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Contents • April 2019
A
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D
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T PRESIDENT JAMES BAKER james@thnmedia.com
ADVERTISING SALES DAVID JOUBARNE david@thnmedia.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR JASON STACEY jason@thnmedia.com
CREATIVE PRODUCTION DERECK ADDIE dereck@thnmedia.com CASEY ELOGIO casey@thnmedia.com TIM FRANKIW tim@thnmedia.com
WEB DESIGN VAUGHN JOSEPH vaughn@thnmedia.com
T A B L E
O F
CONTENTS BAKING BREAD IN THE IRELAND HEARTH
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Q&A J&G QUALITY MEATS INTERVIEW WITH PETER BAARDA
ADMINISTRATION DIANA LYNAS diana@thnmedia.com
PRINTING BCIS
2187 Dunwin Drive Mississauga. ON L5L 1X2 P 905 278 1111 TF 1 855 355 8502 F 905 608 9042 thnmedia.com
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SPIDERS & FREEZE-DRIED CRICKETS AT THE RGB
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UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
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Neighbourhood Aldershot Magazine is published and delivered 12 times per year to selected Homes in Aldershot by Canada Post, agreement #41362062.
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to publish this magazine as accurately as possible; however errors and omissions can occur. THN Media, their employees, agents, representatives and vendors are not liable for any damages relating to errors or omissions in the editorials or advertising, which may appear herein except where a specific charge has been made. In such cases, THN Media shall have limited liability only to the charge for such advertising or editorials.
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Carol MacCrimmon Senior Highland Dancers.
WATERDOWN ROTARY ENJOYS
BURNS DINNER By LESLIE STYLES They wore tartan; kilts, shawls, and tartan ties as Waterdown’s Rotary Club gathered at RBG to celebrate Robbie Burns Day. The Burns dinner is a traditional commemoration of the life and works of the National poet of Scotland, sometimes called Robbie Burns, and observed worldwide. The meal was held on Burn’s birthday, January 25th, and consisted of delicious food. The three-piece band, Scantily Plaid, played guitar, harp and bagpipes to welcome guests into the dining room and to ‘pipe in’ the Haggis. The Carol MacCrimmon Highland Dancers, junior and senior group, kept the crowd entertained. It was an amazing Scottish feast. neighbourhoodmagazine.ca
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BAKING BREAD IN THE IRELAND HEARTH By LESLIE STYLES
The aroma of freshly baked cinnamon raisin loaf permeated the Kitchen at Ireland museum’s Heritage bread making workshop on February 10th. Guests mixed and kneaded their own loaves to bake later at home before the group divided in two, to make either cheesy scones or raisin bread in the hearth. While the bread and scones baked, guests learned about the Ireland family by touring the house at Oakridge Farm. Built in 1837, it’s one of Burlington’s oldest heritage homes. Valerie and Caroline kept things moving along nicely in the kitchen, while Kate ensured the group enjoyed their tour of the rest of the house. Finally, all guests met at the large kitchen table to devour the delicious cinnamon loaf and cheese scones with herb butter. Everyone received beautiful recipe cards to take home, along with their previously prepared batter. What a unique and pleasant way to spend an afternoon!
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Staff members; Caroline Somerville and Valerie Garrett.
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SECRET SHOW IN BURLINGTON By LESLIE STYLES Several agents from REMAX Real Estate Centre Inc. Brokerage, presented the Secret Show on February 10th, a client appreciation event combined with fundraising to support 18 Burlington Scouts heading to the World Scouting jamboree in Washington DC. The event took place in the Polish Cultural Centre, with Cape Bretons “Port Cities Band” headlining the show. One lucky door prize winner took home a new 65” 4K Television. There was a silent auction held with proceeds donated for the scouts’ trip, along with proceeds from the cash bar. Guests enjoyed pizza and a complimentary bar drink. Everyone present at this very successful event was a winner!
Presenting Remax Agents ( not in order); Kelsi Cumberland, Chris Maynard, Lindsay Thomas, Joe McMahon, Dean Martin, Hilda Campbell, Sandra Morgan and lawyer Paul Silva.
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Spotlight • Q&A
J&G Quality Meats
Interview with Peter Baarda If you have a leak in your home, you call a plumber. If you’re car needs repairs, you see a mechanic. If you have a dinner party for 8, you go see Peter Baarda, owner and Butcher of J&G Quality Meats. Peter, a three-time champion of the ‘Ontario’s Finest Butcher’ competition, has been a butcher for over 30 years and his expertise is second to none. We sat down with the champ to discuss his passion for butchering, his Dry-Aged program and what the future holds for J&G. 08
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Q: WHY DID YOU WANT TO BECOME A BUTCHER? I actually became a butcher by accident. I had just finished high school and happened to be on vacation with Peter Hogeterp, who was the owner of Hogeterp Meats in Cayuga. He asked what my plans were in the fall, by the end of the conversation I had agreed to come work for him and learn the trade while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. It’s now been 28 years since I first put a knife in my hand and have been butchering ever since.
