KING COUNTRY magazine
autumn 2017. volume 1, issue ii
How to impress the admissions department page 18
Selling Fincham’s Harness Shop page 32
PTSD and equine assisted therapy page 28
All the benefits of a quaint country setting. All the perks of a bustling metropolis.
KINGSGATE PLACE
kingsgateplaza.com
For all inquiries contact: Janice Williams, Broker 416.566.5038 jwilliams@sothebysrealty.ca
KING COUNTRY magazine the fine print publisher, editor-in-chief Yevgenia Casale copy editor Eleonora Tartakovsky contributors Gary van Bolderen Joyce Chau André Flys Brian Kielstra Andrew Prebul Freyda Tartak illustration & creative direction Maya Casale photographers Stephanie Berger Jim Craigmyle Lisa Pace cover Andy Cook with Hudson (page 28) wearing custom holster, crafted at Fincham’s Harness Shop (page 12). details King Country Magazine is distributed quarterly, free of charge, via Canada Post throughout King Township, at select bulk drop-off locations & online at: kingcountrymagazine.com. All content reflects the opinions of the authors and advertisers respectively and does not necessarily reflect those of the magazine. It is the responsibility of those submitting content and photography to ensure that they have the legal right to use and distribute it. All content is the property of PRAS Publishing or the contributors and cannot be reproduced without express written consent from the magazine.
Concerts at Michele’s Tickets only $30 online or $35 at the door (purchase in advance at brownpapertickets.com)
Michele Mele proudly presents the 4th season of her Saturday afternoon jazz concert series Enjoy world-renowned musicians in a relaxed setting, in the heart of King Township! Tickets include light refreshments.
content submission KCM proudly supports local artists and community groups. Submit content by Oct. 30th for inclusion in our December issue. Submit early. Inclusion consideration based on space availability.
Sept. 16 (Season Four Opening
Concert Double Bill): Cettina Donato piano and Michele Mele piano and vocals with Neil Swainson bass and John Mele drums
CONNECT WITH KCM: email submit@kingcountrymagazine.com website kingcountrymagazine.com Facebook & Instagram: @kingcountrymagazine Twitter: @kingcountrymag
Michele Mele
website: michelemele.com Youtube: Michele Mele Music
Oct. 21: Don Naduriak Latin/Salsa Band with Don Naduriak piano, Bill McBirnie flute, Russ Little trombone George Koller bass, Joaquin Nuñez drums/percussion
Nov. 18: Ross Wooldridge Band with Alex Pangman vocals
Dec. 16:Christmas Special featuring Guido Basso on fluegel horn and Bernie Senensky on piano Don’t be disappointed, book your tickets today, available online at:
brownpapertickets.com
A lovely concert going experience!
editorial soap box
On best laid plans & gratitude
The summer of 2017 slid ten ways from Sunday for me. It started off nicely: after the last issue, my inbox hummed with emails offering congratulations. My favourite is this one: “I have just received your magazine and I am quite impressed by its content, but to make it short, I have a suggestion about how you print the telephone numbers. I make particular reference to page 46. Using a dot as a separator of the groups makes it very hard to read, so why not use an old-fashioned dash (-). It makes it so much easier to see the grouping of the numbers. Please beg your advertisers to do the same thing. I would greatly appreciate. Keep up the good work! Rolf E.”
Thanks, Rolf, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Those dots were intentional. But, we took your preference under advisement and appreciated your time in sharing it. Thank you to everybody who wrote in with your congratulations and opinions. Your feedback is important to us! In June, we had a roster of content lined-up, certain we would publish those stories this time around. Then life happened. Suffice it to say I spent a lot of time in Sunnybrook Hospital’s 2nd-floor lounge. Everything worked out, and I am eternally grateful to the nurses and doctors there! Well, but one night I was a wreck, and I couldn’t face the kids in that condition. Instead, I opted for a drink at The Summerhill. Thanks for the hug and the drink Jaclyn, I’m not sure which I needed more. Speaking of thanks, check out Sweetie Cakes on Instagram (@laurabaggetta). Schomberg’s Laura Baggetta made up an arrangement of cupcakes for me looked like a bouquet of roses. I looked like mother-of-the-year that day! If you don’t have Instagram, send me a note. I’ll send you her number. Don’t worry, I’m grateful to Southlake Hospital, too. Thanks for the stellar job with that cast, Dr. Lee. Yup! Eventful is a good word to describe my summer. Some days, I think this magazine was the only thing that kept me grounded. It would have been easy to get wrapped up in life and forget about the rest of the world. KCM gave me the balance I needed. So, thank you to the Evesons, Andy Cook, YRP, Can Praxis and everybody else for trusting us with your stories. I hope this edition of KCM will serve justly to honour the fallen and help the living. Let me know what you think of it. Nothing makes us happier here at KCM than engaged readers. I’m always thrilled to hear from you! Be sure to connect with us through social media, on our website, or via email. You might even win a copy of Kelly Mathews’ new book, just for thinking of us! Warm regards,
Yevgenia Casale
, B.Tech
Editor-in-Chief, King Country Magazine
In this issue... Researching stream health .....................................................8 Sinnotts’ turnkey offering ....................................................... 12 Agriculture-driven mindsets ...................................................14 Ultimate guide to postsecondary applications ................ 18 Rack of lamb recipe....................................................................24 Port Soirée Restaurant Café..................................................25 Jazzy afternoons near home ................................................26 Embracing equine assisted therapy.....................................28 Back yard bee keeping .............................................................34 From spark to innovation, one concept at a time ..........36 Peeking inside Schomberg’s Kingsgate Place...................38 Katherine McManus................................................................... 40 Throwing rocks through grass roots ................................. 44 Custodians of King’s heritage ................................................46 On coping, believing and purpose .........................................48 Kelly Mathews’ road to Marylake ....................................... 50 Fleeting moments & afterthoughts .....................................52 Cool ideas & how they happened .........................................54
... and there’s more online! We’re always throwing stuff up there, so be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. Visit kingcountrymagazine.com to watch Fincham’s Brian Sinnott’s mini-leather working lesson, step inside the newly renovated Sasso’s Trattoria & Wine Bar, and get to know celebrated illustrator Giovannina Colalillo. If you have something you want us to share online, send your post ready content or artwork over anytime to submit@kingcountrymagazine.com. Our print deadline for the December 4th issue is October 30th, (no extensions)! This magazine is made possible through advertising dollars. We call you our partners in success! If you’re thinking of advertising, we’d love to hear from you.The Christmas issue is booking up fast. Get in touch early to not miss your chance. 10,000 copies, distributed door-to-door, and at bulk drop-off locations all over town!
Researching stream health by Joyce Chau and Brian Kielstra
Headwaters are the smallest streams in a watershed. In fact, if you add them up, they represent 70% to 80% of the total stream length in a watershed! Headwater streams move important nutrients, sediment, and organic material downstream. Since most water eventually ends up downstream, it makes sense to have a good understanding and protection of headwaters. Headwater streams are often disregarded during urbanization. As a result, streams are being altered or lost with an insufficient grasp of the environmental impact of those changes. page 8
KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
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ot is usually something people try to avoid or get rid of. This wasn’t the case for thirty Rot Squad volunteers who got down and dirty last spring to measure rot!
Our trained citizen scientists measured rot (or decomposition) rate in headwater streams across southern York Region this past April. Rot rate can be recorded by placing small cotton strips (artist’s canvas) in streams, leaving them for about three weeks, and then testing how much they decompose. EcoSpark and the University of British Columbia recruited an awesome team of volunteers to join the Rot Squad. The goal was to crowdsource data to determine if rot rate could be a successful measure for stream and ecosystem health, potentially informing and improving land use decisions. With funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and in-kind support from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, we developed a citizen science protocol, secured the equipment, identified headwater streams, trained volunteers – and the Rot Squad was born. EcoSpark is an environmental charity whose mission is to empower communities to take an active role in protecting and sustaining their local environment. We specialize in sparking environmental protection through education, citizen science, and civic engagement. For the Rot Squad, EcoSpark partnered with Brian Kielstra, an aquatic ecology PhD student from the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the impacts of headwater stream loss on downstream ecosystems. The Rot Squad visited forty streams in total, ten of which were in King Township. We learned that rot rate was both the highest and lowest in disturbed headwater streams (i.e., agricultural and urban sites) and modest in undisturbed sites (forested sites). This may be attributed to higher levels of nutrients in disturbed sites leading to a high rot rate. On the other hand, higher levels of pollution in disturbed sites Why York Region? There is a tremendous amount of growth in York Region. According to the 2017 Growth Plan, the region’s population is expected to reach 1,790,000 by 2041. Current growth is already having impacting watershed health. A 2013 report from the Conservation Authorities Moraine Coalition showed that surface water quality in the Oak Ridge Moraine received the lowest grades in York Region, ranging from “C” to “F”.
might lead to a low rot rate. Forested sites had less variable rot rates and may provide a healthy range for this indicator. These preliminary results show a lot of potential in using rot to determine ecosystem health. Not only was this a great way to collect new data in headwater streams, it was also a lot of fun! One volunteer wrote: “the most fun I had was getting out into the field because it allowed me to put into practice the training we received earlier on in the day and it was very fun working with the rest of my Rot Squad crew.” It was also an eye-opening experience. For many, it was their first time learning about headwater streams, wearing waders, and exploring streams. Another volunteer said, “it was interesting to see how each stream differed. This was a great opportunity to learn about how data is collected and how streams are analyzed.” We were amazed by the dedication of the volunteers. Our 30 Rot Squad volunteers contributed 340 volunteer hours in April 2017. Some even came out three consecutive Saturdays in April! “Yes, great organization, great people, great volunteers, great food. I would volunteer again,” said a volunteer. We look forward to recruiting more Rot Squads in the future. This will contribute more data to better understand the power of rot in determining stream health across different land uses. It will also increase the capacity of people to be actively involved in protecting our precious headwater streams. Joyce Chau is the Executive Director of EcoSpark. Brian Kielstra is an aquatic/ landscape ecology PhD student from the University of British Columbia (UBC), working with Dr. John Richardson. His research focuses on the cumulative impacts of headwater stream loss on downstream ecosystems. Brian is interested in how ecosystems are quantified and understanding how they are impacted by patterns and processes occurring at different scales. UBC and EcoSpark partnered for this new citizen science project to test rot as an indicator and the feasibility of collecting data through citizen science. Rot Squad volunteers placed canvass strips in headwater streams to allow researchers to assess the various test strips’ rot rates. For more information on EcoSpark visit ecospark.ca
King Township is blessed with a beautiful and bucolic environment with most of its lands within the protected Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt. However, despite these protective policies, surface water quality in King Township was graded mostly “D” in the same report.
KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
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Anna Raeli
Facing down the next decade When Anna Raeli was growing up, she was sure that she wanted to be a youth and childcare worker. But when every family dinner conversation turned to insurance she started reconsidering her career options. Her cousins were both working for a State Farm agent and offered to get her in. It took Anna a while to come around. “Then one day after this dream that I had, I woke up with such certainty and confidence that, you know what? It’s insurance that I want to do,” she recalls. By then the agent that her cousins worked for had already hired somebody. It turned out to be a bit harder to break into the business than she thought, and her lack of typing skills initially stood in the way. But, what she lacked in finger agility she made up for with tenacity. She kept knocking on doors until somebody finally let her in. “I was just 19 years-old. My boss was a great mentor,” recalls Anna. Within half a year, she was performing in the top 25th percentile. Eventually, she was appointed to an office of her own and evolved into the local go-to insurance agent. “The path that I took was insurance, and I’ve never looked back. So, yeah, I didn’t know how to type. I’m still not the best typist,” she laughs. “I still help people in many ways, through life’s good times and bad times.” She and her team offer home, auto and business insurance.
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“We actually help people through the great times in their life: they have their first baby, they buy their first house… and we build those relationships with people, and then we are with them through not the easiest times in their life,” she explains. Her success is rooted in her natural tendency to be a risk averse and nurturing person. When you speak with Anna, it’s easy to feel comfortable with her, trusting that she has your best interests at heart. “People don’t care how much you know about insurance until they know how much you care about them,” she explains. “I came to King City before the growth was here. I saw the potential and took a chance to start a scratch business,” says Anna. This year she celebrates her 10-year anniversary, and in some ways, she is starting all over again. Back in January, 2014, State Farm sold majority stakes in its Canadian business to Desjardins Insurance. For the past three plus years, the companies have been transitioning the business over to Desjardins, while continuing to operate under the State Farm brand for the time being. Anna knows things will change. Behind the scenes, agents are learning new systems and ways of doing things. From a client facing perspective, as policies renew people notice a different company name at the top of their forms. But, the human relationships will be the same. Anna is optimistic that the impact on customers will be for the better. Regardless of who owns the company, Anna and her team will still be looking out for their clients’ best interests based on their answers to questions like: ‘What’s important to you?’ ‘What do you want this life insurance policy to do for you and your family?’ ‘What are your dreams?’ “Life insurance, savings for children’s educations, all those things help protect and fulfill our client’s tomorrows.” That’s what Anna Raeli loves most about her job.
selling fincham’s
After more than 40 years, Brian and Lauryn Sinnott are looking for somebody to sell their business to. That’s excellent news for anybody looking for an established artisan business to run.
Sinnotts’ turnkey offering
Check out: kingcountrymagazine.com to watch Brian in action..
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obleton’s renowned Fincham’s Harness Shop is for sale. This summer Brian and Lauryn Sinnott sold the building but, the change to King’s landscape won’t happen overnight.
