The Hogendoorn Farm dairy tour ------------------
Contributors to the ABC Festival: -------------------
Larry Roth, Oran Erb & Mike Kennedy
A look at Wellesley Brand Apple Products --------
Lara Carleton: ABC Festival History ---------------
Wellesley Township Heritage & Historical Society Curator
Wellesley 2023 Vendor line up -----------------------
Wellesley’s citizens of the year -----------------------
The annual Apple Butter and Cheese Festival marks its 47th year on Saturday, September 30. The entire community comes together for this one-day event showing commitment and generosity through their selfless efforts to make this festival a success year after year.
All proceeds are directed to major projects in Wellesley village from funding laptops for Wellesley Public School, to helping to fund the splash pad and accessible playground.
Come early and enjoy the pancake breakfast starting at the crack of dawn on the “main street” followed with traditional Festival yummy foods on the Queen Street Food Mall. Visit the arena and see many homemade crafts.
Our team at the Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette is thrilled to participate in the 47th annual Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival through the production of this year’s program. I would like to thank the organizing committee for working with us on this project, and congratulate them on another well-organized Festival.
Just as the Apple Butter and Cheese Festival is only possible thanks to the contributions of so many people, similarly this program exists thanks to the efforts of many. In particular, I’d like to highlight Sharon Leis and Veronica Reiner who both went above-and-beyond in co-ordinating and planning the interesting content
Stay for children’s entertainment, enjoy free wagon rides, tours and let’s not forget the apple butter and cheese available from local vendors.
Bring your family and friends and join me and my family for a day of good food and friendly atmosphere. It’s fun for everyone.
within this year’s guide. Also, many thanks to graphic designers Rachel Petrie and Sarah Cairns for their expertise and creativity exhibited within these pages.
This year’s guide would also not be possible without the community-minded businesses whose advertisements funded the project, so please pay special attention to their contributions within this program.
We look forward to seeing everyone in Wellesley on September 30th for this year’s event.
Stewart Grant Publisher, Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette
The Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival offers events and entertainment for all ages. The day starts at 7:00 a.m. with our Pancake Breakfast. Our craft and food market opens at 8:00 a.m. and the festival runs all day until 4:00 p.m.
We offer free parking and admission and we have free tractor wagons running all day to transport people throughout the festival.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Downtown Street Mall
- from 7 a.m.
ANTIQUE CARS AND TRACTOR PARADE
Parade through town
- from 12 p.m.
HORSeshOE TOURNAMENT
Arena Grounds
- from 9 a.m.
CRAFT CIDER TASTING
In Arena from 9 a.m.
Come sample some of the finest Locally produced craft ciders
MINI-TRACTOR PULL
Queen’s Bush Road
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contest is open to children 10 years and under, with a minimal charge to enter.Trophies will be awarded. Contestants must have signed consent from parents. Forms available at the main street information booth.
WELLESLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Wellesley Library
- 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Drop by the Historcal Room during the Apple Butter and Cheese Festival to see our displays.
CLOG DANCING
10 a. m. – 1 p. m.
There will be clog dancing near the information booth at various times throughout the day.
CHUNG OHS TAE KWON DO DEMONSTRATION
10 a. m. – 1 p.m.
Come and see a demonstration of Tae Kwon Do from Chung Ohs schools from KW Region. Students will show their patterns, self defence, weapons and even some board breaking.
PUPPET SHOW
Across from arena on Brown Street
- from 10 a.m.
Young children are invited to watch the puppet show at 64 Brown Street, opposite the arena grounds. The show runs 10 minutes at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
ANTIQUE CARS DISPLAY
Library Grounds
Visitors are welcome to see the antique and classic cars that will be arriving. At noon, there will be a parade around the Village by the classic cars.
ANTIQUE JOHN DEERE TRACTOR DISPLAY
Brown Street behind the arena
Enjoy a bit of agricultural history and see a collection of antique farm equipment.
THE CRAFT AND VENDOR MARKETPLACE
Wellesley Arena
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Come & check out the many quality artisan craft and food vendors
MODERN DAIRY FARM TOUR
Buses will be running back and forth to the farm all day, loading passengers in the Wellesley Auto Care parking lot on Nafziger Road.
Enjoy the food treats that are the specialities of the Festival including caramel apples, apple fritters, apple cider and other beverages; sausage on a bun & french fries; and schnitzel on a bun.
At the east (upper) end of the mall on Queen’s Bush Road, visitors are welcome to relax and enjoy local entertainers performing at various times during the day.
Time Main Stage Entertainment
9:30 a.m. Erick Traplin
10:30 a.m. Kyle Geraghty
11:30 a.m. Allister Bradley
12 noon The Chord Spinners
12:30 p.m. Jampree
1:30 p.m. Kiki Heard (Covid Idol Winner)
Between Arena & Community Centre
Listen to the sounds of Turning Corners Band throughout the day.
Check out the following fun facts about apple butter:
• Apple butter can be traced back to Rhineland, Germany and Limburg, Belgium during the Middle Ages, when the first monasteries (with large orchards) appeared. It originated as a way to preserve apples.
• Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce, produced by long, slow cooking of apples, with apple juice or water, to a point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown.
• Canned, unopened apple butter can last up to two years when stored in a cool, dry place, and out of direct sunlight. If apple butter is opened, it should be refrigerated and used within six months to ensure maximum freshness and flavour.
• Apple butter has a much longer shelf life as a preserve than apple sauce, because of the concentration of sugar.
• Apples are a high acid food, with a pH below 4.6. Therefore, apple butter can be placed in hot jars without chances of compromising the quality of the product.
• Nutritionally, apple butter contains plenty of fibre and plenty of sugar.
• The product contains no actual dairy butter - the word “butter” refers to the butter-like thick, soft consistency, as well as apple butter’s use as a spread for breads.
• Plenty of varieties of apples can be used to produce
apple butter. Apples are typically chosen on their physical and chemical properties, such as hardness, sweetness, acidity/tartness. Soft apples are usually chosen for producing apple butter because they can be broken down more easily when cooked. These types of apples include McIntosh, Cortland and Granny Smith.
• Vinegar or lemon juice is sometimes mixed in while cooking to give a small amount of tartness to the usually sweet apple butter.
• Before 1900, when home canning became widely available, apple butter was preserved in a crock, with the top covered with thick paper. The crock was then stored in a cool, dark place.
• In areas of the American South, the production of apple butter is a family event, due to the large amount of work necessary to produce apple butter in significant quantities. Apple butter is usually prepared in large copper kettles outside.
• Other cities that hold Apple Butter and Cheese Festivals include Fenner Nature Center in Lansing, Michigan (in the third weekend of October) and Oak Glen, California (in November on Thanksgiving weekend).
• Apple butter is usually packaged the same way, whether it is prepared in a factory setting or made at home. It can be packaged mechanically in jars or cans through the use of machinery.
By Chef John, Allrecipes
Apple butter is basically a spreadable apple pie filling, only better. Though the cooking time is long, it’s a super easy recipe and pretty hands-free. Pair it with some sharp cheddar on a cheese plate, or slather it onto cheesy biscuits.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours
Total time: 10 hours and 15 minutes
Servings: 32
Yield: 4 cups
Ingredients
• 5 pounds Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
•½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 splash water
Directions
Step 1:
Place apple pieces into a large slow cooker. Add white sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vinegar. Add a splash of water and mix well.
Step 2:
Cover and cook on high until apples are starting to soften and release liquid, 1 to 2 hours. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, until all the apple flesh is dissolved, 5 to 6 hours. Stir occasionally.
Step 3:
Puree using an immersion blender until smooth. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until darkened and thick, about 4 hours more. Pass apple butter through a strainer if desired. Seal in a glass container and refrigerate until cool.
Chef’s Notes
Any classic cooking apple should work in this recipe. If you don’t have a slow cooker you can certainly do it on top of the stove over low heat, as long as you use a nice thick-bottomed pot, and stir often. Another option would be to place the mixture in a large roasting pan, and cook it in a slow oven, stirring occasionally until dark and thick.
Delicious on cheese biscuits, or try spreading between the layers of a spice cake, or use as a condiment for pork chops.
Chef John
By Veronica Reiner
Visitors to the Apple Butter and Cheese (ABC) Festival will get the opportunity to tour a modernized dairy farm - Hogendoorn Dairy, located at 2161 Erbs Road in Baden.
Shuttle buses from the ABC Festival will take guests directly to the farm, which run on festival days from about 10 a.m. until around 3:30 p.m. Mike Barker, who takes care of the bus service, said that he sees roughly 500 to 1,000 people pass through.
“There’s no charge to go on the bus - the festival pays for the buses,” he noted. They are school buses that are chartered specifically for the event.
“Generally, the tour goes on for about an hour and a half,” said Barker. “Some people choose to stay longer, because the buses keep coming back.”
The family that owns the farm has been hosting tours for about 20 years. Hogendoorn Dairy is owned and operated by Kees Sr., Tineke, Kees Jr., Amanda, and formerly Karla. Karla tragically passed away in late 2017 - the family continues to host tours, noting it’s what Karla would have wanted.
Guests can expect to see plenty of animals on the 2000-acre operation - there are about 1,100 cows on the farm all together, along with a Boston terrier and two other dogs, a shy farm kitten and plenty of other cats,
and sport horses.
Along with that, they will be shown 60-cow milking parlors, a feed mill, silos that hold feed for the cows, feed mixers, a sand bedding recycling area, and state-of-theart machinery, including combines, harvesters, tractors and more. Visitors get the chance to climb into some of the machines.
In addition, there is advanced technology to help keep the cows in the best health possible. Each cow is equipped with a transponder on their leg, which Tineke described as similar to a Fitbit. The cows’ weight is monitored every day, along with the time that they are milked.
“Our nutritionist checks that every two weeks,” said Tineke. “He hooks into our computer from home - if he sees too much variation, then he can correct that and adjust the feed for a little bit more energy, a little bit more fibre, or a little bit more vitamins.” There is a wide variation in guests that come out for farm tours, noted Tineke.
