Country Roads Winter 2013

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HOMEGROWN HOLIDAY GIFTS • THE FIREFIGHTERS AMONG US BELLEVILLE DOCFEST CELEBRATES LIFE NEAR & FAR C O V E R I N G T H E A R T S , O U T D O O R S , H I S T O R Y, P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S

Bancroft Theatre District

Winter WEAR

JOSEPH RIBKOFF, RED CORAL, LINEA, TRIBAL AND MUCH MORE. LICENCE 71195 Shoulder and Handbag Available in Black & Brown

Posies FLOWERS & GIFTS

Floral designs for all occasions

3 BRIDGE ST. W. BANCROFT, ON 613.332.5645

BANCROFT Come Visit Soon!

Alive with entertainment, first class shopping, and dining.

Have you looked at Stingray lately?

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

Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

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Downtown Belleville

Vintage Clothing

Your dreams come true...

hats, purses, costume & authentic jewelry

Art & Collectibles Antiques 300 Front Street, Belleville 613-967-0070 www.boretskigallery.com

Stunning Gowns from

The Village Shoppe LADIES WEAR AND BRIDAL

215 Front St., Belleville, On. (613) 969-9994

613.969.1677 286 Front Street, Downtown Belleville

Miss Priss Boutique Accessories with Attitude!

Cooney auto sales belleville

Quality Cars Since 1979

www.cooneyautosales.com 101 front st. belleville

613.210.2979

395 FRONT ST. BELLEVILLE

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613.966.4200 Family Owned & Operated

Downtown Belleville - Fine Fashion, Exceptional Cuisine And Specialty Shops Galore!

Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

CR Country

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

Roads

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

“Caring for your family’s dental health”

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

Dentistry

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

New PatieNts & emergeNcies welcome

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

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year: $14.69 2 years: $27.13 3 years: $35.03 All prices include H.S.T. The contents of this publication are ­protected by copyright.

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

The advertising deadline for the Spring 2014 issue is February 21, 2014.

COVER PHOTO: Photo by Michael Knight Made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation

HOW TO CONTACT US

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

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

Belleville

208 Bridge Street east (613) 966-2777

Stirling

9B tuftsville road (613) 395-2800

Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

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e d i t o r i a l

contributors

What a difference a year makes!

Photo: Haley Ashford

It hardly seems possible that 2013 has nearly come and gone. Christmas is around the corner and then we will ring in the New Year. Thinking of year’s end prompts one to reflect and in doing so we realized just what a busy year 2013 proved to be here at Country Roads. We published more pages and printed more copies than ever before. We added new writers, photographers, sales staff, advertisers and the groundwork started to increase our publishing schedule in 2014– with a new fifth issue. More on that later!

Back to 2013. We’re delighted to introduce you to Hope McFall, the newest member of the team. Hope will be travelling the lovely countryside of North Hastings and surrounding area in her new capacity as Country Roads Sales Representative.

When you meet Hope you will quickly realize she’s genuinely interested and excited to learn about all the businesses and organizations that make North Hastings tick. Her passion for CR began as a reader but her experience as an independent business owner means she sees the relationship between the businesses of Hastings County and the magazine that tells their stories. A weekender for a number of years, Hope has declared country living is where she wants to be. She’s kind of like a Hastings County cheerleader!

Three of this issue’s articles champion the incredible contributions volunteers make to our life in this part of Ontario. We feature volunteer firefighters that come to our rescue when called upon – day or night. Their commitment in time, money, lack of sleep, and much more is for our benefit and we’re all safer because of their efforts. The Heart of Hastings Hospice began in 1991 and remains to this day a volunteer-based group providing the comforts and supports needed at the end of life. We’re pleased to share the local photography they have chosen to grace the walls of the hospice home in Madoc. A different set of volunteers have made a commitment to the social fabric of our community by providing a documentary film festival celebrating life and human dignity – both around the world and here at home.

These groups of volunteers remind us what is important in our day to day lives.

Country Roads is your coffee table/countertop magazine but did you know there’s more? We have a lively Facebook page that we utilize solely for the purpose of telling and sharing more info on Hastings County and as a follower you also get a little pre-issue insight. The Country Roads website is also another Hastings County destination. Every issue we print is also available for viewing on www.countryroadshastings.ca. And the best news is you can surf our pages and go straight to our advertisers’ websites to help you with purchasing decisions.

And we have more to share. If you want to read more stories about Hastings County then the new fifth issue is for you. The digital-only issue will be here later this winter.

It’s been a great year at Country Roads and we’ve enjoyed telling your stories immensely. We look forward to celebrating more life in Hastings County in 2014.

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Nancy & John Hopkins

BE SURE YOU DON’T MISS OUT JOIN THE COUNTRY ROADS MAILING LIST AND BE THE FIRST TO READ THE NEW MID-WINTER DIGITAL ISSUE.

Sharon Henderson lives with her husband on an archetypal backwoods homestead in the bushland north of Highway 7. She spends her spare time reading children’s literature in anticipation of her firstborn (due in December) and searching nearby forests and waterways for natural marvels to photograph.

Last year she studied sustainable local food and is now enjoying documenting the local rural scene.

She loves Hastings County’s rugged countryside, creative inhabitants and erratic rocks.

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

She’s looking forward to exploring the region in her new role as North Hastings Sales Representative for Country Roads.

Barry Penhale, veteran radio/TV broadcaster and publisher, is delighted to return to his journalistic roots. For more years than he cares to remember, Barry has treasured his love of Canada in general, and Ontario in particular. He is in total agreement with CBC broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi, who expressed pride in living in a country where literary figures are public heroes. Barry would add that such recognition should also shine on those too frequently unsung women and men who have contributed to that country. His mission is to bring the stories of extraordinary Canadian people and places to public awareness. Still active in the historic community, Barry and his wife Jane live in an Ontario century farmhouse.

MEMBERS OF

SIMPLY EMAIL – bonus@countryroadshastings.ca and we’ll put you on the email list and notify you when the reading is ready This ‘bonus’ issue will go live on our website in February. The digital Mid-Winter issue will be filled with great new stories, photography, and information from participating advertisers.

BANCROFT & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

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Contents

COME VISIT OUR CHARMING, CENTURY OLD SHOP AND VIEW OUR FINE SELECTION OF GENTLY USED ANTIQUES, COLLECTIBLES. ALSO TOYS, PUZZLES, LAMPE BERGER, AND LOTS OF UNUSUAL GIFT ITEMS.

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HOURS: December: Tues-Fri 10 am to 6 pm Sat & Sun 10 am to 3 pm January - March: Sat & Sun 10 am to 3 pm

22 MILL STREET, STIRLING (OPPOSITE THE COVERED BRIDGE) 613-395-6510

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

8 HASTINGS COUNTY STOCKING STUFFERS

6 EDITORIAL 6 CONTRIBUTORS 15 JUST SAYING

By Sharon Henderson

10 EVERYDAY HEROS

By Angela Hawn

20 ITS SHOWTIME

By John Hopkins

26 CROSSROADS REMEMBERING ­MELVILLE HILL

By Barry Penhale

All Dressed for Christmas

16 ADVERTISER INDEX 18 HEART OF HASTINGS ­HOSPICE PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS 19 TELLING TALES 24 ARTISANS AT HAND

From Start to Finish

28 COUNTRY CALENDAR 29 MARKETPLACE

Your Pets Ad_Layout 1 10/25/12 2:12 PM Page 1

, WindoW Ledge StairS • CaSketS Bed StairS • SpeCiaL requeStS and more!

CaLL uS todaY! terry Bell

613-473-1589 • llebgt@hotmail.com Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY

SHARON HENDERSON

HASTINGS COUNTY STOCKING STUFFERS 12 days of all natural Holiday treats

The Stone Kitchen - Preserves Prices from $2

Trillium Ridge Sugarworks - Organic Maple Syrup Prices from $3.50

Madoc Rocks - Marble Coasters $30 per set

The Stone Kitchen, located at 33 Sherbourne Street in Bancroft, offers 33 flavours of homemade jams and jellies. Along with flavours like Toe Jam, Middle Age Spread, Hot Red Pepper Jelly, Cranberry & Orange, Lime & Ginger, and Carrot Marmalade, The Stone Kitchen also offers kitchenware, gadgets, gourmet foods, garden gifts, candles, and more. Custom gift baskets can be prepared at the shop upon request.

Trillium Ridge Sugarworks operates in a sugarbush nestled on a limestone ridge.

Excellent maple syrup and sugar has been produced on the family farm, located at 254 Maple Sugar Road, Tyendinaga Township, since the 1840’s. Trillium Ridge Sugarworks offers many sizes and containers, including maple leaf, violin and sugar shack shaped glass bottles.

Madoc Rocks coasters are made from uniquely patterned and coloured marble from the Madoc area. They are sold in sets of four or singles, in a variety of shades and patterns of marble. They are available in a natural state or stamped with a design of Canadian flora or fauna. All coasters are finished with an epoxy coating to enhance the natural beauty of the marble and felted on the underside.

Available at:

Available at:

Available at:

The Stone Kitchen in Bancroft, The Old Tin Shed in Bancroft, Ivanhoe Cheese Factory, Hidden Goldmine Bakery in Madoc, Algonquin Gourmet Butter Tarts in Maynooth, and The Old Hastings Mercantile & Gallery in Ormsby.

