Country Roads Spring 2011

SPRING 2011

Keeping Our Forests Fertile Dance Hall Days Stirling Creamery - 86 Years & Still Churning

COVERING THE ARTS, OUTDOORS, HISTORY, PEOPLE AND PLACES

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Contents VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1, SPRING 2011

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CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR

Nancy Hopkins 613 395-0499

CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR

John Hopkins 613 395-0499

SALES DEPARTMENT

Jennifer Richardson jennifer@countryroadshastings.ca 613 922-2135 ART DIRECTOR

Jozef VanVeenen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Gary Magwood Shelley Wildgen

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Anna Sherlock Brandon West•www.westphotography.ca F. Christopher Jeffrey HOW TO CONTACT US Telephone: 613 395-0499 Facsimile: 613 395-0903 E-mail: info@countryroadshastings.ca Website: www.countryroadshastings.ca For written enquiries you can reach us at: PenWord Communications Inc. P.O. Box 423, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0 COUNTRY ROADS, Discovering Hasting County is published four times a year by PenWord Communications Inc. Copies are distributed to select locations throughout Hastings County including the ­communities of Bancroft, Belleville, Madoc, Marmora, Stirling and Tweed.

Copies are also delivered to select homes within southern Ontario.

Subscription rates: 1 year: $10.50 2 years: $18.90 3 years: $27.30 All prices include H.S.T. The contents of this publication are ­protected by copyright. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without prior written permission of PenWord Communications Inc. is prohibited.

The advertising deadline for the Summer 2011 issue is May 13, 2011.

Cover Photo: A red-headed woodpecker enjoying the feeder.

F. Christopher Jeffrey, My Backyard Photographs/Stirling

F E AT U R E S

6 - When a Tree Falls Protecting our forests a big business

10 - And They Danced Hastings County pavilions got crowds jumping

16 - The Business of Butter Stirling Creamery rolls with the times D E PA R T M E N T S

4 - Editorial Hello Spring

5 - Going Green The Power of Change

14 - Hidden Hastings Off the Beaten Path

20 - Cross Roads Younger Goltons on the go

21 - Country Calendar Things to see and do in Hastings County

22 - Back Roads Everybody loves a parade

23 - Marketplace Spring 2011 • Country Roads

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discovering hastings county

EDITORIAL

Fall In love WIth

Hello Spring

Photo: Haley Ashford

ComFort Country • Shops • Hiking • Heritage Sites • Accommodations • Sumptuous Dining • Live Entertainment • Antiques • Artist Studios & Tours • Lakes and Rivers to Explore

stirling

MArMOrA

MADOC

May 22,12-3 pm

O’Hara Mills Opening Day Plant and seed sale, garden craft demonstrations.

Take a step back in time while viewing the Pioneer buildings.

O’Hara Mill Homestead Conservation Park, Madoc ,On For more info: 613-473-1725 or www.ohara-mill.org May 21, 8am - 2pm

Farmers Market Kick Off Handmade goods, preserves, local meats, face painting and entertainment.

Memorial Park www.marmoraandlake.ca June18-19

We’re gOing green

6th Annual Stirling Truck Show

Fathers Day weekend at the Stirling Fairgrounds Presented by the Stirling and District Lions Club

www.stirlingtruckshow.com

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Old Man Winter was as unpredictable as usual but we know what Mother Earth has in store for us now that spring is upon us. It’s the same each year, wonderfully predictable. The earth will start sprouting, the crocuses will emerge, the buds will break forth on the trees, rivers will flow faster and faster and the sun will shine longer as the earth awakes.

The United Nations has designated 2011 the International Year of the Forest and with 65 percent forest cover in Hastings County we bring you our feature on the state of our woodlands.

And it’s very good to know we have keepers of the forest looking after our woods.

Green is so very spring so this is the perfect time to launch our new GOING GREEN column written by Gary Magwood. A member of the Belleville Green Task Force, Magwood has his finger on the pulse of all things ‘green’ in our region and each season he will bring us articles on diverse and noteworthy happenings that are good for us.

We’ve mentioned it before but Hastings County happens to be the second largest county in Ontario. Now that’s a lot of ground to cover and each season we will explore a little more of it in HIDDEN HASTINGS, another new column to spring forth in this issue. Where there’s a community of homes, or where one once stood - there’s a story in its founding and history. We hope these articles will make your excursions a little more knowledgeable. They will for us.

We are home to many successful long-standing businesses that have stood the test of time. The Stirling Creamery can certainly be called the cream of the crop of local businesses, having churned out butter for 86 years. And they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down, quite the opposite actually. Read on and you’ll see what we mean. And we personally believe everything is better with butter – especially Stirling Creamery butter.

There was a time when spring meant summer dances at the lake were just around the corner and Hastings County had many summer dance halls and pavilions where live music rang out. Sadly most of them are gone. But, thanks to the hard work of its community and the care of the Kiwanis Club, The Tweed Pavilion still stands in pristine condition. It’s there for community gatherings and has been the site of receptions and weddings in the last few years, a little step back in time that reminds us summertime really is a time for easy living.

So hello spring — we’re so glad to see you!

And summer – see you soon.

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G o i n g

G r e e n

The power of change Green and sustainable initiatives in Belleville

BY GARY MAGWOOD • PHOTOS COURTESY BELLEVILLE GREEN TASK FORCE

I also lack any formal training but Elizabeth May’s Green Party drew me into the global warming debate and subsequently I campaigned for the party in two federal and one provincial election.

When asked about expectations, van Haarlem says, “I feel that the City of Belleville has already started to make progress in the right direction toward enhancing the ‘green potential.’ However, it is a very large task at hand and my expectations are that a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance are required to meet the goals in this committee sitting.”

As the GTF takes up its fourth year of activity, much of its mandate to, “...ensure that municipal decision making will endeavor to identify and prioritize environmental and sustainability initiatives through the presentation and execution of an Environmental/Sustainability Action Plan” is well underway.

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Belleville’s Mayor, Neil Ellis has added the influence of his office to the city’s Green Task Force for 2011 by participating as a voting member. Established in 2007, the then Green Team Committee chaired by Councilor Pat Culhane along with fellow Councilors Tom Lafferty and Egerton Boyce and citizens Jy Chiperzak and Patti Sharpe set out to create a ‘Clean, Green & Beautiful’ corporate policy to reflect Belleville’s Strategic Plan themes and initiatives.

As soon as I read an article about the Green Team in 2008, I requested guest status and attended several meetings before being welcomed into the team in early 2009 when Lafferty assumed the chair and Councilor Jack Miller joined the committee.

In early 2009 The Green Team morphed into The Green Task Force (GTF) with the mandate to: Review City operations with a view to identifying options and related costs respecting elements of service delivery that are more environmentally sensitive; and provide recommendations on such matters to City Council and take a leadership role in educating the community while introducing green initiatives and conservation programs.

In the intervening years the GTF has acted on ideas and initiatives suggested by community groups, corporations, citizens and team members.

With guidance and input from Brad Wilson, Director of Environmental and Operational Services, Joel Carr-Braint, Property Manager, and Melanie Morrish, current Green Program Coordinator, the GTF has introduced and participated in a variety of local projects: a green purchasing policy, Blackout Day Challenge, Project Porchlight, Quinte Trash Bash, LED seasonal light exchange, rain barrel promotion, used electronics drop-off, sapling and shrub distribution, Earth Hour and many more. The GTF has also been represented at the Quinte Sustainability Symposium for several years to fulfill the team’s mandate to help educate the community about actions that every citizen can take to reduce their “carbon footprint.”

Councilor Tom Lafferty, GTF Program Coordinator Melanie Morrish and Suzanne Quinlan from Gleaners Food Bank participate in a used electronics drop off event.

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Local projects like the 2010 Seasonal LED exchange are among the initiatives undertaken by Belleville’s Green Task Force. Columnist Gary Magwood is pictured second from left.

Mayor Ellis’ commitment to the GTF is reflected by the statements from current Team members.

“We as a society and in this case, the City of Belleville are responsible for our environment and need to have plans and goals in place in order to sustain it both for ourselves and for future generations,” says citizen Diane Fisher.

Adds Councilor Lafferty, “I believe we all have a duty to give back to our municipality.”

As for the qualifications of GTF members, they range from Fisher’s degree in geography from Brock University and her interest in the environment and stewardship of the land to J.R. van Haarlem’s undergraduate and masters interest in ecohydrology and soil, vegetation and atmospheric interactions. Councilor Lafferty does not have a “formal” background in environmental issues but as he states, “I do have a concern that we need to leave a clean environment for our children and grandchildren. We need to take care of our planet, and we do this by looking local first.”

