COUNTRY ROADS, Celebrating Life in Hastings County FALL 2016

Page 1

BANCROFT FIRST NATIONS VETERAN REMEMBERED TWEED PARK PROVIDES PEACEFUL PAUSE MEET NORTH HASTINGS ­YOGINI WITH HEALING TOUCH

COVERING THE ARTS, OUTDOORS, HISTORY, PEOPLE AND PLACES

FALL 2016


Breanne Bench Esthetician and Spa Technician, Ste. Anne’s Spa 2012 ESTHETICS AND SPA MANAGEMENT GRAD

Home Owners

helping homeowners

PLUMBING

& HEATING SPECIALISTS

MADOC HOME HARDWARE 57 Elgin Street, Madoc

(613) 473-2332

R & S HOME HARDWARE 9 Tuftsville Road, Unit A, Stirling

(613) 395-3346

RASHOTTE HOME BUILDING CENTRE 36 Metcalfe Street , Tweed

(613) 478-2539

BROADBENT’S HOME HARDWARE BUILDING CENTRE Highway #7 West, Marmora

(613) 472-2539


r

r u o om

f y l t c ire

te i s b we

d e l b aila

av w o s� n

Co

ss e l t un

r

i

fo “ s a de

all w r you

ww w. b l ackrive rtrading

c o mp a n

y . ca

doc) a M ed & e w T n twee e -5) b ( 2 1 7 s y Hwy nda u 9 S 5 ( 0 5 5068 10 8 8 0 1 7 ily 3) 4 1 a d 6 ( n e Op c 24 e D o t r 25 a M m Fro


N

DISC

CE I

OV

THE DIFFER EN

ER

MAYNOOTH & Hastings Highlands O u r S h o p s & S e r v i c e s We l c o m e Yo u

At the top of Hastings County. Just below Algonquin Park. There is this uncommonly beautiful place. Of loons, lakes and wild water. Art and food, music and laughing. Stay for awhile. And we’ll stay with you forever. Visit a little longer. And you may find your are already home.

33010 Hwy 62 N., Maynooth, ON 613-338-3000

www.HighlandsHotTubs.ca • Nancy@HighlandsHotTubs.ca

Hot Tubs • Swim Spas • Saunas Outdoor Furniture & Outdoor Kitchens Chemicals & Water Testing Centre Pool Installations & Repairs • So Much More!

MADAWASKA ART SHOP GIFTS & GALLERY EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!

Jewellery, Home & Cottage Decor, Six room Art Gallery, Crate Design Bunk Beds, Furniture, Pottery, Glass www.madawaska-art-shop.com • 613.338.2555

Steps from Heritage Trail. Hot gourmet breakfast. Second floor exclusively for guests with full kitchen and dining area. Jacuzzi, pillow-top mattresses, satellite TV, WIFI, central air and plenty of parking. Open year round. 32 Maynooth Station Rd, Maynooth, ON K0L 2S0 CONTACT US 613.338.3331 or 416.949.4550 lija1@sympatico.ca www.trailsedgebb.com

4

I

Country Roads • Fall 2016


Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

Country Roads

marmora and lake shop, dine, rest, seek adventure...

celebrating life in hastings county

CR Country

CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR Nancy Hopkins 613 968-0499 CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR John Hopkins 613 968-0499

Roads

SALES DEPARTMENT

CENTRAL HASTINGS & AREA

celebrating lifeGibson-Alcock in hastings county Lorraine

lorraine@countryroadshastings.ca 613.902.0462

Enjoy shopping in our Enjoy shopping in our relaxed atmosphere... where personalized services still exist. relaxed atmosphere... where personalized services still exist.

NORTH HASTINGS & AREA Hope McFall hope@countryroadshastings.ca 613.202.1541 ART DIRECTOR Jozef VanVeenen

• Home & Garden Decor • Home & Decor • Baby & weddingGarden gifts • Gifts for all occasions • Women’s fashion • Jewelery & footwear •• Handbags Scarves • Baby & • Gifts for all occasions wedding gifts • Women’s fashion & footwear • Jewelery • Artwork • Gift certificates • Handbags • Scarves • Artwork • Gift Certificates

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Robert Ferguson Orland French Angela Hawn Barry Penhale Lindi Pierce Michelle Annette Tremblay Sarah Vance Shelley Wildgen CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Sean Buk Robert Ferguson Anna Sherlock Michelle Annette Tremblay Jozef VanVeenen COUNTRY ROADS, Celebrating Life in Hastings County is published four times a year by PenWord Communications Inc. Copies are distributed to select locations throughout Hastings County including the c­ ommunities of Bancroft, Belleville, Madoc, Marmora, Stirling and Tweed. Copies are also delivered to select homes within southern Ontario.

18 Forsyth Street, Marmora 613.472.0999 www.bmr.co

CATALOGUE MERCHANT

Heart of Hastings

The advertising deadline for the Winter 2016/17 issue October 28, 2016 COVER PHOTO: JOZEF VANVEENEN Made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation

Telephone: 613-968-0499 E-mail: info@countryroadshastings.ca Website: www.countryroadshastings.ca For written enquiries you can reach us at: PenWord Communications Inc. P.O. Box 423, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0

Follow us on FB for updates on workshops.

November 4,5,6 and 11,12,13

OPEN

TUES. THRU SUN.

YEAR ROUND 5 MINUTES NORTH OF MARMORA

ROOM AFTER ROOM FULL OF ANTIQUES, PRIMITIVES, REPRO & NEW ITEMS FOR YOUR HOME AND GARDEN

Fall is in the air in Marmora and Lake... • Visit the Farmers’ Market Saturdays 8 -2 until Thanksgiving weekend for fresh vegetables, fall baking and more. • Annual Marmora Jamboree September 8 to 11 www.marmorajamboree.com.

HOW TO CONTACT US

29 Forsyth Street, Marmora, ON 613-472-2555

Christmas Tour

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year: $25.00 2 years: $45.00 3 years: $67.50 All prices include H.S.T. The contents of this publication are ­protected by copyright. Reproduction of this p­ ublication in whole or in part without prior written permission of PenWord C ­ ommunications Inc. is prohibited.

• Hand Painted Furniture • Workshops & Custom Painting • Fusion Mineral Paint (North America’s fastest growing furniture paint) • vanGogh Fossil Paint (Chemical-free and Canadian-made) • Decor Accents • Artwork • Lighting • Yarns & Needles • Handcraft Pillows • Home Basics

• Heart of Hastings Christmas Tour November 4,5,6 and 11,12,13

– More than 15 stops through Marmora, Madoc and Tweed. Visit “Heart of Hastings Christmas Tour” on Facebook.

An awesome place to shop, there’s something for everyone - plus!

Jillian’s Antiques & Things Antiques & Photography Props 1027 Cordova Road, Marmora

613.472.0436

www.facebook.com/antiques.things

Take a picturesque fall drive north and visit us!

Check out lots more at www.marmoraandlake.ca Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 5


EDITORIAL

Photo: Haley Ashford

It’s cozy at the Barley!

Remembering

Old world charm on Deer Creek. Freshly cooked meals, great wines and 10 beers on tap.

40 St. Lawrence St. W., Madoc, ON p: 613.473.1800 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11:30 am - 10 pm

CONTRIBUTORS

BA BY BAC K RIBS

F R I & SAT

Check FB for Live Music & Upcoming Events Visit us at www.barleypubandeatery.com

It’s hard to say that Country Roads has had an ongoing mandate to focus the Fall issue on Remembrance Day, but more often than not, that has been the case. Every year, around this time, we seem to have a couple of stories that turn attention to the service of Canadians in safeguarding the security of our country in times of both war and peace. Sarah Vance’s superbly researched and welldocumented profile on Earl Donald Pearson sheds light on the role of Canada’s First Nations in serving their country. It is revealing that Pearson escaped a life of hard manual labour in smalltown Ontario to rise through the ranks of the Canadian military and retire with great distinction. The fact that Pearson’s career encompassed a time of relative peace for Canada should not diminish the sacrifices he made or the devotion to his career. No one who joins the military can be naïve to the fact that a role in combat is never far from the surface. Ray Cadwell, the founder of the Lester B. Pearson Peace Park in Tweed, did serve Canada during a time of conflict, and he chose to take his experiences during the Second World War and try to create a positive and lasting memorial to soldiers and their families. One must commend the efforts of his successor, Jim Burns, to maintain that legacy. There can’t be a traveler on Highway 7 who has not seen the signs indicating the location of the Peace Park just north of Tweed, yet how many of us have taken the time to visit the grounds and reflect on its significance? We are indebted to Barry Penhale for providing such an engaging background to Cadwell and the Park, and we hope that by uncovering the history of this venue more people are encouraged to visit. We live in uncertain times where the line between war and peace seems quite blurred. While Canada is not, perhaps, in the situation it was during the First or Second World Wars, when its young men were conscripted to fight overseas, the shadow of international terrorism has nevertheless put our security on a shaky footing and produced a culture of fear that we probably did not have 20 years ago. All the more reason to celebrate the efforts of gentlemen like Ray Cadwell, who among his many accomplishments tried to define and promote the meaning of peace in the world, and Earl Donald Pearson, who thought nothing of serving his country in an effort to preserve that ideal.

