COUNTRY ROADS SUMMER 2014

SUMMER 2014

SUMMER

Recreation GUIDE INSIDE

GET BEACHED IN NORTH HASTINGS CHEDDAR & ALE A TASTY TRAIL HOW THRIFT STORES SERVE ALL LOCAL RUNNERS BOSTON STRONG

C O V E R I N G T H E A R T S , O U T D O O R S , H I S T O R Y, P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S

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Landscape Design/Architecture Full Service Garden Centre & Bulk Products Available Henri & Aquascape Fountains, Birdbaths & Water Features

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Balu’s Pharmacy 613.395.2110 9-D Tuftsville Rd

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613.395.6103 28 Mill St. County & Quinte_Layout 1 20

Jim’s Pizza & Restaurant 613.395.6177 32 Mill St.

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Country Roads • Summer 2014

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

CR Country

CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR Nancy Hopkins 613 395-0499 CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR John Hopkins 613 395-0499 SALES DEPARTMENT

Roads

SOUTH HASTINGS & AREA Jennifer Richardson Jennifer@countryroadshastings.ca celebrating life in hastings county 613.922.2135 CENTRAL HASTINGS & AREA Nancy Hopkins nancy@countryroadshastings.ca 613.395.0499 NORTH HASTINGS & AREA Hope McFall hope@countryroadshastings.ca 613.202.1541 ART DIRECTOR Jozef VanVeenen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Orland French Angela Hawn Sharon Henderson Barry Penhale Lindi Pierce Sheena Rowney Michelle Annette Tremblay Sarah Vance Shelley Wildgen CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Sharon Henderson Dorinda Murray Jozef VanVeenen

“Caring for your family’s dental health”

h t i m S g u o D . r D ssociates and A

Dentistry

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry • Comprehensive examinations • Periodontal assessment • Routine restorative fillings • Cosmetic veneers • Crowns and bridges • Full dentures, partial dentures • Oral surgery • Implants

New PatieNts & emergeNcies welcome

INTERN Maddie Budding COUNTRY ROADS, Celebrating Life in Hastings County is published four times a year by PenWord Communications Inc. Copies are distributed to select locations throughout Hastings County including the c­ ommunities of Bancroft, Belleville, Madoc, Marmora, Stirling and Tweed. Copies are also delivered to select homes within southern Ontario.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year: $17.85 2 years: $33.90 3 years: $47.46 All prices include H.S.T. The contents of this publication are ­protected by copyright.

Reproduction of this p­ ublication in whole or in part without prior written permission of PenWord C ­ ommunications Inc. is prohibited.

The advertising deadline for the Fall 2014 issue is August 15, 2014.

COVER PHOTO: Dorinda Murray Photography Made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation

HOW TO CONTACT US

Telephone: 613 395-0499 Facsimile: 613 395-0903 E-mail: info@countryroadshastings.ca Website: www.countryroadshastings.ca For written enquiries you can reach us at: PenWord Communications Inc. P.O. Box 423, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0

At either of our two locations you will enjoy friendly people and gentle dentistry for your whole family.

Belleville

208 Bridge Street east (613) 966-2777

Stirling

9B tuftsville road (613) 395-2800

Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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McCaskie TV & Stereo Furniture & Appliances Serving beautiful Downtown Bancroft for over 30 years

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Country Roads • Summer 2014

287 Simmons Road, Odessa 613.386-7314 www.wiltoncheese.ca www.jensencheese.ca

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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e d i t o r i a l

Communities Connected

Photo: Haley Ashford

The last feature story you will come to in this issue shares the experiences of seven area residents who ran this year’s Boston Marathon. We can’t help but imagine this story will be an unexpected one for readers.

We are grateful to runner Kevin Beatty and partner Jen Abrams for sharing the news that Kevin would be participating in the marathon in this memorable year for the long-running event. When they spread the news of our desire to talk to others in the area who were also taking part the full extent of the experience began to unfold.

Country Roads is a regional magazine and in our travels around Hastings County we’ve met world class potters, Olympians, artists, builders, businesses, and many more that reside here.

We share these stories with those who live and play here and try to inspire ’outsiders’ to do the same. We work within our boundaries.

But this story reminded us that the world is sometimes a small place. People from all parts of the planet are at times connected in profound ways. Speaking with the seven runners filled us with pride that this area was not only represented at and a part of the 2014 Boston Marathon, but as important as every one of the near 36,000 runners, countless spectators and TV viewing audience – all of whom watched, listened, healed some, and felt a surge of pride at human resiliency in the face of adversity.

After last year’s tragedy it was a worry to Bostonians that their treasured annual celebration might be tainted and never have the same place of glory in the city’s history. But that was not the case at all. Boston rose higher than ever!

Communities large and small experience obstacles and setbacks. But communities are made of people and it’s the human spirit and its pride of home that truly inspires and makes a real community.

Hastings County has so many claims to fame, none bigger than when we reach out to connect with others.

•

Nancy & John Hopkins

contributors Sharon Henderson lives on an archetypal back-wood homestead in the bush-land north of Highway 7. She spends her time reading children’s literature with her daughter, tending vegetables and flowers, writing, and catching the odd forest moment with her camera. Last year she studied sustainable local food and is now enjoying documenting the local rural scene. She loves Hastings County’s clean air, exposed shield, and tucked away talent.

Michelle Annette Tremblay writes because she’s interested in everything.

Interviewing fascinating people and sharing their wisdom and ideas is one of her favorite things and has led her to writing features for newspapers and magazines. After completing a Creative Writing degree from the University of British Columbia she spent many years teaching and writing on the west coast of Canada and internationally. But, a country girl at heart, she gave up the city life to return to her roots in Paudash, where she freelances for multiple publications and is the Creative Director of WordBird Media. When she’s not picking remarkable brains, writing or photographing the wonders of rural Ontario, she’s usually in her garden, running after her kids or cooking up something yummy with her husband.

A child of the big city, Hope McFall has recently made the move to living in Hastings County full time. Retiring from a very successful career as owner and manager of Toronto’s first green venue, which hosted events big and small for the past nine years, she moved to L’Amable and is keen to dive into a life surrounded by natural beauty. A lover of the arts, British crime dramas and almost always wearing something green, she will always take the time to stop for a chat, or share a laugh. She’s looking forward to exploring the region in her new role as North Hastings Sales Representative for Country Roads.

• You buy a Large Recreational Trailer ~ McKeown’s has the Dodge Truck to Pull it!

• You buy a Large Estate with 2 acres of Grass to Cut

~ We have a Massey Ferguson Sub-Compact Tractor to Cut that Grass

• You need an economical car to go to work to pay for ALL of this Stuff ~ See McKeown Motors in Springbrook

81 Years and 8

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Country Roads • Summer 2014

Still Going!

2589 Springbrook Road, Springbrook, ON 613-395-3883 1-800-465-9297 www.mckeownmotorsales.net

V O LU M E 7 , I S S U E 2 , S U M M E R 2 0 1 4

Contents 10

20

28

36

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 FUN IN THE SUN

8 EDITORIAL 8 CONTRIBUTORS 16 JUST SAYING

By Michelle Annette Tremblay

15 DAY TRIPPING

By Maddie Budding

20 A TASTE OF HOME

By Angela Hawn

24 BUZZ OVER BANCROFT

By John Hopkins

28 SHOPPING SPREE

By Sharon Henderson

36 BACK TO BOSTON

By John Hopkins

Back To The Mothership

26 ARTISANS AT HAND

Creatures great and small

34 CROSSROADS

Remembering Henry Taylor

42 44 45 46

ADVERTISER INDEX COUNTRY CALENDAR MARKETPLACE THE VILLAGE IDIOT

The personal touch

You’ve got a copy of COUNTRY ROADS in your hands and that tells us you’re interested in Hastings County.

WANT MORE? Join the COUNTRY ROADS Facebook page.

You’ll be the first to get a sneak peak at upcoming issues, new things on our website, and a whole lot more.

C O V E R I N G T H E A R T S , O U T D O O R S , H I S T O R Y, P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S We are ALL Hastings County, ALL the time! Come join us!

Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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n i n fue su n th

s e h c a e b e h t g n i Explor a sti ngs H h t r o N of y a l b m e r T e t t ne n A e l l e h c i M By

The northern region of Hastings County has a wide assortment of public beaches to suit virtually anyone’s summer preferences – big or small, busy or secluded.

i

Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

’m here for the lakes. Sure, North Hastings is teeming with wildlife. It’s paradise for bird watchers and nature photographers.

You want foxes? We’ve got them. Elk? Set your shutter speed, and click away. Yes, the outdoor-adventure enthusiasts flock here too, for mountain biking and rock-climbing. Certainly this is the place to be for recreational geologists eager to dig in at the next rock-cut glittering just around the corner. But me, I’m here for the wind rushing over the bay, the forlorn loon calls, the sandy shorelines, and the bloody sunsets.

For as long as I can remember this piece of the Canadian Shield has been branded ‘Cottage Country.’ Families have returned to seasonal domiciles year after year, decade after decade, for summers spent canoeing, roasting marshmallows, jumping off docks, and bragging about the catch of the day. In recent years many cottagers have ceased the late-August return to the city, in favour of residing here year-round. It makes sense. The improvements to high-speed internet in the area have allowed many urban professionals to simply pick up their careers and bring them along, tucked in the back of their SUVs with their paddle boards and sunscreen. That’s what we did, nine years ago.

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Country Roads • Summer 2014

“So you’re buying waterfront, then?” our Vancouver friends asked, when we broke the news that we were leaving our beloved port city to buy a home in rural Ontario.

We’re not on waterfront actually. We sometimes wish we were, but with two little kids running around, a shoreline in the back yard is just one more thing to be paranoid about. Maybe in five years we’ll buy waterfront, but for now we’re enjoying our quaint little country home, with its quaint little country mortgage, surrounded by mostly dry ground. But on the weekends we load up the car with air mattresses and sandwiches, and head out to the beaches of North Hastings.

Yes, we are here for the lakes. Even though we’re surrounded by them (there are three within a 10-minute walk from our house), we were surprised to learn that even locals aren’t always aware of where the public beaches are. A history of private cottages has created a legacy of private swimming holes. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of public beaches for those who aren’t on waterfront, or are just passing through, or simply want a change from their own familiar splashing grounds.

For the lovers there’s my favourite: the beach at Foster Lake. Never-mind that the drive to get there is one of the most beautiful excursions you’ll ever

experience, with views of emerald-forested hills, rising and falling like the jagged breath of winded angels for as far as you can see. Never-mind the adventure of actually finding the beach: if you rely on GPS -- well it might work but the cell phone towers are few and far between – you’re better to go old-school and pick up a real honest-to-goodness paper map from one of the little country stores along the way. Roll the windows down, tune the radio to romance, and get ready, because the beach at Foster Lake is well worth the drive.

It’s not just that the Foster Lake beach is long and sandy, begging for a romantic stroll. It’s not just that it’s surrounded by old growth forest, with hardly any evidence of human civilization: no crowded bay, no noisy motor boats or jet-skis. It’s not just that there’s a covered picnic area, built-in stone barbecues, grassy areas perfect for a catnap. No, it’s not just that. It’s all that, plus the view, plus the seclusion; it’s public, but it feels private.

The first several times my own sweetie and I went to Foster Lake beach we thought we’d just lucked out, but we’ve been there year after year, and more often than not we’ve been the only ones there. Sure, if you go on a Saturday afternoon you’ll likely run into a few locals in the know, who will give you directions to the nearest gas station

The Paudash Lake Conservation Association puts on a variety of events during the summer, including a children’s rock bass derby and family fun day.

Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

(“drive that way for 15 minutes and turn right at the big boulder...”), but stop by on a Thursday afternoon and linger till twilight and you’ll likely be all on your own. Just you, your main squeeze, and the water lapping at your toes, reflecting the cotton candy smudges of the setting sun.

If seclusion and quiet isn’t your bag, check out North Bay Beach on Paudash Lake. Now I’m not saying it’s crowded --certainly not by city standards-- but it is a very popular spot, and rightly so.

Plenty of parking, public outhouses, a boat launch, picnic tables, and of course the beautiful lake itself make North Bay Beach an easy sell for just about anyone.

The water is deep, so even in the heat of August Paudash remains refreshingly cool. The lake is pretty huge (it has a surface area of 1900 acres) and it meanders over two counties, with several bays, islands and inlets. Homes and cottages are dotted all around its expansive circumference. No wonder North Bay Beach is a treasured spot for family reunions; everyone just hops in their boats and meets at the beach. Each summer, the Paudash Lake Conservation Association hosts a children’s rock bass derby, as well as a regatta and family fun day with a barbecue, scavenger hunt, sand castle competition, races, boat decorating competitions,

tug of war, and more. Show up early if you want prime beach-blanket real estate.

(Note: North Bay Beach is technically just outside of North Hastings. Paudash Lake stretches over both Hastings and Haliburton counties, with the beach slightly past the border on the Haliburton side.)

For the four-legged crew Diamond Lake beach is the place to be, especially in September during NewfStock, a huge three-day celebration of those big beautiful water-loving canines we know and love as Newfoundlands. NewfStock takes place annually in Bancroft, with the main events unfolding at Millennium Park. This year, NewfStock runs from Sept. 12-14, with the popular swim date at Diamond Lake Beach on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 12. Though smaller than the beaches at Foster and Paudash, Diamond Lake, just off the South Baptiste Lake Road, also has a nice sandy bottom, and the beach faces west, so the sunsets are formidable.

If you only have time for a quick dip, make like the locals and “Swim the York.” The little sandy beach on the York River, in Riverside Park, is right in the heart of Bancroft. You can come into town for a few errands and stop by the park for a short splash; but it’s also easy to spend a whole The fireworks over Wollaston Lake are a highlight of the summer season.

Photo courtesy Wollaston Township Office

Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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While you may run into a few folks on the weekend, on most occasions Foster Lake can seem like your own private sandy retreat.

Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

A sunset over the beach at Foster Lake is a hit with visitors of all ages.

day wandering about Riverside Park. It’s an idyllic spot, with walking trails and plenty of shade, steps away from the playground, Freedom Skatepark, the North Hastings Heritage Museum and the Historic Train Station, which is home to the Bancroft and District Chamber of Commerce, Visitor Information Centre and state-of-the-art Mineral Museum.

The York is also a favourite destination for canoes and kayaks.

This summer Riverside Park is full of students from Fleming College’s Sustainable Building Program, who are constructing an innovative new centre in the park in partnership with the Town and local non-profits. The green building will

CLOSEDS y MONDA

house a food canteen run by local youths and a recreational equipment rental centre where people will be able to rent skateboards, bikes, scooters, helmets and paddle boats during the summer, and snow shoes and cross country skis during the winter. Right now the little beach in the park is lovely, but it will only get better as the park continues to develop.

Another swimming hole that’s popular with locals is the public beach on Wollaston Lake in Coe Hill, which hosts an annual party around Canada Day complete with fireworks. After a day of Canadian festivities in Bancroft, many locals head over to Wollaston to cool off in the lake and en-

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Country Roads • Summer 2014

Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

joy the party, which includes a barbecue, cupcakes, music, and of course the fireworks, which are launched from a raft out on the water, so the dazzling colours reflect off the surface of the lake.

“The fireworks are always fantastic; always really impressive,” says Wollaston Township clerk Jennifer Cohen, who credits the Red Eagle Family Campground for providing the yearly display.

Karen Challinor, co-owner of the Red Eagle says they’ve been doing the fireworks for as long as she can remember, and that it just gets bigger and better every year.

“It’s one of our favourite summer events on Wollaston Lake,” says Challinor. “The event appeals to all ages from young children to the young at heart. The anticipation of the exploding colour lighting up the night sky and reflecting on the lake is one that brings our community together every year. It’s an event Red Eagle Family Campground is excited to share with cottagers, community members and campers.”

This year’s fireworks display over Wollaston Lake is scheduled for June 28, the Saturday before Canada Day. Foster, Paudash, Diamond, the York, and Wollaston beaches are all exceptional, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Papineau. Of all the beaches in North Hastings, it’s the most celebrated shoreline for families with young children. The first time we went to Papineau beach, I floated out into the lake on an inflatable beach mattress, letting the joyous squeals of toddlers fade away, replaced by the sounds of the wind and a distant airplane. I savoured the warmth of the sun on my closed eyelids, the smell of clean water, that special type of relaxation that only comes from bobbing atop a peaceful lake under a hot sun.

When I finally opened my eyes I saw that I had drifted far away from shore, yet when I rolled off my mattress the water was only up to my waist.

Big, clean and sandy, the beach at Papineau runs along the southeast side of the lake. It’s a perfect

Big clean and sandy, the beach at Papineau Lake is popular with families. It is also noted for its warm and shallow water.

Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

spot to build a sandcastle, or throw a frisbee. The water is shallow and warm and the sand is soft, making it ideal for little kids.

So be you romantics, parents, dog-lovers, swimmers, boaters or baskers, grab your towel, and come jump into summer in North Hastings. Come for

Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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Full Waterfront Sales & Service

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The beach at Diamond Lake is popular with the four-legged set, particularly during NewfStock in September.

