Bloor and Dundas street bridges.

With so much to explore thereʼs no time like the present to get out and experience the Humber River!

To learn more about the Humber River and TRCA, please feel free to contact Matt Kenel, Humber River Project Manager at 416.661.6600 extension 5325.

Want to learn more about The Carrying Place Trail?

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Humberʼs CHRS designation, TRCA published The Carrying Place; a hardcover coffee table book full of spectacular photos. Get your copy today! http://trca.on.ca/humberbook/index.dot

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5870 King Rd., Nobleton 905-859-4634 spring 2013

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biologist at the table The life your food leads before it reaches your table

by Dr. Arthur Weis, Director of Koffler Scientific Reserve at Jokers Hill & Evolutionary Biology Professor at University of Toronto

Of Cabbages and Caterpillars… and Cold War Cole Slaw – with an Asian Twist Like most folks, I like cole slaw made with a creamy, mayonnaise dressing. But this recipe is a wonderful change of pace, using a light vinegar and oil treatment. If you hold off on the salt until the end, the slaw remains very crispy and fresh-tasting.

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar 1 Tablespoon peanut oil 1 teaspoon honey A few drops, sesame oil 2 cups, chopped green cabbage (1/4 inch dice) 1 large carrot, shredded salt to taste Wisk together the vinegar, honey and oil in a large bowl. You can substitute canola for peanut oil. Do not use cider or white vinegar; the delicate flavor of the rice is key to this slaw. Add the chopped cabbage and the shredded carrot (preferably one from Holland Marsh), toss and let sit for 2 or more hours. Salt and serve.

Editors' Notes: 1. Maureen Scott Harrie, new Artist in Residence at KSR - Meet Maureen on April 10th - see Events in and around King... just ASK! on page 12.

Watch for the new children's book, Earth Elves' Carribbean Hurricane, written by Jim Scott and illustrated by Cheryl Uhrig. We are very fortunate to have Cheryl illustrate Biologist at the Table.

Perpetual Flowers of Nobleton offer REAL Cut Roses with (at least) 6 Month Vase Life.

No Watering/Maintenance.

100% Natural/Compostable.

Ideal for: Weddings, Showers, Hotel Lobbies, Office Receptions, and PERFECT for the Home or a Long Lasting Romantic Gift.

Local Delivery in King Township.

Florists Welcome ~ Floral Arrangement Contracts Available.

perpetualflowers@hotmail.com 905-859-7844

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Iʼm a vegetable gardener.

When February comes around you can find me paging through the new seed catalogs like a 1960ʼs adolescent with his secret copy of Playboy.

Did you get a load of those eggplants on page 73?

But when I get to the cabbage section, my mindframe shifts. Itʼs still in the 60s, but as an evolutionary biologist my thoughts turn to something more akin to the escalating thermonuclear arms races.

Cabbages…cold war…why? Caterpillars!

Cabbage is the domesticated version of a weedy little plant out of the Middle East known to biologists as Brassica oleracea. Itʼs not the only domesticated version of this species; broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and brussels sprouts are among the others. All of these have a cabbagy flavor because they all contain chemicals know as glucosinolates. Whatʼs the evolutionary reason for these chemicals? Once again, caterpillars.

As theorists posit, the ancient ancestor of the cabbage family line underwent a mutation that allowed it to transform certain amino acids – the building blocks of protein – into glucosinolates.

When ancient caterpillars and other insects bit into one of these plants, the glucosinolate would break down into mustard oil, which is mildly toxic and distasteful to most insects. Step one in the arms race: the mutant is evolutionarily successful because it is undesirable to its enemies, the insects that consume it. Spared from damage, this ancient species gained the opportunity to spread and diversify into a wide variety of new species, some of which survive to today.

But of course all of those uneaten plants were a gold mine for any insect mutant that could counter the plantʼs chemical defense: arms race,

step two. One of those lucky insects was the ancestor of todayʼs Cabbage White butterfly, a familiar sight in Ontario meadows and gardens. The mutation tweaked an existing enzyme to form the nitrile-specifier protein, which snips the mustard oil into harmless bits. Todayʼs Cabbage White caterpillars are so well adapted at handling these defensive chemicals they wonʼt eat anything without them. In fact they even evolved a set of taste buds sensitive only to sinigrin, one of the more common glucosinolates. One taste of the stuff and these little green worms turn into voracious eaters.

