COUNTRY ROADS, Celebrating Life in Hastings County

FOLLOW THE HERITAGE TRAIL FOR FAMILY FUN A REMEMBRANCE TRIBUTE TO SMALL TOWN SOLDIER DISCOVER BELLEVILLE’S BEAUTY ON FOOT

COVERING THE ARTS, OUTDOORS, HISTORY, PEOPLE AND PLACES

FALL 2018

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Stirling Christmas Parade - December 7, 6-8 pm Springbrook Christmas Parade - December 9 starting at 3 pm

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Store Hours Mon. - Fri. 9-4 Sat. 9-3

S T I R L I N G

Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30 - 5:30 • Saturday 8 - 4

-

R AW D O N

ON THE COVER

COUNTRY ROADS SOCIAL SCENE We’re very social and we’d love to hear from YOU. Letters to the Editor can be sent via www.countryroadshastings.ca, email or snail mail.

Dear Country Roads: I like your publication, so nice to see good editorial design and communication.

Kudos!

Ken Wollens, Toronto, ON — And long-time cottager in Hastings County.

Photo by Sandy Randle This shot of a basswood tree was taken on a hazy October morning with a Canon 5DSr camera and 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, shot at ISO 200, 24mm, f/11 at 1/100 of a second. Shooting at f/11 and up, and having the sun in the right position provided the captivating starburst effect.

The tree is in the corner of a property backing onto the Oak Hills Golf Course, south of Stirling. As such, the tree has intercepted many shots down the fairway.

Take in the fall colours from the nearby Sagar Conservation Area lookout tower.

REGARDING YOUR SUMMER 2018 EDITION.

Dear Country Roads: As a new-comer to this beautiful part of Ontario, offering nature at its best, I have discovered the Country Roads Magazine.

Perhaps it is nostalgia for my Polish country roads, where my family comes from, where I spent summer holidays, or perhaps it is the unparalleled beauty of this region that drew my attention to this magazine. In the world full of mixed messages, full of rush to follow the crowd, there is a breath of fresh air called Country Roads. Thank you for your time and efforts to expand my knowledge of Hastings County and its beauty.

Yoasha Dombrowska Bruszewski Bancroft, ON

Co

Co R

celebratin

Co R

celebratin

C

Co R

celebratin

Country Roads is searching for

Freelance Writers

PHOTO CONTEST

to join our team.

If you are interested you can submit story ideas, and samples of your work to nancy@countryroadshastings.ca

SHOW US YOUR BEST SHOTS! 3 CATEGORIES TO ENTER Fun in the outdoors Wildlife Landscapes DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 1, 2019

SUMMER UNPLUGGED: Rediscovering how to be a kid at summer camp

2301 PEOPLE REACHED Summer 2018 events in Hastings County

1312 PEOPLE REACHED 4

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Country Roads • Fall 2018

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES AT WWW.COUNTRYROADSHASTINGS.CA

the

COMPASS

VISIT WWW.COUNTRYROADSHASTINGS.CA AND SIGN UP FOR THE COUNTRY ROADS’ NEWSLETTER TODAY!

Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

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~ SHOP, DINE, REST, SEEK ADVENTURE...

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CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR Nancy Hopkins 613 968-0499 CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR John Hopkins 613 968-0499

Roads

ASSISTANT EDITOR Heather-Anne Wakeling 613 968-0499

celebrating life in hastings county

SALES DEPARTMENT CENTRAL HASTINGS & AREA Lorraine Gibson-Alcock lorraine@countryroadshastings.ca 613.902.0462 NORTH HASTINGS & AREA Hope McFall hope@countryroadshastings.ca 613.202.1541 ART DIRECTOR Jozef VanVeenen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Orland French Lorraine Gibson-Alcock Barry Penhale Lindi Pierce Susan Shipton Michelle Annette Tremblay Sarah Vance Heather-Anne Wakeling Shelley Wildgen CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Larry Fowler Jason King Sandy Randle Michelle Annette Tremblay Sarah Vance Jozef VanVeenen 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.

NEW & PRE-OWNED INVENTORY PARTS & SERVICE 104221 HWY # 7, EAST OF MARMORA 613.473.4334 WWW.ORANGEMOTORSPORTS.CA

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The advertising deadline for the Fall issue is November 3, 2018

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COVER PHOTO: SANDY RANDLE Made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation

HOW TO CONTACT US Telephone: 613-968-0499 E-mail: info@countryroadshastings.ca Website: www.countryroadshastings.ca For written enquiries you can reach us at: PenWord Communications Inc. P.O. Box 124, Tweed, ON K0K 3J0

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Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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CONTRIBUTORS

EDITORIAL

Sarah Vance freelances articles for publications such as Bancroft This Week, The Haliburton Echo, Municipal Monitor and Country Roads. Sarah’s interest in cultural and social themes led her to pursue a masters’ degree, under the guidance of British philosopher Keith AnsellPearson. Sarah is always on the lookout for interesting angles and projects that will take her off the beaten path.

Heather-Anne Wakeling has enjoyed a multi-faceted media background that began as a teenager working for Barry Penhale in his independent Canadian book and magazine publishing company Consolidated Amethyst. There he introduced her to a manual typewriter and told her that she’d soon learn how to type … and quickly. Heather-Anne has since typed her way through all aspects of print and television production while earning a B.A. from York University. She’s old enough to have actually set “hot metal type,” and was an early adapter of video composition at Maclean’s Magazine. Life has turned full circle to bring her “home” to write and edit for Country Roads Magazine. A fulltime caregiver to her mother, she adores her life partner Andrew, and co-parents the mighty dog Anubus and his cohort in crime, Bailey the Cat Shelley Wildgen has a background in broadcasting that extends from Belleville to Winnipeg to Bermuda and back again. She is an advertising copywriter and commercial voice over talent by trade but has also written features for many magazines across Canada, as well as taken a turn at teaching in the School of Media Arts and Design at Loyalist College. Shelley divides her time between Belleville and Prince Edward Island.

Temperatures fall into Autumn ...

Unless you had a membership to an air-conditioned fitness club, or the opportunity to get in regular outdoor swims, this summer’s oppressive heat and regular threats of thunderstorms may have put a damper on your fitness routine. I know the runner in this house had to forego his outdoor runs and numerous times opt for a swim as his form of exercise. Not really a bad trade off. But the heat did limit our hikes, and general outdoor physicality.

Here’s the good news. It’s FALL! Temperatures perfect for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and outdoor runs. And, as luck would have it, Eastern Ontario is home to 7,000 kilometers of interconnecting trails to explore. The sheer territory they cover — from the Bay of Quinte to Algonquin Park provides for ever changing scenery and adventures for all ages.

The other thing synonymous with Fall in the region is the numerous AUTUMN STUDIO TOURS! Self-guided, these tours will take you through spectacular countryside; wonderfully coinciding with the changing tree colours, and right to the doors of exceptional artists working in a variety of mediums.

Fall is also a time when we reflect and honour our fallen soldiers with Remembrance Day Ceremonies in many towns and cities across Hastings County. We are proud to include in this issue a story on Marmora’s WWII Airman Stewart M. Bonter. Change the name, town, and a few details and his life and death are reflective of the universal soldier that gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

We are delighted to introduce readers to Heather-Anne Wakeling, the newest member of the Country Roads team. As Editor, she got her feet wet with the summer issue, but this fall edition she officially got the full magazine publishing workout. Her expertise and commitment to journalism makes her the perfect addition to our small, but mighty group.

Wishing one and all a most memorable, colourful and active Fall.

•

Get your shopping done EARLY this year!

November 2, 3, 4 & 9, 10, 11 www.facebook.com/HeartofHastingsTour

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V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 3 , FA L L 2 0 1 8

CONTENTS 8

18

Bancroft’s Retro Candy Store

Bancroft General Mercantile 16 foot candy counter Fudge and vintage novelties 75 Hastings St. N

Downtown Bancroft on the Strip

613.332.2332

14

Also visit Stirling General Mercantile 26 West Front St., Stirling 613.243.8462

20

FEATURES 8 EXPLORING NATURE’S MECCA

17 ­ LIZZIE ­MONTGOMERY – A WOMAN OF ­SUBSTANCE

By Sarah Vance

14 THE MOONLIGHT ­MERMAID SURFACES IN GERMANY

By Shelley Wildgen

20 BELLEVILLE STREETWALKING

By Heather-Anne Wakeling

By Shelley Wildgen

DEPARTMENTS 4 SOCIAL SCENE 6 EDITORIAL

26 ADVERTISERS INDEX

6 CONTRIBUTORS

18 REMEMBERING

28 COUNTRY CALENDAR

Oronhyatekha – A Giant

in His Time

29 MARKETPLACE

24 JUST SAYING The Widow Barlow Shall Remain Seated

27 THE VILLAGE IDIOT The Bird Feeder, Part 2

30 BACK ROADS

PAINT & DECOR PLUMBING & ELECTRICAL HEATING & VENTILATION

MADOC HOME HARDWARE 57 Elgin Street, Madoc

(613) 473-2332 MADOCHOMEHARDWARE.COM Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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Exploring

N AT U R E ’ S M ECC A B Y S A R A H VA N C E

WHETHER YOU WALK, CYCLE, CANOE PORTAGE OR HORSEBACK RIDE, THE HERITAGE OF TRAILS IN HASTINGS COUNTY OFFER SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE — ALL YEAR ROUND.

T H E H E R I TA G E T R A I L Taking a break from cycling, two children reconnect with nature as they walk along the trail. Photo courtesy Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance.

D

oes your sense of adventure ever make you want to get out into the wilderness and tork, gear, walk, run, or dance away from it all?

Or, perhaps your pragmatism reminds you that you will need to push a baby carriage, help along a few tots on bicycles, or haul an ATV and dirt bike, to keep the whole family engaged … whilst getting away from it all?