“Some people come every year - you get some farmers, you get some people who know a lot about it, but then you have people that have no clue,” she said. “We have plenty of city people, sometimes from the Toronto area, and then there are some children that have never touched an animal.”
There are eight employees total to help out on the
farm, five full time and three part time. The cows are milked three times a day - at 4 a.m., at 11 a.m. and at 6 p.m. The operation gets an average of 40 to 42 litres per cow per day. “We came here from Holland in 1995 with our two children,” explained Tineke. “Our daughter passed, and our son now has three sons of his own. We’ve been here for 28 years. In Holland, our family was farming on both sides - my husbands and myself. “As far back as I can go back in our family tree - we’ve all been farmers.”
Hogendoorn Dairy also grows crops on the farm, including soybeans. Tineke said that the weather greatly impacts the growing season. “This has been a very good summer because we need the rain for these crops,” she said. “But a lot of places got way too much rain, and we got just the right amount.
“We also got an irrigation system for all the dry years. This year, we used it in June and that was it.”
Karla used to run Hogendoorn Sport Horses. She used to love the tours, gave jumping demonstrations, and explained to guests what it was like to import horses from the Netherlands. The family keeps some horses on the farm, with the female and male horses separated for safety reasons. Their ages range from one-year-old up to around 30-years-old.
The horse Ulano H, who was born on the farm, was sold to one of the riders of the Canadian jumping team and later sold to Japan, and won the Grand Prix of Dubai.
By Mercedes Kay Gold
The Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival is held every year on the last Saturday of September since 1975. With humble beginnings and a hefty goal, the festival has grown to be one of Waterloo County’s most popular events. In May 1976, the Wellesley Community Board (WCCB) was told by the province their arena was unsafe. The cost to repair or replace was astronomical.
The vote was in favor of building a new arena and local citizen Larry Roth volunteered to head the twelve-member fundraising committee. Provincial grants were not enough to cover the costs. Local clubs and organizations gave all they could spare. After endless door knocking, Larry and his neighbor Wib Wagner brainstormed, and just four short months later the first Apple Butter and Cheese Festival was held. It was a huge success, with an estimated 10,000 in attendance. Within three years and six months, the small tight knit community of just 900 people raised the $618,000 for the brand-new arena to be built. Larry Roth continued to help the festival grow and make money for the town until he retired from his role as the President in 1993.
“Larry was open to new ideas, was easygoing to talk to or suggest things to, and if you could come up with a good reason for changing something or adding it to the festival, he was very agreeable to new ideas,” said Bob Reid, who worked with Larry on the ABC Festival committee.
Reid added that Larry shaped the culture and atmosphere of the festival to one that was open and accepting of new ideas.
“He would say, ‘If you think it’s going to work, let’s go with it. Let’s try it,” said Bob.
The festival started with small-town pride, and it hasn’t changed. Rooted in community, a love for local products and businesses, the festival is overflowing with small county charm. Families continue to flock to the festival every September just after the official arrival of Autumn. Larry’s three children grew up with a deepfelt connection to the festival. His daughter, Jennifer Dietrich recalls weeks of rehearsing German songs and dancing
with a group of neighborhood girls and boys in preparation for the festival performance.
This year is especially heartwarming since it marks the first one since their father died this summer. Jennifer is certain her father had oodles of magnificent memories, and wishes she could ask his favorite. Finding photos to share wasn’t an easy task. Larry’s role as the official festival money collector or being a shutterbug may explain the few priceless photos.
Year after year the festival continues to flourish and for good reason. There’s a little bit of something for everyone. From tractors to a horseshoe tournament to quilt auction and ongoing live entertainment, there’s lots to see, do and eat. Yes, the festival has mouthwatering apple dumpling and fritters year after year, but also memories to last a lifetime. See you September 30th at the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival for a fabulous fun time in the fresh Autumn air.
By Veronica Reiner
Oran Edward Erb, a Wellesley resident who passed away in 2020 at age 70, was a huge contributor to the success of the Apple Butter and Cheese (ABC) Festival. He performed a variety of tasks to help out with the event, including setting up the venue, organizing volunteers, transporting various items to the event, such as picnic tables, via trailer, and cleaning up any garbage.
“Oran was a great brother,” said his younger sister, Pauline Kuntz. The family grew up on Queen’s Bush in Wellesley. Oran attended Elmira District Secondary School.
“Oran was a valued member of the ABC organizing committee,” said Jamie Reid, Chair of the ABC Festival. “A very quiet man who took pride in our small town festival.
“Oran hardly ever missed a meeting and was always willing to help where needed. His main responsibilities were taking care of the garbage and recycling both during and after the festival. He was also the official ‘truck driver,’ transporting volunteers during setup and takedown. Oran’s mischievous smirk and the occasional belly laugh will forever be in our memories.”
Oran had a cottage that he really enjoyed at Conestoga Lake, said Pauline, adding that he enjoyed fishing, boating and waterskiing.
When his cottage that he purchased in 1986 burnt to the ground in January 1993, he rebuilt a new cottage that summer with the help of his dad and many family members and friends.