For now, 68-year-old Brian and 65-year-old Lauryn Sinnott will continue to operate the widely respected tack and harness shop. But, after 40 years they are ready to do for somebody else what an old friend did for them, so long ago. Opportunities like this are rare: a true craftsman with a lifetime of knowledge ready to share all his skills and pass over the reigns of an established turnkey operation, complete with a loyal and dedicated clientele. “We came from South Africa,” begins Lauryn. “We left Cape Town in 1972. When we came over here, we were just travelling, backpacking, and we wanted to do something we couldn’t do in South Africa. Because of the cheap labour there, you could never work on a farm, as a nanny, any of those things because they were done by the black population and you just wouldn’t have the opportunity.” Back home, Lauryn worked in medical technology, and Brian was a land surveyor. After visiting Canada for the first time, they decided to return a year later and settle down. “We worked on a farm when we first came. I looked after a little girl, and he worked with the horses, and we knew the fellow that had started Fincham’s. He’d only had it a couple of months at that point,” continues Lauryn. Ron Fincham and Brian Sinnott formed a close friendship. In South Africa, Brian always found ways to work with his hands, fixing cars or building furniture. Ron, a master saddler, always dreamed of moving up north. “So we bought the business from him, and we have had it for over 40 years,” explains Lauryn. “Ron
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KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
“I’m ready to hand over the reigns.” stayed for nine months. Brian worked with him for those nine months, and you do learn very quickly when you have to.” After that, Brian continued to hone his craft, creating everything from pet accessories, belts and purses to artisan equine halters and saddles. “It is a long time of knowledge,” agrees Lauryn, adding, “I cannot think of one single day in these 40 plus years when I could say, ‘I’m bored.’ I can honestly say I’ve never had a day of boredom.” It’s had its challenges. Their space is cramped but, Brian made do with what he had. “There’s no hurry for us to leave yet.” The buyer of the building gave them at least a year to stay. “Brian does the fixing and building,” shares Lauryn. “I’ve always done the business side of it, all the paperwork. I used to spend a lot more time physically at the store. I’ve always had a home office, as well, so when the kids were younger, I could do my billing from there. In the last few years, I haven’t been able to spend as much time physically at the store, and I honestly miss that because we are very fortunate to have an amazing customer base. We have customers that we have had for 40 years.” Fincham’s clients are the sort of people who care deeply for their horses, the same way they treat their babies. Fincham’s does a lot of repair work on gear purchased elsewhere too. Even if the repair is on some thirty dollar halter, the repair work is always done with the same attention to quality. That business model served Fincham’s well over the years. “In the last ten years, I think I wrote off one debt of ten dollars. What we decided a long time ago is we cannot compete with the market. Some of the workmanship that comes in from
overseas, the hand stitching is fine. But, the leather is not,” says Lauryn. With a smile, she retells the story of a customer they had not heard from in so long they assumed she had retired. “But, she is still around. She called and said, ‘Brian, you have to do something different. I’m still using your halter. It’s 20 years old. How can you run your business?’” Fincham’s makes other things, too, because that gives Brian a chance to be artistic. He enjoys the challenge of making purses and other products, carefully selecting the material for each project. Though they don’t throw away scraps, leather is not forgiving like fabric. So, knowing what you will run into at the end of a project will allow you to pick the right piece at the start. “We are very happy when anybody from the school asks for leather scraps because we have tonnes of scraps,” confides Lauryn. In true artisan fashion, many of the tools and machines in the shop are the sort that doesn’t get made anymore: quality crafted tools and equipment that have stood the test of time and extended use. “We have one sewing machine in there that… I think we figured the machine was 100 years old when we bought the store, and it’s still going. We have a modern sewing machine, too. But, some of the old sewing machines, the old hand tools, some of the quality of them is just far better. There’s a lot of really old tools in that store. It’s a neat thing to wander around that store.” A lot of things come with experience, like what kind of thread you are going to use, and how to make sure that it won’t unravel on the saddle. It’s more than just choosing a hide. Having an opportunity to apprentice under a true artisan is a unique chance to learn skills that are becoming increasingly harder to come by. Getting to take over with an established business while acquiring the benefit of 40 years of knowledge and learning to work with your hands is a rare opportunity indeed.
let me get you going! loyal client base Turnkey operation (905) 859-4052
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The Davis family stopped farming a long time ago but, as Barb Davis says: “Once dirt is in your blood, it’s in your blood.” Photo credit: Stephanie Berger
Agriculture driven mindsets The Davises arrived in Canada in 1804. As the story goes, when the family first got here, they drove across Highway 9 and kicked one out every five miles. “There was a big group of them. We are the Schomberg Davises. We’ve been on this farm, or the next one north, since about 1870,” smiles Karl, co-owner of Green Tractors. Karl’s family has always been good at spotting great opportunities. “He was just trying to be out there in the front,” says Karl of his great-great-grandfather, Alfred Davis. “He was known for being a pioneer, trying new crops and making a lot of money because he was the first one to do it.” Though dad, Glenn Davis, was more interested in selling equipment than farming, “we did grow a bunch of different crops over the years. We grew canola here, which was not being done at the time, and then sunflowers. The field to the west of us was all bright yellow flowers for a while.” Glenn got into business by repairing threshing machines. He’d go to the States, buy what he could because nobody was using them there anymore, then fix and resell them in Northern Ontario. For him, farming supported equipment sales. “It was secondary to what we were doing. We were selling machinery,” reflects Karl, the 61-year-old agricultural engineer. Glenn opened Nobleton Farm Service Ltd. in November 1956 with three employees. He relied on his wife Phyllis to manage all the administrative aspects. “We probably had the first round baler here, well probably anywhere, here. I forget what it was, ‘77 or ‘78. We brought one in here, demonstrated page 14
KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
and sold it,” says Karl. “We farmed on the side. We had a beef feed lot over here and some cash crop. It was more about demonstration,” continues Karl’s wife Barb, who took over the administrative duties from Phyllis when she passed away. “For instance, if we had a used trade-in tractor from a customer, we could take it and try it out to make sure it works before we sold it again. We have the space to do that, which is a great opportunity.” While the company’s main supplier is John Deere, selling everything from children’s toys to state-of-the-art farming technology, they do carry other brands, as well. New equipment sales make up about 70 per cent of their business, with the rest generated from service and parts. According to Karl, “we’re in the service business. We always say, ‘our solutions are your success.’” Consistently positive customer satisfaction survey results are a testament to how deeply ingrained that sentiment is within the company. Green Tractors’ solution-based philosophy is a nod to the Davis family’s knack for entrepreneurial foresight and showmanship; qualities that have served them and their surrounding community well over the past century. Even Helen Lucas’ famed sunflower, a print that hangs on many walls around town and beyond, was sketched at the side of King Road, overlooking the Davises’ fields. “Anybody who grew up in this area, myself included, used to love going to Bolton when the sunflowers were up because they follow the sun,” remembers Stephanie Lee Berger.
Stephanie does all of Green Tractor’s market forecasting, planning, budgeting, advertising campaigns, promotions, events, clinics, sponsorships, “and about a million other things – and I still sell equipment. It’s quite a task to balance but, I like the challenge,” she confesses. “We’ve been using GPS driven tractors for 20 some years. Everybody is talking about driverless cars. My goodness, we’ve been doing that for 15 years in the ag business,” says Karl, shaking his head. “If I sold a tractor and had to send it home I could watch it drive itself there. I can watch its fuel levels and tell you its idle time, it’s incredible,” says Stephanie who, even after 12 years is still blown away by what’s available on the market. “You could be in a combine harvesting and set up a tractor telematically to follow you with a buggy to dump out your corn, or whatever you are harvesting, and send it back to the barn, with no driver interaction in the tractor.” “There are still certain things that you need a human to do. The tractor can’t fill itself up with fuel,” explains Barb, “you still need an operator in the cab to monitor things.”
explains Karl. “When we started we had five stores. Now we have seven, each with its unique character, reflective of the communities that they serve,” explains Karl. Green Tractors’ key competitive advantage is in their ability to think like a farmer. Solving customers’ problems sometimes involves re-engineering what is in the marketplace and adapting it to what they need. “We have some customers in the Holland Marsh, the very northern tip of King Township. There is nothing off the shelf that fits everything they need in a tractor. So we have to do some creative modifications to some of their products,” confides Karl. “If dirt’s in your blood, it’s in your blood,” says Barb. “We had one gentleman who came in here who was missing a leg. We had to do some modifications to the machine so that he could use it to mow grass.” Stephanie remembers another customer who wanted to continue working after an awful farming accident that cost him both of his arms. Green Tractors was able to modify a combine for his purposes.
While working together to evolve the business, Karl and Barb Ever the mechanical engineer, for Karl the most exciting also raised two sons, both of whom are now integral to part is “the data coming out of our farm machinery, the the company. Their oldest son Keith, 34, acquired his MBA technical and agronomic information that is coming—it’s from the Schulich School of Business and holds his Human not just that it’s driverless but, we’re getting all this data, as Resources (HR) designation. He handles the company’s HR they’re driving along.” The advantages of collecting statistics requirements. Their youngest Kevin, 32, is the in-house from a machine that is spraying information technology expert. Green Tractors is a large company, Back in the 70’s the Davises chemicals on a field within an inch of its pass are tremendous. with over 150 employees. We are spread projected that by 2000 farming Technology is taking the out from Milton to New Liskeard, to in the area would be overrun guesswork out of farming, Kingston. It’s a big area to cover, and it’s by the urban environment. “It allowing operators to use fewer didn’t happen quite as quickly run by a lot of good people. chemicals and apply them on the as we anticipated. In the end, ~ Karl Davis our ratio of what we sell to the right spots. “Because we have a data map of the field, we know where the weeds are. We can urban versus the farming community hasn’t changed over spray only the weeds. The driver doesn’t have to be involved. The the past two decades. It’s pretty interesting,” reflects Karl. map is built into the machine. He just pushes a button, and “Farming has got some good future in it, even in this area.” the sprayer takes care of it,” explains Karl. “The savings are But, true to the family legacy, the company never stopped incredible but, the technology is also something that requires adapting and changing with the times. “Who knew 20 years a higher level of expertise that couldn’t be afforded by a ago that we’d sell as many tractors to move snow in parking single store, operating out of one place that maybe doesn’t lots as we do now? It’s a good chunk of our business in some see it every day. So we spread that over seven locations, the of our stores.That wasn’t even there 20 years ago,” marvels knowledge is there. We have a team, that’s all they do.” Karl. “We’re using big farm tractors to push snow.” “Some people are not interested in adopting that level of The subcompact tractor is another interesting trend. Over technology, and that’s okay. That method of farming is not the past six years, people have learned to love the idea of a for everybody,” adds Stephanie, who still sells plenty basic, basic tractor that comes with a hundred possible attachment bare bones equipment to people who are not looking for options. It even comes with a loader on the front and a little a tractor that can drive itself across the country and sing loader on the back. “It’s a machine aimed at the weekend happy birthday. warrior with a bit of property,” suggests Stephanie. Over the years the company grew and contracted several As King continues to evolve, Green Tractors is sure to remain times before joining forces with the Svendsens, based in a relevant member of the community, perpetuating its Lindsay, and Clows, based in Kingston. “It was a natural reputation as a local success story. evolution of dealers growing together into a bigger entity,”
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KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
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Stretching into playful therapy In school, Tiziana D’Angelo majored in geography and psychology. But, from the first time she held a crayon as a child, her heart belonged to making art. As a certified teacher and yoga instructor Tiz continues to weave in what she enjoys most; sharing, enlightening and delighting students and workshop participants with the many therapeutic benefits of making art. Though people often delight in her paintings, for Tiz, making art is about the journey, not the outcome. “I love inspiring others to connect with themselves through yoga, wellness workshops and our, intuitive art programs,” explains Tiz. “The focus of my art classes is to help the creator be present and in the moment through mischievous prompts and unexpected guidelines like painting with their eyes closed.” According to Tiz, “beginning a piece this way allows us to get our thoughts, judgments and criticism out of the way and enjoy the sensations of the painting process. It’s a sort of yoga with art. I sometimes call it yogart!” Her brightly lit studio space allows Tiz to offer a variety of programs. Sometimes it’s just about the yoga mats. Sometimes, it’s just about the canvas. Sometimes, the yoga and the art are combined. “I teach yoga in the Kripalu tradition and help people learn how to listen to their intuition and allow their soul to guide them along their creative journey.” In addition to the adult centric classes and workshops, Stretching Canvas also offers a full menu of intuitive painting and yoga classes for little kids and teenagers. Students learn about mindfulness and techniques to help them better deal with worries, stresses and anxiety. Before settling into her current location, Tiz ran Messy Hands Happy Hearts, a mobile art studio in the form of a converted school bus. Those already familiar with Messy Hands will be happy to learn that the bus is back! The bus is a great opportunity to let kids loose with clay and paint, without having to worry about the clean-up. page 16
KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
Tiziana D’Angelo, owner of King City’s Stretching Canvass, is shown looking at one of her quickly executed paintings. Tiz runs art classes focused on mindful exploration, incorporating yoga and payful, intuitive art programming.
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avigating the school application process is a daunting task. Fortunately, King Country Magazine teamed up with some of the best in the industry to share what every admissions department looks for in your application but, won’t tell you to give them.