If this sounds like you, then North Hastings’ meandering trails might be just the place for your family to meet your travel needs. With its rugged landscapes, lush flora and fauna, and dynamic human inhabitants, the circuits around North Hastings have come to be known as the “mecca of trails” with an estimated 25,000 annual visitors.

The biggest multi-use circuit is referred to as the Heritage Trail, and despite being an abandoned rail corridor this description does little to capture the multi-layered significance of this thoroughfare over time. Long before the railway lines were chiseled through the forests on the backs of rural labour, this trail (leading through what is now known as East Central Ontario), was a trade route for Algonquin Nippissing communities, who made their living on the land we now share.

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It wasn’t until the 1880’s that millionaire John Booth began backing, and ostensibly paying for railway services to come through North Hastings.

But despite all the fanfare in the history books, the railways were operational for less than 50 years. And within 75 years of construction, by the late 1980’s, the rails pegs and logs around North Hastings were being literally ripped out of the ground having become non-consequential barriers for contemporary motorized and nonmotorized users.

In other words, they were obsolete.

Ironically, it is the raspberries, the blueberries … sumac … and the people, living, working, and walking along the trails that have out-played that grotesque showing of man against nature. And while they may be new growth, we’re seeing that even the forests that line the trails are making a full recovery during this post-Booth era.

Close to 24% of the population residing in North Hastings continue to be off-reserve Algonquins and Metis communities. Upand-coming Algonquin youth, like Christine Luckasavitch, CAO of Waaseyaa Consulting, honours the spirits of her ancestors by telling their

stories, and identifying their medicines, while working as an interpretive trail guide, along the Heritage Trail, in Bancroft.

“I cover the Indigenous to Indigenous-settler history, geological history, plus as much flora and fauna (ethnobotany) as I can fit in,” says Christine who has also worked as an Economic Development Officer for the Algonquins of Ontario before returning to the Whitney area, where she organizes cultural anthropology projects.

Family excursions like those offered by Christine help visitors become fluent in local medicines, and ostensibly, the trails are themselves coming to be referred to as medicines, as research bolsters links between health, wellness and outdoor recreation.

In fact, The Ontario Trail Strategy, a document written in the early 2000’s identifies nature trails to “play a vital role in our well-being,” and indicates that 52% of the people living in Ontario are not sufficiently active.

In contrast, trails are becoming catalysts to increase activity levels and even low impact activities such as cycling, hiking and horseback riding are known to burn more than 100 calories per kilometer.

Get Your

Trail Pass!

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613.478.1444 thetrail.ca AL L

IA

Above: To learn about trail routes visit The Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance website www.thetrail.ca where you will find an interactive map to plan your journeys.

Top: In our not too distant past, the steam locomotive was the only reliable method of transportation through our rugged landscape. Now outdated, the rails were removed and the Heritage Trail created.

Below: The Heritage Trail is suitable for all ages, and with the added bonus of no traffic, families can relax while they enjoy beautiful autumn colours while cycling at their leisure. Photo courtesy Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance.

Above: Staying fit and having fun, power-walking has become a favourite sport along the trail. Photo courtesy Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance.

Mineral collection, which is a long-time pastime in North Hastings, is also being linked to mental health and well-being, and there are mineral collection sites along the trail, especially in the Town of Bancroft. In fact, some are theorizing that minerals have healing properties.

Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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“The mineral varieties so amply available in this area lend themselves to rest, renewal, and healing. Quartz is said to enhance meditation and is known as a master healing crystal,” says Monica Lumely-Piercey, a spiritual guide and medium who lives and works in the Bancroft area.

“One of my favourite activities is to scout along the rocks whenever I am out walking to see the various formations and patterns within the rocks and natural landscape.”

Fitness recreationalists such as cyclists also make up a growing demographic of the users on the Heritage Trail. Recreational activity groups such as the Broken Spokes Bicycle Club and the Hikes and Spikes Club, strike out for their weekly excursions from Heritage Trail co-ordinates to intersect with other secondary trails.

With a vibrant children’s program and intergenerational riders gathering on various nights of the week, throughout the spring, summer and autumn seasons, there are plenty of roadies and trail tours to choose from. These team-based groups use Facebook to share schedules about their upcoming events and new members are always joining up.

Children’s rides, such as the Cadet Run, often attract upwards of 50 kids who along with adult volunteers wheel down the trails on weekday evenings, and Saturday mornings, to merge on to the trail that is adjacent to the York River.

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Country Roads • Fall 2018

Left: A canoe portage isn’t all work and no play for these two friends as they take time to relax with their books. Photo courtesy Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance.

“Cycling is an important and dynamic use of trails,” says Cathy Trimble, Chair of the NonMotorized Trails Network Committee (MNTRC), a local interest group, working in trail conservation.

“Our group is working at building trails and the tourism economy within what we call low hanging trails, that are currently under-utilized and we are learning more about the feasibility of revitalizing these trails.”

A sub-committee of the North Hastings Economic Development Committee, MNTRC received funding through the Trillium Foundation to study under-utilized trails in Bancroft’s outlying regions such as Lake St. Peter, Silent Lake, and Birds Creek and to make recommendations that might lead to their expanded use. This committee is eyeing a future where under-utilized trails will be developed for non-motorized uses, and will include

Below: ATV trail enthusiasts enjoy close to 64,000 kilometers of systems. Photo by Sarah Vance.

Bottom: Equestrian enthusiasts depend on the trail for the health and fitness of their steeds. Photo courtesy Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance.

A simple wooden gate opens to a trail through exquisite natural beauty. Photo by Sarah Vance.

Exploring the trails on snowmobiles, 4 wheelers, side-by-sides and dirt bikes is very popular.

Photo by Sarah Vance

connecting links onto the Heritage Trail, but that will be independent from this route.

Despite there being close to 64,000 kilometers of systems to choose from in Ontario, North Hastings trails are alluring to tourists, in part because they border on thousands of kilometers of Crown Land.

Proximity to Crown Land make these trails gateways and they are in many cases the only access point into Central Ontario’s rugged interior. They also bring riders into the entrance for “Northern Ontario,” a designation that begins at Whitney.

That being said, the wide flat track keeps the trails accessible for beginning motorists, who can ride as young as 12 years-of-age on private properties, making the trail ideal for day-trippers and for those with young children, who are just beginning their journey as stewards of this land.

Several old-growth trees keep these journeys authentic, but not without the familiar safeguards of signage leading to local shops and restaurants, online maps, kilometer counts, and the occasional Pokémon Go battle stop, for those who are packing Wi-Fi. There are a growing number of festivals built around motorized sports, known colloquially as “mudding,” which take place along the Heritage Trail. Mudding is a sport that the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance estimates brings $6 million dollars’ worth of tourism money into the region every year.

The Opeongo ATV Trail Fest takes riders along what is called the Loggers Loop that starts from Madawaska South, linking Barry’s Bay through to Hastings Highlands and back to Renfrew County.

It’s an annual August scheduled event — with trailhead at the Madawaska Complex at 26A Major Lake Road, and lunch at the Porterville Diner in Lake St. Peter this festival takes riders through hundreds of kilometers of Crown Land.

In the spring, and for more advanced riders, the annual 75 kilometer Dungannon Four Wheeling Mud Run has tickets that sell out in 24 hours. This festival attracts hundreds of riders every year and takes about six hours to complete. The highlight

of this run are the mud pits, some of which are quite challenging and require a lot of different gear ranges. It is not uncommon for riders to wear hip waders and to spend a good part of their

run winching their bike out of puddles, before completing the circuit.

“Outdoor recreation is one of the five attractions that is identified in the Hastings County Tourism

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Many people connect with nature by riding horseback through the Heritage Trail.

Photo courtesy Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance.

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Country Roads • Fall 2018

Final Report,” says Andrew Redden, Economic and Tourism Development Manager for the County of Hastings. “At the county we are very supportive and interested in the work being done to help more people get out onto the trails.”

You will find an economy built around the trail circuits with several restaurants and accommodations such as the Bancroft Inn and Suites not only offering incentives and discounts for ATV and snowmobile travellers, but also openly attributing a good percentage of their offseason income to these industries.

Trail riders are welcomed locally by many businesses that are positioned close to the circuits by a short connecting link to the Heritage Trail and other secondary trails.

“Our trails offer people, that don’t live here, a chance to explore scenic area on snowmobiles, 4 wheelers, side-by-sides and dirt bikes,” said Renata, of the Bancroft Inn and Suites. “They park, check-in, unload and away they go.”

Accommodations like the Bancroft Inn and Suites are also access points for purchasing multiuse trail permits that are offered through the Eastern Ontario Trail Alliance, and which support the preservation of the trail. It is important that riders purchase these permits and have them with them when they are mudding and cycling on the trails in North Hastings.

“On the trail, riders can access many restaurants and shops; we have guests that make many trips using “Stay and Ride,” she adds. “This sport is getting bigger and bigger every year thanks to the awesome trail systems here.”

Whatever your purpose, and regardless of how heavy or light you are able to travel, the Heritage Trail offers a little something for even the most adventure seeking family. It is accessible to Hastings Highlands and the Town of Bancroft where there are parking lots to park trucks and trailers.

Whether you are on a canoe portage, a hiker, a cyclist, or a motorized rider the geography of the Heritage Trail offers a little something for you and the route is suitable for your whole family, even for those who are soaking it all in from inside a baby carriage.

And for those whose interest resides in cultural tourism, there is a wide array of cultural expressions and variations, represented by different uses and users, on the more than 7,000 kilometers of line extending from Algonquin Park to the Bay of Quinte.

•

For more info on passes, trail routes, and stay and play packages visit www.thetrail.ca

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The Moonlight Mermaid surfaces in Germany Bonter pictured here with Marion Vincent Barron. Photo courtesy Bonter family archives.

Marmora WWII pilot Stewart Millen Bonter’s Moonlight Mermaid’s crash site found by Volunteer Aircraft Archaeologists.