Close Enough - Seasonings CD $15

Seasonings by the vocal trio CLOSE ENOUGH features the voices of Lillian Oakley, Margaret Hughes and Dorothy Wilson. “Take one soft and gentle vocal trio. Add a baker’s dozen songs of love and life through the seasons. Sprinkle with appropriate instrumental touches using some of Canada’s finest musicians. Mix well, simmer and serve.

Enjoy!” Listen to song samples at www.oldhastingsgallery.ca.

Available at:

The Stone Kitchen in Bancroft, The Old Hastings Mercantile & Gallery in Ormsby, and The Old Ormsby Schoolhouse.

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Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

Mapledale Cheese in Belleville, Belleville Bakery, and www.sugarworks.ca

Stirling Festival Theatre - Christmas Panto Tickets Prices from $10 for kids Family Pack (2 Adults/2 Kids) - $58

Every year, Stirling Festival Theatre presents the Christmas Panto with a family pantomime, recommended for ages 5 and up, and a naughty version for adults 19 and over. This year’s play is ‘Rapunzel: A Hairy Tale’. “The Floral Kingdom is in trouble! Gothal the Awful wants to pave paradise and put up a parking lot. Princess Rapunzel teams up with Bea, The Bumble Fairy and Bud, the Palace Gardener, to save the day.”

Available at:

Stirling Festival Theatre, 1 (877) 312-1162, and www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com

The Market Cafe in Bancroft, 737 Gallery in Tweed, A Taste of Country in Belleville, Ivanhoe Cheese Factory, Wilson’s of Madoc, The Old Hastings Mercantile & Gallery in Ormsby, Quinn’s of Tweed, Unconventional Moose near Tweed, and www.madocrocks.com

Porcupine Creek Farm - Kiss Winter Away! Lip Balm $3.50

Kiss winter away with this all-natural, soothing lip balm rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Beeswax acts as a thickening agent and helps to seal in the healing properties of calendula, the soothing and moisturizing properties of shea and cocoa butters, and the antioxidant effects of vitamin E oil and olive oil, making this a lip balm you won’t want to be without - even once you truly have kissed winter away!

Available at:

Good Health Mart in Belleville, Bulk Plus in Campbellford, Village Green in Foxboro, Rancho Tranquilo in Marmora, Valumart in Marmora, Cabello Salon in Stirling, West Wings Books in Stirling, Chickadelic in Stirling, Patchouli Moon Holistics in Trenton and www.porcupinecreekfarm.ca

Spatopia - Winter Cupcake Bath Bombs

Amazing Graze Alpacas - Slipper/Ankle Socks

$4

Spatopia handcrafted bath bombs create fun, fizzy baths using all-natural ingredients like essential oils, citric acid and baking soda. They are topped with soap that looks like icing. Spatopia offers an array of ‘Holiday Deals’ on their website including chocolate peppermint chapstick, peppermint olive oil soap, peppermint body scrub, and holiday bath brew.

Available at:

Spatopia, 30782 Highway 28 East, Bancroft and www.spatopia.net

Mahonia’s All Natural - Holiday Hemp Oil Soap Bundles

Dancing in the Sky,

by C.W. Hunt

$32-40

Warm and wonderful, soft and cozy alpaca socks are an ideal gift for the person with perpetually cold feet. They are available in a light weight casual ribbed sock, an extreme terry, and an ankle-high terry sock that also works well as a slipper or bed sock. Amazing Graze Alpacas’ fibre is prepared in small batches without harsh chemical cleansing agents. Their fibre crop is all processed in Canada by small independent mills.

Available at:

Grills Orchards in Belleville, West Wings in Stirling, Amazing Graze Alpacas - 127 Sine Road in Stirling (call ahead (613)395-6406 or email marj@amazinggrazealpacas.ca), and www.amazinggrazealpacas.ca

$28

Deseronto was the location of two Royal Flying Corps training camps during the First World War. ‘Dancing in the Sky: The Royal Flying Corps in Canada’ deals with the plan that launched Canada into the age of aviation. This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys Canadian history and adventure stories. The author, C. W. Hunt, is a raconteur and former history teacher who lives in Belleville.

Available at:

Chapters in Belleville, Kerr’s Corner Books in ­Campbellford, Deseronto Public Library, The National Airforce ­Museum of Canada in Trenton, and www.wallbridgehouse.com, www.dundurn.com/books/whisky_ and_ice, and amazon.ca

$12

No chemicals, animal products or synthetics are used in any of Mahonia’s body care products.

The hemp soaps contain pure, unfiltered hemp oil harvested and produced in the Peterborough area.

Pure, high quality essential oils are used so as not to overwhelm the senses but enhance the cleansing experience. Unscented soaps are available for those who prefer fragrance free.

Available at:

Laurane Schofield at (613) 472-5989 or mahonia@persona.ca

Epic Beeswax - Pinecone Votive Candles

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$8 per pair

Queen of the Kitchen Chocolates Prices from $3.75

Beeswax candles are non-toxic, non-allergenic and non-carcinogenic.

Epic Beeswax candles are crafted without the use of chemicals, additives, or high-tech machinery, using the highest quality and grade of beeswax in the world, cappings grade beeswax. Epic Beeswax makes a variety of candles including pillars, tapers, votives, and tea lights.

All artisan chocolates from Queen of the Kitchen are individually formed and dipped by hand using high quality Belgian chocolate. There are no preservatives and there are many gluten-free options. Tempting treats include truffles, caramel pretzels, chocolate covered licorice, and flavours for the seasons. Queen of the Kitchen is located at 255 Glen Miller Road in Trenton.

Available at:

Available at:

Grills Orchards in Belleville and www.etsy.com/shop/EpicBeeswax

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Queen of the Kitchen in Trenton, Stirling Heritage Wines, and queenofthekitchen.vpweb.ca

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

Have you conquered the Barley Firehouse Burger?

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

For menus, entertainment schedules & more visit www.barleypubandeatery.com 40 St. Lawrence St. W., Madoc, Ontario 613.473.1800 • chris@barleypubandeatery.com Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

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Hastings firefighters during auto extrication training at the Trenton Training Tower.

Photo Courtesy North Hastings Fire Service

Chuck Naphan, President of the non-profit Hastings/ Prince Edward Mutual Fire Aid Association beside the Trenton River - both a water source and handy site for water rescue training courses.

Photo Courtesy Hastings/Prince Edward Mutual Fire Aid Association

Everyday heroes By Angela Hawn

Volunteer firefighters respond to the call

A

t three o’clock in the morning your pager goes off. The antibiotics for your fouryear-old haven’t kicked in yet, and he’s coughing like a two-pack-a-day smoker. No one in the household got much sleep the night before. And though you feel fine yourself right now, you figure there’s got to be at least a minor case of the sniffles in your own immediate future. Sleep would be a blessing.

But you don’t ignore the call. You’re up, out of bed and headed out the door, and you won’t be getting paid (at least not much.) When annual compensation rates run in the neighbourhood of $1500 or less, the math is simple, with a depressingly tiny sum at the end of the equation: at $4 a day, it might not even cover yearly gas mileage, let alone wear and tear on a personally owned vehicle. But you’re not in it for the money.

That kind of attitude generally inhabits the realm of superheroes, those masked and caped crusaders fighting the good fight between the pages of comic books or spread larger than life across a movie screen. Too good to be true, they live only in the world of fiction. You just don’t meet these kinds of people in real life.

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Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

And then again, maybe you do. Take a good look at your neighbour. Check out the guy selling mini-vans at the local dealership. And isn’t that the woman who works retail downtown?

For those in need of an everyday hero, there’s some good news. They’re alive and well and all around you. In real life, they’ve exchanged the mask for a self-contained breathing apparatus and the cape for an insulated coat. This non-fiction counterpart goes by the name “volunteer” and when he or she gets that middle-of-the-night call, those volunteers who abandon bed for community service call themselves “firefighters.”

Amazingly, at least 85 percent of the firefighters in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties claim volunteer status. Province-wide, that estimate probably goes even higher.

“Sometimes I wish they’d just get rid of the word ‘volunteer,’” claims Bancroft Fire Chief Pat Hoover, noting the term chafes a bit, given the fact volunteers and full-time firefighters train according to the same standard. “A volunteer in Bancroft does the same job as a firefighter in Toronto. The curriculum is the same; the documentation needed is the same.”

If you choose to accept this mission....

And it’s a pretty rigorous standard. Set by the Ontario Fire Marshall’s office, the curriculum underwent its last update in 2008 and covers everything currently needed to work as a firefighter within provincial borders.

According to the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, qualifications vary from municipality to municipality, but some initial prerequisites could include possession of a D licence (with a “Z” brake endorsement), CPR/First Aid certification, as well as the ability to handle timed, physically demanding job-related tests. Those itching to join the hero crowd in either a career or volunteer capacity might want to check out their website (www.oafc.on.ca/) for further tips.

Filling out an application form and dropping it off at the local fire department marks just the first step in a lengthy journey with firefighter as its final destination. Next comes the interview process. After that, the hard work really begins.

“Training is hardcore, it’s huge,” declares Stirling/Rawdon Fire Chief Rick Caddick. “I can’t

tell a volunteer to put out a fire when I haven’t trained you how to do it.”

Caddick estimates a new recruit stands one year away from qualifying to handle an interior structural attack. In the meantime, they stay back from the ‘hot zone,’ acting in supportive roles. Amidst the mayhem of a real fire, rookie volunteers might pull hose while others direct traffic, guiding reversing pumper trucks into place.

