Outdoor Lifestyle Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

CANADA’S

OUTDOOR

LIFESTYLE

&

DESIGN

MAGAZINE

SPRING/SUMMER

2019

Going Green for a

Sustainable

Future

Canada Rocks at

JVK Landscape Design Inc.

Pioneering women of

with The Rolling Stones

Recreating Paradise

a cannabis farm with purpose

Burl's Creek

Jason Vanderkruk

48NOrth

letter from the publisher

Beyond

GOING GREEN My core passion as a landscape designer and outdoor inspirationalist has had me on a “green industry” journey for over 30 years and I have witnessed the growth and changes during these three decades.

Many small business owners, and industry professionals and organizations continue to expand their understanding of “going green.” Green initiatives are not simply a popular trend, nor an unfulfilled marketing pitch. Increasingly, business professionals are recognizing that there is environmental, social and economic responsibility in the implementation of effective green programs and making the world a better place.

“Going Green” is not just about caring for ecological practices and technologies, but it is also about extending our hand to our fellow human beings and caring about each other to make this a better world. In this issue we are proud to highlight some amazing people, businesses and organizations that do just that.

We are also very proud to announce our new Editor-in-Chief, Jagger Gordon who has made it his life purpose and passion to make a difference in this world with his Feed it Forward programs. World travelled, with his finger on the pulse of the culinary, fashion, style and design world, we are excited to have Chef Jagger Gordon on board.

I hope you enjoy this read and take inspirations in the stories that are shared.

Dave Maciulis Publisher

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Made for each other.

When we develop Oaks Landscape Products, we’re always thinking of what colours, textures, shapes and sizes work well together, what technologies to include, and what styles homeowners want. Our goal is products that people want, that work well together and deliver the best, most long-lasting, durable and easy-care solutions to fit your lifestyle.

OAKSpavers.com | 1.800.709.OAKS (6257) |

the publisher letterletter from from the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

T

hrough my travels around the world, I demonstrate my passion behind my creations, which are both globally and locally inspired.

Travelling takes on another dimension when you're a chef. While I love people and new places, I can't deny my particular interest in the culinary traditions and secrets of different cultures - picking up information, new flavours, and techniques everywhere I go. Combined with my love of new and innovative dining experiences such as molecular gastronomy, blending physics and chemistry to transform the tastes and textures of food, such as vegan caviar.

I’m excited to be a part of Outdoor Lifestyle Magazine as the new Editor-inChief to bring tastes and textures, destinations and stories to you. In this issue, we are exploring the concept of "going green for a sustainable future" - a concept near and dear to my heart as the owner, creative director, and culinary artist behind Jagger Gordon Catering (a farm-to-fork, open-air catering concept), and the creator and lead driver behind the social food program Feed it Forward, and Feed it Forward: Pay What You Can Store that helps Canadians with food insecurities by repurposing perfectly good food destined for the landfill.

I am creating new ways to help our hunger crisis especially in our own country and we need to remember that it’s not what your community can do for you, but what you can do for your community.

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Jagger Gordon

@chefjaggergordon

Jagger Gordon

feeditforward.ca

Chef Jagger Gordon

OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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LETTER FROM THE outdoor lifestyle EDITOR

I wrote a book! I figured as a landscape designer, growing vegetables in my backyard would be easy. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. I made a lot of mistakes and most of them happened because I got conflicting information from the Internet.

I wanted to set the record straight for all of the people out there looking to do more with their outdoor spaces.

Vegetables, Chickens and Bees is my version of a gardening book. In the title it says that this book is an honest guide to growing your own food anywhere and that was my goal; transparency! In this book, I am being 100 percent honest with my successes and even with my failures. Throughout my career I’ve tried countless methods for growing plants, though chickens and bees were relatively new for me, so I wanted to be honest about the things I did wrong in hopes that others can learn from my #gardenfails.

As vegetable gardening is most definitely the biggest trend for 2019, I hope you’ll feel empowered this year to make the most of your own outdoor spaces and try something new…like growing potatoes in a pot or basil from Tanzania.

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Carson Arthur

David Kenney Joey Fletcher 10

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We are David Kenney and Joey Fletcher, HGTV personalities and owners of BroLaws Construction.

One big reason why we started our own construction company, was to try and restore people’s faith in contractors. Having been in the industry now for a little over a decade, though we have worked with some amazing men and women, we’ve noticed for the most part that contractors have a poor reputation - one of a shady man who is going to leave halfway through your project or steal your money.

In contrast, our goal is to not only build trusting relationships with our clients, but also to set a good example for other contractors in our industry; that jobs can be done properly, with a high quality finish and still make a profit.

We also aim to inspire the next generation of men and women looking to make a career in the trades; that if this is something that they are passionate about, there is a rewarding future to be had in the trades. We love what we do, and we respect the impact we have on both the lives of the people we work with, and with those watching us along the way.

Shop Where the Professionals Shop

contents

48

ON THE COVER FEATURE 48 CALGARY LIBRARY Uniting community with a monumental design 58 FEATURE DESIGNER PROFILE JVK Landscape Design - Beyond imaginati 84 ROCKIN’ OUT AT BURL’S CREEK The Rolling Stones - No Filter Tour, Cana 100 THE PIONEERING WOMEN OF 48NORTH Integrity and innovation in the ca STYLE

58

18 OUR FAVOURITE THINGS All-natural hemp for every day use 46 TRENDING In living coral: Pantone colour of the year 68 PERENNIAL PURPOSE What will you bloom into?

83 GET DRESSED iGVAFCK - Tenfed's streetwear with a purpose 112 FANTASTIC FINDS Summer must-haves DESIGN 26 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AWARD WINNERS First-rate industry leaders 40 HGTV’S CARSON ARTHUR Growing vegetarian 44 PLANTER TECHNOLOGY Successfully growing herbs all year long 56 FUNCTION AND BEAUTY Managing storm runoff 106 HGTV’S BROLAWS One with nature 124 EYES WIDE OPEN Plants with a positive environmental impact 152 ALTERNATIVE HOMES Eco-friendly building options for your home

84

IMPROVE

14 BOOK REVIEW Calling all green thumbs!

78 THE BALANCED LIFE Holistic approach to wellness 114 CHANGING THE WAY WE BUILD Making your blue pool “green” 130 COMMUNITY SHARED AGRICULTURE Ignatius Jesuit Farm 138 GREENING THE GREEN INDUSTRY Changing perceptions in the landscape 162 FOOD FOR THOUGHT We can all make a difference LIVING

100

22 FIRE UP YOUR PASSION Anatolian cuisine and design 90 CHEF DORIS FIN Creatively exploring nature's bounty 97 PLANT BASED Vegan or not, delicious ways to increase your plant intake 128 CANADIAN ETHIC Distillers that give back to the environment 132 WILDERNESS STAR GAZING Long Point Eco-Adventures 143 EYE OF THE TIGER The Magic in the drink 148 ALL YOUR FAVOURITES AT ROXODUS Canada’s newest music festival DISCOVER 20 GREEN FESTIVALS Four must-do festivals to experience this summer 121 WELLNESS A makeover for your beauty routine 158 HOMEGROWN Chef Myles Chaulk redefines adversity 164 NOT SO AVERAGE JOE Got a problem? Steve will fix it

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Publisher

Dave Maciulis CLD

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Chef Jagger Gordon

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ion... realizing the dream ada Day weekend annabis industry

e world

Brie Jarrett

PRODUCTION EDITOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jodi Pallagi

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE EDITOR Carson Arthur

CUSTOM BUILD EDITORS

David Kenney & Joey Fletcher

PRODUCTION MANAGER Alan Carroll

COPY EDITORS

Jodi Pallagi & Brie Jarrett

124

ART DIRECTION & MAKEUP Sayla de Goede

WRITERS 14

26 46

Carson Arthur David Kenney Joey Fletcher Chris Gregory Scott Sim Susan Mate Bryen Dunn Renaldo Amato Sarah Penney, ND Ashley Rayner Kimberley Fowler Chef Doris Fin Joa Rivas Elena Marcu Sayla de Goede Jagger Gordon Jodi Pallagi Brie Jarrett

Ksenya Von Shlezinger Jessy & Brandon Bows and Lavender

PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO Michael Grimm Jeff McNeill McNeill Photography

Royer Boots Dutch Touch Landscaping Yorkshire Garden Services Ignatius Jesuit Centre Nutri-Lawn Hunter Industries Grand River Stone Dwell Shipping Container Homes

Dwayne Evans Becky Ip Carson Arthur Denise Jones Johnny C.Y. Lam Kevin Lockwood Thomas Kriese Alex Ortega-Green Ryan Bolton Dave Hogan Joa Rivas Alan Carroll Nicole Breanne Brian Couture Geoff Faber James Coletta Brantley Gilbert Shane Parent Morgan Hotston Robert Skuja

Straw Works Fox Blocks Just BioFiber Superior Walls Manitoba Roxodus Tenfed Pixabay- Rihaij Getty - Huntstock Shutterstock Cover photography – Calgary Library

For advertising opportunities please email: info@outdoorlifestylemagazine.com

114

PUBLISHED BY Koru Creative Group President, Alan Carroll 289-238-7910 info@outdoorlifestylemagazine.com Outdoor Lifestyle Magazine is published twice annually: Spring and Fall Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.

Reproduction without express written consent is prohibited by law.

OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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BOOK REVIEW

Digest this: You can do it!

By Renaldo Amato

V

egetables, Chickens and Bees: An Honest Guide to Growing Your Own Food Anywhere is an entertaining and informative look into the world of cultivating your own food. In a time where DIY culture and green living trends are on the rise, author Carson Arthur delivers an easily digestible gateway into this rewarding niche.

Purely on look and feel, I give Arthur a solid 10 out of 10. Beautiful photography, easy to read typography, and material organized in a way that clearly had me (the reader) in mind. If the belief is that content is king, then readability is surely the queen. This has to be my favourite characteristic of this book. As a piece of reference material clearly aimed at beginners, I find it important the material isn’t intimidating and this turned out to be an excellent segue into this hobby; especially for the uninformed like myself. Solid backgrounds, clean colours and subheaders galore make scanning this book for relevant information a breeze. And most important of all - pictures! I love the pictures here because it pulls me into this world and they are also very useful, providing a nice frame of reference for the slew of concepts that are covered.

The largest portion of this book is dedicated to growing your own vegetable garden. Topics range from growing in different levels of sunlight to everything you need to know about watering.

Growing plants is a labourious process and requires a lot of know-how to execute effectively. This is where Vegetables, Chickens and Bees shines. Arthur packs a tonne of information into each section but keeps it light with humour and good story-telling.

I’m a particular fan of the section where Arthur goes over 19 specific fruits and vegetables and how to take them from planting to harvest. This is what really brought the gardening portion home for

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“

“

Arthur is very knowledgeable in this field and his experience provides a valuable dimension to the literature.

me. As a beginner, it is easy to get overwhelmed in something new. I appreciated the in-depth look into specific vegetables as opposed to generalizing gardening as a whole. It allowed me to narrow down a select few I was interested in growing and allowed me to explore the nuances of that particular plant.

For me, this type of specific instruction is necessary in reference material.

Equally as integrated, the process of raising chickens and bees can seem even more daunting than vegetable gardening. With the same beautiful layout and humour-laden paragraphs, Arthur brings this book to a nice finish with its section on chickens and bees. From the kinds of chickens you can own to dealing with angry queen bees and everything in between, the quality of information doesn’t change. All text is supported with pictures, graphs and tables to help give you a nicely rounded understanding. Another fantastic element (that comes through particularly well in the this section of the book) is the recounting of real life experience.

Arthur is very knowledgeable in this field and his experience provides a valuable dimension to the literature. I would go as far as to say his personal experience provides a much needed relatability to his book and is a figurative glue, tightly bonding together the other elements of his story. This book would definitely not be the same without it.

What Arthur manages to do well in this book is deliver a very accessible piece of content. Other books and reference material in this genre are IMPROVE │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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always susceptible to being dry and difficult to consume. Growing your own food, raising chickens and tending to bees are already daunting tasks by nature. The research shouldn’t be. He manages, with some degree of finesse, to juggle many complex concepts and he doesn’t seem to lose his footing.

While I don’t feel this is the last thing you’ll need to read about this subject, I do believe Arthur is dominating the market for content available to beginners. There is plenty of information packed into the pages. More than enough to get you started on your journey! Arthur definitely knows what he is talking about. ~ Image by pixabay.com/rihaij

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favourite

Hemp, hemp hooray!

1. Dr. Bronner’s Lip Balm and other body care products utilize traditional European recipes made in California of fair-trade, organic, natural ingredients including hemp seed oil. drbronner.com 2. Hempola Hemp Wood Finishing Oil is grown and bottled at Hempola Farm in Springwater, Ontario. The family farm has been proudly producing hemp seed and oil as Canada’s first cannabis pioneer since 1995. hempola.com 3. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Yeah! Granola is packed with 10 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of omegas 3 and 6, and high-quality, organic ingredients. manitobaharvest.com 4. Healing Cannabis Edibles is a revolutionary cannabis cookbook. Authors Ellen Novack and Pat Crocker aim to help you make informed decisions about consuming cannabis and encourage safe experimentation to improve your health. patcrocker.com 5. Great Canadian Hemp Company DaayÍ Body Butter is a creamy, lightweight body butter formulated with organic Canadian hemp oil to leave your skin hydrated and nourished. Based in Toronto, Ontario, all their products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. greatcanadianhemp. com 6. True Hemp supplement chews come in a variety of unique formulations combining hemp seed with active ingredients to maintain and protect our pets natural zest for life. trueleafpet.ca 7. Effort’s EcoEssentials Hemp T-shirts have been a mainstay of Efforts Industries Inc. since 1994. The Scarborough, Ontario company produces a wide variety of natural-fibre clothing with nearly 60 percent of their line manufactured in Canada! eco-essentials.com

1

Pineapple

Green Dream Smo othie

2

Ingredients 2 tbsp. hulled hemp seeds 2 cups spinach 4 rings pineapple ½ cucumber 1 banana 3 ice cubes 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth and creamy.

3

Recipe courtesy of HealthNut Nutrition on Youtube.

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5

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A REFRESHING BLEND OF OUR ORIGINAL GEORGIAN BAY GIN SMASH™ AND NATURAL ICED TEA

MADE WITH OUR AWARD-WINNING GEORGIAN BAY GIN®

LIGHTLY CARBONATED, GREAT TASTE, AND NOT TOO SWEET

THE FIRST LOCAL GIN-BASED HARD ICED TEA

For more information and recipes visit GEORGIANBAYSPIRITCO.COM Please drink responsibly. ©Georgian Bay Spirit Co.™ 2019

4

MUST D

MUSI

HILLSIDE FESTIVAL Guelph, Ontario Hillside Festival was founded over three decades ago by musicians and environmental advocates. It has presented innovative music, indigenous drumming, childrens entertainment, creative workshops, artisan crafts, and local food and drink every summer. It has received several awards for its “green” initiatives, such as the naturally constructed stage covering. They also offer free water and reusable dishes that volunteers wash onsite. No single use plastic items allowed. There’s also onsite composting, solar heaters, and pedal-powered charging stations. Ride your bike or take the shuttle from Guelph or Toronto. Book a traditional campsite in advance or go rustic with field camping. July 12 to 14, 2019 Guelph Lake Island, Guelph Lake Conservation Area, 7743 Conservation Drive, Guelph, Ontario. www.hillsidefestival.ca

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DO green

IC FESTIVALS

CELEBRATING CANADA ONE FESTIVAL AT A TIME

By Bryen Dunn

SHAMBHALA MUSIC FESTIVAL Salmo River, BC

RIVERFEST ELORA Elora, Ontario

ELECTRIC ECLECTICS Meaford, Ontario

In 1998, some 500 people gathered at the Salmo River Ranch for a party that showcased local art and underground electronic music.

Today it attracts world renowned DJs, artists, and the most eclectic, energetic fans in the universe. Food vendors, general store, artisan market, charging stations, showers, and fresh mountain water are available onsite. Each ticket purchased allows for free basic camping with luxury glamping and RV upgrades available. Shuttles and ride-share available.

Organize your own workshop, design a costume, and join the fun, as this 500-acre working farm becomes the largest city in the West Kootenays for five days!

Aug 9 to 12, 2019, 7790 Hwy 3 & 6, Salmo, British Columbia shambhalamusicfestival.com

Riverfest Elora, held along the banks of the Grand River, has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a backyard festival just 11 years ago. The festival was founded by Elora artist Marilyn Koop in 2009 to celebrate music alongside the beauty of the Grand River. Koop passed away in 2012 and the festival continues in her memory. Over the years, the festival has brought an impressive array of musicians to the small town. Riverfest practices waste reduction by prohibiting bottled water and straws, and utilizes reusable mugs for beer sales. Get ready for a full weekend of music, arts, camping, food and culture that is sure to deliver lasting memories! Aug 16 to 18, 2019 Bissell Park, Mill Street East, Elora, ON riverfestelora.com

Electric Eclectics takes place on a privatelyowned farm overlooking the scenic Big Head Valley, just outside of Meaford, Ontario.

The “Funny Farm” features some of the best sunsets you will ever see, and the strangest music you will ever hear. An eclectic program of avant-garde and crossover musicians, as well as art installations, DJs, and films. There’s onsite primitive camping available (no water/ electricity/campfires). Shower outdoors or head to the local beach. Grab a bite from the onsite food vendors. Free shuttle to and from Meaford. If Burning Man and Woodstock had a provincial Canadian kid, this would be it!

Aug 2 to 4, 2019 202 Scotch Mountain Road, Meaford, ON www.c3r.ca/electriceclectics discover │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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editor's choice

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Flame

A place of passion, creativity and vision

By Brie Jarrett

H

aving a background in marketing and advertising, Turkish born restaurateur Serhat Sacildi astutely named his new restaurant, Flame, a simple yet powerful name. Cooking only with a charcoal grill (no gas) it’s fitting, but the meaning drives much deeper.

“Flame connects with passion," Sacildi explains. "When you start to talk about love, when you start to talk about passion, when you start to feel deeply about something, we use words like fire and flame. Like melting iron and creating something altogether new, Flame is about creating new things.”

This newly opened, two-level restaurant in the west end of Toronto, Ontario is based upon the distilled flavours from the ancient cultures of Anatolia, passionately executed

by Sacildi. His wife Irem, an associate professor at the University of Guelph, pipes in “He’s so talented, I fell in love.