By Heather-Anne Wakeling

I

n the 1930’s-40’s, parents the world over saw their youth leave for war while collective memories of the Great War still haunted their dreams. Again years passed — surviving soldiers began to lower their rifles, fighter aircraft ceased to bomb, medical aprons remained clean, well almost. Civilians surfaced from shelters and Armistices were signed.

People found ways to return to daily life although multitudes never knew what really transpired to end their loved ones’ lives. Bodies were claimed either by European clay, or swallowed in oceanic water. Blunt letters were received; empty caskets were buried, forced shut with splinters of grief and enigmatic mystery. With tongues now silent, the living turned their hearts toward rearing other children.

Marmora’s son, Stewart Millen Bonter really didn’t have to go.

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Country Roads • Fall 2018

Bonter, according to Gerald Belanger’s research, published in the Marmora Herald, was an educated man. A hometown son, born on September 24, 1918, he went to the Beaver Creek Public School, No. 5, Marmora Public School and then to the Marmora Continuation School, finishing his education in shop and drafting at the Galt Vocational School. By the time the war was in earnest, Bonter was working at his father’s Bonter Marble Quarry in Marmora.

Like those of his generation, he felt it was his duty to serve.

Bonter’s 1939 application for WWII service with the Canadian Armed Forces at Borden was initially turned down. He could have continued to honourably support the Canadian forces as a tool setter and production foreman in the large munition case department at the Canadian Defense Industries at Brownsburg, Que. because, in reality, the Bonter

Top: Stewart Millen Bonter, “I would like to keep the name Bonter a name synonymous with everything that stands for fairness — a name that stands out in whatever community you are in for good and Godliness.

I have tried not to disgrace it.” Excerpt from Bonter’s letter January 1945. Photo courtesy Marmora Historical Society, Bonter family archives. Letter excerpt courtesy of Anne Philpot.

Above: The crew of the Moonlight Mermaid, Stewart Millen Bonter, seen first from the left, “chose flying not because I particularly liked it — I was never one for making models or idolizing flying aces — but because it was a bit dangerous … I would have to join a branch to prove my courage first of all to myself, secondly to others.” Excerpt from Bonter’s letter January 1945.

Photo courtesy Marmora Historical Society, Bonter family archives. Letter excerpt courtesy of Anne Philpot.

family had already given enough. His brother, Eldon was in active service with the Canadian army stationed in England. But Stewart was not content, so after three years he re-enlisted. In November, 1942 he was accepted for basic training in Quebec, after which he returned to Ontario to successfully complete his aviation training at Oshawa’s Elementary Flying Training School No. 2. Bonter had no way of knowing that his graduation on Oct. 2, 1943, would secure his destiny in the ultimate sacrifice. It was reported that while piloting the

“The Bomber Command sent in the late afternoon hours of March 15, 1945 in total 500 aircraft on their way to Germany, around to attack Hagen and the oil refinery in Misburg at Hanover. A total of 267 aircraft, including 134 Lancaster, 122 Halifax and 11 Mosquitos had Hagen as their destination. To this attack unit belonged the bomber “Moonlight Mermaid,” type Halifax B MKVII with the serial number NP689 and the Identifier QO-M of the 6 Bomber Group, RCAF 432 Squadron.

“Moonlight Mermaid” took off 17:07 clock (18:07 clock MEZ) from the East Moor airfield.

Between 20:30 and 20:45 clock the bombers threw about 1,000 tons of bombs on Hagen.

“Moonlight Mermaid” crashed shortly before the goal, from 4800m altitude.” Excerpt and photo courtesy of the Marmora Historical Society.

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Moonlight Mermaid NP689, the Halifax Bomber MK VII was shot down by German artillery fire sometime between September/October 1944 and April 1945.

An account of the crash is cited on the Marmora Historical Society’s website as, “The pilot Stewart Millen Bonter, the Flight Engineer Douglas Colquohoun and the Mid/Upper gunner Darwin Cameron Lawton all died in the crash. Flight Officer H. Vachon, Flight Officer A. Hinchcliffe and Wireless Operator Eiler Villey Anderson survived the crash and became captive. The Rear Gunner Thomas Delmer Scott had already jumped over Hagen shortly after receiving the flak hit. Scott was captured on 17 March, but not transferred to the Wehrmacht, but admitted in the Court prison in Hagen. On the morning of April 3, 1945, Scott, along with 11 Hungarian “volunteers” of the Wehrmacht, was shot by the Gestapo in the woods near Hagen in a bomb crater.”

It would take more than 70 years to solve the mystery of the Moonlight Mermaid’s crash.

For Beverly Meyer, Bonter’s niece, the news of finding her uncle’s crash site was revealed in a letter she received from Sven Polkläser. An IT professional by day, Polkläser’s passion is archaeology, and as an amateur detectorist, he is one of the German volunteers with the Office for the Preservation of Land Monuments, an organization where those

Thank you Quinte, Thank youBelleville, Belleville, Quinte “TheCountry” County” & & Eastern Ontario “The Eastern Ontario

R0011294653

Above: An aerial artifact that held important clues, a 147 gallon fuel gauge. Photo by Sven Polkläser.

with an interest in aircraft archaeology as a field of WWII research have been methodically piecing together war-based fragments of tragedy unearthed from what are now considered historical crash sites.

To Beverly’s astonishment, they had been doing serious detective work, stringing together snippets of information concerning her uncle’s and the other crewmen’s combat experience to document what happened on the day that sealed members of this crew’s fate.

It is an ironic fact of life that a truth comes to light once being uncovered from deep within another darkened story. Through a colleague in June 2017, Polkläser became aware that an American B-17 crash near the Stindermühle (near Erkrath) had been corroborated by various witnesses. Further research led them to believe that this bomber “Smokey Stover” had been piloted by an American Albert I. Pierce and that it had crashed in a field on Nov. 2, 1944. Polkläser, hoping to find fragments of the “Smokey Stover”, was somewhat surprised that “during a first inspection of the crash site on the pasture in the Stinderbach Valley in July 2017, without a detector and without excavation, a socket was found on the surface of a place not overgrown with grass, which provided surprising information.

The English crown is embossed on the front, below AM (=Air Ministry) and ref. no 5C/587, and “Made in England” is written on the back.” Polkläser knew that this artifact clearly belonged to an English plane and therefore could not be the site of the “Smokey Stover.” He said that his heart was beating “up to my neck,” when further inspection offered a 147 gallon fuel gauge. For him, it was like finding gold.

With these artifacts Polkläser was able to trace the aerial history of the Moonlight Mermaid NP689 and

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Top: Families throughout Canada received blunt letter’s such as this, that changed their lives forever. Photo courtesy Bonter family archives.

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Fall 2018 • Country Roads

I 15

After being exhumed and relocated three times, Bonter finally rests in the Reichswald Military cemetery near Kleve.

“Somehow I always imagined I should fear death. … Now I have not the slightest fear. … I have never learned to hate the enemy. I fail to see any glory in wars. I have seen too many of my friends, some the best types of fellows you could find anywhere in this world, killed.” Excerpt from Bonter’s letter January 1945. Photo courtesy Marmora Historical Society, Bonter family archives. Letter excerpt courtesy of Anne Philpot.

found that it had flown 83 missions, and was one of the longest surviving bombers, having flown 42 night, and 41 day attacks. And, as fate would have it, it was not German artillery fire, but an incendiary bomb, dropped from a high-flying bomber from their squadron that had caused the NP-689 crash.

Although initially tragic, Meyer said, “We were so excited when we received that letter, and then to keep on, he sent pictures of the field where the plane crash was discovered. We never had that before. We knew that the plane went down, but that’s all. The finding of the crash site was a whole new thing.”

Being too young to know what to ask, combined with the reluctance of her parents to talk about the war all Meyer ever knew was that “my Uncle Stewart was famous, being a pilot. His brother, Eldon also went into the army and served in England, but fortunately was not exposed to the

same extent of combat as his brother was. Stewart died so young, as so many did.” She added, “My Uncle Stewart did come back once, and we have a picture of him holding both me and my sister.”

Officer H. Vachon, one of the three survivors, had worked with her uncle at the quarry and they knew each other very well. It was fate that they were both on the same plane. Meyer recounted that Vachon did pay a visit to her grandparents and parents and spoke to them about what had happened. Although she does not remember the actual details of that visit, she remembers seeing her elders in full grief, especially her father. His tears made quite an impression on her as a young girl. “And then after his visit, my parents didn’t want to speak further on the subject. That was the generation, it was their way.”

Polkläser would like people to know that by finding and compiling the history of these events, and reaching out to the relatives of deceased veterans, he hopes to bring our cultures closer. He says, “Only if you know your past, you can plan your future. With my historical research I would like to create a piece of German commemorative culture. In my opinion, there are many parallels between today’s world politics and those before the two World Wars. If we succeed in depicting the horror of the bomb and war on both sides through

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individual fates, the human aspects will become visible and thus more tangible.”

Today, Beverly lives with her husband Arthur on the property of one of the five marble quarries her grandfather owned. For their family, Polkläser’s contact has allowed them to come full circle with the knowledge of the crash, its cause and honour the final resting place of their aviator descendant, who Beverly says, “sure was a handsome, clever looking man who died far too soon. The good thing about this is that many members of our family have gone to the final grave site, and we all marvel at how beautiful it is there and how well it is looked after. Since we have a niece, Lois Whelan-Priestman now living in Holland, these visits have become a family event and through Sven, we have closure to the family stories of Stewart’s death. He was talked about, but we never really knew.”

Three generations have been born who never knew Stewart, but because of Polkläser and his colleagues they have a tangible connection to their ancestor.

“It’s important in our lives that Stewart and Eldon went through all of that,” Beverly adds. For a moment there is quiet on the line, and then she says, “They did it for us.”

May we be worthy.

