The SCOOP // June / July 2019

SCOOP The

June/July 2019

thescoop.ca

Whitewater Thrills

The

SCOOP Founded in 2005 by Richard Saxe

PUBLISHER & AD SALES Karen Nordrum stonemills.scoop@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Jacqueline Bartnik, Maureen Bauer-McGahey, Katherine Burrows, Karen Clancy, Catherine Coles, Diane Creber, Dianne Dowling, Glen R. Goodhand, Alyce Gorter, Lindsey Hannah, Barbara Holden-Trimboli, Carol Knowles, Bert Korporaal, Susan Moore, Lawrence O’Keeffe, Jerry O’Sullivan, Susan Rehner, Angela Saxe, Roberta Scanlon, Terry Sprague, Deb Thompson All photos contributed, unless otherwise noted.

HOW TO CONTACT US

613.379.5369 stonemills.scoop@gmail.com thescoop.ca facebook.com/thescoop.ca Please write to us at: Stone Mills Scoop 482 Adair Road Tamworth, ON K0K 3G0 The SCOOP is published six times a year. We mail The SCOOP for free to more than 6600 households in Tamworth, Centreville, Enterprise, Erinsville, Camden East, Newburgh, Colebrook, Yarker, Verona, Hartington, Sydenham, Roblin, Selby, Parham, Kaladar, Stella, Godfrey, & Marlbank. We also arrange with local retailers to display 1000 additional issues of The SCOOP in Napanee, Cloyne, Flinton, Kaladar, & many other locations.

All rights reserved.

No reproduction by any means or any form may be made without prior written consent by the publisher.

COVER

84-year-old Jerry O’Sullivan and grandson Adam Mclennan of the ROMA Canoe Club, navigating whitewater on the upper Salmon River (north of Tamworth) this May. Photo by Philip Cassidy.

ROMA Canoe Club

River Roly-oly on now, river Roly-oly on your way Roly-oly on now river Wash my cares away River so wide and so deep Wake the sandman from his sleep River remind him He has a promise to keep Roll on, mighty river Running wild and free Get along now, river Bring a dream to me

Roberta Scanlon & Jerry O’Sullivan

I

n about 1975, a group of friends who loved to paddle formed the ROMA Canoe Club. Over the years, and many adventures later, they continue the trek back to the North Salmon River each May to paddle the rapids in the high water of the spring. At 30 cubic feet per second, this is not for the faint of heart. Wearing wet suits, the next generation of the original group are enjoying the high water. Whitewater canoeing is a fun,

technical sport that requires careful evaluation of the rapids and a safety first attitude. Friends, children, and grandchildren have all connected through the original group, enjoying great BBQ dinners and campfires, and recounting the highlights of the day’s adventure.

For more information, contact Jerry O’Sullivan 613-962-2659 or Mike Milligan 613-382-1362.

Hey now, river Go down, River Don’t slow down, river Bring a dream for me Roly-oly on now, river Roly-oly on your way Roly-oly on now river Take my troubles away Robin Hood river, roll on Go steal a dream from the dawn River, you’ll find me Where all the dreamers have gone Roll on, mighty river Running wild and free Get along now, river And bring a dream to me Hey now, river Go down, River Don’t slow down, river Bring that dream for me —Roy Orbison, “The Fastest Guitar Alive” (1967)

ROMA Canoe Club members Mike Milligan and 16-year-old Zachary Cassidy (on his first whitewater trip!) on the upper Salmon River in early May. Photo by Philip Cassidy.

Heal Your Soul Wellness 613-214-4953 HealYourSoulWellness@gmail.com Tina Marie Chamberlain, cahp Certified Aromatherapy Health Practitioner & Esthetician

Deborah Carr-Harris R.N. • 40+ yrs. experience in mental health • In-patient/out-patient and private practice (fee for service) • Currently expanding my private practice to include phone sessions, providing counselling services from the comfort of your own home or office

Initial contact to sort details:

debcarr-harris@hotmail.com 2

The SCOOP • June / July 2019

Yarker Farmers’ Market Celebrates Six Years Karen Clancy

T

he Yarker Farmers’ Market is in high gear, entering its 6th year, with the first market of the season on Saturday, June 15. You will find this Market on the grounds of Riverside United Church in Yarker, overlooking the Simcoe Falls, every other Saturday, from June 15 to October 5, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

This country Farmers’ Market offers a variety of fresh produce by local farmers and growers, handmade one-of-a-kind creations by local artisans, and a beautiful variety of flowers and fresh bouquets arranged right on site! The “sell-out” bake table found just inside the church is a huge draw for customers and is a rewarding fundraiser for Riverside United Church.

Patrons are greeted by the Market Manager and offered a complimentary cup of coffee or tea to enjoy while meandering through the grounds discovering the array of offerings from market vendors. This market has attracted people from near and far and we’ve literally observed neighbours meeting neighbours. You could say “we’ve brought people out of the woodwork.”

If your timing is right, you may be offered a food sampling from the kitchen featuring recipes from the Riverside United Church elders, always a yummy treat! Sit by the beautiful falls and enjoy your lunch which is usually a BBQ, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where delicious grilled hamburgers and the ever-famous smoky sausages are served up, all from Quinn’s Meats in Yarker. We take pride in knowing we are supporting our local farmers.

This initiative that began six years ago as a church fundraiser, with a focus on reaching out to the community, has evolved into so much more. Patrons from all over, visit time after time, and often comment on the high quality of items offered at this market and really enjoy the charming, country ambience.

One delighted customer recently commented: “A great market just 20 minutes from Kingston! Crafts, fresh flowers, photography, local fruit, and fresh garden vegetables! And don’t forget to get a pie at the bake sale indoors!

Delicious! We were too early for the BBQ, but it looks like that runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. So many friendly folks working the Market today! A great reflection of the community!”

The Market’s success is attributed to many factors, one being the faithful vendors who come to every market with their farm fresh produce, flowers, and artisan wares, not to mention the many hours of labour that occurs behind the scenes before the products see the market table. We appreciate the many dedicated youth and adult volunteers, who contribute in so many ways to this successful endeavour. Each market season, we offer student volunteer experience for local teens which is an opportunity for them to earn their high school volunteer hours. They make connections with the community while learning the importance of supporting local. We like to think they have fun too!

Kirsten Korkola, a student volunteer commented, “The Yarker Farmers’ Market is a fantastic opportunity for students to interact and be involved in

their community, as well as learn important employment skills for the future. This opportunity connects youth and the community together through student volunteers”.

Throughout the year, many behind-the-scenes hours of work goes into the planning and organization from a dedicated committee for the market season which includes being active with a highly visible social media presence.

“Caring for our Community” really captures the values of what we aim to achieve. By supporting local growers and artisans, we believe that we are enriching the lives of not only the people in our own community but the larger community itself.

We continue to learn, grow, and work together as we strive to nurture and care for those in our community and beyond.

We are very blessed and thankful to everyone who contributes to the success of this charming Farmers’ Market. The glorious market season is now upon us and I highly recommend you come and experience for yourself, all that this market has to offer. You will be back for more!

The Yarker Farmers’ Market can be found in the heart of the village at Riverside United Church, 2 Mill Street, Yarker.

Township of Stone Mills Fire Department Notice to Stone Mills residents Part of our commitment as a fire department is to provide fire prevention and community safety to residents.

Stone Mills firefighters will be visiting homes and cottages within the Township over the spring and summer to conduct a fire safety check to ensure there are working smoke alarms on every floor as well as a working carbon monoxide alarm.

If you have any other fire safety concerns these may be addressed during the visit or please feel free to contact the fire department at the municipal office at 613-378-2475 or fireprevention@stonemills.com.

June / July 2019 • The SCOOP

3

The Art of the Container Susan Rehner

O

n April 2, Paul Zammit treated a record crowd of GrassRoots Growers to an entertaining evening in which he illustrated how to create beauty and functionality with container gardening. His energy, enthusiasm, and humour were contagious as he strode about the auditorium explaining the science and artistry behind successful containers.

Early in his life, Paul’s parents offered wise guidance: find something you love.

And he found his passion – horticulture — which allows him to have gardening in his life every day. He is Director of Horticulture at Toronto Botanical Garden, and his awards and credentials are too many to relate in this short article.

There are known health benefits – mental and physical – gained by connecting with the soil, growing plants, and strolling through a garden. Paul described how busloads of seniors, many of them struggling with pain and handicaps, visit the Toronto Botanical Garden and are all smiles as they tour the gardens. He noted that people with different challenges are finding container gardening therapeutic and easier to manage than garden beds and plots.

Paul loves rocks as a garden component but has no patience with landscapes dominated by stone or brick. Where are the plants? He showed how container gardening beautifies the bleakest of spaces. If you don’t have a garden or have very little space –”no excuses” he proclaims — you can have containers. His photos of an urban café pressed up against the sidewalk showed how plants can climb up a wall and grow on a roof.

It’s possible to transform any small space with containers filled with plants.