How to pick the right school for you Across Canada, thirteen institutions offer fashion and textile design courses, and sixty-seven schools offer accounting. Every single one of them is unique in some way. Within any discipline, there are many different strands and many different approaches. You can line up representatives from each of the sixteen Ontario institutions that offer accredited engineering degrees only to discover that each has a different focus and boasts a unique social dynamic. The types of people who survive and thrive there are often very different from one school to the next. In short, not every applicant is right for every spot and not every spot is ideal for every applicant. Making sure that the schools you select align with your beliefs, motivations and worldview with work to your advantage.
What Admission Departments won’t tell you Sought after schools have an ever-evolving need to outmanoeuvre potential candidates looking for golden tickets in chocolate bars. There isn’t much difference between Willy Wonka’s search for a successor and a school’s search for next year’s student body. In the end, the reputation, wealth and resources of a school are at the mercy of their student attrition (drop-out) rates and alumni success stories. Who they pick can either advance or damage their legacy. That’s something most of your competition doesn’t fully understand. There is a huge difference between getting in and succeeding. Schools can openly ask only for what most people can be expected to have by the time they graduate from high school. That doesn’t mean they don’t need more from you.
are you nervous about applying?
Insiders’ guide to gaining school acceptance letters page 18
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Our current elementary and high schools are geared toward equity, not excellence. Though the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive, experience teaches us that they are. Education in our publicly funded school systems is meant to be accessible, not comprehensive. Teachers are constantly told to reduce the homework load to accommodate for more unstructured free time in the evenings, robbing students of guidance and direction to explore further and reinforce the subjects they are studying in school. Examples abound of teachers being assigned to subjects that they have a marginal comfort level in themselves. In theory, as long as students apply themselves, any child graduating from an Ontario school should have everything they need to compete for the spot of their choice. Kids shouldn’t require outside education but, we know that they do. “Schools will always look for the most developed skill they can have. Where you get it is up to you,” confides Joanne Dice,
Scholar’s Edge Tutoring
owner, designer and creative director at Haute Couture Academy of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design. It’s not unusual for Haute Couture’s students to out-compete against other applicants vying for the same spots, as well as finish at the top of their classes in the programs of their choice. That’s because many of the school’s students are with Haute Couture throughout their high school years, and often even earlier. By the time they start working on their portfolios, many of those kids have already had four to ten years of sewing, design and pattern making in their back pockets.
Deciphering the questions
17-year-old Iggy Mazza dropped AAA hockey in favour of CrossFit training. His focus is on competing on the world stage in the CrossFit Games. But, Iggy knows that he’ll need something beyond sport and ultimately wants a career in environmental architecture. His dedication and focus on performing at an elite level means that even regular days include three-hour workouts. To keep himself on track, Iggy relies on Scholar’s Edge Tutoring. Iggy isn’t alone. Many kids and their families balance the demands of school, outside interests, and learning styles with the aid of this tutoring service. In some situations it’s competitive dance or hockey. In others it is simply the understanding that kids benefit from routine reinforcement and expansion of what they cover during the day. The approach to teaching at Scholar’s Edge is reflected in the buildings from which to choose to operate. They recently expanded to a third location, this time in Aurora. Once again, they chose a heritage home, built in 1860. As with their Nobleton purchase of the postmaster’s house, built in 1856, Scholar’s Edge enjoys paying homage to and building on solid foundations. “Even though we have always been strong in teaching academics, our focus has always been in teaching self-study skills to develop independent learners,” explains Rajesh Verma, owner of the widely respected local tutoring school. “We emphasize transferable skills. If your foundations are strong, you are basically prepared to face challenges in school and in life.”
No matter where you submit to, you need to pay attention to how your responses align with that school’s focus, culture and philosophy. Admissions departments receive tons of applications. A large number of excellent candidates get dismissed because their answers are too generic, lacking proof that they understand and want what the school has to offer. Schools care a great deal about the character of applicants who make their short lists. They search for signs of tenacity, resilience and a willingness to learn. Your application and portfolio, if required, should clearly and neatly illustrate your focus, talent, skillset and evidence of a growth mindset (the belief that you can acquire your goals through learning and practice). Don’t just pilfer their website for catch phrases. Show that what you want is what the school has to offer. As Kai Shin Karate’s Sensei Giancarlo Esposito says, they are looking for kids “with an open mind and a willing heart.” That sounds simple enough but, we know it isn’t. Keep reading. We’ll get you there. Every school’s task is to assemble a student body comprised of individuals who collaborate well with peers and educators. They judge suitability base on how well-rounded you are and your appreciation for the world around you. Schools want people who demonstrate a capacity to be genuinely interested in the things that matter to their institution. While schools are pretty open about their philosophies, it is their social dynamic that will seal your fate. That is the hardest element to predict. You can Rajesh and Monica Verma own & operate Scholar’s Edge out of three locations: Woodbridge, Nobleton, and now Aurora (inset).
Scholar’s Edge operates under two models: group lessons and 1:1 tutoring. As in Iggy’s case, Rajesh works closely with teachers to minimize disruptions while serving to accommodate special requirements. “Group lessons have always been very productive because they are not monotonous,” relates Rajesh. These often consist of peers working on the same assignments or toward the same test or exam dates. “So, it actually helps them because they feed off each other, they share insight.” Even in group settings each student is carefully monitored, blending in an individualized approach to ensure students are adequately supported and challenged. “I believe it is a common goal that we are working toward in developing their child overall,” says Rjesh. Scholar’s Edge collaborates with parents and teachers to detrmine what is in the child’s best interests. For grade eleven and twelve students Scholar’s Edge offers career path guidance, supplementing school guidance to further improve the students’ chances of success in post secondary education. They offer flexible schedules and often continue supporting students throughout their postsecondary education, as well.
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improve your chances by attending campus tours, looking for opportunities to eat lunch with current students, and maybe auditing a class or two. These are great ways to gain a better understanding of what you are up against. Another important consideration to take into account is the schools' industry partners. Many of the coolest toys at colleges and universities (like state-of-the-art printing presses) are donated or sponsored by industry partners. They are also the ones who often end up hiring the best from the graduating classes. If you want to know what schools are looking for, try to find out who is getting the attention in the senior classes. Chances are, they'll be the student ambassadors the schools will present to you during their open houses. If the type of character that gets the prized job isn’t somebody you see yourself wanting to be, reconsider your picks. There are many schools from which to choose.
How to package yourself There are many ways to present yourself. That part is up to you. But, ignoring the need to show how well you’ll fit in with their social dynamic is the same as submitting an incomplete application. Some schools look for extroverts. Others don’t. Some have a high tolerance and appreciation for self-driven initiative and creativity. Others don’t. Two equally skilled candidates might see very different results based on their individual characters. A way to address that is by listing your extra curriculars like karate, dance, curling, hockey, or music lessons. When asking about your ‘outside interests or hobbies,’ they are giving you a chance to demonstrate who you are. It is one of the areas where you can afford them a view of your capacity to apply yourself and stay on task rather than always looking for instant gratification. As a bonus, it also shows your ability to build strong relationships with peers and adults. The mentors that parents select for their children also provide valuable background clues. Sensei Giancarlo, Keys Piano’s Karen Kastner,
and just about any coach at the King Curling Club, are great examples of people who place importance on quality over accolades. As a result, the awards and recognition their kids receive are worth more. Interviewers are no longer allowed to ask certain questions. But, volunteering that information helps them set you apart from your competition. An increasing number of companies are partnering with academia to change the quality of their graduating classes. Industry, not schools or, even governments, are the ones pushing for the emphasis on learning skills and ability to be self-motivated, creative problem solvers. Karl Davis, co-owner of Green Tractors suggests, “you almost have to interview the parents before you interview the kids to know what you’re going to get.” Many employers agree with that sentiment. They are struggling with a pandemic. Companies, across the board, are finding it difficult to hire qualified staff with a growth mindset. Graduates who can show confidence, humility and willingness to learn are pretty much able to name their price.
What you need to tell them A person that is teachable will always rise above those unwilling to admit that they can improve. Schools want students who are coachable and resilient. Many tend to place more weight on the learning skills section of reports cards than they do on academic performance. While marks matter what your next set of educators want to know is what your previous ones thought of your propensity for responsibility, independent work, collaboration, organization, initiative and self-regulation. You have to demonstrate to your current teachers that you care for and are careful with what you are doing. Establish a reputation for being tenacious and resilient in the face of challenges, admit that you are not yet at your goal. But, keep believing in your ability to get there. Show that you approach your work with integrity, effort and passion. This is where presentation matters. Evidence of research, neatness, etiquette, proper spelling, grammar, and an attractive presentation are excellent ways to speak to those points.
Tips on investigating potential schools The earlier you start your research, the better because, it takes time to settle on a shortlist and prepare that winning application.
Sample spread from Natalie Rapallo’s portfolio. Natalie graduated from high school in 2017 and is currently attending New York’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology.
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Illustration by Maya Casale
Haute Couture Academy of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design Joanne Dice, owner of Haute Couture, likes to remind people that there is a difference between artistry and skill. “Artistry is the ability to do it. Skill needs to be developed.” People have varying degrees of artistry. Some are born to paint, sew or sing. But, the technicalities of honing those skills are universal and the difference between two talented people boils down to commitment. Each September, Joanne is inundated with students looking for help building the portfolios they need for their college or university entrance applications. She helps them but, she warns them, too. “A portfolio is just an indicator that you can sew and draw. You can have a great portfolio but, if you don’t have the skills to back it up, you don’t have the skill set to carry you through the program once you’re there. Your portfolio should be the culmination of your best work.”
you have to understand those basics. Haute Couture’s teachers help students piece together their portfolios and assemble concise and effective resumes. They teach that work must be presented cleanly and professionally to be taken seriously. How careful you are with your work reveals the nature of your character. Haute Couture's staff is comprised of experts in their fields. In many cases, they work elsewhere, too. They choose to teach at the school because they love the atmosphere and the opportunity to mentor kids who are passionate about their craft. “Our perspective is you are going to learn more and better from somebody who actually has a lifetime of working experience in that area.” That expertise comes in handy when the kids are making their own formal wear for prom and graduation, too!
The person who puts in the time to practice, and actively seek opportunities to leverage, will always surpass even the most artistic of people who neglect their talents. Joanne’s studio places a great deal of importance on teaching fundamentals, including courses on bra corset and pattern making. To understand how to make a gown
Schools tend to welcome requests for tours by prospective tuition payers. In many cases, getting to see what a school is like, and possibly even sharing a lunch hour with current students, is a simple phone call away. Book an appointment and go for a tour. Haute Coutre organizes an annual New York college campus tour to for its students. As well, each year Joanne offers up spots to fifteen of her graduating students to work backstage at Fashion Week in Milan. Her years of experience in the industry and willingness to support and partner with external interests pays off in numerous advantages for her
students: everything from internship opportunities to actively preparing for and participating in professional fashion shows. Choosing stong local mentors allows you to leverage their reputation and relationships. Over the past 24 years, Scholar’s Edge has gathered extensive insight into what various schools are looking for. In Ontario, there’s no excuse to claim ignorance about university and college options. Private and speciality schools host open houses where you can speak with faculty and student ambassadors. Beyond any specially organized private tours we, also have plenty of readily available and free tools at our disposal. One great place to start is the
Lady of the Vally Look #2 from Nicole Dice’s, Evellyon lingerie line collection. The line was prepared for Mass Exodus, Ryerson University’s annual year-end fashion show featuring the work of its graduating class. The Collection took six months to prepare and was featured again in Calabria, Italy, garnering Nicole a coveted spot at the May 2018 Camera Nazionale Giovane Designer fashion show in Italy. This fall, Nicole launched her company, Evellyon, selling the ultra feminine lingerie commercially. (Model: Rachel Romu) continued on next page...
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Campus Tour website at campustour.ca. As well, each year, universities and colleges collaborate amongst themselves to offer free public access events where they gather under one roof to answer questions and provide information.
THE KING CURLING CLUB HAS LOTS TO OFFER! Beginner to Advanced Instruction Youth (7-17), Women’s, Men’s & Mixed Leagues Day & Evening, Recreational & Competitive Leagues New For 2017 Friday Evening 8 Week Adult Instructional League New Member Registration Opens Sept. 5, 2017 Open House Thurs. Sept. 28 & Sat. Sept. 30, 2017
TRISAN CENTRE (25 Dillane Dr., Schomberg) email: membership@kingcurling.com Membership Director: 905.939.2173
www.kingcurling.com
The annual Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF) is a free, 3-day event taking place each fall at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This year’s dates are September 22-24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each of the twenty-one Ontario universities hosts a booth at OUF, as well invite you to view scheduled presentations. If you can’t make it to the OUF, all twenty-one universities also set up booths at high schools throughout Ontario as part of the University Information Program. Anyone is welcome to attend either the OUF or the UIP. The full schedule is available at ouf.ca/docs/uip_schedule_2017.pdf. Ontario Colleges offer a similar event on Tuesday, October 24, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Wednesday, October 25, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Enercare Centre, at Exhibition Place. Again, admission is free and open to everyone. The Ontario College Information Fair organizing committee even offers a $250 bus subsidy as incentive for schools to send students to the event. For more visit ocif.ca. If you are considering going to school in the U.S., think about attending a public event from 6 to 8 p.m. at either York Mills C.I., on October 24th or Oakville Trafalgar High School, on October 25th. A sampling of US Colleges and Universities will be on hand to offer insight into all aspects of the U.S. Admissions process, from selection, application, and financing to student athlete considerations.