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613.478.1444 There is something here for everyone!

Explore our website: www.thetrail.ca Spring 2011 • Country Roads

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When a tree falls Protecting our forests a big business

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN

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Photo courtesy Joe VanVeenen

t’s a big world out there, and about 30 percent of it is forest. Not solid forwarming and deforestation nipping at our heels. It has become abundantly est, of course. In fact, it’s a bit patchy. Nearly half of the earth’s primary forclear that all forests need care and protection, so how can we take care of ours? est is in South America, a quarter in North and Central America, and nearly The simple answer is by leaving them alone, but we just aren’t built that way. a fifth in the Russian Federation alone. Daunting.

As far back as the late 1700’s Hastings County has been the site of much Several countries, mostly in Europe and in the arid zones of Africa and Westforest cutting. There weren’t a lot of rules and regulations back then. Even ern Asia, have no primary forests left. With forests facing peril around every corbefore the War of 1812, the military needed tall pines to craft masts on Britner, it’s no wonder that the United Nations declared ish ships and the pines of Algonquin highlands 2011 the International Year of the Forest. Arriving hot had them. Plenty of them. Hastings County wasn’t on the heels of 2010’s Year of Biodiversity, it seems a the largest source for such, but our plethora of rivmost deserved fit. Biodiversity has been defined as ers made transportation of the long logs very easy. the degree of variation of life forms within a given With mills in Trenton, Belleville and Deseronto the ecosystem, and since there are over 14 million speTrent River system, its tributary the Crowe, as well cies of life worldwide, it’s important to get along. as the Salmon and the Moira Rivers, not to menWe are all dependent on one another for such vital tion the grand St. Lawrence River all served the elements as oxygen, food, pollination, pest control lumbermen well. and clean water, an invaluable chain that is anchored Unfortunately, the forests weren’t seen as a reby forests. More than 80 percent of the earth’s landnewable resource. The best of the trees were picked loving life forms depend on forests to survive. over, with the rest left to rot or burn. Finally a DoHere in Ontario, where 52 percent of our land is minion commission intervened and much of the covered by forests, we sometimes take their bounty damage was corrected through reforestation. Logfor granted, and why not? Being blessed with such ging continued to flourish in the early 20th century. abundance, we never have to drive far to enjoy some The progression of railways and steamboats, along green grandeur or glorious autumn colours. With with the demand for hardwood lumber kept many Hastings County alone boasting 65 percent forest companies flourishing. By the 1950s, one of the cover most of our camping and hiking, even some largest, the G.W. Martin Company reported annual of our daily commutes to work, involve beautiful, revenues of over $100 million. forested routes. This luxury is something big city According to Jim Pedersen, Hastings Stewardship dwellers can only dream of, right? Oh wait, running Council Coordinator, Ministry of Natural Resourcstraight through Toronto is an entirely natural and es, “our forest cover in Hastings County is actually stunning ravine system, filled to capacity with lush higher now in 2011 than it would have been in Jan Smigielski, a Registered Professional Forester forest. Yes, we Canadians are a truly fortunate lot.

1950.” The lumber industry of the late 1800’s and with the Mazinaw-Lanark Forest Company makes The polarizing topics of environmental dangers early 1900’s culled more than ship masts. Land was ­decisions about ‘manipulating forest cover’ in touch us from time to time, but sitting comfy, ensettled and that meant heavy land clearing had to ­Hastings County. He considers his territory “one of veloped in our lush forestry we can be lulled into take place. “Of prime importance in the early days the most exciting areas in Canada.” complacency. Even so, as sure as there are deer in was simply to remove the forest cover so that land Photo courtesy Jan Smigielski Algonquin Park, we’ve all felt the threats of global could be cleared for farming,” Pedersen continues.

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“Timber of course was vitalAll operators must adhere ly important for the building to the Shareholders Agreeof homes, factories and comment, which is to “manage munities in general; it was the Crown forests to meet social, product of convenience that economic and environmental was broadly available.” needs of present and future Ironically, with many farms generations.” The Mazinawgoing by the wayside in recent Lanark Forest Company’s years, a large number have reobjective is to “deliver forturned to their original forest est management functions cover. So much so, says Pedon crown land, with governersen, that “Hastings County ment guidelines.” Beyond actually has more forest cover the harvesting of trees, the now than there was 50 years company also tends the forago, but many of our forest est much like you would your stands could be in a more proown garden. They plant trees, ductive condition.” mark trees that need to be Times have most definitely removed and identify which changed. Tractor trailer trucks harvest areas are suitable for now do a lot of the log transnew planting or better left to porting and forest cutting is natural regeneration. carefully regulated. The MinisThere are several species try of Natural Resources manof trees native to the MaziThe Mazinaw-Lanark area comprises a total land mass of 1,000,000 hectares and within this overall area there are about 200,000 hectares of Crown Forest under the care of the Mazinawaged those regulations until naw-Lanark Forest, includLanark Forest Inc. 1998 and then began working ing White Pine, Red Pine, Graphic courtesy Jan Smigielski with private companies like the Hemlock, Spruce, Balsam Fir, Mazinaw-Lanark Forest CompaWhite Cedar, Tamarack, Sugar ny, which governs the central part of Hastings County. Jan Smigielski, Registered Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak, Beech, Basswood, White and Black Ash, Yellow Professional Forester (RPF) of that company, is one of two R.P.F.s there who Birch, White Birch, Poplar, and Ironwood. Smigielski and his colleagues must make decisions about ‘manipulating forest cover’. Smigielski clearly enjoys his consider age, species, quality and structure of the forest. They then apply job, stating that his territory is “one of the most exciting areas in Canada. A very what they know about how that particular forest will respond to harvest. high level of biodiversity is found all under one crown management system.”

The Mazinaw-Lanark area comprises a total land mass of 1,000,000 hectThe company is owned by shareholders, comprised of seven sawmills and ares (10,000 square km). Within this overall area there are about 200,000 one pulpmill - Norampac Inc., Trenton Division. The sawmills are Lavern hectares of Crown Forest under the care of the Mazinaw-Lanark Forest Inc. Heideman & Sons Ltd., Eganville; Herb Shaw & Sons Limited, Pembroke; Within the 200,000 hectares of forest there are about 130,000 hectares acGeorge Stein Ltd, Palmer Rapids; Gulick Forest Products, Palmer Rapids; tually designated as available for timber management, where they conduct M.J. Umpherson Lumber Co., Lanark; Chisholm’s Limited, Roslin; and Freyharvesting on approximately 1 – 1.5 percent of that area at any given time, mond Logging Inc., Bancroft. Also part of the shareholders is a group of 13 totalling an annual harvest of about 1,300-2,000 hectares. independent logging companies collectively known as the Mazinaw Forest Typically they leave about 50-75 percent of trees standing with the inManagement Corporation. tent to return in about 20 years and cut another portion of trees, while the

Today logs are largely transported by truck but in 1875 rivers such as the Moira were the mode of transportation.

More than 80 percent of the earth’s land-loving life forms depend on forests to ­survive and Hastings County alone boasts 65 percent forest cover.

Photo courtesy Hastings County Historical Society

Photo courtesy Hastings Stewardship Council

Spring 2011 • Country Roads

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According to Hastings Stewardship Council Coordinator Jim Pedersen, shown here leading a forestry excursion, “our forest cover in Hastings County is actually higher now in 2011 than it would have been in 1950.”

A giant tractor moves logs onto the loading platform at Chisholm Lumber, located east of Roslin. The company has been in operation since 1875.

Photo courtesy Orland French

Photo courtesy Hastings Stewardship Council

forest regenerates naturally or with assistance under the canopy of older trees. This applies to about 85 percent of the area being harvested. The remaining 15 percent of the harvest area is clear cut, leaving only about 10-25 percent behind. Much of this area is targeted for tree planting and the remainder regenerates naturally. All harvest method decisions are made prior to cutting and must comply with the long term Forest Management Plan and government regulations.

We do have rules in place. Good ones.

Now, the human element. More than 1.6 billion people depend on forests and basic ecosystem goods and services for their livelihood. There are 200,000 forest-related jobs in Ontario alone, with forest products generating $15.3 billion a year. The recent recession definitely had an effect on this country’s pulp and paper industry, but a lot of work has gone into remaining competitive and ‘green’. Mills are reducing their fossil fuel usage and striving towards having operations that use 100 percent renewable energy.