While some training happens ‘in house’ right at the local firehall, firefighters sometimes travel all the way to Gravenhurst to attend Ontario Fire College. Fortunately, several of the same courses also run at a much closer Quinte West complex, which features the three storey Trenton Training Tower.

“We’re one of the key components of the course delivery in eastern Ontario, one of the preferred facilities,” declares Chuck Naphan, president of the non-profit Hastings/Prince Edward Mutual Fire Aid Association, which oversees both the tower and works in fire safety education.

Blindfolded firefighters might navigate their way through a maze building or figure how best to pull themselves through a 16 square inch hole.

Another training task involves working your way through an entanglement unit filled with dangling wires, all while wearing full bunker gear (from helmet to steel-toed rubber boots) and breathing through an air bottle. And the training never stops.

“We’re always taking refresher courses,” claims Fire Chief Hoover. “You might be practising something as simple as tying knots, but if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Anything He Can Do, She Can Do, Too!

Show me the money...

Busy single mom to six (ages five through 19), the last place Jessica Deschamps, 38, should want to spend her evenings is Quinte West Fire Hall No. 2. But she does it every Wednesday, all in a bid to make sure both she and the emergency equipment used on a regular basis are ready to roll when a call comes in. And quite frankly, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There are so many great people in our station,” she declares. “We work like family. It’s a great group of guys.”

And they are guys in the strictest sense of the word, for Jessica is one of only two female firefighters who work there. She knows of at least five others in Quinte West but they don’t cross paths very often. And should the women encounter one another, Jessica gives the impression it really wouldn’t be a big deal. When you’re in uniform and on the job, everyone is just a firefighter, plain and simple.

“If I’m able to do the job, I should get the job,” she explains. “For example, if we need to be able to handle and put on all of our equipment in a set amount of time, I must be able to show I can do this.”

Five-foot-seven and 145 lbs., Jessica admits some of the equipment is downright heavy but points out no firefighter works alone. Everyone pulls together, helping out where needed.

“Many hands make light work,” Jessica says, emphasizing once again the importance of teamwork in firefighting. “Our commanding officers know our strengths and our weaknesses. We all help each other. We lean on each other.”

Ex-military, Jessica held down a series of interesting jobs from inspection diver (checking on the hull integrity of ships) to runway escort for construction crews performing maintenance at Pearson International Airport before establishing herself in Trenton. Currently employed with the Salvation Army, she gratefully acknowledges their generosity when it comes to her volunteer firefighting responsibilities.

“I have very forgiving captains there who allow me to make up the difference if I have to leave for an emergency call,” declares Jessica, noting she might come in early or stay late to compensate for lost time. “But even if I had to give up a day’s pay, it would be worth it because I would be putting back into the community. There’s a satisfaction in knowing you’ve helped in a situation, that you’ve helped positively.”

What’s more, Jessica wants her firefighting family to know they can depend on her. Of the 23 volunteers working out of Station No. 2, at least 20 regularly show up when their pagers go off.

Those who don’t make it from time to time might be out of area on “day-job” related business.

“We work as a team,” she insists, “and I want to be there for my team.”

Who pays for all of this? While other first responders such as Ontario Provincial Police or Emergency Medical Services receive funding from the provincial government, municipal fire departments operate on budgets set by local council. And when fire trucks cost around $250,000, money can be tight.

While municipalities might aim to deliver basics such as trucks, hose, axes, personal protective gear and helmets, money for extras often comes from community donations, as well as fundraisers run by the volunteers themselves.

The popular Dungannon Mud-Run promises a day of outdoor fun complete with lunch along the way and supper at trail’s end for northern fourwheeler enthusiasts. At $125 a shot, tickets go fast, especially considering the top prize is a brand new ATV. And participants hit the road knowing their entry fee helps subsidize Bancroft’s fire department. Mutual Aid’s Naphan describes with relish a draw for a brand new truck purchased at a nominal fee from a local dealership. All money goes toward a new four-bay garage and another classroom for the training complex. And there’s always the annual pancake breakfasts offered by volunteer fire departments far and wide.

Cash in hand, volunteers work hard to make those extra dollars stretch. Fire Chief Caddick describes a rescue van, purchased with funds from the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP). While the municipality comes up with 60 percent of the money needed, JEPP supplies

By Angela Hawn

Members of the Quinte-West Fire Hall #2 (From left to right) - Ron Globe, Jessica Deschamps, Dave Gill, Dave Wannamaker, Brett Hall, Keith Locklin, Dave McCue, Gary Lambert, Ben Potts, Keith Chaskavich, Stacey Mainsfield, Cordell Deck, Matt O,Brien, Josh Fairman, Mark Galway, Dean Potter, Jason Defosse; (Front left to right) Dale Milligan, Rick Cocek, Brian Gifford.

Photo courtesy Quinte-West Fire Hall #2

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Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

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Rick Caddick, Fire Chief/Inspector of the Township of Stirling-Rawdon Fire Department Photo Courtesy Township of Stirling-Rawdon Fire Department

Teamwork is a key component in handling any emergency situation, and training is constantly evolving.

Photo Courtesy Township of Stirling-Rawdon Fire Department

the rest. According to Caddick, local firefighters spent their “down-time” outfitting the van. Fortunately, they’re a talented, hard-working bunch.

One Stirling-based volunteer, a cabinet maker by trade, designed and custom-built the van’s interior.

Even something as basic and necessary as training occasionally sees volunteers dip into their own pockets. Naphan reports many firefighters pay for some of their own courses. A volunteer for nearly 30 years, he estimates he’s probably made about $45,000, but spent $70,000 of his own.

A Few Good Men and Women Who are these community-minded people who regularly put their lives, and occasionally their wallets, on the line? According to Chief Hoover, firefight-

ers tend to form a tightknit group, often composed of workmates or friends. Sometimes the desire to serve runs in the family. Chief Caddick knows at least two multi-generational trios involving grandfathers (since passed away), fathers and sons.

All seem to share one special characteristic: flexibility. Firefighters tackle change head on, whether at an emergency scene or within the department itself.

Strictly a male domain 15 years ago, fire departments everywhere now hire women. Naphan estimates the number of female firefighters in both Hastings and Prince Edward counties at around two dozen.

Even that hardcore training has evolved radically over the years. Caddick remembers a time when those in charge handed you gloves and a pair of boots and sent you straight to work. Now all fire

chiefs must adhere to Ministry of Labour guidelines designed to keep firefighters safe.

Newer training techniques even take into account the value of a victim’s property. Naphan describes how a firefighter’s education now incorporates the concept of salvage and preservation of evidence.

“We no longer just float your furniture out the door,” he laughs, noting firefighters train in different types of water attacks, doing their best to keep water damage to a minimum.

As First Responders, firefighters must be prepared to deal with a wide variety of emergencies. When more than half their calls involve medical situations, training covers the gamut from auto extrication to childbirth to cardiac arrest.

And the body in charge of firefighting curriculum is changing, too. Next year, firefighting courses will

www.deseronto.ca ~ 613-396-2440

/Deseronto

A perfect destination for a relaxing winter’s day drive.

Explore the vibrant mix of specialty shops, antiques/ collectibles, artisans, dining, culture and entertainment.

Experience popular winter pastimes such as holiday and special events, peaceful winter walks along the picturesque waterfront, ice fishing, skating/hockey, tobogganing, snowmobiling on area trails & much more.

urban advantages in a natural setting 12 I

Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

Experience Deseronto this Winter The O’Connor House ENGLISH TEA ROOM

Large Multi Vendor Market

Come in and relax in this little hidden gem in Deseronto!

Homemade Fare and to-die-for desserts.

OVER

12,000 square feet OPEN YEAR ROUND TUES – SAT • 11 AM – 4PM 369 MAIN STREET, 613.396.1888 WWW.THEOCONNORHOUSE.COM AGCO LICENSED

Open 7 Days a week – all year 501 Dundas Street 613.396.6888 (Closed Dec 25, 26 & Jan 1)

Main Street • 613-396-8600 www.dancingmoongallery.com

www.KarenBrownAntiques.com

Antiques & Collectibles

John Mc Neills’ • P L A C E • At Tompkins by the Bay

DINING • FLOWERS • ART • GIFTS

Deseronto Self Guided Tour Map at www.deseronto.ca

Open Year Round Wed. - Mon. 11 am - 5 pm Sunday Brunch 11 am - 2 pm Open til 9 pm on Fri. - Dinner Menu

•

501 Dundas St. East 613.309.9132

Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

I 13

Pat Hoover, Fire Chief/CEMC of the North Hastings Fire Service.

Photo Courtesy North Hastings Fire Service

The Quinte-West complex features the three-storey Trenton Training Tower.

Photo Courtesy Township of Stirling-Rawdon Fire Department

operate under National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines. Both Bancroft and Stirling fire chiefs acknowledge the changeover might mean a period of adjustment as all parties involved adapt, but they’re confident things will run smoothly in the end.

“There might be a few hiccups,” admits Hoover, but quickly points out an advantage in moving to a nationally recognized curriculum: portability. NFPA accreditation will allow firefighters looking for fulltime jobs to apply out-of-province, or even, the U.S. Firefighters consistently come across as “think outside the box” types, ready to field curve balls with confidence and expertise. Hoover mentions Bancroft underwent a few modifications last May when it expanded to include six additional fire departments from Hastings Highlands. Why let a little thing like several hundred extra kilometres get in the way of more efficient coalitions with neighbours?