6

I

Country Roads • Fall 2016

Barry Penhale, veteran radio/TV broadcaster and publisher has treasured his love of Canada in general, and Ontario in particular. He also believes that recognition should shine on those too frequently unsung women and men who have contributed much to our country. His mission is to bring the stories of extraordinary Canadian people and places to public awareness. Still active in the historic community, Barry and his wife Jane live in an Ontario century farmhouse.

Michelle Annette Tremblay writes because she’s interested in everything. Interviewing fascinating people and sharing their wisdom and ideas is one of her favorite things and has led her to writing features for newspapers and magazines. After completing a Creative Writing degree from the University of British Columbia she spent many years teaching and writing on the west coast of Canada and internationally. But, a country girl at heart, she gave up the city life to return to her roots in Paudash, where she freelances for multiple publications and is the Creative Director of WordBird Media. When she’s not picking remarkable brains, writing or photographing the wonders of rural Ontario, she’s usually in her garden, running after her kids or cooking up something yummy with her husband. Sarah Vance freelances articles for publications such as Bancroft This Week, The Haliburton Echo, Municipal Monitor and Countr y Roads. Sarah’s interest in cultural and social themes led her to pursue a masters’ degree, under the guidance of British philosopher Keith Ansell-Pearson. Sarah is always on the lookout for interesting angles and projects that will take her off the beaten path.

the

COMPASS VISIT WWW.COUNTRYROADSHASTINGS.CA AND SIGN UP FOR THE COUNTRY ROADS’ NEWSLETTER TODAY!


V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 3 , FA L L 2 0 1 6

CONTENTS 8

Birch cLiff Lodge

on Baptiste Lake

12 A great place for weddings, conferences and vacation getaways.

14

18

www.birchclifflodge.ca 613-332-3316

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

8 A LIFETIME OF SERVICE

6 EDITORIAL 6 CONTRIBUTORS 11 JUST SAYING

By Sarah Vance

12 COMMUNITY SPIRIT

By Angela Hawn

14 SPRINGER ON YOGA

By Michelle Annette Tremblay

Guest What?

13 THE VILLAGE IDIOT

Around the bend

17 ADVERTISER INDEX 18 REMEMBERING

Worth a visit

20 COUNTRY CALENDAR 21 MARKETPLACE 22 BACK ROADS

Making Your Dream Kitchen A Reality!

Wheat Kings

159 Y Road, Bancroft

613.332.4766

www.designerkitchensontario.ca

Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 7


1

A lifetime of

Service

2

Acknowledging Earl Pearson and the Anishinaabe this Remembrance Day

S

BY SARAH VANCE

Sergeant Major Earl Donald Pearson, of Anishinaabe ancestry, was a Hershel boy who later became a United Nations Peacekeeper in the Canadian military. Born on November 6, 1931, Pearson grew up in Bancroft under the shadows of Eagle’s Nest, in a small settlement at the outskirts of town, close to where Tim Horton’s is located today. By his early years Pearson had become an intrepid hunter and fisherman, working as a guide for tourists to the area. By his teenage years he was putting venison on the table for his family. His mother, Elsie Hunter, was an Algonquin woman, known for her elusive beauty as well as her marriage, at a very young age, to a white man. Elsie was granddaughter of Madeline Benoit (Benway) who was born in 1861 and who married Nippissing Chief Jean Baptiste. They had four children together, including a daughter Cecilia, Elsie’s mother, born in 1879, on Golden Lake Reserve (Pikwàkanagàn), who married Hugh Thomas Hunter. Elsie would give birth to four boys, before becoming diagnosed with tuberculosis – a highly contagious disease that caused her to live in isolation, at the fringes of her own home. A shack was built at the end of a trail, at the furthest point of the Pearson’s property line, where she was quarantined during her illness.

8

I

Country Roads • Fall 2016

3

1. Sergeant Major Earl Pearson is pictured third from the back in the parade of soldiers. Photo courtesy the Pearson Family 2. Earl Pearson (pointing), shown on maneuvers. His military career started with the Hastings Prince Edward Regiment, and he was later transferred to the 1st Canadian Guards and then the Royal Canadian Regiment. Photo courtesy the Pearson Family 3. Earl met his wife Elizabeth while working in a canning factory in Wellington, one of several jobs he held down before joining the Canadian military Photo courtesy the Pearson Family

Earl’s mother would die a few months before his eighth birthday, at the age of 31. Her mother Cecilia also died of tuberculosis before her, at the age of 46. At that time, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in Canada especially amongst Indigenous communities. After their mother’s death the boys were boarded out among the community until they were able to be out on their own.


4

4. As early as 1915, it was not uncommon for recruiting teams from the armed forces to visit Bancroft where young men from lumber camps would enlist. Some were trained in the use of a .577 Snider Enfield breed-loading rifle that used a lethal exploding bullet, now banned in modern conflict. Photo courtesy the North Hastings Heritage Museum

5

5. Logs would get jammed at places like the dam in Bancroft, where drivers would use augers and jamming tools to hook them; this was often done during the winter when the ground was at its most solid. Timber was driven via river tributaries like the York River, a direct route to the Ottawa River, where it was exported to England. Now called the Bancroft Light & Power Generating Station, the dam has been owned by Bracebridge Generation since 2012. Photo courtesy the North Hastings Heritage Museum 6. Pearson (right) spent 20 years in the military and then another 20 years as a civil servant at 8-Wing Trenton. Photo courtesy the Pearson Family 7. Adzes, tools for shaping logs, and star log stamping hammers, were used by Rathburn Lumber Co., during log drives in the early 1900’s. Stamping peens allowed each company to stamp its logs and camps with the most would get a bonus. Photo by Sarah Vance

“They lived a very private and rural life and there are not a lot of records showing that Elsie, my grandmother, even existed and I just want her to be remembered,” says Kim Gorgichuk, Earl’s daughter. “She was buried on September 17, 1938, with no reference of her birthdate in her burial record.” In fact, Elsie’s grave plot and the location of her body, in the St. John’s cemetery in Bancroft, remain unknown even today. While an archive record of her burial does exist, there is neither a headstone nor a marking. In those years Bancroft was a manufacturing hub and living near Eagle’s Nest allowed Elsie’s boys to gain employment through the lumber mills as log drivers. Log drivers were paid by the lumber companies to roll timber down the river, to massive booms, where it was then fed into the mill. Each log was stamped by the company that owned it, and young men would walk the logs down-river to make sure they made it to the correct mill. Driving logs was a savvy, yet very dangerous job and the work was grueling, with many lives lost as a result. It was only a matter of time before Earl looked for different work. Like many rural men, Earl moonlighted as a guide. His clients were usually wealthy Americans who would employ boys from the lumber camps for trophy game hunts.

6

7

“My father grew up catching fish and hunting, he knew all of the areas,” Gorgichuk explains. “This was a very good way for young men to make money and they would often get good tips.” Being a guide involved setting up camps, portaging canoes and pan frying fish. Pearson would also show visitors how to trap beaver and muskrat, harvesting their pelts and cooking the meat. It also meant being a healer, because knowing how to make salves and poultices using plants like Goldenrod, Elm and Cedar, was a requirement of that job. Before joining the military Earl took factory work, to send home money to pay off board for his family. This is where he met his soon to be wife Elizabeth at the canning factory in Wellington. Earl voluntarily joined the Hastings Prince Edward Regiment (Hasty P’s) in Kingston in May 1951, with the hope of a better life, and a consistent working wage. Hasty P’s were often called plough jockeys because most of the men in this brigade hailed from rural farms in and around Hastings County. Men from the reserves like Tyendinaga Mohawk territory and Pikwakanagan, near Barry’s Bay also found a home in this brigade.

Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 9


Infantry soldiers returned as a parade to Bancroft where they celebrated at the corner of Hastings and Bridge Street. The cenotaph in Bancroft commemorates 66 local boys who didn’t make it home from the war however, this number is thought to be much higher, at about 100 local lives lost, during wartime contributions. Photo courtesy the North Hastings Heritage Museum

Some Anishinaabe men excelled in the military because of their hunting and language skills which made them indispensable code talkers, fierce snipers, and reconnaissance scouts. “Diversity is a source of strength and flexibility, and plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the Canadian Armed Forces remain a strong, innovative and forward-looking organization,” says Lt(N) Kelly Boyden, Public Affairs Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces. “We strive to be reflective of Canada’s cultural, ethnic and linguistic makeup, as well as its regional diversity.