Every plate is like art.”

Sacildi even named his son Siyah Alaz which means "black

flame". The significance of the black being the charcoal of the grill, but also some of their food items, such as their 14-generation-recipe black bread. Much like their traditions from Turkey, where one could knock upon a strangers door and say “we are guests of God” and be fed and looked after; Serhat has called his black bread "nice to meet" and it is designed to welcome and greet those that enter the restaurant.

Made from coconut charcoal ash which imbues the bread with its colour, the recipe constantly evolves with new flavours and tastes. Flame serves the bread with a dip made with Grana Padano and Tulum cheeses, sundried tomatoes from Turkey, eight different spices, olive oil and of course garlic. What a way to be greeted!

One of Sacildi's favourite main dishes is the Deliciosso plate; Osso Bucco cooked in broth with dried plums, apricots, grapes, figs, tomatoes, bell peppers, scallions, a unique living │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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combination of spices and pepper.

"We define our kitchen by how we feed our son," says Sacildi. "We want only the best and freshest ingredients. We do not use any canned goods and the only thing we deep-fry is the calamari.”

A signature in Sacildi’s dishes is his use of clementine juice, which has a balanced blend of acidity and sugars, perfect for marinating meats. Sacildi grew up in a region of Turkey that grew oranges and clementines and has many fond memories of cooking with his father, especially on outings in the mountains, where they would grill under the orange blossoms.

“The smell and aroma of the blossoms is unbelievable,” he reminisces.

The food is served on beautiful marble dishes, all custom designed by Sacildi and are part of the vision and creativity Sacildi and his wife have for Flame. The restaurant comprises of two floors - the Grill Bar and Main Kitchen with the Argentinian Charcoal grill on the first floor and the Café and Design Store upstairs. It is here where one can enjoy authentic Turkish coffee and browse through the tablewares, aprons, plates and notebooks for sale, all designed by Sacildi.

Write Your Fire is a unique notebook with a design that has a striking surface to light a match. Bringing to life in a very clever, tangible way, of lighting your passion. When asked how a notebook ties in with a restaurant, Sacildi says, “Creativity is not just in the kitchen, we must also write. Write our thoughts and recipes, our life history. This is very important.”

One thing is for certain, though only a newly opened restaurant, Flame holds the promise of many exciting adventures and flavour experimentation for years to come and a place to perhaps ignite your own passion. ~

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A Turkish Meze

Cheese and Nuts with Grilled Avocado “Cretan” (Girit Ezmesi)

An incredible appetizer to serve to your friends and family that will have an Amuse Bouche inspired from Turkey

Chef Jagger Gordon Fusion

Ingredients 4 whole avocados ½ cup avocado or olive oil ½ cup of crumbled feta cheese ½ cup goat cheese ½ cup shredded Tulum cheese (substitue cheddar) ½ cup chopped sundried tomatoes ½ cup chopped parsley ¼ cup chopped pistachios ¼ cup chopped walnuts ¼ cup chopped almonds 2 tsp paprika (smoked if available) 1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic 1 tbsp onion powder Juice from ½ a lemon 1. Combine all ingredients except avocados together and refrigerate for one hour.

2. Prepare a hot grill or barbecue on high temperature approximately 10 minutes.

3. Cut avocados in half removing the pits.

4. Grill avocados on open cut side for two minutes and remove.

5. Take mixture out of fridge and make little balls and place on top of grilled avocados.

6. Make a little finger hole on the top of the cheese ball for the Balsamic caviar pearls.

THE FUSION TWIST: Balsamic Vinegar Pearls Ingredients 2-3 cups olive oil ⅔ cup balsamic vinegar 2 grams agar-agar 3 cups water 1. Pour olive oil into a pint glass or medium carafe and place into the freezer for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat and add agar-agar. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly then immediately remove from heat.

3. Remove oil from the freezer.

4. Using a syringe or pipette, draw up the balsamic mixture and begin to slowly drop into the cold olive oil.

5. Using a spoon, transfer the balsamic pearls to a bowl filled with thewater. Give it a good stir to rinse the pearls of the oil.

Serve on top of the cheese ball.

No time to make this?

Contact us at veganpearls@gmail.com and we can ship you a jar of Balsamic Vinegar Caviar created by our team. living │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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Find a landscape professional

Get tips and advice from the pros

See the latest plants and trends Connect with a professional member of Landscape Ontario • Search from over 2,000 pros • Get design tips and ideas • Download free tools to help you compare and evaluate companies

Find your pro!

LEAVING A LEGACY Held Jan. 8, 2019 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto Airport & Conference Centre, this year’s Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence ceremony celebrated the talent and creativity of Landscape Ontario member companies. "Leaving a Legacy," was the theme for this year’s gala evening, which has now been recognizing excellence for 46 years.

Culminating with the award ceremony, the program actually began six months earlier when over 300 entries were submitted by companies from across the province. Over a period of several days, judges then reviewed each project entered and selected the final winners. After all entries were judged, they were once again reviewed for selection of the top three winners. These top winners then go on to represent Ontario at the National Awards of Landscape Excellence, organized by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

A special feature of awards evening this year were a handful of short videos documenting the work of previous top winners. The video vignettes captured comments both the contractor and homewoner that demonstrated the lasting effects and lifestyles changes that came with a landscape makeover and how these projects will continue to benefit future generations to come.

Over 30 landscape and horticulture students — the future leaders of the profession, were also recognized at the awards ceremony as recipients of industry scholarships. Landscape Ontario and its many partners are very keen to support and encourage young people on the many long-term careers available.

And finally, the media play a big role in helping homeowners to make informed choices when it comes to landscaping, and at this year’s ceremony, the Communicator of the Year Award was presented to Paul Zammit from the Toronto Botanical Garden.

TOP WINNERS

Dunington-Grubb Award 2019 Dutch Touch Landscaping, Orono Casey van Maris Memorial Award 2019 Pro-Land Landscape Construction, Brampton Don Salivan Memorial Grounds Management Award 2019 Yorkshire Garden Services, Concord LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM Abloom Landscape Contractor Inc, Metcalfe AquaSpa Pools & Landscape Design, Woodbridge Arbordale Landscaping, Concord Balsam Creek Landscaping, Lynden BonaVista Pools Ltd, Markham Cedar Springs Landscape Group, Oakville Core Precision Interlock Inc, Woodbridge DA Gracey & Associates, Vaughan Dutch Touch Landscaping Inc, Orono Earthscape, Wallenstein Elite Concrete, Thornhill Flattery Design, Toronto Frontiers Landscape Architecture, Georgetown Golden Mean Landscapes, Burlington Granite Park Inc, Carlisle Green Apple Landscaping, Mono Greentario Landscaping (2006) Inc, Hamilton Griffith Property Services Ltd, Richmond Hill HACKStONe Landscapes, Maxwell Ian McGregor Pools & Landscaping, Lynden It’s About Thyme Inc, Stratford JC Landscaping Inc, Tottenhan Jen-Dan Limited, Gormley Kingscape Landscape Construction Group, Richmond Hill Kreative Woodworking, Woodbridge Landcare, Toronto Landscape Effects Group, Belle River Landscape Plus Ltd, Etobicoke Limestone Trail Co Inc, Beamsville M.E. Contracting, Toronto Monarch Landscape, Waterloo

Muskoka Landscapers, Port Carling Natural Landscape Group Inc, Dundas Nature’s Choice Landscape Construction Ltd, Maple Oakridge Landscape Contractors Ltd, Hannon Oriole Landscaping Ltd, Toronto Outdoor Lifestyles / Granite Land Design, Waterdown Parkscape Ltd, North York Partridge Fine Landscapes Ltd, Mississauga Plantenance Landscape Group, Point Claire, QC Pool Craft, Richmond Hill Pool Doctors, Burlington Porter Landscaping Ltd, Ajax Premier Landscaping & Design Ltd, Richmond Hill Pro-Land Landscape Construction Inc, Brampton ProScape Land Design & Construction, Oakville Royal Stone Landscaping & Design Ltd (1548166 Ontario Ltd), Woodbridge Seferian Design Group, Burlington Shadeview Structures Inc, Ancaster Springbank Landscapes, London Tarrascape Innovation Inc, Hamilton The Beaudry Group, Burlington The Landmark Group, Thornbury Three Seasons Landscapes, Hamilton Tumber & Associates, Orangeville Wentworth Landscapes, Picton Zeng Landscaping (765797 Ontario Limited), Creemore LANDSCAPE LIGHTING PROGRAM Abloom Landscape Contractor Inc, Metcalfe DiMarco Landscape Lighting, Mount Albert Ian McGregor Pools & Landscaping, Lynden Ideal Landscape Services, Barrie MapleRidge Landscapes Ltd, Lynden Moonstruck Lighting Ltd, Concord Nutri-Lawn - Burlington Irrigation, Burlington Pool Craft, Richmond Hill ProScape Land Design & Construction,

Oakville Rain Gods Inc, Milton Royal Stone Landscaping & Design Ltd. (1548166 Ontario Ltd), Woodbridge Yates Custom Lawn Sprinklers, Manotick

AWARD WINNERs

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO IS PLEASED TO RECOGNIZE THE WINNERS

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM Boffo Landscaping Inc, Maple Cypress Gardeners Inc, Port Carling Landscape Plus Ltd, Etobicoke Snider Turf & Landscape Care Ltd, Waterloo Yorkshire Garden Services Inc, Concord LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND IRRIGATION PROGRAM Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, Dundas Derue Designs, Ganonoque Earthscape, Wallenstein Eden Tree Design Inc, Toronto Muskoka Landscapers, Port Carling Partridge Fine Landscapes Ltd, Mississauga Plantenance Landscape Group, Point Claire, QC Springbank Landscapes, London Wentworth Landscapes, Picton Yards Unlimited Landscaping Inc, Ottawa DJ Rain & Co Ltd, North York Empire Green Lawn Sprinklers Ltd, Newmarket RETAIL GARDEN CENTRE PROGRAM Baltimore Valley Produce & Garden Centre, Baltimore Canadale Nurseries Ltd, St. Thomas Cut & Dried Flower Farm, Glencairn Garden Market Burk’s Falls Inc, Burk’s Falls Maidstone Tree Farm, Maidstone Parkway Gardens Ltd, London Port Carling Garden Centre, Port Carling Sandhill Nursery, Hunstville Sheridan Nurseries (Etobicoke) Ltd Sheridan Nurseries (Unionville) Ltd Sheridan Nurseries (Whitby) Ltd Sheridan Nurseries Georgetown Sipkens Nurseries, Wyoming

Congratulations to all winners of Landscape Ontario’s Awards of Excellence program for 2018.

For more information on the Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence program, please visit LOawards.com design │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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award winners

• 2019 WINNER • Dutch Touch Landscaping DUNNINGTON GRUBB AWARD

GRAND ESTATE This majestic property makes a bold statement using natural stone and flagstone to deliver scale to the massive grounds.

The long rambling laneway creates a grand entrance with a custom-built iron gate flanked by stone pillars.

Complementing the home perfectly, the pillars are used extensively through the property to provide continuity in the design.

Accents such as a stunning stone fountain grace the front entrance and glass railings on the back deck provide uninhibited views to the water.

Immense timber frame pergolas provide the perfect relaxing area to enjoy the surroundings.

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• 2019 WINNER • Pro-Landscape Construction Inc. CASEY van MARIS AWARD

mIDTOWN CHIC Designed by Eden Tree Design This perfect urban getaway provides a tranquil oasis amid the hustle and bustle of the city.

This spectacular design boasts a full-size spa and plunge pool, with dark mosaic tile and a zero edge, sheer descent water wall for a one-of-a-kind experience.

The custom pergola in white, with laser cut screens and frosted glass panels along with the handcrafted sculpture by Canadian artist Don Frost, contrast perfectly with the dark elements and warm exotic wood, fabric and stone. A floating Brazilian hardwood bench with custom marine grade leatherette cushions and ceramic tile in a marble finish in the dining area complete this modern look.

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• 2019 WINNER • Yorkshire Garden Services Inc. DON SALIVAN AWARD

SECRET GARDEN This home in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is like stepping into another world with its plethora of plants and flowers blooming in abundance.

Surrounded by trees, the property is its own secret hideaway with stone border flower beds and step stone walkways throughout the property.

Colour abounds in this quaint property with its multitude of flowers and plants.

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Growing

Vegetarian

By Carson Arthur

R

eady to go vegetarian? According to several online sources including Wikipedia, the trend towards vegetarianism is on the rise! A lot of this has to do with the Millennial generation as they start making their own grocery choices. There is a lot of speculation as to the reasons why but according to Forbes, the movement away from meat is linked to a desire to protect the planet and the humane treatment of animals. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up to you, but with a reported 70 percent of the global population choosing a reduced-meat diet, the veggie section of the grocery store is about to grow.

Unfortunately, the prices are going to be heading up as well. Fresh vegetable prices are set to go up another 3.5 percent this year. So, whether you have a large backyard, a rooftop terrace or a condo balcony, now is the time to try and grow food for your family, regardless your motivation.

And it’s never been so simple.

If you have never grown vegetables before, then I’d suggest starting easy with two large pots and a sunny spot that gets at least five hours of sunlight per day. With planters, you can plant on a deck in the backyard, on a patio, or even in a south facing window. The key here is the sunlight. Unless you are planning on installing a lighting system, you need a little help from Mother Nature. This is also the one step in the process that most people get wrong. Too often homeowners think they have a sunny spot and realize too late, it’s only sunny for the few hours in the day that they are home to notice. Here is my simple test for how much sunlight you really have. Start with a simple solar powered toy from a dollar store; I have a little dancing devil that shimmies when the sun hits him. Place your toy in the spot

Image by Thomas Kriese

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Image by annquasarano - Pixabay

you want to garden. If it dances, then you have enough light to grow plants there. Next, set a reminder on your phone to check the toy once an hour to see if it is still dancing. This is the easiest way to see how many hours of sunlight you really have in a spot.

Next, we need a couple of planters. Ideally, your flowerpots should be at least 24 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Designate one planter to be home for a tomato plant and some friends and the other for beans. When choosing a tomato, you’ll have to decide what shape of fruit you want. Do you prefer cherry tomatoes? What about salad size? Maybe a big slicer is the one for you. What ever works for your family, make sure to also include a support stake and a wire cage in the planter to help hold up your tomato plant. Alongside your tomato, plant some basil. Basil not only happily grows in the same conditions as tomatoes, it also helps control and deter insects and other pests from attacking your fruit. Other options for your tomato planter include peppers, chives, leeks, and even some fragrant herbs like sage and thyme.

All of these companion plants are also perfect for tomatoes grown in the garden.

In your second planter, we are going to grow beans, but instead of pole beans that require a tall trellis, we are going to plant bush beans. As they are appropriately named, these beans grow on a bush, making them perfect for a planter or for a smaller space. There are 42 I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │DESIGN

Nice and sunny!

many varieties of bush beans including green, yellow, and even purple options. I suggest you have some fun and plant a variety that you don’t usually buy at the grocer. With your beans, plant some frilly kale. Beans and kale are true garden buddies, happily growing together in the same space, and they are also colour coordinated! For every colour of bean out there, there is a kale with the exact same tone in its leaves. Beans also grow well with cauliflower and broccoli but both of these don’t really love growing in planters. If kale is not for you, try growing spinach or lettuce with your beans. Both spinach and lettuce are considered neutral plants, happily growing alongside almost any other plant in the garden.

Finally, place your two flowerpots away from each other; opposite side of the deck works well. As much as these plants like their pot-companions, they do not grow well with the plants in the other pot. I like to think of this method as the “Westside Story” version of gardening with the tomatoes as the “Jets” and the beans as the “Sharks”. In my vegetable garden, I plant my tomatoes at one end and the beans at the other, with lettuce and spinach down the middle as the line no one should cross.

This is definitely the year of the homegrown vegetable and however you look at it; gardening is entertaining! You really have nothing to lose given the rising costs of fresh produce. Think about it, a head of iceberg lettuce has been in grocers across the country for over $4 this year already and a head of cauliflower has come in at $8.99. You can purchase and plant both of your containers for less than $50; equal to the cost of five heads of cauliflower. ~

Image by Huntstock - Getty Images

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Whether your preference is basil, thyme, rosemary or sage, having your herbs available for use as needed is essential. In the LECHUZA CUBE Color, they are constantly growing and thriving, so you will have a constant supply of fresh herbs at your finger tips.

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Simply by adding water through the supply shaft and watching the indicator, the reservoir supplies the plants reliably and individually with moisture. The CUBE Color 14 or 16 can transform any windowsill into a small herb garden.

Thanks to the LECHUZA wicking self-system, they receive the right amount of water, as needed. No worries of overwatering or underwatering and your flowering plants and herbs remain healthy and green. Simply by adding water through the supply shaft and watching the indicator, the reservoir supplies the plants reliably and individually with moisture.

Thanks to LECHUZA’s intelligent self-watering system, your plants can take care of themselves for optimum growth. Creating a green oasis of comfort is easy and stress free thanks to LECHUZA so you can have more time for all the other pleasures in life.

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The New Calgary Library Connecting East and West, Past and Present

By Susan Mate

Photography by Michael Grimm

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n a world full of architectural marvels, Calgary, Alberta’s newest public building is quite unlike anything the city has ever seen before. Beginning at the main entrance, inspired by southern Alberta’s famed chinook west winds - its mammoth staircase is engulfed by a swooping archway made of reclaimed western red cedar.

A light rail transit line drives right through the belly of the four-storey building from above to below ground, at its northwest edge - a design feat that alone took nearly a year to complete. The building’s angles and curves are clad on the triple-glazed exterior with more than 460 hexagonal panels, which, when lit by the sun, illuminate as a glimmering mosaic.

Yet this $245-million landmark, which was a decade in the planning, is not a government building, museum, public housing or tower. It is Calgary’s new downtown public library and along with its neighbour, the National Music Centre, it is credited for helping revitalize the city’s once-downtrodden East Village neighbourhood, connecting it to the downtown core.

The building was designed by American-Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta and Canadian company DIALOG after the two firms joined forces and won the design competition for the new library in 2013. Designed to LEED gold certification, the building meets tough green building practices and energy efficiency.

“It is really an amazing project and it’s changing not only the way we see Calgary, but how the world sees Calgary,” says Sarah Meilleur, Director of Service Delivery for City Centre Community Libraries.