Avoiding hidden traps Schools provide applicants with forms and outlines. There may be a theme. There may be guidelines. There are deadlines, and so forth. Submit what they want, how they want it, and when they want it. Being too creative will get your application dismissed very quickly. Ignoring what the guidelines they give you is how to fail the first question instantly: are you coachable? Find a way to be creative in the confines of what they tell you to do to pass the second one: how strong are your learning skills? They’re asking you questions that don’t have wrong answers. How well can you turn that to your advantage? Providing evidence of planning and working through a process answers the third question: are you tenacious? This is where presentation matters. A clean, organized, wellpresented application show that you care about what you are doing and about the school for which you are applying. Offer evidence of how you arrived at your best work to answer the final question: are you resilient? Every school understands that the person applying to get in is a work in progress. They want to know you appreciate that honing a craft takes time. They want to see that you are willing to put the time in by showing them your absolute best work and giving them some indication of what you did to get there. Tell
them where you started, how long ago that was, and how it helped you get closer to where you want to be.
Building your credentials The most successful applications tend to belong to people who start preparing for them some time in advance. You need the grades but, you need all the other things, too. “Our approach to teaching gives each student significant insights and detailed learning techniques that can be applied to any post-secondary art or design program, thereby boosting student marks and catapulting our students to the top of their class,” explains Joanne. Kai Shin, Keys, King Curling Club, and any number of other quality extracurricular service providers in the area, don’t replace the need to have a solid relationship with your high school but they are another resource that has gotten to know you over a significant period of time and will serve as great references. These people help describe your qualities through the lens of educators who are experienced in helping lots of other kids grow into their potential. By the time Scholar’s Edge clients are ready to apply for postsecondary education, in many cases, they have spent years working on developing strong, transferable learning skills at the tutoring practice. Rajesh and his staff are so familiar with the kids that he is very comfortable helping them narrow down their school choices and dedicates an entire week,
each year, to review all of his graduating students’ college and university applications. His combined insight into who they are and what schools are looking for allows him to work with students to maximize the impact and consequently the chances of their application's success. There’s no magic formula to what Haute Couture or Scholar’s Edge do for their charges. They spend a long time developing their students’ learning skills. Then, when the time is right, they help the kids discover how to package and market themselves, armed with the insight that comes from knowing and nurturing children for as long as they have. When parents partner with great mentors for their children, they gift their kids with experiences and information that are impossible to acquire at home. People like Joanne, Rajesh, Giancarlo and Karen work with many kids. They see many applications. They know what tends to work. They strive to develop and maintain community partners and industry relationships, giving them a good understandign of the philosophies and culture of the various schools to which your kids are applying. Those are invaluable details when looking for the right words and ways to assemble your story. Of course it, is possible to get into the school of your choice without any outside help. But, as Joanne says, schools are always looking for the best picks from that year's crop of applicants. Some of it is luck. The rest is up to you.
Demi-glace • • • • •
Roast veal bones in oven until brown Roast onion, carrot, celery and tomato paste Add thyme, bay leaf, and other desired herbs Simmer in water until reduced by half (about 8 hours) Create roux in another pot by melting equal parts butter and flour • Stir together and cook until golden brown • Strain stock into the roux and bring to a boil
Side vegetables • Blanch vegetables in salted boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds • Drain and place in bowl of ice water • Heat seasoned chicken stock and butter and cooked vegetables until tender
Rack of Lamb • Sear frenched rack of lamb in a sauté pan with a touch of heated oil • Place the pan with the lamb in a 500°F oven • When desired doneness is almost achieved, take lamb out of the oven • Spread Dijon mustard on lamb and crust with finely chopped pistachios • Place back in oven until desired temperature is achieved • Take lamb out and rest for a few minutes • In frying pan, sauté shallots, garlic, reduce red wine and add demi-glace • Pour demi-glace over lamb and serve with spring of rosemary
Rack of Lamb by Chef Andrew Prebul, Port Soirée Restaurant Café
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Port Soirée Restaurant Café W
here Church meets Main, in Schomberg, stands a small house with a pretty garden. It’s easy to overlook. You could drive by a million times and not realize what is inside. But once you discover it, you’ll notice it every time. Earlier this year I noticed a group of people, including a local teacher, open the door to a house and walk in like they had the right to. They didn’t knock or wait to be let in. I had to pay attention to realize it wasn’t somebody’s home. I wasn’t looking for a sign so I never noticed one before. Inside, I was greeted as though they knew I was coming. Port Soirée Restaurant Café has a way of exuding that air of welcome familiarity. I’ve been back often since that first encouter and the feeling is always the same: like you’re just in time and lunch or dinner is about to be served. I adore the intimate setting of Port Soirée’s dining room, the charming patio and its cozy wine cellar. The meal
is always outstanding. The cuisine is an eclectic mix of Mediterranean inspired dishes; not exactly Portuguese, Italian or, anything else but, always amazing. On the walls hang works by local artists, including those of its proprietor Alvaro Nascimento. In the background there’s jazz. Come on the right night and it might even be live jazz by the likes of Michele Mele. Though everything about Port Soirée is executed masterfully, Alvaro and his staff are always gracious and humble. “I am grateful for all the support the community has shown Port Soirée over the past ten years and I look forward to the years to come,” he says. Indeed, those who discover this local gem tend to become loyal patrons. Once you chance upon Port Soirée you will keep coming back, and you will bring those you care about. It’s a magical feeling to see the wonder on people’s faces as they discover something they never knew was there, so close to home.
writing by Freyda Tartak photography by Jim Craigmyle
Then, plates wiped clean of sauce, you’ll get to see their faces light up once more, in repeat disbelief: “I never knew this was here.” Anybody who tasted the difference of food that was freshly picked from the farmer’s field will attest to its impact on the flavour of a dish. The skill of Chef Andrew combined with vegetables from Alvaro’s gardens make for a truly delicious combination. Where possible, Port Soirée always strives to use sustainable culinary practices. The gardens around the restaurant are all cultivated for this purpose and everything, including the oil in the kitchen is recycled. Port Soirée is the culmination of Alvaro’s greatest joys. Walking in, you feel like you could be standing in his actual front foyer. He serves food grown in his own gardens and opens handpicked wine bottles from his collection. Eating at Port Soirée is a privilege, and one that I would recommend that you take full advantage of.
Photo Credit: Jim Craigmyle Setting: Port Soirée Restaurant Café Vocalist, composer, lyricist and pianist, Michele Mele is a masterful communicator of melodies and lyrics that resonate in the hearts of her listeners. Her monthly Saturday afternoon concert series, now in its 4th season, infuses jazz into the heart of King Township.
Tickets are a modest $30 per person and include a glass of wine, a snack at intermission, a chance to meet the artists, and an intimate musical journey that will transport you into a three-hour reverie. Imagine, spending anything close to that for driving down to the city, paying for gas, parking, tickets or a cover charge, and then drinks and a meal. Everybody is welcome. You can bring the kids. “I welcome that,” confides the former music teacher. She loves children and even pioneered the music program at Country Day School and taught at several local high schools before deciding to focus on writing her own music.
Jazzy afternoons near home No matter what is on your mind before you turn onto Michele Mele’s driveway, that last section of unpaved road will make you forget anything other than why you came.
Her daughter may be the professional acrobat but, Michele too has been known to take advantage of the impressive aerial trapeze that graces her front lawn.
Flanked by tall trees, bowing to your arrival, the private road is a passageway into a music lover’s paradise. The entire place is a music lover’s dream. It is obvious at first glance how much care and attention was paid to acoustics when the house was built.
This pianoforte was the impetus behind a unique offering: a Saturday afternoon jazz concert series with world-class players and no need to travel downtown.
The living room is an intimate concert space with windows instead of walls and a ceiling that’s missing a floor beneath it. A magnificent concert grand Fazioli piano serves as anchor, with a giant Helen Lucas original above it and a circus trapeze suspended at centre stage. The prized instrument was a 50th birthday present from Michele's husband, Luciano Tauro. The stands ready to be played, not just admired. At Michele’s everything has purpose. page 26
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Michele considers herself lucky to know some of today’s best jazz performers (she worked with so many of them). Initially, she was thinking of putting on a much larger production, somewhere in the city but, she and Luciano kept coming back to that grand piano and thinking, “why don’t we just do it here?” Michele and Luciano insist on paying the visiting musicians. But, aside from recovering costs, it is not about the money, she is “motivated by the love of music.”
She grew up in a house full of professional musicians. Her father used to play for Don Rickles. Her mother played the accordion and sang. “We used to have music in our house every weekend.” There are only two things that this woman loves as much as music: her family and food. “My mother always stayed home when we were little, and I wanted to be there for my children, as well.” When her kids were small, Michele would organize “little soirées, little recitals with all my friends.” Her friends were all musicians, too. Despite a thriving career Michele took time from her craft to focus on raising her four kids. “I stopped because I loved being a mother and I felt like I couldn’t do either one hundred per cent if I were trying to do both at the same time.” Now that all of them are grown and exploring their passions, Michele has returned with gusto to writing,
composing, arranging and performing Latin inspired jazz albums. Along the way, Michele has managed to incorporate her other favourite pastime: preparing food. She figured if she’s going to need promo videos for her albums, why not do it from the comfort of her kitchen? Et voilà, you have her Michele in the Kitchen fiveminute videos, shared via YouTube. Each easily digestible chunk starts with, “Hi, I’m Michele Mele. Come and join me in the kitchen and we’ll cook some food and sing some songs, and we’ll have a wonderful time.” The segments are fun, quirky, energetic, and you always learn something new (like the unconventional way her grandmother had with garlic). The shows went from clips in her kitchen to on-location shoots. Currently, she is developing a production called “Universe in a kiss,” based on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s assertion that we
are all made of stardust. Inspired by her circus performer daughter, Michele’s show, based on an out-of-this-world concept, will include stunning aerial acrobatics. “Maybe the gravitational pull of a black hole is the same as the pull of love between people. Perhaps the reason we are drawn to certain people and not to others is that maybe at the big bang, particles that 14-billionyears ago were pulled apart are drawn together to this day,” muses the lyricist and composer. That certainly does sound like fodder for a jazzy show. But not having put one on before, Michele is still looking for somebody to help her assemble it. All the content is ready to go. She just needs a little help with the mechanics. In the meantime, check out her YouTube channel and consider spending a Saturday afternoon tucked away in the quiet beauty of King Township, enjoing a lovely conert experience.
York Regional Police embracing equine assisted therapy for mental health Today’s police officers have more occasion than ever to experience PTSD and a disproportionate level of access to adequate tools with which to address their needs.
A
few years ago the Master of Ceremonies at a police appreciation night asked York Regional Police Sergeant Andy Cook, “What’s so special about horses?” Without hesitation, and in his usual calm demeanor, the 48-year-old military veteran returned with: “Nobody ever wanted to pet my cruiser.” He wasn’t trying to be funny but, everybody started laughing anyway, picking up on the pure truth of the sentiment. “People come up. Even those who don’t like the police. They don’t care. They still want to come pet your horse,” he explains. Andy was born on a British military base in Hong Kong. By the early 70’s he was attending school in Northern Ireland. “I remember we used to take the green school bus to school, with an armed soldier in the back of the bus. I sometimes had to stay home twice a week because of IRA bomb threats.” Andy immigrated to Canada in 1983, finishing high school in 1987. In 1989, Andy joined the Canadian Armed Forces and became an armoured crewman, riding in a tank as part of the 8th Canadian Hussars, in Germany. “I joined the reserves when I was 17. When I finished high school, I joined the military.” As soon as he finished training on the East Coast, they sent him to Germany. “I thought it was a good time. I saw the fall of the Berlin Wall. There were a lot of good experiences, some bad ones.” His next tour of duty was much different from getting to personally experience the end of the Cold War. In 1994, Andy got deployed to the former Yugoslavia, as part of the Strathcona Battle Group. It was supposed to be a UN Peacekeeping mission, Operation United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). But, “it was not.” The Canadian armed forces were there to bear witness to genocide. “It was very much as Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire describes of his experiences in Rwanda. I have pictures upon pictures that make most people’s stomachs turn inside out. The experience wasn’t very good.” Our soldiers came back mentally scarred and often self-medicating with alcohol, or worse. "Back then you weren’t allowed to be sick in the army until somebody told you that you were sick. Mental illness was no different. I remember we got off the airplane and we were standing in a big room, in a hall. The base commander stands there
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and says: ‘Is everybody good? Anybody got any problems? Anything you want to talk about?’ Everybody just looked around and said, ‘No, I’m good.’ So the commander said, ‘Okay, well, you guys take the week off, we’ll see you back to work in a week.’ That was the extent of the soldiers’ debarkation and counselling,” he relates. Some guys, like Andy, turned to the bottle. Others, like the guy who lived upstairs with his girlfriend, resorted to other measures. “He was a radio technician, and I knew him from Germany. His girlfriend came downstairs, all frantic. She said, ‘Paul’s in the bathtub, he slit his wrists.’ We saved his life. He didn’t cut himself bad enough but, he bled a lot. It was close,” says Andy. “After I came back from the Balkans, in the early 90’s, there wasn’t any decompression,” he continues, “I still have friends who are in the military or recently retired, killing themselves by their own hand. I had a friend who served for 30 years, took his own life on the 22nd of May.” Over the past three decades, Andy Cook lost count of how many soldiers have taken their lives. He stopped trying to rationalize it a long time ago. “I was exposed to suicide from an early age in the military. In my first year and a half in Germany, I had one of the guys from my basic training kill his wife and himself. Then, a year later, we had another soldier kill himself.” Visiko Bosnia, 1994 UNPROFOR peacekeeping mission
Saving Paul from his demons was the final straw. By then, Andy had become, as he puts it, “disenfranchised with the military.” He asked to be released. But the military, unwilling to let a good soldier go, transferred Andy to The Strathcona Mounted Troop, an authorized volunteer display unit of the Canadian Armed Forces, reminiscent of Lord Strathcona’s Horse from the 1920’s and 30’s. It was a ceremonial position, pretty much the marketing arm of the Canadian Military.