The main career throughout Oran’s life was carpentry. He worked at several family owned construction companies, including his father’s construction company, Milton D. Erb Construction, as well as Richard Cook Construction from Wellesley, Donald Erb Construction based in Milverton, as well as Home Hardware in Wellesley, in the lumber yard.
He was also involved with various groups in the community, including the former Wellesley & District Optimist Club, along with the snowmobile club in Wellesley. “He visited us a lot. I’d have him for supper plenty of times after mom and dad passed, we’d be here because
we were his friends,” said Pauline.
In addition to Pauline and her husband, Joe Kuntz of Waterloo, Oran also had another sibling, Brad, and his wife Barbara of Millbank, and was the loving son of the late Milton D. Erb (2015) and Marjorie Cook (2011). Oran is missed by his siblings, aunts, uncles, many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A bench was purchased by the ABC committee to honour him and his many contributions to the festival.
By Mercedes Kay Gold
Ontario Apples are always local all-stars, but since 1922 apples have taken centerstage in a slew of naturally sweetened edibles from Wellesley Brand Apple Products. Apples are nutrient dense and provide an array of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and the power of pectin. An apple a day may not keep the doctor away, but there’s no denying the nutritious value in this portable power packed piece of produce perfection. It’s easy to fall in love with the time-tested recipes available by Wellesley Brand Apple Products. Their extensive lineup of apple all-star products uses only the finest ingredients. Small town country-charm is soon to be a lifelong family favorite.
Apple Cider is 100% pure and made from up to five different varieties of handpicked and fresh local Ontario apples. The process is simple, sweetened exclusively by Mother Nature. The apples start with inspection. After being washed, filtered and pasteurized, the cider is poured into glass bottles bringing ripe and ready orchard goodness straight to your local grocer. Apple cider is refreshing in the summer and warming on cold Canadian nights. Feeling adventurous? Apple cranberry cider is the perfect combination of sweet and tart.
Sparking Sweet Apple Cider starts with the same stupendous cider but the bubbles bring the bougie. The 100% natural apple love we know and love, always alcoholic-free, but champagne flute worthy. The sleek bottle is gift giving goodness or stunning for party table presentation. The single serve is a great option for B.Y.O.B.
For a festive Thanksgiving and holly jolly Christmas, Sparkling Sweet Apple Cranberry Cider is the perfect turkey or ham sidekick.
Fresh Pressed Cider is king of the Wellesley brand ciders. Five different varieties of apples are turned into a pomace, then pressed on a rack followed by a cloth press. The color becomes cloudier and darker. Less filtering equals heaps of holistic health help. This type of processing equals more pectin, a type of fiber in the cell wall of plants, helping give plants structure. Apple pectin is linked to promoting gut health, supporting healthy blood sugar and may even improve acid reflux. On top of the boatload of benefits, apple pectin deserves
a special shoutout for the stronger superior taste of the fresh pressed cider.
Apple Butter began 75 years ago from an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. The preserve uses the ideal blend of Ontario grown tree-ripened apples. The Wellesley brand proudly maintains the traditional cooking method. Apples are steamed then cooked, leaving a perfect puree. To make the perfect product, the puree, along with apple cider proceed onto a steam vat. There are no added sugars or sweeteners. Adding a smidge of sodium bicarbonate is the last step, bringing a natural sweetness and the time-tested tasty tingle to the tastebuds. A sprinkle of magic and ta-da, a stupendous spread, glaze or marinade whether you follow a meat or plant-based lifestyle.
Falling in love with fabulous fall is easy. Gorgeous colors, cozy sweaters, cinnamon kissed foods, and the power of pumpkin! Bring the flavors of fall home with Apple Pumpkin Butter. This fall favorite is wholesome, and the simple synergy of phenomenal pumpkin, astounding apples, warming cinnamon spice, and a sprinkle of sodium bicarbonate. The spread is an outrageous oatmeal topper, top-notch on toast and what a waffle wonder!
Apple Syrup is made using fresh apple cider. The one-of-a-kind taste sensation is due to the evaporation process. Naturally occurring sweetness equals a stellar substitute for maple or date syrup, honey, as well as molasses in baking favorites. Apple Syrup is preservative and fat-free fabulousness on ice-cream, waffles, pancakes, and as your new go-to glazes on pork.
Apple Sauce paired with pork is tummy tempting. Apple sauce is also a stellar swap in recipes calling for eggs, oil and butter. For every egg, use ¼ cup of applesauce, replace one cup of butter with ½ cup of applesauce and instead of ½ cup of oil choose ½ cup of applesauce.
Grape Juice and Strawberry Jam are two more products featuring fabulous fruits in the Wellesley Brand of products.
Mercedes Kay Gold is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer & a published writer who loves helping others live their best life when not spending time with her children and grandson, Theodore.
Dating back to 1976, the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival has been a community favourite. Named after the town’s two major producers at the time, A. W. Jantzi and Sons (now Wellesley Brand Apple Products) and J. M. Schneider’s Cheese Factory, the festival’s goal was clear: to promote the small town of Wellesley, its local businesses, and to raise money to invest back into the community.