“This is so much more than a library. It’s a place for our communities to come together. And we’re seeing such a variety of demographics – kids, teens, seniors, First Nations and new Canadians. People are coming and they are finding the part that engages them.” Meilleur states.

With more than 180 tonnes of books, the floors were specifically designed to manage all that weight and stress. Despite the fact our reading is usually dominated by phones, tablets and laptops, paper books are a long way from extinction.

“It’s reusing, it’s recycling – books are part of the sharing economy. There’s something really incredible about reading a library book and thinking about the person who read it before you,” Meilleur notes, adding “Sometimes people leave little footnotes in them... it’s all part of the story.”

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Photo: Calga

Substitute teacher Maggie Arthur from Calgary says the library has always been a huge resource in helping her be a better educator. The new facility is an incredible draw for immigrant or low-income kids because of its many reading spaces and accessible, well-equipped digital lab.

“Let’s face it, the old (downtown) library was dark and tired. A bit shabby. You went there when you had to. This place is so bright and welcoming – who wouldn’t want to spend time here exploring? It is truly world-class.” she says.

Hailed recently by the New York Times as one of the 52 places to see in 2019, the 240,000 sq. ft. building is one of the largest libraries on the continent. Under construction for three years, the library saw more than 50,000 people visit on its opening weekend November 1, 2018.

Built near Fort Calgary, an historic site and museum, where the city was first founded and where First Nations gathered for thousands of years; homage has been paid to the five Treaty 7 First Nations of southern Alberta. Aboriginal groups were heavily consulted throughout the design and build, and there is space set aside on the fourth floor - an elder’s guidance circle – where visitors can have one-on-one time with Indigenous elders.

Planners wanted to create a space for

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library. It’s a place for our communities to come together.

“

ary Library

is so much “ This more than a

Sarah Meilleur Director of Service Delivery for City Centre Community Libraries Photo: Calgary Library

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Photo: Calgary Library

performances and other public gatherings, so they also created outdoor amphitheatres and a pedestrian plaza that connects the East Village with downtown.

Previously, the neighbourhoods were split by the C-Train line.

The building’s open layout was designed to be more playful on the lower levels (i.e. the busy Children’s Library) with study areas, historic sections and the Great Reading Room situated on the upper levels.

Third generation and locally-owned Luke’s, serves

drinks and light café fare on the plaza level and public art abounds both inside and outside the building, including three giant bobbing anthropomorphic birds.

A life-sized buffalo in the mezzanine level comprised of metal letters that spell various words in Indigenous languages, while a colourful mural in the lobby as well as a table and furniture in the Elder’s Guidance Circle were created by indigenous artists.

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it’s about creating public gathering spaces where people can connect with one another and share ideas, knowledge, stories, and culture", says Shereen Samuels, Vice-Chair of the library board.

"Indigenous Placemaking at New Central Library will create a welcoming environment where Indigenous people can feel their culture reflected in an urban setting and where all library visitors can learn about the original inhabitants of the land that we also call Calgary." ~

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So, what does the term “permeable pavement” mean? It refers to the specially designed system of permeable interlocking concrete paving stones that allow water to pass through the surface into an open-graded aggregate base. The water is stored in the specially layered base aggregates and drains naturally into the natural soil beneath, to recharge groundwater.

Designed to help manage stormwater and surface water runoff, Oaks permeable pavers are uniquely designed to reduce the potential for flooding, erosion and sediment build-up. Being both visually attractive and eco-friendly, these drainage pavers are an excellent and environmentally responsible choice for driveways. They conform to municipal storm water regulations and play a significant role in reducing the burden on storm water systems, while increasing curb appeal.

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Form, function and beauty, while helping the environment.

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profiles

Recreating

Paradise

By Scott Sim

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I

t was roughly nine years ago that I first met Jason Vanderkruk working for Cedar Springs Landscape Group in Oakville, Ontario as a junior designer. I found him to be always smiling, perpetually engaged in what was going on around him, forever craving more knowledge; a talent waiting to bust out amongst a very accomplished group of designers. Fast forward to the present day and Vanderkruk is still that same likeable personality, still yearning for more, but now having developed his craft above and beyond those early days as a junior designer to become one of the premier landscape designers in Canada.

Vanderkruk hails from a family whose name is synonymous with the landscape industry and so easily could have joined most of his siblings in operating the-now third generation wholesale nursery, NVK Connon Nurseries. Wanting something different though, Vanderkruk cemented his desire to design, both from the early influence of his sister, who had become a landscape designer, and his time spent interpreting plans into built landscapes. Three years later, with a Fanshawe College diploma in hand, Vanderkruk set out to make his way in the landscape world. It was his intention to start his own design-build firm, but after much procrastination he found himself

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“

Jason Vanderkruk

We are all trying to do something that doesn’t feel like work. If you’re not growing you’re dying.

“

in March, with a season barreling towards him and still no plan. With a little prodding from his brother-in-law, Vanderkruk took an interview with Cedar Springs Landscaping, and so began his journey.

Under the tutelage of Dan DeVries, Vanderkruk began to perfect his skills at Cedar Springs. He admits to favouring structural elements; within the elaborate concepts he devised he was allowed to let his juices flow into beautiful outdoor living spaces.

“Working at Cedar Springs gave me the opportunity to find my true calling and working alongside Dan allowed me to take it and run with it." Vanderkruk says. "That gave me the foundation and confidence I needed in order to grow.”

Early in his design career, Vanderkruk became intrigued by hand-drafted renderings, what would later become his specialty, but his desire to “push the bar” led him to 3D rendering.

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With a drive to develop first-class projects and “anything that requires a lot of detail”, Vanderkruk has rapidly turned himself into a prominent figure when it comes to this design style. Make no mistake though, the program doesn’t do the work. It’s a nod to his individual talent and vision that makes Vanderkruk the designer he is. It’s also the influence of other designers like Gabriel Costantini from Intriguing Landscaping that opened him up towards modern, Euro-flow styles. The idea of ‘recreating paradise’ for a homeowner motivates Vanderkruk on a daily basis. A minimalist approach with the intention to provide a space that people can reconnect with nature in their own private retreat.

Vanderkruk’s noticeable talent has made both himself and his polished product visible to a larger audience, most notably through social media. Vanderkruk not only uses this platform to share his incredible designs, but also to share his own personal experiences, often using the hashtag #socialchange, to open up about the good, the bad and the ugly in the industry.

In one such case, he had an opportunity recently to create a significant business relationship with another consultant but learned that a subcontractor had been refused payment by this consultant. Opting to look beyond his own gain, Vanderkruk chose to end the association. Not a decision that can ever be taken lightly, and more so, speaking about it on social media that can easily present

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negativity and criticism. Despite this, Vanderkruk chose to take a stand for integrity and professionalism and spark a conversation against the perception that undervalues what landscapers do.

“I know there is always two sides to each story,” says Vanderkruk, “However here is my perspective: in order to change and get more people working in the trades we need to change this kind of mentality towards each other. We can't continue to work like this, we need more professionalism in the industry, businesses that continue to cheat others out of their hard-earned money will not be around in the future”. Although Vanderkruk admits to not knowing the ultimate answers, he brought to light a message that many continue to ignore. The support was overwhelming. He is vested in this industry and only wants to see the best come from it. So much so that he has started to embrace the role of a mentor who is ‘finding it more fun to show others how”. Unafraid to share with his colleagues, Vanderkruk understands that we all are better-off when information is passed along.

Currently living and working in Saint-Raymond, Quebec, it was always his wife’s dream to live in La Belle Province.

There was a certain amount of apprehension towards the move, but with the blessing of the owner at Cedar Springs, they set out to make their new life and JVK Landscape Design Inc. was born. It’s certainly not where you would expect to find a someone whose work is centered in the

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GTA and Southwestern Ontario but operating from a space at the workplace of his wife’s aunt, he continued to design. Admittedly not wellversed in business, he found support from the aunt and continued to grow his knowledgebase. The ability to function from a cloudbased network and with a roster of talented landscapers has made the transition seamless.

Vanderkruk regularly speaks of ‘lifestyle’ in how it relates to his design work, but also when referring to his own life. Gradually learning the culture and language, this remote designer

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revels in the easy-going pace that small-town, rural Quebec offers.

“We are all trying to do something that doesn’t feel like work,” says Vanderkruk. Settled firmly into life and career, it is without a doubt that Vanderkruk has found his place of zen. "If you’re not growing, you're dying.”

Based on his track record, armed with boundless talent and pushed by desire to make those closest to him proud, the sky's the limit for Jason Vanderkruk. ~

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The path to a

O

balanced life

to stop and relax. As the new year commenced, n Dec. 13, 2018, I was on stage in front Chef Gordon wanted to start 2019 with a of 400 people presenting a global new mindset and a new body; ready to social impact initiative bringing thrive to be the best not only with his awareness about mental health and the actions but with what he represents importance of cultivating a healthy with his body and eager to not only mind and body. Chef Jagger Gordon look younger but feel healthier. He was one of the judges at this prestigious shared his desired to accomplish this event called Global Changemakers goal sooner rather than later and we Series (powered by Mind Valley) and decided to work together as a team I learned of his incredible work with during 2019.

Feed it Forward. I was so inspired by Chef Gordon’s passion and mission.

A holistic program is oriented to create a Talking after the show, we connected and harmonious balance in the body, mind and consequently I went on to become a wellness soul. As a holistic wellness coach, I designed coach and health advocate for this extraordinary an integrative program personalized to Chef person. In sharing our journey together, both by Joa Rivas Gordon to follow during a 12-month trajectory.

Chef Gordon and I hope to inspire you to shake A realistic but effective program that suits his up your own body and go for a renewed version of lifestyle. Chef Gordon has a condition of an enlarged yourself. heart, perhaps because gives so much of himself, so it was important to make sure he first checked with the doctor Chef Gordon has had quite the vibrant life which kicked before starting our program. up a few notches when he began his project with Feed it Forward in 2014. Dedicatedly working day and night, a As a philanthropist, Chef Gordon has struggled to real superhero in my eyes, Chef Gordon has attracted, create a balance between giving and receiving. He has lead and inspired so many people to volunteer, helping unconditionally shared his time, talent and treasured to rescue perfectly good food destined for waste, and health in order to fulfill his mission. During the past turn it into groceries and tasty meals for thousands of decade he has focused on giving back to the world Torontonians who face food insecurities. in service and energy and when asked “when do you sleep?”, Chef Gordon cites his quote, “sleep is for the Chef Gordon has dedicated his life to this cause, however dead” from the internationally bestselling book Magnetic in contributing to our community and following our Entrepreneur. This does not surprise me. I see this true purpose in life we sometimes forget to take time

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give to others and vice versa

“

we give “ When to ourselves, we

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mindset often in my practice especially in high-level stress jobs such as executives that manage people and have daily activities burning their sympathetic system.

Sleep is crucial to balance hormones, to activate the parasympathetic system, to fully rest, and for digestion.

Now in the moment to receive and rebalance his energy system, Chef Gordon decided to reveal to others a very vulnerable part of himself, to show his struggles and his battles; that life is about falling, then standing up again and that life evolves as we progress. I stay in touch daily and I coach him through text messages and personal calls, just to make sure he is okay and on track. Emotional support coaching sessions are very important, where we share the challenges presenting monthly, adjusting the plan and finding solutions such as releasing muscle tightness with Thai massage, muscle therapy sessions, percussion, and fascia stretch therapy when they are needed.

As you know, no one has the exact same life, therefore every client will have a different program to follow, but I provide guidance to my clients and facilitate the system to follow tools and simple strategies to help them achieve their goals. With everyone though I start with the pyramid of health as the fundamental base of every program; promoting solid and effective daily rest and recovery therapies, what we eat, how we eat and nutrition protocols, followed by physical movements, body training and lastly, social interactions.

Happily, Chef Gordon was already practicing daily Zazen meditation that was helping him with his stress levels, but he was still challenged by fatigue at the end of the day. We definitely needed to improve his rest and optimize his nutrition in order to regulate his hormones.

Due to his extremely busy schedule, I wanted to design something that was concrete and simple to execute.

Unlike other wellness coaches, I never refer to the word “diet” in my nutrition programs, simply because there is no expiration date. Rather I focus on educating and helping mold a change of behaviour, especially to address a health issue, testing responses to either keep, or modify when necessary. I design nutrition plans to follow individually and to adjust with lifestyle changes.

Eventually the process should flow naturally. That is why I refer to my nutrition plans as ‘intuitive eating’.

I have created a precision nutrition program based on a ketogenic approach combined with intermittent fasting to accelerate the fat loss results. I personally have incorporated this duo dynamic during the past two years in my own life and It has worked effectively.

The Ketogenic Diet has been used since the 1920s to treat epilepsy in kids and many other ailments. This ultra-high fat, low protein and low carbohydrates 80 I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │IMPROVE

nutrition forces the body to burn fat for fuel, instead of carbohydrates and induces insulin control. Intermittent fasting is merely an eating style where you eat in a short window of time between six to eight hours and fast the rest of the time. It has given great results for those running many activities during the day and by limiting the time of eating it creates a cascade of hormones to balance. This is a lifestyle we choose and not a diet we impose.

Working in the next level of the pyramid, the physical training, I like to lead by example. Knowing Chef Gordon is a retired Raider in the Marine Corps was a little daunting to say the least but nothing that intimidated me. Many times, I train with my clients to develop trust and empathy and also because we all learn naturally; when we see others moving, we move, we repeat by imitation. So, with Chef Gordon, I train him and motivate him on the gym floor with warmups focused on joint mobility and fascia release as well as short but high-intensity training sessions where we optimize his VO2 max and boost his testosterone two times a week when his schedule allows him. We have placed emphasis in the yoga stretching and core work using Pilates. I make sure that his joints are loose and that his back is prepared to train before we use any extra weight.

So far it has been a very easy for Chef Gordon to stick to the general guidelines. Ketogenic nutrition and intermittent fasting have been smoothly incorporated because it suits his busy morning schedule. He loves eating avocados and drinking beef bone broth daily as part of the gut health protocol. Tracking his body composition with calipers and a tape measure allows us to quantify the progress monthly. So far, he has lost a significant amount of body fat and over 15 lbs of total body weight in this short time. We still have a way to go but more importantly we are gradually moving towards our target.

I am looking forward to continuing to address any challenge that we find in 2019 and am committed to support Chef Gordon’s success. This vulnerable side of Jagger is something he can use as a fuel to progress, not from an ego perspective but from a longevity perspective so he can give more, for longer. The healthier we are mentally and physically the more we can share and grow together. ~ Joa Rivas is an elite personal trainer in Toronto, Ontario. She is also a fitness instructor teaching cardio conditioning, core strength training, yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. Joa is also nutrition and wellness certified and possesses a unique and effective program for posture support and correction, especially for people who suffer with scoliosis and chronic backaches. www.joafitness.com

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T’S ALL BOUT HE MUSIC Canada Rocks with The Rolling Stones at Canada’s Largest Outdoor Event Venue

By Bryen Dunn

L

ocated in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, an hour’s drive north of Toronto, Burl's Creek Event Grounds is Canada's largest outdoor event venue, with the capacity to host more than 100,000 attendees, 45,000 campers, and park 45,000 cars. For the past seven years it has hosted the annual Boots & Hearts Music Festival, Canada's largest country and camping music festival, and this year it will be home to the new Big Sky Music Festival, and the only Canadian stop on The Rolling Stones “No Filter” tour. The venue has also played host to the now defunct Wayhome Music & Arts Festival as well.

Spread over 600 acres of pristine landscaped grounds, the property features multiple natural amphitheatres, forested performance areas, a beautifully restored barn originally built in the 1930s, and 12-fibre optical laid throughout. Officially opened in 1984, Burl's Creek has been operated by Republic Live since 2014 and has played host to many of the biggest names in entertainment.

“The creation of the sloped concert bowls and other infrastructures has created the largest privately-funded tourism initiative in Ontario in the last several decades. Our feature │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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The Rolling Stones - Photo by Dave Hogan

2015 Economic Impact Report shows over $54-million in tourism spending in that year alone,” says Todd Jenereaux, Executive Vice President of Republic Live. “What people don’t see are the cutting-edge 12-strand fibre optic cables buried throughout the property, connecting almost all areas of the performance grounds, to ensure that communications, security, live streaming, and other needs can be met for the largest of shows."

In terms of trying to maintain a “green” environment, Eva Dunford, co-founder of Republic Live, states, “Every year we implement various sorting and recycling programs. With our largest means of waste being from recyclable cans and plastic bottles, we have engaged with numerous charitable and community groups over the years to assist with this. In return, all net proceeds have gone to those charities, and our space at Burl’s Creek is left cleaner."

It’s All About the Music By far, the largest and one of the most anticipated events for many this year is Canada Rocks with The Rolling Stones, taking place Canada Day weekend on June 29, 2019. This will be the second stop on the North American leg of their 86 I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │FEATURE

No Filter tour, and the only Canadian date. This all-day concert experience by one of the world’s greatest rock n’ roll bands, is a rare treat from these English lads who first performed back in 1962 and continue to release new music and tour extensively, nearly six decades later. The set list has the iconic group performing many of their classic hits, along with rarer tunes from their extensive music catalogue, and newer selections from their more recent albums.

“This will be the largest attendance we will have hosted at Burl’s Creek so far, and the undertaking to ensure our patrons and the band have a memorable and safe time, are immense," says Lisa Zechmeister, Director of Booking and Development. "They aren’t rookies at this, and neither are we. No stone will be left unturned (sorry for the pun).

Fans can expect two plus hours of hit-after-hit with every inch of the enormous 200' wide stage used, including the largest touring video towers projecting to the audience, and showing them what this band does best."

This event is 100 percent cashless, with only debit and credit cards being accepted anywhere onsite. Take note that ATMs will not be located onsite. Close to 70,000 fans are expected to attend.

Photo by Ryan Bolton

"Having The Rolling Stones choose Burl’s Creek on the Canada Day weekend as the only Canadian stop on their tour is a truly humbling experience for us,” said Dunford.

“This will, without a doubt, put Burl’s Creek on the map as a world-class destination. "'It’s Only Rock and Roll’ but, for us it’s history in the making at Burl’s Creek,” she proudly proclaims.

The inaugural Big Sky Music Festival takes place July 20, 2019, and features Alabama, Travis Tritt, Diamond Rio, and more. The daylong event promises to take it back to the 'good ole days', with a classic car show, camping, and craft market. With this event the producers have developed a Canadian platform for a traditional country-style festival.