When the Hasty P’s were disbanded, Earl was transferred to the 1st Canadian Guards and then stationed at Valcartier, Que. On November 11, 1951 he was posted to Hanover, Germany, serving with the Royal Canadian Regiment. Earl served in the military for 20 years followed by 20 years as a civil servant at the Trenton 8-Wing Air Base. While Earl’s service was made after the world wars, from 1951-1970, Anishinaabe men have had a strong voluntary presence during war times. It is estimated that 4,000 Indigenous Canadians from a total population of 103,774 (excluding non-status Indians, Métis, and Inuit), volunteered during the First World War. Data from Veteran’s Canada show that more than 500 status soldiers lost their lives during the World Wars, with approximately the same amount receiving special decorations for wartime courage. “The CAF celebrates the contributions that Canada’s Aboriginal communities have made to the military, and continue to refine ongoing work with communities and leaders to increase awareness of what the CAF has to offer,” adds Lt(N) Boyden. Anishinaabe contributions were significant in areas such as Tyendinaga (Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte), which held the highest sources of enlistment in Canada. In fact, close to the entire Algonquin of Golden Lake band enlisted. “First Nations, Inuit and Métis Canadians share the risk and challenges of rewarding jobs throughout the Canadian Armed Forces,” says Lt(N) Boyden. “In the past decade, CAF Aboriginal men and women have contributed to the defence of Canadian values of peace, freedom and democracy overseas.” Pearson passed away October 22, 2004 from cancer. He is survived by his children Bonnie, Earleen, Kimberly, Brian and Kyle and his devoted wife of 50 years, Elizabeth, who now reside in Alberta. Like many other young men of Anishinaabe heritage, Sergeant Major Pearson’s career as a peacekeeper was embedded in the teachings of his culture.

Coe Hill &Ormsby S M A L L

Furniture, Cottage Décor, Gifts and More Over 40 Artists - One Location

NEW ESPRESSO BAR

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wed to Sun Victoria Day until Thanksgiving Custom Orders available all year info@tinhousewoodworking.com

5424 Hwy 620 in the Hamlet of Coe Hill www.tinhousewoodworking.com 10 I

Country Roads • Fall 2016

T O W N

C H A R M

A W A I T S


Guest What?

JUST SAYING

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN

C

ompany’s coming! Two words that can bring either a chill or a smile, depending on…. who’s coming. We’ve all welcomed different houseguests at various times but when you break down the word ‘guest’, it lugs with it all kinds of expectations and conditions: guest treatment, guest privileges, paying guests, “Be my guest,” and the ominous “You’re not a guest, you’re family.” Even guest towels have a clunky, “don’t get me too dirty” way about them. There’s no doubt about it. Guests require special, unspoken attention. So, perhaps it’s time to reframe the whole guest concept. Roll it around, smooth out the edges and make it fit a little looser, like an old sweater on a cold day or a cup of tea in hand, sitting in front of a fire. What we’d like to imagine when guests come to visit. I was first introduced to the guest-free idea by my friend, Lorre. She invited me to come and see her new home up north, near Bon Echo Park. Then she sent me a picture of her ‘visitor room’ there. She told me visitors are what she prefers. Lorre doesn’t even have a guest room, just the visitor room. Oooooooookay. Research required. At first blush, I think of a guest luxuriating in well-appointed surroundings, while the term ‘visitor’ seems more purposeful, yet temporary - like a hospital visitor. However, in the dictionary ‘guest’ and ‘visitor’ are much alike. Thing is, in life the differences can be quite notable, especially for a host. I’m not saying one is better than the other. Not really. I mean a good houseguest (visitor) is a good houseguest (visitor) and we all know who they are. They make it easy to invite back because

they’re appreciative, helpful and so on. But there are those people who sort of shine differently. They visit really well. In my personal collection one friend, Carissa, is an extreme visitor. They’re rare, but if you see one, grab on, and invite often. When Carissa came to PEI last summer, she would only stay if there was work she could do. Visitor lottery, won! She fit doors (attempted to fit doors), reupholstered chairs, sewed and hung curtains, painted, pruned and put in a casserole at the end of the day. In addition to all of her domestic detail, she was a lot of fun. Visitors are the people you tend to have time and time again, mostly because they don’t wait for an invite. They just ask to come for a visit. Not passing through. Not making a duty call. They really want to see you, and you feel a certain comfort right away. Here’s the rundown: Guests usually have food requirements but say they don’t. Visitors don’t remark that they only use Becel margarine at home, they just go buy some. Guests don’t welcome pet cuddles. Visitors haul a pet to bed. Guests will always make their bed. Visitors leave their bed unmade daily because they’re just that comfortable, but they’ll strip it before they leave. Guests bear gifts. Visitors always leave something behind. Guests will wait patiently until you get up. Visitors roam freely. So, that’s more or less a summary of what sets visitors apart from guests. Now, the challenge is to

figure out which one you are! I think Lorre expects me to be a visitor, what with the visitor room and all. Trouble is, I may actually behave more like a guest…at Lorre’s. I don’t know her partner at all so in all likelihood I will do a lot of ‘do you mind?’ – ing. It’s not something you can really change about yourself. Most of us will default to guest because that’s how we were raised. But when there’s an expectation of being a visitor, well that’s a challenge, isn’t it? My friend, Lisa, used to let me recharge at her bed and breakfast on Wolfe Island. That one was easy. It was even located on Easy Lane! Really. I clearly wasn’t a guest there, because I paid no money. Instant clarity. Ooooo, I loved visiting there. My room was high above a carriage house, overlooking Lake Ontario. The room was all soothing, quiet colours and it featured not one or two, but a stack of National Enquirers, People and Us magazines. My guilty pleasures were fed to busting and the relaxation component was exquisite when blended with the sound of the waves outside. Sometimes, I’d skip breakfast entirely as I sank deeper into my comfort. There was no pressure whatsoever, and if I wanted to hang and watch movies all afternoon, she was cool with that. It really was the best, from where I sat anyway. And there’s the rub. Good hosts never let you know if you are demanding special attention. We all like to think we’re easy company but….maybe…not. Truth is I’m not sure which label to put on myself, so I won’t. If you’re wondering which one you are, you probably have your answer.

A self-guided driving tour to tempt your taste buds featuring food and drink that is locally produced, locally grown or uniquely Trent Hills www.VisitTrentHills.ca

1-888-653-1556 or 705-653-1551

Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 11


S T O R Y

A N D

P H O T O S

Current Pro One Stop proprietors Julie and Min Yoo stand in front of the photo wall, showing off the many local teams and events the family has proudly supported in Stirling.

B Y

A N G E L A

H A W N

Over the past 25 years the Pro One stop has become deeply woven into the fabric of the community of Stirling.

Community spirit

Yoo family makes small town store face of Stirling Stirling Pro One Stop isn’t the sort of place internet browsers come across while surfing the world wide web. Owners Min and Julie Yoo don’t have a website; they don’t tweet and they don’t advertise on Facebook. Perhaps that’s because the lonely world of cyberspace doesn’t quite fit with the homey-style business Min’s dad, Chong Yoo, started up 25 plus years ago. Or maybe the Yoo family just doesn’t need it. Neighbourly word of mouth seems to take care of most advertising for them. Short of visiting this friendly small-town gas bar and variety store yourself, the best way to find out more about Pro involves chatting with a local. “I like to think we’re a place everybody feels comfortable, everybody’s on a first-name basis,” Julie laughs, acknowledging Pro’s welcoming atmosphere has often been likened to the friendly bar on the TV show Cheers. “People yell ‘hi’ when they come in and it’s the kind of place where everybody knows your name.” And sure enough, as Julie busily sorts through video loyalty cards, a customer waves her out from behind the counter for a hug good-bye. Min excuses himself to go help an elderly woman find just the right brand of chewing gum and teases about Stirling rush hour at Pro. If you’re from the area, you certainly know the place well and everyone probably knows you. Just try putting a little gas in your truck or slipping in to rent a DVD without running into a familiar face. The Pro is every local’s favourite destination when they’ve just run out of peanut butter or eggs or some other muchneeded cupboard staple. This is the place you stop by after hours when that latenight craving for a bag of chips hits or you realize you don’t have a lotto ticket for tonight’s draw. Out of toilet paper? The Pro has some. Cold medicine? Same. Just ran out of fabric softener? Grab a bottle for the road or, heck, why not stay a while and wash your clothes in Pro’s adjacent laundromat. Desperately seeking a little vinegar and baking soda for your kid’s volcano science project? It’s due tomorrow, you whine, as a Pro cashier clucks sympathetically and bags up your supplies. Whatever you’re looking for, chances are you’ll find it at Pro. And more often than not, you just might come across that little much-needed extra you weren’t expecting or even knew you were looking for, the sort of thing that can characterize an entire community and make you glad you live there. No doubt Pro One Stop’s friendly aura causes many a first-time visitor to consider the local real-estate ads (also, incidentally, available on-site, right beside the checkout.) Quite a few people in this little village with a big heart rave about the hospitable “mom and pop” retail operation on the far end of town. Take Dan Jacques, for example. Twenty years ago in the middle of a particularly bitter winter, Dan found himself en route to Ottawa General Hospital, seeking cancer treatment for his terminally ill wife, Laura. Already on a desperate mission, Dan felt his spirits plummet even further when the pair’s vehicle broke down just north of Tweed.