Q: YOU TOOK OWNERSHIP OF J&G QUALITY MEATS IN 2016. WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE J&G BUTCHER SHOP? I had interest in opening my own shop one day. J&G happened to be for sale and was in a desirable location and had
been updated to OMAFRA standards. Basically, all I was interested in was the shell, but surprisingly what I got was a long-standing tradition of Aldershot heritage and a good reputation to live up to. I’ve heard from people who have shopped at J&G for generations and continue to come in. They speak of parents and grandparents coming to fill their freezers with sides of beef and pork.
Q: TELL US ABOUT YOUR DRY AGED PROGRAM? We started the Dry Aged Program when we first took over and it’s been a hit with our customers ever since. We generally try to dry age our steaks for 6 weeks on the whole primal. It helps intensify the flavour and break down the tissues in the meat, resulting in optimum tenderness.
Q: PREVIOUS OWNER, PETER SMOLENAARS STAYED ON WITH YOU AFTER YOU HAD PURCHASED THE BUSINESS FROM HIM. WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM HIM THAT HAS HELPED YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS? I was very fortunate to have Peter stick around following the sale. He is a wealth of knowledge concerning meat and life in general. I feel that he and I share a bond of one generation passing what they have worked very hard on to the next. We may have different styles, but our end result is the same, provide a great quality product at a fair price.
Q: J&G QUALITY MEATS HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1962. WHAT ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS REMAINS FROM ITS INFANCY? The meat industry has changed dramatically since J&G’s inception in 1962, but what remains is the commitment to quality and community. The whole reason that I didn’t change the name was to pay homage to its longevity in the community and to the hard-working butchers before me, who helped shape what J&G Quality Meats is today.
Q: THE LOCAL BUTCHER SHOP HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE NOW IN THE INDUSTRY THAT WEREN’T THERE FIVE YEARS AGO? Local butcher shops are becoming more prevalent in Canadian communities. People enjoy knowing where their food comes from and the people they are purchasing it from. We try very hard to create a relationship with our customers and build a bond of trust, that what they’re preparing for their loved ones will be a great experience. Sharing a meal, whether it’s a special holiday or just a routine weekday dinner, it’s important to us that we provide you with the best possible ingredients.
Q: YOUR WIFE KERRI IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE BUSINESS. WHAT INTANGIBLES DOES SHE BRING TO THE TABLE? My wife Keri is not only my partner in life, but also in business. She never worked in a butcher shop prior to us purchasing J&G but is always up for a challenge and luckily for me, has a great work ethic in the office or helping in the front of house. She keeps order in what
would be chaos, if left with just me. She is also responsible for the unique hand writing on our display tags in the counter, she has received many inquiries about her printing. She chalks it up to a lot of doodling in school.
Q: FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, TELL US WHAT TAKES PLACE AT A BUTCHER COMPETITION AND HOW DOES ONE BECOME CHAMPION? Ontario’s Finest Butcher is an annual competition held by OIMP and I was lucky enough to win three times in a row. The elimination round is just that, they tell you the proteins that you will have to cut, and you need to merchandise them in the most effective manor in 30 minutes. The final round is the top three competitors from the elimination rounds, competing in a black box challenge. They have 30 minutes to cut and merchandise the surprise black box contents to the best of their ability.
Q: YOU’VE WON THE TITLE OF ONTARIO’S FINEST BUTCHER IN 2014, 2015, AND 2016. TELL US ABOUT THAT AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU TO BE RECOGNIZED IN YOUR INDUSTRY? I am entering Canada’s first team in the World Butcher’s Challenge to take place in Sacramento California in 2020. There, you have a team of 6 butchers from their respective countries cut against teams from all over the world. You have three hours to merchandise a side of beef, pork, a lamb and five chickens. The World Butcher Challenge is held every two years. It helps celebrate butchery and bring light to a craft that is often overlooked as a viable career.
Q: WHAT QUALITIES ARE IMPORTANT IN A GOOD BUTCHER? A good butcher has a passion for food and a passion to help their customer pick the appropriate cut of meat for the meal they’re going to serve. I always look at the meat that we sell as being the centrepiece of the table, when someone is entertaining. I ask myself if I would be happy to have that steak or that roast be shared with my guests. » neighbourhoodmagazine.ca
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Spotlight • Q&A
Q: WHAT IS IT ABOUT J&G THAT CUSTOMERS KEEP COMING BACK? I believe people keep coming back for a number of reasons. We source the best possible products to put in our counters every day, deal with local farmers and abattoirs and always try to present something new to try. Our staff is always friendly, there to assist you with your purchase and will try to answer any questions you may have.
Q: MEAT CUTTING IS A LOST ART. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO BRING BACK THE PRESTIGE OF THE LOCAL BUTCHER?
Q: WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED WHEN YOU FIRST TOOK OVER J&G? I think the biggest challenge for me was the tremendous amount of work that happens when you’re not open. We are open 6 days a week but often you can find me in the shop on Sundays getting to all the extra jobs that there just wasn’t enough time for during the week. I respect that about small business owners, they’re always busy and if they’re anything like me, they’re always running behind with one more thing to finish before the day is over.