2016 Annual YRP Remembrance Day Ceremonies York Regional Police Station, Georgina
Starting in 1994, Andy spent the better part of four years travelling across Western Canada, performing in musical rides and parades, mostly in the Grey Cup and Calgary Stampede. There, Andy discovered how easily a horse can bring a man to his knees. “No matter how tough you think you are, it’s still all about respect. You need his permission to get on his back.” “That experience changed my life. After I came back from the Balkans, I developed a bit of a habit to selfmedicate with alcohol. Indirectly, riding a horse helped me end up in a place where I wanted to be. Sir Winston Churchill once said, ‘There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.’ I believe that.” By 1995, Andy was ready to come home. Aside from his horse, Edmonton had little appeal for him. He applied to join Peel Regional Police but, they felt it was too soon. It had only been six months since his last tour of duty. They encouraged him to give it more time and reapply, so he did. In 1998, Andy returned home to Brampton and suited up as a police officer. In 2000, Andy decided to transition over to the York Regional Police (YRP), and eight years later he finally got a chance to get back on a horse. The Governor Generals Horse Guard had a mounted aspect to it in Ontario, so he joined them as a civilian rider. “It was nice to get back on a horse,” he admits. Suddenly, in 2012, Andy got a call he never expected. “I was a bit worried because you don’t usually get called to
the deputy chief’s office when you’re a constable.” It turns out that at the recent police appreciation night some money was allocated toward starting a ceremonial police mounted unit. “Make it happen,” said the deputy chief. “By 2014 York Regional Police had a fully functioning ceremonial mounted unit.” Based on the successes and examples of the New York Police Department (NYPD), YRP recognized that police cruisers create a physical barrier and a sense of isolation from residents. As Andy puts it, “Getting on a horse helps bridge that gap. It doesn’t matter what language you speak or what colour, creed, or background you come from, everybody loves horses. Well, not everybody, some people are deathly afraid of them. I mean they’ll stand there, they come close. They may not want to touch them but, they still like the idea of them, and they forget that you’re wearing a uniform or firearms or what your primary purpose in the community is. So if it were me, I’d love continued on next page...
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to have a full-time unit that, that’s all we do. It is a great public relations tool.” In 2015, Andy reconnected with Steve Critchley, co-founder of the Can Praxis program, out in Calgary. The two served together in the Balkans. They spoke at length about how Can Praxis uses equine assisted therapy to help military couples address unresolved conflict. In addition to being a 28-year veteran of the Canadian Forces, Critchley is an international mediator, facilitator, negotiator and trainer. Jim Marland, the other co-founder of Can Praxis, is a registered psychologist, and equine assisted learning facilitator. All of a sudden, Andy had the missing piece to his puzzle. Based on his experience with both the Peel and York Region police departments Andy knows all too well that post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not limited to war veterans. To him, Can Praxis sounded like an exciting opportunity for police officers suffering, or at risk of suffering from PTSD.
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protect. As Steve explains it, “People suffering from anxiety and depression are not in a positive sphere. Everything is negative. So, the whole thing is we need to get them to the barn, get them to sweep the stalls. You don’t interfere with them just get them to accomplish something so they can feel good about themselves. When people are smiling and laughing, they aren’t killing themselves.” “Find something, give them something worthwhile. So at the end of it, they feel like they’ve accomplished something. There are other programs like building houses but, there’s no feedback from that. With a horse, it’s based on trust and respect and nothing else. If you aren’t giving it your all the horse won’t respond,” continues Andy.
When people are smiling and laughing, they aren’t killing themselves.
“I have some riders who are proficient at their riding but, they have some limitations. The horses can always tell. They say: ‘Oh, the horse is doing this.’ So I get on, and the horse won’t do it. The difference is, the horse picks up on whatever you’re feeling. So if you are confident without being over confident, it will do what you ask. You can’t be afraid, and you can’t be cocky either. If you’re going to play the wrestling match, you’ll lose. You have to put away the ego and deal with it on a basic level. It’s a 1,500-pound animal. You’re not forcing it to do anything. You have to ask it firmly but, you have to figure how to ask it.” Like Andy, Steve and Jim know first-hand how PTSD can destroy relationships and is especially common in overly stressed families. Their program was specially developed to teach participants how to manage their conflict effectively, using mediation as the therapeutic tool and the horses as the way to test how well the mediation is going. Andy found the design of the program especially compelling. It focuses on reintegrating people living with PTSD into the quality of life they volunteered to As unresolved conflict destroys relationships, and is especially common in overly stressed families, Can Praxis trains participants to manage their conflict effectively. Shown here, the determined Veterans and their spouses working hard to overcome PTSD on Can Praxis Phase I, in Rocky Mountain House, AB.
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Ever since the war in Afghanistan, public awareness has focused on the plight of military veterans and their struggles with mental health. The Canadian Forces have come a long way in acknowledging the need to support our veterans' and their families’ mental health. But, when it comes to our police forces and their fellow emergency service providers, the subject is still one that is very much shrouded in stigma. At the same time, today’s police officers have more occasion than ever to experience PTSD and an inadequate level access to adequate tools with which to address their needs.
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“Everybody thinks policing and military are very similar. They are not. They do have some similarities but, couldn’t be more on further ends of the spectrum,” says Andy. “When I left home to join the military, I went through basic training. Continued that for a year and then went to a regiment. After that, I served with those same individuals. We went overseas together, stayed and suffered together. For however many years that is your family. That’s the only family I’ve ever known. So, realistically what happens in the military is you create your own internal support. Those are the guys you rely on when you go out to bars; you drink, you cry on their shoulders, you talk about anything and
everything. It’s funny because going on 18 years, and I’m still very close to the guys I served with in the military. A lot of them are police officers. A lot of them are firefighters. Occasionally, we all get together, have a few laughs, look at old pictures, giggle, and talk about people we’ve lost along the way. That’s part of our healing process. We’ve learned to do that because we continue with that internal support network.”
In mid August, Andy joined YRP Deputy Tom Carrique’s nine-member team for the Wounded Warrior Highway of Heroes Ride. The team raised $21,000 to support Wounded Warriors and the Can Praxis program. The ride spanned two days and 240 km, from the Afghanistan memorial in Trenton to Queen’s Park.
In the police force, it is harder to develop that same family-type unit of people experiencing the same things, at the same time. First responders are at a high risk of developing PTSD. Reportedly, nearly half of paramedics are at risk. For police, the numbers range from eleven to twenty per cent, depending on the source. “You go to the police college for ten weeks; then you come back, and you’re on a different platoon. You can spend all day going from call to call and not see a person on your platoon aside from the one or two that go on that call with you. You don’t have that relationship with anybody,” explains Andy. “So, how do you get rid of it? You go home, take out the anger on your children or your spouse or whatever.” Statistically, divorce rates tend to be higher amongst first responders, offering some insight into the number of people who don’t feel that they have somebody that understands them, that they can talk to. According to Andy, “YRP has a Peer Support Unit, and they are taking steps in the right direction. But, those efforts are in their infancy. We are a long way from having the support systems in place that will
In addition to raising money Andy says, “it was therapeutic riding with so many veterans and first responders, many of them suffering with PTSD, listening to their stories and sharing mine is what the ride is all about.” These types of events also raise money to assist veterans and first responders suffering with PTSD. This year’s ride raised over $150,000.
extend the average length of service of our members.”
with what you’re experiencing. I can say ‘yeah, I get it.’”
When he first started, “It took me a long time to realize that just because I’m a police officer or a soldier, it doesn’t make me any better or less than anyone else. The first couple of years after the military I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Yeah, we’re the police, yeah, you know what? We’re people just like everybody else, and we feel pain just like everyone else—and sadness.”
On top of that, “Everybody is filming everything you do now. There are more complaints against police now than ever before. It adds an enormous amount of pressure on the officer. When you go to deal with a situation, it could be a traumatic situation; it could be you have to use force on someone, it could be a situation where someone is missing body parts, or death. At the top of your head is ‘will there be a complaint or Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigation?’ So, it does add to the stress.”
Today, confides Andy, “you have young officers still living at home, 21, 22 yearsold, going to a domestic where this man and this woman are fighting over their hydro bill. They’ve never paid a hydro bill. So, how are they going to mediate? How are they going to understand? It’s the same with all the lines. I’ve experienced a lot of things. So, I understand life. I can sympathize
In the military, mental health is no longer the elephant in the room. Everybody knows you’re in pain. In the police force, mental illness is not something people want to admit readily. When you break a leg, people continued on next page...
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say: “Oh, that sucks.” When you admit that job-related stress is affecting you, people label you as crazy. As Andy suggests, “It’s going to be a long time before people treat an injury to a broken limb and mental illness in the same way. They’re both injuries, just one you can see, and the other you can’t.” Andy is a strong advocate of helping people learn how to channel their stress. He is as mighty and resilient as they come. But, he also believes people need to feel safe in asking for help when they need it. “It’s not about admitting weakness it’s about returning them to health,” he explains, “when you always put on a brave face, nobody ever asks you how you’re doing.” His work in promoting the advantages of working with horses is something he does on his own time, though with the endorsement and support of YRP. “I think that you have to show the human side of you, which we’re not robots. Yeah, we wear body armour. That stops the bullet, it doesn’t stop the hurt,” says Andy. Policing benefits are designed to cover only the successful applicant with a PTSD diagnosis. Currently, spouses are not covered by insurance because they don’t have PTSD even though we know that PTSD has a lasting and significant impact on the entire family, not just the individual. That’s why Can Praxis is a couple’s program. Steve and Jim attest to a 62% success rate. According to the latest returns provided by Dr. Randy Duncan, a research psychologist and adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan Sociology Department, “up to 83% of Can Praxis participants gain something useful.” After speaking with Steve, Andy pitched the horse aspect to the deputy and the YRP peer support team. That led to the 2016 partnership between YRP and the Wounded Warrior program, sponsor of the Can Praxis program. To date, three couples from YRP attended the program with success. As Andy points out, “It is not about riding horses; it’s about feedback from the horse. Horses are not like dogs. Dogs are loyal to the end. Horses aren’t like that. With horses, everything is built on respect. Unless you earn the respect of that horse, it couldn’t care less about you. You have to work; you have to put all that anger, all that anxiety aside to be able to build the respect with this horse. Otherwise, it’s just not going to work. So a horse is used as a barometer. The rest is all mediation.” A testimonial on the Can Praxis website reads, “Steve and Jim provided a safe and page 32
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non-threatening environment in which dialogue, which has never happened but was so desperately needed, did occur. I truly believe your support with this program will save more than just lives; it will save families.” We are still in the early stages of YRP’s emerging understanding of how to support the mental health of its officers. Still, it is encouraging to see that they recognize the need for focusing on prevention. “The question I ask is why are we waiting for people to be diagnosed with PTSD before we help them? Why don’t we help them before?” says Andy. “It’s a slow process. The York Regional Police is at the front end of spearheading the programs. As an organization we’re still learning,” explains Andy. Andy had pitched extending the Can Praxis program to officers identified as ‘at risk’ of PTSD. But, even if the YRP peer support team opts to go in a different direction, perhaps something right here in Ontario, it is comforting to know that similar programs are popping up and that increased awareness is leading to meeting a broader spectrum of people in need of attention. Things are getting better. Andy is amongst many working toward advocating for mental health and PTSD prevention. Current measures such as physically locating Wounded Warrior, YRP’s Peer Support unit and Tema (offering PTSD support to medics and firefighters) in the same building is a significant step toward fostering collaboration and partnerships while maximizing available funding programs. So far, YRP was the first police service in Ontario to be offered to send officers down to Can Praxis. As such YRP is leading the charge and setting a great example by looking after the people we rely on to keep our communities safe.
Next year, Wounded Warrior will do a battlefield ride (BBR18) in the Balkans from Sarajevo to the Medak Pocket. “This will be the final chapter in closing those ghosts of the past for me, and the terrible memories that still haunt me,” says Andy. At the time, the battle was considered to be one of the most severe fought by the Canadian Forces since the Korean War.
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a lot of reading. We’ve all heard stories of well-minded people who get a dog, iguana, cat, or even have children, only to find out these are not just ‘things’ we ‘own’ but living creatures. Keeping bees is a responsibility. I look at our 58-acre forested property similarly: our family may have the title but, we would be naïve to think that title grants us much more than the right to steward a piece of the earth, for the short time we happen to reside on it.