Photo by Sandra Nicholson

the sand between your toes, the little silver minnows that rush away from your feet; come for the sights and sounds of a real Canadian summer; come

for the giggles and the sighs, the splashes and the dives. If they ask, you can tell your friends what I tell mine: “I’m here for the lakes.”

•

For more information about public beaches in North Hastings, contact the Visitor Information Centre at the Bancroft and District Chamber of Commerce.

“While the area is home to many seasonal residents who have access to water within only steps of their cottage, we still receive a great number of inquiries at the Visitor Information Centre as to where visitors can take a quick dip or plan a family trip to the beach. The Bancroft & District area is so fortunate to have clean and refreshing waters for all to enjoy and the team at the Visitor Information Centre is pleased to provide this information to both visitors and locals alike.”

Kim Burke, Tourism/Project Development Coordinator Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce, Visitor Information Centre

Directions to beaches Foster Lake Beach: From Bancroft follow Highway 28 East for approx. 20km to McArthurs Mills, turn left onto Boulter Road then turn onto Park Road.

Get a Good Job | Return to School | Become an Apprentice North Bay Beach (on Paudash Lake): From Bancroft, follow Highway 28 South for 10km, Return to School | Become an Apprentice | Earn yourturn Collonto Highway 118 and turn left onto North Bay Beach Road. pprentice | Earn your College Diploma | Get a Good Job Diamond Lake Beach: From Bancroft follow Highway 62 North approx. 8km to Bird’s Creek, arn your College Diploma | Get a Good Job | Return to School turn left onto South Baptiste Lake Road, follow for approx. 20km then turn right onto Old ­Diamond Lake Road.

Career & College Prep

Swim the York, at Riverside Park, Bancroft: Access Riverside Park from Station Street, Downtown Bancroft.

Wollaston Lake Beach: From Bancroft follow Highway 62 South, turn right onto Highway 620 and follow to Coe Hill. Turn left onto Wollaston Lake Road continue south for 1.6km and then turn right onto Beach Lane.

ContaCt:

Loyalist College Bancroft Campus 613-332-1743 or 1-877-309-0317, ext. 227 • TTY: 613-962-0633 sbennett@loyalistc.on.ca

loyalistcbancroft.com 14 I

Country Roads • Summer 2014

Papineau Beach: From Bancroft, follow Hwy 62 North. Approx 6km past Maple Leaf, turn left onto Papineau Lake South road and continue for 2km, turn right at fork in road, continue .5km, turn left to reach beach parking lot.

DAY TRIPPING

BY MADDIE BUDDING

W

A TEEN’S GUIDE TO THE BEST SUMMER HOT SPOTS

hat does every kid start to dream about when June comes around? You guessed it: summer holidays! Time to put away those winter clothes that cover 90 percent of your body, break out the shorts and t-shirts and embrace your inner child (whether you’re young in years or just young at heart)! Time to lick ice-cream cones and eat s’mores until your face is covered in gooey marshmallow and sticky sweet chocolate. Time to splash your friends in the pool (because they deserve it!) and swing as high as you can on the swings (and then maybe go just a tiny bit higher). Time to think outside, not in, and most definitely think fun. And if you’re short on ideas for fun summer activities, here are a few of the best, from a 15-year-old’s perspective.

I can’t remember a summer when I didn’t play for hours on a playground, and one that stands out in my memory is Centre Hastings Park in Madoc. It’s rated as the number one tourist attraction in Madoc, and if you visit it, you’ll understand why. There are slides, swings, a skate park, a splash pad, a zipline, monkey bars and so much more that I can’t even begin to list here. I believe my favourite piece of equipment would be an object that is part swing, part spinner, part stomach-turning, and all fun. It’s difficult to explain, but even more difficult to miss out on jumping and swinging around on.

Another memorable playground for me is the Henry Street Park in Stirling. This park consists of a spider-web climber, two giant tube slides, swings, monkey bars, a rock climbing wall and much more.

It’s really good for playing long games of hide-and-

go-seek-tag with your friends and/or siblings, as well as baseball games in the diamond, and games of keep-away in the basketball court.

After playing from dawn till dusk at one of these excellent playgrounds, you might get a little hungry.

Why not head over to Campbellford and gorge on pizza at Apollo’s Pizzeria? There’s something for everyone, but I recommend the Hawaiian. Of course, the Greek Pizza is always good as well. It’s basically an extra-cheesy greek salad...on pizza. Deelish!

My family of four usually shares two medium pizzas, and split them up into halves of what each person wants. My sister and I share a Hawaiian-Cheese split, while Mom and Dad go for more adventurous flavours, such as Apollo Pizza and Canadian Classic.

If you’re not really into pizza, Apollo’s also offers sandwiches, steak and pasta. A trip to Campbellford isn’t complete without a meal at Apollo’s.

What is almost every teenage girl’s favourite thing to do? Shopping! As a teenage girl myself, I have found some great stores in small-town Stirling that are a must-see, and a must-shop.

First off, Bella Ever After is a really fun, hip, cool place to buy jewelry, handbags, scarves and much more. The first time I stepped foot inside, my first words to my shopping companion (and mother) were, “It looks like a cool aunt’s closet.” My family has had many great experiences at Bella Ever After, including when we accidentally walked in on the one year anniversary of the store’s grand opening, and were invited to stay for cake and other goodies.

Another store in Stirling that brings back memories is West Wings, which has been around for as

UPDATED MENU

long as I can remember. Being an avid reader, I’ve always loved sitting in the children’s/teen’s section of the store and browsing or reading a newly purchased book. West Wings is also well-known in our family for its deluxe hot chocolates and coffees which are, simply put, delicious.

If you’re still looking for something to do, and nothing I’ve already said has inspired you, try live theatre. The Belleville Theatre Guild has amazing shows every year. My personal favourites are the musicals that usually run in May/June and December. When I was 11, I participated in the performance of South Pacific that BTG put on, and it was an experience that I’ll never forget. Ever since then, I have auditioned for and seen as many plays as I can at the Belleville Theatre Guild.

Another theatre well-known in Hastings County is the Stirling Festival Theatre. Its annual Christmas pantos are a must-see, as well as the shows put on by the Young Company.

Get rid of your plans for doing nothing this summer. This list of things to do will keep you on your toes for at least a month. After that, well, you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

There are plenty of other things to do in Hastings County during the summer months, and if worse comes to worse, you can catch up on your summer reading!

But don’t say you didn’t have fun on this antiboredom trek across Hastings. I know I certainly have, and I can’t wait for summer vacation to finally begin, so I can get started on these awesome summer activities.

•

Good Food-Good Friends-Good Times In Madoc’s Historic Fire Hall on beautiful Deer Creek.

Have you conquered the Barley Firehouse Burger?

Wed. Wing Night Fri. & Sat. Nights -Baby Back Ribs

LIVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY EVENING

For menus, entertainment schedules & more visit www.barleypubandeatery.com 40 St. Lawrence St. W., Madoc, Ontario 613.473.1800 • chris@barleypubandeatery.com Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 15

JUST SAYING

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN

Back To The Mothership Those who think you can never go home are not from Belleville. It’s so good at drawing people back some of us have re-nested there two, three, even four times. The reasons for coming home to the little “city by the bay” can be complex or simple. For us, this time it’s just time.

Someone asked me recently if I’ll miss the herons strutting across our lawn and the mad turtle egg laying season at our current abode on the Trent River. Truth is, I’ll miss it all very much.

But if it’s time to go, there is nowhere I’d rather be going than home to Belleville.

As a kid, the big draw in Belleville was downtown. Everyone gathered there to work, eat and shop. My mom told me of times when there would be baby carriages parked outside of every store so the newborns could enjoy the fresh air while the moms shopped. All the moms would coo over each other’s new bundle as they moved on to the next door. Rockwellian small town living.

Well, we’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. There is certainly no pram parking on Front Street, and if it did exist padlocks for both the babes and their rides may be needed. There are, however, more than a handful of excellent restaurants in downtown Belleville and THAT suits me fine! What I do most definitely miss are the tidy ladies of a certain age, doing their daily downtown walkabouts with their freshly set hair, summer dresses and matching bags – Queen Elizabeth style. Those well groomed little sentries of all that is fine and good are now gone, as are many of my favourite buildings. Most memorable are Belleville Collegiate and The Quinte Hotel, both of which figured prominently into my formative years, in varying orders of importance. It makes me sad to look at the scars of their excisions, but it’s good to see so much of Belleville remains intact. The big shade trees. The front porches. Even the odd corner store still stands. Comfort.

I like moving. Over the past 20 years, I’ve enjoyed many homes. My kids were raised in the coziness of Stirling, where the local cop would wag his finger if I drove too fast and the teachers knew all the students by name. I’ve lived in two

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Country Roads • Summer 2014

renovated schoolhouses, a suburban bungalow, and most recently, our cottage on the Trent River.

They all had a different purpose and personality.

At each place, I’d eventually hear, “So, do you think you’ll ever move back to town?” Belleville is “town”.

My friend Lynn has lived in Belleville her whole life – never left. We grew up together and have always loved every tattered edge of our hometown. She wondered why I kept dancing around the edges, noting that she realized the city wasn’t what it once was. I, in turn, asked her why she didn’t move to The County. She shrugged and said, “I’m going down with the ship.”

Well, we’re not in K ­ ansas anymore, Dorothy. There is certainly no pram p ­ arking on Front Street, and if it did ­exist ­padlocks for both the babes and their rides may be needed. There are, however, more than a handful of excellent restaurants in downtown Belleville and THAT suits me fine!

It’s true that Nortel has been replaced by call centres and the quaint downtown seems overshadowed by the sprawl to the mall, but it’s not all lost. The churches, City Hall, market square…they still prop up the prettiness of “Belle Ville.” Oh, and the arched bridges, even

that new one that takes us from Cannifton to Bell Boulevard. Snazzy.

Here’s the thing. Belleville is no different than many small cities dotting our country. A big influx of cash would certainly fluff her up and wouldn’t it be great if that rumour about the fast train stopping in Belleville to transport Toronto commuters was true? Sure, it would. It may even happen, and won’t we all be so grateful to have all that big money from the Big Smoke dressing up our Victorian homes and adding fancy wings onto our hospital and schools.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to walking the beat of my misspent youth, checking out Corby Park to see if the teenagers are still necking near the rosebushes and listening for church bells on Sunday afternoons. And the improvements over the last 30 years won’t be lost on me, either. No more worrying about trying to look the right age to see ‘The Exorcist’ at the Belle Theatre, but I will appreciate the markedly better entertainment being offered at the Empire Theatre. I will miss hours of coffee and cigarettes at the Belmont and the Bamboo Terrace but will be more than happy to sample that ‘new’ French restaurant, take in a little Thai, and stop for wine at Paulo’s. And although I may not venture across the footbridge late at night, I do plan to check out the wildlife and read the plaques as I straggle behind my poorly trained pups along the Bayshore Trail. It’s going to be great.

Trying on different houses in different places is fun but nothing really replaces where you’re from. If you can remember that homesick feeling that sometimes struck when you stayed over at a cool friend’s house when you were a kid, then you know how significant home can be.

It’s just in us.

Going back this many years later requires a certain quirky perspective. Remembering what was, and ignoring what isn’t. Like an aging movie star who continues to believe she is still beautiful through the gauzed camera lens, Belleville will always look the way I want it to.

Belleville is home.

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The best of beef Tips for making the most of your meat

By John Hopkins

Almost everybody enjoys a nice barbequed steak in the summer, right? But how much do you consider the cut of beef you’re buying, or where it comes from? A few simple tips or suggestions can help enliven your summer grilling experience.

If you have any questions about meat, the obvious person to ask is a butcher, so we enlisted the help of Dwayne Wingett from The Red Steer Butcher Shop in L’Amable and Paul Boyd from Gilmour’s Meat Shop and Deli in Rossmore for their insight.

“Usually if the word ‘rib,’ ‘loin’ or ‘strip’ is in the name it will make a great steak,” says Boyd. “The most popular steaks are rib eye, strip loin and t-bone. The t-bone comes from both the short loin and the tenderloin, the rib eye comes from the rib primal cut and the strip loin comes from the short loin.”

Another popular cut, Wingett says, is the flank steak. These very lean steaks are excellent marinated and then grilled on the barbeque.

If you’re looking for roasts, Wingett says prime rib roasts are the most popular, especially done on a spit on the BBQ. Another factor to consider when beef shopping is the grade of meat. In Canada there are 13 beef grades but the ones we’re really concerned with are Prime, AAA, AA and A. According to canadabeef.ca, these four grades represented 88 percent of all graded beef

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in 2008. The real distinction in these four grades is the amount of marbling in the meat.

“Marbling is the little flecks of fat that naturally occur within the meat,” Boyd explains. “The more marbling the more flavour.”

Grade A meat contains “trace” amounts of marbling while Prime has what is described as “slightly abundant” marbling, according to Canada Beef Inc. Aging also has an impact in flavour, and while big grocery stores offer great convenience and selection, they may not be able to match your local butcher in terms of aging.

“Aging gives a chance for the acid in the feed to work on the beef, that gives it better flavour,” Wingett explains. “My beef is aged 21 days but your chances of getting that in a chain store are slim to none.”

We have only taken a small slice out of the beef barbequing topic here, but hopefully it gives you a good start. For more info talk to your local butcher, or visit www. canadabeef.ca or www.beefinfo.org.

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 19

A Taste of home Cheddar & Ale Trail offers the best of Hastings

By Angela Hawn No road trip along the Cheddar & Ale Trail would be complete without a sampling of cheese curds. While the experts say it’s best to enjoy curds right after they’re made, a little aging is OK for poutine recipes.

Photo courtesy Bay of Quinte Tourist Council

W

hile pitching story ideas back and forth via email with my editor/publisher/friend and erstwhile socializing buddy, inspiration struck. How about an article on something everybody loves?

Think food and drink.

“Did you know Quinte region has a Cheddar & Ale Trail?” Nancy inquired coyly (and yes, dear reader, it is possible to strike a coy tone via the printed word.) “What do you think?”

“You had me at cheddar,” I typed, “but the beer part sounds good, too.”

Later, when the discussion evolved to actual facetime, both husbands began throwing in their own two cents.

“Road trip!” suggested John.

“Sounds good,” agreed Mike, “Who’s the designated driver?” Ah, my husband, always the practical one.

“And we need a couple more people,” Nancy put in, tossing out the names of various dairy and hopsloving friends. “How about Jay and Tanya?”

“Sounds good,” Mike said again. “Maybe one of them will want to drive.”

Calendars were consulted, a route planned, taste buds primed. The challenge: start with the cheese makers and breweries closest to our departure point (Stirling) and get through as many as possible in one Saturday. The dilemma: who the heck would be

20 I

Country Roads • Summer 2014

DD? No volunteers seemed to be leaping forward with any kind of enthusiasm. The solution: how does conscription sound?

First the cheese.....

With Mike at the wheel, our convoy set off, sights locked on dairy. Looking for some mozzarella, a chunk of marble or possibly a little Colby?

What, too pedestrian for you? Perhaps you’d rather sink your teeth into something slightly more avant garde. Consider smoked gouda or, heading somewhat further afield, some salsa or horseradish-flavoured cheese. Seekers of both the traditional and the groundbreakingly new rest assured: satisfaction for all palates awaits at various cheese outlets along the Cheddar & Ale Trail.

And for good reason. According to the Bay of Quinte Region’s publicity, seven of the 15 finalists in the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix were from producers on the Chedder & Ale Trail. So if you do the math, that means the remaining eight spots were shared by the rest of Canada.

First stop: Ivanhoe Cheese Factory. Around since 1870, this artisan cheese producer started out as part of a dairy cooperative, focusing on aged cheddar for both domestic and export markets for over a century before going private and expanding its product line to include a wide variety of specialty cheeses.

In 2008, the business came full circle to rejoin its cooperative roots when it joined Gay Lea Foods,

currently Ontario’s largest dairy cooperative.

Charming cheese enthusiast Liam Wood showed us around the shop, encouraging everyone to try several nibbles from two heaping sample trays. A fount of cheese information, part-time Ivanhoe worker and full-time high school student, Wood claimed the ability to identify blindfolded any of Ivanhoe’s many flavours simply through tasting, a handy talent for someone who aspires to make cheese his future career. And there’s a lot to choose from: farmer’s, feta, smoked cheddar and more. Ivanhoe even makes and packages kosher and halal cheeses.

Appetites temporarily sated, six eager cheese tasters crowded around the production window at the rear of the store as Liam regaled us with Ivanhoe trivia, including the fact the business supplies the cheese filling inside Tim Horton’s breakfast sandwiches. Though you’ll have to visit during the week to view cheese-making in action, even a peek at Ivanhoe’s unmanned equipment proved pretty interesting and staff happily answer any and all questions.

Manager Amanda Downey showed off the outfits cheese makers must wear when working beyond the glass, all while dispensing a little cheese curd advice.