“We’re thrilled to add Big Sky to our roster of events at Burl’s Creek this year,” said Dunford. On-site camping and RV spaces are available on both Friday and Saturday; featuring a pig roast on Friday evening for camping guests only. Additional artists include yodeling-sensation Mason Ramsey, and local Canadian artists Jason McCoy and The Redhill Valleys. www.bigskymusicfestival.ca The eighth annual Boots & Hearts Music Festival is now spread out over four full days from August 8 - 11, 2019, and features headliners Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Cole Swindell, Kane Brown and Kip Moore. Also on the bill are Chase Rice, Michael Ray, Tim

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Hicks, Carly Pearce, Mitchell Tenpenny, LANCO, Ashley McBryde, Morgan Wallen, and more. The event attracts upwards of 40,000 daily attendees, including thousands who camp-out the entire festival. Boots & Hearts is the recipient of the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Festival of the Year Award in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Canadian Music Week 2015 Festival of the Year, and was recently announced as the only Canadian nominee for the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Festival of the Year Award. The 2018 festival was declared “Boots and Hearts Weekend” in Simcoe County, and musician Thomas Rhett called the event, “the best festival on the entire planet.”

“This year we are bringing back the hugely popular LED ferris wheel, offering a bird’s-eye-view of the entire festival site, along with carnival games, and the popular Instagram installations, giving fans the opportunity to snap that perfect photo,” says Zechmeister. bootsandhearts.com As for Wayhome Music & Arts Festival, Zechmeister states, “WayHome as a brand is extremely strong in the Greater Toronto Area, and among agents and artists in the music industry. I would not say that WayHome is dead, it’s just not something we’re focusing on right now. With the right acts and circumstances, fans could see a return of WayHome in the future.” wayhome.com

Transportation and Accommodations For those looking to party like it’s 1969, the venue has arranged a shuttle system to get fans to and from The Rolling Stones concert, with stops in Barrie, Hamilton, Kitchener, Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Kingston, Oshawa, Peterborough, and more. There’s also GO Transit and Ontario Northland offering regular scheduled services to the area, and many taxi operators can then easily transport attendees to the site from there. There are even direct flights from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, just across the highway from the grounds.

Attendees can choose from several different camping options, from a regular site that accommodates up to six people, to the new reserved tent camping that can accommodate up to 12 people, and offers 400 more square-feet than the extra large camping spots. This option also allows you to camp beside your friends and family. RV options are also available, including hydro sites and non-hydro sites, and guests can even rent their desired type of RV and have it placed onsite through RVezy. Accessible camping options are also available, and public showers and washroom facilities are accessible at all camping areas as well. If camping with thousands of other die-hard music fans is not your thing, there are a slew of hotel options in and around the Barrie and Orillia areas with several offering shuttles to the site, as well as a unique selection of alternative accommodation options.

Barrie is less than a 20-minute drive away and has a

couple of B&B’s located nearby: Three Wishes, The Verandahs, and Brookview. There are also four private campgrounds nearby that can offer a serene connection with nature, without the festival buzz. Check out Barrie KOA, which also has cabins and lodges; Heidi’s, which offers a more upscale camping experience, or Nicolston Dam, with sites located along the Nottawasaga River. As well, M&E Shady Rest Cottages has four two-bedroom units right on Lake Simcoe, perfect for swimming, fishing, canoeing, and more, while Mayfair Suites and Carriage Ridge provide a self-contained home-awayfrom-home experience, with all the comforts and amenities included. www.tourismbarrie.com/where_to_sleep.aspx Orillia is also within a 20-minute drive from Burl’s Creek, and again offers a good range of hotel and motel selections, along with two interesting alternative options for those seeking something different. Black River Wilderness Park is owned and operated by the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, and offers everything from basic campsites to cabins, tipis and yurts. While there, take part in an authentic Indigenous cultural experience, or visit their Trading Post and café with outdoor patio. Hammock Harbour is located on beautiful Lake Couchiching at The Narrows, part of the Trent Severn Waterway. The property offers a range of spacious campsites, two cabins, two yurts, and one fully equipped RV trailer for rental. www.ontarioslakecountry.com/stay

Burl’s Creek 240 Line 8 South, Oro-Medonte, ONTARIO 705-487-1600 www.burlscreek.com feature OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM │OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COMI I 57 I 5789

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Educate your palette with Plant-Based Food

by Kimberly Fowler

P

lant-based food isn’t a new concept, but it has generated lots of buzz of late, especially since the January release of Canada’s new food guide1, which emphasizes eating plants, drinking water and cooking at home.

Expert Chef Doris Fin believes there’s more to the plant-based food revolution than better health.

Fin, who won the 2018 Waterfront Awards for Culinary Arts began cooking when she was seven.

She’s passionate about many things, and naturally, food is high on her list. But so is travel, education, sustainability and social connectedness. For Fin, the plant-based revolution offers all this and so much more.

“It’s my mission and duty to share my passion with others to let them know they have choices,” Fin says. When speaking with Fin it doesn’t take long to understand that fresh, local ingredients are a critical element of cooking.

“Nature has amazing flavours,” she says. She would know. Fin has experienced nature’s flavours here in Canada and around the globe, first-hand.

“I always enjoyed cooking, but never thought of working in a restaurant. I wanted training that was culturally immersive,” she says. “My goal was to travel.”

An unintentional but wonderful by-product of over a decade of traveling was that Fin educated her palette tasting fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs that aren’t readily available here in Canada. living OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COMI 59 I 91

During her travels Fin noticed that food tasted different overseas, which lead her to ask: why is it so challenging to get the exact taste of a cultural dish here in Canada?

According to Fin, there’s no simple answer, but our groceryheavy economy plays a role. In North America, there’s a lack of demand for unfamiliar foods and the foods that are available are designed to ripen on trucks and travel across the continent before arriving in our homes. The result is that produce in the grocery store just doesn’t taste the same (plus it’s full of unhealthy additives).

Choosing healthy produce can be challenging, but Fin emphasizes that with more education, people can make good choices. To choose flavourful produce, she recommends using your senses. Look at the colour. Is it wilted? Touch it - does it feel ripe? If there’s no smell then it could mean pesticides or additives were used, it’s not organically produced, or it’s not ripe.

If you go to the grocery store and can’t find good produce, don’t settle! Fin emphasizes that there are alternative choices that taste amazing. She recommends choosing local foods for improved taste. Connect with local farms directly for produce or meat that is in season or visit your local farmer’s market (some of which are open year-round) to access local farmers and vendors.

Local food means tastier ingredients and better dishes, and shopping locally is sustainable because it’s better for the environment and the local economy.

“It’s important to have relationships with local farmers and vendors to keep business within our communities,” Fin says.

“It’s our responsibility as citizens and neighbours to help each other. We need to support our farmers not only when their crop is thriving, but year-round. If we care for our farmers, they’ll care for us.”

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However, not all vendors sell locally-grown food, so you need to ask questions about the food you buy: • Where does it come from? Is it local or imported?

• What’s in season?

• What will the vendor be selling in the upcoming weeks?

• Can you taste it?

• How can you use or cook it?

• Can you freeze it for winter months? (This is a great way to have access to fresh produce while keeping your food budget in check).

• Get inquisitive. Farmer’s markets are a great way to learn about food, and most vendors are happy to chat.

“Ask questions and don’t be turned off by something that looks new, different, or difficult to cook,” Fin advises. “Ask the vendor about food you’re unfamiliar with, if you can taste it, where it came from, and how you can use it.”

“Start working in your own kitchen by getting local,” Fin says. In addition to shopping at local farms or farmer's markets, you can also access fresh ingredients by growing them, or foraging for them. “There’s nothing like picking ingredients yourself,” Fin says, pointing out that foraging “provides a real connection to Mother Earth.”

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Fin says that there are lots of free foraging walks that will teach you how to forage food while being respectful to nature. Food you can forage includes wild leeks, mushrooms, fiddleheads, blueberries, raspberries, dandelions and other plants often considered weeds.

Cook at home “I think people aren’t cooking because they think they don’t have time, it’s intimidating, or they think that it has to be done a certain way. But when you get together with friends or family to cook it’s magical, especially if you gather the ingredients and then come together to make and enjoy the food,” Fin says. This has been part of the inspiration behind Fin’s upcoming cookbook Gather, Cook, Feast.

“People don’t need more recipes, they need knowledge on how to cook,” she says. Gather, Cook, Feast covers information about staples like salt and honey, including the history of different ingredients, cooking techniques, information about kitchen organization, and of course, some of Fin’s favourite recipes.

“Lots of recipes promote health but don’t explain what you need to know about healthy cooking,” Fin says. “I want people to get back to the kitchen to ignite their intuitive, inner chef.” ~ If you’re looking to ignite your inner chef or learn more about the plant-based food revolution reach out to Chef Doris Fin by visiting her website www.chefdorisfin.com or taking one of her interactive cooking classes.

1Young, Leslie. Canada’s new food guide emphasizes eating plants, drinking water and cooking at home. Global News. January 22, 2019.

Available online: https://globalnews.ca/news/4873598/new-canadafood-guide-2019/.

Untraditional Borscht

Borscht is a soup dear to many Slavic countries including Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. Any root veggies will do with beets and cabbage added. Borscht tastes great hot or cold, and particularly tastier at least one day after being made. For extra fibre and flavour, do not peel vegetables.

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 10-12 (perfect for leftovers all week and/or to share) Ingredients: 10 cups vegetable broth or boiling water 1 large whole red or sweet onion, unpeeled 3 cups grated or shredded peeled beets, 1 medium sweet potato, cubed (approx. 3 cups) 1 large carrot, coined 1 large kohlrabi or turnip, thinly sliced or shredded 2 large celery stalks, quartered 3 whole bay leaves 1 large bunch of dill tied in thread (left over stems from dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, other herbs can be used) 2 cups shredded cabbage 1 tbsp unrefined salt or to taste (e.g. grey/sea) 1 tsp ground black pepper or to taste 4 large garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped Optional: 2 cups shredded kale 1 tsp turmeric powder Garnish: finely chopped dill and/or parsley, finely sliced green onion dollop of sour cream, lemon wedge, 1-2 tbsp chopped sauerkraut In a large pot bring all ingredients to a boil, except the garlic.

Reduce heat to a simmer, keep covered and cook for 20 min or until potato is soft. Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Allow to sit for a minimum of 20 minutes before serving or make a day in advance and store in the fridge.

Chef recommended: Add mushrooms! *In a medium skillet on a medium high heat sauté 4 tbsp grapeseed or avocado oil, 1 lb fresh mushrooms (e.g. cremeni or maitake) and 1 medium onion, thinly sliced, until lightly browned (approx. 15 minutes). Stir into the entire pot of borscht or add 2-3 tbsp to every serving.

Once completely cooled down, store the borscht in the fridge up to 10 days or freeze.

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Plant

Based

By Chef Doris Fin

W

hat is plant-based to you? Boring salad or an exciting smorgasbord? Or perhaps a euphemism for the “v” word? Whatever your idea or definition may be, plant-based doesn’t mean “plant-only” and includes everyone. Before our teeth adapted to eating animal products, we ate plants. Now we eat everything.

The reality is that perceptions of health are shifting thanks to our knowledge about food and its relationship to our bodies and our planet.

Plants, which include cultivated and wild forageable edibles, fungi (e.g. mushrooms), vegetables, fruit, seeds (nuts, oilseeds, legumes, grains), herbs, spices, flowers, sprouts, leaves, roots, and stems, are sensational to the palate, if you give them the chance. The emphasis is on whole, unadulterated plant foods, whether accompanying animal-based dishes, or making up the entire meal, not just garnish. For those seeking meatless options, but still craving the flesh-derived treats, meatless imitations, such as jackfruit “pulled pork” or walnut/lentil “meatballs”, are a popular alternative.

You don’t have to be an enthusiastic food lover with a zest

to discover the unknown, the strange and bizarre, or the rare treasures of the sea and land, to have a hunger for culture, tradition and discovering the origins of food and how it’s grown and sourced. Plants, unadulterated, whole and minimally processed, offer an incredible encyclopedia of flavours, along with fibre, nutrients and the antidote to several disease preventions. We’re really just bringing back the traditions and the essentialism of our past eating habits, what was once (and still is) innate, intuitive eating and rebuilding a harmonious connection with nature.

Whether due to the season, availability, lack of knowledge or lack of growing resources, plants have been the go-to for centuries. Until the industrial revolution, animal protein was an opulence, a lavish indulgence that not everyone could afford, especially in the more poverty-stricken, rural areas. So plants were the natural choice that provided astonishing tastes and benefits, from which classic recipes were prepared over generations. Some of these classic “poor man’s” foods are staples across the globe, and one of the fundamental catalysts of North America’s melting pot. Some examples include Israeli hummus and falafel, French ratatouille, Russian borscht, German sauerkraut, living │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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Spanish gazpacho served with tortillas, Ethiopian injera served with lots of stews and spiced vegetables, Indian curries, Scottish rumbledethumps, Irish colcannon, English bubble and squeak - the list goes on. With a diet lighter on the meat and dairy, and heavier on the Mediterranean plant foods and good quality fats, such as olive oil, there’s no coincidence that Italians in the south live longer than those in the north.

While proper nonna might roll her eyes and make loads of gestures with her hands, culinary artists and craftspeople continue to entertain, intrigue and entice us with their advanced modern skills and talent. Rather than be intimidated or filled with excuses to avoid cooking one’s own meal, we can gain motivation, inspiration and allow these individuals to guide and encourage us on our journey to more plant-based cooking and eating. Your canvas doesn’t have to mirror theirs. Just use the ingredients that nature provides, while getting to know your growers and providers and experiment with flavours, recipes and various culinary appliances and techniques. Cooking classes in-person and online, and cookbooks, are great options to turn to as well. Whether for the health of ourselves, animals, or for the planet (or for other reasons), there ought to be more excuses to eat more plant-based at every meal, including snacks. There is enough war, separation, hate and dogma in the world.

Real, wholesome, sustainably sourced food is the one element of sustenance that we have left to depend on to unite us, in harmony, in peace and for an undenying source of love and nourishment.

When I travel, no matter our differences in everyday decision making, values, or lifestyle choices, sharing a meal (with options for everyone’s taste) is the one thing the locals and I always have in common, which connects us, catalyzes uncomplicated conversation, laughter, and union - usually homemade more often than not and with ingredients grown locally, harvested from their gardens or picked fresh from the local markets. The bonus is gathering the ingredients and/or cooking the meal together, learning new techniques for cooking and choosing the right ingredients. ~ 98 I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │LIVING

GREAT TASTING. NOT TOO SWEET. PROUDLY CANADIAN. ASK FOR THEM TODAY AT YOUR LOCAL STORE

THE

PIONEERING WOMEN of

48NORTH Integrity and Innovation in The Cannabis Industry

By Brie Jarrett

I

n the last few years, attitudes and perceptions have radically shifted regarding cannabis, from the stereotypical stoner to the mainstream recreational user, with many Canadians today now feeling cannabis can be a part of a natural health solution.

"The demographic for our company, we would rather see the educated consumer, the responsible adult, and it is one of the reasons we market towards women," says Jeanette VanderMarel, Co-CEO of 48North Cannabis Corp., a vertically integrated cannabis company focused on the health and wellness market.

“I always say, women are the chief medical officers for their family. We would like to be the trusted company.

We are very strict on products and brands we work

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with; it has to be all-natural products, no synthetics, grown organically.”

Last year, VanderMarel owned and operated Good and Green, an indoor-licensed cannabis production company and found she shared similar values and visions as 48North CEO, Alison Gordon. Rather than compete against each other in the market, they decided to merge their companies and collective knowledge, becoming Co-CEOs, with Gordon spearheading marketing, sales and investor relations and VanderMarel managing operations, government relations and human resources.

Gordon, co-founder of Rethink Breast Cancer and

former chief marketing officer for Weed MD, worked extensively in the United States prior to cannabis legalization in Canada. While most of her colleagues in Canada were knee-deep in regulations, focused on building massive cultivations and on the medical market, Gordon was seeing an evolution of products in scope along with a transition from homemade to branded products.

“Everyone in Canada thought I was crazy because I said it’s a consumer package goods industry; no, it’s medical (they said,) and now we can see that ultimately it is a consumer package goods industry. That’s the vision I brought to 48nrth.”

Gordon states, continuing, “Marketing and branding is about selling a story, selling a vision, selling a product and when you run a public company and you’re in the cannabis industry and that industry is new, you have to have the ability to sell the vision and sell the story and this is where I’ve had a lot of success.”

Gordon recognized, as certain next generation products are set to be legalized this coming October, the need to partner with companies that have standards and experience aligned with the vision of 48North, thereby reducing the learning curve.

“Cannabis is a strange industry,” explains Gordon, “because you are in the cultivation business, the extraction business, but you’re also in the food, vape and cosmetic industries.” 48North’s strategy is to partner with best-in-class companies to not only innovate and create great new products but to deliver consistently on them. Recently they have signed exclusive partnerships with leading U.S. companies Avitas, a single strain vaporizer cartridge (avitasgrown.com) and Mother & Clone, a rapid-acting sublingual cannabis nanospray (momandclone.com). In April 2019, 48North partnered with humble+fume (humbleandfume. com) to build a state-of-the-art cannabis extraction facility and packaging line, in Brantford, Ontario.

VanderMarel, was raised in agriculture and her entrepreneurial family was one of the larger apple growers in Ontario.

“Our kitchen table was a bit of a board room since I was a kid, trying to manage staff, logistics, etc.” she says. From there she went into health care and became a registered nurse, a critical care pediatric specialist at McMaster Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. VanderMarel’s interest in cannabis was peaked in 2009 after hearing about families using Photography by Robert Skuja

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cannabis for epilepsy, a cause near and dear to her heart as her daughter, born in 1994, sadly passed away in 2003 from Dravet Syndrome, a disease characterised by uncontrollable epilepsy.

Around this time, she had bought with her husband Scott, a 25-acre hobby farm in Jerseyville, Ontario – growing lavender and starting the Ontario Lavender Association. Still investigating cannabis and wanting to see clinical trials for epilepsy, VanderMarel learned that Health Canada was accepting applications for growing cannabis for research and development.

“In late 2012 they came back and asked if we would like to be a commercial producer," she explains. "We said yes! We self-funded and built out the facility, which is now The Green Organic Dutchman, known as TGOD, traded on the TSX. Quite a large company and the value is just under $2-billion right now.” Proud founder, with large shareholdings still in the company, VanderMarel

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is no longer involved in the management, having resigned her board seat in summer 2017. VanderMarel saw there was still gaps though in the cannabis industry; very few women and most of the industry focused on stock promotion, rather than growing good product.