Inspired by other local events like the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival and New Hamburg’s Mennonite Relief Sale, the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival was born. The decision was made to organize the event for late September due to the traditionally inviting early fall weather and the close timeline to Kitchener-Waterloo’s renowned Oktoberfest as both feature aspects of German culture.
In large part, the Wellesley community has festival organizers, volunteers, and their dedication over the years to thank as it would not be possible without them. It is easy to forget how much work goes into hosting the event. For example, the first festival took almost four years of brainstorming and planning before running. Following the inaugural festival in 1976, it was quickly decided by organizers that it would become “an annual event” held on “the last Saturday in September” as reported in a newspaper clipping from October 20, 1976.
Over the decades since the festival began, its initial goals have consistently been realized, even after some early uncertainty when Schneider’s moved out of Welles ley in 1980. Proceeds from the event have supported local community improvement initiatives including building the arena, ballpark, and soccer field, renovating the community centre, beautifying the downtown, and supporting the fire department among other projects. What makes these community donations more im pressive, is the fact that the festival has always had free admission.
Part of the festival’s enduring success comes from its staples that have been part of the event since its inaugu ral year like the pancake breakfast, smorgasbord dinner,
street mall, artisan and vendor booths, horseshoe tournament, cider mill and farm tours, as well as the antique car and tractor displays. In the festival’s early years, organizers recognized that it would be hard to make the festival better without making it bigger. Accordingly, over the years, more attractions, food, and musical entertainment like the quilt auction, book fair, model boat viewing and regatta at the pond, stagecoach and wagon rides, Wellesley Idol contest, Erick Traplin performances, and more have continued to draw in crowds of all ages.
Folks from near and far happily attend the festival annually or make the trip to experience it at least once in their lives. Approximately 5,000 people attended the first festival in 1976 which quadrupled to over 20,000 visitors by the fifth festival. Today, there are upwards of 35,000 festival-goers each year with visitors coming from across the province, country, throughout the United States, and have even come from countries as far away as Australia.
Rain or shine, Wellesley welcomes you on the last Saturday of September for the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival!
Do you have a visitor’s guide, T-shirt, or other souvenir from Wellesley’s first Apple Butter and Cheese Festival in 1976? If so,
please contact us at info@wellesleyhistory.org
Vendors are around the community centre and the upper baseball diamond
A treasure trove of handcrafted items including quilts, various styles of jewellery, candles, bath products, and a broad selection of home decor styles ranging from modern, shabby chic, country and primitive, plus much more can be found.
Vendors with food will stimulate your taste buds including a variety of local & domestic cheeses, Maple syrup, honey, pies, fresh hot coffee, cider, apple strudel, cotton candy, candy apples, pulled pork and old favourites like ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, sausage, poutine and french fries.
Collectible Things
Hot/Cold wraps, wall hangings placemats, runners, pot holders
Dress it Up
Clothing, scarves, ponchos,wraps, kitchen towels
Corkum Cove Collection
Soy candles, functional rope products, fabric pumpkins
Anne’s Caramelcrisp Ltd
Candy/Caramel Apples, Popcorn, Sno-Cones, Drinks
Michele Duskocy
Seasonal Décor, dolls, kitchen items etc.
Asiri’s Treasures
Handmade clothing and accessories for all ages
El Tambache
Wool sweaters, hats, mittens, socks and headbands
Miluz Art Inc
Sterling Silver Jewelry
Capella Meadows
Organic Goat Cheeses and Feta
Choices
Aprons, table runners, pillows, etc.
Country Boys Mobile Food Services
Fries, Poutine, breakfast sandwich, pulled pork
Ice Cream 4U
Ice Cream
Waxartistry
Scented soy candles in handpainted mason jars
Germana’s Gems
Handmade Childrens clothing - jackets, pj’s, dresses & more
Crafty Sue’s Wreaths & Decor
Seasonal Wreaths and small décor items
BloomBelles
Gold plated jewelry using real gemstones and natural pearls
Avani Creations Inc
Handmade coffee sack notes, leather satchels
The Strudel Lady
Fresh Baked Strudels
Mountainoak Cheese
Gouda Cheese Wedges and Curds
Grain Harvest Bakery
Cheese Pretzels, Apple cinnamon. Pretzels, Traditional Pretzels
Star Gifts
Beaded Jewelry, origami with ribbon
Enhance Purity
Handmade essential oils, rollers, deoderant, lip balm, etc.
Dandy Cotton Candy
Flavoured Cotton Candy
SOS BBQ
Pulled Pork and Chicken, sausages, peameal bacon, fries, etc.
Roth’s Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup, Maple Candy, Maple Butter, Maple Taffy
Maple Crisp Orchard
Apples and Maple Syrup
Quilts Galore
Quilts, Wallhangings, etc.
The Sweet Tree
Cupcakes, Cake Jars, Tarts, Edible Cookie Dough, Chocolate, etc.