•

LIZZIE MONTGOMERY

A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN

S

traight as a thistle, and withsaw you coming through the door; she’d out a trace of a smile, Lizzie run out and kill a chicken.” That’s just Montgomery worked to live. how it was done. The sight of a headless Elizabeth Montgomery of chicken was not uncommon and more Lodgeroom Corners bore no resemthan a little intriguing for a nine yearblance to her ‘Bewitched’ namesake. old city boy.

There wasn’t any task-mastering twitch As different as Aunt Lizzie’s rugged of the nose or Hollywood glamour ever life was at Lodgeroom Corners, the trip found in the small brick farmhouse, to her farm was far from boring. Each just west of Tweed. Instead, in the visit would include the twins’ cousins early part of last century there lived a Arnold and Ruby who lived a few farms short, sturdy woman with curly, grey away as well as Elizabeth Gordon whose hair steadfastly tending to every part of parents owned a large dairy farm across her existence on the tiny farm 38 kilothe road. Rural roads were longer than meters from Belleville. No magic. No city streets, but they still had kids to play electronics. No problem. Living was with. serious business in the 1930s and 40s.

Around supper-time, Lizzie’s bachelor Lizzie kept her home fires burning by brother, Jim, would amble down from chopping her own wood and lighting her his house nearby and join the family for kerosene lamps while keeping a firm hand dinner. Jim was a cheese-maker who on caring for her small parcel of land. As partook in the visit and the dinner, but Lizzie Montgomery flanked by her twin great-nephews Rob and Doug Barlow, age far as anyone knew she never aspired to there was no mistaking who was running approximately 9. live any other way. A true pioneer woman, things. Doug remembers, “Aunt Lizzie Photo courtesy Shelley Wildgen Elizabeth Montgomery was born in the serving, carving, talking and being in 1860s and lived on into the 1900s. Her charge. Uncle Jim kept very quiet, and atypical life would be harsh by our seemed happy to go along with anything standards, but it was her solitary existence that was most unique. Back then, Aunt Lizzie decided. I would say, on reflection, that he enjoyed poor health.” most women married young and reared more children than they did chickens or, Alone, but not lonely, Lizzie Montgomery lived out her days at Lodgeroom if they didn’t marry, they’d often live with a family member. They were either Corners chopping wood, gardening, and chickening until she could no longer. married women, or they were spinsters. ‘Single, independent and strong’ weren’t The Gordons kept an eye on her until, arguably, the small farm became too adjectives used in the same sentence as ‘unmarried lady.’ Not then. much for her. At that time, Lizzie moved into Belleville to live with her sister The brick farmhouse was very basic in the 1930s with a living room and Jenny, the Barlow boys’ grandmother on George Street, but only when she dining room — fireplaces in both rooms — a big kitchen with a woodstove and was ready. a woodshed to store the large amount of split wood. In addition to wielding a The recollections of twin ninety year-old boys about a favourite aunt leave wood-axe, the single lady of the house preserved fruit and vegetables, collected a lasting impression: Lizzie Montgomery … a woman living on her own eggs, and raised her own meat. There was no running water or inside facilities, so farm, on her own terms. A woman who delighted in sharing everything she most tasks required a trip outside for one thing or another. Never married, fiftyhad with them. something year-old Lizzie was the embodiment of independence long before it was fashionable. Lizzie ‘womanned’ each corner of her wee farm from a garden plot laden with necessary produce to a bevy of meat and egg chickens. And, according to her great-nephew, Doug Barlow she raised “Quite a lot of them.”

Now in his nineties, Doug and his twin brother, Rob, both recall the serious minded aunt with the unusual life. “We’d be taken to see Aunt Lizzie by Nana and Grandpa Barlow in his 1933 Plymouth where we’d stand up all the way by holding onto the rack at the back of the front seat — which was meant to hold a rug for winter travel.”

In the early part of the 1900s summer drives were a novelty and often included visiting relatives who lived off of Belleville’s beaten path. Doug’s twin, Rob, remembers Lizzie “spoke crisply and firmly with little or no sense of humour.

She wasn’t much of a talker, but was always glad to see you and made you feel welcome.” And this was the enchantment that would endure eight decades later for the once young boys in Lizzie’s life. Much like that of a firm but fair school-teacher, Lizzie Montgomery’s good heart shone through a serious countenance. Memories that survive and thrive often seem to include simple, strong images of warm people.

When the boys visited Aunt Lizzie, Nana and Grandpa Barlow would stop for a cool drink of water from a Roslin spring that flowed into a horse trough, and then the car would rumble on down a gravel road to Lodgeroom Corners where the boys could always count on a chicken dinner. Upon their arrival, Nana’s sister, Lizzie, would hop up from her wicker rocker and a chicken would be immediately dispatched, leaving a vivid memory for nine year-old Rob. “She

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Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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R E M E M B E R I N G

Oronhyatekha A Giant in His Time

BY BARRY PENHALE

Dr. Oronhyatekha was the subject of a long-awaited thoroughly researched account of his quite inspiring life, published by Dundurn Press in 2016.

As an IOF project in support of orphaned children, Oronhyatekha had Captain John’s Island cleared of large black rat snakes and comfortable buildings erected, including a veritable mansion. Renamed “Forester Island,” the site received its first visitors in 1894. Tinted postcard, Penhale Collection.

M

any Ontario heritage enthusiasts have their own short list of favourite historical figures. Locally in the Quinte region the historical interests of the late C.W. (Bill) Hunt of Belleville, culminated in a baker’s dozen of popular books with an emphasis on Bill’s keen interest in the prohibition/rum running era and his equal preoccupation with early aviation. Thanks to Bill Hunt, and a veritable army of dedicated Ontario history researchers, the general public today has a much greater awareness of our province’s multilayered heritage.

An expanding interest of mine continues to be Canada’s rich Indigenous history, which has resulted in my unabashed admiration for that extraordinary man once so closely identified with Hastings County, Oronhyatekha (1841 – 1907). My limited knowledge of Oronhyatekha rapidly increased upon meeting the affable and dedicated keeper of Mohawk history, Melville Hill at Tyendinaga in the early 1960s. His warm welcome whenever travels took me to the Bay of Quinte are now cherished memories, and it was Mel’s admiration for Oronhyatekha that added greatly to my own growing interest in a man truly larger than life. Visitors to the Hill home, which also doubled as a unique museum, were treated to numerous reminders of local Mohawk history,

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including photographs of Oronhyatekha (Burning Sky, also translated as Burning Cloud) and his splendid Tyendinaga home property known as “The Pines.”

The man, whose eventual achievements and prominence in numerous fields would set him apart in a particularly difficult time for First Nations people, was born into the Mohawk Nation on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory on August 10, 1841, and baptized that year as Peter Martin. A member of the Wolf Clan, he was the child of Peter Martin, a veteran of the War of 1812, and Lydia Loft, a Mohawk of the Bay of Quinte. Loft’s maternal grandmother was the sister of John Deserontyon, the noted warrior captain who was responsible for settling a number of his people locally following the American Revolution. Notwithstanding the distance between Tyendinaga and Grand River Mohawk settlements the members of both communities enjoyed fairly regular contact. Prompted by her marriage circa 1834, Loft moved from Tyendinaga to the Grand River area. There, living among illustrious kinfolk on his father’s side, Oronhyatekha was schooled in Mohawk values. Possibly his single biggest influence was his paternal grandfather, George Martin, a Haudenosaunee Confederacy Council Sachem (Chief, political leader), War Chief, and an American Revolution veteran.

It is reputed that, when asked why he favoured being known as Oronhyatekha and not the name by which he had been baptized, he replied that the world consisted of thousands of Peter Martins, however there was but one Oronhyatekha. Be it as his preferred Oronhyatekha, or as Peter Martin, this accomplished man was destined for greatness in many fields including business, fraternalism, medicine, and sports. There were so many achievements that it would call for a massive list to chronicle major milestones and accomplishments. But it is noted that the 1860 Royal visit to Canada West by the Prince of Wales, (later known as Edward VII) undoubtedly boosted Oronhyatekha’s stock early in his career.

At nineteen years-of-age, he was chosen by the Confederacy Council to present a speech he had written to the Prince, which he, splendidly attired in ceremonial dress, did at Brantford on September 14, 1860. This visit proved highly important to the youthful Oronhyatekha, since it introduced him to Sir Henry Wentworth Ackland, who was the Royal physician to the Prince of Wales. Ackland’s encouragement of Oronhyatekha’s further education led to his short-term attendance at Oxford University, which was financially supported by his Grand River community. Oronhyatekha, who held the distinction of being the first Indigenous student to be admitted to that illustrious school, would be befriended and mentored throughout his lifetime

by Dr. Ackland.

Having an affinity for Tyendinaga and with an older brother now settled there, Oronhyatekha headed in that direction upon his return to Canada in June 1862. Once there, he began to teach in a school at Shannonville, a town whose site was leased by the Tyendinaga community.

In his off-hours, he also began assisting Dr. John W. Fergusson, a physician from Hamilton.

Throughout this period money issues weighed heavily on Oronhyatekha’s broad shoulders, appearing as a constant impediment to his continuing aspirations to become a physician.

R E M E M B E R I N G

An artist’s rendition of “The Pines”. Courtesy of Mel Hill/Penhale Collection.

Fortunately in other ways life had brightened considerably due to the entry into his world of Ellen Hill (1843 – 1901). She was a direct descendant of both Joseph Brant and John Deserontyon. Deyorouseh (Pretty One), as Ellen was known, and her several siblings were raised at Tyendinaga by their widowed mother, who owned an extensive property. From a historical perspective perhaps the most interesting part of this holding was Captain John’s Island, situated in the bay opposite Mill Point, later to become Deseronto. (An Ontario government plaque commemorating the founding of Deseronto in 1881 is located in Centennial Park between Main Street and the waterfront. The naming honours Captain John Deserontyon.) Once married, Oronhyatekha and Ellen built a large log cabin as their first home, and by 1864 they were favoured with a daughter fondly called Bena.