VanderMarel started Good & Green, and was the fastest license ever issued in Canada, purchasing the building in February 2018 with licencing in October 2018.

On October 17, 2018 Health Canada’s Cannabis Act came into effect, legalizing outdoor cultivation of cannabis on a commercial level. With this new regulation, legal cannabis companies could significantly reduce the costs involved in growing cannabis, compared to an indoor facility or a greenhouse which was welcome news for many in the industry.

Gordon and VanderMarel, saw this new development as a step forward in the burgeoning cannabis industry in Canada, allowing them to grow product more

economically, but equally important, substantially reducing their carbon footprint.

“The cannabis industry is very energy intensive, and corporate social responsibility is one of our key mandates.

We want to be a carbon negative company, so by having the farm we are actually reducing our carbon footprint to less than nothing,” explains VanderMarel.

Already with licenced indoor facilities in Kirkland Lake and Brantford, Ontario, 48North set the ball in motion by submitting the voluminous 160-page application just four days after the Cannabis Act came into effect. Reported to be the first to apply they hoped to receive licensing in time for the 2019 planting season.

In preparation, 48North purchased an organic farm in Brant County, complete with the necessary infrastructure needed such as tiling for drainage and irrigation ponds. The company promptly installed the extensive high-tech security required for the farm, with local Brantford company Maich Security Inc. as the General Contractor and Security System Integrator and Installer. It was a massive undertaking, requiring 72 hydro poles, installed to power the security system and 8,300 feet of high-security fence around the perimeter of the property. Using state-of-the-art fibre optics, microphonic detection system and infrared cameras to feature │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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reduce light pollution, the facility is protected by HD quality, 24-hour CCTV surveillance.

Long anticipated, 48North received the green light from Health Canada for its 100-acre organic farm on May 17, 2019. The Good Farm as it’s called, now licensed, positions 48North as one of the largest-ever licensed cannabis operations in the world, expanding their expected capacity from 5,000kg annually to over 45,000kg.

This is a major step forward for 48North in producing high quality, sun-grown, low-cost organic cannabis in preparation for the next generation products that will be available to sell in October 2019. With one crop a year on their nearly four-million square feet farm, it is equal to a one-million square feet greenhouse producing four crops a year.

The Good Farm cannabis crop will be used mainly for extraction for use in next generation products, while the Delshen facility in Kirkland Lake and the Good House facility in Brantford will provide that controlled environment for products needing consistency. Even though legal cannabis companies can use certain pesticides, 48North chooses to grow organically, something VanderMarel and Gordon are passionate

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about and one of only a few companies in the industry that grow organically - one of many things that sets them apart from other growers.

When asked what motto they live by, Gordon, without hesitation, states, “Always be hustling. I live and breathe what I do, so you have to love it and be passionate about it because there are always opportunities.”

VanderMarel’s sage philosophy is “always say yes. Take opportunities and challenges and don’t let fear guide you. It’s important to take those meetings where there is opportunity and explore them. Don’t go with your gut reaction and say no - listen - at least explore it.”

With the legalization of the cannabis, many executives from the finance, junior mining and venture capitalist industries were attracted, resulting in the industry being 94 percent male dominated. Gordon and VanderMarel represent the six percent of women leaders in this industry and are two of only eight women cannabis industry CEOs in Canada. Gordon and VanderMarel’s diverse experience combined with their unique perspective as women leaders, bring a refreshing vision while forging new frontiers in the cannabis industry, and they do it exceptionally well. ~

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r e s i d e n t i a l . L P i n t e g r at i o n

Innovative technology

securing your peace of mind

INC. SECURITY M MAICHa name you can trust Paul Maich - President

paulmaich@maichsecurity.com

226-208-7786 maichsecurity.com Photo by Morgan Hotston

Respecting Nature

By David Kenney & Joey Fletcher BroLaws Construction

S

ometimes a project requires a little more T.L.C. than the rest, but when it comes to respecting the land we are creating in, we know that in the long-run it is worth it.

Not long ago, we had a client contact us who were looking to create a beautiful backyard space and had a design for a deck. They lived on a green lot that backed on to a picturesque ravine space with numerous mature trees, natural growth and vegetation around the property. It was of utmost importance to them that the space was protected and taken care of throughout the entire renovation.

Something that often gets overlooked in outdoor construction. The surrounding area during a build can easily get damaged and trees can die from foot traffic around them. Simple walking back and forth through a construction area around a tree, can impact the root system, potentially damaging or killing the tree. Which is why, we made sure to go through the proper process of making sure that the living greenery was properly protected and taken care of over the course of the job.

If you live on a green space, and plan to do a renovation in your backyard, find out what the regulations are for that land. For instance, if it’s a conservation area, you would be working with the conservation authority for your area and they would mandate the size restrictions on any deck build, as well as the distance from your property lines required.

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This particular job was on a ravine lot, so we worked with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) as well as the Ravine and Natural Features Protection Agency (RNFP) who regulate how the trees on the lot are to be protected and whether certain trees can be removed or replaced, if needed. For our client that meant there were a few trees that would need to be removed in order to comply with the design, so the RNFP had to sign-off on how many new trees would be planted in order to replace the mature trees we had to remove.

Throughout this process we first had a survey company come in to survey the entire property, count the number of tress, and the species of trees, followed by an arborist to make a report containing their suggestions of what trees need to be planted, and where they should be planted to replace the ones to be removed. Next, these reports were submitted to the RNFP for the final ruling of whether the plans were sufficient to remove the existing trees. All this before we could even put a shovel in the ground. In the end, we planted six new trees closer to the ravine, in order to replace the three that had to be removed for this job.

A lengthy process, but one that is necessary in order to protect the integrity of a conservation area. This preplanning process took over four months from start to finish in order to get everything signed off by the proper authorities, but at the end of the day it was time wellspent. We were able to show our homeowner the reports including the methods we planned to use, to ensure the protection of the client’s property, respecting the nature around it in the right way, throughout the entire process of construction.

One important facet we also took into account, was the front lot, as we had to consider the transporting of material and machinery back and forth from the road to the construction site and the need for a healthy barrier from all of that traffic in order for the trees to remain unharmed.

Once those precautions were put into place, we were able to break ground. To start out the project on the right foot, we used helical piles for our footings (pun absolutely intended). Traditional concrete footings are much more invasive, requiring a twelve to eighteen-inch hole, that will only get bigger if you encounter roots or rocks, whereas helical piles are drilled directly into the earth and can be maneuvered around obstacles to minimize surface disruption. Once the helical piles were in place, it was time to build the deck. For the actual build, there are quite a few products out there that are "green friendly" that we prefer to use. To build a platform or deck one of the composite products that we like to use is made of 95 percent recycled materials (wood fibres and plastic). We design │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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used composite decking to build the majority of the deck along with other natural wood products to compliment the green space that surrounded it. The glass railings we installed are a great product called CrystalRail by Regal Ideas. It is a beautiful railing system that is postless and frameless so there is nothing to block the view of the natural space surrounding the deck.

We also incorporated plants and greenery throughout the project to create a harmonious complement to the existing space. Garden beds and landscaping ease the transition of new build to nature. Our goal was to create a space that transitioned indoor living into the outdoors. Humans are made to enjoy the outdoors and a well-designed and built backyard space can make that possible, even in our adult, work-centred lives.

Other natural elements that we like to use in our projects are fire and water features. Whether it is a fireplace in the centre of a project or a water feature, we find it helps to anchor the project with a focal point, while maintaining the feel of the outdoors.

Another cool feature of the CrystalRail glass railing is the built-in LED light system that illuminates the glass panels at night. We utilized this, along with some in-light® ACE UP-DOWN lights on posts to light up the natural wood roof and other elements. With a backyard renovation you want to be able to extend the usability of the space into the nighttime hours. Most of us are only able to relax in an outdoor space on evenings and weekends, so we wanted to be able to make the most of the space by using lighting to create a warm and inviting environment for once the sun goes down.

It is important to make eco-friendly decisions in our dayto-day lives, but it’s also important to enjoy the Earth that we are trying to preserve. Thankfully there are many ways that we can improve our outdoor living spaces while being conscious of the impact a renovation can have on the environment. ~

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Fantastic

Finds

Moore Design Bird Feeders Hanging Squirrel Baffling Feeder large brass and glass bird feeder keeps squirrels out and attracts a wide variety of song birds. Can be mounted outside year round and will never be affected by the elements. Adds an interesting and unique piece to any garden! mooredesignbirdfeeders.com

The Beach Glass This patented ball and pointed stem design lets you stake this little beauty in the sand or float it on the water, freeing you from the burden of always having glass in hand, or worrying it will fall over on unstable surfaces. Save your beer, wine or beverage of choice with the Beach Glass. Patent Product www.thewinestuff.ca

Firelight Torch Lantern with Built-in Bluetooth Wireless Speakers Sleek wireless speaker for both indoor and outdoor use – simply mount onto the stake to insert into the ground.

Warm orange flickering light dances to the music. Powerful speaker with in-built amplifier provides crystal clear sound performance. Bluetooth version 4.2 for easy connection to most Bluetooth enabled devices.

Rechargeable lithium-ion for unlimited use and includes USB charging cable. www.thewinestuff.ca

Handmade Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps Beeswax has antibacterial and antifungal properties that help keep things clean and reduces risks of contamination. Sweet Green Studios Beeswax Wraps are an eco-friendly, non-toxic, natural alternative to plastic wrap made with 100% cotton and beeswax. With no additional ingredients, smells or tastes don’t transfer to your food. With proper care, beeswax wraps last approximately one year. Designed and handmade in Canada using 100% pure Canadian beeswax. www.sweetgreenstudios.com 112 I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │ STYLE

The Wine Hook An outdoor chair stemmed glass holder that easily slides on the arm of most outdoor chairs: patio chairs, Adirondack chairs camp/bag chairs and others. The Wine Hook securely holds your stemmed wine glass when you’re enjoying the great outdoors. www.thewinestuff.ca

S O L A R B L A N K E T S O LU T I O N S

Heat your pool. Not the neighbourhood.

There’s nothing like having warm pool water. But warming your pool and keeping it that way by constantly using a heater can get quite expensive. Help keep the heat in your pool with a ClearDeck® In-Ground Solar Blanket Roller. Engineered for quick and convenient one-person operation, ClearDeck’s patented design requires minimal effort. So you can spend less time working and more time playing!

SEE CLEARDECK IN ACTION

cleardecksystems.com

Changing the Way We Build The Ultimate Guide for Eco-friendly Watershapes (Pools)

By Chris Gregory

W

hen taking on the task of designing a backyard retreat for a residential property, things like energy efficiency, environmental impact and sustainability come to mind. These words are commonly used with the pool, landscape and designer businesses of today.

Throwing a bunch of energy efficient items at a design might seem like a great idea but understanding how to maximize their efficiencies is where the real cost saving’s lay.

Variable speed flow pumps have proved themselves to be incredible at saving electricity and equipment over single speed pumps, but they are only as good as their hydraulic design. Knowing your required flow rate for filtration, infloor cleaning or a specific feature is the first step in creating an efficient system. Sizing the plumbing correctly is key and every watershape (pools, water features, etc.) is different, from equipment location, volume turnover, GPM to height differences, etc. Designing of the intake of the pump should be between two feet to six feet velocity (through the pipe) and no more than eight feet of head (resistance through the plumbing line) and the return line from the pump to a two feet to eight feet velocity and no more than 32’ of head. Combining this with limiting your major and minor losses (pipe length and fittings) and sizing the equipment appropriately can generate a pump savings of up to 90 percent and a system that will last a very long time. Before choosing 76 I I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com 114 outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │IMPROVE

a pump, the designer must perform a complete TDH analysis (total dynamic head) on the system (which governs the HP) to determine the appropriate pump for that system. Always best to consult a qualified pool expert before installing a variable speed/flow pump, especially if you have an older pool.

Automation Systems for residential backyard retreats are a main stay in the industry and are being improved upon year after year. For most projects, these systems are invaluable and come at a low purchase price. What you can expect from these systems is the ability to set timers and schedules, speed pumps up or down with multiple settings, operate multiple features from water to fire etc., operate all lighting from in pool to landscape, operate salt chlorine generators and automatic backwashing of sand filters, just to name a few. Pairing this system with chemical automation is a great addition, it can monitor the waters sanitation and ph levels and dose accordingly. With pools that have salt chlorine generators it will only turn the system on when needed and off when it has reached its desired level.

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systems provide huge cost saving and peace of mind to the user with the ability to operate your entire backyard in the palm of your hand.

Ozone Generation is one of the most effective oxidizer and sanitizers in the swimming pool market. When sizing these units for your pool I would suggest going beyond the boxed items on the shelf of your local pool distributor. Sized properly, these systems can drastically reduce the amount of chlorine and acid use in the pool.

These units also act as a great micro-flocculent by changing the attraction between molecules, this allows them to bond together so they can be filtered out much easier resulting in crystal clear water. Pools with an infinity edge design have a lot of heat and chemical loss going over the edge, pairing ozone with these types of pools saves the user large amounts of chemical loss with a low electrical cost to operate it.

Rainwater Harvesting and Permeable Paving Systems are on the rise in backyard design.

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With our increasing severe weather patterns and expanding hardscape it is becoming more difficult for the land to absorb the runoff. We are seeing a rise in low impact developments with builders and Townships questioning how much hardscape is too much and how to manage all the rainwater.

Permeable paving allows the water to sit in the gravel bed under the stone and slowly infiltrate back into the ground. Rainwater harvesting systems on the other hand allow the water to be stored on site for future use in gardens, lawn, pool top up, car washing

and with the right filtration set up, in home use as well.

Natural Swimming Pools have been around since the mid 1980s, originating in Europe. Peter Petrich, the inventor of the natural swimming pool and owner of Biotop, a natural swimming pool firm in Austria set out to design a chemical-free, self-sustaining body of water. These swim ponds work on nature’s own natural processes. Through biofiltration, beneficial bacteria break down organic waste and turn it into nitrate thus feeding the aquatic plant life and starving improve │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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the algae of its food source. If in areas of limited space special filters can be added to the circulation system to aid in the removal of phosphorous and nitrates.

Even though natural swimming pools are extremely popular in Europe they are still very slow to catch on in the North American market. For those of you who enjoy swimming in nature’s own, these are the perfect fit.

Builders and designers focused on competing in the residential market must possess a wide variety of construction, design and engineering education. The expectations for a backyard retreat are high and the desire for that all encompassing one of a kind creation.

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Things like travelling, magazines, social media etc., give people an idea of what can be achieved and not to just settle with the mundane cookie cutter designs that is still very prominent in our industry today. For those that are in it for the long haul they will have no choice but to step up their game. ~ Chris Gregory, SWD, is the President of Eco-Pools Ltd. a Toronto based company that provides upscale, one of a kind backyard retreats. He is an SWD Registered member of the Society of Watershape Designers and a faculty instructor for Genesis University.

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THE EDGE OF DISTINCTION

Registered

CONSULT ~ DESIGN ~ BUILD

77 Kitty Murray Lane | Ancaster | Ontario L9K 1H7 | 1.855.ECO-POOL (326.7665) | www.eco-pools.ca

wellness

Spring Clean

from the outside in

Dr. Sarah Penney, ND, MSc

A

re you thinking about doing some spring-cleaning for your health this time of year? Instead of buying a detox kit or trying an extreme fasting diet, why not have a look at the toxins you might be putting on to your body. The ingredients that are involved in our everyday skin care routines and the products we use can be an overlooked factor to consider for our health. We are exposed to hundreds of chemicals per day, and although not all chemicals are considered toxins, there is concern about some of them causing health issues and affecting normal hormone function. These potentially harmful chemicals are not only in our skin care products but also in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the furniture that is in our environment, our cookware – everywhere. It stands to reason that a smart way to address this preventatively is by trying to manage the amount of chemicals that enter our body, rather than taking a detox or cleansing supplement for a few weeks and drinking apple cider vinegar.

The effect that toxic exposure can have on our health largely concerns a concept called ‘bioaccumulation’. This term refers to the idea that over a lifetime, small amounts of toxins absorbed into our tissues can add up and eventually cause negative effects, especially dangerous at a young age during periods of physical development. While not all chemicals we come into contact with have the potential to be harmful, decreasing your overall exposure helps manage the risk of harm through bioaccumulation. New compounds are hitting our market every day - in Canada, our government assesses hundreds of new chemicals each year for safety in public use. Many of these chemicals may cause different reactions, ranging from a mild rash or gastrointestinal upset to possible fatigue, headache, general malaise and other vague symptoms. Skin care products are a largely overlooked source of exposure to various chemicals, which can penetrate our skin and be absorbed by our tissues.

Here are the top five ingredients to watch for to help decrease the impact of chemical exposure on your health: 1. Phthalates – Plastic production is the most common place to

Angels on Bare Skin is a face and body cleanser sent from above, with lavender and crushed almonds for a healthy skin glow. lush.com

Naked Skincare cleansing bars and facial oils bars clean and hydrate without feeling heavy or greasy lush.com

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find these chemicals, although they are used in personal care products to make materials more flexible and change their texture. In cosmetics they are often found under the name of Dibutyl Phthalate or Dimethyl Phthalate, and are used in products like nail polish, lipstick, hair dyes, and products with perfumes such as creams, shampoos, moisturizers and deodorants. High levels of urinary phthalate markers have been associated with obesity in female adults and children, endometriosis, diabetes in women and delayed puberty in girls. These effects may be due to hormone disrupting properties that phthalates may exhibit when they accumulate in the body. 1 2. Parabens – These are compounds used as preservatives, and present in about 80 percent of personal care products.

Research suggests that in high amounts parabens may affect levels of thyroid hormone, harm sperm DNA and increase oxidative stress that could damage cells. There may also be an association between the level of parabens found in human breast tissue and development of breast cancer – further research is needed in this area. 2 3. Benzophenone – This is an ingredient used to impart UV protection to lip balms, face creams and sunscreens.

Benzophenone is readily absorbed through the skin and stored in the tissues - high amounts have been detected in urine samples of Caucasian females. 3 Animal studies have suggested that this chemical can affect the function of the kidney, liver and reproductive organs. 4 There is also some animal evidence that high exposure to benzophenone can increase cancer risk in mouse and rat models. 5 Negative effects in humans have yet to be proven.