While beauty is something to strive for, he emphasizes that it is not enough: gardens should have form and function.

Use containers to connect with the garden, creating garden “rooms” by defining where to walk and leading the eyes to special features. Edibles for snacking and harvesting can be incorporated into plantings. Colourful flowers that attract and support pollinators by providing pollen and nectar should be included. Herbs such as thyme, basil, sage, and rosemary are wonderful in containers so that when you brush by them, the fragrance will delight your senses.

He recommends African blue basil for its cold tolerance, and the flowers — edible in salads — also attract bees and hummingbirds. Plants of the parsley family (parsley, fennel, dill, etc.) are host plants for black swallowtail caterpillars,

In horticultural lingo, try to include “Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers.” Some characteristics of a welldesigned arrangement are height, Paul worries that people are losing contact with the garden and are relying is drama, a community-based group located in Stone Mills Township. Our mission is to fragrance, on store-bought hanging baskets for encourage interest in local and organic gardening; improve our practical knowledge colour, texture, outdoor colour. He worries about the fate of and all aspects colourof plant life; support related educational initiatives both locally and of all those hanging baskets – more provincially, echoing.

Plants and provide networking opportunities for gardeners. plastic waste at the end of the season. such as sweet Instead, carefully chosen and planned For more information potato vine visit our website at www.te-grassrootsgrowers.weebly.com containers can last for months and be or email us at tegrassrootsgrowers@gmail.com may used year after year. overwhelm the others because He showed how to reflect every season of their rapid simply by refreshing and adding to their growth; simply contents with seasonally appropriate prune them plants, foliage, twigs, and grapevine back to restore forms for support. (He slyly suggested balance. In hot, assembling winter arrangements at a Paul Zammit assembling a container arrangement at the April dry weather friend’s house since they would be 2 GrassRoots Growers evening. Photo by David Field. when water messy.) conservation is ...is is a community-based necessary, a group located in Stone The careful selection of containers Township. Our mission is to encourage Mills Township.

Our arrangement mission is tois encourage succulent timely and crucial to their success. Containers must interest in local and organic gardening, eff ective.

Container choices needn’t be be able to support a root system and interest in local and organic gardening; improve improve our practical knowledge of all confined to showy flowers, Paul loves to must have drainage holes. Stones at the our practical knowledge of all aspects of plant life; support related aspects of plant life, support related design arrangements of interesting bottom do not provide drainage, as the educational and provincially, provide educational initiatives both locally and foliage plants – Coleus and is a particular water cannot escape ifinitiatives there are noboth locally provincially, and provide networking favourite. networking opportunities for gardeners. drainage holes. Roots require not only opportunities for gardeners. We welcome water but also air, which waterlogged new members. Visit our website at www.

One trick Paul shared with the audience containers will not provide.

The soil Paul For more information visit our website at te-grassrootsgrowers.weebly.com or email was creating trailing parsley by planting uses in containers is triple mix, not sand www.te-grassrootsgrowers.weebly.com us at tegrassrootsgrowers@gmail.com. it on its side. At first, the parsley or garden soil, and for nutrition, he uses email us point at tegrassrootsgrowers@gmail.com attempts to grow vertically, but the organic fertilizers – anor important weight of the foliage causes it to cascade since edibles are included. down the side of the container. I plan to try this trick.

Paul invests in beautiful containers, ones that can be left outdoors over winter At the end of his presentation, Paul with seasonal arrangements, and he quickly and professionally assembled a encouraged us to consider them a lovely spring container arrangement, worthwhile investment. He cautioned talking all the while as he merrily bashed against using containers that will end up pots to free their contents, vigorously in the landfill. His designs are inspired by flung soil into the container, the particular container used – its colour, enthusiastically shoved plants in, and size, and form. Terra cotta, iron, and cleverly assembled a little wattle fence of vintage containers are his favourites. dogwood at the perimeter. His Often, he will use sets of containers of arrangement featured sun star varying sizes, or if they are all the same (Ornithogalum dubium), Helleborus sp., size, he showed how he sets them at primrose (Primula sp.), Coleus, and a different levels or angles for contrast and variety of herbs with brightly coloured interest. They can also be moved around is a community-based group leaves. The final effect – achieved in (if not too heavy) to highlight certain located in Stone Mills about seven minutes — was so attractive elements, to vary the arrangement, or to Township. Our mission is to everyone in the hall was eager to win it. change their exposure to the weather in encourage interest in local and Deb Garrett was the delighted gardener different seasons. An added advantage of who took it home. containers is that they can be placed organic gardening; improve where it is not possible to dig, for our practical knowledge of all The evening concluded with example, on tree roots. aspects of plant life; support refreshments and a seed exchange. related educational initiatives Thanks go to Mountain Grove Seed When selecting plants for a container, Company of Parham and Bear Root hours of sun, the likelihood of strong both locally and provincially, Gardens of Verona for generously winds, and availability of water are and provide networking contributing packets of seeds. Judging by considerations. Try to combine plants opportunities for gardeners. the smiles and comments of audience that need similar growing conditions members, and the contents of the (shade, sun, heat, moisture) but have For more information donation jar which helped make the different bloom times and growth forms. visit our website at event possible, the evening was a great success. www.te-grassrootsgrowers.weebly.com which are a hard-to-miss combination of lime green, black and yellow. After the caterpillars have grown sufficiently they pupate and eventually emerge as butterflies, adding life and delight to your garden. (I always plant extra parsley, so I won’t miss the plants stripped by Black Swallowtail caterpillars).

GrassRoots Growers

GrassRoots Growers

GrassRoots Growers

Once again, our thanks to St. Patrick School in Erinsville for providing the spacious venue and for their much appreciated help with set-up and clear-up.

Watch for news of our fall speaker event.

Standing-room only for the record crowd attending Paul Zammit’s container gardening presentation. Photo by David Field.

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The SCOOP • June / July 2019

GrassRoots Growers is a communitybased group in Stone Mills

or email us at tegrassrootsgrowers@gmail.com

A Cow’s Tale Alyce Gorter

T

here was no rack full of blue ribbons for her beauty, no silver cup to support any claim for record milk production and no “cow of the month� calendar shots portraying her docile personality. Perhaps her blind eye and the blackened quarter on her udder could account for the lack of the first two items but it was that menacing waggle of her three-foot spread of horns that would have dissuaded a judge from attempting to attach any colour of ribbon to a part of her anatomy — if anyone was foolish enough to try to get her into a show ring in the first place. Fortunately, I was not interested in her for any of these qualities. All I needed was for her to provide some nurturing motherly affection to her tiny newborn daughter.

Unfortunately, this quality too was in short supply. She scooped up the helpless infant with her horns and tossed her through the air.

But the big Scottish Highland cow was already on the trailer by the time this became obvious. It was too late to change my mind — whether either of us liked it, she was coming home with me.

Rock ‘n’ Horse Ranch is well set up for horses. The fences (what there is of them), the stable, the barns, the round pen — have all been erected with calm, hornless, stay-in-their-pasture-and-eathay horses in mind. There is no provision for cattle. However, since it would only be for a few days until I could move her to the farm, I planned to leave her in the 20-foot stock trailer which would at least keep her secure while giving her a fair amount of room to move around. It would also give me time to figure out what to do with her next. Surely, I could beg or bully someone into distracting her while I cleaned out this temporary stall, topped up her hay supply or filled up her water bucket as needed.

This arrangement gave us time to complete the fencing at Turning Point Farm where the newly purchased herd of Highlands would be residing. But here was the dilemma — I couldn’t pick up the rest of the herd with a cow already on the trailer and I couldn’t turn one lone cow loose at the farm while I went for the rest as she would definitely go for a walkabout before I could get back. There was one possibility — I had a paddock that was almost all solid oak boards. It seemed likely it could contain her for at least a few days until I could collect the others, trailer them to the farm, and then move her over to join them. She should only need to stay there for about three days at the most. There was no other obvious choice. She unloaded easily and seemed content just to have her feet on solid ground again.

It was a pleasant, bucolic sight on Day One to look out the window and see her lying calmly on the green grass, contentedly chewing her cud. We weren’t terribly alarmed when on Day Two we noticed that she had somehow escaped the paddock and was now in the lower pasture. No worries though, as there was a three-strand electric fence around part of the field and a fairly deep pond bordered the rest. Besides, we would be soon moving her to the farm. It was on Day Three that she completely disappeared.

There was no hole in the fence, no tracks or poop trail to show which way she might have travelled, no signs of a struggle to show where she might have fought for her life against some more vicious form of life than herself, and no burnt spots to indicate an alien

abduction. How could a half-ton cow miraculously dissolve into thin air?

Over the next few weeks, friends came on four-wheelers, on horseback, and on foot, prepared for long treks to look for hide, hair, horn, or even hoof prints.