Thorpe Toys
Handmade wooden toys and games
Wilderleigh
Crochet products (wristlets, bags/totes, hats etc)
Creekview Apiaries
Beeswax candles, small wooden signs
Poppin Kettle Corn Kettlecorn
The Chocolate House
Handmade chocolates, Cookies & Fudge
Covers by Curtis Blankets
Morfosoaps
Handmade artisan soaps, creams, lip balms, candles, gift sets
Bedford Candle & Bath Co. Candles
HenHouse Signs & More
Door Signs, Porch Sitters, Plant Stands, Pillows
Henna by Mehdiya
Henna Tattoos, Henna tubes and artifacts
Henna4You
100% Henna tattoos, henna kits
Bruno’s Bakery and Cafe
Pies, Custard tarts, butter tarts, fritters and turnovers
Millbank Cheese and Butter
White, orange and flavoured cheese curds and much more
Grace Street Creations
Soft Sided Bins, Neck Wraps, aprons, oven mitts
Aardvark
Wood & Metal Nautical & Equestrian crafts, princess halos
Heather’s Crafty Creations
Seasonal decorative woodcrafts
Blowing Smoke Hot Sauce Inc
Many Many types of hot sauce
Nature’s Edge Turnings
Wooden Items
SJH Woodsworks
Handcrafted tealight holders, charcuterie boards etc
Groovy Grilled Cheese
Groovy Grilled Cheese
Sunny Hotdog
Hot Dogs, Sausage, Burger, Chicken & Veggie
Mighty Mo Canada
Sterling Silver jewellry
Ontario Corn Roasters
Roasted Corn, Roasted Yams, Lemonade
Elza’s Gourmet
Fried Halloumi Cheese, Tacos nachos, Philly cheese and more
Oranje Grove Dutch Shoppe
Freshmade Strapwafels and Dutch Licorice
Sticks & Stones
Framed art made from pebbles, driftwood, sticks, seaglass etc.
Stonetown Artisan Cheese
Cheese - curds, Grand Trunk, Wildwood, Farmstead Emmental
Stemmler Meats
Sausage on a pretzel bun, pepperstix, summer sausage chubs
Under the Divi
Soaps, Bath Balms, Steamers, scrubs, etc.
Simlicity’s Edge
Charcuterie boards, bread boards, apoxy boards
Delicious All Day Coffee
Semi Organic Coffee - Espresso, Cappaucino, Latte & Lemonade
Crystals Fries
Burgers, Fries, Deep Fried Pickles, Toasted Western and more
The Green Frog
Home Décor, Bird House
Carolyn’s Catering
Menu Planning and Cookbook
Pure Soaps
Handmade Artisan soaps and cosmetics
Keep it Crafty
Pure vanilla extract
Ewe-nique Dairy Inc
Sheep Cheese and Curds
Wellesley wellness centre
Face Painting and free blood pressure check
Appleflats
Crabapple Jelly, Crabapple Craft Soda and more
Mapleview MYF
Pies - No Dairy or Eggs
*Vendor listing subject to change after press date.
By Veronica Reiner
There are three winners in different categories for Wellesley Fall Fair’s Citizen of the Year. Alexis Boyd-Koudys won the Wellesley Junior Citizen of the Year Award, Bob Reid achieved the Lifetime Citizen Award, while Lisa Weiler Haskins and Richard Hamming earned the Citizen of the Year Award.
The nomination period lasted from June 1 to June 30. Nominations could be submitted online or through a hard copy at the Wellesley, St. Clements or Linwood post offices. Wendy Richardson, who is on the Wellesley Fall Fair committee, said there were plenty of nominations this year.
“The majority of nominations come in online - I think we only had one or two that came in hard copy,” said Wendy.
All winners received lots of attention when they were announced in online groups, including Wellesley,
Ontario Community Connections Facebook page. “From Facebook, I have never had so many positive comments and likes as with this past group,” said Wendy.
Alexis, from St. Clements, attended Elmira District Secondary School (EDSS), and exemplifies the spirit and character of the Junior Citizen of the Year through community and school leadership.
“She’s very charismatic, she’s very intelligent, and she’s really involved with her school work as well,” said Wendy, of Alexis.
In high school, Alexis volunteered with homework help in her classes, and she also helped with marking and lesson prep at her former elementary school. She earned her specialist high skills major in health and wellness at EDSS, as well as received the Woolwich Physiotherapy Award upon graduation.
She helped with Tree of Light fundraising for St. Clements Paradise & District Lions Club, and volunteered for Sanguen Health Centre in Waterloo by making safe injection kits and harm reduction kits.
Alexis participated in the Wellesley Township Ambassador Leadership Program this year, and has enjoyed her first year studying Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo. She is volunteering at the university’s School of Anatomy this summer, dissecting full body human cadavers in preparation for them to be studied.
In addition, she was selected for a student trainer position by the University Athletic Therapy Department, where she will be volunteering for the Waterloo Warriors Field Hockey Team at their games and 6 a.m. practices in the fall. Alexis has also been a volunteer guide for prospective first year students and family coming to open house events, and leading high school walkthrough anatomy lab sessions.
Bob Reid, and his late wife, Susan, were a role model to many, in regard to community involvement.