It’s best to eat these squeaky unaged nuggets right after they’re made. However, poutine lovers take note: a little shelf-time improves the curds’ “meltability” factor if you’re looking for that ooey-gooey heart-stopping goodness.

Road trip raves

By Angela Hawn

Maple Dale’s Gloria Golden cuts into the “private stock” three- and six-year-old cheddars, highly recommended for cheese enthusiasts.

Photo by Angela Hawn

“When people ask what to recommend, it’s hard,” Amanda claimed, glancing around at Ivanhoe’s wide selection. “Really, the answer is it’s all of it, they’re all good, but some of the most popular is our Vintage or the Horseradish.”

It’s tough to leave all that delicious cheese behind when we’ve barely made a dent in Ivanhoe’s generous sample trays, but time stops for no cheese taster.

With intentions to return in future and check out the “seconds” bin where perfectly tasty ends of cheese sell for bargain prices, the expedition headed to Maple Dale, about 15 minutes east on Highway 37.

Inside the store an extensive selection of cheeses awaited. Without hesitation, the group proceeded to dive into a variety of flavoured cheddars, ranging from chipotle pepper to pesto. And we weren’t the only ones. Between munches we overheard one customer extol the virtues of Maple Dale’s blue cheese: apparently, the creamiest she had ever tasted. Several members of our road trip immediately dug in and came to the same conclusion.

While staffer Gloria Golden obligingly cut into some “private stock” (three- and six-year-old cheddars available only on site), her colleague Michealea Stewart bustled over to the bulletin board to check out some facts on Maple Dale’s prize-winning history. She pointed out a newspaper article outlining Maple Dale’s most recent award: 2013 Grand Prix Cheese winner for its medium cheddar, aged four to nine months.

Not a surprising feat for a family-run business which got its start in the 1880’s much as Ivanhoe did, as part of a dairy cooperative. Over time the op-

eration has grown to accommodate a 40,000 square foot plant, including offices, the retail store and of course, the cheese production area where fourth generation artisan cheese maker Wayne Lain oversees the making of approximately one million kilograms of cheese per year.

“Everything is good,” acknowledged Gloria, “but what I eat myself and what I would personally recommend are the 10-year-old and two-year-old wedges. They’re fabulous.”

With that in mind, the group started thinking about cheese destination number three: Empire Cheese and Butter Co-op, just over the Hastings/Northumberland border on the Campbellford Road. The only cheese plant operating in Northumberland County and the first one road trippers hit driving east from Toronto, Empire takes well-earned pride in its long history. In the business for 135 years, this cheesemaking establishment holds a yearly election to choose a board of directors.

Well-known for its success at Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair, Empire took first place at last year’s competition for both its mild and extra old cheddars. Cheese connoisseurs will want to check out both current prize winners, as well as a slew of other products sure to win over all tastebuds.

Cheddars range from mild (aged from one to two weeks) to four years old, and come in a variety of specialty flavours. Caramelized Onion holds special status as the only one of its kind available locally.

And mozzarella fans can check out a wild array of choices, running the gamut from black pepper to jalapeno with red chiles.

When asked what our favourite cheeses and beers were, each road tripper would invariably start with “Well, everything’s good, but...”

However, when pushed, each couple came up with a few particularly delicious highlights from the Quinte Region Cheddar & Ale Trail they’re sure to seek out in future.

John and Nancy went on and on about Ivanhoe’s aged cheddars, Maple Dale’s flavoured curds (especially the garlic) and Empire’s award winners. In regards to beer, Nancy favoured Gateway’s Pale Ale while John went Full Nelson. Church-Key’s Norththumberland garnered rave reviews from both.

Mike and Angela couldn’t get enough of both Ivanhoe’s Salsa and Swiss, Maple Dale’s chipotle Pepper Cheddar and Empire’s Caramelized Onion. Gateway’s Full Nelson hit heavy with both while Church-Key’s West Coast Pale and Northumberland ales won permanent places on their “must have” beer list.

Jay and Tanya absolutely loved Ivanhoe’s Swiss, as well as their medium cheddar (they consume the latter at home regularly), Maple Dale’s three-year-old Private Stock and, much to onion-hating Jay’s surprise, Empire’s Caramelized Onion. At Gateway, they quickly became fans of both the Full Nelson and Chris Greasley’s wonderful cranberry flavoured ale.

Church-Key prompted “ooohs and ahhhs” with Holy Smoke and Northumberland.

All agree they hope to visit the store at Lori and Martin’s Buffalo farm as soon as it opens.

Mmmm, good!

Ivanhoe’s Amanda Downey (l), Liam Wood (c) and Kelly Spencer (r) show off some of their store’s selection. Like many area cheese producers, Ivanhoe got its start as a co-op in the late 19th century.

Photo by John Hopkins

Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 21

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Country Roads • Summer 2014

Our Cheddar & Ale Trail road trippers were impressed with the hands-on brewing approach demonstrated at ChurchKey Brewery.

Photo by John Hopkins

“They’re all so good,” exclaimed Empire’s Vicki McMillan, “but the Caramelized Onion is made with our award winning cheddar and our curd is topnotch, too. It’s delicious and it’s used for everything, from chip trucks to consumers looking for a quick snack.”

Last but not least, we headed for our final cheese producer, leaving behind products of the cow’s milk variety and preparing to try some originating with the Water Buffalo. Unfortunately for our eager tasting party, amiable owner Lori Smith would have loved to show off the farm’s wares, but had absolutely nothing available for tasting that day. She encouraged a return visit in the near future when she and partner Martin Littkemann plan to open a shop right beside their house on Highway 14, just north of Stirling.

Expect to be drawn quickly into friendly conversation revolving around their beloved buffalo herd, the first milking herd in eastern Ontario and one of two in all of Canada. Looking to do something a little different, they toured buffalo farms in Italy several years ago before deciding to purchase 40 Italianbred buffalo. Next came 10 Bulgarian buffalo from a farm in British Columbia and current numbers run upwards of 200.

Rich in fat and protein, much of Lori and Martin’s Buffalo milk winds up in the hands of the Borgo family at Vaughn’s Quality Cheese. Look forward to trying authentic Mozzarella di Bufala as well as ricotta and smoked Scarmoze, knowing the main ingredient originated right here in Hastings County.

Those with a yen for Water Buffalo products take note: Martin and Lori officially welcome farm visitors by appointment only and generally between May and October. To avoid disappointment and halt cravings for Water Buffalo products in their tracks, phone ahead or contact them via their website.

And then, the beer....

In the interests of full disclosure, we did not leave the breweries until the end of the road trip. But for

the purposes of organizing this article, it just made more sense to write it this way. For the curious, we recommend doing exactly what we did: cheese, cheese, beer, lunch, more beer and ending with cheese; delicious, palate cleansing and designed with designated drivers in mind.

Our first beer destination took the tour to Gateway Breweries in Trenton, where owners Matt and Kate Cottrell set up shop three summers ago, though the two have been in charge of making delicious malt and hops beverages since 2006. Although Matt admits operating a small business always carries the usual challenges, including finding money for expansion, he credits the surrounding community for its ongoing support.

“We’ve had good success here,” he reports, noting customers particularly enjoy Gateway’s popular Pale Ale, coincidentally his own favourite. “We get a lot of tourist traffic.”

As soon as we walked in the door, brewmaster Chris Greaseley and part-time staffer Nathan Card started setting up a series of brew samples along the six-stool bar. The group partook with enthusiasm in some of the owner’s personal recommendation, as well as the Blonde, the Full Nelson, and a “one-off” Cranberry flavoured ale dreamed up by Chris when he lucked into 75 kilos of cranberries.

“You can pretty much put anything into beer,” he assured his audience with a knowing smile, pouring out shots of this unique, but, lovely brew.

With a background in chemistry and a strong affection for beer, Chris has certainly found the perfect job. Taking pride in both the brewery’s delicious stock ales, as well as their occasional, seasonal offerings, he pointed out Gateway boasts a twin business right next door. Loyalist Brews allows customers to make, bottle and take home cases of their own beer.

A couple of Gateway Growlers (1.9 litre novelty jugs) in tow, our group hit the open road once again,

Brewmaster Chris Greaseley (l) and staffer Nathan Card (r) bring a great deal of enthusiasm to their positions with the Gateway Brewing Company.

Photo by Angela Hawn

hoping to spend a little time inside a church. Where better to pay homage to beer than the interior of a renovated place of worship? Looking to sample a little more beer, we eagerly anticipated a visit to Church-Key Brewery, located in an old Methodist church (circa 1878), just outside Campbellford.

Church-Key staffer D.J. Dunsford greeted us at the door, inviting us in for a tour and set of tastings. Originally introduced to the microbrewery on a painting contract several years back, D.J. quickly discovered a personal fascination for the brew-making process and ended up staying on to help produce and sell the stuff.

Guiding us through the brewery beyond the tasting room up front, D.J. rhymed off enough beer facts and figures to make our heads spin. Make sure you ask about the three-spouted bottling system requiring three individuals working consecutive eight-hour shifts once a vat of beer is ready to go.

“In my opinion, what sets us apart from the big beer makers is the quality of the beer,” claimed D.J. “They do everything automated and we’re hands-on.

I stir the beer with a paddle. We’re right in there.”

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When D.J. left to serve some new customers just entering the premises, the road trip crew followed, anxious to try out some Church-Key brews. Northumberland, West Coast Pale, Irish Red, all ales on offer went down quite smoothly, including the truly unusual Holy Smoke Scotch Ale, whose smoky quality derives from roasting 10 percent of its malt over a peat fire.

With one last look round and a little beer purchased, our tired group made for the door. In a little over seven hours on a Saturday, we managed to hit six wonderful places on the Quinte Cheddar & Ale Trail, but headed for home knowing the journey was far from complete.

Five more destinations await, most in Prince Edward County to the south and one just slightly east in Odessa. All road trippers agree: time must be set aside in the near future to sample the cheese at both Black River and Wilton, sip cider at The County Cider Company and Bergeron Estate Winery and indulge in a little beer at Barley Days Brewery.

“We take great pride in making cheese the old fashioned way,” assured Dave Larkin of Wilton

25 Years of Excellence

Empire Cheese & Butter Co-op’s Vicki McMillan extols the virtues of their Caramelized Onion flavoured cheddar, a hit with even the non-onion lovers in the crowd!

Photo by John Hopkins

Cheese, noting the factory in Odessa is well worth a future visit. “You’ll taste the difference with the first bite and if you come early enough, you can see the curd being made through our window in the store.”

Yum! Sounds like a plan. Is it time to start consulting calendars once again? Hmm, maybe let me put my feet up for a while, nibble on some cheddar, drink a little ale and I’ll get back to you with some dates.

•

The Bay of Quinte R ­ egion Cheddar & Ale Trail is an initiative of the Bay of Quinte Tourist ­Council. Look for the Map & Guide throughout the Bay of Quinte ­Region, or for more information visit www.tourism.bayofquinte.ca.

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 23

Buzz over Bancroft

Wheels, Water & Wings an ideal summer starter

By John Hopkins

Freddy Vette & The Flames highlight Friday evening’s entertainment on the Scotiabank Stage in downtown Bancroft.

The Fly-In at Jack Brown Airport is a Sunday morning highlight of the Bancroft Wheels, Water & Wings event, but airplanes might make appearances at other venues as well!

Photo courtesy Bancroft BIA

Photo courtesy Bancroft BIA

Things can get pretty crazy in downtown renowned one-man circus who holds a Bancroft on a summer Friday night, but Guinness World Record for his juggling an airplane on Hastings Street? feats.

It wasn’t some poor weekend cottager There will also be musical entertaintrying to find Jack Brown Airport, or an ment to suit all tastes. In the afternoon unfortunate soul rushing to get to the bank the Northern Lights Street Orchestra perbefore it closed. The plane was just one forms after being a big hit at last year’s of the attractions on the opening night of event, while on Saturday night the ScoWheels, Water & Wings, which is rapidly tiabank Stage is headlined by Montana becoming known as the summer kick-off Sky, a country/southern band based out for the Bancroft community. of Lindsay.

The event is back for a third year, runOn Sunday Bancroft residents are enning over the weekend of July 4-6, and as couraged to look to the sky. The day bewell as some traditional favourites new gins with a Fly-in Pancake Breakfast at attractions and activities are planned as Jack Brown Airport, which runs from the event grows in popularity.

8:00-11:00. Visitors to the airport can “The whole thing really started with take a tour and look at the planes on the Mike McCaskie of McCaskie’s TV & ground, and throughout the weekend On Friday night expect to see Hastings Street jammed with visitors taking in the Stereo,” explains Chris Drost, executive there will be airplane rides for hire. classic cars on display. director with the Bancroft Business Im“Last year we served around 550 panPhoto by Calan Eastman provement Association. “He wanted to cake breakfasts despite the rain,” says bring the classic cars into downtown BanDrost, “so if the weather’s good this time croft and it really grew from there. It’s quite a full If Friday night is all about the wheels, then Saturwe’re going to have a very tired pancake flipper.” weekend and we’re trying to make it a signature day focuses on the water. A new event this year will These are just some of the highlights for this event for the community.” be the Amazing York River Race, in which teams year’s Wheels, Water & Wings. For a full line-up Once again the Friday night highlight will of two people will take part in a race and treasure and more information go to www.beautifulbanbe the event that started it all, the Vintage Car hunt on the York River. Proceeds from this event croft.ca.

Show & Classic Military Vehicles display, which will go to support the building of a sustainable can“We’ve had tremendous support from the busikicks off on Hastings St. at 6:00 p.m. Despite the teen and equipment rental centre in Riverside Park. ness community and we brought out a lot of visitors threat of rain last year Drost says around 100 cars Other Saturday features include the Hot on Hastlast year,” Drost says, pointing out that the event showed up for the Friday evening festivities and ings Street Party & Sale, which will run from 9:00 was named ‘Hastings County Event Of The Year’ about 2,500 visitors packed the downtown to enin the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. in 2013. “It had a really nice feel to it last year. joy the atmosphere.

“Hastings Street will be closed and the businessThere was a lot to do and it felt like a great way to In addition to the cars there will be a midway, es along the street will spill out onto the sidewalk, kick off the summer. We hope to keep building it.” food vendors – including a BBQ put on by the local and we’ll have other businesses come into town And if the food, cars, midway, music and other fire department – and live music. The main music as well,” Drost explains. “It will be a real street entertainers aren’t enough to get you excited about attraction will be Freddy Vette & The Flames, who mall effect.”

Wheels, Water & Wings, ask yourself this: When will be performing on the Scotiabank Stage startThe afternoon’s activities will also feature perelse are you going to see an airplane parked in the ing at 8:00 p.m. formances by Circus Jonathan, an internationallymiddle of downtown Bancroft?

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Country Roads • Summer 2014

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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ARTISANS AT HAND

Creatures great and small Catherine Wilson carves out a reputation STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHARON HENDERSON

Catherine Wilson has a way with wood. The North Hastings artist has shown a flair for carving with a variety of tools to create everything from small birds to life size bears. From humble beginnings she has progressively added to her skill set, and her creations appeal to children and adults alike.

Would you describe in detail what you do for those unacquainted with your work?

I am a wood carver. I use knives, chisels, a Ram, chainsaws, grinders and sanders, etc. I carve small humming birds to 6-foot bears in pine, basswood and cedar. The small pieces are done with kiln dried basswood. For the big chainsaw pieces I decide what size I need and go cut down a tree and carve it green. Lately I’ve been doing bark carving and willow chairs.

How does a chunk of wood become a piece of art?

I have no idea. I see the log and later it’s a bear or heron or rabbit, and I think “Wow, where did that come from?” I become so involved I don’t think, I just do it.

What attracted you to this field of ­expression?

I’ve worked with wood all my life. I started with renovating houses, then built houses, then furniture. In 1980 I had a jack knife and a piece of wood and fell in love with carving.

Did you always know you would be creating art?

No, I still don’t know I create art. I just carve stuff.

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How did you learn your craft? Do you have any formal training?

Do you treat your creations with a ­preservative?

Yes, I apprenticed with a world class miniature bird carver, Jan Fitch in the early 1990’s. She taught me the importance of looking and seeing, to know there is something not right and what to do to fix it. And so much more.

They get two coats of sanding sealer and two coats of spar varnish.

How long have you been cultivating this talent and how has your work evolved?

I started with miniature ducks and song birds.

People could say ‘that’s not right’, they judge the birds, a bird is either right or wrong. So I started doing faces - wizards, gnomes etc.; there is no right or wrong with them. I still do birds, but I don’t paint them, just burn the feather on.

They are done so they look and feel right to me.

I started doing small things, then three years ago I took a one-day chainsaw carving course with Robin Deruchie of Wolf Creek Carvings. It was just for fun, it was something so wild, using a chainsaw to carve. It opened up all kinds of new and liberating things. Big carvings, things I couldn’t do with knives.

How do you obtain your wood?

I have nothing but cedar on my land, which is great. Friends give me pine and basswood, which I appreciate. Every time I walk in the woods I look for interesting pieces.

What do you enjoy most about carving?