No doubt, the evolutionary arms race continues. The many plant species in the cabbage family, all descendents of that mutant ancestor, occasionally acquire new mutations that produce novel glucosinolates invulnerable to their insectʼs enzyme. In turn, selection favors insect mutations that further tweak the enzyme, enabling the bugs to overcome the new chemical defense.

When we brought the wild cabbage into our gardens, we picked and chose those genetic strains we found pleasing. My seed catalogs picture variety after variety of cabbage, broccoli, kale, etc., each bearing their own glucosinolate blend.

Over the years, plant breeders have evolved these varieties to have lower, more flavorful combinations of chemicals. See my coleslaw recipe above, which celebrates the aroma and crunch of fresh cabbage by using a sweet and simple dressing.

And so the evolutionary arms race has been turned on its head. In the agricultural environment, the successful mutants are not the ones most distasteful to caterpillars, but rather the ones most desirable to their new consumers: gardeners! M See Jim's poem on page 8.

Take the Last Train from Schomberg

by Ed Millar

Back in the early 1900s King, with large tracts of timber and a number of flour mills, had surplus product to ship to market. Schomberg’s merchants had seen the impact of the Yonge Street railway on businesses in Aurora and Newmarket and wanted to open the local market to a wider area. Entrepreneur Benjamin Brown and Kettleby area farmer Simon Lemon are often mentioned as the forces behind the idea of connecting Schomberg with the existing railway.

Construction of the line commenced in 1899 near Bond Lake at a point known as Schomberg Junction, later part of Oak Ridges. The line meandered in a north westerly direction from Oak Ridges to Schomberg but was named the Schomberg and Aurora Railway (S&AR). Locals quickly referred to the railway as the Annie Rooney, after a rural comic strip trolley car of the day, which had to deal with similar hazards such as cattle and snowdrifts along the route.

1. Final trip of the stagecoach from Lloydtown to Aurora, 1902

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Although the line was only 14.36 miles (23kms) in length, several stations were built. One was at Eversley on the East side of the 3rd concession (Dufferin St.) opposite the entrance to Seneca College. From here the Pellatt spur was built westward to service Eaton Hall and, across the 4th concession to where Sir Henry Pellatt constructed the big barn in Marylake. A second station was built at Kettleby near the corner of Weston and Kettleby Roads.The Lloyd spur was built North of Pottageville at mile 10.76 where two sawmills operated.The Armstrong spur was built at mile 11.25 and the Brillinger wye, used to reverse the direction of rail cars was built at mile 12.46. A house, which is still in use, was purchased at 368 Main St. in Schomberg to serve as a station. In all, a total of 15 stops, mostly at concession road crossings, were identified along the route.

The S&AR was an oddity in that it commenced operation in 1902 using steam power rather than electricity. Coal, stored near the station in Schomberg, would be taken on and the train would proceed to the 7th Concession where a creek was used to supply water. For the first time residents along the line

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enjoyed twice daily mail delivery, one day shopping trips to Toronto to purchase goods not available locally, and the opportunity to attend high school in Aurora. On Wednesdays, market day, three trains were provided to service the popular Schomberg market, later to become the community hall. After the line was electrified in 1916 the service was increased to as many as five trips a day.

It was not long before competition from trucks made the line a money-losing operation. By 1927 when the line was abandoned after only 25 years of service, losses amounted to $8,600. Ironically the last time the line was used was to carry material to pave the 9th concession.

Traces of the line are still visible as Dr. Kay Road in Schomberg, Lloyd’s Lane, and Brule Trail in the Pottageville area. Longer sections, now utilized as hiking trails, include part of the Pellatt spur to the Marylake barn and a one-km. section from the Gatehouse in Seneca College to the northern edge of the property. M Photos from the book "Early Settlements of King Township" by Elizabeth Gillham.

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2. Cycling on the line (Lloydtown to Aurora Railway) 3. Engine of the Schomberg and Aurora Railway (1902-1927) spring 2013

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Nobleton Lights Up t's hard to comprehend how one man can meet the challenge of entertaining thousands of spectators with 1000 kg of explosives!

What began as a low key community event 49 years ago under the auspices of Ross Kennedy, Nobleton's first Fire Chief, is now a sophisticated spectacle of pyrotechnics, managed and staged in the village of Nobleton.

Ross Kennedy was contacted by the Home and School Association in 1964 to see about setting up a fireworks display for the village.The rest is history.