Lofty ambition, perhaps, but certainly attainable.

Our local lumber companies are doing their part.

Chisholms had a fire a few years ago and that led to a very green opportunity when rebuilding. They now have a dry kiln operation up and running. Using very little outside energy, the dry kilns feed off of the sawmill’s sawdust and wood shavings. Peter Chisholm reports that their “kiln capacity of 100,000 board feet, is running 95 percent off our bioenergy system.” Their on-site heating is then done through boiler systems that use the company’s residual wood, which translates into huge energy savings.

Norampac Inc. in Trenton has quietly developed its own green initiative. Patrick Kelly, Yard and Wood Procurement Supervisor at Norampac describes the new technology as a ‘bark-fired boiler’. It’s a $20,000,000 investment in state-of-the-art technology, enabling Norampac to burn pure forest debris and bio-mass material. The boiler heats and dries the paper, burns bark, and heats the entire two storey manufacturing building as well as the pulp mill.

Lou Freymond of Freymond Logging Inc. in Bancroft also heats with excess product from the company’s wood harvests. He sees being environmentally sound as a big part of the logging business. A variety of certifications are now

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Forest management in Hastings County includes not only tree planting, but also the marking of trees that need to be removed and identifying which harvest areas are suitable for new planting or better left to natural regeneration.

With a little more than half of Ontario covered by forests we never have to drive far to enjoy glorious autumn colours.

Photo courtesy Hastings Stewardship Council

Photo by Louise Livingstone

necessary so that logging companies can put the ‘green stamp’ on their wood and remain leaders in a very competitive market.

Making use of forest harvest ‘leftovers’ isn’t limited to the facilities that do the cutting. The North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne is turning to wood pellets. Long known for their green awareness the ‘eco-school’, which has 400 students between JK and Grade 12, is currently in the process of outfitting its two storey building with a wood pellet boiler. The intent is to heat its entire school with the compressed wood pellets that are made from compacted sawdust.

The Mazinaw-Lanark Forest Company applauds these efforts and it would like to see residual wood fuel being utilized on a larger scale. Smigielski sees the possibility of replacing fossil fuel with harvested wood debris as a very attainable goal, certainly enough to heat “several large operations like schools and/ or hospitals.” Currently, brush and unusable trees are pushed aside during a harvest. Their decomposition releases carbon dioxide. Smigielski suggests that by properly removing this excess from the forest it could be used as a source of energy, thereby replacing fossil fuels. A “significant amount can be removed from the forest without adversely affecting future forest growth,” he says.

Of course, transforming residual wood chips and grounds into wood pellets on a large, commercial scale requires a major pellet mill to come into the area

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with specialized machinery and technology, thus creating an all local wood pellet movement that covers everything from raw materials to processing to market. Local wood going to local market by local providers. Bio-perfection! But until that happens, it is encouraging to see sustainable, renewable resource efforts made by our community, from the wood industry itself to the little school in Cloyne.

So, even if you‘re not up to independently owning a wood pellet company, you can still celebrate the International Year of the Forest and be part of a little wood that could.

Until March 31, Quinte Conservation is offering tree seedlings at cost to all local landowners. Just call them at (613) 968-3434 or (613) 354-3312. Or if replenishing your backyard forest doesn’t do it for you, grab your favourite treehugger and leave a few of your own environmentally friendly footprints in any one of our province’s green and lovely conservation areas. See the entire list and description at ontarioconservationareas.ca.

In addition, Hastings Stewardship Council is offering an incentive for landowners to access Forest Extension Services from OPFA certified forest experts.

For more information, contact Hastings Stewardship Council at (613) 478-6875.

For International Year of the Forest events that Ontario’s Biodiversity Council has planned throughout the province, go to biodiversityeducation.ca.

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Hastings County pavilions got crowds jumping

BY NANCY HOPKINS

The Marble Point Lodge was a popular dance destination in central Hastings. Built in 1921 the pavilion was sizeable and had an idyllic setting on the southeast shore of Crowe Lake, Marmora. Dances were regularly held until the 1950s and rentals continued until the 1970s.

Photo courtesy Marmora Historical Foundation

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or most people in Hastings County, and the rest of Canada for that matter, summer is all about spending as much time in, on, or around water as is humanly possible.

Fishing, swimming, boating, sunbathing, hanging out, and of course spending Friday and Saturday nights at the local waterside dance hall. Okay, maybe not in 2011 but in the 1920’s through the 1960’s, and even into the Seventies these dance evenings were as much a part of the local social summer scene as the warm weather itself. Dance halls, predominantly wood structures with wall to wall unscreened windows that framed the view, were the place to be with live music, dancing and laughter ringing out over the water.

At one time there were hundreds of these buildings in Ontario alone. Over the years Hastings County had as many as 15-20 dance halls and pavilions but sadly today only one still stands and is in regular operation. The Tweed Kiwanis Dance Pavilion on the shores of Stoco Lake is proudly managed by the Kiwanis Club of Tweed.

Kiwanis member Jim Keniston knows the building well and as he provides a tour of the hall on a quiet winter day it seems quite possible that if you listen carefully you can hear the shuffle and tapping of dance steps on the floor. Originally constructed in 1929, the airy interior with its vaulted ceiling reveals a space large enough

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for 145 people seated, but more importantly there is room for nearly 200 to shake it up on the dance floor.

In his book LET’S DANCE; A Celebration of Ontario’s Dance Halls and Summer Dance Pavilions, Oshawa resident Peter Young explains the circumstances of the 1920’s that led to the arrival of dance halls.

“The opening of the 20th century with the advent of automobiles and radios allowed people’s lives to expand,” he writes. “Radio affected them in two ways; it enlightened them and entertained them in their homes, and enticed them to look beyond their four walls to experience the music live in a pavilion or dance hall.”

Young has good reason to be attracted to the history of the old dance pavilions as his parents Joan and Alex Young met at the Palais Royale in Toronto.

“That’s where they had their first date,” he explains. “They were thrown off the dance floor for jitter-bugging and they broke contact – there were strict rules at the dance halls. They were allowed back on dance floor after a stern warning.

They also went to Palace Pier and some other spots. Many a marriage had its first meeting on these waxed wooden dance floors.”

Young was also able to experience some of the venues firsthand, initially as a guest and lat-

er playing keyboards for a number of Torontobased rock bands.

“My family was always quite musical and we went to dances at the Sauble Beach Pavilion a lot,” he explains. “My first job as a musician involved playing at some of the places that are still standing.”

The dance hall craze was as popular in Hastings County as anywhere else in the province. Venues existed throughout the region. There was Stirling’s Oaksmere at Oak Lake; Cedardale, Twelve O’Clock Point and Riley’s all thrived in the Trenton area. Belleville was a hotbed of music at the Club Commodore and The Trianon Ballroom.

Even the Belleville Arena was called into action.

When war broke out and other halls were closing a wooden dance floor was installed over the cement base. Club Cedars could be found along the Moira River in Cannifton, at Marmora there was Marble Lodge and Tiperarry House. Other smaller pavilions such as Summerside Inn and Dawson’s Motel Dance Pavilion in Deseronto also flourished.

Oaksmere was located on the south side of Oak Lake, south of Stirling at what was known as Bird’s Beach, a popular picnic and swimming area. The venue was a converted barn opened by Mrs. Barager in the 1920’s. In 1936 her son Arthur built a large pavilion, renamed Oak Lake Casino.

discovering hastings county

Still going strong

In 1942 Belleville’s Commodore Orchestra celebrated the opening of their own dance pavilion. It ­operated year round until 1963.

Photo courtesy Peter Young

Dancing in the Thirties and Forties was a pay-asyou-go proposition. Gentlemen purchased five and ten cent jitney dance tickets. Tickets were deposited in the box and dancers were ushered onto the floor. The word jitney is an old term for a five cent bus fare. The box shown is on display at the Tweed & Area Heritage Centre.

Photo courtesy Peter Young

Operated by Syd Samuels and Harold Carruthers of Belleville, it quickly became a popular spot and most Saturday nights featured local entertainment, including the reformed Belleville Commodores.

On special evenings big name tickets such as Earl Hines, who had played alongside Louis Armstrong and other high profile entertainers and Dick Rogers, composer and husband to Canada’s most famous actress, Mary Pickford, made appearances.

Indeed, it wasn’t unusual to see high profile names make appearances at pavilions across Ontario, and Armstrong played Dunns Pavilion (now known as The Kee To Bala) in Muskoka. In many respects, before the advent of large stadiums and arenas, the dance pavilions were the concert halls of their day.