Something to consider
So you want to take up back yard bee keeping by André Flys I often hear people say, “we know bees are in trouble. We’d like to keep bees to help them.” Instead of back yard bee keeping, let’s imagine that the latest trend is back yard dairy farming. What if people started buying dairy cattle to help the decline of native bison. Sound ridiculous? As Ron Miksha writes on his Bad Beekeeping blog, “there are thousands of species of bees in the world. Our favourite, the honey bee, is just one of the estimated 25,000. It’s not even the cutest, friendliest, or most interesting.” Experienced apiarists like to say: “There are beekeepers and bee havers.” Keepers are custodians of bees, servants if you will. Havers have good intentions but, can inadvertently jeopardize the health of their page 34
bees and spread disease and parasites to other people’s populations. The impacts of irresponsible bee keeping can be widespread. I encourage interested parties to take up bee keeping but, it is an art form not to be ventured onto lightly. Like other artisans, apiarists enjoy sharing what we do and learning from one another. I love to volunteer my time to my local and provincial bee keeping associations, whose mandates include educating Ontario beekeepers. Over the last few seasons, I even instructed a few bee keeping courses with the Ontario Beekeepers Associations Tech Transfer Program.If you are interested, by all means, take up bee keeping. But, take the time to do it right. Take a course, join a local keepers association, find a mentor, and do
KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
First, and foremost, the managed honey bee “Apis mellifera,” that we beekeepers work with today, is not a native species to North America. Early European settlers brought honey bees over here a mere 300 years ago. Looking at the health status of managed honey bee colonies in Canada can give us only a tiny glimpse of the overall health status of the more than 400 species of bees native to southern Ontario or, more the than 20,000 worldwide. Although many of the issues facing honey bees also affect our native species, a good comparison might be that we wouldn’t look at the number of managed hogs as a measure of the native wild boar populations. There might be connections but, fluctuations in the amount of a managed livestock do not necessarily jive with what’s happening in the wild. The Rusty Patch bumble bee, just twenty years ago, was the most common bumble bee here. The last one spotted at Pinery Provincial Park was in 2009; its nest was never found—just a solitary bee. In that instance, for that particular species, we have climate change to blame. As it turns out, the Rusty Patch relied on deep snow drifts to cover
their nests over wintering burrows, something the Pinery was one of the last places in southern Ontario to have. We haven’t had decent winter snow pack here in close to 15 years. Most experts thought the species would move north but, as it turns out, they just disappeared.
are some basics about bee health every beekeeper should be aware of before ever considering managing a colony of their own. Mistakes can cost more than just your hobby; it might cost your neighbour, the commercial beekeeper, a lot more.
A recent study out of Britain showed that bees were flying a round trip of 17 km to gather There are thousands of species of bees Heather nectar from the in the world. Our favourite, the honey Moores. If I, as a beekeeper bee, is just one of the estimated 25,000. It’s within that range of my not even the cutest, friendliest, or most neighbour’s bees, contract a disease without a diagnosis, I interesting. ~ Ron M iksha risk exposing their bees, and all the bees in range of those bees, and so on. It’s not that difficult a thing to learn but, it’s Tens of thousands of dead and dying bees started piling up surprising how many people take up the hobby without even in front of their homes instead of bringing their forage back considering taking a course or registering their colonies. to their nest mates. Showing all the classic signs of pesticide exposure the local bee inspector (yes, there are local bee Another trope often brought out by beekeepers is: “ask inspectors) called in the Pest Management Regulatory three beekeepers a question and get five different answers.” Agency (PMRA) to take samples for lab analysis. A year later, Sometimes those answers can all be correct, just different the results showed five different pesticides all in levels high management styles. Sometimes they can all be wrong. enough to damage honey bees. As bad as it was for the bees, Nowadays, bee keeping courses and clubs are everywhere. James was out tens of thousands of dollars and his customers, So, how can you be sure the information you are getting who rely on his queen bees, had to look elsewhere. is correct? I always suggest starting your first course with the OBA Tech-Transfer team or, at the University of Guelph. The stresses on pollinators don’t stop at pesticides and They’ve been offering classes for decades, keep up with climate change. There are the usual matters that plague all and even perform the latest research available, and proffer living things such as disease and parasites. There are also insight that is relevant to our geographic area and climate. things that maybe we hadn’t considered until they happened, like mono culture cropping, increased, and irresponsible use If, after doing your research, you decide that keeping honey of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and loss of habitat bees isn’t for you there are many ways you can help our native and forage. We could go on ad nauseam about the reams of populations. Pollinator habitat can be improved everywhere studies completed on these topics over the last decade but, I and anywhere, starting in your backyard or even a balcony. think you get the basic point. Case in point number two: early last summer, James Murray, a bee breeder and friend of mine in Sharon, Ontario, found himself in the unfortunate situation of a pesticide incident. Seventeen colonies in his back yard were wiped out in a matter of hours.
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Bee keeping primer I know I said I don’t try to discourage people from becoming beekeepers and all that stuff was very discouraging. However, we mustn’t give up now! If you think bee keeping is for you, there are more resources now than ever to equip you with the knowledge to become a successful beekeeper. The Ontario Beekeepers Association (OBA) was established in 1886, by local postmaster David Allanson Jones, in a Southern Ontario town then called Clarksville. But, thanks to D.A., everybody called it Bee Town, and in 1874, the name officially changed to Beeton. The entire North American honey industry was born here, thanks to D.A and his bee breeding experiments. Close to 150 years later, the OBA continues to be just as relevant. For the last three years, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as OBA Vice President. I can tell you the push to educate new beekeepers is important to a growing number of commercial beekeepers. Given that bees often develop ridiculously large forage ranges, it is imperative that new beekeepers understand how to recognize communicable disease and parasite infestations in their colonies. There
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Other ways to help
Many solitary bees survive winter in the stems of hollowed out plants. Simple things like leaving garden clean-up until spring gives them places to stay warm and safe through unpredictable winter weather. As well, selecting flowering plants that bloom either early in the spring or later in the fall help bridge the famine as there are few forage options at those times of the year. To learn more about how to help native populations or, bee keeping, contact the OBA. As well, York University or the University of Guelph both have labs with researchers who are focused on native pollinators. To learn more about bees in general, beyond the domesticated western honey bee, look up melittologist Dr. Lawrence Packers (yorku.ca/bugsrus). His academic passion is the study of wild bees. So, by all means, go out and get some bees. Become a beekeeper. Join the club. But, don’t do it for the bees. Do it for you. If you want to help bees, then it’s time we focus on the reasons managed honey bees, and native populations are struggling for their lives. Regardless of species, be it a human being or insect, we all live on the same planet, and it seems we’re just not looking after it all that well. KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
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Founded in 1989, Spark Innovations is an award-winning industrial design company specializing in the development of innovative products and inventions. They boast a professional team of industrial designers and mechanical engineers and have taken thousands of products from the early stages of an idea to mass market infiltration.
From spark to innovation, one concept at a time Over the past 28 years, King’s Spark Innovations has established itself as a reputable resource for idea people. The company is an award-winning industrial design and products development firm. They specialize in working with clients to bring their visions to life and nurturing them into self-sustaining businesses. The Spark team is comprised of mechanical engineers and industrial designers, with a broad skill set. Operating out of an unassuming house on King Road, Spark Innovations’ design studio is an impressive powerhouse. Their main floor showroom features a wide assortment of materialized ideas. There are three types of notions: the kind that you’re happy keeping to yourself, the kind that you want to bring to life (just to say you did), and the kind that could make you rich. If you have an idea but, haven’t acted on it, chances are you also have a few reasons holding you back. Maybe you don’t know where to start. Perhaps you are worried about somebody stealing it, or you aren’t sure it is doable. Many of the world’s best, most significant and lucrative inventions were born out of a combination of frustration and intimate insight. Just think of how things like the belt buckle, cup or blanket ended up as household items. Somebody got Spark Innovations employs a team of engineers adept at bringing imagination to life.
tired of tightening that rope around their waist or bringing water to their face instead of their face to the water, or they were cold and didn’t like it. So, they did something about it. The only reasons we know about them are that the people who came up with those solutions weren’t the only ones who had those problems and the products they came up with were makable. Plus, they relied on the right resources. More than likely, the world has missed out on a lot of brilliant ideas that never got explored just because those people didn’t know who to consult with on next steps. Sometimes, people arrive at Spark with little more than ideas to get things going. In other situations, products already exist, and clients want to turn them into something better. Spark collaborates with innovators to evolve ideas into a concept by exploring variations of those ideas. Once ready to proceed, Spark’s team of designers and engineers materialize concepts with professionally produced models and drawings, ready for application. Their output is used for everything from rapid prototypes on Spark’s 3-D printer to product manufacturing and marketing. Spark Innovations is a one-stop shop. They are adept at working with clients to develop prototypes, acquire patents, develop distribution channels and navigate the details related to bringing concepts to reality. The company attracts a mix of clientele, servicing both large and small enterprises. Projects can be a re-imagination of an existing item, or they can be the solutions to age-old problems. In some cases, clients just need a final push to the finish line by way of a prototype, set of production drawings, or a website with e-commerce capability. The intellectual property that people walk in with will remain theirs. In most cases, consumers and end-users have no idea that Spark was involved when they pick up something great that solves a headache for them. All they want to do is buy the product and take it home. Spark does more than collaborating on materializing ideas. They also help you make sure that those ideas remain yours
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to benefit from, offering a wealth of resources and expertise related to patent development. When Alessandro Volta came up with electrochemical battery cells, he made sure to protect his interests by patenting his discovery. Robert Noyce did the same with the microchip, which he created along side of Jack Kilby. Thanks to Noyce and Kilby, most people have long since forgotten the days when computers took up large rooms and needed several days to process information. Though credited, Kilby didn’t hold the microchip patent. He did hold patents for inventing both the hand-held calculator and the thermal printer. What Volta, Noyce, Kilby, and so many others, had in common was how knowledgeable and immersed they were in the problems they were solving. Volta was a physicist. Noyce and Kilby were electrical engineers. Not every idea needs to be that revolutionary to be worth protecting and exploring. One of Spark’s clients worked in heating, air conditioning and ventilation. He was always going out on calls to offices where the ceiling air vent was blowing cold air right above somebody’s desk. Working with Spark, he developed a deflector (shown at middle right) that
easily attaches to most ceiling vents and diffuses air along the ceiling, improving air circulation and making a lot of office workers much happier. It was a simple idea that turned into a nice business for their client. Another obstacle which keeps people from exploring great ideas further is their lack of certainty that their idea is original enough. Spark’s extensive experience and access to legal experts who specialize in patents will ensure that the concept you come up with is one you can defend and monetize. With Spark Innovations, turning an idea into a self-sustaining business is likely easier than you imagine. After protecting your ideas, the next hurdle Spark helps clients overcome is making sure the idea is physically possible to manufacture. The team does everything from determining the ideal materials to use, through to developing the product’s ergonomic and aesthetic appeal. So, yes, it makes sense why most people don’t take their ideas further, despite being armed with solutions to problems that irritate a lot of people. Then again, maybe the only thing you need in order to go from thinking about it to holding it in your hand is asking for a signed non-disclosure agreement and having a conversation with the right people.
Shower caps lined with terry cloth to protect your hairstyle, speaker supports that allow speakers to vibrate while keeping them steady and secure, air flow control guards, ball cap liners, drywall cutters with measuring tapes, clever kitchen gadgets. The team at Spark Innovations worked closely with each of those idea owners to bring their ideas into reality.
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Exploring the possibilities of Schomberg’s Kingsgate Place Rosanna Bitonte and Jennifer Bonadiman are eagerly awaiting the completion of Schomberg’s Kingsgate Place. The two are launching Let Them Be Little Childcare Centre, specializing in providing affordable, quality daycare for children of all abilities.
R
osanna Bitonte and Jennifer Bonadiman, both 30 years-old, each have over ten years of experience working with kids. Opening a business was always a common goal. When the opportunity to take advantage of a unit in Schomberg’s Kingsgate Place, Landmark’s infill commercial development, was presented to them, the pair realized the timing and location would be perfect for their new daycare business. Landmark DevCo. specializes in optimizing infill opportunities. The new Kingsgate Place, located at Doctor Kay
Drive and Highway 27, in Schomberg, is an ideal example of the type of sustainable land use that the company promotes. The new plaza was designed to enhance and leverage what already exists in the area by offering increased employment, services and product accessibility to a growing community and surrounding areas. Its location is within easy walking distance of anywhere in Schomberg, with ample parking and immediate access to both Highway 9 and Highway 27. At the same time, its layout and aesthetics all point to maintaining the integrity of its location: safe, calm, family-friendly and inviting. While a developer can only set the stage, it is up to the individual businesses that move it to deliver on the promise. So far, we’re off to a great start. Rosanna and Jennifer’s combined background, insight, and good nature are sure to be welcome complements to Schomberg’s community of young families. In choosing a name, for their business, Rosanna and Jennifer settled on ‘Let Them Be Little Childcare Centre,’ inspired by the title and lyrics of Billy Dean’s country song. “We wanted something that would serve as a daily reminder of the need to allow children to play, explore and learn in their own way,” explains Rosanna. The two believe that’s all part of ensuring a loving and inclusive environment for all the kids in their care, regardless of ability. Rosanna and Jennifer went to teacher’s college together and maintained their friendship over the years. In addition to her teaching certificate, Jennifer graduated with a sociology degree
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from York University and has extensive experience working with toddlers as an early childhood assistant (ECA). Rosanna holds an honours degree in early childhood studies from Guelph-Humber. Along with her teaching certificate. She has a long history of caring for people, both when she managed a large, high-end hair salon and spa, and when she turned her attention to early childhood education (ECE) and respite work. Currently, she is working at ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development, supporting inclusion in the childcare community. Rosanna is forever enriching her educational background. She participates in numerous workshops, seminars/ webinars, conferences and classes to further enhancing her qualifications and skills. She also has extensive background and training working with children with special needs such as Autism, ADD/ADHD, Down Syndrome, Speech and Language, Behavioral and Defiance Deprivations. Let Them Be Little Childcare Centre’s aim is to ensure the safety and emotional well-being of all children by teaching acceptance and non-judgmental practices that help shape empathy. “We will be a welcoming and safe learning environment fostering uniqueness by celebrating diversity, developing independence, and stimulating children’s selfesteem,” concludes Rosanna. Aside from them, there will be a pharmacy, nail salon, walkin clinic, karate school, and a dental office. The rest could be up to you. Kingsgate Place still has a few units available, including potential double unit opportunities. There is still time for buyers to get in. If you ask Rosanna and Jennifer, “we’d love to see other child welcoming establishments to help us in our journey.” Certainly, there are many businesses that would thrive at Kingsgate Place. For example, Schomberg does not have stores that sell pet supplies, books, shoes, or children’s clothing. There are very few options for women’s clothing, and none for men. There are no art galleries or fishing supply stores. The list of possibilities is long. From a zoning perspective, the plaza is open to most uses. The location of Kingsgate Place couldn’t be better. It is easily accessible to foot traffic from Schomberg, as well as to feeder traffic from Highways 9 and 27. The plaza will have ample parking and a design that is reflective of its community while offering modern, clean and inviting architectural features. Units start at $450,065, for 1,169 ft², with more sizes and price points available to chose from. As can be expected, interest in the project has increased dramatically, now that construction has begun. According to Landmark DevCo., the plaza should be ready by spring 2018. If you are opening or relocating your business, it’s worth your time to check out what Kingsgate Place has to offer. With only a few spots left, and now under construction, this opportunity won’t last.