“Bob is involved in everything Wellesley,” said Wendy. “He is so deserving.”
Bob is part of the organizing team of the Apple Butter & Cheese (ABC) Festival. He acted as a chair for the ABC Festival for 20 years. It was his vision and leadership that helped to grow the festival and raise the funds to be reinvested back into the community. These proceeds have helped to build an accessible playground, upgrades to sports fields and more.
He has been a member of the Wellesley & District Lions Club for 45 years, and held many titles, including President. Not only is he the founding member of the Wellesley Applejacks Junior C hockey team since 1987, he is the current President and timekeeper for the team.
Bob has been active on the Wellesley Christmas Tyme Parade committee for many years, and is the past President of First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wellesley. In addition, he is a supporting member and board member of the Wellesley Food Cupboard.
The nomination submission noted that he is very supportive of his family, driving and cheering on his grandkids at their sports games. Bob is 78 years young, while being very active and showing no signs of slowing down.
Lisa Weiler Haskins & Richard Hamming
Lisa Weiler Haskins and Richard Hamming opened their Wellesley home to three Ukrainian families, including the Gurtovayas. The Gurtovayas are a family of four that fled from the war and destruction of their homeland to Wellesley. Lisa and Rich provided a warm and caring home for about four months until the family could make their own home in Wellesley.
“Lisa and Richard, me and my family thank you for everything you have done for us, you are incredible, you are people with a good heart,” said Tetiana Gurtovayas. “We are very grateful to you for your support, for a new life, for your care, for your help, for your love for our family! It is thanks to you that we have been feeling safe and sleeping peacefully for a year now! Thanks to you we have housing, thanks to you our girls go to school, thanks to you we have food!”
After the Gurtovayas family moved, Rich and Lisa opened their home to a couple who stayed briefly with them until they were able to work and find their own place. They also housed a young, professional couple, who came to Canada in mid June and were expecting their first child.
All will officially receive their awards at the Wellesley Fall Fair opening night on Tuesday, September 12.
By Veronica Reiner
The ABC Festival has become so successful as a result of the hard work of many volunteers.
Proceeds raised from the festival go right back into the community, including funding the renovation and creation of sports facilities and parks, beautification and maintenance in the village, along with purchasing equipment for fire equipment and schools.
ABC Past President Bob Reid said that the organization is always looking for more volunteers.
“We are only able to continue because we do have a bunch of volunteers,” said Bob. “Even though we have the core festival committee, each group has to have volunteers to help them.”
Volunteering with the ABC Festival will help high school students to fulfill their mandatory 40 hours of community service.
In addition, it’s a great opportunity to work alongside your neighbours, meet new people, and be a part of an amazing event that sees attendance numbers of around 30,000 to 35,000 each year.
There are options to work at the pancake breakfast, apple cider booth, pre-festival day set-up, post-festival day clean-up, or be a part of the ABC planning committee.
Some activities require more volunteers than others - Bob said that when the ABC Festival ran the smorgasbord, they had close to 100 volunteers.
“In a lot of the cases, say the breakfast, which they’ve got at any time, they probably have 25 to 30 people in the booths, and they work a three to four hour shift,” said Bob. “Then you’ve got a new batch coming in.”
“You’ll see in the morning of every festival, there’s always that same core that is still there,” said Bob.
“They’re all smiling, and this is what we try to put across - that this is a fun town to come into, and a happy, friendly town.”
A volunteer form is available on the ABC Festival website at www.wellesleyabcfestival.ca/volunteer.
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Other work that the ABC Festival Committee does year-round:
By Veronica Reiner
In addition to organizing the Apple Butter and Cheese (ABC) Festival, the ABC committee does other work yearround to make Wellesley a better place to live.
At a hybrid meeting on August 22, two representatives, including Secretary/Treasurer Theresa Bisch and Chris Franklin approached council members and requested that they support a motion to sponsor seven new Christmas lights for a cost not to exceed $11,000. Council agreed.
Further, council agreed to support the motion from the ABC Festival Committee to donate $500 towards the fireworks at the Wellesley Fall Fair.
“These lights are getting very old and tired looking and most were purchased many years ago,” explained Theresa, adding that Franklin and George Poole were investing the cost to get them replaced.
“The cost to replace all 26 lights would be approximately $40,000. So it was suggested that we start by replacing some of the oldest lights this year instead of all of them at once.”
The lights are hung around the village around Remembrance Day and returned to storage in the second week of January. They are currently stored in the basement of the Wellesley library.
The new fixtures will be five foot snowflakes. “We chose these because they were a bit smaller in size than the other light fixtures that we currently have,” explained Franklin. “We’re able to move them around into places where the bigger fixtures are at risk of being damaged by trucks.”
Franklin explained that there was a band of “Christmas elves” in Wellesley, community volunteers including George Poole, the electrical expert, Daniel Bisch, the cube van transportation expert, Donald Erb, the lift operator expert, Brian Sauder, the fixture hanging expert, as well as other volunteers.