The feeling when I’m finished, knowing I did that.

When do you do your best work?

When I have several days off work, when I can become immersed in my work.

Have you received any awards or distinctions for your work?

I’ve never entered a contest. My reward is when someone says, “I’d like to buy that.”

What is the most memorable ­compliment you have received ­regarding your work?

When I do a show I sit with my knives and chisels and carve small wizards. The kids come and watch. The look on their faces is priceless. Then I sell the piece for $5. They sell as fast as I can make them. You can’t fool kids.

What wisdom do you possess that might be useful for those interested in pursuing a vocation in quality ­craftsmanship?

Be safe. Be careful. Be mindful of the forest when cutting trees. Be true to the work and don’t cut corners. Go for it.

How can people access the fruits of your labour?

I have a small store at my house, 6533 Old Hastings Road (9km north of Millbridge off Hwy 62, 40km north of Madoc). I’m open every Sunday and every second Saturday May until Oct. (except Aug. 2-3 I’ll be in Bancroft at the Art and Craft Show) or by appointment. Also at Tinhouse Woodworking, 2358 Hwy 620 Coe Hill, www.tinhousewoodworking.com. Text me if you want at 613-922-6592.

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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T $hopping spree Thank goodness for thrift stores Story and photos by Sharon Henderson

ry to deny it, but as participants in this culture we live to shop. We love finding jeans that fit just right or accents that perfectly match our decor and we love getting a great deal. We love searching for and finding unique styles and rare gems at cozy community thrift stores, especially when they are run by warm hearted volunteers who give 100 percent of their profits to charity.

Instead of simply being in the business of making money, community thrift stores look to provide exceptional benefit to the community in order to be successful. They are embodiments of the greater good. They are great places to find incredibly affordable clothing and household items, the profits from shop sales help financially sustain local charities, and these stores even do a service to the environment by keeping mountains of discarded items out of dumps and moving them into the hands of people who reuse them. Hastings County hosts a number of community-minded thrift stores in places like Bancroft, Belleville, Coe Hill, Madoc, Stirling and Tweed.

Tanya Eybel, a Grade 3 teacher in Belleville, says she usually leaves a thrift store “with at least one item that I feel extremely excited about.

Some great finds have been a 12-cup stoneware muffin pan from Pampered Chef and two vintage hanging lamps. However, I often find beautiful dresses, sweaters, coats and jackets, skirts, scarves, and handbags. I am always on the lookout for beautifully coloured dishes and board games for my students at school.

“When you shop at traditional clothing and department stores, you are limited to colours and styles of the season, however, at a thrift shop you are not since the items at these types of stores are from different years, and possibly decades, which provides the shopper with a vast amount of clothing styles and colours to choose from.

Thrift store shopping requires effort. You need to search through each item one at a time and, after doing so, your effort may produce some ‘unique finds’.”

Children’s sports gear is among the items in high demand at thrift stores.

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Plan to spend some time while shopping at a thrift store. ­Hidden gems could be tucked away anywhere!

Choices Thrift and Gift Shop, located at 22 Bridge Street West in Bancroft, was established by Verna Wallace, Donna Norris and Ramona Hawley.

With no paid employees, the 29 volunteers elect a board of directors from amongst themselves every two years. This committee voices concerns, makes decisions for the store, and reviews requests from the community for donations. There is often a donation goal at Choices, like the $46,000 bariatric bed they have committed to funding for the Quinte Health Care North Hastings Hospital. Since opening in 1991, they have provided funds upward of $680,000 to health services in the Bancroft community. As a registered charity, the store proudly posts donation totals on a big sign at the front door.

This store accepts donations of gently used clothing, linens, accessories, toys, DVDs, tapes and books. They give what they can’t use to the Wilberforce Clothing Outreach. What can’t be used for anything else is reduced to rags for mechanical shops. Choices advertises without spending a dime.

Its Facebook page uses social media marketing; its loyal customers promote the store with pro-consumer, word-of-mouth marketing; and passers-by are drawn in with catchy window displays that are changed weekly.

Stephanie Henderson fell in love with thrift stores as a young girl. She visits Choices once a week, shopping for herself and her friends. One friend in Toronto has complimented her on her

How to shop at a thrift store • Stop in often. Thrift stores stock their shelves with fresh donations daily.

• Plan to be there a while. Meticulous thrift store shopping takes time.

• Be open to what will be there. You never know what you will find.

• Be adventurous and dive in. Stand on your tip toes to look on top shelves, crouch down to see on low racks, delve deep in bins, and really look through the racks. Sometimes gems are hidden away.

• Look in sections you wouldn’t normally venture into. Things aren’t always where they should be.

• Be creative. Clothing can be altered, wood can be sanded and stained, furniture can be reupholstered.

• Get crafty. Look for raw materials for DIY projects.

• Know yourself. Don’t buy things you aren’t going to wear or use.

• Make friends with staff. Volunteers see the goods firsthand, keep a loose inventory of items in their heads, and know about current and upcoming sales.

• Thoroughly inspect everything you intend to purchase. Ask for access to a plug to test electronics; sit in a chair on a level surface; look at CDs, DVDs, and records for scratches; flip through books for missing pages and musty smells; try on and scrutinize clothing and shoes.

• If you feel like you are getting away with a crime when you see the total, give more and ask that it be put toward the charitable fund or the volunteers’ snack break fund.

• Don’t be too disappointed if you find a flaw with something once you get it home, you probably paid next to nothing for it anyway.

• Disinfect items. In order to ensure that fabrics are clean, wash them in hot water or heat them in a hot dryer. Sterilize things like earrings in rubbing alcohol.

• Donate more items than you buy. Consider a system like five or 10 items out for every one item in. Not only will your home space be less cluttered, you will feel good about the action.

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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Why do people volunteer at thrift stores?

By Sharon Henderson

At your service – Madoc Thrift Store volunteers (from l to r) Anne Nickerson, Marnie Horton, Judy Beaton, Lynn Frost and Marjorie Madill are always ready to put a smile on a customer’s face.

As a culture we live to shop, and thrift stores offer a diverse selection of styles, sizes and colours to choose from. What’s more, anything can be had at a good price and purchases often support the community.

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In the back of the Madoc Thrift Store, volunteers stand around a table chatting and laughing and sorting through bags upon bags of donations. Then, with their arms full, they pass through a thick curtain and bustle from rack to shelf to bin, putting fresh items out into the shop.

Volunteers cull and categorize donations of used goods, stock shelves, assist customers, conduct transactions, and tidy and clean the store. Many like to shop, for what they can, nearly exclusively at their thrift store. They come in when scheduled as well as when an extra hand is needed. Many thrift store volunteers also devote time to other local charities. Some volunteer with multiple thrift stores.

Anyone who has visited the Madoc Thrift Store on a day when Judy Beaton is in knows that she likes to make customers smile.

“When you volunteer, you get back what you put into the public,” she explains. It is her personal mission to make a heartening breakthrough with every customer, even if it takes weeks.

Anne Nickerson, who handles the boutique at the Madoc Thrift Store, is a ‘people person’ who likes to help others in the community. She has a great time at the store and enjoys being in the company of a “good bunch of girls.”

Bonnie Murdock, who was the first volunteer at Choices in Bancroft, enjoyed the work so much that she kept with it until her 97th year. She was happy to be able to “help where help was needed.”

When Mary Lou Gerow moved to the Bancroft area, she wanted to get involved with the community and get to know the people. She started volunteering with Choices and within a few years she became the treasurer. She met her best friend, fellow Choices volunteer Shirley Parks, at the thrift store. She says that the volunteers get along extremely well.

“It is like a little, close-knit family,” she says. “Everybody helps everybody else out. We have fun and it just feels good to know that while we are having a great time we are helping our community by providing affordable, beautiful clothing for them and supporting our community through our donations for much needed services.”

The leagues of volunteers that build the foundations of these neighbourly establishments chose to commit time and energy to this form of charity for myriad reasons including altruism, activity, and sociability. Appearing week after week at a job that offers no remuneration takes devotion. It requires companionable coworkers, enjoyable labour, and a benefit worth bestowing on others.

“They see the difference their efforts make in the communities we serve,” says Pat Dobb, executive director of Community Care for Central Hastings.

It is very likely that the volunteers, people they know, and even the readers of this article will make use of community programs and services. They may someday access a food bank, need help getting to cancer treatments, get assistance to stay in the comfort of their homes, or find themselves pleasantly occupied while living in a retirement home. Charitable thrift stores make much of this possible by giving substantially to our communities.

A registered charity, Choices in Bancroft proudly posts donation totals on a big sign at the front door.

Customer Berna Davis completes a purchase with volunteer Mary Lou Gerow at Choices in Bancroft. Gerow started volunteering at the store when she moved to Bancroft as a way to get involved with the community and get to know people.

clothes regularly. She shares her secret: a little charity shop in Bancroft.

The Madoc Thrift Store sits inconspicuously at 35 St. Lawrence Street West in Madoc. It began in 1980 as Evelyn Rollin-Taylor and Mari-

on Masters’ dream. Marjorie Madill, the store’s manager, attributes the success of this thrift store to its supporters: the people who donate the large quantity of saleable items, the faithful customers, and the dedicated volunteer team. The volunteer

roster ranges from 12 to 20 and they are always looking for more to help manage the sizeable store. This location has an additional shop that houses a boutique offering the finest donations and a seasonal Christmas room.

The Madoc Thrift Store is overseen by Centre Hastings Support and Education Inc., which is directed by a board of civic-minded individuals.

They hire the coordinator and bookkeeper, pay operating expenses, and distribute profits to approved community organizations. Among others, the Madoc Thrift Store has given funds to Three Oaks Shelter and Services, Central Hastings Support Network’s Madoc Food Bank, Heart of Hastings Hospice, Centre Hastings People Helping People, Anchor of Hope Pregnancy and Family Care Centre, and Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation’s Breakfast For Learning.

A regular shopper at the Madoc Thrift Store, Marie Lake really enjoys the friendly atmosphere

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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Volunteers Marjorie Madill, Lynn Frost and Marnie Horton sort through donations at the Madoc Thrift Store. Fundraising effectiveness is increased when good quality items are donated to stores.

and says, “Going to browse is a great escape. You never know what you are going to find.”

Situated at 332 Victoria Street North in Tweed, Hidden Treasures operates solely to contribute funding to Community Care for Central Hastings. This charity provides programs and services for seniors and adults with physical disabilities from the Township of Stirling-Rawdon to the Municipality of Tweed, Tudor and Cashel Township to the Municipality of Marmora and Lake. The store was opened in 2002 and operates with a manager and 13 volunteers.

“We always make sure that items work or are in good condition,” says Pat Dobb, executive director of Community Care for Central Hastings.

“We take great pride when a customer comes in and comments on the clean smell and the variety of items that are displayed. Over the years, we have developed a reputation of a high quality and friendly store to shop at.”

It is worth noting that, unlike many other thrift stores, Hidden Treasures accepts donations of and offers furniture for sale.

Community thrift stores may seem like they should have very few expenses, but operating costs add up. The typical overhead, like building rental, hydro, business telephone rates, display fixtures, disposal of garbage, and, in some cases, employment of staff, applies to charitable thrift stores. In an ideal world retail spaces would be provided free of cost, phone compa-

nies would offer non-profit packages, racks and shelves would be passed on free-of-charge, and only saleable items would be donated.

Fundraising effectiveness is increased when good quality items are donated to these thrift stores. Donations should be free of unpleasant odours and in good repair. Unfaded, stain-free, clean linens and clothing with unbroken threads and smooth working zippers are welcomed. Volunteers do not want to spend their days sorting through mountains of mouldy clothes and used Christmas cards. They would love to provide customers with more of what is often asked for, but they can only stock what is donated. Leather jackets, yoga wear, water shoes, nearly-new bathing suits, full sets of dishes, and children’s sports gear are in demand. Thrift stores see an increase in sales before seasonal changes, for back to school, at Hallowe’en, around Christmas, and during the warm touristy months of summer. Donating seasonally appropriate items saves volunteers from having to box up items for a later date.

Thrift stores conscientiously keep money within a community, giving it where it is needed to charities that guarantee local assistance. Supporting a community thrift store is supporting your community.

•

Bancroft Theatre District

Bancroft Summer Theatre Who would have thought that Bancroft could support a season of summer theatre. This vibrant town has been hosting live theatre for 22 years at the Village Playhouse. It all started as the dream child of a band of thespians in the 1980’s who produced theatre in a local barn. When the current venue ceased to serve as the town hall and jail house, the building was donated to St. Paul’s Church which then offered to maintain it under the auspices of an operations committee. This committee devotes hundreds of hours to the building’s upkeep and its inner workings, including space rentals for Bancroft Summer Theatre.

This 23rd season of live theatre kicks off on Canada Day with one of the funniest plays ever written about the theatre. Noises Off, written by Michael Frayn, is about a troupe of manic misfits that unite to perform Nothing On, a sex farce stuffed with doors, mistaken identities and sardines—but the drama backstage is even more entertaining than the comedy on stage.

This season’s second show, written by Ken Cameron is called Harvest. This production opens on July 29. It’s a bittersweet comedy based on a true story about the playwright’s lovingly-quarrelsome parents as they retire, rent the family farm and move to the city. What ensues is a poignant and very funny story that ultimately brings the couple closer together and takes a sobering look at the state of agriculture and independent farming in Canada.

Both shows will run for three weeks from Tuesday to Saturday. This makes for a great season that draws thousands of cottagers and locals to the theatre district at the height of summer. Many of these theatre patrons enjoy a fine meal at a local restaurant prior to a show and take in the sights of this great little neighbourhood. We hope you will.

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads I

33

C r o s s r o a d s

Remembering Henry Taylor Bancroft’s Citizen of the Century

By Barry Penhale

Henry Taylor was in his mid-to-upper 90s when this photo was taken. He was part of a reunion for those surviving park rangers to have trained at the first ranger school when it was located just north of Carnarvon, Ont. The school was later moved to its permanent site on St. Nora Lake.

Photographer unknown

H

enry Taylor was a mere 95 years of age when he was honoured in a ceremony held at the municipal chambers in L’Amable in November, 1999. The event was, as reported by local journalist Connie White, a relatively quiet affair, which would not be a surprise to anyone at all familiar with Henry. One can easily imagine his delight coupled with astonishment when Bancroft Mayor Lloyd Church proclaimed Taylor to be Bancroft’s Citizen of the Century.

This was certainly one of those times when a municipality got it right. In honouring Taylor, the citizenry had singled out one of the finest and most modest of the Madawaska Valley’s native sons — a completely selfless individual totally in sync with the world of nature he loved and knew so well.

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Taylor was the youngest of 10 children and, as was the case with his brothers and sisters, he arrived in this world with a grandmother serving as mid-wife. Home for the pioneering Taylor family was a hand-hewn log house in the Conroy March.

The kid in the Taylor family, Henry greatly admired older brothers Jim and Bob, and in many ways followed in their footsteps. All three were true sons of the forests. Jim worked in lumber camps along the Madawaska River, starting at age 15 and working his way up to becoming a much respected foreman, while Bob’s introduction to the life of a “shanty man” began at age 16, cutting trails through the dense bush. One summer early in his own bush days, Henry Taylor made it possible for brother Jim to join the J & L McCrae Lumber Company in Algonquin Park by replacing him as an observer on the Raglan Tower.

This was the beginning of Henry’s 42 years and 19 days association with the then Ontario Department of Lands and Forests, later known as the Ministry of Natural Resources. When he began work in North Hastings on Sept. 1, 1927 it was, as Henry was later to recall, the Model T Fordand-canoe era in fire-ranging. For some time he practically lived inside canvas-covered freighting canoes, standard transportation for fire-fighting rangers of the time. Over the years Henry would often wistfully recall the life of what he playfully called that of a “Model-T Ranger.” Chasing fires in a 1914 Model T was the order of the day when not paddling either a government canoe or one of his own making. His personal favourite was a canoe he built in 1932.

Canoes always played a huge role in Henry’s long and, indeed, quite extraordinary life. As a canoe builder his skill was of the highest level and he was known to have built several of the best birchbark canoes ever produced by a nonNative in Ontario. At first he followed the old traditional First Nations methods, digging a hole in the ground for a mould and then pressing bark sheeting and ribs into the hole and loading all down with stones. But advanced years and the act of practically having to stand on his head while working in a hole in the ground eventually became too much, and for the rest of his lengthy canoe-building years he made use of nails and a

carpenter’s wooden horse for a form. But his admiration for the traditional skills known to First Nations craftsmen knew no bounds and he was known frequently to remind others of the many gifts from the “First” Canadians. Among these were the canoe, the snowshoe and the sleigh, all items of survival that, as Henry would put it, “have been with us a long time.”

When he retired from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Taylor’s resume would have contained, among other occupations: towerman, government timber scaler, and fire ranger. At the time of retirement Henry’s occupation with the Ministry was listed as forest technician. He got a real kick out of that title and was quick to tell those in his company he was “just an old lumberjack and a jacknife carpenter.”