It would fall to Ellen and a brother to farm the land for the income they needed while

Oronhyatekha, now having been admitted to the Toronto School of Medicine in 1863 – 64, began studies that would lead to receiving his Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.) in 1866, followed by his qualifying for a Doctor of Medicine degree.

Though he successfully practised elsewhere in Ontario, Oronhyatekha’s bond with the Quinte region would find him returning to Hastings County with early medical offices established in Frankford on the Trent and later at nearby Napanee. At Frankford he was assisted in the preparation of medicines by his brother-in-law, George Hill, who at that time, was enrolled in medical studies at Belleville’s Albert College.

As a medical practitioner and county coroner, Oronhyatekha, now known as Dr. “O” was to enjoy upwards of middle-class success and ultimately international prominence as the supreme chief ranger of the fraternally organized insurance company, the Independent Order of Foresters (IOF). By 1890, his Tyendinaga

holdings exceeded 250 acres and the original log cabin was but a memory, having had been replaced by the palatial residence – “The Pines.” It was a home that would receive many distinguished visitors from around the globe.

Oronhyatekha left huge footprints when he departed this world on March 3, 1907. He died while visiting the United States and three days later a CPR train carrying his body pulled into Toronto’s Union Station. From there, the glass-top coffin was transported to Massey Music Hall where he lay in state. Close to ten-thousand mourners came to say their own goodbyes and several thousand more attended the evening funeral service. The following day a specially commissioned train carried his body on the journey home to “The Pines” – the home described in his own words as “nearest his heart,” – with only one stop en route at Napanee, before arriving at Tyendinaga.

A physically big man in his prime, standing six-foot three inches, it was reported that he crowded the seven-foot mark when wearing a head-dress. But it is not for his imposing stature but rather as a humanitarian who touched so many lives that he is best remembered. It is fitting that at the end of such a productive life the much beloved Dr. “O” was eulogized by Indigenous and non-native alike.

•

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Built in 1856 by John Bell, a lawyer with the Grand Trunk Railroad. The slightly off centre tower is reflective of Italian architecture. Photo by Shelley Wildgen.

Pedestrians strolling along the Belleville Footbridge walk out to an example of a beautiful historical renovation that combines modern retail spaces with residential units. Photo by Shelley Wildgen.

Belleville Streetwalking…

Take a stroll along historic streets that showcase the artistry of masonry perfection

By Shelley Wildgen

A

bout 147 years ago when my friend Carissa and I were squeezing out our last year of trick or treating on the streets of Belleville, we nervously stopped on the sidewalk to one particular house. We were 12 years-old, a little long in the tooth for candy hopping … and we knew it. The longish walkway up to this house was a bit daunting. But walked it we did, and there we stood,

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Country Roads • Fall 2018

at the doorstop, sporting our tracksuits and matching cat eye-masks only to be greeted by a predictable ‘Aren’t you a bit old for Hallowe’en?’

And yet today, I now live in that very same house!

It’s not a grand dame of a house, but it still has a rather long, daunting walkway. And that’s just how it goes in Belleville. Those of us who never left, or have since returned to this city often know the houses

either by the stories that go with them, or the urban legends surrounding some of their former owners.

There are stories about houses that we’ve lived in, or have longed to live in, or stories from someone who knew someone, who knew someone else who had lived there. The city is splendid with many magnificent Victorians, Edwardians, Georgians … all the ‘ians’ possible, that dot along heavily treed streets in most of the oldest parts of town. And without a doubt, it’s these mature neighbourhoods that are my favourite parts of town.

Fast forward to winter 2017-18 when I found myself boasting that I’ve seen each and every one of those parts of town in a whole new light. The kind of light that dapples the lawns, brightens the snow and warms your face. The kind of light you only get to see when you’re walking. Many people don’t realize that once we get our driver’s licences, we rarely take the time to walk along our favourite streets anymore. Sure, we see them often enough while driving through and we make a special effort to pass by our favourites whenever we can, but actually taking a walk along these streets often gets left behind along with our desert boots.

In the early fall of 2017, my friend, Hilary, invited me to do regular weekly walks in Belleville. And walk we did … through rain, sleet and eventually the winter’s snow. (Lots and lots of snow. …) In the beginning we enjoyed autumn’s colouring of the trees and usually our walks lead us to the Bayshore Trail. Eventually, as winter set in, we found ourselves wandering all over town. Belleville is known as a city of formidable churches and, at one time schools, but joining the fabric of these illustrious places of worship and learning are streets that are dotted with intriguing, historical homes.

During our roughly two hour, three times a week walk, we often passed by the glamourous divas of

The prestigious Glanmore National Historic Site remains one of Belleville’s most impressive buildings.

Queen Street — the street that is easily our personal favourite and the one that is connected to each of our current home streets. Queen Street is host to a rare collection of homes of varying sizes and stature.

One of the most impressive is the house with seven attics, located just off of Queen on Charles Street. It is a standout to anyone who sees it, not only for the Olympian seasonal decorating efforts of its current owners, but for the architectural splendour of all those dormers that are second to none.

Then there are the named houses that dot the east hill. Steeped in history, elegantly rooted … and named! Okehampton and Queen Ann Villa frankly ooze with formal entitlement but ‘Ilcombe’ is perhaps the most fancy pants house on Queen Street.

The origins of its mysterious moniker was never known to those of us who admired it, and research only shows the name ‘Ilcombe’ as that of an English ‘Sir’ and coroner from the 1300s. What I do know for sure is that Ilcombe has always retained its regal stature and command of the street with rose lights in the windows and an impeccably kept exterior. No one in my social stratosphere of the 1970s ever saw the inside of this beautiful home, but occasionally we would see a perfectly coiffed woman in a pencil skirt and pumps wearing gardening gloves and trimming the edges of her lawn with kitchen scissors. She smiled like the Queen mum and even gave out bags of chips on Hallowe’en, but none of my friends or family knew her.

Having grown up on Queen Street amidst all of its grandeur, but certainly not part of it, our small family fit inside our upper storey apartment just fine.

I have fond memories of a cozy snug with plenty of love stuffed into it. It was important to my mom that we lived in a small space in a good area. No stigma.

Certainly not … in fact, quite the opposite … I never felt deprived. With absolutely no idea what our

This view captures the original Belleville High School, which has since been demolished.

Photo courtesy Jim Kammer.

financial situation was, I’d strut down Queen Street wearing hand-me-down jumpers, coats and not so fluffy fake fur hats with a large sense of belonging.

After all, it’s what you see outside your windows that really makes up your neighbourhood memories.

Our humble clapboard abode still stands and I pay homage to it on every walk.

When you take on middle (late?) age streetwalking as we have, you can’t limit yourself to one tree-lined street filled with Ilcombes and Queen Ann Villas and such. No, Hilary and I spent our winter months visiting each hill in Belleville. Having lived on both the east and the west hill, I would say that the east hill is my personal favourite, but the west hill is not without its charms. The west hill has the fairgrounds, and The Belleville Fair was an annual event just as big as Christmas to we wee Bellevillians.

The Susannah Moodie house, located at the corner of West Bridge and Sinclair, is just down from the fairgrounds, but Mrs. Moodie’s mid-1800s book ‘Roughing It In the Bush’ tells rugged tales of her life settling in ‘the clearing’ after thrashing about in wild, uncleared land that had little in common with the Quinte area we see today. A gentle lady from England, Susannah Moodie, wrote her book for the folks back home, so they would understand what really lay before them if they opted for a new life in the land of rocks ‘n brambles. Standing before the pretty, limestone home this past winter we admired its sturdy stature and went on our way down the west hill to downtown Belleville. So many more miles to go and houses to see before we sleep.

As we walked about town, my jacketed puppies in tow, I found myself regaling Hilary with bits and bobs of personal stories along the way. ‘Our minister lived there. A car dealer lives there now. A kindergarten teacher who kept the pelt of her much loved cat on the wall lived on the east side of that

huge place. Two doctors lived at opposite sides of that park and they eventually switched wives. Oh yes! My English teacher lived with her beagle in that Lady and the Tramp house. My mom’s English teacher lived in the cute brick place on Ann Street with her two corgis, ‘Mini’ and ‘Go Go’. The order of the streets is also important … Ann lies between Charles and William. Oh my! And did I tell you that we lived in the upstairs apartment in the small, clapboard home on Queen Street? Did you know that that converted house used to be Marner’s Grocery? There were five corner stores on my east hill newspaper route. Fresh donuts at each one on collection day.’

Hilary, who hails from Montreal, began calling me ‘Local Girl’. “So, Local Girl, where do we turn now to get down to the bay?” Soon Hilary came to realize that I didn’t always know my way as well she thought I should. We found that walking is an entirely different experience than driving, and since I only had my specific, repetitive journeys as a kid to guide us, I was often stuck on how to get from point A to point B on foot. And that’s how hometown hiking became an adventure. It really mattered not because we were never lost for long and, after all, the scintillating conversation made each trek as enjoyable as the last.

I’d often ask Hilary if I had already told her a certain story and she’d assure me that I had, but it was okay because she had forgotten it. This freed me to ramble on streams of consciousness style for many of our walks, forging into previously unknown territories. My sense of direction only failed the one time when I did navigate us to some woods without streets somewhere near the Station Street beer store.

Just the one time. More often than not, there was an intuitive sense of where we were, but often it was vague.

Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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In 1909 the Hatt sisters’ had this home built. Rich in details: Queen Anne, Classic, and Gothic the predominant motifs are the pedimented gables and the wrought iron cresting almost everywhere on the roof. Photo by Shelley Wildgen

Belleville City Hall. Photo by Joe VanVeenen.

Frequently, on our two hour hikes even I would be gob-smacked and have to stand back to admire something I had not noticed before. On one of our morning walks, we merged from the footbridge linking west to east hills and were met by the most architecturally pleasing building looming before us. The detail, the colours! The era? Unknown.