12 I

Country Roads • Fall 2016

“I can’t remember now whether it was January or February,” he declares, lost in the memory. “But it was cold.” A Tweed garage mechanic eventually diagnosed the problem as ice in the carburetor, easing Dan’s troubles somewhat with the unexpected loan of his own truck for the next few days and insisting the couple use it to complete their Ottawa trip. Kindness, it seems, is alive and well in small-town eastern Ontario. At the time Min’s dad still ran Pro One Stop full-time. When Dan dropped by the store later and told him the story, Chong Yoo was mortified. Ice in the carburetor often indicates some water in the gasoline. Since Pro was the last place Dan remembered refueling prior to the break-down, the gas station owner felt responsible. Without hesitation he demanded his customer hand over the vehicle’s extensive repair bill and promptly reimbursed him in full on the spot. Dan never forgot it. “I think they’re just a wonderful family,” he declares, the affection clear in his voice. “I’ve lived in this community for 25 years and I definitely think the place wouldn’t be the same without them.” Exactly the kind of sentiment Chong Yoo certainly sought to cultivate when he first bought the store and gas station way back in the early Nineties. A savvy businessman, the elder Yoo had managed retail operations his entire life, first in Korea and later in Toronto. The entire family emigrated to Canada when Min was 14, ending up in the Parliament and Gerrard area of the country’s largest city. “It was a really rough neighbourhood at the time,” says Julie, noting her own parents made a similar move to Scarborough when she was 7. “Min’s mom and dad were looking for a more family-friendly place to raise their children and they looked everywhere for a new business to buy before they finally found the store in Stirling.” Julie recalls her father-in-law wisely opted to keep the staff in charge of running the store at the time. He figured customers might feel more comfortable with people they already knew well. And wanting to establish the community as his own new home-base, he also hoped to get acquainted with Stirling a little better through the eyes of his new employees. So many years later, it’s obvious that’s exactly what’s happened. Min steps out from behind the cash just long enough to show off the Pro team photo wall before turning to serve a customer. From baseball to softball to hockey and soccer, Pro has sponsored dozens of teams. Look closely at all the youthful faces smiling in Pro One Stop jerseys and you’re sure to recognize Julie’s and Min’s own children amongst them. Turns out Stirling is a great place to raise a family. “All three of our kids went to Stirling schools,” reports Julie with a smile. “We’ve always loved it here and felt so good about the people who live here.”


“He thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before – this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again…The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated…he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.” – From ‘The Wind in the Willows,’ by Kenneth Grahame The fabulous thing about traveling on the river is that no matter how many times you cover the identical stretch of water it is never the same twice. Currents, wind, changing water levels – all conspire to alter the character of the river from day to day, or even within a day. A stretch of highway will look and feel the same from the comfort of your car day after day, but a stretch of river in a canoe or kayak can always throw up a surprise. Nancy and I spent almost every day on the river this summer, either in canoe or kayak, and we both agreed that at no point did we feel bored, even though we were traveling along the same stretch of water most of the time. It is this changing, sometimes unpredictable nature of the river that gives fresh perspective to the adage: “It is not the destination, but the journey.” Our expeditions were almost always leisurely, with no set speed or timeline in mind. We traveled as quickly or slowly as we liked, and returned home when the mood suited us. The satisfaction in our trips came not from the distance we traveled, but what we experienced along the way.

l o o u c r l s l ? a f e h t e v o Don’t you just l ES

D

Thank you Quinte, Thank youBelleville, Belleville, Quinte “TheCountry” County” & & Eastern Ontario “The Eastern Ontario

Thank Belleville, Quinte We now you offer one of the LARGEST FACTORY We now offer one of the LARGEST FACTORY DIRECT COLLECTIONS OF& HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN “The Country” Eastern Ontario DIRECT COLLECTIONS OF HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN s MENNONITE FURNITURE in EASTERN ONTARIO. Heirloom pieces ni LarMENNONITE are now crafted from wormy maple, flat &ONTARIO 1/4 cut oak, Heirloom offer one of&inclear the LARGEST FACTORY ry We FURNITURE EASTERN Den rustic & rough sawn pine & Cherry DIRECTare COLLECTIONS OF HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN pieces crafted from wormy & clear maple, flat & Thank you Belleville, Quinte MENNONITE FURNITURE EASTERN ONTARIO “The Country” & Eastern Ontario 1/4 cut oak, rustic &Belleville, rough sawn pine &Heirloom cherry. Thank youin Quinte

MENNONITE pieces are crafted fromBelleville, wormy & clear maple, flat & Quinte “The Eastern Ontario We Thank nowCountry” offeryou one of&the LARGEST FACTORY 1/4DIRECT cut oak, rustic & OF rough sawn pine & cherry. “The Country” &HANDCRAFTED Eastern Ontario COLLECTIONS CANADIAN We Thank now offeryou one of the LARGEST FACTORY Belleville, Quinte MENNONITE FURNITURE in&EASTERN ONTARIO Heirloom DIRECT COLLECTIONS HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN We now offer one OF of the LARGEST FACTORY “The Country” Eastern Ontario pieces are crafted fromOF & clear maple, flat & MENNONITE FURNITURE inwormy EASTERN ONTARIO Heirloom DIRECT COLLECTIONS HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN We now offer one of the LARGEST FACTORY 1/4 cut rustic &inrough sawn pinemaple, & cherry. pieces are oak, crafted from wormy & clear flat & MENNONITE FURNITURE EASTERN ONTARIO Heirloom DIRECT COLLECTIONS OF HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN 1/4 cut rustic & rough pinemaple, & cherry. pieces are oak, crafted from wormysawn & clear flat & MENNONITE FURNITURE in EASTERN ONTARIO Heirloom 1/4 cut oak, rustic & rough sawn pine & cherry. pieces are crafted from wormy & clear maple, flat & 1/4 cut oak, rustic & rough sawn pine & cherry.

FURNITURE

Discover where to find our premium ice cream at kawarthadairy.com

We now o DIRECT COLL MENNONITE FU 100% pieces are cr Ac 1/4 cut oa

• Dining • Bedroom • Mattresses • Bookcases

Bedrooms sofas coffee & ends & ENDS • Entertainment • SOFAS Home Accent Pieces BEDROOMS COFFEE

BEDROOMS SOFAS COFFEE & ENDS • Home & Business Office Desks • Islands & Bars BEDROOMS

SOFAS

BEDROOMS BEDROOMS

SOFAS SOFAS

COFFEE & ENDS COFFEE & ENDS COFFEE & ENDS BEDROOMS COFFEE & ENDS

•BEDROOMS Jelly Cupboards •SOFAS Coffee & End Tables

www.ruttlebrothersfurniture.com 613-969-9263

T. 1 9 37

A I R Y

Than “The C

R0011294653

Around the bend

R0011294653

BY JOHN HOPKINS

R0011294653 R0011294653 R0011294653 R0011294653

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

In fact, I found out that when the focus did change to the destination, suddenly the satisfaction of the journey seemed diminished. One Saturday morning I decided to kayak, on my own, as far up the river as I could get in two or three hours. My goal was to reach the lake that feeds our particular stretch of river. The trip was not nearly so satisfying. While I covered new territory that I hadn’t seen before, I also felt I was missing things in my haste to get to the lake. Sometimes, as I came to a bend in the river, I found myself, almost unconsciously, paddling with extra exertion to try and get around the corner and see how much closer my destination was. After a couple of hours I had come to a convenient landing point, close to the lake, and while I was pleased with my endurance and the distance I had covered, my paddle hadn’t been quite as enriching as I had hoped. Later, Nancy and I took the canoe on a similar route to that I had covered on my own, and she pointed out interesting natural features and riverfront properties I had missed on my solo run in the kayak. I noticed a couple of them were at curves in the river where I had been more preoccupied with going around the bend than taking in the scenery immediately surrounding me. On another occasion we were in our kayaks together and Nancy was setting a leisurely pace while I was powering along as if I had an urgent appointment to make. She was ahead of me, and suddenly looked up, put a finger to her mouth and gave me a scornful look. She pointed to the reeds by the shore and there, not 10 feet from us, was a green heron, a magnificent looking bird neither of us had seen before. At my “race pace” I would have swept right past the bird, not coming close to spotting it camouflaged in the shoreline vegetation. But Nancy, taking the time to observe the surroundings, had spotted it. It was a good life lesson. We rush through our days, our weeks, our months and our years, focused on some destination in the future while we disregard the magic that is taking place in the present. We slog through our workday grind, anticipating the weekend, vacation, or perhaps even retirement, the same way I hustled my way around the bend in the river, trying to see what lay further down the path. Of course, when we do this we miss the green heron right in front of us.