And working with others is always the name of the game. Whether firefighters coordinate with their First Responder partners in the police and paramedic ranks or with full-time and volunteer cohorts from neighbouring departments, they work as a team.

So what happens when all the players on the team don’t see eye to eye? When amalgamation took place in the mid-nineties, protocols governing areas of overlap became murky. When the Belleville department comes out to support rural neighbours in Thurlow or Point Anne, firefighters face a “who’s in charge” dilemma -- career firefighter or volunteer? Should the public worry when local newspaper headlines decry the need for arbitration?

“Absolutely not,” declares Chief Caddick firmly.

“The firefighters are professional and the job will get done, no matter what. Negotiations happen after the fire is out.”

Recalling his very first call, an enormous blaze at a lumber mill that turned the sky north of Belleville orange, Caddick claims he came away with a singularly clear and lasting impression. Beyond the adrenaline, beyond the excitement of leaping to action in that long ago emergency, he remembers how well all those community members worked together in time of crisis.

So next time you see a volunteer firefighters’ breakfast advertised, drop in for a bite and a cup of coffee. Talk to a couple of the cooks. You’ll probably recognize a few neighbours. Most certainly, you’ll rub elbows with some mighty brave people.

For all firefighters are heroes, whether they call it a career or something they do on the side. They’ve trained to put their lives on the line to save yours.

And many volunteer to do it.

•

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14 I

Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

69 Division Street, Trenton, Ontario 613-392-9586 • www.drbretts.com

JUST SAYING

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN

All Dressed for Christmas!

There’s a saying in our house. If you want to improve the look of anything, “put a brooch on it!” This can apply to a food stained sweater or an empty spot in the garden, but right now it’s time to pin a brooch on our festive decorating!

Elegant taupes and beiges have no business here.

‘Tis the season for evergreen and lots of it, winding up the stairs, over the archways and around the windows. Oodles and oodles of great green stuff reliably setting the perfect stage for warmed up interiors. All green and fresh and pine-scented and everywhere! Just poke your head out your back door and you’re bound to find evergreen boughs, stray twigs and bits of moss even closer than a Horton’s drive-thru. We are a fortunate lot of Ontarians – able to decorate from our own backyards – but like all things wintering in Canada we are desperately in need of a splash of sass!

Sass yes, but holiday sass done right, and I never seem to get it right. Like the year I ran into my childhood friend, Sandra, at the grocery store. My cart was piled high with $275 worth of wrapping, lights, stockings, reindeer heads, cakes, chocolates, beverages, snacks and turkey while Sandra sported one container of yogurt and a big smile as she wished me ‘Happy Winter Solstice’. Simply. Happily. Sandra radiated joy.

She had the right idea, and I had a long evening of grocery cramming ahead of me. She must have wished for something flashier than yogurt in her cart. Didn’t she?

Now, years later, at our wee house on the Trent River, things have scaled back considerably. It’s become second nature to go with a natural, outdoor theme. Good. Nice. Tasteful. But where’s the bling? Like an old crow, I find the whole season lacking if my décor doesn’t have some shimmer and shake. I don’t want to gild the lily.

Not really. I just want a touch of twinkle, something to take the neutral out of nature. After fift… pass the potatoes…Christmases of lots of lights, some lights, singing Santas, sombre wise men, not enough bows, too many bows, motorized, nut-cracking, plaid-vested lumberjacks, some consistency was needed. But this year is going to be different. Oh, not different like the house down the road with the pulsating Christmas rock

‘n roll light and sound show. No, we’re still backyard pure, but my inner tinsel lover is going to dress things up by reducing, re-using and recycling beyond the obvious.

This year we are taking a sparkly turn - with a dash of panache, and hardly a cent spent! We’ll have gobs of tree-hugging, environmentallyaware restraint shown but this year we’re putting a brooch on it, baby!

Here’s how it will go: For the ‘green’ part of the decorating, we’ll have a real tree festooned with all things natural.

No dangling satin bells or mass-produced glit-

Now, years later, at our wee house on the Trent River, things have scaled back considerably.

It’s become second nature to go with a natural, outdoor theme. Good. Nice.

Tasteful. ter balls. Just simple treasures gleaned from our garden, backyard and kitchen. We’ll dress our tree with pinecones and dried hydrangeas. We’ll add thinly sliced lime, orange and lemon slices (dried in a 200-degree oven for two hours). Our sleeping flower garden will donate dried posies and the marshy edges of our yard will contribute bullrushes, milkweed and pussywillows that

will peek from any gaps in the tree. Since these natural elements will enhance the most modest of branches, our Christmas tree won’t be chosen for its girth. It will instead be a humble tree, selected from the back of the lot. Additional décor will be created by tying raffia around cinnamon stick bundles, and we’ll fashion mini wreaths from red dogwood branches - double stranded and twisted together. Outside our old, bare maple tree will sport birdseed balls bound in peanut butter. All natural and environmentally respectful!

Now, onto the gleam, the sheen and extreme part of the project this year. As promised, brooches and baubles will take centre stage. Everyone has an island of misfit jewellery. If you don’t own an exiled box of costume gems, you definitely know someone who does. They are not rare, but they are usually hidden. The most amazing treasures reside in retired jewellery boxes at the bottom of sock drawers or behind last summer’s bed-in-a-bag way up on the top closet shelf. Don’t be shy. These hoarded cast-offs are readily available in the drawers of friends and family. Once you’ve collected your prettiest and shiniest earrings, brooches and hairpins, all that’s needed is a store bought foam wreath and a wide velvet ribbon to wrap around it. Then it’s shimmer time! Stick ‘em, clip ‘em and pin ‘em upon every available surface of the wreath and you’re finished! No foam showing, all covered in velvet ribbon, see? Not only will you have created a personalized indoor wreath, you’ll be blessed with some family memories along the way. What could be cosier than enjoying Aunt Hattie’s mother of pearl snowman brooch a lifetime after you’ve enjoyed Aunt Hattie?

That’s it. The best of both worlds. Snazzynatural-backyard decorating. And, homespun decorating isn’t restricted to Christmas, or even winter. You can pluck the pretty from your backyard year ‘round and all that retired jewellery is perpetually ripe for the picking. You are only limited by the size of your wreath and the wealth of your imagination.

Festive decorating on a budget meets nature and nostalgia. All brooched up and ready to snow!

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Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

I 15

16 I Wilson’s of Madco .................................. 52 Wilton Cheese ........................................ 53 Your Pet’s Personal Carpenter ................ 54 Zihua Clothing Boutique ........................ 55

CleanRite ................................................ 7

Cooney Auto Sales ................................. 8

Cottage Care Rentals ............................. 9

Cottagerentals247.com .......................... 10

O’Hara Mills ............................................ 29

October’s Clothing Store ........................ 28

O’Connor House Tea Room ................... 27

Miss Priss Boutique................................. 26

Milady’s Lace .......................................... 25

McKeown Motor Sales ........................... 24

Marlene’s Mayhew Jewellers .................. 23

Makin’ Waves Marine ............................. 22

Lullidaza .................................................. 21

Loyalist College Bancroft........................ 20

Karen Brown’s Antiques & Collectibles... 19

at Tompkins by the Bay .......................... 18

John McNeills Place

Hearts to God ......................................... 17

Gilmour Meats ........................................ 16

Elizabeth Crombie, Royal LePage .......... 15

Dr. Douglas Smith & Associates ............ 14

Dr. Brett’s Family Dentistry ..................... 13

Don Koppin Contracting ........................ 12

30

40 55

Joe VanVeenen Map

Wendalyn’s Fashions............................... 51

Boretski Gallery ...................................... 6

22 31 32 34

Wells Ford .............................................. 50

Blue Roof Bistro ...................................... 5

HALIBURTON

Welcome Wagon .................................... 49

Big Bright Light Show -Napanee ............ 4

9

Warren & Co. .......................................... 48

Barley Pub & Eatery ................................ 3

5 10 12 20

Village Shoppe ....................................... 47

April’s Image ........................................... 2

Dancing Moon Gallery ........................... 11

Town of Deseronto ................................. 46

Advertiser Index

Country Roads - Celebrating Life in Hastings County wallmap

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

Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

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

celebrating life in hastings county

Roads

CR Country

celebrating life in hastings county

Touch of Wellness ................................... 45

Touch of Class ........................................ 44

Tikit-Visuals ............................................. 43

Country Roads

Thomas Estevez Design ......................... 42

celebrating life in hastings county

Table-Craft .............................................. 41

Stone Kitchen ......................................... 40

Steinberg Dental Centres ....................... 39

Country Roads

Starlet ..................................................... 38

Sand ‘n’ Sea Swim & Cruise Boutique .... 37

Ruttle Bros. Furniture .............................. 36

I

BRIGHTON

41

I

13 48

24

Country Roads • winter 2013/2014

49 54

SERVICES

Rural Roots Cafécelebrating .....................................

34 life in hastings county HASTINGS COUNTY Rustic Routes/Hi Country........................ 35

Pretsell Cavanaugh Davies Lawyers ....... 33

Posies Flowers & Gifts ............................ 32

Country Roads

Old Tin Shed .......................................... 31

Old Hastings Mercantile & Gallery ......... 30

Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

I 17

16

15

PICTON

21 35 50

1 14 17

3 29 39 52

7

8

14

4

23 25 28

53

KINGSTON

NAPANEE

37 38 44 45 51

2

42 43 47

20 26 33 36

6

27 39 46

11 18 19

BRIGHTON

The Heart of Hastings Hospice PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS!