Nothing. It helped though when longtime farming friends would listen to my tale, nod their heads in sympathy, and reassure me she would come back. Who better to know than they! Still, I worried about her welfare, her loneliness, her search for food or company in those endless forests and ponds, the probability of her getting lost, killed, or injured. Was my pitiful first attempt at farming just a sign of how truly incapable I was of accomplishing what I had set out to do?

My friend Jess dropped by for a visit. “What colour was your cow?� she asked.

That seemed like a bizarre question — as though she had found an assortment of lost cows and was trying to match them up to their proper owners. “Well,� she said when she saw me looking at her quizzically, “there’s a big red one standing down by the gate.�

And so, there was! She was fat, healthy, and none the worse for her meanderings wherever they may have taken her. We took the rest of the day chasing her all over hell’s half acre before we finally had the bright idea of bringing out the grain bucket. She immediately identified it and meekly followed us into the pasture. We took only minutes to hook up the trailer and entice her aboard. Half an hour later she was unloaded at Turning Point Farm to join the rest of her now complete herd.

Rambling Rose was finally home.

That night I excitedly called my farming advisers. “You were right,� I said, “my cow came back. Twenty-three days later!� Their response was all the same — “You’re kidding! Never heard of such a thing. Certainly didn’t expect you would ever see her again.� “But,� I was shocked, “YOU told me she would come back!� “Sure,� each one said, “just didn’t want you feeling so bad.�

Liars.

Friends.

Alyce would love to hear from SCOOP readers. Email her at alyce@gorter.ca.

Do You Remember: Train Cabooses?

Glen R. Goodhand

M

y wife and I have been living on Salmon River Road for four and a half years. Just across that waterway, a quarter of a mile (250 metres) away, is the main CPR Railroad line. A few weeks ago, for the first time, I had to stop at the Roblin crossing to allow a freight train to pass. Amazing, since I cross that line at least once a week.

I guess because it was such a rare incident, and there seemed to be an endless number of cars passing by in front of me, I noticed that when it reached the end, there was no caboose.

It was not the first time I had observed that fact. After all, the last caboose to follow its route across any part of Canada took place on November 14, 1989. But that day it seemed especially noticeable.

Some suggest that the caboose represented the end of impatience, and of waiting for the train to finish crossing the travelled part of a road.

Coincidentally, railroad companies kept the element of visibility in mind. They painted cabooses red so they could be readily seen, and for night transit, they installed safety “clearance� lights that were green at the front and red at the rear.

The first version of this vehicle went into service about 1840. At first, the caboose was merely a small cabin erected on an ordinary flat car. It was simply to provide shelter for members of the train’s crew who would not normally be in the engine’s cab. It is uncertain when it was first called a “caboose,� but it is believed that the word was derived from the Dutch “kabius,� which means a little room or hut.

The train conductor Nat Willis, of the Arkansas & Syracuse line, is credited with using this cabin as a “rolling office�.

He sat on a box and used a barrel for a desk. The caboose was also convenient for storing flags, lanterns, chains, and assorted tools needed to maintain the cars and the tracks.

It was about 1863 that T.B. Watson, an employee of the Chicago and North Western line, hatched the idea for the cupola to be situated on top of a boxcar.

To improve his overview of the line of cars, he used a box car which had a hole in the roof. He piled boxes on top of each other and sat with his head through that hole. He could fulfil his job of watching for “hot boxes� (overheated wheels), shifted loads, and other signs of malfunction.

From that experiment came the factory construction of the familiar “crow’s nest,� which became standard on a caboose. There the conductor, flagman, and brakeman waited ready for duty.

Eventually, bunks for sleeping, stoves for cooking and heat, and toilet facilities, became the order of the day for the structure’s interior.

Until air brakes were added as standard equipment on trains, the head brakeman in the engine cab would begin his trek from the front of the train toward the back, while the other brakemen did the same from the back toward the front.

The engineer blew the whistle to signal applying the brakes of individual cars.

In this day of computers and technology, many of the duties of these workmen have been taken over by an “electronic hotbox� attached to the last car, which is used to monitor the various systems from front to back.

When the caboose began to be phased out, there was a ground-swell of resistance by railroad enthusiasts. It was part of the folklore attached to this form of transportation. Kevin Keefe, editor of Trains Magazine reminisced that it was just one of the romantic elements of the railroad that disappeared, much like typewriters and vinyl records.

Cabooses are now a thing of the past. But caboose euphemisms still have contemporary meanings. One of them is quite homey. I am the eldest of five children. When my youngest sister was born, someone asked what they were going to call her. My grandmother said: “I think it should be ‘Caboose.’�

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THE EGG BASKET ALWAYS FARM FRESH EGGS & TOP GRADE BEEF DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS & FRESH BAKED GOODS

MONDAY - FRIDAY 9:30AM - 4:30PM | SATURDAY 9AM - 1PM 613.378.0407 240 Embury Rd Newburgh. River Valley Poultry Farm.

June / July 2019 • The SCOOP

5

The Black Cat Café 5 Ottawa Street TAMWORTH

Riverside door of the Tamworth Hotel 613-840-5665 call or text theblackcatcafe@outlook.com

Now open 8 am to 8 pm every day!

Ice cream cones $3 Cool specialty beverages $2 Hand spun milkshakes $3.50

$5 MAC & CHEESE NIGHT 4 - 8 pm

Espresso, cappuccino, & latte

Tuesday

Fresh homemade cookies & squares Frozen homemade meals to go Sandwiches, salads & snacks

Our weekday evening meal specials Monday

$5 TWO TACO NIGHT 4 - 8 pm

Wednesday

$5 BURGER NIGHT 4 - 8 pm

Thursday

$5 POT PIE NIGHT 4 - 8 pm

Friday

$5 PIZZA NIGHT 4 - 8 pm

Check our Facebook page for our weekend dinner specials!

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The SCOOP • June / July 2019

Have Fun & Support Agriculture at Local Fairs Katherine Burrows

S

o often in conversation or the media, we hear about the local food movement, food security, and food safety. We also hear about green initiatives and saving the environment for future generations. Local agriculture is where these two discussions converge.

Farmers work hard every day to produce food safely and locally while improving the land they work on and the communities they live in.

It is essential for the community to do our part to help achieve this goal. We must support current farmers, encourage new agricultural innovations, and educate the public about important issues in agriculture.

One of the best ways to accomplish all three objectives is through our local agricultural fairs. These multi-day events, often put on by a small number of dedicated volunteers, are a place where farmers, their supporters, and the curious public converge to exchange ideas, celebrate achievements, and share comradery.

O’ Lakes Cruisers will perform at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday, all the exhibits will be on, including goats, horses, cattle, and home crafts. There will be musical entertainment in front of the grandstand.

Affordable summer entertainment includes livestock shows, food, vendors, and handcrafters. Kids can enjoy games, inflatables, races, and bingo in the Family Fun Zone. Audiences love the traditional fair competitions in pie eating, log sawing, and corn stalk throwing.

Lawnmower races start at 3:30 p.m.

Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for a kid’s all-day bracelet (includes games and inflatables).

“The Centreville Fair is an old-fashioned country fair, with a history as a place for family gatherings. Many adults who now attend remember going there as kids. It’s very focused on kids. We have the 4-H Goat Club and the Agricultural Learning Barn, where kids can learn about different parts of the farm through hands-on experience,” shares Marion McArthur, Treasurer of the Centreville Agricultural Society.

STONE MILLS TOWNSHIP

LENNOX & ADDINGTON COUNTY

Centreville Fair

Odessa Fair

In Stone Mills, we have the Centreville Fair, which takes place at the Centreville Fairgrounds on the Labour Day long weekend. The Centreville Agricultural Society was founded in 1853. This year, the 166th Centreville Fair will take place on August 30 and 31.

The Odessa Agricultural Society (OAS) will hold the 184th Annual Odessa Fair from July 12 to 14, at the Odessa Fairgrounds. Attendees will see regular favourites, like the cattle, poultry, horse and pony shows, demolition derby, tractor pull, and World’s Finest midway.

Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday. Mike Bossio, MP, and Daryl Kramp, MPP, will attend the opening ceremonies. There will be horse races Friday afternoon. The Land

This year, for the first time, there will be an exciting motorcycle thrill show on Saturday night (including motorcycle jumps). Entertainment includes two local

bands. Rick Storms and the Roadrunners will perform Friday night. Saturday night will feature The Trills. To accommodate their cattle show, one of the largest in the area, the OAS is expanding the cattle barn in 2019.

OAS President, Florence Kimberley, notes, “Odessa is a small enough fair to be family friendly, but we are able to draw from a bigger area. Everyone is very friendly, especially with the kids.” The OAS owns the fairgrounds, which allows them to promote agriculture with year-round events, including a dairy educator, antique display, antique car club, and play and learn day. Weddings can be booked in the Palace. “These events build relationships and we see the same people at the fair,” explains Florence.

“It is important to note that none of these events would be possible without an army of dedicated volunteers who come back year after year.” Florence continues, “As an agricultural society, we are to encourage agriculture and how it provides quality of life for people living in this community. We aim to teach as well as reward people for what they are doing. The year-round use of our facilities gets people more involved and enriches the life of our rural community.