~

RUTTLEBRotheRs BROTHERSFuRnituRe FURNITURE Ruttle RUTTLEBROTHERS BROTHERS FURNITURE RUTTLE FURNITURE RUTTLE BROTHERS BOOKCASES SINCE 1974 FURNITURE DESKS & ACCENTS RUTTLE BROTHERS FURNITURE RUTTLE RUTTLE BOOKCASES BROTHERS SINCE 1974 1974 FURNITURE DESKS & ACCENTS www.ruttlebrothersfurniture.com BOOKCASES SINCE DESKS & ACCENTS BOOKCASES

SINCE 1974

DESKS & ACCENTS

BR

BOOKCASES SINCE 1974 DESKS & ACCENTS www.ruttlebrothersfurniture.com BOOKCASES SINCE 1974 BOOKCASES & ACCENTS 1 mile N. of WALMART on HWY 62,DESKS Belleville www.ruttlebrothersfurniture.com www.ruttlebrothersfurniture.com 1 mile N. of WALMART on HWY 62, Bellevillewww.ruttle www.ruttlebrothersfurniture.com www.ruttlebrothersfurniture.com 1 mile N. of613-969-9263 WALMART on HWY 62, Belleville 1 mile N. of HWY62,62,Belleville Belleville1 mile N. of W 1 mile N. WALMART of613-969-9263 WALMART on on HWY 613-969-9263 1 mile N. of WALMART on HWY 62, Belleville 613-969-9263 613-969-9263 6

613-969-9263

Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 13


By Michelle Annette Tremblay

Above: Springer’s studio is built off the back of her house, with enough room for six or seven students to spread out, and a bay window at the front. Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay Left: Raised in small town Michigan, free spirit Springer was drawn to Canada in the late 1960s in part due to its opposition to the Vietnam War. After settling in Toronto she and some friends eventually found land to buy in North Hastings. Photo courtesy Troy Springer

Yoga

Springer on

A lifetime of spiritual movement and healing

K

alamazoo, Mich. The early 1960s. Summer. As he walked outside, the yoga instructor couldn’t quite believe his eyes. There, standing in the yard next door was a blond girl he’d never seen before: a child, with eyes closed, deeply focused inward. She was moving her body slowly and deliberately. He recognized the ancient Indian asanas immediately. After watching for a few minutes he approached, bewildered. “Who have you been studying yoga with?” he asked over the fence. “Yoga?” She responded. She’d never heard of it. Sitting in her sunny yoga studio in Bancroft five decades later, Springer — a lifetime Yogini and prana healer — recounts being painfully shy as

14 I

Country Roads • Fall 2016

a child. In fact, she barely spoke at all. After experiencing a trauma when she was very young, she had retreated into herself and would spend hours alone, often in the forest, lying on the ground. She liked to close her eyes, listen to the forest sounds, feel the subtle vibrations of the earth, concentrate on her breathing, and move. When she stretched and twisted her body this way and that, she was opening up her meridians, letting healing energy wash through her. For a young American girl to learn about yoga in the early 1960s without a teacher was nearly impossible. But at the time, refugees were settling in the closest city, Grand Rapids, and her family took in a teenage Iraqi boy.


A return to California nurtured Springer’s healing instincts, and she admits she has always had an instinct about people’s health. Photo courtesy Troy Springer

Small shrines to the Hindu Deities with crystals and flowers dot Springer’s North Hastings studio. Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

“Fikrat Alkhouri moved in with us when he was 17 or 18, and had a room in the basement,” remembers the Yogini, who looks at least a decade younger than she actually is. She was three years younger than the boy, and still trapped inside herself. But she was fascinated by Alkhouri’s boldness. He was a passionate artist and musician who loved to flirt with the older girls, and just by being himself he was “busting up the attitudes” Springer had grown up with in her little hometown of Home Acres. He filled the basement with music, huge oil paintings, and stacks of books. When Springer found herself alone in the house she would sneak down to the basement to snoop through Alkhouri’s irresistibly exotic possessions. On one such occasion she found a book that would change her life. It was ‘Light on Yoga,’ by B.K.S Iyengar, and it was a new release. Pretty much anyone who knows anything about yoga today knows of Iyengar. He is considered the father of modern yoga, and credited with making yoga popular first throughout India and then the rest of the world. But in 1966 ‘Light on Yoga’ and its author were still relatively unknown. “The most important thing that ever happened to me was finding ‘Light on Yoga.’ I’ve studied every word because it’s so brilliant,” says Springer, who had the chance to attend one of Iyengar’s classes years later. “He wouldn’t remember me. I was just one of a million faces. But I saw him, and sat in his class, and he and his writings are brilliant. It comes from his guru. It’s a wisdom that’s genuinely passed down.” By 1967 the hippie movement was in full swing. Drunk on yoga, Springer became friends with some adventurous teens around her age, and together they took off for San Francisco. It was the place to be. There, everything that had made her strange in Home Acres was suddenly celebrated. People were interested in her and her yoga practice. They asked her to teach them, and she did. She’s been teaching yoga ever since. “I’ve been self-employed my whole life,” Springer tells me, except for a short stint when she taught yoga to children (they called her Miss Yogi), and another when she taught at Grail Springs Wellness Retreat. We are sitting in her studio, a bright pine-walled room built off the back of her

Springer has a flourishing yoga and healing practice in Bancroft. Despite not doing any marketing, her classes are always full. Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

house, with views of her garden to one side, and hardwood forest on the other. There’s enough room for six or seven students to spread out; or more if people get cozy. Springer teaches from the front, surrounded by a bay window. There is a wood stove in the corner that keeps her classes warm through the winter months, and small shrines to the Hindu Deities with crystals and flowers. Once they ran out of money, Springer and her friends returned to Home Acres, but they knew they wanted to be somewhere else. Somewhere progressive. “We had a music producer friend in Toronto. We were so proud of Canada for not supporting the Vietnam War and for accepting the draft dodgers, so we decided to head North.” Springer and five of her friends stayed in Toronto. They all worked odd jobs. They picked apples and tomatoes, and fixed things. Springer taught yoga in parks and at festivals. On weekends they travelled around rural Ontario, checking out land. They had saved up some money, and were searching for an acreage to start a commune on. They finally found one in North Hastings. A hundred acres for $2000. “We lived in little log cabins we built ourselves,” she remembers, smiling. “I practiced yoga every day, and taught to anyone who was interested. Time was spacious,” she says, talking with her hands. Springer recounts catching the school bus with her daughter, and teaching yoga to kids in the library at Coe Hill Public School. She had been invited by the school principal at the time, Bill English, a gentle elderly man who still attends Springer’s classes with his wife to this day. “I taught yoga, cut hair, painted houses, built stone walls and foundations; whatever someone would hire me for,” Springer remembers. “We had lots of time. We cut our own wood, grew our own food. The kids would come along everywhere with us. It seems so long ago now... It seems like another life.” Gradually dynamics changed, on both large and small scales. Members of the commune moved away for one reason or another, and Springer returned to California for two years, where she was once again embraced.

Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 15


As a child Springer enjoyed retreating into the forest for hours alone at a time and taking in its sounds and vibrations. Photo courtesy of Troy Springer

“It was like California was waiting for me,” gushes Springer. “It was effortless. I’d put up a poster and the next thing I knew, I was filled up for workshops. I made a bunch of yoga friends. I made more money than I could have dreamed of. Everybody wanted me.” The life-long Yogini confesses that she didn’t come out of the closet as a healer until an ‘ah-ha’ moment in California. She was attending a healing conference, and had been asked to speak. At first she was intimidated by the idea. Thinking of herself, and especially referring to herself as a healer had always been difficult, if not impossible. She felt it was un-humble to call herself a healer, even though she had instinctively known since childhood that’s what she was. “I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hear what I had to say,” admits Springer. “But then I heard the other speakers, and I realized they weren’t authentic. I realized that I had helpful things to share. People wanted to explore within themselves; and I had explored. At that moment I understood that I don’t have to be anything different than what I am in order to serve, which is what I’ve always wanted to do. There is a word for those people who want to serve. Das. That’s what I am. My spiritual name is Satya Das.”