Since 1992 the Heart of Hastings Hospice has provided in-home palliative care and support, and bereavement support in south central Hastings County.

To mark its 20th year of service the Board of Directors decided to purchase a dedicated hospice house to offer terminally ill patients a quiet, comfortable place to live their last days if they were unable to spend them in their own home.

Fundraising started in January, 2011 and within a year $240,000 had been raised, with $100,000 coming through an anonymous donation and $75,000 from the John M. and Bernice Parrott Foundation.

Special events and other contributions are intended to make up the remaining $55,000 in costs.

To honour the six communities served by the Heart of Hastings Hospice – the municipalities of Centre Hastings, Marmora & Lake, Tweed, and Tudor and Cashel; and the townships of Madoc and Stirling-Rawdon – a photo contest was recently staged. Six winning photographs, one from each community, were chosen and are presented here.

The photos are also to be framed and displayed in the Hospice House at 17 McKenzie Street in Madoc.

Country Roads commends the Heart of Hastings Hospice for its work and is delighted to be able to showcase these photos.

•

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18 I

Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

Moira Lake Sunset Photo by Len Holmes – representing Municipality of Centre Hastings

O’Hara Mill Photo by Mark Leahy – representing Township of Madoc

Mine Pond in Blue Photo by Gabrielle Hamley – representing Municipality of Marmora & Lake

Covered Bridge Photo by Kimberly Bastedo – representing Township of Stirling-Rawdon

Gunter Lake Photo by Photo Gallery – representing Township of Tudor & Cashel

Coronation Island, Stoco Lake Photo by Sylvia & Gerry Heaysman – representing Municipality of Tweed

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For some 100 years, Point Anne was the model of a factory village. With access to a seemingly endless supply of limestone, two cement factories were established in Point Anne and it grew into a thriving community, including among its residents such Canadian icons as artist Manly E. MacDonald and hockey stars Bobby and Dennis Hull.

The colourful and dynamic history of Point Anne has been captured in a new book, Point Anne: History of a Cement Factory Village, by former village resident Vern Whalen. With the help of the Hastings County Historical Society, Whalen was able to fulfill a longtime dream of publishing a history

Historic Queensborough

By Katherine Sedgwick The Queensborough Community Centre Available through Elaine Kapusta at (613) 473-1458 or elainekapusta@hotmail.com

In the early 1900s Queensborough had it all. The community located just north of Highway 7 on the Black River had a population of over 300 with a hectic business centre that included four general stores, two hotels and four churches. With the

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By Vern Whalen Hastings County Historical Society Available at the Heritage Centre, Bayview Variety Gas N Go on old Highway 2, Quinte Arts Council, Roluf’s Camera and Travel

extension of the Bay of Quinte Railway line through Queensborough in 1903, the community prospered thanks to the opening of several mines in the area that extracted gold, silver, iron and copper.

That rich history of Queensborough is captured in Historic Queenborough, a booklet written by Katherine Sedgwick and produced by the Queensborough Community Centre. Thanks also in large part to the efforts of resident Elaine Kapusta, Queensborough’s rich history has been preserved and promoted, while the community continues to survive as a destination, thanks in part to its ongoing support of the Annual Marmora and Area Canoe and Kayak Festival (MACKfest) and the hospitality shown to paddlers who are drawn to the whitewater excitement of the Black River.

Additionally, The Old Schoolhouse has been restored as a community centre that hosts dances, dinners and much more.

Kapusta is encouraging people to supply more historical information about Queensborough to be used in future editions of the brochure. You can contact her at elainekapusta@hotmail.com or (613) 473-1458, or get in touch with Katherine Sedgwick at Sedgwick.katherine@gmail.com or (613) 4732100 or (514) 490-0965.

R0011294653

Point Anne: History of a Cement Factory Village

of his hometown. The Historical Society published the book and Lafarge Cement came on as a sponsor.

The book debuted to an enthusiastic reception.

Over 350 people crowded the main street of Point Anne for the book’s launch on October 6, 40 years after the village’s run of prosperity came to the end with the closing of the Canada Cement Co. factory.

The first two printings of Point Anne: History of a Cement Factory Village sold out quickly, with orders coming from as far away as British Columbia and Nova Scotia, according to the Historical Society.

It all points to an impressive reception for first time author Whalen.

“Everyone associated with the production of this excellent history of a colourful town and even more colourful residents is both pleased and proud of the way this book has been received,” said the Historical Society in its newsletter. “It can only serve as an incentive to pursue more of our history in print.”

R0011294653 R0011294653 R0011294653 R0011294653

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Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

I 19

It’s showtime

By John Hopkins

Documentary film festival a hit in Belleville DocFest Co-Chair Gary Magwood, nattily attired, welcomes the 2013 DocFest fans at the Empire Theatre gala. Magwood’s screening of documentaries at Bellevilles Organic Underground helped sow the seeds for DocFest.

Photo by Paulina Uy (Loyalist College Photojournalism Program / Courtesy Belleville Downtown DocFest

20 I

Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

T

he red carpet has been unfurled and there is a buzz inside the doors of this historic theatre. A camera crew interviews local celebrities as they enter, and many of those in attendance have dressed up for this occasion.

Is it Cannes? Toronto? Perhaps Hollywood?

In fact, we are inside the Empire Theatre in Belleville and it’s the opening gala for Belleville Downtown DocFest. In two short years DocFest has become a major social event for Belleville, a three-day celebration of the best documentaries from around the world and also an important stage for local artists.

In 2013, its second year, DocFest screened over 45 movies at three local venues. The offerings included the Academy Award-nominated ‘Searching For Sugar Man’, which was the feature presentation at the Friday night opening gala, and Saturday night headliner ‘Occupy Love’ from acclaimed Canadian director Velcrow Ripper.

So how did Belleville become a hotbed for fans of world class documentary film-making?

The story really has two distinct starting points.

On one side is Gary Magwood, a member of the Belleville Green Task Force who was screening documentaries at the Organic Underground, a noted Belleville coffee shop as well as local music and art hangout. On the other side are Penny Hendricks and Anne MacInnis of the Quinte Film Alternative. The QFA has been showing alternative films at the Empire Theatre since 1995 through its ‘Great Movies Wednesdays’ promotion. Thanks in part to the efforts of Susan Young, who would eventually become a founding co-chair of DocFest, the two initiatives came up with a plan to combine their efforts.

“We realized that we were pulling reasonable crowds to our events without a lot of publicity,” Magwood explains. “So we thought that we might be able to draw well to a bigger event. We thought that if we throw it out there and it has merit, it will work.”

The new combination picked up some funding from the United Church and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario and connected with World Community, a Comox, B.C.-based organization that helps start-up documentary film festivals in Canada through its Travelling World Community Film Festival. Through this group Magwood and his team obtained the rights to 30 films for a mere $500.

But a key development in the planning of the original DocFest in 2012, in Magwood’s opinion, was the creation of the opening night gala on March 2. The feature film was ‘Music from the Big House’, from Canadian director Bruce McDonald, which tells the story of blues legend Rita Chiarelli visiting the Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary.

“We were looking for a way to differentiate our event from others, and that’s where the idea of the gala came about,” he explains. “We had this amazing film and we managed to get Rita Chiarelli to appear as part of the opening night festivities. Pretsell Cavanaugh Davies Lawyers sponsored the gala and it turned into a great evening. That gala helped make DocFest work.”

In 2013 DocFest again worked with World Community to obtain movie rights, and with the added support of Toronto’s Hot Docs Showcase, a new ‘outreach program’, and the National Film Board, the selection of films grew to over 45. The opening gala featured Jason Collett, a member of the Juno Award-winning band Broken Social

Scene. According to Magwood, attendance for the gala and films last year was close to 3,000, with over 600 attending the gala alone. Magwood says that represented a 10 percent increase over the 2012 event.

The popularity of DocFest says a lot about the changing perception of documentary film-making. To an older generation the word documentary evokes thoughts of staid, boring educational films with little colour or drama. That image has changed, however, partly due to filming techniques but also because of the changing ways we obtain our news.

“Television news has changed dramatically over the last 15 years,” Magwood explains.

“With mainstream media today you only get a very brief part of the story. TV news only gives you a fragment of the headlines. It’s more about entertainment. Documentaries fill the gap. Plus, documentaries are made very quickly today and the techniques of shooting them have changed and improved.”

The impact of the films can be seen in some of the local movements that have grown out of films that were screened at DocFest. After seeing ‘Urban Roots’ at the 2012 DocFest, which tells the story of a group of Detroit citizens starting up an environmental movement in the city, a number of Belleville citizens expressed a desire to create a community garden.

Last year’s Saturday night feature ‘Occupy Love’, which detailed the explosion of social initiatives around the world like the Arab Spring and Occupy Movement, led to the creation of an ‘Occupy Our Hearts’ effort in Belleville.

“There is a real thirst here for this, and in the feedback we’ve received we’ve found a real desire in this community for culture and stories

Jason Collett and his band perform at the 2013 Belleville Downtown DocFest Friday Night Gala. The red carpet event has turned into a signature evening for the DocFest weekend.