If anything, the always young-at-heart Taylor remained as active as ever in his so-called retirement and at times even busier. He continued to timber scale for companies with lumbering interests in the Bancroft area. He could often be found at his modest home on Chemaushgon Street in Bancroft, working with pioneer tools and carving reminders of the past, using the traditional crooked knife that was once prominently associated with the best of the old Native canoe builders. Visitors would often find Henry surrounded by mounds of shavings while expertly splitting his own shingles or making paddles at the same time as he continued work on yet another canoe.

Within the Taylor household one quickly discovered that Henry was truly an artisan, no matter what he said. Realistic carved reminders of old ways in the bush could be found occupying places of prominence in his home: horses, teamsters, sleighs, and even the once-well-known pointer boats built in Pembroke and wonderfully captured in a famous Tom Thomson painting. Similar carvings by Henry became valued objects on display at the Algonquin Park Logging Museum and, closer to home, in the Bancroft Museum. Taylor’s delightful sense of fun would crop up when least expected, especially when he felt too much fuss was being made of his bush lore and artistic talents.

During his lifetime, Taylor made significant contributions to Ontario’s rich history through his unique experiences and accomplishments. His is a

C r o s s r o a d s Taylor’s realistic carvings that recalled the old ways in the bush became valued objects, and some have found their way to the Algonquin Park Logging Museum and Bancroft Museum.

Photo by Haley Ashford

case of one individual having done so much that singling out one achievement over others presents a challenge. That said, I do believe his most amazing piece of work was the cabin he built singlehandedly. He began in the spring of 1970 with the felling of trees, followed by the scoring and hewing of the timber with the same broad axe his grandfather and grand-uncle had used as far back as the 1860s. By 1972 the building was up and far enough along that Henry could stay over whenever he chose to do so.

It was as close as he could possibly come to being a genuine replica of his grandfather’s original home. Just as Grandpa Taylor had done, Henry pinned the cupboard doors and the drawers with wooden pegs. He even made the wooden hinges and slyly told me that the wooden key to the main door was “Taylor-made.”

Building the cabin with bunk rooms on either side was a one-man job. Henry once told me that the work was new to him, and that long before he began he had been dreaming of proving to himself he could build a cabin like Grandpa Taylor’s. I’d say he did and then some.

As he aged, Taylor made sure that the values important to him and the way of life he held so dearly were shared with one and all. He did so quietly and most effectively. Those with whom he had contact are the richer for having known him.

Taylor died in April, 2006 in his 102nd year.

•

Information from Barry Penhale’s files and the book he authored, Grassroots Artisans, published in 1982.

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 35

Back to Boston

Local runners tackle marathon one year after bombings

BY JOHN HOPKINS

C

A welcome return – spectators crowded the entire Boston Marathon route this year to show support for the racers who tackled the grueling event.

assandra Bonn had just finished last year’s Boston Marathon when the first bomb went off. The Prince Edward County resident was about a block away, heading to the spot where she was due to meet her family – her mother, her husband Kris and their two small children – when she heard the first explosion.

“Someone said, ‘that sounds like a cannon,’ and the sound was echoing through the buildings,” Bonn recalled. “Then about 12 seconds later I heard the second one, and someone said, ‘that doesn’t sound good.’ I wasn’t really sure what it was. Then after about one or two minutes I heard the sirens, and saw people embracing, and it was just chaos; like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

Chris Byrd of Wooler had also just finished the race when she heard the explosions.

“Everyone just kind of stopped and looked,” she said. “There was a huge archway so we couldn’t really see what had happened. It was really loud and there was a lot of smoke. At first I was really calm but then my daughter called me on my cell phone and was screaming at me. And that’s when I lost it.”

The bombings last April 15 killed three people, including an eight-year-old boy, and injured 264.

The bombs detonated on Boylston Street, just before the finish line of the celebrated event, turning what should have been a place of celebration into a scene of devastation and carnage.

If the destructive and tragic events were meant to weaken Boston and bring an end to one of its most

36 I

Country Roads • Summer 2014

Photo by FayFoto/Boston / Courtesy the Boston Athletic Association

celebrated spectacles, they failed miserably. If anything the tragedy strengthened the resolve and commitment of all involved, particularly the 30,000-odd runners who enter each year to tackle the tortuous 42.2km route.

This year’s edition of the race attracted newcomers, former competitors who had missed the 2013 event and those who had been in the centre of the drama last April. While the marathon usually accepts around 30,000 entries, this year the number was closer to 36,000, the second biggest entry after the 100th anniversary race in 1997. That number included seven residents of the Quinte Region who offered to share their experiences with Country Roads.

Kevin Beatty / Stirling Kevin Beatty had never run the Boston Marathon, nor did he have any interest in the race until the events of last year.

“I knew this would be the year to do it,” said the 38-year-old, who was at one time Canada’s thirdranked marathoner. “I knew it would be big and Boston would be the place to be. I’ve been at other big events but this was by far the biggest buzz. It was great.

“Everyone in the city made the runners feel like rock stars. No one asked how fast you were. It didn’t matter.”

Beatty was particularly taken by the size of the crowds all along the race route, and their enthusiasm. While Wellesley College, located near the

halfway point of the route, has a reputation for attracting the most boisterous spectators, Beatty said that level of excitement was prevalent the entire distance.

“Because the crowds were so big earlier in the course, I didn’t notice any difference at Wellesley,” Beatty explained. “The outlying towns were packed. I had family watching for me at Natick, around the 10-mile (15km) mark and they couldn’t move. It was probably five people deep. I’ve watched the Boston Marathon on TV for years and I’ve never seen it packed like that on both sides of the road. The turnout was unbelievable.”

Beatty found the enthusiasm of the fans a motivating factor, especially near the finish. The first three-quarters of the course is predominantly downhill, but at the 32km mark runners reach Heartbreak Hill, the start of a punishing final quarter of the race.

“At the top of Heartbreak Hill the crowds were really crazy,” Beatty remembered. “I had a calf cramp but they really kept me going.”

Kris and Cassandra Bonn / Prince Edward County While last year’s race was the first in Boston for Cassandra Bonn, her husband Kris had competed in 2011 and made the commitment very quickly that both of them would run in 2014.

“The next day we were driving home,” Kris explained, “and I turned to Cassandra and said, ‘you’ve

Cassandra and Kris Bonn ran a marathon together for the first time after Cassandra had found herself in the midst of the drama at the 2013 Boston race.

Erin McDougall found the final sprint along Boylston Street to be a particularly exciting experience.

After the tragedy of last year Chris Byrd was able to enjoy the conclusion of this year’s Boston Marathon.

Photo by marathonfoto.com / Courtesy Erin McDougall

Photo courtesy Chris Byrd

around Boston everyone was smiling and happy, not sad or fearful.”

There were inspirational and emotional moments for both runners along the route, particularly seeing the famed father and son team of Dick and Rick Hoyt. Rick Hoyt was born with cerebral palsy and his dad, Dick, pushes him in a wheelchair in race events. They competed in their first Boston Marathon in 1981 and this year’s was to be their last.

“I saw one person running who had lost a limb as a spectator last year,” Kris said. “And seeing the Hoyts was also special. Our son has a mild form of cerebral palsy, so that was inspiring.”

Reaching the finish line brought strong emotions for Cassandra.

“It was very emotional seeing the finish line, where the bombs went off,” she explained. “I had tears in my eyes when I thought of all those circumstances.”

night before the race, and the brutal ice storm that hit southern Ontario earlier that weekend was an added cause for concern.

After the bombings, Byrd spent three anxious hours trying to track down her girlfriend, who had been spectating.

“I was convinced she was injured or dead at the finish line,” Byrd remembered.

Photo courtesy Kris & Cassandra Bonn

had a great accomplishment taken away from you.

You’ve got to do it again, and this time I’ll run it with you.’”

The opportunity had added impact for both of them, since they have never run a marathon together. Generally one competes while the other looks after their two small children.

“Kris worked very hard to qualify and it was very special to run together,” Cassandra said.

“There was one point where we lost each other, but otherwise we ran together the whole way. It was lovely to run together.”

Kris found his experience in 2014 much more enriching than three years earlier.

“This year was such a coming together,” he said.

“In 2011 I didn’t necessarily take in the experience.

I was very focused on the race. This year was a very moving experience.”

Both Kris and Cassandra were taken by the size of the crowds along the marathon route.

“I got chills when I saw how many people were out cheering,” Cassandra said. “It was amazing to think that this many people came together after last year, after what we thought might deter people. All

Chris Byrd / Wooler Chris Byrd was having a difficult time at last year’s Boston Marathon even before the bombs went off.

Back home, her daughter had gone into labour the

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 37

Runners tackle the notorious Heartbreak Hill about three-quarters of the way through the race. The Boston Marathon is acknowledged for being a slickly organized and well-run event.

Photo by FayFoto/Boston / Courtesy the Boston Athletic Association

An event like no other

Boyd Kalnay at the start point for the marathon in Hopkinton. This year’s Boston race was his 10th.

By John Hopkins

Photo by Alanna Kalnay

When the first Boston Marathon was held on Patriots’ Day, 1897, it’s doubtful any of the 15 starters could have fathomed what the event would turn into. One-hundred-and-eighteen years later, it is part of the most important day in the state of Massachusetts, a holiday like no other.

Patriots’ Day itself is steeped in American history, as it recognizes the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. Given that historical context, it is easy to see how the bombings at last year’s Boston Marathon cut so close to the heart of Boston residents, and steeled their resolve to overcome the tragedy.

Patriots’ Day is always celebrated on the third Monday in April, meaning it coincides with the first blooming of spring and sometimes with Easter Monday (as it did this year), creating an extra long weekend for marathon enthusiasts.

The celebrations are boisterous and the attractions many. In addition to the marathon, there is always a Boston Red Sox baseball game at Fenway Park, which starts at the unusually early time of 11:00 a.m.

Additionally, either one or both of the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins or National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics are often in the midst of playoff action in mid-April, adding to the buzz around the city.

Throw in the area’s many universities and colleges and you have the recipe for a pretty big party.

The name “Boston Marathon” is a little misleading, as the race actually starts in the little rural town of Hopkinton, 42.2km to the west. It passes through the communities of Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley (famous for its women’s college), Newton (site of Heartbreak Hill) and Brookline before finally hitting downtown Boston.

was put on and it was easy to make friends with other Canadians.”

Like other runners Gibson was captivated by the large crowds that came out to watch the race, although she admitted it could work to a runner’s disadvantage as well.

“It was deafening,” she said. “There were thick crowds the whole 42.2km and my ears were ringing. It was unreal. There were families on their front lawns; it was a real party. But the crowds could inspire you too much and deplete your energy. In the end some runners were really struggling.”

Gibson also marveled at the resolve of the Boston community, as well as that of her fellow runners.

“It was all very patriotic and you could see that the people of Boston weren’t going to let the events of last year defeat them,” she said. “That whole ‘Boston Strong’ theme was very evident. And I think all the runners were unified as well. We were all thinking that we aren’t going to let what happened last year bother us.”

Boyd Kalnay / Belleville This time the 52-year-old Byrd had a much more pleasant experience as she took part in her third Boston Marathon.

“It was just a big party all along the route,” she said. “Each town tried to outdo the other with their cheers. It made you feel like you just won the event, and I think the fans stayed along the route all day.”

While the Boston Marathon crowds are always noted for their welcoming nature and enthusiasm, Byrd found the message was a bit different this year.

“All you got was ‘thank-yous’ for coming back,” she said. “I think they didn’t know if the event would be coming back after what happened last year, and they really appreciated the support of the runners.”

Despite the anxiety after the finish of the 2013 race, Byrd felt no nerves about returning for this year’s race.

“I think I was more nervous competing in the Mississauga or Toronto Marathon at the start of May,” she said. “I had no nerves going back this time.”

38 I

Country Roads • Summer 2014

And Byrd, along with her girlfriend, plan to be back in Boston for the 2015 marathon.

Nancie Gibson / Carrying Place Nancie Gibson had raced in three previous Boston Marathons before this year’s, but she did not take part in last year’s tumultuous event. Based on past experience, the 53-year-old runner described the atmosphere at the 2014 race as “electrifying.”

“It just was incredible the way the crowd reacted,” she added. “You felt like a celebrity. I went into the hotel I was staying at after the race and the staff were all lined up on either side of the lobby congratulating me.”

Gibson especially felt a warm reception as a Canadian runner.

“I was wearing Canadian clothes and I just got such a wonderful reception from everyone,” she said. “There was a special Canadian breakfast that

Boyd Kalnay is a seasoned veteran of the Boston Marathon, and this year’s race was his 10th in a row.

Although he missed much of the drama at the finish of last year’s race, the tragedy still hit him hard.

“It was a very upsetting experience,” he acknowledged. “I was done long before the bombings; I was back at the hotel by that time. I think it was more upsetting for the spectators. My wife had been at the spot across the street from one of the explosions two hours before it happened. It was a very sobering experience.

“I planned to go again despite the events last year.

It was not a deterrent to me, and maybe it motivated me to go back even more.”

Kalnay said the Boston Marathon has always fostered a strong community spirit and that passion likely played a role in the city’s ability to regroup and come back stronger a year later.

“Everyone embraces the race,” Kalnay said, “and that’s why I continue to go. It’s such an uplifting experience. This year the people in Boston were even

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Summer 2014 • Country Roads

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Kevin Beatty models the scarf he received from the Marathon Scarf Project, which distributed over 7,000 scarves to runners in Boston.

Photo by Jennifer Abrams

The scarf project

By John Hopkins

A new tradition was started at the 2014 Boston Marathon – the Marathon Scarf Project.

Conceived by the Old South Knitters Club of the Old South Church on Boylston Street (just past the race finish line), the plan was to knit a few hundred scarves for runners in the marathon, all in the blue and yellow colours of the Boston Athletic Association, organizer of the event since it started in 1897.

The project went viral, however, and by race weekend the Club had over 7,000 scarves contributed from around the world.

During the weekend volunteers stood in front of the Old South Church and gave racers scarves. Each one had the name and home of the individual who had knitted it, some had personal messages.

Stirling’s Kevin Beatty was given a scarf that came from Sunrise, Fla., while Kris Bonn also received one that had been knitted by the mother of a racer in the 2013 event who had been unable to finish her race.

Both Beatty and Bonn treated the scarves as extra-special souvenirs from an already memorable event.

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Security at the event was evident but did nothing to detract from the spirit and enthusiasm for the race.

Photo courtesy Nancie Gibson

more supportive, more determined; last year would not affect this year.

“The folks along the route were as supportive as ever. For the last six miles the crowds were huge. It was hard to hear yourself think and you had to rein yourself in a bit, because it was easy to go a little too hard too soon.”

Kalnay felt the heightened security did little to detract from the spirit of the race.

“The presence of security was significant,” said Kalnay, who placed 16th in the 55-59 age group.

“But it didn’t faze me. I still had fun.”

Erin McDougall / Brighton Erin McDougall’s first experience running the Boston Marathon is likely one he’ll never forget, and while many competitors were struck by the

volume of the crowds lining the race route, the 40-year-old Brighton resident found one quiet moment perhaps most moving.

“Before the race in the athletes’ village they held a moment of silence for the victims of last year,” McDougall remembered. “And to have 20,000 or so runners standing in absolute silence – you could have heard a pin drop – that was so emotional.”

McDougall was also touched by the thankfulness of the Boston area residents.

“After the race people were thanking me for coming to support the city, for taking back the city,” he said. “This was more than a race. It was a statement that people will overcome. The enthusiasm was over the top and I think, in one sense, people were happy to have us there.”

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40 I

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The ‘Boston Strong’ theme resonated throughout the city and along the marathon route, providing a vivid reminder of a community’s ability to overcome tragedy.

Photo courtesy Nancie Gibson

Dancing Moon Gallery Nancie Gibson (r) enjoys a chat with Lani Merchant, the Canadian record holder as the fastest woman’s marathon runner and an Olympic hopeful.

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Photo courtesy Nancie Gibson

Although McDougall was struck by the crowds all the way along the race route, the final stretch and the finish on Boylston Street were particularly captivating.

“Coming into the city itself, the downtown core, was just unbelievable,” he remembered.

“At the finish line there was a lot of security, for the last mile and a half, the crowd was a fair bit back behind high barriers, but it was still an amazing, amazing experience.”

Despite all the enthusiasm and passion around this year’s race, McDougall said it was hard to completely put the events of last year out of one’s mind.

“We were driving into town before the race and I saw a big plume of smoke from a car fire,” McDougall recalled. “On any other day at any

other place it would have been no big deal, but in the back of your mind you wonder.”

McDougall plans to return to Boston and perhaps enjoy an even more memorable experience down the road.

“My oldest daughter is 13,” he said, “and I’d love to run there with her one day.”