4. Alpha Hydroxy Acid – Often found in acne treatments and creams used to decrease signs of aging. Studies have shown that daily use of this chemical increases the skin’s sensitivity to UV rays, resulting in DNA damage and increased risk of sunburn. 6 5. Dibutyl phthalate (DBT) and Toluene – these chemicals are both found in a range of cosmetic products, most notably

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Pura Botanicals is a green beauty apothecary and natural perfumery in Edmonton, Alberta producing fresh and potent plant-based ingredients, soothing aromatherapy, and nutrient-dense formulas. purabotanicals.com

Wildcraft products are 100% natural and handmade in small batches Toronto and bring the luxury of natural to the everyday beauty routine. wildcraftcare.ca

Skin Essence Organics ingredients are extracted from their natural form with the least amount of processing possible.

nail polish. High concentrations of toluene have been shown to cause nervous system concerns, reproductive toxicity and affect respiratory health. It can be absorbed through topical application or inhalation of fumes. DBT is mainly linked to reproductive concerns and can only be absorbed through topical application. Although many products claim to be free of these chemicals, research has still shown that when tested many contain these toxins despite labeling. 7 Armed with information about what to look for on the labels of your personal products, you might be thinking about refreshing your skin-care routine. Products that are free of these ingredients can be hard to find in some pharmacies, but are often available in local health-food stores. Some Canadian brands you can look for include The Green Beaver Company, Wildcraft (based in Toronto), Pura Botanicals, Skin Essence, and LUSH products. You may have access to other brands local to you that make small batch chemical-free products worth checking out as well! ~

Rosehip Seed Oil: deep hydration for dry, aging and scarred skin. skinessence.ca

REFERENCES (1) Benjamin S, Masai E, Kamimura N, Takahashi K, Anderson RC, Faisal PA. Phthalates impact human health: Epidemiological evidences and plausible mechanism of action. J Hazard Mater. 2017;340:360-383.

(2) Błędzka D, Gromadzińska J, Wąsowicz W. Parabens. From environmental studies to human health. Environ Int. 2014;67:27-42.

(3) Calafat AM, Wong LY, Ye X, Reidy JA, Needham LL. Concentrations of the sunscreen agent benzophenone-3 in residents of the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003--2004. Environ Health Perspect. 2008;116(7):893-7.

(4) Tibbetts J. Shining a light on BP-3 exposure. Environ Health Perspect. 2008;116(7):A306.

(5) Rhodes MC, Bucher JR, Peckham JC, Kissling GE, Hejtmancik MR, Chhabra RS. Carcinogenesis studies of benzophenone in rats and mice. Food Chem Toxicol.

2007;45(5):843-51.

(6) Kornhauser A, Wei RR, Yamaguchi Y, et al. The effects of topically applied glycolic acid and salicylic acid on ultraviolet radiation-induced erythema, DNA damage and sunburn cell formation in human skin. J Dermatol Sci. 2009;55(1):10-7.

(7) Kopelovich L, Perez AL, Jacobs N, Mendelsohn E, Keenan JJ. Screening-level human health risk assessment of toluene and dibutyl phthalate in nail lacquers. Food Chem Toxicol. 2015;81:46-53. discover │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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PLANT PICKS

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s a landscape designer, I want to share my must-have plants for any outdoor space. There are thousands of plants, trees and shrubs that you can have in your outdoor spaces, but there are some plants that give-back; that have a real positive environmental impact.

These are the ones that I like to put into all of my designs as well as the ones that I have in my own personal spaces.

I am a sucker for intense colours. Every single garden that I design, install or curate must have irises in them. There are hundreds of varieties of irises available, grouped into categories of rhizome, bulbous, bearded, and non-bearded.

Personally, I love the tall-bearded because of the shear size of the blooms. I love the big blooms and the hummingbirds do too. In fact, irises attract many nectar-feeding birds and insects including birds, butterflies and moth species.

You will find some form of poppy in every one of my gardens for the same reason I love my irises. Big, red and intense blooms are breathtaking when in full sunlight. There are few things that you should know before planting poppies. First, the blooms have to stay on the plant. I always plant poppies behind plants like lavender, not just because they love the same conditions, but also because the bushy lavender hides the yellow foliage in August. Wild bee populations love poppies.

My little poppy meadow is literally a buzz all season long.

My favourite shrub is called ninebark because of its natural tendency to have a peeling-papery outer coating on its branches (like having nine layers). I have ninebark throughout my own gardens and I’m always designing them into every space that I create. Physocarpus opulifolius is a North American native that will do well in almost any situation (except extreme shade). This happy shrub grows between five to nine feet tall, in dry, well-drained soil. I have successfully used this low-maintenance bush as a privacy hedge between neighbours and on the side of a hill to stop soil erosion. I also love the fact that ninebark is amazing for removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air.

That lush, colourful foliage cleans the air that we breathe.

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Poppy

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Viburnum

Ninebark

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Serviceberry (Amelanchier) is a fantastic native shrub that gets more attention in Europe than it does here at home. I love these bushes because they are usually the first burst of snow-white blooms in my garden in early May. The downside, serviceberry blooms are quick to appear and even quicker to vanish, usually only lasting a few days. Once the blooms are over, these shrubs are covered in pleasant leaves that turn either a beautiful yellow colour or a fetching orange in the fall. Even in the winter, these plants are working hard to add excitement to your yard by bringing in blue jays, cardinals and waxwings that love to eat the red berries. Try planting serviceberries in shady spaces. They can handle dry conditions and even growing under large trees.

Even though hydrangea seems to be everyone’s favourite, I am not selecting them to round out my top three. Instead, I am picking a Canadian native with similar white or pink blooms. I am choosing Viburnum because they not only do have great flowers, they are fragrant and followed by berries that are spectacular in bright reds, pinks and metallic blues. Better suited to our climate than hydrangeas, viburnums need significantly less watering or care, making them a low-maintenance option for homeowners.

While not the newest varieties, these are the plants that make me happy in the garden. Hopefully this will also help you narrow down your own wish lists for your space. ~

GARDEN & MARKET

Not your average garden centre 1317 Wilson Road Hillier, ON

613-243-2492

www.carsonarthur.com IN THE HEART OF PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY

CANADIAN ETHIC Giving back

NORTH OF 7

North of 7 is a micro distillery located in Ottawa, Ontario. Wanting to give back to the environment, a portion of each bottle of Leatherback Rum sold, is donated to the Canadian Sea Turtle Network - a charitable organization based in Halifax, Nova Scotia that is working to conserve endangered sea turtles in Canadian waters and abroad.

Leatherback Rum is a dark rum that has been fermented from 100 percent molasses for a true rum taste. There are no additives and it is aged in specially crafted toasted and charred barrels. Once it has been proofed, it’s simply what comes out of the barrel and into the bottle.

TOP SHELF

1 bottle = 1 tree planted.

Canada’s forests and woodlands are home to powerful biodiversity with millions of trees that are the fabric of interwoven ecosystems that both humans and wildlife call home. Trees provide us with breathable air and play a major role in managing the global carbon footprint.

Top Shelf Distillers is a company committed to the environment and their #moretrees campaign, plants one tree within 100 km of point of purchase for every 750ml bottle of their spirits sold.

Not satisfied with just their #moretree campaign, Top Shelf Distillers seek to decrease their environmental impact in many ways by sourcing ingredients within a 1-hour radius, recycling, utilizing solar energy, organize spring clean-ups and projects such as a wildflower garden that provides sanctuary for bees and other pollinators.

Located in Perth, Ontario, Top Shelf crafts their spirits from locally sourced, natural ingredients using a three-step filtration process that ensures high quality and exceptional taste.

A true classic, Top Shelf gin is a refreshing choice for the savvy sipper. Juniper berries, fresh & dried grapefruit peel, faint notes of cardamom, angelica, and licorice root blend to forge the botanical filled flavour, described as a modern take on a time-honoured spirit.

Keep an eye out for their spirits wearing a #moretrees badge at your local LCBO!

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DAIRY DISTILLERY

At Dairy Distillery, innovation is at the heart of what they do and a deep desire to champion their community and the environment.

Using artisan distilling techniques married with cutting edge science, they transform unused milk sugar into an incredibly smooth and clean spirit while supporting hard working local farmers and the environment.

When making ultrafiltered milk, a sugar-rich liquid called milk permeate is produced. Most milk permeate is dumped creating a strain on the environment and a disposal cost for dairy farmers. In this waste, Dairy Distillery saw an opportunity and in collaboration with the University of Ottawa, perfected a process to convert milk permeate into an unbelievably smooth spirit.

Vodkow has the crisp, clean taste of a vodka but is smooth like no other. Savour neat or in your favourite cocktail.

SHELTER POINT

Shelter Point Farm & Distillery is located on 380 acres in Oyster River, British Columbia, about halfway up the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Farmed for generations, Shelter Point remains one of the last seaside farms on the Island and when purchased in 2005, it allowed owner Patrick Evans and his family to implement their “farmpreneur” vision – one where farming could coexist with wildlife, humans, farming and commerce.

The farm consisted of 1350 metres of frontage along the Oyster River, as well as an active salmon hatchery. Due to the ecological significance of this section of the river, it was an easy decision for Shelter Point to “eco-gift” the majority of the property to Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Ducks Unlimited Canada is a leader in Canadian habitat conservation. They are renowned for conserving, restoring and managing wetlands and grasslands to benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people.

Truly and naturally an artisanal distillery. Shelter Point’s approach has been: prioritizing quality over quantity, coexisting with nature and sourcing locally. One of only a handful of distilleries that grow their own barley and distill on the same site. Ecological farm practices are utilized such as overseeding and not plowing or cultivating the soil to minimize soil erosion and increase the organic matter in the soil and rebuild the soil naturally.

Hand crafted, Shelter Point 100 percent Single Malt Whisky is distilled batch-by-batch in traditional copper pot stills from two-row barley, and aged in American oak barrels. An enticing nose of vanilla, coconut, caramel and tropical fruits, the palate provides a delectable melody of juicy fruits and candied sweets, leading to a tantalizing finish of spice, malt chocolate and a hint of salt.

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Growing Green

together

By Ashley Rayner

The Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph uses a CSA model to connect communities, food, and the environment

G

oing green wasn’t the goal when the Ignatius Jesuit Centre in Guelph, Ontario, adopted Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) in 2001. Rather, the centre was looking for a way to reconnect with their community while preserving the farming traditions they’d used in cultivating a portion of their 600-acre plot since 1913.

The Community Gardens came first. The Ignatius Farm offered small plots to gardeners in the community. Some of those early advocates are still tilling the soil and planting on their plot. Currently, the farm accepts up to 200 registrants each growing season. New gardeners start with 100 square feet, while more seasoned hands will work plots up to three acres in size. Today, the farm cultivates around 250 acres just north of the city.

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Heather Lekx, Farm Manager, calls the community garden initiative a “great gem” that allows people to really reconnect with the land itself; gardeners often refer to their plots as “farms” or “homesteads.” She describes it as a bridge between urban life and rural rhythms, but she’s quick to add it isn’t the right fit for everyone.

That’s one of the reasons the Ignatius Farm has grown to support several other Community Shared Agriculture initiatives. CSA shares allow community members to receive farm-fresh produce for as long as they want, from a few weeks in the spring and summer to year-round delivery.

The CSA shares can be picked up at the farm or in-town.

Lekx describes the expansion of the CSA program as a way to satisfy the need for convenience. Even as environmental awareness and the popularity of movements like zero-

mile diets and slow food have soared, so too has people’s demand for convenience. Most people still find it easier to stop at the supermarket, even if they know it’s not the greenest or most nutritious option.

Nutrition is another concern for the farm staff. Lekx describes how many of the organic farming methods used can improve the nutritive value of their produce. Take, for example, soil management. Lekx says the farm tests soil rigorously and employs methods like crop rotation, cover crop planting, and more to draw up nutrients from deep in the soil.

These methods are a blend of tradition and modern scientific knowledge. Many farmers today acknowledge the processes are also “greener”; using cover crops, for example, creates carbon sinks that can offset the emissions of other farming activities. Lekx indicates that, even with a focus on connecting the community, preserving the lands is also central to the farm’s mission. The staff ’s hard work to take care of the land helps ensure the produce retains great taste and high nutritive value.

The expertise of the farming staff is also extending beyond the farm itself. To date, about 100 people have graduated from the farm’s internship program. This transformative experience is passing on the skills and knowledge the farmers of the 21st century will need to ensure the food chain is sustainable.

Farmers are often the first to comment on how patterns of weather or animal populations have changed, so it makes sense they’re also some of the loudest voices in advocating for green practices.

Of course, they can’t do it alone; they need the support of entire communities, like the one that surrounds the Ignatius Farm.

With new studies about how important it is for people to spend

A CSA share time in nature, community garden models make even more sense. Lekx recommends heading to a local farmers’ market and talking to farmers. She says people often discover the Ignatius Farm through these avenues, or by visiting on field days in August or the local food festival the centre hosts annually. “When they find us,” she says, “they feel relieved.”

Of course, not everyone has a resource like the Ignatius Farm in their backyard. Lekx encourages people who want to green their eating practices to reconnect with agriculture: “Grow something!” she says emphatically.

“Even a little pot of oregano on your balcony. Start small, learn to nurture it.” She also suggests sharing cooking responsibilities among friends, neighbours, and relatives.

The Ignatius Farm’s initiatives show us that in the dense web of connections between people, food, and environment, what’s good for the planet is ultimately good for people too. ~

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An

Outdoor Wilderness

Like No Other

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s Retreat

r in Ontario

By Bryen Dunn

L

ong Point Eco-Adventures is a one of a kind, unique, outdoors wilderness retreat that’s located in Turkey Point, Norfolk County in Ontario. Originally a tobacco farm, two local former employees ended up purchasing the property and then reselling to the current owners, who opened it as its current incarnation in 2009. It’s ideally situated overlooking the Long Point Bay and Turkey Point Marsh, and not far from the shores of Lake Erie, making it the perfect outdoors playground for those visiting southwestern Ontario.

Site Manager, Adam VanPaassen, explains how Long Point came about. “In a local seminar, naturalist speaker Robin Tapley was giving a presentation on dark skies. Our area has extremely dark skies due to its distance from large city centres, as well as its proximity to Lake Erie. The owners, both keen mountain bikers, knew a potential observatory could be the start of something fun. After a few bike rides and some late-night stargazing, the dream of what has become Long Point Eco-Adventures was born.”

Some of the onsite or nearby adventures offered include a zipline and canopy tour through the Carolinian Forest, that provides an educational experience where the guides talk about nature and wildlife. Other activities include a visit to a beekeeper, cycling (road and mountain), Zodiak boat tours, kayaking, and fishing. Other than the zipline and observatory, one of the more popular living │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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offsite activities is the Big Creek Kayak Tour or the Trip to the Tip. In terms of events, every July there’s a "Smugglers Run" trail race, with distances of six, 12 or 18km.

As well, there’s a “Mushroom Foray” where guests go on a guided hike and learn about the different types of mushrooms, and afterwards the participants are treated to a dinner paired with wine from nearby Burning Kiln Winery.

“This particular event is our most popular annual event and sells out every year. It has also been recognized as one of Canada’s signature experiences,” states Lucas Crandall, Marketing.

“Being right next door to a Unesco World Biosphere Reserve, we believe it is our duty to educate visitors on the importance of respecting the environment. We also partner with Eco Stay.

For every overnight stay, we make a donation to this organization which plants trees in return.

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During the transition of this property from unused farmland to what it is now, many steps were taken to produce as many natural features as possible. We also allow keen employees to complete projects on site such as erosion control management, snake hibernaculum building, addition of bird houses or duck boxes, and many more,” explains Crandall.

Long Point Eco-Adventures provides luxury glamping accommodations which are not only unique to the Long Point area, but to Ontario. The design is purely Canadian with inspiration taken from one of the owners’ experience in Africa climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. There are a variety of overnight accommodation options available, from Wilderness Suites, complete with a king or queen bed, private flush toilet and outdoor hot shower, activities concierge, and fridge. Rates range from $199 to $299 per night double occupancy based on season. Wilderness Pods are slightly smaller and offer shared shower facilities, ranging from $185 to $285, while Camping Pods are more rustic, with no electricity and shared outhouses, ranging from $95 to $135. All accommodations include a full hot buffet breakfast.

There’s also the Mabee Marsh Cabin that’s available year-round, located on the bluffs of the Turkey Point Marsh, overlooking the inner bay of Lake Erie. It

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has four bedrooms and can accommodate up to 11 guests, complete with a full bathroom, fireplace, kitchen, living, and dining areas. As well, a variety of two-night vacation packages can be booked which include your overnight accommodations, most meals, and a selection of outdoor activities.

Choose from Weekend Warrior, Quintessential Escape, Romance Under the Stars, or Lumberjacks Unite Group Vacay. Prices vary depending on the accommodation option chosen.

Long Point Eco-Adventures is also close to local wineries, breweries, and even a cidery, to refresh after a fun-filled day of outdoor pursuits. The property is ideal for couples, families, outdoor enthusiasts, and corporate/educational retreats. This year also sees the addition of a full restaurant and brewery, and in the summer months there’s a public shuttle along the Lakeshore that connects to all the beach towns and tourist destinations. Glamping at its best, with adventure... and relaxation! ~

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Long Point Eco-Adventures 1730 Front Road St. Williams, Ontario

1-877-743-8687 www.lpfun.ca

Going Green

IN THE GREEN INDUSTRY

By Scott Sim

A

138 I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │IMPROVE

s spring approaches, landscapers everywhere are preparing for yet another busy season. This group of professionals that specialize in hardscaping, irrigation, property maintenance, lawn care, landscape lighting and during winter; snow removal, is known to many as the ‘Green Industry’.

Public perception though, has historically created some myths about landscapers; producing lush green turf using copious amounts of chemical, applying vast amounts of water to promote plant health, maintaining lawn areas with noisy, fuel-consuming equipment and constructing outdoor spaces that greatly eliminate green space.

The reality is that, like many other business sectors, this group have implemented several positive changes and been proactive towards making the necessary changes to lower their environmental impact with actions like creating compost from the waste taken off maintenance properties and recycling rain for use in water features.

The landscape industry is clearly invested in finding new and exciting ways of contributing to the ‘go green’ movement. Many professionals have spent hours in training for best practices, including the discovery of the next green initiative like fusion gardening. Others are implementing digital customer communication and staff management, essentially going paperless. The landscape industry knows that it is positioned to spearhead additional ways of going green.