Photo by Paulina Uy (Loyalist College Photojournalism Program / Courtesy Belleville Downtown DocFest

Photo by Paulina Uy (Loyalist College Photojournalism Program /

DocFest’s Dug Stevenson (left) interviews filmmakers Andrew Smyth (centre) and Belleville’s Josh Jensen (right).

Their debut documentary, ‘The Scene’ premiered at DocFest and the event helped facilitate a distribution deal with Factory Film Studio in Kingston. Promoting local filmmakers is a key part of the DocFest mandate.

­Courtesy Belleville Downtown DocFest

Photo by Mandy Larade (Loyalist College Photojournalism Program / Courtesy

Red carpet MC Dug Stevenson shares a laugh with Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis. DocFest has become an important venue to showcase the city and for 2014 Belleville City Council has made February 24 Belleville Downtown DocFest week.

Belleville Downtown DocFest

related to the issues of today,” says Magwood’s fellow committee member Holly Dewar. “People come to these screenings and see them as an opportunity to discuss these topics with other people. These films show people a different side of the news that is not being covered elsewhere.”

Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

I 21

The Saturday night screening of ‘Occupy Love’ last March helped fuel an Occupy Our Hearts movement in Belleville.

Photo by Paulina Uy (Loyalist College Photojournalism Program / Courtesy Belleville Downtown DocFest

While the films have had an impact on audiences and driven much of DocFest’s success, the committee’s ability to add on extra treats, such as the Friday night gala, has also had a big impact. After last year’s screening of ‘Occupy Love’ on Saturday night, Ripper was joined by well-known political commentator Judy Rebick for an audience Q&A. And the following morning the director staged a workshop, ‘Love in a Time of Crisis’ at the nearby Belleville Club.

But while all the national and international celebrity certainly helps drive the success of DocFest, the organizers haven’t lost sight of the importance of the local component.

Last year’s Spotlight on Local Filmmakers featured nine entries, and the Saturday night screening of ‘Occupy Love’ was preceded by local shorts from three directors, Joel George, Doug Knutson and Darko Zeljkovic, as well as question and answer sessions with each filmmaker. George has since joined the DocFest committee, bringing his knowledge of local film work to the team as well as acting as the event’s website manager.

“Highlighting and promoting the local talent is very important to us,” Dewar points out, “and having a filmmaker like Joel on the committee, and having his input, ties us into that community.”

The local connection extends beyond the films, as well. In its first year DocFest featured art from Artists Below The Line, an informal collective of artists of limited means that was formed in 2011.

The showing of the group’s work at the CORE Centre, the former Belleville Public Library, during the 2012 DocFest was the first public event for the organization.

“They ran the program at the CORE and that was significant because it introduced the community to the CORE,” Magwood says. “It spun off a lot of events for the CORE.” In its first year DocFest allied itself with the media program at Loyalist College, which gave the event

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Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

‘Occupy Love’ director Velcrow Ripper (left) was joined by noted activist and social commentator Judy Rebick (right) for a Q&A session after the Saturday night screening of his film at DocFest 2013 Photo by Mandy Larade (Loyalist College Photojournalism Program / Courtesy Belleville Downtown DocFest

a great deal of exposure on campus. Last year over 300 elementary and high school students saw four films on the Friday afternoon.

As with any venture, growth brings new challenges. For the 2014 event, scheduled from Friday, February 28 until Sunday, March 2, DocFest won’t have the advantage of the same financial aid from World Community.

“We’ve simply outgrown their support,” Magwood explains. “Their mandate is to help start-ups and we’ve grown beyond that. So now we’re on our own. This year our films will cost more. As a wild guess, I’d say that having access to 30-40 films will cost us $3,000-$4,000. But we will maintain the

quality of what we show. We have a commitment not to cut corners.”

In an effort to boost funding the event will make its first approach to Belleville City Council for financial support. The committee has also done a good job of finding sponsors for individual films that resonate with their products. For example, last year’s screening of ‘Miss Representation’, which deals with the portrayal of women in the media and their power and influence in North America, was co-sponsored by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario and the Quinte Coordinating Committee Against Violence.

When it comes to obtaining films, the committee will not be left completely on its own. World Community will continue to lend more limited support, and the DocFest group has maintained its connections with Hot Docs, the Canadian International Documentary Festival based in Toronto, the National Film Board, and works with the Belleville Public Library, where Dewar is the Manager of Public Services.

When it comes to selecting films the event’s mandate is to screen, “documentary films celebrating life and human dignity around the world and right here at home.”

“Finding films is actually the easy part,” Dewar says. “We have some people on the committee that are very knowledgeable and have a good idea of what people want. Lynn [Braun, QFA programmer] is amazing. She and Anne MacInnis know films and have a good sense of films. Lynn is so well connected.

“We’re connected with other groups like those in Sudbury and Peterborough. We also have other organizations make suggestions for films, such as the [Hastings County] Historical Society, where they can see films having a local impact.”

The DocFest committee also includes Heather Muir, the co-chair and gala co-ordinator who is also production director with the Belleville The-

atre Guild; Dug Stevenson, who handles PR and media duties and is director of tourism for the Bay of Quinte Tourist Council; Ruth Ingersoll, the community agencies co-ordinator and executive director for the Community Development Council of Quinte; and Kelly Schnurr, associate producer, broadcast and live events, CBC. While Downtown DocFest has managed to introduce the people of Belleville to great international, national and local documentaries, it has also played a pivotal role in raising the profile of the city of Belleville. According to Magwood, last year’s event drew visitors from as far as Kingston, Toronto and Bancroft.

“We’re so well positioned,” Dewar points out. “Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston are all close enough.

People can come by train, and from most of these large centres it’s not too big a trip.”

Perhaps recognizing the positive local impact of DocFest, Belleville City Council has officially named the week of Feb. 24 Belleville Downtown DocFest Week.

“Just bringing people downtown is so important,” Dewar says. “This is part of the revitalization of the downtown.”

“The first one is so gratifying and everyone has stayed with it,” adds Magwood. “It’s been fascinating watching Downtown DocFest grow and develop.”

•

Belleville Downtown DocFest will run from Friday, February 28-Sunday, March 2, with screenings at the Core Arts & Culture Centre, Belleville Public Library, and John M. Parrott Art Gallery in downtown Belleville. For details on the film schedule and ticket information, please visit www.downtowndocfest. ca, email info@downtowndocfest,ca or call (613) 849-1976.

•

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Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

I 23

ARTISANS AT HAND

From start to finish Roslin resident does more than just knit STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHARON HENDERSON

Wendy Pullan describes herself as unassuming but she is an expert shepherd, a seasoned spinner, and a master knitter. She was raised in North Vancouver and as a young adult she competed in rowing (eight with cox) in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. She and her husband Bruce lived for 10 years on a traveling sailboat and they now live near Roslin. They keep sheep, rabbits, and work dogs. Wendy is a farmer, a gardener, a fibre producer and an artisan. She loves farming and one can see this from her hands, which show signs of work even though they are regularly in contact with lanolin.

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

I do everything from shearing the sheep by hand with scissors, washing, dying, carding, and spinning to knitting and hooking with the wool.

You have chosen to participate in the entire process of fibre. How have you accomplished this?

When I first learned to knit, I decided I wanted to do it from scratch, always thinking that one day I’d like to have sheep, but never knowing what was going to happen. When I met Bruce we ended up building a boat and sailing away. I didn’t spin for the whole time we were off sailing. We knew we wouldn’t sail forever, so the plan was to get a farm when we’d finished. We got the farm and now I have my sheep.

We got the farm in ‘95 and there was absolutely nothing here. It was just red cedars, prickly ash, thistles, and rocks. We cleared the fields, built the house, built the barn, and made the vegetable garden. I got the sheep a couple of years after. I also got into sheepdogs and sheepdog trialing.

We have 150 acres and the sheep graze most of the cleared parts of it. The sheep are moved around constantly because I rotate in small pas-

24 I

Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

tures. The Border Collies do the work to get them where I want them to go and then we have Maremma guardian dogs that live with the sheep 24 hours a day.

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

I was in Vancouver and I found a place that taught spinning and I took spinning lessons. When I moved here I joined the Belleville Weavers and Spinners Guild and I took a few refresher lessons just to get back into it. Then I took two years of the Masters Program in Spinning through the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners.

How has your work evolved? What have you learned?

Back the seventies the big fad was the big Cowichen sweaters; they were spun with just the singles. Normally you ply - you spin the first time, which is called a single and then you respin it in the opposite direction and ply the two strands together, or you can do three ply or four ply or a whole bunch of ply if you spin really thin. Back in the seventies I don’t remember ever learning how to ply because all these big Cowichen sweaters were made of singles.

I do some of my own batts blended with angora.

The angora is softer, it’s loftier, it fluffs up, and it looks really pretty. Wool has the elasticity to it. It’s got a little barb in its fibres. That’s why when you have a cuff on a mitten or a sweater it will stay tight whereas if you knit something out of pure angora the cuff would just get bigger and bigger. It’s good to blend it. I use dog hair as well; I comb out the dogs and I spin with dog hair, but again I blend it with the wool.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I like it all. There’s physical work and then there’s just relaxing, sitting in front of the fire and knitting.

All the stages are very different.