Our annual fair has something for everyone. The grounds are like a big farm. We try to bring agriculture into the village from the surrounding area.”

Napanee Fair The 188th annual Napanee Fair will take place on August 2, 3, 4, and 5 (August long weekend). The Napanee Fair is hosted by the Lennox Agricultural Society, which started in 1832. Society members continue to be volunteers passionate about improving local

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livestock and crops. The Fair was created to provide a time and place for the community to gather and share information and ideas toward these goals.

“At the Napanee Fair, we try to capture all aspects of agricultural life and equipment, combined with modern community fun to expose people from non-agricultural backgrounds to the ag world, and give them activities they enjoy,” notes Krissy Martin, LAS Secretary/Treasurer.

The Napanee Fair has one of the area’s biggest tractor pulls – the largest between Lindsay and Lombardy. Last year was an exceptional year for the tractor pull, the biggest year so far, with 145 hooks.

Another audience favourite is the Demolition Derby on Monday, starting at 2 p.m. The roar of the engines can be heard across the entire fairgrounds.

“We are very proud of our grounds. We have lots of buildings with a variety of exhibits, including crafts, flowers, preserves, vegetables, and grains. People always enjoy the animal shows. For the cattle shows, we have a large cattle barn and sizeable show ring close by in the Palace. We have a great organizer for the open show. Last year, we had 58 head of cattle and people are still talking about the Open Beef Show. A big thank you goes out to all our wonderful sponsors,” explains Leonard Austin, LAS President.

There is lots of shade. Fairgoers can sit down and relax, while chatting with neighbours, watching the kids play games and ride the midway, or enjoying entertainment. This year, there will be a concert on Saturday from 2 to 11 p.m. (with performances by Stereo Nights, Solomon Woodland, and Celtic Kitchen Party) and Sunday from 6 to 10 p.m. (featuring Rock Haven). The Beer Garden will be open in the Palace during both concerts.

Leonard continues, “There is something for everyone. Looking at the program of events makes you want to attend the fair every day because there is just so much to see and do.”

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7

Canada Day Soap Box Derby Bert Korporaal

W

ell, kids, it’s finally here again!

Tamworth’s second annual Canada Day Soap Box Derby! It’s time to start planning and building your cart for this year’s derby! Kids, get your parents to help you build your first soap box race car. Parents, keep your eyes open on the lawn mower, the wheels may “go missing” over the next little while. It all takes place in Tamworth on July 1, Canada Day. Soap box race cars are gravity-run cars that start at the top of a race course hill and run downhill to a finish line, racing against another cart and driver. The winner crossing the finish line first in two of three heats competes in the next round of elimination. This year there will be three categories: 1) kids 6 to 10 years old, 2) kids 11 to 15 years old, and 3) anyone 16 years and older.

There are rules everyone must follow to make this a safe and equal race for everyone. You can look up the Soap Box Race Rules and the Registration Form (with waiver form) on the tamworth.ca website under the “Events” menu: select “Canada Day” or “Soap Box Derby.” You can print the registration form and fill it

ahead of time if you are taking part and entering a car. Or, you may pre-register electronically and send it in. For ideas on soap box cars, other races, etc. you can Google soap box cars or soap box races, and find all sorts of information, plans, kits, and more.

Some rules include: All carts must be made of wood. No metal-framed, metal-clad, or metal-skinned carts permitted. Each car must meet the overall length, width, and height dimensions, and have four wheels held onto the axle by a locking nut or a cotter pin. The race car must not have any engine or any additional weight added. It also must have steering that does not have over 1 ½ inches of travel in either direction, so steering must be blocked, to prevent over-steer or over-correcting, which can cause rollovers. The cart must have a method of centre braking, operated by either the driver’s foot or hand, not a side brake that could cause the car to spin when trying to stop. Paint it as you wish and even put a number on it if you want. For a complete set of rules, see the website.

All drivers must wear a proper fitting helmet to prevent head injuries, and the chin strap must be used and snapped into place while going downhill. A motorcycle, ATV, hockey, or baseball helmet are preferred but a bicycle or skateboard helmet will pass. Drivers must wear closed-toe shoes or running shoes, no open sandals or flip-flops. We have already been asked if two siblings can enter one car and drive it in two races, once by each driver. Yes, you can! Just fill out two registration and waiver forms, one for each driver.

All carts will be inspected prior to the races. If any car does not meet the rules, it cannot race in the event. The races will take place between 1 and 4 p.m., before the parade.

An exciting race from last year’s Soap Box Derby.

This way, racers can enter their cart in the Tamworth Canada Day Parade if they wish, by either pushing the car along the parade route or (if the cart has an eyehook at the front and back) the Tamworth Lions Club will have their lawn tractor available to tow some carts in the parade.

The race will take place on Bridge Street West, from the top of the hill at Neeley Street, and downhill to Concession Street, (the Main Street). This part of Bridge Street West will be closed for about three hours to accommodate the derby races. All racers and parents, please be there early so we can look over and register your cart and fill in the form to get you registered. Don’t forget your helmet and running shoes!

There will be volunteers there to help you and explain any last-minute questions you may have. Before races start, we endeavour to let racers try out the starting ramp and the racecourse hill with their cart.

Having held only one Soap Box Derby race in Tamworth before, we do not know how many racers and cars to

expect. Parking will be tight on the neighbouring streets. Please be considerate of the neighbouring properties and front yards. Please, no littering or alcoholic beverages, this is a kid’s event. Let’s keep it fun. It’s not a NASCAR race! Friends, family and spectators, please stay on the sidewalks and the edge of the road. To all racers and spectators, we ask that you exercise caution with the traffic and do not cross the racetrack once the races have started.

Sounds like fun, eh? Exciting? Well, it is!

Kids and parents can work together building the car and be proud of their work. We hope it will be a smash hit with everyone. So everyone, please come out July 1 and cheer on the kids and their cars.

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The SCOOP • June / July 2019

Friends of the Napanee River Lawrence O’Keeffe

A SHORT HISTORY

he Friends of the Napanee River is a community group dedicated to engaging local residents, farmers, and landowners in learning about the benefits of preserving and improving the high quality of the watershed, its headwaters, rivers, and streams.

From a historical perspective, the earliest signs of settlements in the Napanee Watershed region date back to the Laurentian culture at 2000-3000 BC followed by the Point Peninsula people.

There are few signs of permanent aboriginal settlements in the upper Napanee River region other than hunters and traders until Samuel de Champlain travelled the Napanee area in 1615. The United Empire Loyalists, who were British and Dutch colonists from upper New York State, started to settle in this area in the late 1700s. A wide variety of mills started to populate the Napanee Watershed at the same time. There were over 30 mills operating by the early 1800s. Remarkably, and due to the vast areas of old-growth forests, mills, and businesses, the population flourished to over 30,000, excluding the town of Napanee, throughout the mid-1800s.

One highlight along the Napanee River is the Strathcona Paper Mill, which started in 1873 and is still active today, and prides itself on producing 100 percent recycled, high grade, paper-based packaging applications.

T

In its first two years of operation, the group has focused on providing education and awareness sessions about the rich history and makeup of the watershed and its value to its residents, farmers, and surrounding communities.

The group meets on the last Saturday of September, November, January, March, and May in various locations across the watershed. Since its inception, they have hosted a wide range of expert speakers, including geologists, ecologists, historians, noted local authors, and scientists. They have also hosted speakers from Quinte Conservation describing their funded programs to landowners and from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters on invasive plant species.

The group is expanding its interests to include outdoor and family-based activities, such as canoeing and kayaking on local lakes and rivers, bird-watching events, and especially those types of activities related to the wellness of the watershed. The group is planning a small river and shoreline cleanup on July 20.

Members are working on planning for the July 20 cleanup and on a Watershed Survey. The survey will allow them to benefit from the observations and priorities of the watershed’s residents.

They are also planning to encourage further cooperation between groups like theirs and schools within the watershed.

THE GEOGRAPHY The Napanee River watershed is tucked between the Cataraqui Watershed in the east and Salmon River Watershed in the west, measuring 820 square kilometres and 60 kilometres long, running from the Depot Lakes in the north to the town of Napanee and into the Bay of Quinte in the south. The headwaters of the Napanee watershed start northwest of Verona and Harrowsmith. The headwaters were the key to the economic and cultural growth of the Town of Napanee throughout the 1800s and well into the 1900s. Most of the 30 plus mills,

except for the Strathcona Paper plant, had either burnt down or gone out of business by the First World War. In the post-war period, the headwaters and Napanee River were the key sources of power and constant drinking water supply to the Town of Napanee. To maintain that supply, the 2nd Depot Lake was dammed in 1956-1957 after a small parcel of land bordering the lake was expropriated. In later years, Napanee developed alternative sources of drinking water and power generation from Lake Ontario.