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Country Roads celebrating life in hastings county

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celebrating life in hastings county

urban advantages in a natural setting Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 41

42 I

3

Farmgate Gardens...................................................... 35

Empire Cheese ........................................................... 34

Earle Excavating & Landscape Centre........................ 33

Dr. Doug Smith & Assoc. ............................................ 32

Don Koppin General Contractor ................................ 31

Del Mar Cottages ....................................................... 30

David in Bancroft Carpentry ....................................... 29

Dancing Moon Gallery ............................................... 28

Craftsman Restaurant ................................................. 27

Cottagerentals247.com .............................................. 26

Cottage Docks.com .................................................... 25

15 24 33

APSLEY

74 88 90 66

Zihua Clothing Boutique ............................................ 98

75 87

Wilson’s of Madoc ...................................................... 95

Wells Ford .................................................................. 94

Welcome Wagon ........................................................ 93

Weeds B’ Gone .......................................................... 92

Viceroy ........................................................................ 91

Township of Wollaston ............................................... 90

Coe Hill Country Market & Fuel ................................. 24

77 84 97 98

63 64 67 70 73

55 56 59 60 62

29 31 42 47 52

Town of Deseronto ..................................................... 89

Tom’s Place Outdoor Store ......................................... 88

Teddy Bear Bed & Breakfast ....................................... 87

Synergy Artisan Gallery .............................................. 86

Sun Run Pantry ........................................................... 85

Zehr’s Deli & Bakery.................................................... 97

27

8

ClearWater Design ..................................................... 23

81

7

Stone Kitchen ............................................................. 84

Stirling-Rawdon .......................................................... 83

Steinberg Dental Centres .......................................... 82

Wilton Cheese ............................................................ 96

25

85

53 58 72 80

39 43 45 51

6

10 11 12 13

4

16 18 20 25 26

9

2

COMBERMERE

Residence ................................................................... 81

South Algonquin Retirement

CleanRite .................................................................... 22

Bunker’s Bistro & Bar .................................................. 21

Bulk Food Store .......................................................... 20

Boutique Inspiration ................................................... 19

Blue Roof Bistro .......................................................... 18

Black River Trading Company..................................... 17

Birch Cliff Lodge ......................................................... 16

Bear Ridge Campground............................................ 15

Barley Pub & Eatery .................................................... 14

Bancroft Wheels, Water & Wings ............................... 13

Bancroft Summer Theatre........................................... 12

Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree ................................. 11

Bancroft Mineral Museum .......................................... 10

Bancroft Just Wine & Beer ......................................... 9

30

49

Discovery Tours .......................................................... 7

Bancroft Century Shoppe ........................................... 8

ALGONQUIN PARK

Bancroft & Area Nature

54

Boutique ..................................................................... 79

Audrey’s Odds & Finds ............................................... 5

See Saw Stained Glass ............................................... 80

Sand N’ Sea Swim & Cruisewear

Ashlie’s Books ............................................................. 4

69

Ruttle Bros. Furniture .................................................. 78

Apsley Autumn Studio Tour........................................ 3

Bancroft & Area Autumn Studio Tour ......................... 6

Royal LePage Frank Real Estate ................................. 77

Alice’s Authentic Food................................................ 2

BARRY’S BAY

Remax Quinte ............................................................. 76

Advertiser Index

Country Roads - Celebrating Life in Hastings County wallmap

Apple Store - Cooney Farms ...................................... 1

Country Roads • Summer 2014

North Hastings Naturally ............................................ 64

North Hastings Family Pharmacy ............................... 63

Mixin’ Mommas Cafe.................................................. 62

McKeown Motor Sales ............................................... 61

McCaskie TV & Stereo ................................................ 60

McCaskie Aggregates ................................................ 59

Maynooth General Store ............................................ 58

Marmora Visitor Centre .............................................. 57

Market Café & Fudge Factory .................................... 56

Makin’ Waves Marine ................................................. 55

Madonna House ......................................................... 54

Madawaska Art Shop.................................................. 53

Loyalist College Bancroft Campus ............................. 52

Linda Lang Art Studio ................................................. 51

Renovations & Repairs................................................ 50

Leon James Home

Killarney Lodge .......................................................... 49

Kawartha Dairy ........................................................... 48

J.L.’s Riverside Casuals ............................................... 47

Hudson’s Mill .............................................................. 46

Hillsview Farm & Studios ............................................ 45

Hearts to God ............................................................. 44

Hastings Highlands..................................................... 43

Granite Restaurant...................................................... 42

Glanmore National Historic Site ................................. 41

Gilmour’s Meat Shop and Deli.................................... 40

Gallo-Teck .................................................................. 39

Food for Thought Art Show........................................ 38

Flowers by Sue ........................................................... 37

Farnsworth Construction Ltd. ..................................... 36

Red Steer Butcher Shop ............................................. 75

Red Eagle Family Campground ................................. 74

Princess Sodalite Mine Rock Shop ............................. 73

Potter’s Studio & Gallery ............................................ 72

Possibilities ................................................................. 71

Posies Flowers & Fashions.......................................... 70

OWL Rafting.com ....................................................... 69

Outdoor Awareness Landscaping .............................. 68

Old Tin Shed .............................................................. 67

Old Hastings Mercantile & Gallery ............................. 66

O’Connor House Tea Room ....................................... 65

Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 43

HASTINGS COUNTY SHOPS & SERVICES

92 93

34

35

17

5

28 46

PICTON

41 50 78

Country 23 Roads

40

22 32 36

celebrating life in hastings county

65 82 89

Country Roads

83 94

1 32 44

82 95

14 38

CR

P.O. Box 423, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0 • P: 613 395-0499 • F: 613 395-0903 E: info@countryroadshastings.ca • www.countryroadshastings.ca

celebrating life in hastings county

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

61

57 71 91

19 21 37

CAMPBELLFORD

48 68 76

NAPANEE

79 86

ODESSA

96

Joe VanVeenen Map

C o u n t r y

C a l e n d a r

Things to see and do in and around Hastings County.

To submit your event listing email info@countryroadshastings.ca or call us at 613 395-0499.

ART GALLERIES/EXHIBITIONS Art Gallery of Bancroft, 10 Flint Avenue, Bancroft, 613-332-1542 www.agb.weebly.com

July 2- 22 – Sanctuary; Works

by Shelley Beach.

July 30 - August 24 – Annual Juried Exhibition; East Central Ontario Art Association August 27 – September 28 – Moments in Time; Works by Anka Milligan John M. Parrott Art Gallery, Belleville Public Library, 254 Pinnacle Street, Belleville, 613-968-6731, ext. 2240, www.bellevillelibrary.com

Gallery One July 24 – August 21 – Remember; by Jinhee Jung. Watercolour & oil paintings August 28 – September 18; Retrospective; by Bruce St. Clair.

Gallery Two July 24 – August 21 – Joan & Friends; An exhibition of the work of Joan Reive and a group of her students THEATRE/LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Bancroft Summer Theatre at Bancroft Village Playhouse, www.bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca Box Office Opens June 11. Hours – June; Wed to Sat. 2 -6 pm July/Aug - Tues to Sat. 2 – 8 pm.

Order your tickets Toll-free 1-877-322-4682 or www.boxofficebancroft.com July 1-5, 8-12, 15-19 – Noises Off – One of the funniest plays ever written about the theatre.

July 29 – Aug 2, Aug 5-9, 12 – 16 – Harvest – A bitter sweet comedy.

The Regent Theatre, 224 Main St. Picton 613-476-8416 www.theregenttheatre.org July 12 – Elvis; The Moments Tribute July 17 – Ashley MacIsaac July 23 – Johnny Winter August 13-17 – PEC Jazz ­Festival 2014

GILMOURS

The Stirling Festival Theatre, West Front St., Stirling 613-395-2100 1-877-312-1162 www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com tickets@stirlingfestivaltheatre.com July 5 – School’s Out for Summer; an SFT Young Company Show. A perfect way to end the school year. Tickets $10.

July 8 – 20 – Forever Plaid – Take a trip down memory lane in Plaid style.

August 6 – 16 – Footloose the Musical – The SFT Young Company explodes onto the stage with electrifying dance routines and classic 80’s anthems.

September 5 – Night Fever-An evening of the Bee Gees.

September 6 – David Myers plays Genesis September 12 – Frank Sinatra Tribute September 14 – Bravura!

EVENTS June 20-22 – 1st Marmora Outdoor & Dive Festival. Free seminars, scuba diving demos, wine and cheese event, dance and kids’ activities.

June 22 - Strawberry Social – Local strawberries, entertainment and more. Farmtown Park, Stirling, Ontario. www.agmuseum.ca June 24 - Tribute to Gerry Boyce at Sans Souci banquet room, Front Street, Belleville from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets $20. available from Quinte Arts Council office (613-9621232), Heritage Centre in Cannifton (613-962-1110) and Mary-Lynne

Morgan (613-961-7091) For more info, see www.hastingshistory.ca June 28 –Crowe Lake Waterway Assoc. World Famous Lighted Boat Parade and Fireworks on Crowe Lake. www.clwa.ca info@clwa.ca June 29 – County Garden Show, 10 am - 5 pm, Crystal Palace, Picton Fairgrounds, 375 Main St., Picton.

Prince Edward County Horticultural Society www.pechorticultural.org pechorticultural@gmail.com 613-476-7522 July 1 -Canada Day celebrations.

Parade at 10 a.m. then food, face painting, bouncy castle at the park, Marmora.

July 4 - 6 - Bancroft Wheels, Water & Wings! Downtown Bancroft. 3rd Annual “Wheels” classic car show featuring a street dance with Freddy Vette & the Flames (no charge), midway, food & beverage tents. Water Events in Millennium Park including 1st Annual Amazing York River Race. Airport Fly-in & Pancake Breakfast. www.beautifulbancroft.ca July 12 – Pike Only Catch ‘N Keep Fishing Derby, 7am – 4pm; Fishing on Crowe Lake (north of Hwy 7) Marmora . Registration and weigh in at Chris’ Live Bait on Hwy 7 just east of Marmora. Registration fee for adults, kids under 12 are free. All registration fees to be returned in prizes. Fun for the whole family. www.clwa.ca

613 966 MEAT (6328) Quality and Excellence you can trust

44 I

Country Roads • Summer 2014

July 19 – Art in the Park, Henry Street Park, Stirling. 10am – 4pm.

Outdoor art show. Come celebrate the artistic community in and around Stirling, with an eclectic mix of styles and mediums you’re sure to find something you’ll love. Info Contact Andre’ 613.920.0010 or andrejolicoeur@gmail.com July 19 – Hastings County Craft Beer Festival, Farmtown Park, Stirling www.stirling-rawdon.com July 24 - Trenton Horticultural Society & Garden Club Annual Flower Show and Tea Room. To be held at the Trenton Senior’s Club 105, 61 Bay St., on Thursday July 24th, 7PM. Admission $3.

For more info call Joan 613-392-2572 or email trentonhorticulture@gmail.com.

Visit Belleville’s Treasure

MEAT SHOP AND DELI

Just over the Bay Bridge in Rossmore

July 12 – 15th Annual Town & Country Garden Tour, Belleville & District. 10 am – 4pm, Ticket price $25 includes self-guided tour of 7 area gardens and a picnic lunch.

Proceeds support college and university scholarships for local students. Hosted by Canadian Federation of University Women, Belleville & District www.cfuwbelleville.ca cfuwbelleville@gmail.com 613-966-5677

Factory Outlet Store n

Naturally Aged Cheddar & Specialty Cheese (No Added Preservatives)

Summer Hours Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 4:30 pm 257 Bridge Street East, Belleville K8N 1P4 www.glanmore.ca

n Local

n Fresh Curd Jams, Syrups & Honey n Gift Baskets

County Rd. 8 Between Campbellford & Stirling Open Monday to Saturday - 8am - 5pm Sunday - 9am - 5pm

705-653-3187

www.empirecheese.ca

C o u n t r y

C a l e n d a r

Things to see and do in and around Hastings County.

To submit your event listing email info@countryroadshastings.ca or call us at 613 395-0499.

July 24 – 27 – Palmer Rapids Music Festival. Palmer Rapids www.palmerrapids.ca July 26 – Royal Victorian Garden Party & Tea. 1:30-3:30pm. Tickets $15/pp. Available from Bush Furniture of Madoc; Wilson’s (of Madoc); or by calling Karen (613) 473-2427 or Ron (613) 473-2913. Annual fund-raiser is sponsored by Madoc Trinity United Church and Heart of Hastings Hospice, and is held in the gardens of a lovely Victorian home on Durham St. in Madoc.

July 31 – Aug 3 – Rockhound Gemboree – 51st Annual – Canada’s largest gem & mineral show. www.bancroftdistrict.com 888 443-9999. Events include live music, vintage car show & BBQ,

August 9 & 10 – 3rd Annual Food for Thought Art Show Benefit & Auction – Arts Centre Hastings, Madoc. Aug 9; 10-4, Aug 10; 12-3. www.chsninc.ca 613 473-5255

community corn roast, field trips, speakers & demos, mineral identification, gold panning – and much more.

August 2 - Celebrate Marmora.

Events and activities at Memorial Park all day. Free for all.

August 2 – Cobourg Sandcastle Festival- Sandcastle building competition, master sculptures, inflatables and a live DJ. Join us for the Movie on the Beach at dusk.

11am - 10pm, Cobourg Beach 1-888-262-6874 www.cobourgtourism.ca

Celebrating Life in Hastings County

August 12 – 14 – South Algonquin Retirement Residence Open House. 1-4 pm, 4727 Elephant Lake Rd, Harcourt www.southalgonquinresort.ca Contact Rosalind 416 892-1120 August 14 – 17 – Stirling Agricultural Fair, Stirling Fairgrounds. www.stirlingfair.com August 15 – 17 - Northumberland Ribfest – Victoria Park, Cobourg. 3 days of fabulous ribs, live entertainment & vendors.

Northumberland Rotary Club, www.northumberlandribfest.ca info@northumberlandribfest.ca 888-262-6874

Aug 22- 24 – 4th Annual Tweed Tribute to Elvis Festival – Tribute Artists, Contests, Local Attractions, Classic Cars, Vegas Showcase, Youth Competition. For tickets, camping, info www.tweedelvisfestival.ca August 23 – Movie on the Beach, Cobourg. Grab a lawn chair and enjoy a movie on the beach under the stars. 8:30 pm. www.cobourgtourism.ca 888-262-6874 August 29 – 31 - The 25th annual Maynooth Madness features the Highland Heavies (Saturday) and the Mud Dawgs (Sunday) as well as the Farmers Market and lots of activities. For updated schedule of events: www.maynooth.on.ca September 6 – Stirling-Rawdon Water Buffalo Food Festival – 11 am – 4pm www.gobuff.ca

marketplace

AUTOMOTIVE

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

September 20 & 21 – Apsley Autumn Studio Tour – 27 Artists – 19 Locations. www.apsleystudiotour.com September 20, 21, 27, 28 - Bancroft & Area Fall Studio Tour.

10 am - 5 pm www.bancroftstudiotour.org Come visit the twenty artist’s home studios. Brochures for self-guided tour available at many local businesses, the Art Gallery of Bancroft & the Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce. www.bancroftstudiotour.org September 27 & 28 – 17th Annual Tweed & Area Studio Tour. www.tweedstudiotour.org 13 studios and guest artists.

TO BOOK YOUR MARKETPLACE ADVERTISEMENT PLEASE CALL 613-395-0499

PROPERTY RENTAL

TAG E R E N TA L S T O C 247.COM

Wells Ford Sales Ltd

48 Belleville Rd., P.O. Box 160 Stirling, Ontario K0K 3E0

Wells

Body Shop: 613-395-3378 Wells Ford: 613-395-3375 Toll Free: 1-800-637-5944 Service: 613-395-3377

North American Customer Excellence Award Winner

Commercial Cleaning p: 613.967.9883 c: 613.922.2135 www.cleanrite.ca info@cleanrite.ca

Your Four Season Full Service Cottage Rental Company

(613) 332-3340

73 Hastings St. N., Box 1572, Bancroft, Ontario K0L 1C0 www.CottageRentals247.com • info@CottageRentals247.com

SPECIALTY SHOPPING

DEVOTIONAL

Madonna House

Gift Shops, Gallery & Pioneer Museum Celebrating 50 Years

Madonna House Gift Shops, Gallery & All items in our OPEN: May long weekend to July - Thurs, Fri, Sat - 10-5 Madonna House shops July long weekend to Labour Day - Tuesday to Saturday 10-5 Museum are donated and allPioneer the v Antiques v Collectibles v Crafts v Paintings & Prints

proceeds go to the poor.

All Shops are closed on Sunday and Monday

2887 Dafoe Rd., Hwy.50517,Years Combermere, Celebrating 613-756-3713 v Antiques v Collectibles v Crafts v Paintings & Prints v MUSEUM

TOURS

Extensive Pioneer Collection Madonna House

613.332.0697

Bird’s Creek Plaza, Bancroft www.bancroftjustwineandbeer.com

Summer 2014 • Country Roads

I 45

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

BY JOHN HOPKINS

The personal touch Before moving to Stirling, Nancy and I lived for almost six years in a community north of Toronto.