The lambing is always fun. I sleep out in a trailer in the barn during lambing season. I can hear what’s going on. I have a remote light so I just peek out the window, turn on the light, and see what’s going on. If something is happening then I like to let it happen on its own. I always have my knitting out there so I’ll sit and knit and make sure everything is okay. Then if there is a problem I’m right there.

Do you use natural dyes?

Lately I’ve been using food colouring. I’ve been blending it with blacks and grays. I have used some natural dyes. I’ve gone out and boiled down plants, but it’s very time consuming. I’ve got natural colours that are the colours of the sheep.

Have you received any awards or distinctions for your work in this field?

At the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto I got a first in two classes. I have a small flock of Tunis sheep, an ancient breed from Tunisia, which is a rare breed in Canada. My Tunis fleece won in its class, Down Fleece. Another one of mine won first in its class, Medium Long Wool and then it won the Grand Champion Overall Fleece. My angora fibre placed first, second, and third in Satin class and won Grand Champion Reserve.

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

I knit Bruce a sweater and he’s worn it to town on cold days. He claims that every time he’s gone into a store somebody has commented; strangers have asked him where he got his sweater. So that’s pretty nice.

Pullan can be contacted by email, phone, and farm-gate through her Thistle Dew Farm listing on www.harvesthastings.ca for fleeces, yarns and requests. She often participates in the Port Hope Gathering/Spin-In, Campbellford Spin-In, Warkworth Spin-In, Wolfe Island Fibre Festival, Farmtown Park Fibre Fest, and Sheep To Shawl competition at the Kingston Sheepdog Trails.

•

Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

I 25

C r o s s r o a d s

Remembering Melville Hill Tyendinaga’s Keeper of the Records

By Barry Penhale • Photos courtesy Barry Penhale Collection

A 1973 portrait of Melville Hill by Ted Wakeling, inscribed as “To Robert Melville Hill with many thanks.”

T

he chief at Tyendinaga for seven or more years, Melville Hill was the most congenial of companions, a man who easily made friends both Native and non-native alike. I greatly valued his friendship and treasure memories of many good times in his company, be it visits to the reserve on the Bay of Quinte near Deseronto or in Toronto when his appointment to several provincial advisory committees or his band land-claims research drew him to the city.

Very few of us can claim such a rich heritage as my old friend Mel. His long family ties date back to the early Mohawk members of the Iroquois Confederation, situated in the Mohawk Valley about 50km northwest of Albany, N.Y. These extraordinary Hill ancestors were the same allies of the British that eventually migrated to Canada in 1784 following the American Revolution.

During his lifetime it was often said of Hill that the man was steeped in history, small wonder given such a full background of cherished Mohawk traditions and the exemplary family role models of parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents, all hardworking farmers. The Hills were devout supporters of All Saints Anglican Church and, since 1875, the custodians of the historically rare Queen Anne Silver Communion Service.

Made by Francis Garthorne, and in existence since 1712, the communion service bears an inscription on each item: “The gift of Her Majesty Queen Anne by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, of Her Plantations in North America to Her Indian Chappel of the Mohawks.” The treasured Sacramental Service and a Communion cloth was a gift of the Queen to the new Mohawk church, fol-

26 I

Country Roads • Winter 2013/2014

Mel Hill (left) took a great personal interest in the Tyendinaga Waterfowl Project, jointly sponsored by Ducks Unlimited (Canada) and the Reserve’s band council.

lowing a trip to England in 1710 by five (one died en route) Mohawk Valley chiefs.

(For more on the Queen Anne Silver please refer to the Spring, 2010 and Fall, 2010 issues of Country Roads).

And what part has the famous Queen Anne Silver and the Christian church played in the lives of Mel Hill’s ancestors and eventually his own? The death of his great-grandfather, John W. Hill, on March 27, 1858 resulted from an accident while cutting logs as he toiled to help build All Saints Church. Other members of the band soldiered on and the church was consecrated in 1883. Hill’s widow, Mel’s great-grandmother, Catherine Brant, was the keeper of the silver from I875 to 1897.

Mel’s maternal grandfather John A. Loft, a notable figure who always sported a plug hat, was a generous church supporter and also served on council. Melville Hill’s own father, Robert, when not farming was very active in the Tyendinaga community and served as All Saints church warden for 35 years. Perhaps the most impressive of the lot was Mel’s beloved mother Clara Annie Hill whose turn as custodian of the Queen Anne Silver lasted from 1908 to 1954.

Then came Mel’s turn. But Melville Hill in his time became much more than simply keeper of the prized silver, as his growing heritage concerns and historical interests ultimately resulted in a one-ofa-kind museum crammed with reminders of the past, all housed in the timber frame house he was born in on March 9, 1918. The house was well over 100 years of age when I first began my Tyendinaga visits. It took Mel over 10 years to assemble a remarkable collection of artifacts which, while

focused on local history, also featured examples of crafts produced by Native artisans across much of Canada.

The highly eclectic collection included carvings by former chief, Joel Johnston, a record of the 1885 local election results when Johnston was elected, and rare photos of the Mohawk Fall Fair, including directors of the 1901 fair and the first-prize carriage team owned by Rueben Hill of Picton. An impressive wall display consisted of photographs of elected chiefs from 1870 on, 25 in all at the time of one of my visits. The Queen Anne Silver, secured within a stout safe, was the star attraction among the many fascinating items on hand.

But Curator Mel was never hesitant in pointing out to visitors the objects within his collection that meant the most to him. Among these, the birchbark canoe built by the Mazinaw Lake area carver-craftsman Johnny Bey is believed to date back to circa 1850.

The canoe was almost entirely made from one log and was prominently suspended from the ceiling except when they removed it annually for celebratory use on Mohawk Sunday during the re-enactment ceremony commemorating the arrival of the first Mohawk people in 1784.

Though Mel Hill’s mother had amassed an important collection of largely religious materials by the time he completed his Second World War army service of four-and-a-half years, Mel often attributed the fuelling of his heritage interest to other factors. Among these was a fortuitous meeting with the Honourable Kelso Roberts and the invitation to join with Ontario Department of Lands and Forests personnel on trips to northern Native communities in the James Bay/Hudson Bay region. Mel’s ability to ferret out little-known information from the Native population considerably surpassed the results obtained by non-natives in uniform. As he once told me the situation prompted the creation of an Indian advisory committee, with Mel appointed chairman.

Mel’s ongoing association with numerous Native groups quickly expanded his knowledge of their cultural differences and resulted in his practice of returning home loaded down with collectables. The acquisition of additional objects from other regions of the country soon added to his already impressive home-based museum.

Eventually items in Mel’s possession included: a Western Plains war club made out of Buffalo horns, an eastern Mi’Kmaq club made from a tree root, and an astonishing number of rattles, each of which produced, upon shaking, a cacophony of sound — Iroquois bark rattles, fish-skin and turtle rattles, and others made out of caribou hide. Mel never once concealed his admiration for the work of the Tyendinaga carver Joel Johnson and never lost an opportunity to draw the attention of guests to a set of napkin rings carved by Johnson.

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Mel’s mother, Clara Annie Hill, displaying the coveted Queen Anne Silver. Mel’s father is standing in the background.

Carrying on with the family tradition of farming, Mel Hill was a proud annual exhibitor at the Mohawk Fall Fair for many years.

A glance through his guest register confirmed that visitors came from all over the world. But not everyone came from distant places and Mel was delighted to receive local school children. Such interest meant a great deal to him. He was also pleased to recognize the increase of crafts work on the Reserve and regarded the creations by local artists and artisans to be an important means of preserving Mohawk culture.

Though primarily known as Keeper of the Silver or Keeper of the Records, Hill could also easily be remembered as the Keeper of the Marsh. While the program on Mel was being filmed for TVO’s For The Record series, he took producer Ken MacKay and the crew (which included this writer) to the mouth of Mud Creek. The backdrop was a cinematographer’s dream comprised of 800 acres of what seemed like endless marsh, natural habitat for ducks, muskrats and turtles. It was here in 1962 that Ducks Unlimited (Canada) joined forces with the local Mohawk in what was dubbed the Tyendinaga Project, DU’s first wetland conservation program in Ontario. Here, a dam built at a cost of $20,000 dollars was introduced to control the water levels of a prime waterfowl-producing marsh, a priceless part of their heritage that Mel and others believed worth championing.

Mel Hill’s years of research and his personal recollections became the basis for riveting radio and television interviews, both on and off the Reserve.

His memorable memories often involved the passing of old ways: sleigh rides on New Year’s Day, homemade donuts on strings and 40-rod-long sticks of taffy made on the coldest of snow. His own childhood involved the time when you made your own fun, attended a one-room school on the Reserve,

or as in Mel’s case, cycled to Deseronto for three years while attending high school. It was a time of no money when clothing purchased in the fall at Napanee was paid for with geese and payment for groceries was in the form of hay needed for the grocer’s delivery horses. All this in one man’s lifetime.

When the half-hour television programs in the For the Record series began to air, TVO viewers were introduced individually to 12 very special Ontarians. Mel Hill was one of these and as a result of many repeat showings, his story became known to a much wider audience.

Melville Hill left us in 1993, but before exiting he gave us many examples of a man proud of his heritage. Mel’s many keepsakes informed and delighted a generation. His company and stories enriched the lives of the many people privileged to know him.