As with many dance halls, the post war economy and gas rations, among other restrictions, took their toll on the Oak Lake Casino and in 1942 the hall closed. The next winter heavy snow collapsed the roof and the building never recovered.

Riley’s Pavilion, on Old Highway 2 midway between Belleville and Trenton and across from Bayside High School, operated between the Twenties and early Forties. With bussing provided from Belleville and Trenton and well known Toronto orchestras on stage it was a hopping spot.

In its first incarnation Cedardale Dance Pavilion, now a retirement lifestyle park called Meadows

Few bands anywhere in the world can boast the staying power of the Belleville-based Commodores Orchestra. Formed in 1928 as a six-piece band the ensemble now consists of 16. Not only have they played extensively in their long existence, but the group also owned and operated their own dance hall, the Club Commodore dance pavilion in Belleville.

The Commodores got their first gig on May 24, 1928, playing the Bay of Quinte Country Club to mark Queen Victoria’s birthday. They decided to expand from six members to 10 when one of the originals left. The line-up of three trumpets, four saxophones, piano, bass and drums made its debut at the Oak Lake Casino in Stirling in August, 1941.

The Commodores were regulars at the Trianon Ballroom in Belleville through the first half of the 1940s.

“There were line-ups every Saturday night,” says the late Stan Wiggins, a band member during that era, in Peter Young’s book LET’S DANCE; A Celebration of Ontario’s Dance Halls and Summer Dance Pavilions. “In the cold months the dance hall was so steamed up by the end of the night that moisture literally ran down the walls and windows.”

In 1942 the Commodore Orchestra opened their own dance pavilion, which was named Club Commodore five years later. The facility featured heat and full plumbing and was able to operate year-round, featuring well known orchestras as well as the Commodores themselves. But by the 1950s business had dropped off and the club was closed down in 1963.

The club may be gone but the band has managed to move with the times and the Commodores Orchestra remains an institution through Belleville and the Bay of Quinte area.

The Commodore Orchestra dance hall was initially known as the Park Pavilion.

The name was later officially changed to Club Commodore.

Commodores Orchestra, www.commodoresorchestra.com (613) 968-8691

Poster courtesy Peter Young

Spring 2011 • Country Roads

I 11

And They Danced

The Trianon Ballroom in Belleville was a dancing hot spot for many years where line-ups on Saturday nights were a regular occurrence.

Significant restorative work was carried out in 1999 and subsequently to return the Tweed pavilion to its original glory after years of neglect. Operated by the Tweed Kiwanis the building is once again an integral part of the community.

Poster courtesy Peter Young

Photo courtesy Kiwanis of Tweed

of Cedardale, was a popular beach venue where patrons swam during the day and stayed on into the evening dancing. The facility was built in the Twenties, at about the time the Murray Canal was constructed, and dismantled in the Sixties. The old dance floor can still be found underfoot in the park’s recreation hall.

Club Cedars, located along the Moira River at Cannifton was opened in the Thirties. The dance floor was originally outdoors but in 1957 new owner John Skurka remodeled and enlarged the building and moved the dance floor inside. Club Cedars had a longer life than many halls with

regular dances and local bands on tap up until the Seventies. The owners were never successful in obtaining a liquor license but the crowds were not deterred and simply brought their own.

According to Jack De Long’s book on summer dance pavilions in the Bay of Quinte area the most popular summer spot in central Hastings County was Marble Point Lodge, located on the southeast shore of Crowe Lake near Marmora. Built in 1921 and originally known as Marble Inn, the lodge featured cottages, a beautiful sand beach, boat rentals and other sport facilities. It remained as a popular recreation and dance spot until the early

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Seventies, although after the Fifties the pavilion was used more for rentals than regular summer dancing. The pavilion was large enough to draw big name acts in its heyday.

Not far from Marble Point Lodge was Tipperary House, which was built in 1915 and held dances in its main lodge, primarily for the entertainment of paying guests. The summer hotel business struggled after the Second World War and by the Seventies Tipperary House was closed.

While in their boom time dance pavilions represented a unique and captivating entertainment alternative, their popularity waned with the

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“Over the last two or three seasons there’s been a growing number of young people who have chosen to get married in our pavilion,” he explains.

“The Kiwanis mandate is serving the children of the world, so when we can connect young people that are starting their married lives at our facility it’s a very special occasion for us.”

The Tweed Kiwanis Dance Pavilion hosts weddings and receptions, along with the yearly Tweed Summer Youth Theatre and annual Art-In-ThePark celebration.

Times may change, but the dance goes on.

For more information on the Tweed Kiwanis Dance Pavilion contact event coordinator Jim Keniston, (613) 478-6730, jkeniston6730@yahoo.ca.

The Cedardale Dance Pavilion, southwest of Trenton operated as a popular dance venue for nearly 40 years.

Photo courtesy Peter Young

c­ hanging times. Musical tastes changed, while the rise in popularity of large urban concerts and widening entertainment choices all combined to limit the appeal of the dance halls. Some have managed to survive and even thrive, such as the Palais Royale, Kee to Bala and, of course, the Tweed Kiwanis Dance Pavilion. And in some respects the story of dance pavilions may be coming full circle.

On Aug. 15, 1929 the Tweed News reported, “According to Dr. Sutton, Government Inspector of Parks and pavilions, Tweed is to have the finest pavilion in Eastern Ontario. Great interest has been taken by the citizens in watching the con-

struction of the pavilion. The Board of Trade has gone to no end of trouble to make the event a red letter day in Tweed’s history. Prominent government officials will add colour to the affair. In the evening a dance will be held in the new pavilion.

The Board has decided that none but the best of orchestras will be in attendance.”

The article went on to report, “Good dance music was provided by Tom Mason’s orchestra and the floor was crowded to capacity.”

Over 80 years later the Kiwanis Club of Tweed’s Keniston hints at a similar interest in the Stoco Lake venue.

LET’S DANCE; A Celebration of ­Ontario’s Dance Halls and Summer Dance Pavilions, Peter Young, published by Natural Heritage Books, 2002; ­republished by Dundurn Press, 2009, $26.95, www.dundurn.com Summer Dance Pavilions; Bay of Quinte Area, Jack De Long, published by ­Seventh Town Historical Society, 2003, $15.00, www.quinte-kin.com

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A Spring 2011 • Country Roads

I 13

H i d d e n

H a s t i n g s

Off the Beaten Path Diversions offer hidden pleasures for travelers STORY AND PHOTOS

BY JOHN HOPKINS

T

he run up Highway 62 from Madoc to Bancroft can be a pretty lonely one, especially between the hilly area around Eldorado and the lakes of L’Amable. During that stretch the terrain is fairly flat and featureless.

But it is often said the real pleasure of travel is not the destination, but the journey. Sure, Highway 62 might be the most direct route to Bancroft, but it certainly isn’t the only option. Even a couple of detours off the highway can offer some hidden gems.

On a sunny summer morning Nancy and I looked up from our computers and decided the weather was too nice to be indoors – we needed to do some exploring! With a motorcycle in the driveway and a map in our hands we resolved to discover a couple of spots we had heard about off the beaten path, Queensborough and Ormsby.

These two communities have quite a bit in common. Both were thriving hubs of business in their heyday and both saw their fortunes wane as industry and commercial prospects changed. Both hamlets are now enjoying something of a revival. And both Queensborough and Ormsby are just a hop, skip and a jump off Highway 62.

It’s hard to get lost in Ormsby, especially with a sign to point you Queensborough is pretty easy to find. in the right direction.

At the intersection of Highway 62 and Highway 7, head east on Highway 7 and almost The settlement was apparently founded in the immediately you’ll see a sign for Cooper Road.

1820s by Miles Riggs, who built a sawmill and Take a left and go north on Cooper Road for a flour mill at the point where the river was at its few kilometers and you’ll see a sign pointing to widest. Around 1850 Daniel Thompson bought the right for Queensborough, which is six kilothe flour mill from Riggs and changed the name meters away. The route in from Cooper Road is of the village to Queensborough from its native hilly and twisty, a lot of fun on a motorcycle (and name, Cooksookie. According to the book ‘Times not bad in a car either).