Following an International Joint Commission in 1985, the Bay of Quinte was designated as an Area of Concern along with 42 other areas across the Great Lakes. The Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan (BQRAP) was formed to focus on four ecosystem problem areas, including excess nutrients, bacterial contamination, toxins, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat. BQRAP extended its area of interest and research to include the feeder areas into the Bay of Quinte that are primarily the lower halves of each of the watersheds. The Bay of Quinte is in Stage Two of remediation and has made significant progress since 1993. Through the BQRAP process, the Bay is very close to reaching Stage Three.

When Stage Three is complete, the Area of Concern is “delisted.” The decision to delist an Area is made by the federal, provincial, and local Remedial Action Plan participants, with advice from the International Joint Commission.

However, when an Area is delisted, it does not mean all the work is done.

Continued diligence is essential to ensure that the environmental and water quality is sustained into the future.

For the Napanee Watershed, one of the

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key current areas of concern and monitoring is the level of phosphorous leaching into the waterways and down into the Bay of Quinte. A research team from Environment Canada, joined by two University of Toronto research teams, is working on the issues associated with the Napanee River and Wilton Creek watersheds.

For more information on Friends of the Napanee River, visit their website www.friendsnapaneeriver.ca.

At the Tamworth Library OPEN: Monday 4-8 p.m.

Tuesday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Wednesday 4-8 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

MAKER CLUB

Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.

Kids are invited to make crafts, play with LEGO, and take part in other fun activities.

Suitable for children ages 12 and under.

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TECH TALK

Thursday, June 20 and Thursday, July 18 Need help setting up your iPad? Want to learn how to download Library e-books?

We provide one-on-one troubleshooting by appointment only.

Please call to make your appointment: 613-379-3082 Email tambrch@lennoxaddington.on.ca for more information about any of these events.

June / July 2019 • The SCOOP

9

Tamworth Postal Bank Pilot Project Lindsey Hannah

A

s everyone is aware, the CIBC Banking Centre in Tamworth is closing as of July 11, 2019, and all accounts will be moved to the Napanee Branch. This closure is just one of many in rural Canada as the big banks are retreating from smaller centres. They claim that the transition is caused by the move to online and phone banking by customers. Thus, they say the smaller branches can’t justify the staff and expense. There are countless arguments that can be presented against corporate decisions such as this but in the end, they all get cast aside.

So we have a void to fill in Tamworth along with many other upset communities in the country and with no interest from the federal government, their representatives and big business, this task falls upon the communities that have the most to lose and who care the most. Banking service is critical to this village. More than accommodating seniors and businesses, having a local financial service provider lends an air of stability and longevity to the lifeblood of a community.

Postal banking is a truly sensible and workable idea. We propose to move the Post Office operation into the CIBC building, install an ATM back in the foyer, and lobby the government and Canada Post to offer banking services combined with the post office service in

that building, using postal employees. In the short term, the inside function would be as the post office is now with the bonus of the ATM, while in the long term, would offer full postal banking as a stand-alone, or with an established banking partner.

Members of the community and members of Township and County Council met in Tamworth with representatives from the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association (CPAA) who travelled from Ottawa in April. They expressed high interest for a Postal Pilot Project right here in Tamworth. The time is right to launch this initiative, and this is the perfect place to accomplish the model as an example for the rest of our country.

Postal banking is not a radical idea; it was common in Canada from 1868 until 1967.

It is successful in many countries around the world including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, and Switzerland.

So, what happened in Canada? The banks lobbied the government in the 1960s to regulate Postal Banks to pay lower interest than chartered banks, so they became less popular and the big banks established many branches in communities throughout the country and ruled the marketplace. Times have now changed and those same big banks are abandoning brick and mortar branches in rural Canada, steering customers to online banking, reducing their costs and boosting an ever-bloated

bottom line. This may be a profitable business model, but it takes away consumer choice.

The post office as a stand-alone service faces new challenges with the volume of letters and flyers down and more emphasis being placed on parcel delivery. The corporation needs to look at new revenue streams and ways to accommodate parcel volume. Therefore, one can see this combination as a logical union of two important complimentary institutions there for the service of the community under one roof. It may also be possible for the Post Office to partner with a Credit Union that has a full array of financial services now in place.

Unfortunately, the message from the federal reps at our local level is that their focus is on more broadband internet expansion and possibly interest in a community service “hub” including Service Canada and Service Ontario. That hub would certainly not be based in Tamworth and would take years to establish. The provision of improved internet capabilities is certainly something many would appreciate.

However, that service is designed to augment and compliment a viable community while a financial service provider stabilizes and supports the long-term pulse of the community.

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The SCOOP • June / July 2019

What we ask of you is this: please write to the Township Council, call your Township Councillor, our MP, and mail a letter to Canada Post and express your support for this concept and join our Facebook group – like and share: “Tamworth Postal Bank Pilot Project.”

Stone Mills Township 4504 Cty Rd 4 Centreville, ON K0K 1N0 Council Email: esmith@stonemills.com jwise@stonemills.com ddavison@stonemills.com wlalande@stonemills.com smilligan@stonemills.com krichmond@stonemills.com dthompson@stonemills.com Lennox & Addington County Council 97 Thomas Street East Napanee, ON K7R 4B9 MP Mike Bossio 20-B Richmond Blvd.

Napanee, ON K7R 4A4 Email: bossio@parl.gc.ca Canada Post, Louise Boudreau Dir. of Corporate & Presidential Affairs 2701 Riverside Drive, Suite N0960E Ottawa, ON K1A 0B1 The Tamworth Postal Bank Group members are Mark Oliver, Robert Storring, Richard Saxe, Shari Milligan, and Lindsey Hannah.

A Natural View: The Rise and Fall of the Napanee River Terry Sprague

I

t is a tiny pool of water that has found a clearing amongst the shoreline vegetation, nestled in along the popular asphalt trail beside the Napanee River, not far from the falls at Springside Park. The water in this little inlet is uncharacteristically calm, and the presence of four or five large stones standing some six inches high creates small ripples as the inflow from the currents swirl gently around them.

Returning from my walk about an hour later, I watch with interest as rising water eventually covers the peak of the last stone and leaves all of them completely submerged.

This is the same spot from which the late Dr. Mac Smith, over 15 years ago, started taking measurements to support the stories he had heard about the mysterious tides along the Napanee River, between the town and the Bay of Quinte. Another location from which he took measurements was the Centre Street Bridge where he found the same phenomenon taking place. Water was flowing downstream toward the Bay of Quinte, as it should. On the average of every hour and six minutes, however, water would begin to flow upstream as though in a tide, raising the level between 12 and 16 inches.

The mysterious tides are not something new in this river; they have been occurring for over 150 years, and more than likely, long before that. There are stories of sailing schooners and paddle wheelers using the tides to their advantage when coming upstream into town.

During a guided walk he conducted there two years before he passed away, Mac Smith spoke fondly of his grandfather who worked as bridgemaster at the Centre Street location, when it used to be a swing bridge, allowing vessels upstream to access the sawmills and grist mills in the town. In May 1955, Captain Angus of Belleville was the skipper of the tug Salvage Prince, when she towed the barge Hilda, loaded with coal from Oswego, N.Y., into Napanee Harbour. “He rode the tides both ways in and out of the river,” commented Mac on his guided hike.

Mac remembered as a youngster, sailing out of the river with his grandfather Mills on a 44-foot gaff-rigged sloop he had built. They left Napanee with the outgoing tide and made good headway, slowed somewhat on the incoming tide, and cleared the river mouth on the second outgoing tide. An Internet reference dates back even further to the late 1800s when it mentions a ship going aground, “then came a little ‘tide’ the next morning and floated her off.”

Before Mac Smith passed away in 2006, he presented me with copies of the research he had done. It was the research he had painstakingly compiled,

encompassing 16 pages of text, graphs, and photos, that I carry with me on subsequent hikes along the newly paved trail. The river still resonates with the lake as it has done for so many years.

So, what is the reason for this strange phenomenon? Apparently, prolonged winds across Lake Ontario from the southwest predominantly, push the lake water to the north shore. When the wind abates, the water surges back to where it came from, in a fixed period, very close to 2.1 hours for a one-way slosh or surge between Rochester and the Bay of Quinte, a distance of 110 km.

The time it takes to traverse the lake is as regular and unfailing as a clock’s pendulum, says Dr. Smith’s report. The surge repeats itself again and again and the sloshing of the water back and forth is called the “seiche” effect and can go on for several days, due to the size of the lake.

Napanee River at Springside Park looking toward the Centre Street Bridge.

Photo by Terry Sprague.

The important driving function causing the tidal effect on the Napanee River is the wind and the sloshing of the lake together with the river’s willingness to resonate with the lake. They reinforce one another. The tidal flow up the 10 km stretch of the Napanee River requires about one hour and six minutes, peaks, then returns, requiring the same length of time, which perfectly coincides with the 2.1-hour seiche of Lake Ontario. If the river was any shorter or longer, Mac always explained, it wouldn’t work. It’s a case of many factors working in perfect harmony to create was is in effect, a regular tide in the Napanee River.