Putting all seriousness aside I cannot but smile, perhaps even grin, in recalling an occasion when I queried Mel on his life as a bachelor. Fifty-seven years old at the time his response was that he was an old army guy who had lived alone, was set in his ways, and doubted that a woman could put up with him. But, thank goodness, Mel Hill wasn’t always right. In the fall of 1977, my mail produced an envelope containing a small photo and on the back, in handwriting I knew so well, it read, “Taken Oct. 7/77. This isCommunity my wife and newly acquired Employment Servicesfamily.

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•

Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

I 27

C o u n t r y

C a l e n d a r

Things to see and do in and around Hastings County.

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

Gothal the Awful wants to pave paradise and put up a parking lot! Princess Rapunzel teams up with Bea, The Bumble Fairy and Bud, the Palace Gardener, to save the day. (Family Panto Recommended for ages 5 and up) For performance dates, times, and pricing: www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com

ART GALLERIES/EXHIBITIONS Art Gallery of Bancroft, 10 Flint Avenue, Bancroft, 613-332-1542 www.agb.weebly.com Dec 1 - 28- Sale of art from private collections -The owner will determine the sale price, with 35% of that amount to be retained by the Gallery.

Jan 9 - Feb 2 - Gerald Humen, Painter; Lucia McHardy – Potter Feb 6 - March 2 - Leslie Kirby-Olvet, Painter March 6 – April 6- Works by Oscar Schlienger- from the Gallery’s Permanent Collection John M. Parrott Art Gallery, Belleville Public Library, 254 Pinnacle Street, Belleville, 613968-6731, ext. 2240, www.bellevillelibrary. com Galleries One and Two Dec 5 – Jan 2 - OCAD - The Printmaking students at Ontario College of Art and Design University return with an exhibition and sale showcasing various print making techniques.

Dec 5 – Jan 2 - Cityscapes - Belleville and Beyond; an exhibition of new works in oil by local artist Jesus Estevez. Opening reception Thursday, Dec 5th; 6 - 7:30 pm

Jan 9 - Feb 13 - Group Photo Show Feb 20 - Mar 26 - Ron Pickering & Students - Watercolour

THEATRE/LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Belleville Theatre Guild, 613-967-1442 www.bellevilletheatreguild.ca Nov 8 – Dec 14 - The Velveteen Rabbit Feb 6 – 22 - Leading Ladies

The Regent Theatre – 224 Main St. Picton 613-476-8416 www.theregenttheatre.org

Dec 7 – Carlos del Junco - (Juno winning Blues)

Dec 14 – Toronto All Star Band (Big Band Christmas) Dec 15 & 16 The Nutcracker (County Dance Academy)

My Theatre Bay of Quinte Community Players, Trenton Town Hall, 55 King Street, EVENTS Trenton. tickets@mytheatrequinte.ca www.mytheatrequinte.ca or Quinte West Nov 20 – Jan 31 – The Big Bright Light Chamber of Commerce 800-930-3255 or Show, Dundas Street, downtown Napanee.

613-392-7635 The Big Bright Light Show was launched in Dec 7 (7pm) & Dec 8 (1pm) - A Cana2012 and saw 170,000 LED Lights fill the dian Christmas – It’s Christmas Eve in skies of Downtown Napanee. The 2013 Big the home of our Canadian Family and Bright Light Show will launch on Nov 20th, they’ve invited you to drop in for a taste 2013 at 7 pm - the light show which will of Canada. Gramma, Grampa, Mom cover almost three blocks! Nightly 5 – 11 and Dad will read to the children about pm. www.greaternapanee.com the many Christmas Eve’s that live on, in www.downtownnapanee.com the stories written by some of Canada’s famous authors. Music - Jordan Thomas Dec 3, 10, 17- Noon Hour Advent Reand The Whaley Brothers. citals at Bridge Street United Church, 60 Feb 27, 28, Mar. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 Bridge St. E., Belleville –Enjoy a half hour of Love, Sex and the IRS seasonal music – all begin at 12:15 pm A

free-will offering.

Stirling Festival Theatre, West Front St., Stirling 613-395-2100 1-877-312-1162 Dec 5 – 8 - 10th Annual Tweed Festival www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com of Trees - Moments to Remember. View Dec 15 – The Mantini Sisters Christbeautifully decorated trees & wreaths while mas, 8 pm Sandra, Barbara and Ann sipping a hot drink & enjoying a homemade invite you to celebrate with them the cookie. Entertainment by a wide variety of joyous season of Christmas in an evening local musicians. Raffle tickets. Tweed Hunof popular holiday classics old and new. gerford Agricultural Building, 617 Louisa St.,

Nov 23 – Dec 31 - Rapunzel: A Hairy Tale -The Floral Kingdom is in trouble!

Tweed. Draws to be held on Sunday, Dec 8 at 3 pm. Sponsored by the Tweed Chapters of Beta Sigma Phi. All Proceeds to youth activities in the Municipality. 613-478-3225 or www.twp.tweed.on.ca Dec 6 - Suzie Vinnick and Band - Art Gallery of Bancroft Gala Fundraiser at Hot Club 580. Also performing will be The Coe Hill Girls. Tastings, appetizers, a pop-up art gallery and a licensed bar will be featured in a Bistro Club setting. Tickets $30.00 each or $50.00 per couple and available at the Art Gallery of Bancroft, 10 Flint Ave, Bancroft.

613 332 1542.

Dec 6, 7, 8 – Christmas at O’Hara Mill Homestead. Fri 4-8 pm, Sat & Sun 1 – 8 pm Enjoy an old-fashioned Christmas gettogether. Music, food, sleigh rides. For full list www.ohara-mill.org Dec 8 – Christmas in Prince Edward County – tour wonderful old/new homes decked out for the holidays. Self-guided tour, 1 – 6 pm. Tickets $20.00 at Books & Co, 289 Main St, & Royal LePage, 104 Main St, Picton. Call 613-476-7310.

Jan 5 - Unveiled Bridal Event -Quinte’s only Boutique Bridal Event with luxurious mini pampering for the brides, mini fashion shows & seminars plus and bridal exhibitors.

1 Alhambra Sq., Belleville, 10am - 4pm, www.unveiledbridalevent.ca Jan 21 - Author Paul Kirby presents the amazing life and times of Billa Flint. Magistrate, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Canada (pre Confederation), Belleville Mayor and Senator after 1867. He was renowned as a builder of Hastings County and Belleville.

7:30 pm at the Quinte Living Centre, 370 Front Street, Belleville (north door) for this free public presentation. www.hastingshistory.ca

Jan 27 - Gardening with Nature - Discover the strategies wildlife and gardening lovers, Elizabeth Churcher and George Thomson, use to support nature while living sustainably from the crops they grow.

Quinte Field Naturalist meeting, 7 pm, Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, Belleville.

Feb 18 - Firefighter Mark Shannon, presents “The History of the Belleville Fire Department”. Learn about the founding of the BFD, its early development, the changing technologies and the major battles with local fires. 7:30 pm at the Quinte Living Centre, 370 Front Street, Belleville (north door). www.hastingshistory.ca Feb 24 – Save the Salamanders - “Salamander Man”, Matt Ellerbeck, will share his passion and enthusiasm for these secretive amphibians – what species live here, why they matter, the environmental threats they face and the actions we can take to help conserve them. Quinte Field Naturalist meeting, 7 pm, Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, Belleville. Free-will donation Feb 28 – March 2 – Belleville Downtown DocFest: Three days of outstanding documentary films celebrating life and human dignity around the world and right here at home. www.dowtowndocfest.ca March 18 - Radio Personality, Sean Kelly, on the 68-year “History of CJBQ Radio in Quinte”. Hear about the establishment and early life of the “Voice of the Bay of Quinte” and some of its colorful personalities. 7.30 pm at the Quinte Living Centre, 370 Front Street, Belleville (north door) Free admission. www.hastingshistory.ca

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APRIL’S IMAGE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST RETAILERS OF EDGY TRIBAL FASHIONS

MARLENE’S

For that special fashion purchase, be sure to visit

APRIL’S IMAGE 14 Dundas St. East, Napanee 613.354.0017

MAYHEW JEWELLERS

9B Dundas St. E., Napanee 613.308.9499 www.miladyslace.com

11 Dundas St. E., Napanee 613.354.3988 www.marlenesmayhewjewellers.com

Touch of Wellness Your Total Relaxation Destination 2 Dundas Street, Napanee, Ontario 613.354.3131

WINTER WARM UP WITH A TOUCH OF WELLNESS SPA PACKAGE Fire and Ice Pedicure - 1 hour Aveda Facial – 1 hour Then curl up by our Fireplace and enjoy a glass of wine and lite bite.

C e le b r at in g 2 2 Ye ar s

ONLY $160.00

613.354.2799 2 DUNDAS ST. W., NAPANEE, ON WWW.TOUCHOFCLASSFASHIONS.CA

Touchofwellnessnapanee.com

EXTENDED HOURS THURSDAY EVENINGS

Events • Fine Fashions • Specialty Shops • And More!

Winter 2013/2014 • Country Roads

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THE ONE THING WE CAN’T FIX IS YOUR PRIDE. LET’S FACE IT. ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN. Whether you’re in need of emergency surgery, cosmetic rehabilitation, dental implants or even wisdom tooth extractions - our “A”-Team of Dental Professionals are ready to assist you.

Tougher on the ice, than off? No problem, we offer Nitrous and IV Sedation. Just ask us.

Madoc 613.473.2142 | Deseronto 613.396.2974 | Web: steinbergdental.com | Twitter: @SDCDentalCentre