To Remember in Elzevir Township,’ by Jean HolmYou pass the old school house on your left as es, Thompson wanted to open a post office in his you enter the town – it is offered as a venue for flour mill and was required to change the name of meetings, parties and other social functions – and the community. He chose Queensborough since before long you come to a three-way intersecthat was the last piece of land he saw in Ireland tion. On your right is an aging building identifyas he sailed away to North America. ing itself as the Queensborough Hotel (originally With its mill and the Black River providing acDiamond’s Hotel), while straight ahead of you cess to Lake Ontario further south, Queensborflows the Black River. Off to the left is the mill, ough was a thriving town by the end of the 19th which forms the starting point of the history of century. Five churches and four schools had been Queensborough. built along with stores, hotels and shops. In its

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Country Roads • Spring 2011

heyday the population of Queensborough was about 300.

One of those hotels was Diamond’s Hotel, which was built in the 1840s by William Diamond and was later run by his son Abraham. The hotel was a popular venue for the lumbermen and miners who ventured into the area for seasonal work and on a Saturday night things could get quite lively.

The depression of the 1930s took its toll on Queensborough, however. Farms were abandoned as people left to find work in larger centres. In 1950 the local cheese factory closed and through the 1960s the churches and schools were shut down.

Its picturesque location and historic charm have continued to make Queensborough a popular destination for artists and photographers. Many of the original buildings remain, including Diamond’s Hotel and the home of Wallace Kincaid, one of the oldest in the village.

A growth in local events has also attracted visitors. Each spring kayaking enthusiasts tackle the Black River and pass through the area during MACKFEST. Queensborough is the finishing point for the Upper Black River run and the ‘put in’ for the Lower Black portion. Paddlers and spectators can enjoy the hospitality of Queensborough native Elaine Kapusta and her husband Lud, who live in Daniel Thompson’s house, with the flour mill at the riverbank.

Further north up Highway 62 a left turn (if you’re heading north) onto Highway 620 will, after five or six kilometres bring you to the community of Ormsby. Centred at the intersection of Highway 620 and the Old Hastings Road, Ormsby is one of six ghost towns located on the Old Hastings Road between Madoc and Bancroft.

Originally named Rathbun, after the logging company, Ormsby thrived in the late 1800s. It was the last stop on the Central Ontario Railway and it developed a reputation as a bit of a wild town – the hotel bar was a popular gathering spot.

But with a decline in the lumber industry and the extension of the railroad to Bancroft in 1900 Ormsby’s fortunes declined. There was not much activity in the community before 2003, but since

discovering hastings county

After serving as a general store from 1915 to 1975 the Old Hastings Gallery is now a popular shopping destination for visitors to North Hastings.

then the former General Store, which was run by the Park family between 1915 and 1975, has been turned into the Old Hastings Gallery, the nearby schoolhouse has been converted into the Old Schoolhouse Tea Room and the Catholic Church conducts weekly masses. The Presbyterian Church has also been restored and renamed the Old Ormsby Heritage Church.

Diamond’s Hotel flourished during Queensborough’s glory days, when the area was bustling with miners and lumbermen.

The creation of the Old Hastings Gallery and the Old Schoolhouse Tea Room have made Ormsby something of a destination spot, a luxury not necessarily enjoyed by Queensborough. But Kapusta is at the centre of efforts to develop more events based in the community, like MACKFEST, and to make use of its original schoolhouse as a gathering place.

While communities like Queensborough and Ormsby went through their tough times and were virtually forgotten for long stretches, there has definitely been a resurgence in interest in these towns that once played such a critical part in the history of Hastings County. They are certainly worth a visit, both to rediscover their past glories and to see what modern treasures they possess.

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Spring 2011 • Country Roads

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The Business of Butter

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Stirling Creamery rolls with the times

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN

Today the creamery is a distinctive sight at the main intersection of the village of Stirling.

Photo courtesy Joe VanVeenen

S

o much butter. Mounds of it. Metres and leagues and yards and fathoms of curled butter scooped into gargantuan orbs.

Sounds a bit like a Fellini film or a dream you might have after one pizza too many, but this butter lives – in downtown Stirling. My daughter and I greeted it every morning on our way to her school.

Butter as big as your head. No, as big as a giant’s head! This extraordinary butter ritual was part of Laura’s healthy, small town childhood memory. Every day we’d press our faces against the glass of Stirling Creamery and watch the shiny, white coated, hair-netted workers roll and pile the butter, then tumble it about their huge steel vats. It’s a fact. Before the Blackberry era hit us like a board, my child could enjoy a naturally rousing bit of local industry unfold, just by walking down the Front Street hill and watching.

What I like even better is that almost 20 years later that privilege remains. Stirling Creamery not only still exists, it’s doing a great business situated right where it started, at the quirky fourcorner intersection in the heart of Stirling.

In 1925, when current general manager Bill West’s grandfather, William West started Stirling Creamery, it was a simple, one-room factory, enhanced only by a wooden churn, a woodstove for heat and a couple of steam powered pasteurizers.

William learned the art of buttermaking from his mother, 1893’s Chicago World’s Fair gold medal winner Annie West, and for several years prior to

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Country Roads • Spring 2011

starting his own creamery, he had honed the skills learned alongside his mother while operating other plants locally.

By 1933, the tiny one-room factory was replaced by a newer, better version. William’s three sons, Harold, Clare and Russell joined the family business, and by 1954 their butter business was booming, supplying bulk butter to bakeries everywhere. By the eighties Clare’s boys, Bob and Richard took over the business, while their other brother, Bill ventured out into the The old Stirling Creamery building, circa 1925. world of financial business. Richard passed away in 2002 and Bill came aboard for No longer the product of a small operation, Stirwhat was to be a temporary amount of time. With ling Creamery butter currently sits on the shelves Bob having retired in 2006, Bill is now the genof Sobey’s, Loblaws and Metro stores, as well as eral manager of the business. The larger picture a myriad of convenience retailers. The product involves Butterball Farms Inc., who two years has always held its own, but pricing remains a bit earlier brought in its U.S. equipment and techof a challenge. Bill saw that the larger companies nology to automate the butter-making process. were always able to keep their pricing lower than Although Butterball now owns the company, Bill Stirling Creamery butter because they’re able to West remains general manager. sell the supermarkets a host of other products When asked what he’d be doing if he wasn’t as well, thereby absorbing a loss on their butthe local boss of butter, Bill laughs and says, ter costs. Many shoppers don’t mind paying the “I’d be retired.” few extra pennies in order to buy Stirling’s fine That’s certainly not to say Bill has any shortage local product, but the small town butter factory of regard for the business at hand. With butter behas found a way to branch out. So, has Stirling ing an increasingly competitive market, Bill has Creamery, the little butter company with the big applied his keen financial sense to the operation. reputation, gone into mass producing cottage

discovering hastings county

Pictured here in 1965 are Stirling Creamery founder Bill West (right) and his son Clare. The business stayed in the West family through three generations.

Photo courtesy Stirling Creamery

The Stirling Creamery was founded by William West in 1925 and consisted of a one-room factory.

Photo courtesy Stirling Creamery

Bob (left) and his brother Dick are shown with their father Clare. The brothers operated the creamery for about 20 years.

Photo courtesy Stirling Creamery

Before it can be packaged butter is dumped into a large ‘boat.’

Photo by Brandon West

cheese, sour cream and other dairy products like the bigger guys do? Well, no.

How, then can the small Creamery business remain lucrative while producing a good product?

The next light bulb moment would be sure to make Annie, Bill’s great grandmother, extremely proud. Without hesitation and confidence coming through loud and clear, Bill describes the Creamery’s most recent shift: “We’ve separated ourselves with a niche market – specialized butters.”

Bill West recognizes the importance of doing butter and doing it very well.

Now, in addition to creating their standard one pound butter ‘prints’, and being the only producer of those little butter balls you see in restaurants, Stirling Creamery is entering the world of

flavoured butters…cinnamon sugar, strawberry, and garlic are being produced for all butter lovers, even ‘steak toppers’ – mmmmmm. But those are only marketed commercially – for now. Their recent expansion also made room for a line of embossed butter medallions available to restaurants and hotels…little butter roses, maple leaves, fleur de lis, et al. Not that butter in any shape or form needs any help, but the tidy little rounds do carve a pretty pat.

This innovative move appears to have been a very smart one, but really, how does such a small creamery stay afloat financially? The staff has been downsized from 25 to 18 with the recent automation, so that’s reduced costs, but keeping the staff happy has been a resourceful undertaking.

Since large wages are not an option, Bill sees great value in transferring knowledge. When older employees prepare to retire, they familiarize the new staff with their position and if an employee simply can’t be advanced due to the size of the business, the Wests always try to help them “improve their lives with retraining.” One former staff member went on to become a truck driver, with financial assistance from the Creamery. Stirling Creamery’s mission statement, ‘Enrich Lives’, applies to staff and customers alike. That said, Bill sees the staff potentially growing again with increased demand for their new butter products.