Springer’s experience of communal living in the 1960s and 70s helped develop a sense of self-sufficiency that continues to this day. Photo by Michelle Annette Tremblay

Springer has always had an instinct about people’s health: how their emotions affect their bodies, and how their bodies affect their emotions. Studying is part of her morning discipline. She studies anatomy, the glandular and chakra systems, and health issues specific to the clients she works with. She applies all these things to her healing, which is a combination of massage, acupressure, and ‘prana’ or energy healing. “It’s manifestation. I have to keep my pituitary open. I have to keep my system open,” she explains. “When I am healing, I am peace. I am love. It becomes clear to me how to relate to a client in a way that they are able to receive.” Springer knows that her yoga practise is what allows her to stay in that space, and be useful to others. “This is what I truly have to offer, and I feel so exceptionally blessed and so exceptionally joyful,” she says, with bright eyes. Perhaps this is why people are so drawn to her. She doesn’t do any marketing, and yet her classes are always well attended. People know about her via word of mouth. “Everything I’ve ever needed to know, yoga has taught me,” she says. “I pray everyday that those who can benefit from me will find me. And I truly, truly trust that they will.”

ARE YOU NEW TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD? Visits are free. No obligation. Compliments of local businesses. Sharon: (613) 475-5994 sharon.welcome2014@gmail.com

1-844-299-2466 www.welcomewagon.ca

16 I

Country Roads • Fall 2016


Country Roads

Advertiser Index 1

2 3 4 5 6 7

8

9

10 11 12 13

14 15

Bancroft Art Gallery of Bancroft Bancroft Century Shoppe Bancroft General Mercantile Birchcliff Lodge Bridge St. Art Dawn Ebelt, Registered Massage Designer Kitchens Kathy Tripp, Realtor Market Café & Fudge Factory North Hastings Family Pharmacy 6 Old Tin Shed Posies Flowers & Gifts Zihua Clothing Boutique 9 Ashlie’s Books Belleville Loyalist College Ruttle Bros. Furniture Coe Hill The Barn Chef Tinhouse Woodworking Foxboro Village Green Hastings Co. Shops & Services Kawartha Dairy 11 Kawartha Docks Waterloo BioFilter Hastings Highlands 3 Gallo-Teck Electrical Contractor Madoc Barley Pub and Eatery Hidden Goldmine Bakery Madoc Home Hardware Mary’s Boutique Renshaw Power Products Wine Barrel Marmora Boutique Inspiration Broadbent’s Home Hardware Building Centre Flowers by Sue & Café Jillian’s Antiques & Things Marmora & Lake Municpality Possibilities Maynooth Brush with the North Highlands Hot Tubs Linkie’s General Store 12 M.G. Daly Funeral Home Madawaska Art Shop PETERBOROUGH Sun Run Café Trail’s Edge Bed & Breakfast Ormsby Old Hastings Mercantile & Gallery Paudash Craftsman Restaurant Peterborough Discovery Dream Homes Stirling Brad Comeau Lawyer Cooney Apple Store Pro Gas Stop R & S Home Hardware Stirling Dental - Dr. Doug Smith & Assoc. Stirling Manor Trent Hills Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce Tweed Black River Trading Co. Rashotte Home Building Centre Tweed Studio Tour Tweed, Municipality of

Hastings County

celebrating life in hastings county

CR Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

1

10

5

Joe VanVeenen Map

HASTINGS COUNTY SHOPS & SERVICES

15 7

8

13 4 14

2

Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 17


R E M E M B E R I N G

Worth a visit

Peace Park founder’s vision remains alive BY BARRY PENHALE

T

he Lester B. Pearson Peace Park on Highway 7 between Madoc and Tweed is the result of one remarkable man’s vision of a world free from war. Roy Cadwell was that man, a Bay Street lawyer, soldier during the Second World War, and administrator of military hospitals in Canada and England. Jim Burns, the park’s chairman since 2002, believes Cadwell’s main motivation in establishing the Peace Park evolved from the considerable sympathy he felt for the soldiers killed or maimed during the Second World War and admitted to hospitals under his administration. The park came into being during Canada’s Centennial Year in 1967 on a 20-acre site Cadwell owned and initially housed the Madoc-Tweed Art and Writing Centre. The first director of what was also the first residential art centre in Eastern Ontario was the Polish-born artist Mary Schneider. Over many years she and her professor of architecture husband, Roman, became highly recognizable area personalities. A scrapbook-style publication capturing highlights of the Peace Park’s quarter century of existence in 1992 was compiled by Cadwell. On its pages readers become acquainted with him and learn of the transition of his property from Art Centre to a Peace Park bearing the name of his former boss. Cadwell had become a legal advisor within the federal Department of External Affairs, at a time when Canada’s “quiet diplomacy” approach was gaining momentum internationally. His boss, of course, was Lester Bowles Pearson, the Newtonbrook, Ont. native who became Canada’s 14th prime minister and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. A man of modesty and known to many as simply “Mike,” Pearson’s numerous accomplishments include giving Canada a new flag. In his 25 Years of Peace, Cadwell introduces those Canadians whose contributions to world peace resulted in their being awarded the Man, or Woman, of the Year Peace Award, presented annually by the Lester B. Pearson Peace Park. These significant awards, originating in the centennial year, were phased out following the passing, in December 2000, of Roy’s wife, Priscilla, the Peace Park’s co-founder. One cannot but be impressed by those voices of peace from all walks of life being so honoured, from politicians, religious leaders, and educators, to journalist, author, and editor, Peter C. Newman and the late publisher Mel Hurtig, whose passion for a fair-minded Canada knew no bounds. When this

18 I

Country Roads • Fall 2016

Roy Cadwell’s motivation for creating the Peace Park was thought to be the sympathy he felt for soldiers killed or maimed during the Second World War and admitted to hospitals under his administration. Photo courtesy Jim Burns

The Peace Park came into being during Canada’s centennial year of 1967, and was named for the prime minister of the time, Lester B. Pearson, who was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Sketch map courtesy Evan Morton, Tweed & Area Heritage Centre and The Tweed News

Edmonton-based book publisher received his award in 1988, he saw to it that Hastings County libraries received copies of John Columbo’s Quotations

of Famous Canadians. Other recipients include the colourful premier of Newfoundland, “Joey” Smallwood, humanitarian Cardinal Paul Emile Leger, the greatly admired Rabbi Gunther Plaut of Holy Blossom Synagogue in Toronto, who was honoured in 1990 for a lifetime body of work related to the humanities, and the first woman to receive the award, Mme. Paule Gauthier, then president of the Canadian Bar Association and director general of Laval University. Further recognition of a different nature were the scholarships and poetry prizes also introduced by Cadwell and presented by the Peace Park. Local winners would include Alan Smith of Havelock, who received a scholarship in 1992 in a ceremony at the Marmora Legion Branch. The following year Shelley Cooke of Stirling (as a descendent of a Legion member in District “F”) received a similar scholarship — her father, James Cooke, being a member of Stirling Legion, Branch 228. Between managing the maintenance of a sizeable acreage dependent on donations and a workload that included scholarship and poetry awards Cadwell’s unflagging efforts are much more than merely impressive. Perhaps the right word could be “staggering” when one is reminded that this unique man of peace, known widely as the “gentle pacifist,” soldiered on well into his nineties, clinging to his vision right up to his passing at age 96 in 2003. Fortunately, a fortuitous meeting with Burns in July, 1989 provided Cadwell with the helper he needed. As Peace Park chairman since 2002, Burns has worked wonders. It all happened when the Tweedbased educator approached Cadwell and purchased some scenic Black River property from the older man. At the time Burns was asked if he would help out around the park, which had become far too much work for its founder. In truth, the park had become quite rundown. Burns immediately plunged into what resulted in continuous work of repairing and replacing structures. The transformation over the past decade has been wondrous, with improved signs, new flower beds, and an inviting self-guided nature trail around the outer perimeter of the park property. Much needed repairs to the Mothers’ Shrine have been completed and all park structures stuccoed and painted. By his own admission the former elementary school principal with the Hastings & Prince Edward Board of Education has always had an interest in science. He remembers well how his class at Centenary Public School created a nature trail in a


R E M E M B E R I N G field behind the school — it became the inspiration for today’s Peace Park Trail. With the needs of Highway 7 travelers in mind, this dedicated park custodian is grooming the Lester B. Pearson Peace Park to become a welcoming site for those who wish to stop, relax and nourish their own inner peace. He is bolstered by repeated compliments from visitors who take delight in a site so quiet and peaceful. As more and more people become involved in what has been termed “Forest Bathing,” Burns sees the Peace Park as an ideal spot to do just that. With this in mind he looks forward to 2017 and the opportunity to welcome “Forest Bathers.” When considering ways to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday next year, may I suggest that the Lester B. Pearson Peace Park be on your bucket list. And should you get there, and while basking in the serenity, take a moment to remember our armed forces and tip your hat to a former prime minister and statesman — and to the Peace Park founder Roy Cadwell.