Q: BACKYARD BBQ FOR 8. WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING ON YOUR GRILL? I love to do a mixed grill, often in the summer we will BBQ striploin steak, lamb spiedini, sausage, and a flattened chicken. It gives some variety to your 10
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meal and allows your guests to have a little bit of everything. We usually BBQ our sides as well whether it’s asparagus, green beans or corn on the cob.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME UNIQUE ITEMS ON YOUR MENU THAT ARE CUSTOMER FAVOURITES? We make a variety of fresh sausages and don’t use any fillers or binders in our sausage. They include about 10 different type of pork sausage as well as lamb, beef, venison, turkey, and chicken. We also sell hand pressed beef patties, sirloin steak burgers and what we call ‘One of a Kind Burgers’ that consist of caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, roasted garlic and some fresh herbs. London broils are also another favourite of some customers, bacon wrapped flank steak with sausage meat rolled in the middle and another layer of bacon for good measure.
The first step is getting to know your local butcher and always ask questions. We are here to help make your meal a great experience. Respecting the meat, where it came from and the hard work that was put into not only raising the animal, but the care put into cutting it is the difference. Mass produced meat on a foam tray is not what your local butcher represents, we are specialized in the way it’s cut and presented to the way it’s trimmed and tied.
Q: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR J&G QUALITY MEATS? WHERE DO YOU SEE THE BUSINESS IN 5 YEARS? We will continue to strive to bring the best possible meat to Aldershot and continue to serve the community. In the next 5 years, we hope to be able to offer some produce as well as specialty dairy products. ■
KUB KAR RACES By LESLIE STYLES
The 13th Burlington Cubs Cleaned Up at the Kub Kar Rally held at Waterdown District High School on March 2nd. Several groups of Cubs attended, from Burlington to Waterdown and Carlisle, after having built their own racing cars from kits containing wood blocks, plastic wheels and metal axles, designed to the Cubs’ own specifications. While adults may have helped in sawing the wood, the cubs sanded, painted and decorated the cars themselves, demonstrating their creativity.
Three cars at a time were raced on a sloped wooden track and results carefully recorded by leaders. Trophies and prizes were handed out after a pizza lunch. Of eighteen Cubs in the 13th Burlington group, fourteen won prizes or honourable mention. Top prizes were given out to Cole, Lucie, Hunter and David. The Kar Rally was a great opportunity for all Cubs and leaders to socialize and participate in the competition. Above: 13th Burlington Cubs with leaders Heather, Rob and Adam.
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Community Events
SPIDERS & FREEZE-DRIED CRICKETS AT THE RBG By LESLIE STYLES
It may not be too late if you haven’t explored Royal Botanical Gardens’ Spiders Alive! Exhibit, which will be available until April 14th. More than 17 species of spiders and other creepy creatures are on display in the RBG Centre. Visitors can see tarantulas, scorpions, black widows, and more. There’s an ancient spider fossil in limestone. Crickets and mealworms are also on display. Guests may sample a freeze-dried cricket, which is high in protein and has a nutty flavour. Youngsters enjoy special programming such as puppet shows, guest speakers and pyjama parties. On certain dates, the exhibit is transformed into a nightlife experience for ages 19+ with pub games, food and cocktails. Learn more at www.rbg.ca.
Top: Jacob Jeejeebhoy and sister Sophie sit on giant spider. Right: Staff member; Angela Irwin, serves up some freeze dried crickets.
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Community Calendar
COMMUNITY
EVENTS MARCH 27
APRIL 7
GALLERY SERIES: HPO BRASS QUINTET AT THE ART GALLERY OF BURLINGTON
SINATRA SONGBOOK
artgalleryofburlington.com
aldershotbia.com
APRIL 13
SPIDERS ALIVE PAJAMA PARTY
SP’EGG’TACULAR EASTER EVENT AT IRELAND HOUSE MUSEUM
MARCH 31
APRIL 14
HERB BASKET PLANTER WORKSHOP AT IRELAND MUSEUM
HERITAGE BREAD WORKSHOP AT IRELAND HOUSE MUSEUM
EASTER BRUNCH AT THE RBG
museumsofburlington.ca
rbg.ca/events
APRIL 19 - 20
APRIL 22
THE SPRING SHOW AT THE RBG
EARTH DAY - A chance to have the
MARCH 29 rbg.ca/spiders
museumsofburlington.ca
APRIL 4, 11, 18, 25 TODDLER DAYS AT IRELAND HOUSE MUSEUM museumsofburlington.ca
APRIL 5 - 7 KALEIDOSCOPE OF THE ARTS p h oto d e s c r i p t i o n h e r e
artgalleryofburlington.com
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museumsofburlington.ca
theartisanbazaar.ca
APRIL 19 - 20 THE ARTISAN BAZAAR AT THE RBG theartisanbazaar.ca
APRIL 21
whole Family participate in making Earth a cleaner place. earthday.org
APRIL 27 PLANT FAIRE AT THE RBG rbg.ca/events
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