One former staff member who saw a lot of changes over the years is Bill’s sister Sandy West Brett. She worked part time from 1979 until 2006, recording cream received from the producers and book keeping. In all those years, Sandy says, “I never didn’t want to go to work.” Feeling fortunate to grow up in Stirling, Sandy has seen her Spring 2011 • Country Roads

I 17

The BUSINESS OF BUTTER

The famous churn! In traditional production cream is pumped into churns and rotated to create butter.

In an effort to keep its product fresh Stirling Creamery has recently introduced a line of embossed butter medallions available to restaurants and hotels

Photo by Brandon West

Flyer courtesy Stirling Creamery

grandfather, uncle, and dad, as well as her brothers all working at the Creamery. Her own years spent there were very happy. “It was a different time”, says Sandy, “when small but viable mixed farms could survive with 10 or 12 cows producing cream.” She admires the way her brothers have run the business, understanding the family’s decision to sell. Sandy says simply that “transition is part of progress, and it’s what works in today’s marketplace.” Although Sandy worked with Richard and Bob, she’s pleased to see her brother Bob enjoying his retirement - fishing, golfing and spending time with his family - and she’s very proud of her brother Bill’s decision to step in and help after the death of their other brother, Richard.

Over the years, staff loyalty has been extremely steady, and not just in the West family. Rob and Brock Baragar are brothers who have collectively spent 54 years with Stirling Creamery, Brock 21

years and Rob 33. As the Creamery’s pasteurizer, Rob operates a machine that pumps new cream in one end then, after several hours and various temperature variations, the pasteurized product comes out the other end. Stirling Creamery has but one truck that picks up the cream from cheese factories throughout Eastern Ontario. Once the butter is finished, it’s delivered to the stores by an outside carrier.

Brock Baragar is a lead hand who does a bit of everything, from running machinery and warehousing to trucking and receiving. Brock enjoys the variety of “floating around because it’s a nice change all the time.” And in true Stirling Creamery spirit, he goes on to say, “If someone needs help, I try to help out.” Brock admits that everyone was a little nervous when Butterball Farms entered the picture, but they’re comfortable now. The benefit of the new owners bringing in their automated technology has enabled the Creamery to reach a new level with the development of the flavoured butters.

It’s plain to see that even with the advantage of Stirling Creamery’s new technology, con-

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Country Roads • Spring 2011

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cern for its customers remains the first priority. Butter is an all natural product and must be treated with care, from the moment the cream arrives from the cheese factories until it leaves the Creamery all dressed up in its foil finery.

How about health regulations? Haven’t we all heard how difficult it is for small food companies to survive under rigid government mandates?

Bill says that seems to be changing in a good way. Government regulations used to be what he calls “overly strict.” They had no tolerance for waste management. It was not such a bad thing, requiring the factories to separate their liquid and solid disposal, but hugely expensive.

Purchasing specialized machinery to take on this task could run a Creamery millions of dollars.

Realizing that the costs could run small places out of business, the government has stepped up and it now works with the processors, helping to fund the equipment in order to keep business alive.

With all of this enlightenment, I’m still left wondering what are all those big butter balls in the window? Well, Bill says, “they’re being

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The BUSINESS OF BUTTER

Today consumers purchase butter in a foil wrapper. Before that this type of parchment paper was used.

Wrappers courtesy Stirling Creamery

churned. The cream is being turned and shaken for 20 minutes till it turns to curd, then the buttermilk is drained off.” Where does the buttermilk go? Sometimes it’ll go to Reid’s Dairy if they have a demand for such, or the baking industry where it gets dried for ingredient use, but usually it goes to a pig farm, and for

the pleasure of that export endeavour, the Creamery must pay to have it hauled away.

Hmmm. So back to the balls of butter. Once the buttermilk runs off, they are re-churned until they stick together – and THAT’S the part we’d see when strolling by the Creamery on the way to school.

As picture perfect as it appears, sitting pretty alongside the Rawdon Creek in its shiny red and white building, Stirling Creamery is not without challenges. As Bill West sees it, the largest one is “competing with larger manufacturers while giving the customers exactly what they want.”

As consumers become increasingly aware of their food, Stirling Creamery has remained true to its beginnings, by “keeping ‘natural’ at the forefront of our products.” The cost of retaining that high standard means short shelf lives, thereby avoiding any potential micro-biological issues. No compromise.

Eventually, Bill West will undoubtedly retire, and although the day to day responsibilities will no longer fall to the West family, Stirling Creamery will continue under Butterball Farms. What will they do? As a matter of fact Butterball Farms promise to “continue the history of slow churn methods while transforming natural goodness through innovative products and services.”

Sounds like something that will meet with the approval of the West family.

Ahhhhh, creamery butter - bounty of the bovine, nature’s elixir, a slice of sunshine… Even without commercials telling us so, butter really does make everything taste better! Flavour appreciation aside, there is clearly a lesson here for small businesses everywhere. Keep your staff minimal but happy, grow only as you can afford expansion, be creative when competing and get along with the government.

The most important lesson of all? To “enrich lives.”

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Spring 2011 • Country Roads

I 19

C r o s s r o a d s

Younger Goltons on the go

By John Hopkins Photos courtesy the Golton family

In 2010 17-year-old Eli Golton beat his brother to the Triple Crown Gold Medal. His successes included a win in Bancroft.

You could call them the “First Family” of Hastings County sled dog racing. Their influence may even extend farther than that. Indeed, whenever an event is held in North America it seems there is at least one member of the Golton family on the starting line.

The tradition began with father Ken, a longtime racer and one of the organizers of the races held each February in Bancroft. It continues with sons Jake and Eli. After getting their start in the Little Nipper classes they have moved on to bigger and better things, with possibly more success still beckoning.

Now 19 years old, Jake spent the past winter in Alberta working with racer Aaron Peck in Grand Prairie. While there Jake has been training dog teams and assisting Peck in events.

Jake Golton has expanded his sled dog racing horizons this past winter by working in western Canada.

The highlight of his winter came in the International Pedigree Stage Stop race, a seven-day event that began in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Jan. 28 and concluded in Park City, Utah on Feb. 5, covering over 350km in the process. Peck finished third while Golton placed eighth in a field of 20 of the most respected mushers in North America. Golton also had a victory in a race in Montana.

“Aaron is originally from Ontario and he started sledding when he was 17,” says Lois, matriarch of the Golton mushing dynasty. “He just called up out of the blue and offered Jake the job for the winter.

Jake’s been living in Grand Prairie since last November and he’ll be home at the end of March.”

Jake receives free room and board for helping Peck, as well as a cut of the team’s winnings, which

can be pretty substantial. For their third and eighth place finishes in the International Pedigree Stage Stop event, Peck and Golton earned $8,850 (US) of the purse, plus there were payouts for finishing order on each of the seven days, ranging from $868 (US) for first place to $151 (US) for 10th.

Of course, as mentioned in the Winter issue of Country Roads, maintaining a team of sled dogs is an expensive business venture, so any winnings accumulated during the race season can literally be gobbled up quite quickly!

The highlight of the Canadian season is the Canadian Challenge, a 300-mile event based out of Prince Albert, SK, in which Golton was scheduled to handle for Peck, essentially acting as his pit crew during the event.

While Jake has enjoyed great success in sled dog racing, it doesn’t appear he will make a career out of the sport. When he returns from Alberta this spring he is due to begin firefighter training.

If Jake scales back his racing younger brother Eli is certainly ready to follow in his sled tracks. The 17-year-old enjoyed a spectacular 2010 season, winning the Bancroft event and claiming the Gold Medal in the season long Triple Crown, which combines results from the Eldorado Gold Cup, Marmora SnoFest, Bancroft and Kearney races.

Jake had to settle for the Silver Medal last winter.

“Last year was really Eli’s year,” Lois Golton says.

The 2011 season was pretty good for Eli too.

He had a fourth in Eldorado’s 40-mile race, third in a 27-miler in Marmora and another third in the 120-mile race in Kearney. He followed up with second place in the 50-mile event in Bancroft.

The youngsters may be setting the pace, but dad Ken hasn’t slowed down too much either.

He placed seventh in both Eldorado and Marmora. Ken can probably afford to relax, though, as the Golton family legacy appears to be in good hands. Indeed, the rest of the sled dog world can be thankful that neither of Ken or Lois’s two daughters decided to take up the sport, otherwise there might not be room for anybody else on the race podiums.