Mac’s research and explanation has been disputed by some, but to date, no other theories have been backed up with any scientific evidence to show that something else is causing this strange phenomenon, so dramatic at times, that driftwood and floating ice have been seen floating gently upstream as buoys lean into the normal current of the river.

It’s simply a case of the river’s unique position and direction which manifests itself here, but nowhere else along the Bay of Quinte shoreline to such a degree, although minor water levels are noticeable here and there during extreme lake seiches.

Centre Street Bridge Plaque in recognition of Dr. Smith’s research.

Photo by Terry Sprague.

A plaque recognizing Mac Smith’s research can be seen on the Centre Street Bridge.

Terry Sprague lives in Prince Edward County and is a retired interpretive naturalist and hike leader. See his website at www. naturestuff.net. He can be reached at tsprague@xplornet. com.

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Interested? Email us at: stonemills.scoop@gmail.com June / July 2019 • The SCOOP

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Five Books for Water Babies at Heart “The Last Wave” by Canadian author Gillian Best is a family drama set in Dover, England. Spread out over several s warm weather approaches, you decades, it follows the life of Martha and may find yourself longing for the the people who knew her. Ever since the beach, dock, or pool. If you are 1940s, when she was a young girl who someone who considers water to be your accidentally fell off a pier and into the second home during the summer ocean, Martha has been obsessed with months, you may be interested in the sea. In fact, she swam the English reading about characters (both real and Channel several times during her life – it fictional) who have felt similarly. The was her therapy. As a woman with a following five books, although quite young family, when she felt burdened by different, all celebrate a love for the confines of domestic life, swimming swimming. was her escape. Later in life, when she dealt with family estrangements, her husband’s Landscaping dementia, and finally, her own Lawn Care & cancer diagnosis, Napanee Soil Centre the sea remained her constant Call us for any lawn or companion. A quiet yard help. story filled with Check website for full complex characters, range of services. this novel will www.LCPlandscaping.ca transport you We have fresh supplies of straight to the mulches, rich black earth beach. Keep in & compost for garden & flower beds. mind though, it won’t be a sunny We can clear and roto-till sandy beach, but gardens and flower beds, large or small. rather a chilly and grey English beach.

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If you are looking for another lyrical and reflective story about a woman drawn to water, try “Turning” by Jessica J. Lee. It is an all-true memoir where the narrator uses swimming to

console her through life’s challenges. At the age of 28, Jessica Lee—Canadian, Chinese, and British—finds herself all alone in Berlin. She’s lonely and is nursing a broken heart while struggling to write a thesis. As she chips away at her work, what increasingly occupies her is swimming. So, she makes a decision she believes will win her back her confidence and independence: she will swim 52 of the lakes around Berlin, no matter what the weather or season.

Again, this book will transport you to the beach, but it won’t be a warm one!

Another memoir about an author’s love of (and self-fulfilment through) swimming is “Swimming Studies” by Leanne Shapton. This is yet another lyrical and reflective story, this one following a competitive swimmer who tried fiercely to be an Olympian. It offers an interesting mix of vivid descriptions, snippets of stories, art, and photos. While your typical athlete memoir is about triumph, “Swimming Studies” is about trying your hardest and still not making the cut. The positive takeaway, however, is that the author still finds pure joy in swimming.

“The Three-Year Swim Club” by Julie Checkoway is also a true Olympianhopeful story – but it takes a different turn. It is the story of these JapaneseAmerican kids from a Hawaii sugar plantation being coached to national and international swimming success. Those interested in competitive swimming, or even competitive sports (think “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel Brown), will be awed by this surprising true story.

Historical fiction fans may be interested in trying “Swimming Home” by Mary

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The SCOOP • June / July 2019

All these titles can be reserved from your branch of the County of Lennox & Addington Libraries or online at www.CountyLibrary.ca.

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Rose MacColl. This is an engaging story of two people: a young girl (Catherine) who only wants to return to her Australian Island home where she spent her days swimming in the warm water, and her Aunt, a surgeon who has very firm ideas as to how a young woman should act in London in 1925. This story begins in Australia, continues in England and finally America, where Catherine has the opportunity to swim against the first woman to swim the English Channel.

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Learning From Our Students & Peering Down the Well Susan Moore

G

roundwater. We all know what this is, but groundwater behaves in surprising ways, particularly in fractured rock. The Queen’s students who work nearby at a groundwater study site know a great deal about this intricate process.

The Kennedy Field Station north of Tamworth is part of the Beaty Water Research Centre, which was donated to Queen’s University by the late Ross Kennedy, a Queen’s alumni. The Kennedy Station is ideal for water research and education with a naturalized riverfront, an existing water control structure, and a diversity of soil and terrain.

On Saturday, June 15, the public is invited to the Centre for a hands-on groundwater day. Participants will see the inside of a well, sample for water quality, and learn a whole lot about groundwater. The highlight of the day is learning from our Queen’s students.

Friends of the Salmon River will host this half-day of water activity at Kennedy

Field Station just north of Tamworth.

The public is invited free of charge – entry is by donation – but an RSVP is required, please.

Grad students from Queen’s will be our group leaders. The opener will be a look at the rock outcrops on site. Afterwards, groups will rotate through each of these four activities:

Demo of Test by Pulse Interference with Queen’s student at last year’s Groundwater Day. 1.

2.

3.

4.

Reel a video camera down a well and see the fractures that govern groundwater flow in the well.

Sample the groundwater using a hand pump and mechanical pump.

Measure for several water quality parameters and discuss the implications.

Test by pulse interference. Explore the interaction of groundwater within a network of wells. using a real-time pressure monitoring system. See how the wells are connected with fractures.

See an interactive map with many areas of interest on the Salmon River.

Near the end of the day, anyone who wishes can walk to the Salmon River (about 15 minutes) and observe a stream flow gauge that measures water flow in different sections of the river.

Learning about the pumping station at KFS Groundwater Day.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Susan at susan@moorepartners. ca or 613-379-5958. Also, visit www.friendsofsalmonriver.ca.

Groundwater Activities with Friends of the Salmon River ON SATURDAY, JUNE 15 FROM 9 A.M. TO 12 P.M. come and peer down the well and try your hand at a water pump.

The Field Station is at 669 County Road 15, just north of Tamworth. Watch for a sign at the gate.

Bring your own drinking water, as there is no potable water on site. There will be light refreshments.

The Long Walk Diane Creber

S

ix years ago, my husband Tim and I decided to do an 800-kilometre walk! We started in Saint-Jean-Piedde-Port, France, and hiked westward across northern Spain almost to the coast following well-marked paths that took us across three mountain ranges, high plateaus, and through fascinating medieval towns and villages. The trail passed by 1800 buildings of great historical significance and along the way, we met wild horses, chickens residing in a cathedral, and people from all over the world sharing the same goal—to complete the journey. Although we carried all our clothing and sleeping bags, we stayed in friendly hostels, slept in real beds, enjoyed hot showers and were well fed at various restaurants along the way at very reasonable prices. In 1993 UNESCO inscribed this walk as a World Heritage Site. The final destination was the town of Santiago de Compostela. The walk is called the “Camino de Santiago.”

The Camino is a pilgrimage that thousands of people have been walking for over ten centuries. Both of us are avid

hikers and wanted the challenge of doing the distance. But there are probably as many reasons for walking the Camino as there are people who take up the challenge.

Our plan was to leave Canada on March 26, fly to Paris, rest a day and then take another flight to Biarritz in southern France where a bus was waiting to take us to Saint-Jean; the start of the Camino.

After registering at the Camino office, we were issued our “credencial,” or passport. This small booklet was to be carried with us throughout the trip to be stamped at various locations along the route, such as recognized hostels and restaurants. It would prove to those in Santiago that we had completed the walk.

Although Tim and I had trained for the distance, we weren’t prepared for the steep uphill climbs. Where we lived in Ontario, it was mainly flat. The first day was twenty kilometres of torturous climbs followed by four kilometres of hazardous descent—crossing the Pyrenees Mountains. That evening our legs felt like jelly and we were concerned

we wouldn’t be able to complete our trip if the rest of the journey should be like this. However, we persevered, not realizing that some days the hills would be even worse, although our stamina improved the greater the distance we travelled.

The complete walk took us one month averaging twenty-five kilometres a day. An ordeal at any time—but doing it in early spring and facing blizzard conditions—a typhoon, and rain, snow, or sleet almost every day added to the hardship. Despite the weather, we have wonderful memories of beautiful landscapes, made great friendships, and learned about the history of Spain.

When asked if I would do the Camino again, I answer without hesitation; “In a heartbeat!”

Diane’s adventures of walking the Camino de Santiago have been put in a book, “The Long Walk.” The book is available at The Old Book Store Café in Newburgh, The Wilton General Store, Truesdale’s General

Walking the Camino de Santiago.