Jim Burns, retired Hastings County educator, is the welcoming host and chair of the Lester B. Pearson Peace Park. Photo courtesy Jim Burns

Madoc

With thanks to Jim Burns, Lester B. Pearson Peace Park & Evan Morton, Tweed & Area Heritage Centre.

ON THE COVER

A Night at the Fair Cover Photo: Jozef VanVeenen Fall fairs are synonymous with rural Ontario and none more so than in Hastings County. This striking photo captures the excitement and essence of a visit to the local midway. For more of Jozef’s photos visit: www.flickr.com/photos/tikitvisuals www.facebook.com/tikit-visuals

The Town With A Heart Of Gold Brew on premise wine store with great variety of 4,5,6, & 8 week kits. VISIT NOW AND EXPERIENCE THE FUN OF MAKING A GREAT AFFORDABLE BATCH OF HIGH QUALITY WINE!

“Made from scratch” • Tarts • Pies • Squares • • Cookies • Fudge • Bread • Soup • • Antiques •

OPEN

Tues - Fri 10-5 Sat 9-2 HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING & CUSTOM GIFT BASKETS

Bakery & Cafe Open Tuesday to Saturday

59 Durham St. S, Madoc 613.473.5310

THE WINE BARREL 162 RUSSELL STREET, MADOC 613.473.0819

Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 19


C O U N T R Y

C A L E N D A R

Things to see and do in and around Hastings County. To submit your event listing email info@countryroadshastings.ca or call us at 613 968-0499.

ART GALLERIES/EXHIBITIONS Art Gallery of Bancroft, 10 Flint Avenue, Bancroft, 613-332-1542 www.artgallerybancroft.ca Sept 7 - Oct 1 - Kathy Haycock “ In the Prevailing Wind” Oct 5 - 29 - “Expressions in Fibre” A Fibre Arts Show Nov 2 – Dec 3 - Caroline deMooy, “The Enigmatic Landscape” Belleville Art Association, 392 Front St., Belleville, Ontario 613-968-8632 www. bellevilleart.ca Sept 29 – Oct 27 BAA Juried Show – Perspectives Belleville Library 3rd Floor, 254 Pinnacle St Belleville 613-968-6731 x 6731

THEATRE/LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Bancroft Village Playhouse, www.bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca 1 877-322-4682 Sept 27, Oct 25, Nov 29 7pm - Croft Talks LIVE. This live, unscripted talk show taps into what’s happening across our region. $5 Sept 27, Oct 11, Nov 8 4:15pm & 7pm - TIFF Tuesday – The North of 7 Film Fest– $10. Belleville Theatre Guild, 256 Pinnacle Street, Belleville 613-967-1442 www.bellevilletheatreguild.ca Oct 13 – 29 - “On Golden Pond”, written by Ernest Thompson and directed by Esther Parry. Through the course

of their long, loving marriage, Ethel and Norman have shared a love for their summer cottage, an Eden where the play’s conflicts begin and end. $20 Adult, $18 Senior, $10 Student.

the day. Let us raise your spirits in this highflying re-telling of an old classic. Grab your kids and come to see the best in family entertainment! Whether you’re a fan of the Family show or the Naughty show, you’ll love our panto-fied version of Jack and The Beanstalk!

Stirling Festival Theatre, West Front St., Stirling 613-395-2100 1-877-312-1162 www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com

ART STUDIO TOURS

Sept 30 & Oct 1 6 pm - Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre – The Spy Who Killed Me! It’s a Mission Implausible. A dead body interrupts a spy conference. Famed Spy, James Bord, Agent Double O-Zero, is on the case. The mission, if you choose to accept it, will cause fits of laughter and an all round good time. Was it murder or did someone just selfdestruct? Only way to find out, book tickets before it’s too late! Oct 2 2pm – Jitterbug Jive - Seventyfive years ago, the Commodores played for hundreds of dancers three and four nights a week at venues like Belleville’s Club Commodore, the Trianon Ballroom and the Oak Lake Casino. Dancers recreate jumpin’ jives, two-steps, tangos, bossas, waltzes, and sambas as Canada’s longest-operating big band serves up swing-era vocal and instrumental favourites. Oct 21,22, 23, 28, 29, 30 - Little Shop of Horrors Young Company Show - A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with Audrey with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed. Will it take over the world or will Seymour and Audrey defeat it? Nov 26 – Dec 31 - Jack and The Beanstalk PANTO - Jack’s back! Jack Jr. has been brought up with a beanstalk in his backyard. The large corporation, Giant Corp is threatening his farm and he must climb to the clouds to save

Sept 17, 18 10am- 5pm - Apsley Autumn Studio Tour 23rd Apsley studio tour is renowned for the quality of the artists working in a variety of disciplines in the North Kawarthas. Map: www.apsleystudiotour.com/map/. Sept 17 & 18, 24, 25 10am -5pm Bancroft & Area Studio Tour 24th year featuring the area’s rugged landscape & spectacular autumn colours. Map: www.bancroftstudiotour.org/map. Sept 24 & 25 10am- 5pm - Tweed and Area Studio Tour Artists and artisans will be showcasing their talents in our 19th year. Map: www.tweedstudiotour.org/map.ht Oct 1, 2 10am-5pm – Madawaska Valley Studio Tour As the nights get cold, brilliant yellows, oranges and reds mark Autumn in the Valley & the tour’s 25th year. Map: www.madawaskastudiotour.com

EVENTS Sept 1 – 22 The Story of Art: Conception to Completion. The Quinte Writers and Illustrators display their books and artwork. Belleville Library, 3rd floor, 254 Pinnacle St Belleville, 613-968-6731 x 2240. Sept 18* - Terry Fox Run - A day of celebrating Terry’s legacy and helping to keep alive his dream of finding a cure for cancer. *Some Runs are held on days other than

Sept 18, please check for site & date: www. terryfox.org/Run/Find_A_Runsite Sept 20 7:30pm - “A History of the Village of Shannonville” presented by Hastings County Historical Society with historian and HCHS member Bobby-Jo Morris. Maranatha, 100 College Street West, Belleville. Free www.hastingshistory.ca Sept 26 7pm - Butterflies! - Author of the Pictorial Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of the Kingston Region, John Poland, will discuss the natural history of local butterflies, ways to attract them to your yard and how to contribute to science by reporting your sightings. Quinte Field Naturalist meeting, Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, Belleville. Sept 29 7pm Lawrence Scanlan, ­author of “A Year of Living Generously” will be a guest speaker at the Tweed Public ­Library, 230 Metcalf St, Tweed. Autographed books and refreshments available. www.tweedlibrary.ca Sept 30, Oct 28, Nov 25 7pm – 7-11 Open Mic Night – A Place for The Arts, 23 Bridge St. W Bancroft. https://aplaceforthearts.com/ Oct 7 - Nov 3 9am-8pm Photo Art 2016 The Napanee Photo Club’s 32nd Annual Exhibition and Sale. Free. Lennox and Addington County General Hospital, 8 Richmond Park Drive, Napanee 613-661-1085 www.napaneephotoclub.ca Oct 14 - 15 7:30pm, Oct 16 3:00pm – stirlingFEST: A celebration of classical music and jazz. St. John’s Church, 73 North St, Stirling.