Other work that the ABC Festival Committee does year-round:
“Much work goes into decorating the streets of Wellesleycoordinating times and dates with the volunteers and equipment; the night before we hang the fixtures, we go into the basement of the library, and check each bulb on each fixture to make sure they are lighting properly,” explained Franklin.
“On Saturday morning, we carry all the lights up those old basement stairs of the library to the waiting cube van. We will spend about two hours driving through town, hanging the fixtures and then returning them to the basement about the second week of January.”
He added that they have been hung on the hydro poles in Wellesley for many years. In the past, members of the Wellesley and District Board of Trade hung the lights, took them down, and placed them back into storage in the old fire hall on Maple Leaf Street.
Most of the volunteers today who help out were members of the Wellesley and District Board of Trade, and continue to take care of the lights on behalf of the community after the organization ceased operating in 2017.
In 2014, the Wellesley and District Board of Trade approached the ABC Festival for funding to replace 26 new Christmas pole light fixtures - the old fixtures were donated to a service club in Hawkesville.
“With the 26 light fixtures, we continue to use seven of the old fixtures that were still in decent shape in order to spread the light further around town,” said Franklin.
“You might notice that at the ends of Queen’s Bush Road and the end of Nafziger, we have fewer to no light fixtures. It is our hope over time to add to our complement and have Queens Bush complete end to end and complete the bottom of Nafziger.”
The quote that the ABC Festival received for the seven fixtures, including delivery and harmonized sales tax, is $9,984. The organization asked for the amount of $11,000 in case there is additional electrical work that may come up.
“Our committee enjoys the task of hanging the lights - it brings a spirit to the community seeing them lit up at night,” said Franklin. “They complement the Christmastyme in Wellesley and Christmas parade.
“Based on the comments we receive from community members on the street while we’re hanging the lights, we know they appreciate our efforts at decorating Wellesley at Christmastime.”
A: The antique car parade drives along Maple Leaf Street in Wellesley during the ABC Festival in 2018.
(Photo credit: Larry Kryski)
B: Volunteers cook for the pancake and sausage breakfast during 2018’s ABC Festival. (Photo credit: Larry Kryski)
C: The Wellesley Applejacks Junior C hockey team volunteered at last year’s festival. (Photo credit: Larry Kryski)
D: Children’s entertainer Erick Traplin performs during the 2022 edition of the ABC Festival.
(Photo credit: Larry Kryski)
E: Visitors line up for Moreish food truck at the 2022 ABC Festival. Moreish is based in New Hamburg and serves ice creams, milkshakes, sundaes and more. (Photo credit: Larry Kryski)
F: A rock climbing wall was featured in the 2022 ABC Festival, along with a mechanical bull and more.
(Photo credit: Larry Kryski)
construction expected to be completed by the end of 2023
By Veronica Reiner
After years of planning and construction, the Wellesley Township Recreation Complex will soon be open to the public.
The 62,000 square foot facility, located at Queen’s Bush and Hutchison Road, is expected to be completed by the end of this year. It will be a perfect spot for many future community events.
“The project is on time, ice is coming in or around October 16, and the facility will open up in a month or two after that. The plan is by the end of the year, the township will have use of it, and the health centre will come online shortly after that,” said fundraising campaign chair Chris Martin.
“By early winter, we’ll be living in and using that building. Personally, I think it’s a great success and I can’t wait for the grand opening and for the community to get to see it for the first time.”
“It’s exciting, because we’re starting to reach out to user groups and introducing them to the facility, so they can get warmed up to what they’re going to be using in the future,” said Chris.
“Up until now, it’s always been just a concept, and it’s becoming a reality now, so that’s great.”
The idea for a new recreation complex came after the roof on the original Wellesley arena, located at 1004 Catherine Street in the village, had begun leaking water into the ceiling’s insulation in summer 2019. An engineer’s report found this to be a safety hazard as it could lead to a roof collapse.
The project was undertaken by Ball Construction of Kitchener for about $27 million in December 2021. The province provided $16 million towards the project, announced in June 2021, and a total of $3.9 million was raised through a capital campaign called Something For Everyone. The rest will be funded by taxpayers through a debenture.
The new facility will include a single pad ice rink, walking track, eight dressing rooms (including two fully accessible rooms), Junior “C” dressing room, storage for community groups, a youth centre, senior centre, gymnasium that would service as a community centre as well, commercial kitchen, skate park, multi-use court, active outdoor play centre, meeting rooms, fitness rooms, two soccer fields and an outdoor walking trail.
A grand opening is planned for the facility, with the details to be announced in the coming months.
By JoAnn Hague, Allrecipes
This recipe for apple crisp is adapted from a classic 50-year-old recipe. It works best with fresh, crisp cooking apples.
Head Office: 150 Queen Street East, St. Marys, ON N4X 1B4 | 519-284-2332 agent@stonetowntravel.com TICO #50010159
Branch Office: 210 Mill Street, New Hamburg, ON N3A 1P9 | 226-333-9939 newhamburg@stonetowntravel.com TICO #50025796
Ingredients
• 2 ½ cups apples - peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
Arrange apple slices evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender, or 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal; sprinkle over apples.
Bake in the preheated oven until the topping is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