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20 I

Country Roads • Spring 2011

C o u n t r y

C a l e n d a r

Things to see and do in Hastings County

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

ART GALLERIES/EXHIBITIONS Art Gallery of Bancroft, 10 Flint Avenue, Bancroft, 613-332-1542 www.agb.weebly.com March 30 - April 23 - In The Colours Of Four Season’s; Works by Barbara Brintnell, Opening Reception April 1, 7:30 pm April 27 – May 28 – Invitation 2011; 29th Annual Juried Exhibition, Opening Reception Apr 29, 7:30 pm.

June 1 – 26 – Works by Patricia Savoie, Open Reception June 3, 7:30 pm JOHN M. PARROTT ART GALLERY, Belleville Public Library, 254 Pinnacle Street, Belleville, 613-968-6731, ext. 2240, www.bellevillelibrary.com April 7th – 27th Galleries One and Two Vision 2011; Annual exhibition of artwork by area high school students May 5th – 26th - Galleries One and Two – Expressions; The Quinte Arts Council’s annual juried show June 2nd – July 14th Gallery One; Picton artist Gerry Putman and his niece Victoria Wonnacott from Montreal.

Gallery Two - Andrew Innes “Series in Parallel”, a solo show featuring four new series of multi-media works which are both different and related.

Tweed Heritage Centre Art Gallery – 40 Victoria St., Tweed. 613-478-3989.

April 1 – 29 - Signs of Spring; Painting and multimedia show and sale. Reception: April 2, 2 - 4 PM (excluding Sundays) May 1 – 30 - Elementary School Art; area school students exhibit of art projects

THEATRE/LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Bancroft Village Playhouse, 613-332-5918 www.bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca May 14 - The 24-Hour Project - Tickets: $10 at Harvest Moon Whole Foods. Info: Ken or Kathryn 613.332.6138 May 28 - 8pm, May 29 - 2pm - ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK featuring music of the 50’s. Tickets: $15 Info: 613.337.5345 or communitychoir@bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca Belleville Theatre Guild, 613-967-1442 www.bellevilletheatreguild.ca March 31 – April 16 - SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER - by Oliver Goldsmith. Delighting audiences for over 200 years, a raucous tale of mistaken identities, spirited hijinks, and a good dose of lighthearted romance. NonSubscriber Tickets: $18.00 ea.

June 2 – 18 -THE PAJAMA GAME by George Abbott and Richard Bissel. Set in a pajama factory that is on the verge of a strike the show deals with the conflict and attraction between Babe, the Union leader and Sid, the management’s factory superintendent. Non-Subscriber Tickets: $22.00 ea.

Maynooth Town Hall April 7-17 - Fiddler on the Roof in Maynooth. “An amateur production with professional standards”, 8 performances over two weekends at the new Town Hall will raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. $22 & $12 tickets (Adults & Seniors/Kids).

Info 613-338-2862 Quinte Film Alternative Great Movie Wednesdays! The Empire Theatre, 321 Front Street, Belleville, 613 969-0099 www.quintefilmalternative.ca QFA Hotline 613 480-6407 Mar 30 - Trigger April 13 - Another Year April 27 - Incendies May 11 - The Concert May 25 - Of Gods and Men

Quinte Symphony, concerts at Bridge Street United Church, Belleville. www.quintesymphony.com Tickets: Quinte Arts Council, 36 Bridge Street East, Belleville 613-962-1232, Bruinix Jewellers, 73-B Dundas Street East, Trenton 613-392-5997, Countytix at Books & Company, 289 Main Street, Picton 613-4711991 For info/tickets 613-962-0050 April 2 – 7:30 pm - Pops Concert - Take it to the Limit: the Music of the Eagles - at Maranatha Church, Belleville, performed by Jeans & Classics with Quinte Symphony. Tickets $45 Adults and $10 Youth (6-24) May 15 – 2:30 pm - Masterworks IV Concert - Mostly Mozart – at Bridge Street Church, Belleville, featuring Luke Bell, pianist, playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 15 along with the symphony. Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture and Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Tickets $30 Adults and Youth $5 (6-24).

The Regent Theatre, 224 Main St., Picton, Ontario, 613-476-8416, ext. 28 or 877-4114761 www.theregenttheatre.org May 13 – 8 p m - Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King with their Texas Blues Band “Kubek is one of the fiercest electric guitarists currently plugged-in.”... Billboard “Powerful, hard-nosed, authentic Texas roadhouse blues.”... Living Blues. Presented by Zapp Productions. Tickets $29.50 June 2 – 8 p m - Wingfield’s Progress

by Dan Needles starring Rod Beattie.

The spectre of urban development looms on the Seventh Concession and Walt sounds the alarm. Can he mobilize the neighbourhood to save the rustic splendour of Larkspur? Does Larkspur want to be saved? Tickets $32.00 RTF $30.00 eyeGO $5.00.

The Stirling Festival Theatre, West Front St., Stirling 613-395-2100 1-877-312-1162 www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com April 19-30 - HATS! The Musical - Exploding with fun, this new musical is about a 49.999 year old woman who reluctantly faces the inevitable BIG 5-0.....until she meets a group of remarkable women who show her about fun, friendship and forgetting about things that simply don’t matter anymore!

Directed by Panto star, Debbie Collins.

Tickets April 19 (Preview) $22, April 20 – 30 - $29.

May 7 - 8 p m -THE LEGEND IN BLACK – Starring Bill Cayley. A musical tribute to the genius of country music, Johnny Cash.

Tickets $29 May 18 -8 pm & May 19 2 pm - INTERNATIONAL TENORS - A tribute to the famous tenors of the past: Enrico Caruso, the world’s first tenor superstar.... Mario Lanza, Hollywood’s biggest star in the 1950’s...and of course Luciano Pavarotti, dubbed the voice of the century. Tickets $29 June 10 – 12 - ELVIS starring Stephen Kabakos.

June 10 at 8pm “The Way It Was” June 11 at 8pm “The Best of Both Worlds,” June 12 at 3pm “Gospel to Rock.”

Born to play Elvis Presley, Stephen executes a dynamic portrayal of authenticity that makes him one of the most highly praised and sought after Elvis stylists in the country.

Tickets $37 - Pre-show Dinner available on Fri. & Sat. 6 pm; $23 (incl. tax & gratuities)

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EVENTS March & April – Treats On The Black River –a great event, watching kayakers and enjoying locally prepared treats. Info Elaine Kapusta –613 473-1458 April 20 – Ham Supper, Queensborough St. Andrews Church, Info Elaine Kapusta –613 473-1458 April 2 - 9:30 a.m. – “Everyone’s Sister”: Award-winning Belleville-born journalist Stevie Cameron, author of On the Farm: Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver’s Missing Women, speaks about her exploration of the Vancouver victims and the effects on the victims’families. The Empire Theatre, 321 Front Street, Belleville. Tickets $5.00 in advance at Greenley’s Bookstore, Belleville or at the door.

Presented by the Canadian Federation of University Women, Belleville & District.

April 9 & 10 - Living Green In Quinte – Trade Show, Workshops, Family Entertainment at Loyalist College. April 10 -Living Green Bus Tours, visit www.quintesustainability.ca or call 613-968-3434.

April 15 – 17 - The County Garden Show, in support of The Edith Fox Life and Loss Centre. Fri 2 - 7 pm, Sat and Sun, 10 am - 3 pm. Enjoy garden vendors, demonstrations and auctions at The Crystal Palace, 375 Main St. in Picton. Three-day admission is $10 and children under 12 are free. www.edithfoxcentre.org.

April 16,- 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. - Quinte Woodcarvers Association’s 24th Annual Carving Show And Sale at Quinte Christian High School, (new location), Wallbridge-Loyalist Rd. Cash prizes, Rosette ribbons and purchase awards. Competition pre-registration due by March 31. Admission: $5.00 at door.

Info: Ken Hicks 631 966-4457 khicks000@sympatico.ca or Brian Hodgins 613 966-3091 bri. lohodgins@sympatico.ca April 17 - 1:30-3 pm - The County Reads 2011 Kick Off launch at Books and Company, 289 Main Street, Picton. During this event, the presenters and their books will be announced and introduced in anticipation of the main event. Info: Anne Preston anne.preston@ gmail.com Andrew McLuhan, ideasynch@ yahoo.ca April 17 & 18 - Albert College Spring Showcase Open House – April 17, 2-4pm, April 18, 4-6 pm. Tour the Early Primary Learning Centre, Parrott Junior School and the Senior School. Meet faculty.