After Ross' retirement the official reins were handed over to Paul Schneider who for the past 30 years has been responsible for organizing the largest non-corporate funded fireworks' display in Ontario.

Back in 1964, $350 worth of fireworks thrilled everyone for 15 minutes. Today the cost of staging such a spectacular light show is upwards of $23,000 retail and lasts for nearly one hour. In order to work with explosives, Paul must be licensed by the Natural Resources Canada Explosives Regulatory Division, which requires certification and renewal every 3 years. He is classified as a Display Fireworks Supervisor and although he claims not to be artistic, every year's display is beautifully choreographed.

He attributes this to computer technology and the

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ability see on screen the characteristics of any rocket configuration available from Hands Fireworks in Prescott, his firework supplier since the beginning.

Paul has to imagine the overall effect of the ground displays and high level rockets, and then visualize their specific effects. For example, a "Planters Punch" low/mid- level explosive cake consisting of 100 individual 32 mm diameter rockets has red and green stars with silver comet tails leading to bursts of crackle, whistles, flying fish, and green orbs - all this for 32-38 seconds with a vertical height of 120 to 300 feet. Last year's display consisted of 44 low/mid-level display units hardwired together and 207 high level rockets ranging in two sizes, 127 mm and 155 mm diameter with a vertical range of 500 to 600 feet. These explosives were combined and orchestrated to dazzle every awestruck spectator, young and old.

Paul estimates that he spends at least 40 volunteer hours planning the show, and two full days preparing the two sites (Nobleton Jr. School and Boynton Bros. Sod fields), on top of the collective 380 volunteer hours from your local firefighters.

Over 1800 m of wire must be laid to connect with the firing boxes at each site. Thirty plywood sandboxes, which are disassembled each year, have to

Nobleton

Monday, May 20th, 2013 Presented in partnership by the Nobleton Village Association and King Township.

Featuring Lions’ Purina Dog Walk Nobleton Lions Club Parade Nobleton Fire Dept Fireworks Display

Activities GTA Midways ‘Reptilia’ (native & exotic animals)

Crafters, Horticulture, Artisans, and loads more!

FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!

10:00 am 11:00 am Starts at Dark

Entertainment “Powder Band” Face Painting Art Show - Old Community Centre VENDORS! VENDORS!

12 Noon To Dusk - Nobleton Arena Grounds

FIREWORKS SHOW LARGEST PRIVATE SHOW IN ONTARIO

P r o v i ded by nobl e ton v olun t eer fi r efig h t ers

w w w. n obl e t on v i c t or i a d ay. c o m 22

MOSAiC spring 2013

Monday, May 20th at Dusk

by Denny Starritt

be reconstructed and filled with two truckloads of sand. Twenty apprentice or qualified personnel are needed along with two pumper trucks on standby and police hired for site security and crowd control. And the morning after requires a thorough cleanup of the school grounds.

No wonder Paul's greatest satisfaction comes from knowing the final result was a success and nobody was hurt. He compares the responsibility to a mini-Iraq in terms of complexities and hazards.

And Paul must have a close eye on the weather forecast at all times - if winds exceed 40 km/h in any direction, nothing can be fired; damp conditions can cause dangerous misfires; and electrical storms can set off unexpected triggering of the electrically fired display. In 48 years only two have been restaged the following Sunday.

The money spent each year depends entirely on donations collected by volunteer firefighters over six nights in late April from 6 to 9 p.m.

Donations are also gratefully received at any time!

Either at the Nobleton Feed Mill or by mail to Post Office Box 79, Nobleton, L0G 1N0.

Please make cheques to Nobleton Firefighters Association.

MAspring13:Layout 1 22/02/13 4:20 PM Page 23

Open Wide.

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Who Who wi will ill l yyou be?? ccds.on.ca/whowillyoube ds.on.ca/whowilllyou y bee Accepting applications Accepting app plications for September Septem mber 2013. T Too learn m mor moree or book a personal tour of th the he campus, contact 905.833.1220 9 or admissions@cds.on.ca. adm missions@cds.on.ca.

Wee look for forward W warrd to meeting yyou! ou!

The C Country oounttrry D Day a ay Schooll off offers ffeers JK-12 JK--12 in a co-ed, co-e o ed, non-denominational non-ddenominaatio i nal MP s Drama A C eenvironment nvirronment llocated ocated oon n 100 be beautiful eaauttifu f l acr acres res in K King, iin ng , On O Ontario. taarioo.

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