As a self-conscious teenager travelling this very footbridge, perhaps I never had occasion to look up or perhaps it didn’t look as beautiful then.

One of the nicest surprises when re-walking your hometown is to notice how many buildings have been restored and look even nicer now. Some folks have come along over the past decades and used

was posted to the BCI&VS Friends Facebook page.

It’s a view of the school as it looked taken from the Bridge Street United Church and includes the original Belleville High School as well as the area around it as it looked in the 1800s. As clear as anything, you can see a home on the corner of John and Alexander Streets. This mammoth brick structure still stands and dominates its landscape with its original brickwork and pretty gardens.

What struck me most about the photograph is while that we walk by this home regularly, (it’s next to the Belleville water tower, and for a time I lived on Alexander Street) I never, ever have noticed this home. Yet, there it looms, like a ramrod straight

their money and attention to detail while recreating houses, factories and storefronts so they look as awesome (and sometimes even more so) than they originally did.

That’s the uplifting part of our walks, but as much as I tried to avoid it, the empty lot where the Belleville Collegiate Institute & Vocational School once stood cannot be ignored. As a former BCI student, as was my husband, my mother, brother, aunt and uncle, the empty field breaks my heart a tiny bit each time I pass it. That said, it is a large part of both my life and that of Belleville’s history, so it’s important to check in with it from time to time. A while back, a captivating picture

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It takes a moment to notice the shadows playing off the brick work of this elegant home to appreciate that it was crafted by a master builder. Photo by Shelley Wildgen

old sentry keeping watch over the city as it has for well over a century.

And that’s what happens when you take to walking the streets of your youth. You realize that the seen and unseen portions of town have been imprinted on your soul as tidily as your family heritage.

Some parts are recognized as visual reminders of parties past, routes to school, downtown, or maybe a favourite babysitter’s house, but there are also buildings that hold the seams together but never make it into our consciousness … until they do.

Some houses survive as single family dwellings with steep staircases that lead to the servants’ quarters at the back section of the house, while shallow staircases dominate the front entrances where they accommodated m’lady’s hooped skirts of the era. Other homes have succumbed to their survival expenses and have been divided into many homes … some have renovated the coach house in their backyard into an apartment rental. And because my hometown isn’t perfect, it also sports uber-modern structures right beside historical masterpieces.

As lovely as it is to see picture perfection in places like Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario or Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, where historically deemed homes are by-lawed into retaining their originality, it’s somewhat comforting to feel at home in a hometown-city that still offers a little something for everyone. While some of the mainstays have either been torn or burnt down, and many of the well-worn legends are forgotten or have disappeared along with their storytellers voices — if you step out onto the streets of Belleville, you’re sure to be amazed by the stories that linger.

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Fall 2018 • Country Roads

I 23

JUST SAYING

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN

The Widow Barlow Shall Remain Seated

T

his summer I lost my husband. Not in the snack aisle at Dewe’s, which has been known to happen. On June 26th, my husband left this world. It’s the day we all wonder about when we’ve lived and loved for a long time.

My husband, Rob, was several years older than me and he had a chronic illness — Parkinson’s — so perhaps I gave endings more thought than most.

I don’t know how I visualized it happening, but it was always far worse than what actually occurred.

Death was kind to Rob. After a spectacular first day home following a long hospital stay, he slipped away sitting in his favourite chair. Just. Like. That. Still, as quiet and pain free as the experience was for him, it was rotten for me. How do you say good-bye when you can no longer say good-bye? There are so many mixed emotions that well up together and erupt at any given moment … sometimes in the snack aisle at Dewe’s. Like a protective coating that keeps too much sadness from happening all at once, numb is at the top of the list. A deep sadness flutters about and lands from time to time, as does anger and resentment — but, the one thing that stays constant is the loneliness. I think lonely happens mostly because being with people feels weird and so does being alone. There’s no real comfortable place to settle when you‘re used to taking up space with a sympatico soul.

It’s all just weird. Death is what we fear most, so people get awkward. Some say awkward things and some say relatable things, like my friend who

told me that when her husband died she simply couldn’t part with the last bottle of dish detergent he’d bought. I get that. Another person meant well but confused the beejayzes out of me when she said, “Don’t feel guilty about following your dreams. You must follow your dreams.” As she had woken me from a nap, I almost wisecracked that I was currently trying to do just that. But I didn’t.

She took the time to stop by and say something, so that’s nice, right?

I will say that the nicest thing anyone can say at such a time is to relay a good experience they had with Rob. For some reason, that shared warmth is very comforting and can be remembered several times long after it’s been said. So, how about a service? The funeral home. I was accompanied by Rob’s daughter, my daughter, brother and stepdad — all there for moral support. It takes a village.

The funeral home people are really good at this end and we ended up feeling organized and right about our choice of memorial service.

Next came the ashes. Here’s the thing about ashes that surprised me. They’re very important and I don’t even know why. I say this as someone who heretofore felt nothing about services or ashes or death formalities. The thing is everything became significant and somewhat real after going through such a hazy time. One thing that became instantly clear was that I needed to be at our summer place on Prince Edward Island.

Very soon after the service, I hit the lonesome highway headed east with two close friends, my

two dogs, and Rob’s ashes, in his usual seat. Upon arrival, just as we were lounging outside at the PEI farmhouse, a stray black cat sauntered up, ‘talking’ constantly and he sat with us for most of an hour. The next day he appeared again, parked outside my bedroom window and called me to come outside, where we sat together again for an hour. It happened once more then not again. Rob loved cats so maaayyybeee.

Back to the business at hand. There wasn’t going to be any ceremonial sprinkling of the aforementioned ashes at any special place. Rather than head for the ocean, it felt better somehow to keep the ashes with me and our pups, in our house on PEI. Now, you may have a different ashes preference for your dearly deceased but this felt right and when one is entering widowhood you just have to go with whatever feels right, minute to minute. Decision made, so I did what every newly widowed woman does, I went straight to housewares at Winners.

In my kind of tired, kind of tender frame of mind, I browsed the vase aisle and came up empty. Yes, I meant to say that. All the vases were lovely but none had lids so I started to leave, but something made my wobbly, arthritic knees turn around at the door and go all the way back to where I’d started. Blankly but with some notion of what I was doing, I stared again at the vases. Then I bent sideways and looked again. Lower, a little lower still … and then I saw it. Hidden behind the standard fare was the perfect receptacle for my Rob. An ice bucket … with a snug lid.

So, now Rob’s in the bookcase surrounded by his favourite novels in a really nice ice bucket. I think he’d be good with that. He might not be the black cat, and he might not be in the ice bucket, but here’s what I’ve learned about coping with the death of my husband. If you find comfort … in an old shirt, a bottle of dish detergent or a stray cat. Hold on and just let it be.

•

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Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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ADVERTISER INDEX

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BANCROFT Alice’s Pantry Ashlie’s Books Bancroft General Mercantile Bancroft Sport and Marine David Ferguson Fine Woodworking Fudge Factory & Emporium Jungle Imports Kathy Tripp, Royal LePage Frank Real Estate McMichael Jewellers Necessities Retail Store Niffers Children’s Boutique Old Tin Shed Partista Café Rooted Shoppers Drug Mart Stone Kitchen Trips and Trails True Scarlette Wattle & Daub Café York River Concrete Lawn Ornaments York River Meats Zihua Clothing Boutique BELLEVILLE Kraft Village- Laura Ashley Quilters Cottons Kraft Village Sewing Machine Repairs Loyalist College Ruttle Bros. Furniture HASTINGS COUNTY SERVICES Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance www.thetrail.ca Heart of Hastings Christmas Tour 2018 Kawartha Docks Mike Bossio MP, Hastings-Lennox & Addington Sky-high Restoration LAKE ST. PETER Linkie’s General Store L’AMABLE Red Steer Butcher Shop MADOC Chances Fitness Centre Home Hardware Madoc Kellys Flowers & Gifts Renshaw Power Products MAPLE LEAF Maple Leaf Country Store Willow Tree Health & Wellness MARMORA Bonter Polaris Firewood Plus Iron Rooster Rotisserie & Grill Law in Motion Orange Motorsports Possibilities Inc. Furniture & Home Décor MAYNOOTH Arlington Hotel Black Spruce Art Works Brush with the North Deuce Boutique & Botanicals Foxfire Gallery, Gifts & Antiques Gallo-Teck Highlands Hot Tubs Madawaska Art Shop, Gifts & Gallery Maynooth Farmers Market Maynooth General Store Municipality of Hastings Highlands ORMSBY Old Hastings Mercantile & Gallery SPRINGBROOK Springbrook Diner

Country Roads • Fall 2018

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STIRLING Apple Store/Cooney Farms Brad Comeau Professional Corporation Law Office Julia’s Womens Wear Kings Mill Cider Lavish Gardens McCarrell Farms Municipality of Stirling-Rawdon Pro One Gas Stop Rollins Building Supplies Skinkle’s Feed Depot & More Stirling Carpet & Flooring Stirling Dental Centre Stirling Heritage Wines Stirling Manor STIRLINGFEST - A Feast of Classical & Jazz Music Treasure Addict Wells Ford TWEED Aleck Bell, Tweed & Co. Theatre Black River Trading Company Municipality of Tweed Tweed Studio Tour

10 3 HASTINGS COUNTY SERVICES

JOE VANVEENEN MAP

Country Roads celebrating life in hastings county

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

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celebrating life in hastings county

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THE VILLAGE IDIOT

BY JOHN HOPKINS

The Bird Feeder, Part 2

I

awoke early one morning this summer to a gentle tapping coming from outside. I had heard it before, but in my groggy state of mind I could not place it. The source seemed to be the patio, so I wearily made my way downstairs and looked outside. Suddenly it all came back to me. Just like six months earlier, I had been roused by the sound of a tiny bird wing rapping against the glass patio door.