Store in Sydenham, Novel Idea and Trailhead in Kingston, or from Diane’s website at cronklakestudios.com.

June / July 2019 • The SCOOP

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Let’s Play Pickleball!

Angela Saxe

P

ickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It’s a great way to get exercise and

Why Call it “Pickleball?”

Pickleball was invented in 1965 by three dads whose kids were bored with their usual summer activities. There are different stories how the game got its name. One is that one of the wives, Joan Pritchard called it pickleball because the combination of different sports reminded her of a pickle boat crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats. Another story is that it was named after the Pritchards’ dog, Pickles, who used to steal the ball and run away with it. Whatever the origin of the name, it stuck. For more history, visit the USA Pickleball Association website at www.usapa.org.

socialize, and the game accommodates varying levels of competitiveness. The average age of pickleball players, based on the Single Sport Participation Report of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA): 75% of players are 55 and older, but anyone who has attended a regional or national tournament will have noticed the presence of younger players.

Pickleball is a hybrid game of three racket sports: tennis, ping-pong, and badminton. The size of the court surface is the same as for badminton: 20 x 44 feet. Large solid paddles, similar to those used in table tennis, are used to hit a wiffle ball over the net, and the game can be played in singles or doubles.

A small group of friends has been playing indoor pickleball in the Tamworth Elementary School gym on Monday and Thursday evenings. We are just completing our second year. The age range is 55-85. It is a blast! Everybody gets a great workout, plays a competitive game, and we all leave with smiles on our faces. Since there’s only one court, our club has stayed small. But, many local seniors travel to Napanee, Bath, Harrowsmith, Kingston and Tweed to play.

We are working with the Stone Mills Township to re-furbish the Moscow

A Special Day of Remembrance Deb Thompson

A

celebration of memories, families, and reunion of the Reidville community is an event you will not want to miss. On Sunday, June 30 at 1:30 p.m. this event will reunite the Reidville community of the former Knox Presbyterian (Camden VIII) and the Reidville United Church.

Built in 1844, a historical sketch shows this to be one of the oldest Presbyterian communities in our area. Before the construction of the building, services were held in family homes. In 1925, a firm foundation was constructed at the Reidville Cemetery location until its closure in 1967. People gravitated to this property for a dedicated and strong place of worship.

Senior’s Fitness Program Stone Mills Rec. Centre Mondays & Wednesdays 9-10 a.m.

No floor or mat work. Can be performed seated or standing, with or without mobility aids! Stay active, have fun in a safe & effective program designed for the older adult.

Provided by the VON and funded by the Ministry of Health and LTC. For info call 613-634-0130 ext. 3414 14

The SCOOP • June / July 2019

Items of interest that will be on display at the event include a communion set purchased in 1916 for $11.50, a wooden cross donated by the Lochead family, a hymnary board, pictures and clippings, and a clock donated by Geo Fingland.

This event is for all friends, neighbours, and former Reidville United Church members to gather to remember our church and loved ones. Listen to families share memories through music. To make a donation to the Reidville Cemetery on your family’s behalf, contact the Reidville Cemetery Board: Murray Martin, 198 Martin Rd, Enterprise, ON, K0K 1Z0.

Check out the “Reidville Cemetery Memorial” event page on Facebook for updates. For more information, please contact Deb Thompson at 613-217-1819.

Reidville Cemetery Memorial

Sunday, June 30, 1:30 p.m.

“Rethinking our church at Reidville” Held rain or shine (shelter provided) County Rd 14 Turn at caution light off County Rd 4 toward Enterprise Bring your own lawn chairs

Tony Wilson inspects the court in Moscow. tennis court which is a twenty-minute drive from Tamworth. Court lines for pickleball will be painted and we’ve asked for a six-foot-high windbreak to be placed onto the chain-link fence. Our future plan is to convince the Township to construct two outdoor pickleball courts in Tamworth with the bonus of having a tennis court for the cost of painting the lines.

We are looking for more interested players to play outdoors in Moscow this summer… perhaps organize local tournaments with neighbouring townships. All levels are welcome. For more information, contact Richard Saxe at saxe.richard@gmail.com.

The Stone Mills Community Voice Susan Moore and Carol Knowles

A

short time ago, Carol Knowles and Jasmin Cameron, residents of Stone Mills, were discussing what it means to live in Stone Mills Township.

They wanted to offer community members an opportunity to brainstorm, discuss ideas, and develop a vision for Stone Mills.

Often, events and initiatives take place in one village at a time. Wouldn’t it be brilliant to collect a group of Stone Mills people eager to develop a collective vision?

An inaugural meeting was set up this year on March 27 at the Old Bookstore Café in Camden East. About 20 people showed up, enjoyed some good food at the café, and had a purposeful conversation about our community.

Carol explained that a Community Voice could be a broad umbrella to include uniting township residents, coordinating township events, and raising awareness about current or future township development. The group could work together on initiatives that enhance the experience of living in Stone Mills.

At this meeting, we met some new neighbours, enjoyed some laughs, and even trotted over to see the Camden East Library (which was closed down on May 1) so we could discuss a possible repurposing of the building. The group recognized the value, to all residents, in

Celebration of Life for Ron Lalande Saturday, June 22

preserving public historic buildings in Stone Mills. Some exciting possibilities were considered.

Many other ideas were brainstormed.

One gem of an idea was to create a map/ brochure for the township that would include recreational facilities, parks and conservation areas, our small businesses, and a listing of our community groups and service clubs. The group has begun to rev up some initial ideas and possible funding sources for this ambitious project.

Another idea was to add the decorative bicycle theme in other villages, following the lead of the Boosters group in Tamworth. The brightly painted bikes filled with baskets of flowers are a distinctive and striking feature in front of the shops and restaurants. Visitors comment on this engaging project. It has become somewhat of a hallmark in the village of Tamworth and shows evidence of good community spirit.

The Community Voice will continue to bring voices together in the township.

The group meets on the last Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Old Bookstore Café in Camden East.

More voices are welcomed to swell the movement. Together, we can find new ways to connect the dots in Stone Mills.

For more information, contact Carol Knowles at carol.h.knowles@gmail.com.

between 4-7 p.m. at our home 1916 County Road 1 East just west of Newburgh Please feel free to bring a lawn chair, also if you have a photograph and/or story you might like to share with the family that would be greatly appreciated.

Tamworth Playgroup & Centreville Playgroup in the Park Tamworth Playgroup 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Every Monday in June Tamworth Arena Ages 0-6 and their families

Centreville Playgroup 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

July 8, 15, 22, & 29 At the Fairgrounds All ages welcome (Weather permitting)

Please bring a snack, water, sunscreen, and outdoor wear

GEORGE MCLAUGHLIN is turning 80 and he’s coming “home” to celebrate!

Solution to the crossword puzzle on page 16:

Drop-in and join George and his family at the

Lakeview Tavern, Beaver Lake, in Erinsville on Sunday, July 7, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Live music and food will be provided.

The only gift George wants is an opportunity to visit and reminisce with his oldest friends and neighbours.

George feels very blessed for his new life in Lakefield (near Peterborough), but he misses down home and is looking forward to seeing many familiar faces on this special occasion.

For more details, please contact Lisa at 705-875-4955

June / July 2019 • The SCOOP

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Puzzle Page Crossword: “Small Nations, Big Players” by Matt Gaffney

Sudoku

16

The SCOOP • June / July 2019

Naturalists to Count Plant & Animal Species at BioBlitz Jacqueline Bartnik

T

he Kingston Field Naturalists will hold their 21st annual BioBlitz to count plant, animal, and other species as a measure of the biodiversity of a local area in June. The event is open to the public and will be held with Ontario Power Generation at the Lennox Plant on Bath Road in Greater Napanee.

Natural history specialists, amateurs, and

members of the public will identify and record as many plant and animal species as possible over a 24-hour period. The idea is to set a baseline of the biodiversity for the area. A BioBlitz is a communitybased initiative linking science, education, and public participation.

It is a fun and free event. There will be guided walks to learn about a variety of organisms throughout the period. This event fulfills the mandate of the Kingston

Field Naturalists to stimulate public interest in nature and to acquire and provide knowledge of natural history.

The BioBlitz program, including the times of the various guided walks, as well as more information, may be found on the Kingston Field Naturalists website at www. kingstonfieldnaturalists.org.

BioBlitz

• • • •

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For all your excavating needs contact RICK: 613-561-6585 rick.tuepah@gmail.com

Pictured: SixSpotted Tiger Beetle Photo: K.Hennige

For program and a map, visit www.kingstonfieldnaturalists.org Or contact Anne (n8ture.anne@sympatico.ca or 613613-389 389--6742)

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613 379 1133 June / July 2019 • The SCOOP

17

Gratitude, Reciprocity, & Celebrating Plants Dianne Dowling

I

n the book “Braiding Sweetgrass,” Robin Wall Kimmerer has written what she calls “a braid of stories meant to heal our relationship with the world.”