“We understand that customers are more and more conscientious each and every day about our environment and we recognize the vast majority are embracing alternative initiatives and product offerings that focus on "going green”," summarizes Shawn Karn, from Nutri-Lawn Corporation.

Referring to companies in the green industry, Michael-Anthony Gucciardi, Environmental and Sustainability Manager at International Landscaping Inc., emphasizes that companies who “can’t adapt and are sticking to the same practices are going to be left behind.”

Everyone can advance from reforms that have a positive impact on Earth. Even if it seems to be one small amendment, when we all make the same effort, the benefits can be wide-spread and landscapers everywhere have been playing a daily role in making the outdoor world a better one.

“Inherently with what we do, we are always maintaining, beautifying and bringing health to the environment. ," says David Lammers, President of Garden Grove Landscaping Inc. in Waterdown, Ontario. "This is why we’ve chosen this profession. It’s the nature of why we do these things”.

IRRIGATION As one of the leading irrigation manufacturers, Hunter Industries is living green.

“Almost everything we do now has to have some sort of water saving element,” states Paul Proulx, Eastern Canadian Sales Manager. For both new installations and system upgrades, Hunter - like other irrigation manufacturers - are producing effective water saving products. Homeowner demand brought about the improve │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.

introduction of smart controllers that could be operated from an app. The obvious efficient factor of being able to run your sprinklers from the palm of your hand is overshadowed by some real water reduction. Savings of 50 percent can be realized by these cloud-based units that integrate local airport weather station data. Features that react to temperature thresholds, excessive wind, and recent rainfall supports additional water conservation. Despite the reduction of water being applied, grass will continue to flourish under this approach, meaning it still needs to be cut!

LAWN CARE Around five years ago, Nutri-Lawn Corporation “fundamentally changed the way we provide lawn care” by adopting new technology known as enhanced-efficiency fertilizer, according to Shawn Karn, Agronomic Manager.

“The basis of our core business is improving plant health through balanced nutrition and fertility,” Karn says.

Implementing this practice meant creating a campaign to re-educate customers and staff alike. The new product uses controlled-release mechanisms and checks off many boxes: a great reduction of environmental losses by way of run-off and soil leaching; even feeding the turf for several months providing consistent and predictable growth without surges and grass burn potential. Additionally, this factored into less visits to a customer’s home, which called for the need to manage expectations.

“Traditional methods of plant nutrition were accomplished using quick-release fertilizers, and visits to the property every four to six weeks was the norm.” Karn adds that “the results speak for themselves,” making the transition a successful one.

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PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Michael-Anthony Gucciardi was born into the landscape industry – his father and uncle began International Landscaping Inc. in Milton, Ontario 30 years ago. At age 11 he wanted to maintain lawns himself, and his goal at that time was to do it with battery power.

“My generation is environmentally focused,” states Gucciardi.

Technology needed to catch up to his ambitions though, and since graduating with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and becoming part of the family business, it has.

Now with true commercial capabilities, these tools have “opened the flood gates to new opportunities.” International Landscaping Inc. are now entering their fourth season operating a complete electric ‘cut-mow-blow’ division.

Gucciardi, the company’s environmental and sustainability manager, notes how this benefits not only the environment, but also the working conditions of their staff through lowered noise and zero emissions. It has also given them an edge when it comes to finding new staff. From a business perspective he assesses that “we still have to provide a good service,” so it has been important to find customers who are like-minded and make for the right fit. They also realize that their homework is never done as they continue to test and learn from experience. Positioned as a leader in the electric maintenance business, other contractors are now seeking them out for advice.

HARDSCAPING Urban development continues to skyrocket, and with this comes an increase in hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt. A critical issue that arises from this abundance of construction is a surge in stormwater runoff. Not only does a large amount of rainfall run down the sewer, but several pollutants are collected along the way. According

to Jarrett Woodard, General Manager of Grand River Stone, southwestern Ontario, permeable pavers are an excellent solution to the problem. In driveways, patios and even roadways, permeable pavers allow water to percolate through stone-filled joints and continues into an aggregate base that captures and gradually infiltrates the water into the soil. The issue of storm water is addressed, but also aids in another possible problem - drainage management - by keeping rainwater on the property. This is certain to be a hit with the neighbours who might otherwise see pooling water or flooded basements from bordering land.

LANDSCAPE LIGHTING By now everyone is well-aware of the impact light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have had on our everyday lives. For those involved in landscape lighting it has been a game-changer.

Obvious facts are energy savings of up to seven times and a bulb life of as much as eight times. The early objections towards increased material costs have disappeared because LED has allowed for condensed infrastructure, namely a smaller transformer and less wire.

“The cost is absorbed into the system” says Raymond Josephian, Illumicare Group Limited’s Director of Sales. He adds that LED has offered lighting designers new tools for more interesting plans such as a wide selection of colour temperature and brightness, giving way to more depth and

intrigue in the end-result. For those with an older lighting system fear not, retro-fit bulbs from manufacturers like Illumicare are available and allow for a full LED conversion.

Your system is refreshed and reaps all of the benefits of LED without a complete material replacement!

SNOW AND ICE MANAGEMENT As much as we would like to make winter a distant memory with the bloom of spring, eventually the seasons will change (ugh) and salt will be once again applied to parking lots and sidewalks to combat the snow and ice. Salt is an essential resource for snow and ice management, but it is also a very corrosive material and can cause great harm to our fresh water reserves. Sacrificing perfectly clear pavement is a worthy trade-off for a reduced rate of salt applied.

“It is possible to stay safe this winter and minimize the impact of salt on the environment.” This quote was taken from the website of the Smart About Salt organization, one of several leaders in the landscape industry at large, who are on board to promote measures to ‘go green’. Offering training and certification programs to teach maintenance companies how to effectively balance winter safety and environmental protection. The organization has also created a Salting Shift campaign to change the conversation around reducing winter salt use, protecting our water sources, protecting our infrastructure as well as reversing the trend of elevated

improve │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.

Transform your landscaped property from beautiful to stunning.

Design, Installation and Service

LIGHTSCAPES

Stay out late with outdoor lighting.

www.moonglowlights.com

of the

Eye

TIGER

By Jodi Pallagi Photography by Becky Ip

C

ats are connoisseurs of comfort and filled with a magical element we will never truly understand. So when Becky Ip and Ryan Ringer set out to create their own magical gathering space, little did they know that an old, once feral, grey tabby cat named Atari would have so much influence on their business.

Grey Tiger is a laid-back, relaxed cocktail bar in Toronto, Ontario’s burgeoning Bloordale neighbourhood. But it has a little bite as well. Artists in various mediums, both Ip and Ringer were looking for a change of lifestyle and work environment. They had worked for two years straight, day and night, just the two of them. It was exhausting going from cafe in the day to cozy bar at night. A year ago, they had the opportunity to re-evaluate and get back to the heart of what they really wanted; they had to rebirth themselves.

It wasn’t just going to be a physical renovation. They were going to celebrate the craft of doing things well, and that’s when they started thinking about the magic.

They wanted to create a space for new romantics that was screen-free, warm and inviting, creative and unique. With more than 20 years professional experience in the service and bartending industry, and with some inspiration from Atari, Grey Tiger was re-born.

“It’s like maintaining a spiritual practice in the midst of all that is happening,” says Ip. “And it’s empowering because it gives you a sense of psychic freedom; how you interact with your drink and those around you.”

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MY MOTHER'S SISTER Hinterland wine whitecap, Giulio Cocchi americano rosa, baiju, zaperol, ginger-lime cordial, bittered sling orange & juniper bitters 144 I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │LIVING

EL DIABLO tequila, mezcal, crème de cassis, lime, ginger beer, blueberry bitters

HIGH VIBES Star of Bombay Sapphire gin, IPA liqueur, sunshine shrub, earl grey water kefir, lime, lavender bitters, grapefruit zest

people and place making,” says Ringer.

“Building a culture through a bar is very interesting conceptually. There are a lot of angles there.”

Grey Tiger’s most unique angle is their custom drink menu, aptly named The Grimoire of Grey Tiger, whose pages are adorned with hand-drawn illustrations by Ip. It’s like handling a deck of tarot cards with explanations for each image. It is a spell book of true magic. Each drink in The Grimoire is concocted by skilled hands and with careful attention to detail. One of these house drinks is particularly customized to the patron.

“Mark of the Bar Witch is a customized drink made after your taste,” says Ringer. “I will start a conversation - how are you feeling, do you like something shaken or something stirred, what flavours do you like, textures.

It can be an elaborate conversation or not.

I’m very open, I’m in your hands.” And based on that conversation, Ringer will create a custom drink to match your current needs and desires, which can change from night to night.

Grey Tiger boasts a wall decorated with more than 200 labels of spirits and liqueurs, and about 100 whiskeys, which is the focus spirit-wise. There’s an order to everything from orange liqueurs to bittersweet amari,

bitters, then gin, and then rum, tequila, brandy, Canadian whisky, rye, Japanese and Irish whisky, Scotch; then the bourbons are organized from sweeter to softer styles to spicier bourbons. There are various wines, beer taps and packaged beer, with the focus mainly Canadian: Ontario and Quebec and smaller breweries, and some brands from other countries. You won’t find a Molson Canadian here. And despite all that choice, Grey Tiger caters to many non-alcohol drinking customers as well. The Grimoire features two specifically virgin creations, Solitary Player and Modern Ritual, plus Mark of the Bar Witch, the custom drink which can also be served sans alcohol.

The cocktail wizards serve these drinks with zerotivo, a non-alcoholic amarro (a bittersweet liqueur that they make), and seedlip, a non-alcoholic spirit - a distillate of botanicals. When these flavours touch the tongue, the drink will leave its sipper purring.

Ip and Ringer are constantly impressed by the variety of people that grace the doorstep of Grey Tiger. Like cats that come and go, there is no typical customer and no typical drink.

“You set your intentions for the space and you open your doors. You don’t necessarily have control over who comes in and how

LOVE MAGICK Unpeated highland single malt scotch, cognac, mulled port, organic cream, cherry, vanilla, absinthe bitters

REVERSE THE CURSE Redbreast whiskey 12yo Irish whiskey, apple-infused shochu, pisco, white port, PX sherry, absinthe bitters

INTO THE WOODS Bourbon, añejo rum, apple liqueur, almond, lemon, aromatic bitters, ginger kombucha

FREEDOM WITCH Lightly peated single malt scotch, black tea calvados, fermented honey-ginger liqueur, acid-sherry, cranberry, branca menta, crab apple and cranberry bitters

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they interpret the space,” says Ip. “Sometimes it just meshes beautifully and those are people who come back all the time. The energy of the space resonates with them, like this is their space. And other times, people might end up here by chance.” So Grey Tiger delivers the drink to suit. The house drinks are always house creations and the two most popular are Mark of the Bar Witch and State of Public Magic.

“No matter what time of year it is people will drink a margarita, but in the summer they’re not going to drink a hot toddy,” says Ringer. “There are winter drinks hot toddy, Irish coffee, nogs or flips. In the summer people want that light, refreshing, easy-going session drink.” Grey Tiger features a weekly rotating “break even bottle”. This gives their patrons the opportunity to try an ounce of regular serve for cost.

“It’s a chance to give people a taste of something they normally wouldn’t get,” says Ringer. “It’s not always top shelf but we choose more interesting things. It’s a fun thing people look forward to.” As their customers tasted and tested, they became more and more curious about the drinks, so Ip and Ringer decided to offer a series of cocktail classes aptly named The Grey Tiger School of Hard Drinks.

“Knowledge sharing is important and it’s really cool to bring people together and pass on this knowledge that, to a lot of people, seems really unattainable,” says Ringer. “A lot of people don’t know what some of the terms are, they’re nervous about what to say or to ask.

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It’s a safe space to come, learn, and then make some drinks at home.” They started with the basics class, then moved on to intermediate classes. Students get the opportunity to learn how to mix two essential cocktails while “soaking up a little liquid history along the way”.

“You are putting your energy into the creation.” says Ip. “People can surprise you.

You can’t make assumptions about what you think someone is going to drink.”

Ringer comments that garnishes will reflect the ingredients in a drink, or sometimes they are purely aesthetic. They don’t go wild with garnishes, and they certainly don’t do umbrellas.

“Garnish can be really wasteful,” he says. “We do our best to be sustainable in the ways that we are able. For me the garnish is actually the glass, a really nice glass. It’s really great to drink out of a nice glass, when you feel the weight, the textures and the shape, and you hold the drink with a nice big block of ice.”

Grey Tiger is like a home for strays looking to belong. The name is after their 15-yearold cat, Atari whom Ip rescued from a feral colony. When Ringer first met them, he had had traumatic cat experiences. He recalls how Atari’s wise old man magic helped him come back around to cats in a healing way.

When they were renovating, someone had spray painted a large tag on the wall of the stoop they had recently freshly painted, so they were naturally upset. Ip printed out an enlarged sketch of Atari’s face and pasted it over the tag to cover it, then the tagger returned and made Atari’s eyes bleed. So they added lightning bolts to cover up the bleeding eyes and added the third eye. And that eventually turned into their trademark.

“Art is political, and living is politics,” says Ringer. “The craziness of the world, everything being more and more visceral, people trying to connect, to resist, to have hope, to find their magical selves, to bring light to the world - there are difficult times when you have to navigate through. This is what we wanted to build. This is what we want it to be. It is an on-going evolution.” ~ Wednesday to Sunday 6 pm to late, check out Grey Tiger at 1190 Bloor Street West, Toronto. www.greytiger.ca living │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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Ontario’s Newest Outdoor

Rock ‘n’ Roll

Musical Experience

By Bryen Dunn

M

Aerosmith

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usic festivals across North America have become somewhat formulatic these days, in terms of design and programming, with most big name events having the same top headliners who are touring that year. That’s certainly not the case with Roxodus, a new outdoor music festival just north of Toronto that’s doing things differently at their inaugural event this summer.

Here’s a list of some of the acts already confirmed - Kid Rock, Nickelback, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Collective Soul, Matthew Good, Billy Idol, Blondie, Peter Frampton, Big Wreck, Theory of a Deadman, I Mother Earth and Orianthi along with classic Canadian rock bands from the 80s, including Prism, Saga, Lee Aaron, Honeymoon Suite, Headpins, Headstones and Streetheart.

“Much of Roxodus was inspired by the success of Desert Trip in Coachella in the fall of 2016,” explains Roxodus Ambassador, Alan Cross. “The idea is to create a comfortable and safe environment that can be enjoyed by all generations,” he continues. Cross, a wellknown individual in the music industry said he was connected with the event organizers, MF Live Inc., through a contact at Q107 radio. "We met up, hit it off and here we are!

I’m now the guy that puts a face to much of what MF Live does with the media.”

MF Live Inc. are nowhere near the size and scope of other concert promoters, such as Republic Live, Goldenvoice and Live Nation, but they do have experience in managing other large scale events. Owners Mike Dunphy and Fab Loranger are also behind the popular Wasaga Beach Motorcycle Festival, which has attracted upwards of 50,000 attendees, as well as the Heroes Festival, that drew in some

July 11 - 13, 2019

Roxodus Music Fest Edenvale Airport

5195 Highway 26 Stayner, Ontario Clearview Township

www.roxodus.com THURSDAY | JULY 11 NICKELBACK COLLECTIVE SOUL BIG WRECK HEADSTONES HONEYMOON SUITE HEADPINS LEE AARON FRIDAY | JULY 12 LYNYRD SKYNYRD CHEAP TRICK BILLY IDOL BLONDIE PRISM SAGA SATURDAY | JULY 13 KID ROCK ALICE COOPER PETER FRAMPTON ORIANTHI STREET HEART SUNDAY | JULY 14 AEROSMITH MATTHEW GOOD THEORY OF A DEADMAN I MOTHER EARTH AND MORE *BANDS AND SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME

Nickelback

25,000 attendees to Wasaga Beach to witness an airshow featuring the Canadian Snowbirds, part of a celebration of military and first responders.

Roxodus is taking place on the 600 acre grounds of the Edenvale Aerodrome, a former Canadian Air Force training airport.

“We chose the site due to its unique opportunity to have people fly in to the event, the existing infrastructure, and closeness to nearby towns and Toronto,” states Dunphy.

“The concept of the festival came after I saw Kid Rock play at Sturgis Buffalo Chip, which attracted 75,000 people rocking out. I pitched Fab on the idea last summer and he agreed immediately. We both come from big commercial construction backgrounds, so the site logistics was never an issue for us."

“I was the one who booked the bands and I had zero experience with this initially. Since I knew I wanted Kid Rock I offered and booked him first. From there it’s been a great roller coaster ride working with agencies and management to work out logistics, scheduling, riders, etc. We’ve recently been working with Jeff Craib, owner of the Feldman Agency, to help us secure the last of the bands and get the skinny on what we should and shouldn’t be offering for bands to appear. It’s certainly been an eye-opening experience,” he confessed. Like any event, organizers must get the approvals from stakeholders, town council, and in this case, Ministry of Transportation Ontario as well. living │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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“The site has been overgrown since the military left it and we have been busy clearing trees, installing weeping tile and generally designing site layout.

Security, policing, parking, traffic, ticketing and temporary power are some of the larger issues that have to be planned and instituted prior to the event,” divulges Dunphy. “Our mandate is to be as plastic-free as possible - no plastic straws, no plastic bottles and eco-friendly packaging for all our food vendors. We are working with a large event waste management company to keep the grounds as clean as humanly possible throughout the weekend.

Recycling is a key component of our plan.”

For those planning to stay overnight, there will be basic tent camping, nonpowered RV camping, and 30-amp and 50-amp powered RV camping. Don’t like camping? Then try glamping, a VIP camping experience where tents are set up before arrival with two cots, sleeping bags, pillows, and even a nightly turn down service! All-in-all, over 10,000 campers can be accommodated on site. There’s also a large camping centre with unique activations, including allday food offerings, merchandise and camping accessories, yoga, beauty bar and barber shop, showers, cellphone charging statins, roaming water and pumping trucks, licensed area with music, and supermarket shuttles.