The owner of the wing was a Gray Jay, and when we made eye contact he gestured in an accusatory fashion to the bird feeder suspended from the beam above the patio. But unlike the last occasion, the feeder was not empty; in fact it was quite full. The problem however, was the occupant. A large black squirrel was mounted on it, swinging lazily from side to side, while on the ground three of his friends gleefully gathered up the birdseed that was spilling from it.

I meekly apologized to Mr. Gray Jay, and told him that I was already aware of the squirrel situation and was near completion of a plan to remedy it. My explanation was only half truthful.

I was quite aware of the problem, but as for a solution I hadn’t the foggiest.

Squirrels and birdfeeders are not a novel dilemma, but we honestly felt we had won the battle on behalf of our birds. In much the same way as we had resolved the problem of the raccoons drinking from our hummingbird feeder, we thought we had mounted this birdfeeder in a high enough and remote enough location so that only creatures with wings could access it. And for a while that was the case.

But the squirrels were plotting. They would gather periodically underneath the feeder, look up, and chatter amongst themselves and then scurry away to devise their strategy. Through careful monitoring of their activities, and with the help of a couple of double-agent chipmunks, I have learned a great deal about their tactics, which I plan to share with science in the interest of furthering our understanding of these creatures.

As I have discovered, a group of squirrels, or gang, will select one of their number to do the actual dirty work of accessing the birdfeeder. I believe the scientific term for this individual is “the new guy.” This is a common practice in many living species. In raccoons “the new guy” will be the one sent ahead to rifle through the garbage so the rest of the group can see if anyone shoots at him before they join in. In humans “the new guy” is the one who is chosen to go back to town for chips and dip if supplies run out at the beach, or

gets everyone in the office their coffee on a rainy November day.

In squirrels, “the new guy” is selected to access the birdfeeder and get it swinging back and forth so the rest of the crew can gather up the falling seed. In our case the chosen squirrel had to shimmy up a wooden post and then leap

In squirrels, “the new guy” is selected to access the birdfeeder and get it swinging back and forth so the rest of the crew can gather up the falling seed. In our case the chosen squirrel had to shimmy up a wooden post and then leap about four feet onto the feeder. Getting up the post wasn’t so hard, but the jump and landing was comparable to landing a jet on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

about four feet onto the feeder. Getting up the post wasn’t so hard, but the jump and landing was comparable to landing a jet on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

I was privileged to watch the poor initiate in action. After shimmying up the post he was able to squat on the downspout of a drainage pipe that happened to flatten out at just the right spot.

Then he made a desperate lunge at the feeder.

On his first attempt, the squirrel made a graceful arc across the sky, all four limbs extended and tail fluttering in the breeze, missed the feeder completely and banged headfirst into the wooden post at the other side. He dropped into the flower bed below and I thought that was the end of it — one dead squirrel fertilizing our hostas. But moments later he emerged, gave his head a quick shake and started shimmying up the post again — no thought of concussion protocol among the squirrels, apparently.

On the second try, the poor guy managed to grab hold of the bottom of the feeder as he jumped across. He vainly clung on for several seconds as the feeder swayed back and forth, and then he dropped again into the flower bed. This achieved the goal of spilling a bit of birdseed, but not much. He emerged again, and resolutely scampered up the post once more. Apparently the third try proved the charm, and on this attempt the squirrel made solid contact, let out a triumphant squeal and signalled his pals that it was time to collect their loot. After filling their cheeks the gang took off back to their tree nests, while the swinger jumped down, this time making a smooth four-point landing in the flower bed. He didn’t leave the scene with quite the same vigour of his pals, weaving uncertainly and looking a little green around the jowls.

I can see this is going to be a difficult battle to resolve on behalf of my feathered friends. My best bet may be an inability for the squirrels to find another “new guy” to initiate. But I’m not counting on it.

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Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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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 613 968-0499.

EVENTS

ART GALLERIES/EXHIBITIONS ART GALLERY OF BANCROFT, 10 Flint Avenue, Bancroft. 613 332-1542. www.artgallerybancroft.ca Sept. 5-29 — Rocky Dobey — “Etchings:” Intaglio Prints with guest collaborator Rocky Lawrence Green.

Oct. 3-28 — Julie Lockau — Exhibition of Works.

Oct. 31 - Dec. 1 — Alex Jack — “From Outside” — Exhibition of Landscape Paintings.

JOHN M. PARROTT ART GALLERY, 254 Pinnacle St., Belleville. 613 968-6731. www.bellevillelibrary.ca Aug. 30 - Sept. 27 — “Celebrating Tony Lassing: The Man & His Work.”

Oct. 4 - Nov. 1 — “Perspectives” — The Belleville Art Association will present their annual Juried Show.

Nov. 8-29 — “Heart and Soul: Two Men tell their Stories” features photographer Larry Tayler and Quilt Artist Bill Stearman. Gallery One. Nov. 8-29 — “Preoccupied with my Father” — an exhibit of works to demonstrate the story of the author’s father as told in the book by the same name by Simon Schneiderman. Gallery Two. STIRLING LIBRARY ART GALLERY, 43 Front St., Stirling, 613 395-2837. stirlinglibrarygallery@gmail.com Aug. 29 – Nov. 11 — “Cultural Richness Revisited.” Artists: Debra Vincent, Allison Lynn, Doug Brant, AJ VanDrie, and Sue Wade.

Nov. 2-4 & 9-11 — 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

— “Christmas Art Mart” — 100% Canadian handmade designs. Part of “Over the Hills Christmas Tour.”

WILDEWOOD GALLERY, 33012 Hwy. 62N., Maynooth, 613 338-3134. Featured artists for the fall are Ren Lonechild, Henry Gordon, Rocky Green, George Raab, and Margo Merritt.

THEATRE/LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BELLEVILLE THEATRE GUILD, 256 Pinnacle Street, Belleville, 613 967-1442.

Adults $20, Seniors $18, Students $10. www.bellevilletheatreguild.ca Oct. 11-17 — 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. — A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED by Agatha Christie. Amateur sleuth Miss Marple tackles a very curious crime scene indeed.

Nov. 29 - Dec. 15 — RUMORS by Neil Simon. Upscale cocktail party, statusconscious guests, host found shot and wife is missing. What’s going on?

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STIRLING FESTSIVAL THEATRE, West Front St., Stirling, 613 395-2100, or 1-877 312-1162. www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com

Sept. 14-16, MADOC FALL FAIR. Established in 1905, Madoc has a great country fair. Experience animal shows, live entertainment, horse pulls, tractor pulls, home craft and school displays, midway, great food, one of the best demolition derby’s and more! 47 Cooper Rd., Madoc. www.madocfair.org

O ct. 12-13 — MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE — “MARMORA VICE” — It’s the 80’s and hard-boiled detective Sonny Crocket is on the beat.

He works for the toughest crime unit around … Marmora Vice. Sonny has no evidence. The last thing that was heard before the crime was … “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” … Wake Me Up Before You Go Go. Nov. 23 - Dec. 31 — “THE PRINCESS & THE PEA” — 2018 PANTO — Welcome to the Peabody Kingdom.

Prince Peter Peabody wants to wed.

One night a visitor arrives. She is covered in mud and grease from trying to fix her race-car. She also claims to be a Princess. Of course, no one believes her.

There is only one way to find out. Stack a pile of mattresses and stick a pea under one.

Sept. 15, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. —DOORS OPEN ONTARIO. Come experience the Trent Port Museum (Trenton Town Hall-1861) like never before! $7.50 per person. 55 King St., Trenton. Laura 613 394-1333. www. bayofquinte.ca/tourism/events/2018-09

ART STUDIO TOURS

Sept. 26 — TURKEY SUPPER AT ST. ANDREW’S UNITED CHURCH. Come and enjoy home-baked turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce and all the fixings (including home-made pie) at an old-fashioned church supper. 812 Bosley Rd., Queensborough. Contact Betty Sexsmith, 613 473-2188.

Sept. 15-16, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. — APSLEY AUTUMN STUDIO TOUR. This event is renowned for the quality of the artists working in a variety of disciplines in the North Kawarthas. www.apsleystudiotour.com Sept. 22-23 & 29-30, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. — BANCROFT & AREA STUDIO TOUR. This tour features the area’s rugged landscape and spectacular autumn colours. www.bancroftstudiotour.org/map Sept. 22-23, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. — TWEED AND AREA STUDIO TOUR. Artists and artisans will be showcasing their talents. www.tweedstudiotour.org.map Sept. 29-30, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. — MADAWASKA VALLEY STUDIO TOUR. As the nights get cold, brilliant yellows, oranges and red mark “Autumn in the Valley.” www.madawaskastudiotour.com Sept. 29-30 & Oct. 6-7, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. — HALIBURTON COUNTY STUDIO TOUR. A true studio tour, we offer insight into creativity through demonstrations, discussions, works-in-progress and a large amount of finished work from which to choose. www.haliburtonstudiotour.on.ca/ tour-map

Country Roads • Fall 2018

Dec. 8, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. — CHRISTMAS FARMERS MARKET & HOME AGAIN TOONIE SALE. 33011, Hwy 62 N., Maynooth.

Contact Chris Hass, 613 338-5303.

Sept. 15, or Nov. 17, 1 p.m. — ONTARIO GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (Quinte Branch) presentation: “Have you started your family tree?”We can help. Everyone Welcome.

Bring a friend. Quinte West Public Library, 7 Creswell Dr., Trenton. www.quinte.ogs.on.ca, or facebook.com/QuinteBranch.OGS Sept. 16 — TERRY FOX RUN. It is a day of celebrating Terry’s legacy and helping to keep his dream alive of finding a cure for cancer. *Some runs are held on days other than Sept. 17, please check for site & date at www.terryfox.org/Run/Find_A_Runsite.html

Sept. 27, 7 p.m. — FRIENDS OF THE TWEED PUBLIC LIBRARY present a special evening with Jack Todd, Montreal Gazette columnist and author of “Desertion”, winner of the Mavis Gallant Prize for non-fiction.