KATHERINE McMANUS
Katherine McManus
doesn’t have a studio. She lives in a lovely King countryside bungalow and makes do with a small, well-used table beside her shed. A garden umbrella stands at the ready for those overly hot days. “That’s my little table. That’s where I carve,” points Katherine. At every corner of her yard stand handcrafted birdhouses, perched on fence posts or dedicated poles. Katherine started carving soapstone animals ten years ago when her friend Patrick Tucker handed her a little chunk of it and said: “Here. You’re artistic. Do something with it.” So she took it home and carved a little polar bear, “and I was just enthralled with this stone. When I started sanding it, and the beauty of this stone started showing up, I just thought: ‘I love this!’ So then I went out and got 100 pounds of soapstone, and I started carving.” Katherine learned everything she knows about carving on the internet, and “mostly just learned by trial and error, just by doing things.” Soapstone is a very dense stone, really hard on the hands. A few years ago she had surgery on her right hand to fix the damage and still hasn’t recovered full use of it but, that did little to slow her down. She simply adjusted and kept going. “I love carving bears. Their shape lends itself well to stone carving but, I do lots of other shapes. I started out doing Inuit figures but, it evolved into more of what interests me, which is wildlife animals: bears.” She doesn’t know why bears. “They’re not necessarily my favourite animal. I just like carving bears.” Before retiring, Katherine was a teacher and her love of sharing has never gone away. Occasionally, people approach her for carving lessons. She doesn’t accept payment, just tells them to come learn for the afternoon. She does sell her sculptures but, prefers to go through social media rather than her website. “I have a website that I don’t use because you don’t get the feedback that you do with Facebook. That’s how people find me.” “I keep a journal of all of the pieces that I’ve sold. The other day I counted them all. I’ve sold about 200 pieces all over the world. I recently sold a sleeping arctic fox to Germany. I carve these little reading bears. I recently sent one to Austria, and I sell an awful lot to the United States. I keep a list of all the different states that I’ve sold to.” Typically, pieces take Katherine 12 hours to complete. She sells them for $200 to $400. It has never been about the money. Katherine genuinely enjoys knowing that somebody appreciates her sculptures. “Selling them is a big bonus and mainly because I can’t keep all these pieces. I post because I love to share my work. Not because I want compliments.”
Crupi’s love of tricky windows & upholstery
P
eter Crupi used to love watching his mother sew. When he was 16 years-old, he went to the dollar store in Bolton and bought everything he needed to make a small carrying case. What he couldn’t find at the store he improvised with at home. “That was probably the best part. I made the handle frame and case out of coat hangers. They all used to be made out of wood back then,” he recalls. When he was growing up, Peter’s dad used to sell textiles out of the back of a station wagon. Back then, it was a booming business. By 1986, times had changed. People preferred to buy things from a store. So, he and his sons found a great location in Nobleton, just east of Highway 27 on King Road. The trio bought the entire building with the idea of operating a department store, leasing out a few units to other businesses. As time went on, Peter and his wife Teresa took full ownership. At first, they sold shoes, gifts, textiles and drapery. Gradually the shoes and gifts disappeared and Crupi’s focused entirely on window coverings. The store became a Hunter Douglas dealer, and Peter discovered how much he enjoys executing complex installations. Teresa, a trained dressmaker, took over most of the drapery sewing. When he could, Peter would go next door to explore the upholstery shop. He was enthralled by the work. After that company relocated, he decided to incorporate upholstery into his business, to keep the service available in the community. Without prior experience, Peter knew he needed help. As luck would have it, a gentleman recently arrived in the country
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from Lebanon who ran a successful upholstery business back home. With no interest in starting from scratch, in a new country, he happily lent his talents toward building Crupi’s success. “That’s how we made the business here: from him,” remembers Teresa. “He knew how to start the job, cut, sew and finish the fabric… and the speed,” agrees Peter. Their new employee turned out to be reliable, patient, produced clean work, and generously mentored Peter as he learned the craft. Crupi Interiors carries the latest textile fashions and blinds but, they continue to rely on machines that have stood the test of time. “Once you know what a sewing machine does, figure out how it functions, it’s mechanical,” explains Peter. “I’ve been told that I’m patient. Once you work with a machine, you learn what it can do. If it takes two hours to sit and finish it, then you sit there for two hours.” Some of Crupi’s machines date back to the turn of the last century. “The other machines we have down there, we bought for $40. Pretty much everything you see in here we built. Peter even made his foam cutter out of a skill saw,” adds Teresa. To this day, it’s the challenging projects that get Peter most excited. “I love to do the complicated stuff that nobody tackles and nobody wants to do,” he says with a gleam in his eye. That’s good news for anybody losing sleep over that particular window in their home. One person’s insomnia is another man’s utopia. It’s all about finding the right balance.
King Curling Club is truly a grass roots initiative, organized for the volunteers’ personal enjoyment. What the club lacks in poor sportsmanship it more than makes up for with generosity of spirit and love of the sport. Photos at bottom right and on opposite page supplied by King Curling Club.
“It’s a good sport, open to anybody from any age,” says outgoing president Karl Davis. “We’ve got kids at seven or six playing, and we’ve got eighty-five year-olds playing. Everybody is very generous with teaching each other and volunteering their time. The coaches are all trained by the Ontario Curling Association.” This year, the club introduced an instructional 8-week ‘learn to curl for adults’ component to encourage people to take a shot at throwing rocks. You’re never too young or too old. I’m thinking of signing up too.
Throwing rocks through grass roots by Freyda Tartak
My son (that’s not him in the photo) is not into team sports. In fact, up to this point, I didn’t think he was into any organized physical activities. That was before volunteers from King Curling Club hit the local schools with their Little Rocks program. It’s not exactly curling but, kids get a general idea, and my little guy couldn’t get enough. Before we had children, we tossed around the idea of taking up curling. Then, I got pregnant, and we forgot all about what, to us, seemed like this exotic old-school Canadian thing to do. But, after months of hearing him talking non-stop about curling, at every turn, I caved and signed him up for the second half of the season. Let me tell you that it was the best decision ever! He started in January. Almost everybody else started back in September. Instead of tossing him onto a rink full of kids who were a lot more proficient, the club dedicated a person to work with my boy, one-on-one, until he was ready to page 44
join the others. A week after he started, another boy signed up, and they did the same thing for him. Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not just for boys. The curling ice is open to everybody. The teenager who mentored my little guy that first day was incredibly patient and supportive on the ice. I was impressed right away. Then, after everybody relaxed in the lounge, as per custom, he blew me away by making a point of coming over to congratulate my son on his first time out. Patting him on the back, he said, “I started when I was your age. It took me a lot longer to do what you did out there today. You’ve got a real knack for it.” My son tried to play it cool but, you could tell how much that meant to him. He felt them accept him as their own, even though his mentor for the day was twice his age.
KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
Kids get hot chocolate after each match, and parents take turns bringing in snacks. The rest of the time, the lounge is a fully licensed bar. All the volunteers have their Smart Serve license, though the club did do away with the two-drink minimum tradition because they didn’t want anybody having excuses to drive home drunk. There’s never any pressure to socialize. People just want to. As the weeks went by, more seasoned volunteers took over coaching the little guys as the teen who took the extra time to welcome my son went back to practising with his team. All of the coaches do an amazing job, full of insight, patience and encouragement. Partway through our coach left for
vacation, and another volunteer stepped in, offering fresh insight. Nobody missed a beat. Absolutely everybody there is a volunteer. Nobody gets paid for the hours they spend to benefit the club. The sense of camaraderie, regardless of how long they’ve known each other, is incredible. I’ve never seen such a judgment-free, encouraging and supportive group of individuals, except for maybe the staff at the King Public Library (but that’s a whole other story). I’m still learning about the culture of curling. But, as a parent of a kid who isn’t into hockey, I am grateful to people like Karl, and so many others, for spending the past ten years turning the club into the self-sustaining, well-oiled machine that it is today. Initially there were two separate clubs. Curling was going strong in the area for over 50 years. Both Karl’s father and grandfather curled. Wednesday was curling night in Schomberg, and Thursday nights were spent in Nobleton. The new rink at the Trisan Centre encouraged their amalgamation.
leagues and everything else,” remembers Karl. “None of us had ever started a club before so, we had a steep learning curve.” It took them a couple of years to get things to the point they are at now. Out of the current 350 members, 100 are volunteers, dedicating their free time to doing everything from preparing the ice to planning bonspiels, manning booths at community events, and going to schools the way they did to get my family interested. It’s normal for King Curling Club to experience an annual ten to fifteen per cent attrition rate. As a result, recruiting is vital to its ongoing success. “We have to recruit thirty to forty people every year just to man the club. And we’ve been able to do that,” boasts Karl. “Finding people to sit on the Board has never been a problem. Everybody knows they have to serve their time.” Despite the marginally selfish reasons for being so welcoming to newbies, I challenge you to find one person at King Curling Club who’ll treat you like they are doing you a favour for coming out. From what I’ve seen, people who find a connection with the sport tend to have a genuine desire to share their love of it in a way that is as Canadian as you can get: polite, courteous and generous to a fault. They see it as simply being part of the community.
The beautiful, dedicated curling rink and pub-style lounge at the Trisan Centre were the outcomes of a true grass roots movement. Everybody just got together and poured a lot of effort into preparing a case to present to the Township. Now, they had a new challenge: “It’s kind of interesting because we had forty-eight people in Nobleton and maybe eighty at Schomberg. Now we had all this ice to fill,” recalls Karl’s wife, Barb Davis. “So with a lot of volunteer help and recruiting we ended up the first year having 328 curlers, 100 of which probably never curled before,” the two chuckled. “It was all hands on deck trying to get everybody to learn how to curl and build KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
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Jan Humphrey, middle, owns and operates King’s Briarwood Farms, providing everything from riding lessons to homes for King Pony Club and Upper Canada Cavalry School. Hers is an example of vibrant, dedicated owners committed to preserving the living history of King and country.
barn keepers
Custodians of King’s heritage The cultural evolution of King can be seen in statistical records. The numbers are clear: King is growing in population. The pillars of growth for any community include industrial development, the pressures of the urban on the rural, and the continuous expansion of infrastructure like roads, water mains, schools and hospitals. These same pillars inevitably forced change in the past, too. Today this evolution is happening so quickly, and on such a grand scale, that it seems more like a revolution. As this wave of change washes through our community, we lamentably lose some of yesterday’s benchmarks. 150 years ago, when this country was forming its political structures, the settlement of King was driven by villages and towns to the south, who were in need of the basics of life. King Township became the source for reliable food production, wood for heat, and transportation routes for hauling the essentials of a growing society to the urban centres. For a maturing region, these resources depended on the rural areas being able to grow grains, raise livestock, and harvest forests in order to build houses, shops and factories. The area north of Toronto was rich with natural resources to support a vibrant agricultural industry. Good soil, dependable water supplies, a temperate climate and the energy and ingenuity of individual persons made King an important cog at the edge of what we now call the Greater Toronto Area. The evolution of those changes was as dramatic as those we see today. To be sure, the scale was smaller but, each change was all the more critical as part of the whole. The key to page 46
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by Gary Van Bolderen
King’s successful development was agriculture and this, in turn, depended on individual farm families. Everything relied on the family farm, and it could survive only if it had a barn. The barn remains an authentic representative of the real story of our past. It is an icon of King Township. These critical structures were built using local skills and resources. Each barn was unique, based on local needs and the character, skills and preferences of the builder. Barns in one area are similar because the same builder was used to orchestrate the construction. A few miles away, the buildings might showcase different local talent with identifiable personal features. Raising the barn was a significant community event and demonstrated the inherently common purpose of the farming industry. While it is important that we record our history using statistics, photos, music, stories and statues paying tribute to past political and local personalities, there is also a great deal to be said for the authenticity with which our past is marked by barns. These often massive, functional and integral parts of everyday life were built by farm families who invested all of their resources, hopes, dreams, sweat and entrepreneurial spirit into them. There is no denying the significance of the farm family as the cornerstone of King’s past. As we see the number of farms disappear with the force of today’s fast changing times, there are fewer and fewer of these impressive structures to remind us of the remarkable successes achieved by the farming community.