We joked that it was a halfway stop in our quest to get away from the city. We would see how we survived being an hour or so out of Toronto before taking the full plunge into rural living.

I’m not a particularly handy person around the house, but Nancy and I generally take the attitude that we’ll try most home repairs, and if the problem then proves beyond our skills we’ll call in the professionals. On one occasion we noticed a leak in one of the water supply lines to our washing machine, so on a Saturday afternoon I disassembled the plumbing and discovered the cause of the problem was a badly worn rubber O-ring.

I removed the piece and promptly went looking for a replacement at a neighbourhood hardware store, quite pleased that I was going to be able to resolve the issue so quickly and easily.

Being a product of the city and perhaps a little bedazzled by those big box store TV ads where smiling, helpful staff fight over your attention, I went to one such store expecting a quick replacement for my damaged seal. However, after being turned down by a couple of staff members because it was not their section, the person who was responsible for plumbing assured me, after he had come off his lunch break, that my O-ring was not of a standard size and they did not carry a replacement.

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Somewhat disillusioned but not beaten, I went to another big box store. This time I had a much shorter wait to be told that the store did not have a replacement.

Feeling much more pessimistic I turned to my last resort, the small, locally owned hardware store in town. The elderly gentleman behind the front desk took my worn O-ring and started rummaging through drawers and shelves behind the counter.

When that turned up nothing he went to another section and continued his quest. Eventually, after what must have been 10 or 15 minutes of looking, he returned with a one-off rubber O-ring that we both reasoned probably would do the trick. He charged me a grand total of 25 cents for the replacement and his time and effort. Needless to say, all our future hardware business went to that store.

(As a sidebar, I think the world of home repair is divided into people whose houses were built with standard, easy-to-find parts and those whose houses were built with an assortment of strange pieces. I fall into the latter group. It seems every time I need to replace something in my house, it is always a part or a size that “they don’t make anymore” or was manufactured on Mars or Neptune.

If you see me walk into your hardware store, clear off your calendar because we may be a while.)

When I shop, or eat, or travel, I don’t expect to have my name remembered. I am a grown

Birch cLiff Lodge

on Baptiste Lake

Occasion

A great place for weddings, conferences and vacation getaways.

DurhamSt., St.,P.O.B. P.O.B.629, 6 29,Madoc, Madoc,Ont. Ont.Phone/Fax: Phone/Fax:613-473-2368 613-473-2368 3737Durham

Tues. to Sat. 9:00 am to 5:30 pm www.wilsonsofmadoc.com

Welcome to Comfort Country 46 I

37 Durham St., P.O.B. 6 29, Madoc, Ont. Phone/Fax: 613-473-2368

Country Roads • Summer 2014

www.birchclifflodge.ca 613-332-3316

man approaching the age of 50 – I don’t need a hug when I walk into an establishment. But I do feel entitled to a certain amount of respect. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect to have my presence acknowledged when I enter a business, and I think I deserve to have someone show an interest or appreciation for my situation.

I used to be amazed by the amount of time I would spend in a big-box store looking for someone to help me find something. And not on a Tuesday morning, but on a Saturday afternoon, when by logic I expected the place to be crawling with helpful, smiling faces, just like on the TV ads. I say “used to” because I generally don’t go into those stores anymore.

I got tired of waiting.

I understand that the personal touch isn’t very fashionable these days. Generally, that takes time and time is a commodity that seems to be in short supply, especially in the retail business.

The quest seems to be to get customers through the checkout line as quickly as possible – move product, get the sale, move on to the next victim.

That may work in the short term, but I don’t see it as a long term business model.

Ironically, I find it’s those smaller, independent businesses that feel the financial pressure the most who invest the most into their customer service.

Maybe there’s a message there.

•

SOUTH ALGONQUIN

Retirement Residence “A feminist alternative to an old people’s home.”

Private suites including meals starting at $1695/month

Book A Tour Of Your New Home & Join Us For Afternoon Tea August 12-14, 2014 1pm – 4pm

Located on Benoir Lake, amenities include a pool, spa, fitness room, golf course, dining room and so much more.

For more information call Rosalind

416.892.1120

4727 Elephant Lake Road Harcourt ON

www.southalgonquinresort.ca

Scan this code with your smartphone or tablet to take our Virtual tour

Valerie Empey

Registered Dental Hygienist

Leanne Breen

Office Manager Madoc

Madoc

Dr. Kevin Nedamat Doctor Of Dental Surgery

Team Effort.

For the past six years, we’ve been striving tirelessly to raise your expectations of what a dental practice should be. The secret? It’s all in our “A”-Team of Dental Professionals.

From the enthusiasm of our Office Manager Leanne, to the thoroughness of hygienists like Valerie, and the serious passion of Dr. Kevin Nedamat - our Madoc team will make sure that you and your family are in good hands.

After all, you only have one set of teeth.

Isn’t it time you raised your expectations?

Madoc Deseronto Web Twitter

613.473.2142 613.396.2974 steinbergdental.com @SDCDentalCentre

Summer Recreation Guide Have you looked at Stingray lately?

Available At:

Made in Canada

learWater Desi g n

Canoes, Kayaks & Stand Up Paddleboards

1959 North Port Road, Picton, Ontario onal Trailer 613-471-1005 or 1-800-344-5224

ll it!

www.clearwaterdesignboats.com

Makin’ Waves Marine 29720 Hwy 62 N, Bancroft, ON 613-332-3777 www.makinwavesmarine.com

Country

celebrating life in

with

ompact

car to go this Stuff

ok

till Going!

2589 Springbrook Road, Springbrook, ON 613-395-3883 1-800-465-9297 www.mckeownmotorsales.net

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings coun

KATHY TRIPP

BROKER /MANAGER

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings coun

ADVERTISING FEATURE

CR

Summer

R ECountry CRoads R E AT I O N G U I D E celebrating life in hastings county

Contents

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

CR Country

CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR Nancy Hopkins 613 395-0499

2 - DON KOPPIN 3 - MAKIN’ WAVES MARINE

CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR John Hopkins 613 395-0499

Roads

4 - CLEARWATER DESIGN

SALES DEPARTMENT

celebrating life in hastings county

SOUTH HASTINGS & AREA Jennifer Richardson Jennifer@countryroadshastings.ca 613.922.2135

4 - COTTAGE DOCKS 5 - KILLARNEY LODGE

CENTRAL HASTINGS & AREA Nancy Hopkins nancy@countryroadshastings.ca 613.395.0499

6 MCKEOWN MOTOR SALES

NORTH HASTINGS & AREA Hope McFall hope@countryroadshastings.ca 613.202.1541

6 - SAND ‘N’ SEA BOUTIQUE 7 - ROYAL LEPAGE FRANK REALTY 8 - BANCROFT NATURE DISCOVERY TOURS

ART DIRECTOR Jozef VanVeenen This Summer Recreation Guide is an advertising insert to COUNTRY ROADS, Celebrating Life in Hastings County, and is published by PenWord Communications Inc.

Doing it right

Koppin brings wealth of experience to c­ ontracting work

The cover of our Recreation Guide was created by Andre Jolicoeur. Andre is a weirdo illustrator art guy from Stirling. His work has appeared all over the world on billboards, magazines, games, products, TV shows... You name it! Visitdoodlemachine.com for more of his silliness. Among his projects is Art in the Park, an outdoor art festival held at beautiful Henry St. Park in Stirling. Visit on July 19 for a day of artsy fun. With many artists from around Stirling and an eclectic mix of styles you’re sure to find something you’ll love. Interested artists can contact Andre to participate, (613) 920-0010, or visit www.facebook.com/stirlingartinthepark.

The contents of this publication are ­protected by copyright. Reproduction of this ­publication in whole or in part without prior written permission of PenWord C ­ ommunications Inc. is prohibited.

HOW TO CONTACT US

Telephone: 613 395-0499 Facsimile: 613 395-0903 E-mail: info@countryroadshastings.ca Website: www.countryroadshastings.ca For written enquiries you can reach us at: PenWord Communications Inc. P.O. Box 423, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0

General contractor Don Koppin has been in demand for more than 25 years, building his reputation on providing his clients with a stress-free experience.

Photo courtesy Don Koppin General

Koppin puts a premium on creating living spaces that reflect a client’s lifestyle, values and individuality.

Photo courtesy Don Koppin General Contractor

Y

our home is more than a building, an investment, or an address. It’s the place you make memories. It’s your retreat and your sanctuary; and that’s something very special. If you’re building or renovating your home or cottage, you want to deal with someone you can trust.

Someone with a wealth of experience and a stellar reputation. Someone who knows the building

2

code like the back of their hand, who’s going to listen, show up when they say they will, give sound advice, work within your budget, and focus on sustainability and efficiency to save you time and money.

Don Koppin is all these things, which is why he’s been in high demand for more than 25 years, and why his clients say, “my cheeks ache from smiling,” and “I value Don’s insistence on doing things right.”

Doing things right, the first time, is hugely important to Koppin. This is why he only hires qualified professionals, why he constantly upgrades his skills and knowledge, and why he carefully examines all angles of any project.

“A house is a system, and if one thing is out of line it affects the entire structure,” says Koppin.

Rather than just focusing on the surface problems, he examines the root cause, often starting with thermal imaging to identify energy-loss issues, and then makes recommendations that fit your budget and avoid future headaches. It comes down to integrity.

“I want my clients to love their living spaces, and for the building process to be stress-free for them,” says Koppin, which is why he promptly

Country Roads Recreation Guide • Summer 2014

Contractor

returns calls and emails, visits the job site often, and walks you through every step of the project.

He’s not just a general contractor. He’s the guy that spends his free time mastering the newest innovations in building and design. He’s the guy who can deal with your municipality to secure a minor variance so you don’t have to. He’s the guy you call when you want your home to reflect your lifestyle, your values, and your own unique individuality.

Drop by Koppin’s office at 57 Cleak Avenue in downtown Bancroft, or visit online at www.

DonKoppinContracting.ca to find out how Don Koppin General Contractor can help you design, build, repair or renovate your home or cottage.

Pontoon pleasure Makin’ Waves has the perfect boat

With their sturdy design pontoon boats can make those who are a bit nervous on the water feel safe and secure, while their horsepower makes them ideal for waterskiing or tubing.

Photo courtesy Princecraft

W

elcome to the ‘summer of the pontoon boat!’ Long the family favourite, everyone knows pontoon boats are ideal for getting together for a relaxing day on the water. Large enough to accommodate the whole family or a bevy of friends, pontoons are perfect for lazily drifting through the day, doing a little fishing, playing a game of cards, sharing a meal, or getting lost in a good book.

“Everyone loves pontoon boats - they’re synonymous with summer fun - but a lot of people don’t know that there have been some major advancements in the last several years that really expand what pontoon boats can be used for,” says Jamie Busby. Co-owner of Makin’ Waves Marine in Bancroft, Busby is proud to carry an extensive line up of Canadian-manufactured Princecraft boats, including several pontoon models that are redefining what a pontoon boat can do.

“They’re the perfect family boat because they have something for everyone, and they’re so sturdy that even those who are a bit nervous on the water feel safe and secure,” says Busby. The current line up of Princecraft pontoon boats offers unprecedented horsepower as well as a third pontoon with lifting strakes, which means you can get around much faster than on previous models.

“They’ve got so much more horsepower, that they’re actually perfect for waterskiing and tubing,” says Busby, who adds that they’re also very economical while still including lots of creature comforts, and that they’re customizable to fit any family and any lifestyle. Each Princecraft pontoon boat comes standard with a canvas sun-shade bimini top, but they can also be easily customized.

Full stand-up enclosures with zip-in windows to

Canadian made for over 60 years, Princecraft pontoon boats have earned a reputation for being exceptionally well-designed, and they’re customizable to fit any family or lifestyle.

Photo courtesy Princecraft

keep the mosquitoes out can be added, as well as privacy enclosures for bathrooms or changing rooms, and even fun recreational add-ons like inflatable slides for the youngsters and the young-at-heart.

“The pontoon boat is entertainment central,” Busby declares, “and Princecraft is the way to go.” Canadian-made for over 60 years, Princecraft boats have a tried and true reputation for being exceptionally well designed, which is why Makin’ Waves Marine is so proud to be the only Princecraft dealer in the Bancroft area for a 100km radius.

“We want everyone to come up to North Hastings this summer and have an amazing time,” says Busby, who invites people to drop by Makin’ Waves to check out the boats on site.

“I encourage everyone to get right up on the boat, get a feel for it, and imagine themselves out on the water with their friends and family, so they can find the perfect model to fit their lifestyle,” says Busby. “We’re always happy to answer questions and make recommendations. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff will help you find the perfect boat for your perfect summer!”

Makin’ Waves is committed to exceptional service, and offers pick-up and delivery, off-season storage, and on-site warranty work and maintenance. Also a dealer for Legend and Stingray boats, Mercury motors, and Honda All Terrain Vehicles, Makin’ Waves has all your recreational vehicle wish-list models under one roof, along with fishing and boating accessories, including tubes, wake-boards, and water-skis.

“We’ll help you find the right recreational vehicle for you, deliver it, maintain it, pick it up,

Makin’ Waves offers a wide range of recreation vehicles and accessories, as well as offering off-season storage and on-site warranty work and maintenance.

Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

Have you looked at Stingray lately? winterize it, and store it through the winter,” says Busby. “All you have to do is show up and have an awesome summer!”

Visit Makin’ Waves Marine at 29720 Hwy 62 North to view the models in stock as well as their catalogue, or check them out online at www.

MakinWavesMarine.com.

Summer 2014 • Country Roads Recreation Guide

Available At:

Makin’ Waves Mar 29720 Hwy 62 N, B 613-332-3777 www.makinwaves

3

R E C R E AT I O N G U I D E

A hands-on approach

Over 3,000 boats a year are turned out by ClearWater’s manufacturing facility near Picton. The company uses polythyelene in a rotational molding process that helps give its product durability.

ClearWater crew on the water whenever possible

I

f you can’t find ClearWater Design owners Ian Crerar and Michelle Laframboise working in their Picton factory and showroom, you will most likely catch them out on the water, likely with their children, enjoying one of their canoes or kayaks. That’s the sort of commitment they bring to their business.

Now operating for 19 years, and at its current location for 10, ClearWater Design creates its own line of canoes and kayaks that are distributed across Canada, and even into the United States and Europe. They handle all aspects of design and production from their 40,000 square foot facility.

“We manufacture over 3,000 canoes and kayaks a year,” says Laframboise. “Most years we add a new model. Currently we offer 13 kayaks, one canoe and one stand up paddleboard.”

A hallmark of the ClearWater manufacturing process is the use of sustainable practices, such as recycling scrap pieces of polyethylene and packaging its boats in biodegradable bags.

ClearWater produces its boats using a rotational molding process.

“We find the material and the process makes for an extra rugged kayak,” Laframboise explains.

Photo courtesy ClearWater Design

ClearWater Design’s line-up currently includes 13 different kayak models. Products are distributed across Canada and into the United States and Europe.

Photo courtesy ClearWater Design=

“There is also greater flexibility in the design compared to vacuum molding.”

Popular products these days include recreational kayaks and stand up paddleboards.

“Recreational kayaks are the most popular product we offer,” Laframboise says. “They really work for everybody. They’re more accessible and more stable. People enjoy the challenge of the stand up paddleboards and use them as a form of exercise. It has become very popular to practice yoga on S.U.P.s.”

ClearWater has recently introduced a line of polyethylene outdoor furniture that is also manufactured using the rotational molding process.

“This is our third year with the furniture,” Laframboise says. “We started with one lounge chair and we’ve been adding products to the line. We now offer four models of innovative outdoor chairs. Our product development team is working on sectional couches which we hope to introduce in 2015 when we celebrate our 20th anniversary.”

ClearWater Design’s factory store and showroom are located at 1959 County Road 15, 15 minutes north of Picton, and it also has a seasonal outlet in the Kingston area, at 2415 Highway 38, just north of Highway 401. You can access a complete dealer list on the website, www.clearwaterdesignboats. com, or call 1-800-344-5224.

Stop by the Picton showroom and take one of ClearWater’s canoes or kayaks out for a “test drive.” You may even run into Ian and Michelle doing the same!

Made in Canada

learWater Desi g n

Canoes, Kayaks & Stand Up Paddleboards

Completing the picture Cottage Docks helps bring your waterfront to life

www.clearwaterdesignboats.com

Summer

Lifts offer an excellent means of protecting your boat from the elements, and are designed to be easy to 1959 North Port Road, Picton, Ontario install and use.

613-471-1005 or 1-800-344-5224 Photo courtesy Cottage Docks

Floating docks are the perfect accent to your lakefront property, and Cottage Docks can provide the ideal design to suit a client’s specific needs and tastes.

Photo courtesy Cottage Docks

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ummers can be fleeting in Hastings County, so when the warmer months arrive you want to be able to get the maximum enjoyment out of your lakefront property. Cottage Docks feels the same way, and offers a wide range of floating docks, roll-a-docks and lifts to suit any waterfront style or need.

Floating docks are ideal for areas with deep water, fluctuating water levels or soft lakebeds and Cottage Docks can build to virtually any design.