Dunphy indicated that about 70 percent of ticket buyers so far will be camping and whose vehicles won’t be allowed to exit once they are parked, which he expects will help reduce traffic congestion in the area. Another option is CanaDream RV, where attendees can rent and pick up a camper unit that includes most everything, such as dishes, cookware, pillows, linen, towels, bedding, insurance, first tank of propane, and 500km travel. MF Live are also working with Bus.com to provide shuttles from Toronto, Barrie, Collingwood, and Wasaga Beach.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Blondie

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Billy Idol outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │LIVING

Alice Cooper

Peter Frampton

Cheap Trick

Lee Aa ron

Orianthi

Helicopters are also being utilized to bring people in from cottage country.

Celebrity chef food experiences will be offered each day including lunch and dinner, a luxury lounge designed by Lori Morris Designs out of Toronto with an elevated 15,000 square foot deck platform, multi-level general VIP deck with cabanas, Crazy Town Saloon as a secondary stage, a midway, Sunrise Records store, along with several food vendors, and craft beer experiences. Dunphy has also promised that local charities will see over $40,000 in donations, including the local fire department, library, and Clearview Minor Hockey Association.

Mark your calendars and grab your tickets early for this one, as according to Dunphy “we hope to have 35,000+ attendees per day and our weekend ticket sales have been brisk. We know that the single day tickets is what will put it over the top. Our venue can easily hold 100,000+.” A cashless payment system will be in effect, which means your wristband becomes your ticket to enter the festival and your digital wallet to make cashless purchases onsite.

Get ready for four full days of incredible music, art, and food in the company of rock legends - and those about to be. Roxodus on! ~

Alan Cross “A Journal of Musical Things” www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com

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ALTERNATIVE Building methods that are cost

152 I outdoorlifestylemagazine.com │DESIGN

HOMES

effective and eco-friendly

By Elena Marcu

I

f you are considering options for building a home or adding an addition, you are not alone. An increasing number of Canadians are looking into alternative methods for building that are more energy efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly.

We live in a time where choices are endless and opportunities are abundant—and that goes for construction of homes as well. Homes come in all shapes and sizes and offer us the freedom to use our ever-evolving creativity and unique ideas to incorporate them into our homes and building methods to suit our lifestyle, needs and preferences.

The best way to decide what is right for you is to know what is out there and weigh your options carefully.

Here are some top choices for building alternative homes: Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) This method simplifies the entire building process by creating most of the work in the factory. These panels are constructed most often from oriented strand board (OSB) similar to particle board, with EPS foam sandwiched in-between, creating insulation and vapour-barriers from the get-go for tangible energy cost savings throughout the life of the home. Window and door openings are also pre-cut in the factory, so the result is small crews, less labor and faster assembly, adding up to significant cost savings at the construction level. SIPs also create a superior airtight home compared to the traditional 2x6 stick frame home with fiberglass insulation. Considering that design │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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SIP - Structural Insulated Panels

ICF - Insulated Concrete Forms

Steel Metal Buildings

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none of the individual components in a SIP contain any harmful chemicals or VOCs, means the air you breathe in the home meets the most stringent air-quality standards.

Added benefit; SIPs also eliminate the need to search for studs for hassle free installation of cabinetry or pictures.

ICF - Insulated Concrete Forms ICF also simplifies the construction process, by stacking hollow foam interlocking structures, which are then filled with concrete, creating a solid, continuous structure, versus concrete blocks. Insulating concrete forms protect the concrete from freezing or rapid drying during the curing process and continuously throughout the life of the home, thereby resulting in greater structural strength and able to withstand the elements which can lead to cracking or shifting of a normal concrete wall. The insulating qualities of ICF can lead to a 30 - 70 percent savings in energy costs as well as making your basement drier and soundproof. Dust and allergens can be reduced as well by as much as 75 percent making the home safer and healthier. ICF blocks can be covered with brick, rock, stucco, siding, or any other material creating a natural appearance. While ICF can be somewhat more expensive than traditional concrete foundations, they allow foundations to be poured even in colder weather months, extending construction time. ICF’s create a valuable insulated wall with a vapor barrier, leading to significant energy cost savings and a stronger foundation which only benefits your home in the long run.

Steel Metal Buildings (Framing) This method is excellent for those who wish to create their own custom frames from 80 percent recycled steel. It is sturdy, fire resistant, and can be recycled down the road.

It is more expensive than wood, though steel can be lighter and easier to assemble and more cost-effective during building.

Any scrap metal during construction can be recycled. Steel frames are stronger in high winds or storms and will not flex or warp over time, resulting in straighter

Hempcrete

Image courtesy hempcrete.ca

Hempcrete

Hempcrete

Hempcrete blocks

Straw Bale Homes

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Straw Bale Homes

Precast Concrete Walls

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ceilings, walls and roof lines. For those who live in areas where forest fires are a concern, steel is noncombustible and will not bend or warp in fire, the difference between rebuilding and fixing the home.

Another added benefit is steel frames are termite resistant and provide a lifetime guarantee compared to treated lumber which lasts for about 25 years.

Precast Concrete Walls Precast Concrete Walls are manufactured and cured in a temperature-controlled setting which creates a higher quality and more durable product than would be achieved on site with temperature fluctuations.

Not only does this result in less onsite labour, but also allows much more control over the job site and schedule, which can reduce costs. Precast concrete acts as both the structural frame and the architectural facade of a building which reduces costs and labour.

Several combinations of colors and textures can be used as the walls are manufactured in a controlled environment which increases the aesthetic value of the products. Soundproof and fire-resistant that prevents the spread of fire from room to room, high-density precast concrete walls require minimal maintenance and are more durable to corrosion or decay.

Hempcrete Hempcrete is a composite that creates a fire resistant, rot resistant “living wall” using the inner core of hemp, a lime mineral binder and water which when combined create a chemical reaction ‘gluing’ the hemp together. Typically poured on site, there are now premade interlocking hempcrete blocks which assist in making the building process faster and easier. Not only is it durable, with a strong vertical load bearing compression strength but it is sustainable, ‘breathable’ and non-toxic and has a high insulation value. Hempcrete regulates temperature and humidity while retaining heat with a negative emission impact on the environment. Insect and mold resistant, a building made with hempcrete will last for over 100 years. The truly exciting thing about this material is that it is fully recyclable and reusable and all natural; wonderful for those naturalists at heart, living the modern world.

Straw Bale Homes This is another environmentally friendly method, made from a farm waste product. Straw bales are 100 percent biodegradable and can be plowed back into the earth when the time comes to replace the

structure, though it can last over 100 years if properly maintained. The beauty of this method is it keeps the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer with walls at least 18 inches thick. Thick walls are expensive to achieve with conventional construction and so not only do they add excellent insulation values, but also aesthetic value to the home. This method can be built with or without timber framework and is an easily understood construction concept even for novice builders, which can help reduce costs by using volunteer crews. The result is a beautiful eco-home that is sealed with lime plaster with an organic aesthetic that lends itself to many different architectural styles.

Shipping Crate Homes This is a relatively new method of building which has attracted a lot of attention due to its cost effectiveness and ecological benefits of recycling old shipping containers.

Each 40 ft. shipping container is more than 8,000 lbs. of steel and repurposing it is great for the environment (as melting down a steel container would use considerably more energy) and also reduces the amount of other traditional building

materials you’ll need, like masonry and wood. A newer method of building a home (just over 20 years) shipping crate homes can be a simple one container build or multiple containers fitted together to create a larger home. Windows and doors can be cut easily and the interior lined with insulation and drywall, reducing construction time as walls, ceilings and floors are already in place. A huge benefit is that shipping crate homes can be constructed off site, especially important if your desired location is remote. The result is a modern, industrial feel that is sturdy and solid.

There are a many other styles of alternative building methods including cob, earth bag, rammed earth, cord wood, log house, timber frame, treehouse, tiny house living, stone, earthship, modular and bamboo.

Building alternative homes is more popular than ever. With the right education and resources, anyone interested in alternative building methods should be able to build the home of their dreams. This list should be a good start. From here, anything is possible. ~

Shipping Crate Homes

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THE POWER of

Intention

Overcoming adversity for a life of meaning

By Brie Jarrett

J

ust four days before Christmas 2018, Myles Chaulk found himself without a job after the restaurant he was working for, without notice, closed their doors.

Most people would have sat back and waited until the holidays were over, but with presents already bought and wrapped, Chaulk couldn’t bear the thought; so, he began emailing and calling. The very next day he was offered a position of Head Chef at Uncle Betty’s Diner in Toronto.

Though only at the diner for several months, he has become a valued asset to the restaurant. But the journey getting here is one fraught with struggle and adversity.

One day, as a teenager, Chaulk came home and discovered his mother had run-off, never to return. Adding insult to injury, his stepfather, point blank said to him, “Your mother left and you discover │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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no longer live here.” With no one else to turn to, Chaulk, only 16-years-old, suddenly found himself both abandoned and homeless in the same day.

Struggling to survive - and struggling to deal with his anger, his sorrow, his frustration - Chaulk started getting into trouble, breaking the law, and hanging out with the wrong people. Thankfully he was not a very good criminal and at his very first attempt at a break-and-enter, he was caught.

The police officer told him, “You know son, you could go to jail for this.”

Without missing a beat, Chaulk replied, “At least I would have some place to go.” Sensing he wasn’t a bad kid, the officer took Chaulk, not to jail, but to Eva’s Place, an emergency shelter for homeless youth.

It was here that they began to mend the broken pieces of Chaulk with kindness, caring and support.

Their constant mantra to him was, “We believe in you Myles, you are going to be someone some day.”

They assisted him in acquiring his first apartment, but less than a year later he was evicted and landed back on their doorstep. Nevertheless, they continued to assure him that he would amount to something someday. Eventually, the intention Eva’s Place had set began to gel and he began to earnestly take his life seriously.

Working in restaurant kitchens was more than just a job, it was survival for Chaulk.

“As long as you work hard you will succeed and unlike other jobs you never go hungry working in a kitchen,” he says. Having worked in numerous kitchens, he was finally able to land a job at Jack Astor’s in Toronto and eventually became one of their youngest assistant kitchen managers. “It was like culinary university for me,” he says.

After Jack Astor’s he landed his first executive chef position at Famous People Players and began working with a group of line cooks with special needs. It was here, he began to develop a sense of wanting to give back to others.

The defining moment for Chaulk came on his 30th birthday, watching a video about someone helping a homeless person. He decided it was time.

“It was time for me to no longer be crippled by the thing that had hurt me so badly,” he says. He decided to reach out to Eva’s Place in a lengthy email letter

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RECIPE

Bacon 2 Ways Farmers Breakfast Diner Sandwich Ingredients 2 eggs 1 slice of peameal bacon 2 strips of bacon 1 large piece of aged cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon of honey mustard Burger bun Hollandaise Ingredients

about who he was, who he had become and what he wanted to do, then pressed send. Convinced they would think he was crazy, they were instead, thrilled to hear from him.

Since that email, Chaulk developed an interactive cooking program to teach cooking classes and different life skills to prepare the youth for life after Eva’s Place, at the same shelter where he was once a resident.

For his work, he was the proud recipient of Eva’s Young at Heart Award last May. Chaulk has evolved the program from teaching cooking classes to hiring and mentoring them to work at Uncle Betty’s Diner. He takes kids, often from the streets or shelters, with no skills, who have never worked in a kitchen before and teaches them the basics, along with discipline, dignity and purpose - giving back what he once received.

Full circle, the words echo, “We believe in you Myles, you are going to be someone some day.” And at only 31-years-old, that some day is now. ~

2 egg yolks 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 100g of unsalted butter Preparation First make your Hollandaise.

Separate the egg yolks. Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Place the egg yolks over a pan of simmering water and add lemon juice, whisking together.

Gradually add the butter while whisking until desired consistency is achieved. Set aside.

Cook the two strips of bacon and chop into small chunks, set aside.

Cook peameal bacon and set aside.

Whisk two eggs in a bowl and add chopped bacon.

Cook scrambled eggs and bacon in a pan over medium heat and fold in egg to make a patty and ensure it doesn’t stick to the pan.

Melt cheddar over scrambled egg.

Spread honey mustard over bottom bun, add peameal bacon, egg patty, hollandaise and top bun. Serve with fries or home fries.

Tips Cover the pan when melting cheese. discover │ OUTDOORLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

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Food for

Thought

Food wastage problems we should be seriously thinking about

By Renaldo Amota

I

t’s six o’clock in the evening. The sun is setting as I’m lazily coming into my favourite part of the commute - the last part. I love it because I’m finally off the highway on a sideroad that’s so quiet at this time that I could claim it as my own without much debate. I found it particularly scenic this evening. This massive rolling hill painted on the backdrop of a golden orange sunset. The breeze teasing the tips of the tall grass and surrounding foliage. I pass this hill almost everyday. Twice a day. From this angle, you would never guess that it’s essentially a facade for the local dump. Thousands upon thousands of tonnes of garbage hidden under dandelion camouflage.

I’ve always been amazed at the human ability to hide and ignore problems. The truth is, we pass by these massive illusions everyday. This epiphany had jarred me a little and as a consequence made me slightly more alert about the world around me which is why I almost fell off my chair when I read the statistics about food wastage.

“Here we go,” I thought to myself. Yet another travesty I’d been leisurely passing by my whole life, except I was literally on top of this one. The evidence lined my own garbage can, just as much as my local landfill.

“Nearly 60 percent of food produced in Canada, amounting to 35.5-million metric tonnes, is lost and wasted annually. Of that, 32 percent, equalling 11.2-million metric tonnes of lost food, is avoidable and is edible food that could be redirected to support people in our communities. The total financial value of this potentially rescuable lost and wasted food is a staggering $49.46-billion.” (cited Second Harvest.ca) Just for some perspective. 11.2-million metric tonnes is equivalent to the weight of 95 CN Towers.

This got me thinking. This is us. This is what we are doing

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right here in Canada. We are isolating ourselves. We are in a bubble of abundance and have created a culture of waste within it. The $49.46-billion is three percent of Canada’s 2016 Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It would feed every person in Canada for the next five months.

In this age of connection, with all our tools and avenues to communicate, we have somehow let an avoidable problem get really bad. We have isolated ourselves from the problem.

But the first step to solving food wastage in Canada is simple. Awareness. There are people out there right now trying to make a difference.

Chef Jagger Gordon and his Feed it Forward (feeditforward. ca) program is fighting for the cause via his pay-whatyou-can grocery store which is stocked entirely out of items deemed “unsellable” by food terminals, bakeries and grocery stores; unsellable due merely to bruising, an odd-shape or size, or prepared foods that don’t get sold, or consumers confused by date labels.

In British Columbia there is an organization called The Community Cabbage (uviccommunitycabbage. wordpress.com) which is a volunteer group on the campus of University of Victoria that serves one free hot meal a week to the campus community. The meal is comprised of ingredients that would otherwise be deemed waste and the idea behind the campaign is to educate about food wastage, cooking and our perception of what deems a piece of food as actual waste.

Love Food, Hate Waste (lovefoodhatewaste.ca) is another Canadian organization that works directly with Canadian businesses, governments and communities to address food waste concerns. They run a blog that hopes to inspire many Canadian homeowners to follow suit as well.

The Feedback App (feedbackapp.ca) was created to get you deals from your favourite restaurants. They donate part of their proceeds to causes against food wastage and are actually partnered with Second Harvest (secondharvest.ca), Canada’s largest food rescue charity and the ones who put together all of these food wastage statistics.

We also shouldn’t forget about the pressing issue of hunger in Canada. Four million people in Canada experience food insecurity; one in eight Canadian households struggle to put food on the table; eight out of 10 provinces saw an increase in food bank usage in 2016.

We are in desperate need of these initiatives. With hunger being a problem right here on our doorstep, there should be no excuse to waste this much food. These organizations against food wastage are plentiful across Canada which you can do something to make a difference. Do your research, give to charity and volunteer your time. There are people that need you out there. We are in the most connected time in our lives and we need to make a difference in food wastage.

Food for thought. ~

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NOT SO AVERAGE JOE

Steve

Brewer

By Scott Sim

S

teve Brewer - A jack of all trades, a master at fixing problems, husband, father and all-around likeable guy, Steve Brewer is our latest and well-deserving Not So Average Joe. Whether it be his commitment to family or career, there is no other way for Steve to approach it. “I don’t do anything half-assed.”

His father was a machinist and handyman. It was important for him to support his family. This value, as well as the importance of hard work, were not lost on Steve. His mother, a stay-at-home mom, was treasured by those in her home, but also by the surrounding community.

“She was the most compassionate, caring, kind-hearted person”. Steve is modest in saying that he wishes he was half the person that his mom was; her character traits are some of his finest. The sudden loss of his parents a few years ago brought about one of Steve’s darkest times. A refresh and refocus at work along with the support of family and friends got him out of his funk.

Combining a love of the outdoors with the resolve to fix a problem, Steve is in his element in the landscape industry. This one-time millwright (he followed in his dad’s footsteps) was drawn to this industry by what he says was “a lot of transferable experiences”.

The threat of layoffs initially brought Steve to the landscape industry. He got his start at a Clintar franchise in Kitchener, Ontario, plowing snow and performing a host of property enhancements.

It was in 2001 that he met Greg Doesburg - “The guy was amazing at teaching people the trade.” This was the pivotal moment that would inevitably set his course, where he absorbed anything and everything he could about irrigation. Steve was all-in. He acquired certifications. His irrigation journey of nearly 20 years has seen him spend time at York Nursery before joining Gelderman Landscape Services for a number of years.

The same passion Steve exudes for his family, shows through in his work.

Whether it be in solving a problem or making a connection with a client, he admits, “I care way too much”. His success is directly connected to his core values; and will prove beneficial as he moves from irrigation and begins a new chapter in his career at Wright Landscape Services as Grounds Maintenance Division Manager. The commitment he gives to both family and work are good reason for Steve Brewer to be recognized as the Not So Average Joe. ~

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Steve Brewer Grounds Maintenance Division Manager Wright Landscape Services

MY FAVOURITES Food - seafood Music - hip hop and 90’s grunge Beverage -pop, it’s an addiction Time of day - night time Colour - Red Place to travel - Cape Town, South Africa Hero/ Mentor - My parents Pastime - Photography and social media

A RECIPE I LIKE

Cajun Dry Rub for Pork and Ribs ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup of smoked paprika 1 table spoon fresh ground pepper 1 tablespoon Himalayan salt 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 teaspoon cayenne

A JOINT PRODUCTION BY KORU CREATIVE & STRAW HAT RESTORATION

THE CONSTRUCTION TWINS NEW YOUTUBE SHOW STARRING: JAMES HARRISON, JASON HARRISON, THE STRAW HAT CREW Release date : Summer 2019

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