The loss of these structures is due to the ever-changing agricultural technologies. Modern machinery, livestock housing systems, specialization of farming, and the natural decay of structures left to misuse or abandon are just some of the causes. The typical bank barn, for example, with its livestock housed in the lower level and crop storage above, was a masterful design. But, it was based on the idea that livestock housed during the winter months would generate enough natural heat to keep the frost out of the foundations. Today, such structures are not used for housing livestock, and the lack of seasonal build-up of a manure pack in the winter cannot protect the foundations from the effects of frost. As the years go by, stone walls begin to deteriorate, lose their structural integrity and eventually fail altogether. With absentee owners who are simply inventorying land and farmers who do not have a use for these buildings, barns are left to slowly succumb to the harsh realities of age, weather and neglect. These slowly crumbling monuments are like scars on the rural landscape of the Township. With each lost barn structure, another monument of the past disappears. But, there is hope. Many people are interested in the preservation of our history. Historical societies, local heritage committees, and even provincial guidelines give the community some influence over retaining some of our history in its many forms. When it comes to barns, there some unique owners, who have decided to use their resources to renovate, rebuild and re-purpose these magnificent structures. They do this for no other reason than their interest in preserving these barns for their beauty and their historical footprint of the Township’s past, for the next generations to appreciate. The cost of properly rebuilding or doing major renovations on these structures is considerable. The huge timbers, mortise and tenon joints, wood dowels, swing beams, threshing floors, fieldstone foundation walls, hand-hewn framing members (to name only a few items) are all key ingredients in the process and the costs. The results of these reconstructed and refurbished barn projects are truly something to behold. When Canada celebrates its next 150 years of nationhood, these monuments will stand proud and real. They will have been built by families of farmers and by new owners because they too appreciate the significance of the history told with every unique barn. These barn keepers, are unique individuals, who should be celebrated. They are the keepers of our history, archivists of sorts, preserving something real, building these time capsules. What’s more, they are doing this on their own with no one forcing them, and with neither subsidized nor appealing for public funding. We will all benefit from the work of the barn keepers in King Township today and for generations to come. Thank you to our barn keepers.
Photos supplied by Becky Eveson (top)
local heroes
On coping, believing and purpose Within 3 hours of her birth, Abby Eveson was rushed to Sick Kids Hospital. While pregnant, Becky Eveson “had a feeling that they were going to tell me that something was wrong and then they never did. I didn’t have that with Charlie. You’d think with the first one is when you… when it’s unknown.” At 14 hours of age, Abby had her first open heart surgery. The diagnosis was tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries, a rare type congenital heart defect. “It didn’t give me a lot of time to look for coping strategies and look for different ways to deal with this enormous stress, all of a sudden put into our lives.” Becky Eveson still has a hard time holding it together when thinking of those initial hours but works hard to recover her composure, “I’m usually okay talking about this. I think it’s just because her birthday is on Monday and she wasn’t even supposed to get to her first birthday. I cry every time I think about her birthday.” “Leading to her third open heart surgery my husband and I decided we needed something else to help us cope with this huge step.” Craig came up with the idea of paying it forward as a coping strategy to help them through such a dark time in their lives. That’s all it was, a small coping strategy. Becky and Craig discovered that their efforts to pay it forward gave them exactly what they were looking for. “It’s healing, it’s really healing,” confesses Becky. They started writing little encouraging notes on five dollar bills or gift cards from page 48
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Starbucks and inconspicuously dropping them off in the hallways of the pediatric intensive care unit at Sick Kids. It made them feel better knowing they were making somebody else’s day a little brighter and were able to continue thinking of others despite going through their own difficult time.The Toronto Star found out and published a story. From, that point, their small gestures of random kindness began evolving into a proper movement. Others started copying them. “It turned into Abby inspiring our community, and others, just to be nice to each other,” returns Becky, who is always with you and at the same time paying careful attention to what Abby is up to. For her part, Abby has a way of stealing your heart. She seems entirely oblivious to the fact that she is more fragile than a porcelain doll. Her attention is always on those around her, engaging and daring you to come closer and share in her pure love of life. She radiates sunshine and empathy for everybody in her path. Since Abby, the Evesons welcomed another baby, and Abby is every part the doting big sister. She listens carefully for signs of Jack waking from his nap and trades knowing glances with big brother Charlie when Jack does something silly. Becky and Craig’s coping mechanism turned into a discovery of what they refer to as Abby’s purpose, “to help create a positive atmosphere, help inspire others to be nicer to each other, and that whatever the future has in store for her we
The Schomberg Minor Hockey Association found out that some iPads had gone missing in the Critical Care Unit at SickKids Hospital. They decided to raise money at the arena and In January 2015, presented the Evesons with a cheque to help with their random acts of kindness. The money was used to support the purchase of the replacement iPads
themselves, the Evesons decided to give back by proposing a family-friendly community event to raise money for Sick Kids Hospital. About 500 people came out and keep coming back to what has evolved into an annual traditon, to-date raising $42,952.20.
Believing in Abby has given a family hope, brought a community closer together, and so far, helped raise almost $43,000 for Sick Kids Hospital. know why she was given a special heart. It has really been to inspire people and make the world a better place.” By her second October, Abby was spending Halloween attached to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine to circulate blood through an artificial lung back into her bloodstream, and undergoing an emergency procedure. Feeling helpless Becky and Charlie decided to carve a pumpkin for her with the words We Believe in Abby. A few days later the prognosis returned with dim results. “We didn’t take the pumpkin down until she was off ECMO, which was November 11th, and then we made a sign to hang in the window that was made of lights that we could turn on so people could still see it,” remembers Becky. The family was told to prepare for the worst. Her chances of survival at that point were not good. Meaghan, a lady in the community, drew a heart on a pink background with arrows on both sides and repeated the words from the pumpkin: We Believe in Abby. She then proceeded to change her Facebook profile picture to the image, and a lot of other people followed the example. “One day, sitting in the hospital by Abby’s bedside we saw a sea of pink. So, that sort of became our logo,” remembers Becky.
When Becky and Craig were getting married and looking for a place to settle down they were attracted by how familyfriendly Schomberg seemed to be. “They have the fair and they have the parades,” remembers Becky. She had no idea to what extent she would come to rely on her new neighbours. After they decided to put on the now annual fundraiser Becky put out a call for volunteers on the We Believe in Abby community page. Aside from a couple of people, most of the members of her support team were complete strangers at the time. They just wanted to help. In 2017, Becky received a community volunteer award. “I didn’t feel like it was just mine. I feel like I represent the committee. It’s my ideas for the big stuff, and then they help make them happen.” That award brought more recognition for their efforts, with more community members and local businesses stepping forward and asking how they can help. To ensure full transparency, they have embarked on the process of developing specific roles and responsibilities, a charter and so forth, and are currently deciding between registering as a not-for-profit and a full fledge charity. In the meantime, Abby is going strong, recently started preschool and made new friends there. “I like playing in the sand,” she says. The world needs people like Abby and we’re looking forward to seeing her smile on her 5th birthday, right along with Becky, Craig, Charlie and Jack. photo credit: Lisa Pace Photography
People wanted to help, doing whatever they could to make sure the Eveson family knew they weren’t in it alone. People started showing up with food so they wouldn’t have to worry about cooking dinner. Both Craig and Becky’s dad, Brian Grubbe, work for King Township. When Craig took time off work to be with Abby, at Sick Kids, his co-workers wanted to show their support. They held an internal fundraiser and presented the cheque at a council meeting. Unwilling to keep all the money for KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
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recently published
Local author Kelly Mathews, Manager of the Seneca College Outdoor Education Centre and King Day Camp is an active community volunteer, and is committed to preserving King’s historical roots. When Kelly was twelve, hers mother bought her a copy of Susan Kay’s award winning novel, Legacy. “I must have read it a hundred times. Without question this book is responsible for inciting my lifelong love of British and Commonwealth history.” Her love of land, people and history runs in Kelly’s family. “I am related to author and environmentalist Farley Mowat through my paternal grandmother, as well as to Sir Oliver Mowat, one of the fathers of Canadian Confederation.”
Kelly Mathews’ The Road to Marylake Marylake wasn’t always a place reserved for respite and pilgrimage Local historian Kelly Mathews has a passion for exploring the lives of notable figures and their association to significant landmarks. Her books share her fascination with how successive changes in ownership of large estates link to the evolution of Canadian society, particularly during WWI and WWII. “I find it absolutely amazing that so much history can happen in a
single spot and I love the opportunity to make it come alive through story-telling.” Her first book, Eaton Hall: Pride of King Township, published in 2015 by The History Press, sold almost 2,000 copies and explored the life of Lady Eaton, her impact on the local economy, community, and the Canadian WWII effort. The Road to Marylake is Kelly’s second effort. This time, she focused her attention on Marylake Monastery & Shrine, located just west of the subject of her first book. Nestled around the tranquil, 35-acre Mary Lake in King City, Ontario. Marylake has been a place for spiritual retreat under the leadership of the Augustinian Order for the past 75 years. It wasn’t always a place reserved for respite and pilgrimage. At the turn of the 20th century, the landed gentry in Canada were still expected to hold a country seat.
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Kelly Mathews serves as a masterful tour guide through the history of one of King’s most notable landmarks, as she explores the lives, motives and impacts associated with it. Her story begins with Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, well-known for his famed Casa Loma, his role in bringing hydroelectricity to Toronto and his service with the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada and his love for his first wife, Mary. But few people recall that while he was piecing together his castle, literally stone by stone, in Toronto (between 1910 and 1914), he was also starting building Lake Marie, in King. Sir Pellatt amassed many individual parcels of land to create his rural farm and estate, which he named Lake Marie after his first wife, Lady Mary Pellatt (née Dodgson). Built as a place for weekend retreats, hunt events and summer socials for Sir Henry Mill Pellatt and his first wife, the Lake Marie Estate became a more oft-used residence, in 1923, when circumstances forced them to vacate Casa Loma. The property switched hands several times and with each successive master came a new purpose. The original 1,214-acre estate was reduced in size and sold in sections to four different entities. Over the next century, the land transitioned from indulging the social appetites of the Dominion of Canada’s wealthy and ambitious to playing a leading role in early Catholic social action as a venue for the back-to-the-land settlement scheme. Once a place of respite for the rich, Lake Marie became a land of opportunity for the Catholic less fortunate. During the Basilian occupation, Catholic families suffering from the grips of the Great Depression, in Toronto, found salvation in King. Under the Basilians, Catholic leaders, laymen and clergy founded the Marylake Agricultural School and Farm Settlement Association, which operated from 1935 to 1942. In 1942, Augustinian Fathers (Ontario) Inc. purchased the majority of the original Pellatt land in King to establish the Marylake Augustinian Monastery and Shrine and continued farming it until 1998. While no longer used for agriculture, Marylake continues “to feed and fuel the soul under the current leadership of the Augustinians, who have been in residence for the past 75 years.” Today, Marylake is a place of worship, respite, reflection and pilgrimage, featuring the world’s largest rosary path.
Enter to win an autographed copy of
The Road to Marylake Tell us know what you think of this issue of King Country Magazine for your chance to win an autographed copy of Kelly Mathew’s latest book! Email your comments and contact details to:
submit@kingcountrymagazine.com Contest deadline: October 30th, 2017 Winners will be notified on November 1st, 2017
Fleeting moments & afterthoughts...
S
ee your work in print!* Send in your poetry or short story (400 to 1,700 words) to: submit@kingcountrymagazine.com by October 30th for a chance to be featured in our December issue! *
Entrants must reside in, attend school, or work in King Township.
The crow’s prose by Freyda Tartak
He flew this morning past my door Oh! Do not spread your wicked lore No need to tell me evil news Or languish over ill used pews Unfettered by undue suspense Relieved at once for he has left To disbelieve an implied theft Held in mid air the noble knave Erasing memories that crave For healing hands and healthy mind Abscond my sight and due in kind Lament in flight a gentle pause Lest I might pick a better cause Elect to suddenly recall New chances to address the pall
His, Brian Thayer’s, tale Engaging stories now so pale Lamenting misplaced prideful lust Portrayed for moments in the dust Today we have another chance Hear evidence of circumstance Engage the soldiers not our foes Lay down your self-entitled woes Implies the raven cousin’s dare Valiant heroes in despair Inside our homes and on our streets Need be that wound its shelter meets Good fellows in your present stance Allow yourself another chance
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Colour the Canadian Coat of Arms!
KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
New local landscaping crew available! Affordable rates, no guarantees, loves hostas!
KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
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Cool ideas & how they happened This compact and sturdy garlic press is a multi-tasking powerhouse. It features two high quality stainless steel blades, one for mincing and the other for slicing. The ergonomic lid contains a cleaning grid and the bottom storage lid houses a silicone garlic peeler. The central compartment is perfect for storing unused minced garlic for future use: perfect for anybody who loves to cook with garlic but doesn’t enjoy the smell on their fingers for the preparation.
Garlic-A-Peel product development cycle The idea: To redesign the garlic press with more added value and a sleeker design. The concept: Adding a garlic peeler into a removable base and incorporating a storage compartment for the pressed garlic. The shape of the design was decided during the ideation phase, the client wanted the shape to be unique, classy and approachable. The process: • 3D computer assisted design (CAD) model and 3D print were created to validate the concept fit and function • The initial model was adjusted based on the prototype validation.
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KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii
• Tooling was made for delivery of the first samples. • Based on initial production samples tooling changes were required to tighten some of the tolerances on the parts for a tighter fit. • Once the form and function were finalized, the colour scheme, packaging and graphics were developed to match the plan within the marketing strategy. The outcome: The product was launched in March 2017 and is currently selling at 6,000 units per month.
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