April 19 - Quinte Field Naturalists Meeting - Wolves & Coyotes in Ontario. Speaker, Brent Patterson. Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, 60 Bridge St. East, ­Belleville - 7:30 pm.

April 19 - Quinte Field Naturalists Annual Dinner Meeting, St. Columba Presbyterian Church, Belleville.

April 23 - The Queensborough Black Fly Shuffle – Great live music, good fun and lots of dancing. Get your tickets early. Info Elaine Kapusta –613 473-1458 April 29 – May 1 - Prince Edward County Antiques Show and Sale, Crystal Palace, Picton Fair Grounds, 375 Main Street East, Picton, Ontario. April 29, 2-7 pm, April 30, 10 am-5 pm, May 1, 11 am-4 pm.

Info Holly Newland 613-393-5886, boogleberry@sympatico.ca

April 30, & May 1 - Threads of Time Quilt Show – presented by Quinte Quilters’Guild, Quinte Curling Club, 246 Bridge St W, Belleville.

Merchants’Mall, Demos, Tea Room, Members’ Boutique and a Raffle. Over100 members’ quilts, both traditional and contemporary on display. Sat 10 – 5, Sun 10 – 4. Admission $6-husbands free! Info 613-969-1064.

May 1 – Queensborough Community Centre Annual Pancake Breakfast. Info Elaine Kapusta –613 473-1458 May 11 – 14 - Prince Edward County Authors Festival - Picton Ontario: readings, poetry in the pub, panel discussions, workshops, master classes, County Reads and more.

613-476-3037, www.pecauthorfest.com.

May 13 & 14 - Frankford Antiques & Collectables Show & Sale, Frankford Lions Centre, 50 Centre St., Frankford. Info: 613-398-1936 May 14 - Spring Fling Dance for Young Teens, Queensborough Community Centre.

Info Elaine Kapusta – 613 473-1458 May 14 – 3:30 – 5 pm The County Reads debate - at Books and Company, 289 Main Street, Picton. This fun, free event will close this year’s Authors Festival. All are welcome to attend this light-hearted, if spirited, debate. Info: Anne Preston anne.preston@gmail.com Andrew McLuhan, ideasynch@yahoo.ca May 14 – 10-noon - Photographing Nature Workshop , Presenter Wayne McNulty, Location Duck’s Dive, 5535 County Rd 13. Adults $25, Students $10, Children under 12 free.

May 14 & 21 - Prince Edward Point guided evening walks – 4pm May 15 – 10-noon – Birds and Plants of the Forest Workshop, Presenter Peter Fuller, Stillwater Forest. Adults $25, Students $10, Children under 12 free.

May 16 – Guided Bird Walk at Sandbanks.

Meet at Lakeshore Lodge Day Use Area 9 am, $5 per person May 20 - Guided Bird Walk at Sandbanks.

Meet at Dune’s Beach Day Use Area 9 am, $5 per person May 21 - 8am – 2 pm - Farmers Market Kick Off - Handmade goods, preserves, local meats, face painting and entertainment. Memorial Park www.marmoraandlake.ca May 21 – Guided Bird Walk at Sandbanks.

Meet at Lakeshore Lodge Day Use Area 9 am, $5 per person May 21 – 10-noon – How to Sketch Birds Workshop, Presenter Aidan Haley, The Tall Poppy, 298 Main St., Wellington. Children welcome. Adults $25, Students $10, Children under 12 free.

May 21 – 12-2 pm – Birding by Ear Workshop, Presenter Terry Sprague, Duck’s Dive, 555 County Rd 13. Adults $25, Students $10, Children under 12 free.

May 22 – The Sandbanks Dunes and their History – meet at Dune’s Beach Day Use area 9 am, $5 per person

May 22 – Birding the County, tour with PEC Field Naturalists. Meet at The Mariner’s Park Museum, 2065 County Rd. 13, 8 am. ­(approx. 2 hrs) $5 per person May 22 - 12 – 3 pm - O’Hara Mills Opening Day - Plant and seed sale, garden craft demonstrations. Take a step back in time while viewing the Pioneer buildings O’Hara Mill Conservation Park, Madoc ,On. Info: 613-473-1725 or www.ohara-mill.org June 11 - Second Annual “Stride To Turn The Tide” National Walk Quinte Grannies for Africa, Apple Route Grannies and Trent Hills Grannies. Hosted by Members of the Grandmother to Grandmother Campaign and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Register to walk at 9 am; 1 km, 2.5 km or 5 km route, all start and finish at St. Thomas Church, Bridge and Church St, Belleville. Info Mary 613-969-0285 June 11 – Queensborough Community Centre Yard Sale, BBQ & Lucky Draws. Info Elaine Kapusta – 613 473-1458 June 18 – 19 - 6th Annual Stirling Truck Show, Fathers Day weekend at the Stirling Fairgrounds. “We’re going green”Presented by the Stirling and District Lions Club www.stirlingtruckshow.com June 22 – Entry deadline for the CLIC Eastern Ontario Photo Show. Juried event open to all professional, amateur and student photographers residing in Eastern Ontario. Prizes in both adult and student divisions, in colour and b&w categories. Call for Entry, Official Rules and Entry Forms can be downloaded from www. easternontariophotoshow.com. Info Dave Hill: (613) 471-1283 or clicphoto@hotmail.com.

June 24 - ST-JEAN-BAPTISTE CELEBRATION on Baker’s Island, CFB Trenton. Family activities at 4 pm followed by a evening concert at 7 pm.

Bonfire, fireworks. Everyone is invited to join us!

Info 613-955-8837or www.franco-phare.ca.

SEASONAL May 15 – October 2 –5pm - SUNDAY NIGHT CRUISE 2011- A gathering of Classic, Vintage and Special Interest Vehicles for show at Quinte Access, 97 Front Street, Trenton, On, 613-392-9640.

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May 21 - Labour day- Hastings County ­Museum of Agricultural Heritage. Open 7 days a week 10 am - 4 pm, (last admission 3 pm). NEW THIS YEAR: Weekends in September, 437 West Front Street, Stirling, ON, 613 395-0015 www.agmuseum.ca

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March 30 – June 11 - Prince Edward ­County Horticultural Society - meets the discoverin last Wednesday of the month at the Elks Hall, Picton at 7:30 pm. www.pechort.tripod.com March 30 - Kim Katanik Kuris of PEC Landscape Design presents “Ornamental Grasses” April 25 - Horticultural Auction and Workdiscoverin shop May 25 - Pesticides

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June 11 - Gardeners’ Gala ‘Back to Basics - Back to Green’at the Picton Fairgrounds. Event includes floral competition, tea room, speakers, vendors.

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Spring 2011 • Country Roads

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Back Roads

d i s c o v e r i n g

h a s t i n g s

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Country Road d i s c o v er i n g h a s t i n g s c o un t y

Everybody loves a Parade

Costumes like these were a major part of the Marmora Crowe Lake Callithumpian parades of the 1930’s. Callithumpian parades are believed to be derived from Old World carnival traditions and were common in towns across North America as far back as the 19th century.

The changing of dress by man and woman was in the true carnival spirit of turning everyday rules upside discovering hastings county down, and making fun of the restrictions of everyday life.

Country Roads

Country Roads

(L to R) Faye Buskard, Don Auger, Dorothy Marett, Ford Woodhouse and Tom Hughes.

Photos courtesy Marmora Historical Foundation

discovering hastings county

CR Country Roads

P.O. BOX 423, STIRLING, ON K0K 3E0 • P: 613 395-0499 • F: 613 395-0903 discovering hastings county WWW.COUNTRYROADSHASTINGS.CA

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Country Roads • Spring 2011

CR Country

marketplace

Roads

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> ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

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> PrOfESSIONAL SErVICES

}

*2011 Fall Show & Sale Sept 16-18

For more inFormation contact Holly newland at (613) 393-5886 boogleberry@sympatico.ca

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For more information visit www.tikit.ca or request quote at info@tikit.ca

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Jean Finlayson

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Country Roads

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Kelly’s Flowers & Gifts Wedding Consultations, Wedding Rentals, Bridal & Attendant Bouquets, Sympathy, Tribute & All Occassion Designs 43 Durham Street S. Madoc, ON Tel: 613-473-1891 • Fax: 613-473-2712 www.kellysflowers.net

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discovering hastings county

Spring 2011 • Country Roads

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