“Each location is unique and there are a lot of elements to consider with a floating dock,” points out James Train of Cottage Docks. “Things like prevailing winds or boat traffic have to be taken into account and we can adapt to fit different situations.”

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A roll-a-dock is ideal for shorelines with a gradual slope and they can be easily removed before the winter and re-installed for the summer cottage season.

Roll-a-docks can be easily lengthened or expanded with add-on sections and are available in all-aluminum, for easy handling, or galvanized steel, for maximum strength.

Cottage Docks also sells a wide range of lifts to protect your boat, personal watercraft or even float plane from the elements. Its products are built for low maintenance and designed to make installation and use as easy as possible. Cottage Docks also offers canopies for added protection.

The company also recently introduced Hewitt Pontoon Legs, a pontoon lifting system that can

Country Roads Recreation Guide • Summer 2014

be installed to the underside of the deck of your boat. At the touch of a button you can lift your pontoon boat out of the water anytime, anywhere!

Visit www.cottagedocks.com and download the Hewitt Dock Builder App to help bring your vision to reality.

“The app is amazing,” Train says. “You can choose a product from the drop down menu and drag pieces onto a grid to see your waterfront solution take shape. You can save the design as a pdf or print it out. The app really puts you in control of the process.”

Cottage Docks has locations on Highway 62, just south of Bancroft, and on Highway 28 at Apsley.

You can call toll free at 1-877-565-0551 or email info@cottagedocks.com.

Relax; explore; enjoy Comfort awaits at Killarney Lodge

Poppy and Eric are your hosts for a weekend of relaxation.

Photo by Christopher Dew Photography

No alarms, no traffic, no neighbours, no construction – its idyllic setting in Algonquin Park makes Killarney Lodge the ideal retreat.

Photo by Christopher Dew Photography

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or just a moment, as you gradually awaken, wiggling your toes, suspended between dream and reality, you forget where you are.

With eyes still closed, you hear a loon calling, water lapping the shore, the gentle breath of your love slumbering next to you, and nothing else. No alarms, no traffic, no neighbours, no construction.

You’re smiling before you even open your eyes because you know what’s ahead of you: a long meandering day at Killarney Lodge, right inside one of North America’s most majestic and pristine wildlife sanctuaries. As you open your eyes your heart swells with gratitude. Was that the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had? You stretch your legs in the big comfortable bed, feel the luxurious linens, take a deep breath of fresh clean air, and gaze around your beautifully furnished private lake-side cabin. Rolling out of bed, you tiptoe quietly to the front door.

Out on the deck, you reach your arms up to the sky, and look out over the lake, which surrounds the peninsula on three sides. You stretch. You breathe. How can solitude feel so liberating?

You practically skip down the path from your cabin to the log guest lounge, where you get comfy next to the original stone fireplace, and flip through a coffee-table book all about Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. Poppy comes by and points out which paintings in the book are from here, Algonquin Park, and tells you which path to hike to reach the famously painted spots.

She also gives you some all-natural mosquito repellant that smells gloriously of lemongrass, cedar, mint, thyme, clove, rosemary and geranium.

After a breakfast of apple-stuffed French toast and frittata made with fresh-picked herbs, you

and your sweetheart set out, hand in hand, for a leisurely hike. Sun filters through the pines. You smile at the fat happy bumble bees hovering over native flowers. When you reach a quiet inlet you’re glad you wore your bathing suit under your shorts.

The water is cool and clean. You both laugh as you show off your under-water-somersaulting skills, and practice walking on your hands. Under the water, with cheeks puffed out, holding your breath, you open your eyes and watch little fish swimming by. You find a pretty stone on the lake bottom and carry it to the surface. Running to the shore, you present the stone to your sweetheart, and laugh together as you catch your breath, and sit for a moment on a large boulder.

Then, to your left you see a moose with her calf, snacking on greenery, twitching their ears.

You grab your smartphone from your backpack and snap a few shots. Later back at the Lodge you are grateful for free wifi as you add them to your flickr and instagram pages. For a second you consider checking your messages, then smile and think, ‘they can wait,’ and put your phone away. There are no deadlines here. No conference calls. It’s nice having wifi in the middle of paradise, but for now you decide to just unplug.

Unwind. Just be.

Later, after a picnic lunch, nap in the shade, game of checkers, luxurious shower and a delicious dinner, you glide across the lake in your canoe. The stars start to appear above you, before the sky is even fully dark, one by twinkling one. “Look, Cassiopeia is there,” you say, pointing. “And over there is the Big Dipper.”

As the sky darkens, the frogs and crickets erupt in a symphony of song, and you are mesmerized. There are just so many stars. All above you,

A clear evening allows guests to marvel upon a cosmic masterpiece.

Photo by Christopher Dew Photography

and now all around you, too, reflected on the lake. How many stars can you see? A million?

A billion? The water is perfectly still; a mirror of the sky, and it’s as if you’re floating through space. It doesn’t seem real, but it’s more real than anything. These are the stars your ancestors looked upon. This is the immaculate sky that made your grandfather want to be an astronaut. This is the cosmic masterpiece mankind has been gazing at since the beginning of time, and you had almost forgotten it existed. Never have you seen so many, so many stars. You both fall silent in wonderment. You’re sharing an epic, grand performance, and you’ve got the best seats in the house.

Later, as you close your eyes, and drift away, one last thought circles through your mind, “I get to do it again tomorrow...”

Killarney Lodge is located in the heart of Algonquin Park, about 30km past the East Gate on the Lake of Two Rivers. For booking information call 1-866-473-5551 or visit www.killarneylodge.com.

Summer 2014 • Country Roads Recreation Guide

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Small but mighty

McKeown Motor Sales celebrated 80 years in business last September, and family members (from left to right) Alan, Grace, Bill and Lianne enjoyed the festivities.

Photo courtesy McKeown Motor Sales

models have cabs to offer protection from the summer sun, while a premium is placed on easy to use operator controls, a comfortable seat and a wide range of safety features. These models are also designed to be easy to service.

The Massey Ferguson sub-compact tractors retail for about $15,000 and up.

The Massey Ferguson line-up of sub-compact tractors is ideal for home owners with a few acres of land, offering maneuverability There is much more to the McKeown and a wide range of attachment options.

Motors line-up than tractors, however.

Photo courtesy McKeown Motor Sales The 80-year-old family-run business has the new 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which has been rehey say that good things come in small packMcKeown’s Ron Reid. “I wouldn’t be surprised if designed inside and out. Features include a more ages, and that is certainly the case for McKethe growth in sales has been 25 percent. They’re fuel-efficient motor and new transmission, both own Motor Sales. One of the biggest summer more for people who buy a house with more land, designed to offer a more economical ride. sellers for the Springbrook dealership is the wide say two or three acres, but they’re also great for McKeown can also find you the right Dodge Ram range of sub-compact tractors built by Massey people who run golf courses or landscapers.”

Truck to go with your recreational trailer.

Ferguson.

Part of the appeal of the sub-compacts is that For more details on these and other products in About one-tenth the size of a standard tractor they’re very maneuverable – they can get into the McKeown Motor Sales summer line-up, visit these mighty mites can still take on a heavy worktight areas, like around houses – and they’re also www.mckeownmotorsales.net. load, while also being easy to use and economical. versatile. They’re not just for grass; you can attach While a modern farm tractor produces 80 to 120 a loader or a backhoe, for example. horsepower, the Massey Ferguson sub-compacts “There are all kinds of attachments, front and buy Large Recreational Trailer have power ranging from 16 up to 45 horsepower, • You rear,” Reidaadds.

“You can also adjust the grass~ McKeown’s has the Dodge Truck to Pull it! cutting capabilities.

And they’re not just for sumoffering a fuel-efficient option for those in need of mer, either. You can add a snowblower.” a reliable workhorse.

• You buy a Large Estate with Comfort also the to name of the game with the “The sub-compact tractors have really been 2 acres ofisGrass Cut sub-compacts.

Some of the Massey Ferguson catching fire over the past two to five years,” says ~ We have a Massey Ferguson Sub-Compact Tractor to Cut that Grass

Sub-compact tractors ease the workload

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Holiday fun

• You need an economical car to go to work to pay for ALL of this Stuff ~ See McKeown Motors in Springbrook

Sand ‘n’ Sea perfect ­vacation starting point

81 Years and

Still Going!

2589 Springbrook Road, Ellen Johnson with Springbrook, ON her husband Terry, 613-395-3883 who put in many long 1-800-465-9297 hours and took time from his contracting www.mckeownmotorsales.net

business to make sure the Sand ‘n’ Sea renovations were completed on schedule.

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othing beats the excitement of going on a winter cruise or a sun-drenched beach vacation, and Sand ‘n’ Sea Swim & Cruise Boutique in downtown Napanee is ready to get any holiday off to the perfect start.

“Our philosophy is that we believe all women are beautiful and all shapes can be dressed in flattering fashions,” explains store owner Ellen Johnson. “Shopping for swimwear is meant to be fun, not dreaded.”

Johnson and her staff put that philosophy into practice with a personal approach with their shoppers.

“I think what makes us different from bigger stores is our one-on-one approach,” she says.

“We won’t let you buy something that doesn’t work. We want to find pieces that flatter you the most. From bras to dresses, each layer matters.”

“Our store is a happy place to be. In the winter we like to share cruise and vacation stories with our customers and we maintain that spirit throughout the year.”

With its extensive line of vacation wear Sand ‘n’ Sea is also able to recommend the appropriate clothing for all aspects of your trip.

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Photo by Kathy Medd / courtesy Sand ‘n’ Sea Swim & Cruise Boutique

Johnson feels the new layout of her store fits the vision she had for Sand ‘n’ Sea when it opened four and a half years ago.

Photo by Geoff Webster / courtesy Sand ‘n’ Sea Swim & Cruise Boutique

“We work so much with people who travel that we can take into consideration what is comfortable to travel in, what is comfortable in warm weather, and looks fresh when you arrive,” Johnson points out. “We also help with finding the right clothing for layering, so you can dress to accommodate cooler and warmer temperatures like our spring and fall.”

Sand ‘n’ Sea has recently added the Canadian-made Neon Buddha products to its line-up and has been carrying the popular Yoga Jeans and Miracle Body Jeans for a couple of years.

Sand ‘n’ Sea has gone through a bit of a transformation itself and recently completed a redesign of its Dundas Street store.

“The layout has changed and we have a fresh new look,” Johnson says. “It’s something I’ve

Country Roads Recreation Guide • Summer 2014

wanted to do for a quite a while and we were fortunate to have the support of our landlord for it. It now fits what I envisioned when we first opened the store four and a half years ago, helping women achieve an outer transformation to match their inner spirit.”

Sand ‘n’ Sea Swim & Cruise Boutique is located at 3 Dundas Street in downtown Napanee. You can reach them at 613-354-3545, or on the web at www.sandnseaboutique.ca.

An honest broker

Kathy Tripp, your experienced Bancroft realtor

Kathy Tripp brings 22 years of real estate experience in the Bancroft area to her role, and has been recognized for her excellence.

Photo courtesy Royal Lepage Frank Real Estate

The Bancroft area is one of Canada’s favourite recreational destinations, bringing together the freedoms of country life with the convenience of urban living.

Photo courtesy Royal Lepage Frank Real Estate

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hinking of buying a home or cottage in beautiful North Hastings? You’re not alone. The Bancroft area has long been celebrated as one of Canada’s favourite recreational destinations, with coveted family cottages dotted around its plethora of picturesque lakes, amazing fourseason trail networks, unspoiled wilderness and wildlife, and all the freedoms of country life combined with all the conveniences of urban living.

In recent years more and more people have decided to make North Hastings their year-round home, with many finding themselves mortgage free sooner than expected thanks to property prices that tend to be lower than other parts of the province. Advances in the area’s high speed internet have allowed many professionals to move to North Hastings, bringing their careers along with them, and contributing to Bancroft’s impressive economic growth (Bancroft’s increase in job creation from 2001-2013 was almost double the provincial average).

“I am so lucky to live and work in one of the most amazing places, and I am thrilled to share everything this area has to offer,” says Kathy Tripp, a broker with Royal LePage Frank Real Estate in Bancroft and full-time selling agent.

If anyone knows real estate in North Hastings, it’s Tripp. She’s been a realtor in Bancroft for over 22 years, during which time she has repeatedly been recognized for her excellence, winning awards for sales achievements and for being a leader in referrals. Last year she won the Royal LePage President’s Gold Award.

“She’s an exceptional agent: smart, professional, conscientious, helpful, honest, and hugely experienced,” says fellow Royal LePage broker, Jody Didier. “Where she really has an edge over the competition is in her knowledge of the area.

She’s been selling real estate in North Hastings for so long that she knows the area like the back of her hand. She knows roads that aren’t on maps. She knows the histories of properties, going way back. Kathy often knows more about listed properties than the current owners do!”

Not only does Tripp know North Hastings inside and out, but with so many years under her belt as a realtor and broker, she knows the real estate industry so well that she is comfortable with all types of transactions, and she immediately puts her clients at ease with her clear explanations and advice.

“I understand the stress and pressures that the buying and selling process may cause, and knowing that you can trust your realtor is vital,” says Kathy, who has a soft spot for first time buyers, and loves helping people find their dream home. “That’s why I always embrace integrity as the guiding principal to every decision I make.”

Kathy says that clear, honest, timely and accurate communication is key, which is why she embraces technology to make herself easily available to her clients via phone, email, and social media.

“I always ensure that my clients are getting the information they need by whatever means they want to receive it. I am only ever a phone

Bancroft has enjoyed impressive economic growth recently; its increase in job creation between 2001 and 2013 was almost double the provincial average.

Photo courtesy Royal Lepage Frank Real Estate

call or email away,” says Tripp, who also points out that she has an excellent team behind her.

“My personal knowledge of the local Real Estate market is combined with the power of the Royal LePage Frank Real Estate brand - a proudly Canadian company. So my goal and promise to you is to give you a real estate experience that you are proud to share with the people you know. I earn that privilege with honesty, respect, knowledge and professionalism.”

So if you’re dreaming of buying a home or cottage in the Bancroft area, with all its freedom, wide open spaces, and charming communities, stop by the Royal LePage brokerage at 51 Hastings Street North in downtown Bancroft to see Kathy. You can also reach her toll free at 888432-2507, or visit her online at www.KathyTripp. com to check out her listings.

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Summer school

Discovery tours both fun and educational

The Nature Discovery Tours, such as this one to the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery, provide insight into various conservation efforts in the area.

Photo by Kim Burke

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ummer is all about fun in the sun, right?

This is the time for kicking back at the cottage, swimming or water-skiing, maybe going camping and generally doing nothing.

The last thing you want to do is something educational. That would spoil everything, wouldn’t it?

But what if it was something that got you out and exploring? What if it was in the area and easy to get to? What if it dealt with topics that are important to the health and survival of this beautiful area? Would that persuade you at all?

If you answered yes to any of those questions you should try out one of the Bancroft and District Nature Discovery Tours this summer. A joint venture between the Bancroft and District Chamber of Commerce and the Bancroft Area Stewardship Council, these guided tours offer participants a special insight to the natural treasures of the Bancroft region.

There are five different tours to choose from, and they run on set dates until the end of September.

Elk tours will be held July 14 and August 25.

Participants in this tour become familiar with the local elk restoration program, the status of elk management and a guided tour through elk country. You may even see some elk, but no promises!

There is a chimney swift tour on July 21, where you can see a presentation and viewing of the endangered chimney swift, hosted by a member of the Bancroft Field Naturalists Club.

On July 16, August 20 and Sept. 25 Freymond Lumber hosts a forestry tour that includes a guided exploration of its log yard, sawmill and chipping facility, and provides background on sustainable forest management and the long term economic health of the area.

Collect Them All

Back issues of Country Roads magazine are available.

2.95

$

Single issue - $1.95 each additional issue

DON’T DELAY - QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED.

You might get old but our stories won’t.

To order call 613.395.0499 or email info@countryroadshastings.ca.

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Country Roads Recreation Guide • Summer 2014

Participants in the elk tour are introduced to the local elk restoration program and get a guided tour through elk country.

Photo by Greg Webb

Fish hatchery tours on August 6 and Sept. 13 include a visit to the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery, where a unique strain of lake trout and brook trout are being raised for stocking in local lakes.

Finally, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in July and August visitors can enjoy a mineral tour led by a geologist.

For all the details on the tours, dates and pricing, visit www.bancroftdistrict.com or call (613) 332-1513.

So get out, explore, learn, and most importantly have some fun doing it.

Did you know PenWord Communications Inc., publishers of Country Roads magazine offers a wide range of media services?

• Business materials: brochures, ­catalogues, annual reports, proposals • Public Relations: press releases, media materials • Marketing: ad copy, advertorials, ­posters, flyers • Magazines and newspapers: freelance journalism • Newsletters: community event ­programmes • Website content • Copy editing PenWord Communications Inc., Box 423, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0 penword@sympatico.ca 613.395.0499

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