The three strands of the braid are “indigenous ways of knowing, scientific knowledge, and the story of an Anishinabekwe scientist trying to bring them together in service of what matters most ... an intertwining of science, spirit, and story.”

It is her storytelling that drew me in. I hear the voice of a gentle and strong woman, confident and caring, with a simple, wise message — we can heal our broken relationship with the earth.

Reading the preface, I sense she is sitting near me, speaking to me in a direct and compassionate manner, “Hold out your hands and let me lay upon them a sheaf of freshly picked sweetgrass, loose and flowing, like newly washed hair … Hold the bundle up to your nose. Find the fragrance of honeyed vanilla over the scent of river water and black earth ...”

Ms. Kimmerer has a PhD in plant ecology and teaches at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, in northern New York state.

She is also an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and was raised learning indigenous knowledge about the earth. She combines scientific and indigenous knowledge in “Braiding Sweetgrass” and in her other book, “Gathering Moss.”

“everyday acts of practical reverence.”

The back pages in my copy of the book are already filling up with notes of sections I want to remember or to go back to later.

For instance, about the Thanksgiving Address, in which indigenous people give thanks and recognition to all aspects of the world (page 111), “You can’t listen to the Thanksgiving Address without feeling wealthy. And while expressing gratitude seems innocent enough, it is a revolutionary idea. In a consumer society, contentment is a radical proposition. Recognizing abundance rather than scarcity undermines an economy that thrives by creating unmet desires. Gratitude cultivates an ethic of fullness, but the economy needs emptiness.”

On page 166, the lesson of sweetgrass, “Through reciprocity the gift is replenished. All our flourishing is mutual.”

The honourable harvest (page 177) challenges us, “Whether we are digging wild leeks or going to the mall, how do we consume in a way that does justice to the lives that we take?”

On page 190, “... our first thoughts are not, ‘What can we take?’ but ‘What can we give to Mother Earth?’” Ms. Kimmerer suggests we can enter reciprocity through gratitude, ceremony, land stewardship, science, art, and

Reading this book has me thinking about the part plants play in our lives and in the world, whether or not humans are around — pecans, strawberries, asters, goldenrod, sweetgrass, maple trees, the three sisters (corn, squash, and beans), ash trees, wild leeks... I thought I had a pretty good appreciation for plants, having lived on a farm and been a gardener almost all my life. I see now that my relationship with plants is rather superficial and not very conscious.

Reading “Braiding Sweetgrass” has me resolving to be more observant, more informed, and more grateful.

There will be a discussion of “Braiding Sweetgrass” on Thursday, June 13, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Kingston Community Health Centre at 263 Weller Avenue. All are welcome and refreshments will be served. This free event is hosted by the Food Policy Council for Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox-Addington.

Dianne Dowling is a member of the Kingston Area Seed System Initiative, Local 316 of the National Farmers Union and the Food Policy Council for KFLA. Her

THE BOOK SHOP

Reading

Erika Behrisch Elce Bruce Kauffman Sunday, July 21 @ 2 p.m.

Tamworth Variety & Gas Bar

Free event. Rain or shine. All welcome.

Regular & Premium Gas Diesel • Propane Exchange Groceries • Snacks & Drinks

Good quality, second hand books

OPEN EVERYDAY 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

We’re on Facebook 6682 Wheeler Street, Tamworth

Fri-Sat-Sun: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other times by chance or appointment

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Astrographers Assemble

EVANS’ TREE REMOVAL

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 Dusk - Dawn

Trimming • Removing

YEAR-ROUND SERVICE - STUMP REMOVAL Topping • Bucket Truck Service

An informal evening where night sky photographers of all skill levels are invited to shoot the stars overhead.

More details: www.DarkSkyViewing.com L&A Dark Sky Viewing Area 7980 County Rd 41 18

The SCOOP • June / July 2019

family operates a certified organic farm on Howe Island.

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Piano Lessons in Tamworth Starting in September Please Register Early as space is limited

music4fun.ca

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Tel: 613-379-5874 Email: soscsvcs@gmail.com Web: www.s-o-s-computers.com

Wm. (Bill) Greenley Kim Read

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A Natural Shoreline at Silver Lake Maureen Bauer-McGahey

“I

f there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” —Loren Eiseley

As the summer slowly draws near, many folks gravitate to the multitude of lakes in our region for recreation and vacation time. Our family retreat is a cozy cottage on Silver Lake near Maberly, Ontario.

Silver Lake benefits from a newly rejuvenated “Silver Lake and Area Environmental Protection Association.”

Silver Lake was one of the lakes chosen for this program partly because it is designated as a “sensitive” lake because of its lake trout habitat. For instance, there is a lake monitoring program that watches for the rise in contaminate levels in the lake such as road salt from Highway 7 which runs next to the lake for much of its length. It also monitors for invasive species in the lake such as

zebra mussels.

This year another species was identified as a kind of “zombie weed” called Eurasian water milfoil. This weed is found in a dense band around the shallow perimeter of the lake within 30-40 feet of the shoreline. Negative impacts include reduction of biodiversity since it competes with native plants, reduced oxygen levels in the water caused by decomposing plants that kill fish and it destroys the spawning grounds of native species of fish such as rock bass. Due to the way this weed densely stands, it creates stagnant waters which can become an ideal habitat for mosquitoes.

It is critical to prevent the accidental spreading of this weed by cutting it with a watercraft or fishing equipment. If this weed is pulled out and left on the surface, it can migrate to other parts of the lake to root. If residents pull this “weed” out, it is recommended that it be thrown on to the shoreline where it can be dried out and disposed of safely. Even small fragments of the weed can float to another area of the lake to take root.

FREE SHORELINE PLANTING SERVICE In early 2019, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) offered a free shoreline planting service to waterfront property owners. Why? A naturally vegetated shoreline is one of the most effective ways to maintain the quality of the water and it protects the shoreline from erosion. This program is part of an integrated approach to

Thank You, Mom & Dad Thank you Mom and Dad, for raising me poor It makes me appreciate all things in life more When things don’t come easy, are not handed to you You expect to work hard to buy something that is new Some rich people’s children expect and demand Rather than working they hold out their hand If each day you struggle and work for your share Possessions obtained become treasured and dear I’m not knocking the wealthy or those who have more Just thanking Mom and Dad, for raising me poor!

Thank you Mom and Dad, for raising me poor Everything I achieve feels like a huge score When I was a little one, not yet in school I thought we were rich, that my family was cool Then kids in their fancy clothes looked at me with a sneer Standing there before them in my home-made gear They didn’t know the love that went into each stitch They were just happy that their parents were rich But I’m not knocking the wealthy or those who have more Just thanking Mom and Dad, for raising me poor!

Thank you Mom and Dad, for raising me poor All the wondrous things in life I adore Some people need power, money and bling Owning the world just isn’t my thing I work hard at my job all through the day So evenings and weekends with my family I can play Some of the world’s highest achievers can’t see Just how rewarding a loving family life can be No, I’m not knocking the wealthy or those who have more Just thanking Mom and Dad, for raising me poor!

Thank you Mom and Dad, for raising me poor You taught me that life doesn’t come from a store When life throws a curve-ball and its hard making ends meet It’s good to be able to bake bread and pickle a beet But seriously folks, with all joking aside Working hard for what’s yours fills you with pride People who think life’s not worth much without wealth Should pay more attention to their family and their health Honestly, I’m not knocking the wealthy or those who have more Just thanking Mom and Dad, for raising me poor!

—Barbara Holden-Trimboli, Roblin

watershed management.

Residents were allowed 15 free plants on a first come, first serve basis. I chose my 15 plants in February of this year and picked them up May 25.

MVCA regularly meets with property owners to create a natural shoreline and to offer guidance on the shrubs and trees indigenous to the area. With this kind of help, residents can take the initiative to individualized planting designs that will not impact the view or access to the lake.

The added benefit of programs such as the The writer’s husband, David McGahey, planting along Shoreline Planting their waterfront on Silver Lake.

Program is that Photo by Maureen Bauer-McGahey. property owners can take pride in doing the right thing for “we are not here to save the world only their environment and become true to belong to it more fully.” stewards of the lake and surrounding ecosystem. Not only can we as property Maureen Bauer-McGahey lives on a farm owners help to keep our lakes healthy, near Perth and has a lakefront cottage on but we can also feel empowered to Silver Lake. As a writer, she is concerned continue to advocate for our about the dignity of creation and the ways environment in a way that is sustainable that citizens can help to protect and for our children, grandchildren, and advocate for the environment. generations to come. And I believe that

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Hannah Funeral Homes Tamworth and Napanee

We thank our community for your support since June 1994.

We invite you to visit during the month of June for great in-store 25th anniversary specials.

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The SCOOP • June / July 2019

Toll Free: 1-866-471-3800 | mike.bossio@parl.gc.ca | www.mikebossiomp.ca