Tweed Public Library, 230 Metcalf St., Tweed. www.tweedlibrary.ca Sept. 29, 9 a.m. — HASTINGS HIGHLANDS HILLY HUNDRED. Billed as “The Toughest Century Ride” in Ontario, it will leave you in awe as it weaves its way through the colourful fall hardwood forests, lakes, hills and valleys of the Canadian Shield. Heart of the Park, 26 Station St., Bancroft. www.hillyhundred.ca Sept. 29, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. — QUINTE CANADIAN FILMFEST. Times, prices and films TBA. 55 King St., Trenton. Contact Laura at 613 394-1333. www.bayofquinte.ca/ tourism/events/2018-09

Dec. 8, 5 p.m. — BRIGHTEN THE NIGHT CHRISTMAS PARADE & KIDS PARTY. Downtown Maynooth. www.maynooth.on.ca Oct. 13, 7 p.m. — KABOOM! TALES OF A TOWN. A free presentation and screening of “Playing with Fire,” the film that looks at the explosion of the British Chemical Plant.

55 King St., Trenton. Contact Laura at 613 394-1333. www.bayofquinite.ca/tourism/ events/2018-09 Oct. 25, 7 p.m. — FRIENDS OF THE TWEED PUBLIC LIBRARY present a special evening with Heather O’Neill, Montreal novelist, poet, journalist and winner of the CBC Canada Reads. Tweed Public Library, 230 Metcalf St., Tweed. www.tweedlibrary.ca Oct. 27 — FAMILY HALLOWEEN PARTY. Dancing, games, lots of treats; prizes for the most creative costumes and the most family members in costume. Enjoy some old-fashioned Halloween fun! Katherine Sedgwick, 613 473-2110.

Nov. 2-4, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. — THE MAKER’S HAND FESTIVAL OF FINE CRAFT . “The Finest Artisan Show in Eastern Ontario” showcasing international and local artisans. Picton Fairgrounds, 375 Main St. E., Picton. Admission $6, children under 12 free. www.themakershand.com Nov. 9, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.; and 10, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. — BELLEVILLE WEAVERS & SPINNERS GUILD ANNUAL FIBRE ARTS SALE. Unique handcrafted creations, textured yarns, cozy shawls, warm mittens, felted bags and purses and more.

Free admission and parking, wheelchair accessible. Payment by cash, cheque or major credit cards. St. Thomas Church Hall, 201 Church St., Belleville. bellwsg@gmail.com Nov. 23-24 — RALLY OF THE TALL PINES. Bancroft. www.tallpinesrally.com Nov. 23-25 — COUNTY FESTIVAL OF TREES. Silent auction of nearly 200 decorated Christmas trees, bucket draw, Christmas boutique, entertainment, visit from Santa, bake and preserves sale.

Proceeds go to support healthcare needs in the community. Isaiah Tubbs Resort, 1642 County Road 12, Picton. 613 476-2181 x 4427. www.qhc.on.ca Dec. 2, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. — PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY CHRISTMAS HOUSE TOUR. Come out to enjoy a tour of old and new homes decked out in holiday finery.

Contact sheltonpeta@gmail.com

CLUBS, LECTURES, MEETINGS BANCROFT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Club 580 Millenium Park, Bancroft.

Sept. 25, 7 p.m. — Guest speaker Ken Broughton. “Making Apple Cider with a Home Press.”

Nov. 27 — Festive Winter Workshop with Lucille Kyle. Fun for All! HASTINGS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Free public presentations held on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at Maranatha, 100 College St. W., rear entrance, Belleville. Bring a friend and enjoy refreshments, conversation and displays following the presentation. www. hastingshistory.ca S EPT. 18 — Past President and journalist, Orland French, will speak on “Early Methodism in the Quinte Region.”

Oct. 16 — Film-maker Sean Scally will speak about and show his film “Playing with Fire”, based on the Great Trenton Explosion in 1918.

Oct. 20 — Who Stuffed the Body in the Grand Trunk? — All aboard for an evening of history and hysterics as Ken McDougall, Artistic Director of Stirling Festival Theatre and a group of lively actors try to solve a mystery specifically written for the Hastings County Historical Society’s Annual Banquet and Celebration of History. It’s 1918, and local soldiers are returning from WWI. A body is found and everyone on the train is suspect.

Over a delicious three-course dinner at the Travelodge, Belleville, try to solve the case! Tickets are $65. Call 613 961-7091.

Nov. 20 — Retired Major William March will speak about the end of WWI in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the cessation of fighting in the Great War.

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 613 968-0499.

QUINTE FIELD NATURALIST MEETING. Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, 60 Bridge St. E., Belleville. All welcome, by donation.

Sept. 26 — Butterflies! Author of the Pictorial Pocket Guide to the Butterflies

of the Kingston Region, John Poland, will discuss the natural history of local butterflies, ways to attract them to your yard and how to contribute to science by reporting your sightings.

Oct. 24 — The Puzzling Biology of Flying Squirrels. Flying squirrels have higher levels of stress hormones than most of any other animal, so why aren’t they dead? PdD candidate, Lanna Desantis,

presents her research into this fascinating aspect of flying squirrel biology.

Nov. 28 — Saving Grassland Birds.

President of the L&A Stewardship Council, Kurt Hennige, will review his research on

marketplace

Celebrating Life in Hastings County

ARTS & CULTURE

FARM TO TABLE

21ST ANNUAL TWEED & AREA STUDIO TOUR

local nesting Bobolinks and Meadowlarks and outline the land management strategies that will help save these threatened species.

TO BOOK YOUR MARKETPLACE ADVERTISEMENT PLEASE CALL 613-968-0499

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

• Grass-fed, certified organic beef • Let us be your

Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 22 & 23, 2018 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Local Farmer!

13 venues - lots of door prizes!

Location brochures available from local businesses, or visit tweedstudiotour.org

Dennis McCarrell dennis.mccarrell@gmail.com (613) 438-3166 • 180 Maple Rd Stirling K0K 3E0

AUTOMOTIVE

HEALTH

wills / estate planning / business / real estate

Melanie Williams

BARRISTER & SOLICITOR • NOTARY PUBLIC

PH: 905.419.0489 • FX: 905.419.1698 TOLL FREE: 1.844.381.0489 MELANIE@LAWINMOTION.CA • WWW.LAWINMOTION.CA

BRAD COMEAU Professional Corporation

• Gas Bar • Convenience Store • Laundromat • Movie Rentals • Propane

Law Office

Box 569, 33 Mill Street, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0

Min & Julie Yoo Tel: 613-395-5360 Fax: 613-395-1491 208 North Street, Stirling ON K0K 3E0

Celebrating Family, Friendship & Love

613-395-2596

www.stirlingmanor.com 218 Edward Street, Stirling

LAWN & GARDEN

Ph: 613-395-3397 Fx: 613-395-3398 Tf: 877-565-1626

bcomeau@countrylawyer.on.ca www.countrylawyer.on.ca Member of Ontario & PEI Law Societies

Real Estate, Wills & Estates

SPECIALTY SHOPPING

Kelly’s Flowers & Gifts 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

Birdbaths - Flower Pots Gargoyles - Park Benches Stepping Stones - Fountains Angels and much more!

613-332-1598 32480 HWY 28 E., BANCROFT

Wedding Consultations, Wedding Rentals, Bridal & Attendant Bouquets Sympathy, Tribute & All Occasion Designs

Kelly DeClair 43 Durham Street S., Madoc, ON Tel: 613-473-1891 ~ Fax: 613-473-2712 kellysflowersandgifts@gmail.com • www.kellysflowers.net

BEAUTY & WELLNESS SALES & SERVICE

GRAVELY-ARIENS TROY-BILT-BOLENS

• Lawn & Garden Tractors • Roto-Tillers 45 Hastings St. N (side door), Bancroft, ON 613-332-1661 • www.truescarlette.com

With 35+ years experience, Small but knowledgeable.

(613) 473-5160 • R.R. #5, Madoc, ON K0K 2K0

the

COMPASS VISIT WWW.COUNTRYROADSHASTINGS.CA AND SIGN UP FOR THE COUNTRY ROADS NEWSLETTER TODAY!

(1 mile N. of Ivanhoe on Hwy. 62 - #11700)

Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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Back Roads

Here we see a group of 12 people peeling apples, the apple peeling machinery visible in the barn, with an unidentified orchard behind them. The packing crate on left reads “Bushmens (?) and Co. Pork Packers.” The photograph was taken by Clarence Herington (1882-1945), a photographer who was living on Murphy Street in Trenton at the time of the 1911 census. Herington was the son of Henry Bordman Herington and Harriet Eliza Chapin. He established a photographic studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the 1890s and worked there in 1904, but brought his wife and young family to Trenton by 1906, when his second child was born.

Photographed by Herrington, Trenton, Brighton, Colborne area.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COMMUNITY ARCHIVES OF BELLEVILLE & HASTINGS COUNTY

30 I

Country Roads • Fall 2018

Since 1990

Historical Restoration And Consulting

Restoration, Renovation & Preservation of

Historical Buildings Churches • Residential Commercial

613.475.7141 E-mail: info@skyhighrestoration.com www.skyhighrestoration.com

Presenting our multi-award winning project, the ‘Grande Dame’ of Warkworth. Its innovative design is the creation of Tom Plue and Cathy Fisher.

Its One-Of-A-Kind gargoyles designed by Nick Onac.

Proudly serving the counties of York, Durham, Northumberland, Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Prince Edward, Hastings, Lennox & Addington, and Frontenac

Sky-High Historical Restoration and Consulting would like to give a special thanks to Steven Heatley and Tyler Irvine, owners of the Grand Dame of Warkworth, for providing us with the opportunity to restore one of Northumberland County’s finest buildings.

Fall 2018 • Country Roads

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