“Caring for your family’s dental health”

Stirling Dental Centre

Oct 18 7:30pm - “The British Home Children from 1869 to 1939” presented by Hastings County Historical Society with author and historian Sandra Joyce. Ms. Joyce is the author of three books on the subject. Maranatha, 100 College Street West, Belleville. Free www.hastingshistory.ca Oct 22 7:30pm Tyendinaga, 1st Annual Musical Concert, featuring Broadway, Classical, Country, Folk, Jazz, and Traditional music. Musicians will be showcasing their own compositions along with pieces of renown. Mohawk Community Centre, 1807 York Road, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Narda Julg 613-396-3863 nardakj@bell.net. $10, children under 18 free. Oct 22, 23 10am – 4pm - Tyendinaga Aboriginal Artfest 2016 3rd Annual Exhibition & Sale of photography, sculpture, carving & two-dimensional art. Mohawk Community Centre, 1807 York Road, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Narda Julg 613-396-3863 nardakj@bell.net. Free Oct 24 7pm - The Puzzling Biology of Flying Squirrels - Flying squirrels have higher levels of stress hormones than most any animal, so why aren’t they dead? PhD candidate, Lanna Desantis, presents her research into this fascinating aspect of flying squirrel biology. Quinte Field Naturalist meeting, Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, Belleville. Oct 27 7pm - Marianne Ackerman, award winning author, playwright and journalist will visit the Tweed Public Library, 230 Metcalf St, Tweed. Autographed books and refreshments available. www.tweedlibrary.ca.

Bridge Street Art

Dr. Doug Smith A N D A S S O C I AT E S

Dr. Lauren Allen & Dr. Amarpreet Kaur Family & Cosmetic Dentistry New Patients & Emergencies Welcome Friendly people and gentle dentistry for your whole family.

9B Tuftsville Road, Stirling, ON 613-395-2800

20 I

Country Roads • Fall 2016

GALLERY & ART CLASSES 23 Bridge Street, Bancroft, ON 613. 332-8807 anitamrph@gmail.com


C O U N T R Y

C A L E N D A R

Things to see and do in and around Hastings County. To submit your event listing email info@countryroadshastings.ca or call us at 613 968-0499. Oct 28 3pm-9pm, Oct 29 9am -4pm Annual Fibre Arts Show & Sale presented by The Belleville Weavers & Spinners Guild. Exclusive items, timeless garment designs, bold art wear, handspun yarns, and more — all handcrafted with expert fibre techniques and in a wide price range. Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre, 265 Cannifton Road, Belleville. Free & wheelchair accessible. bellwsg@gmail.com. Oct 29 6pm Cocktails, 7pm Dinner - Of Bumblebees and Maple Leaves Hastings County Historical Society Annual Banquet and Celebration of History at the Travelodge Hotel, Belleville. Guest Speaker

is Globe and Mail columnist and author, Roy MacGregor. Mary-Lynne Morgan 613961-7091. www.hastings.history.ca Nov 4 – 6 - The Maker’s Hand Festival Of Fine Craft. Showcase of international and local artisans. Wood, metal, mixed media, glass, jewellery, clay, fibre and wearable art. Picton Fairgrounds 375 Main Street East, Picton, Prince Edward County. $6 Children under 12 free. www.themakershand.com Nov 15 7:30pm - “Extraordinary Women – Extraordinary Times: Canadian Women in WWII” presented by Hastings

County Historical Society with author and historian Sherry Pringle speaking on her recent book. Maranatha, 100 College Street West, Belleville. Free www.hastingshistory.ca Nov 25 - 27 - 2016 County Festival of Trees - Silent auction of decorated Christmas trees, bucket draw, Second Time Around Shop Boutique, bake & preserves sale, musical entertainment. Isaiah Tubbs Resort, 1642 County Road 12, Picton ON. www.qhc.on.ca. Free. Proceeds support healthcare needs in the community.

Nov 29 7pm - John Laschinger, veteran political organizer and author of “Leaders and Lesser Mortals: Backroom Politics In Canada” and “Campaign Confessions”, will visit the Tweed Library as part of the Friends of the Tweed Library Writer Series Autographed books and refreshments available. www.tweedlibrary.ca

marketplace

Celebrating Life in Hastings County

LAWN & GARDEN

AUTOMOTIVE • Gas Bar • Convenience Store • Laundromat • Movie Rentals • Propane

Min & Julie Yoo Tel: 613-395-5360 Fax: 613-395-1491 208 North Street, Stirling ON K0K 3E0

ARTS & CULTURE

Dec 4 11am- 5pm - Prince Edward County Christmas House Tour of old and new homes decked out in holiday finery. sheltonpeta@gmail.com

Nov 28 7pm - Saving Grassland Birds - Kurt Hennige will review his research on local nesting Bobolinks and Meadowlarks and outline the land management strategies that will help save these threatened species. Quinte Field Naturalist meeting, Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, Belleville.

SALES & SERVICE

Dec 10 5 pm - Brighten the Night Christmas Parade & Kids Party - Downtown Maynooth www.maynooth.on.ca

TO BOOK YOUR MARKETPLACE ADVERTISEMENT PLEASE CALL 613-968-0499

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

BOOK & COVER DESIGN, WEBSITES & BRANDING FOR SELF PUBLISHERS

GRAVELY-ARIENS TROY-BILT-BOLENS

• Lawn & Garden Tractors • Roto-Tillers With 35+ years experience, Small but knowledgeable. (613) 473-5160 • R.R. #5, Madoc, ON K0K 2K0 (1 mile N. of Ivanhoe on Hwy. 62 - #11700)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

For more information visit www.facebook.com/tikit-visuals or email to tikitvisuals@gmail.com

SPECIALTY SHOPPING

Dawn Ebelt, R.M.T. Registered Massage Therapist

Providing effective treatments since 2003

@PhysioNorth

237 Hastings St. N Bancroft

call 613-332-1010

Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 24 & 25, 2016 10 a.m to 5 p.m.

cell 613-848-4096 debelt@sympatico.ca

Come and discover 19 talented artist, in 15 venues!

Soups, Sandwiches, Sweets – in the best smelling café. Leave with a fragrant reminder: • Fresh Cut Flowers • Giftware • Cafe 20 Forsyth St., Marmora • 613.472.0330

www.flowersbysueontario.com flowersbysue2010@hotmail.com

Mon to Fri 9-5 Sat 9-4

Find us on Facebook

SEASONAL

HEALTH

BRAD COMEAU Professional Corporation Law Office

Box 569, 33 Mill Street, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0

Celebrating Family, Friendship & Love

613-395-2596

www.stirlingmanor.com 218 Edward Street, Stirling

Ph: 613-395-3397 Fx: 613-395-3398 Tf: 877-565-1626

bcomeau@countrylawyer.on.ca www.countrylawyer.on.ca Member of Ontario & PEI Law Societies

Real Estate, Wills & Estates

Fall 2016 • Country Roads

I 21


Beautiful

Back Roads

Bancroft

SHOP I DINE I EXPLORE

Fun Starts Here! 13 Foot Candy Bar • Real Black Licorice • Black Balls • Retro Candy

• Gifts, Toys & Novelties

75 Hastings St. N

Downtown Bancroft on the Strip

613.332.2332

Open seven days a week Also visit Stirling General Mercantile 26 West Front St., Stirling 613.243.8462

Wheat Kings Men and horses bringing in a harvest of wheat on the Fourth Concession of Sidney Township, Hastings County. On the back of the photograph is a note that the wheat was award-winning. Photograph donated to the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County. CABHC reference: 2016-53

22 I

Country Roads • Fall 2016


Bancroft Theatre District

LIBRA TRIBAL MARBLE JOSEPH RIBKOFF

Posies

“COME SEE THE LARGEST SELECTION OF IRON FOR MILES!”

FLOWERS & FASHIONS

Floral designs for all occasions 3 BRIDGE ST. W. BANCROFT 613.332.5645

Ashlie’s Books

Market Cafe & Fudge Factory ...a Unique Downtown Destination

65 Hastings St. North, Bancroft, ON

613.332.2946

Enjoy shopping in 10 rooms plus basement & 2 out-buildings.

www.ashlies.ca • books@ashlies.ca Open Mon-Sat 10a-5p, Sun 11a-4p SPECIAL ORDERS ARE WELCOME!

New & Used Books. Plus... MAPS, Local Artist CARDS & GIFTS 10% OR MORE OFF MOST* NEW SOFTCOVER BOOKS 25% OR MORE OFF MOST* NEW HARDCOVER BOOKS GREATER THAN $16.95 *ONLY A FEW EXCEPTIONS MAY APPLY.

Tons Of Fudge Made On-Site

20+ Flavours – Free Samples

Café

Antiques, Used Furniture and Olde Stuff

Browse Our 2 Floors Of Gifts, Clothing, Furniture…

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

16 Bridge Street. W., Bancroft 613.332.1336 www.cafefudgefactory.com

Home & Garden Decor - New and Old

Hats, Clothing, Jewelry, Handbags & accessories

Pick up a FREE Wayback Times!

Alive with entertainment, first class shopping, and dining.


DREAM HOMES

. o d e w t a h w s ’ t ...I

L O G

T I M B E R F R A M E

1-866-395-LOGS

w w w. dis c ove r y dre a mh o me s . c o m

H Y B R I D


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.